Shhhh...don't tell anyone.  The Malibu is a great car that deserves to be given the same consideration as the Camry and Accord.  No...check that...probably more.  Why more?  Because this is a car that is solid and well-built.  "So what?  So is the Camry and Accord," you say.  That may be so, but what the Malibu has that the Camry and Accord doesn't...is style.  It's a car that is not only reliable, affordable and efficient...it is a car you want to look at.  Admit it...the Camry and Accord don't jump out at you and say, "Look at me!"  They say, "Um...hey...I'm a wallflower."  People who buy them typically don't want to be seen...and if they are seen, they want to be seen as a follower...a sheep.  The bland, even convoluted styling of the Camry and Accord are sometimes even painful to look at.  Take the Camry with the 'sport' package...tacked-on ground effects.  A few years ago, Pontiac was beaten to death (as it turns out...literally) for doing such things.  But, Toyota has been given a free pass for such things.  The Accord?  Well, take a long look at the new Accord and the much-lamented Saturn L-Series...see any resemblance?  Anyway, the Malibu pointed Chevrolet's styling in a new direction...one that showed bold new lines.  The interior is both retro and modern with a twin-cockpit dashboard that harkens back to the 1960's classic Chevys.  Chevy even took it a step further with some very non-conforming color combinations inside...such as my car's ebony and brick treatment.  At first, you wonder if this will wear on you and start to look ugly, but it has actually made me more fond of it as the time goes by.  The factory stereo is amazing.  If there is anything I could complain about it, it is that the Bluetooth system doesn't reconnect with my phone automatically.  It's gotten to the point that I hardly use it unless I'm going to take a longer trip.

Powertrain

The 3.6 Liter VVT V6 is a powerful engine and can surprise with its power off of the line.  The transmission is a six-speed with a manual-shift option.  The steering wheel has paddles for up/down shifts.  This is a feature I played with some the first couple weeks I had the car, but since then, I haven't used.  It's a nice novelty, but that's about it.

Interior

My Malibu has the beautiful ebony/brick leather interior.  It looks great.  The dashboard is reminiscent of 1960's Chevrolet (mostly the second-generation Corvette, in my opinion).  The controls are mostly well-laid out with the exception of the power mirror control.  Shorter people may have no trouble reaching it on the leading edge of the door at the base of the window, but since I have the seat all the way back, it's harder for me to reach it.  I think it would have been better mounted next to the window controls.  But, this is a minor inconvenience since the mirror control is usually a "set-it-and-forget-it" item.  The steering wheel includes controls for the cruise and stereo/Bluetooth.  As I mentioned earlier, the Bluetooth system is a pain, but once you have the phone paired, it works great.  But, if you turn off the car, you have to pair the phone again.  I've been told that this may actually be a compatibility issue with my phone and not the car.  I've not found any info online to show me that this is a widespread problem.  Also, my car has a sunroof and the Homelink system that controls the garage door opener.  The center console also has a nifty dual-level setup, so that you can lift the lid to reveal a shallow storage area or a deep-well storage area, depending on which button you choose.

The interior is very spacious.  The back seat, even with the front seats all the way back, has great leg room.

Exterior

The Malibu has a very aggressive stance...especially in the LTZ trim with the standard eighteen inch wheels.  And the look is very upscale.  I've actually had someone tell me that they thought it was a BMW when I told them it was a Malibu.  Chevrolet even did a little "throwback" design by subtly hiding the Chevy "bowtie" emblem in the exterior lighting of the car.  The LTZ also features LED taillights.  The only thing I wish they'd done was add a "halo" around the front headlights.  I think this might have really added to the "luxury" look they wanted.
Amount Paid (US$): 21850
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: LTZ, Auto, 3.6 VVT V6, Leather