The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu: What the critics say

Motor Trend

The new Malibu “has a legitimate shot” at being the top car in its class for the next couple of years. “For the average midsize buyer,” Chevy’s redesigned sedan will feel “downright sporty,” thanks to its improved handling and ride. But the Malibu “has only opened up a small lead” over rivals that will soon be getting their own makeovers, so there’s no guarantee that its new supremacy will last.

The Wall Street Journal

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We won’t call the Malibu perfect. Its shorter wheelbase means “taller passengers wouldn’t want to spend more than a half hour or so” in the backseat. But the Eco version we tested “flirted with 40 miles per gallon” and delivered “plenty of power for everyday driving.” More to the point, it proved “more appealing than its rivals in many ways”—quieter than the Accord and better looking than the “homely” Camry or trend-setting Sonata, whose “lemon-reamer styling” is inexplicably catching on.

EdmundsInsideLine.com

Still, we’d wait until the full line of Malibus is available. At $25,000-plus, the Eco model is no midsize bargain, and its gas-electric hybrid drive system didn’t give us the fuel economy advertised. A nonhybrid, presumably cheaper edition arrives later this year. “That’s the Malibu worth considering.”