2012 Malibu
After Four Years, Still a Mid-Sized Success
by Hib Halverson

At Tom Henry Racing, hot rod Chevrolets, especially our own, THR Camaro, are our specialties, but we'll bet 80% of THR Camaro or Corvette owners don't drive their cars regularly. They have a daily driver and, for some, it's a Toyota or Honda garaged next to their recreational Camaro. If that's you–it's time to come home to Chevrolet.

On a trip to Detroit to visit the Chevrolet "mother ship", we were loaned a Chevy Malibu LT to drive for a few days and, wow...now we get why even media biased against American cars begrudgingly admits: the mid-sized Malibu, is a darn fine product.

While Detroit's snow and ice didn't allow us to drive the Malibu in a sporting manner, Chevy's mid-sized wonder, when ordered with the uplevel suspension, does handle quite well. Shown is the uplevel LTZ model in much nicer weather. Image: John F. Martin

Your Camrys and Accords? Put 'em on Craig's List then meet your new daily driver. Why? Malibu has great style, good performance, comfort and roominess. It's got great quality, is priced right and–it's a Chevy.  

As soon as you get inside the Malibu, you get a really good feeling about what you see...something Chevrolet owners have not felt in the Bow-Tie folks' mainstream offerings in a long time. Image: GM Communications.

The first interior was like the one in our LT but this image is of the top of the line LTZ interior. Pretty nice, eh? Image: GM Communications.

Ok. We're a Chevrolet-obsessed web site, so we're a little biased in favor of Bow-Tie brand but, there are less-biased automotive experts who've embraced the new Malibu, too. In 2008, the car was chosen by the "North American Car of the Year" media jury from a field of 15. The NACOY award is given annually by prominent automotive journalists who evaluate vehicles for: value, innovation, handling, performance, safety and driver satisfaction. In '08, the jury consisted of 45 journalists from the United States and Canada. If the NACOY choosing Malibu isn't enough, Car and Driver put it on its famed "10 Best Cars" list for 2008. Kelly Blue Book chose the Malibu as the "Best Redesigned Vehicle of 2008."

But wait! There's more. Consumer's Digest named Malibu a "Best Buy" in 2009 and 2010. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the 2010 Malibu a "Top Safety Pick"  So, you see, we're not the only ones who are smitten with Chevy's mid-sized sedan. Malibu had only been on sale for about four months when it won it's first award. Over the last three model years, Chevy's mid-sized sensation has continued to be a winner

Need more evidence? At our parent company, Tom Henry Chevrolet and at dealers in many parts of the U.S. and Canada, new Malibus are going out the door almost as fast as we can get them off the car carriers. In the four years the Malibu has been on the market, Chevrolet's share of the cut-throat, mid-sized car market has doubled.

Warming-Up to Malibu

On a windy, snowy day at Detroit's Metro airport, after dumping 100 pounds of photo gear and other bags in the spacious trunk then scraping ice off the windshield, I looked at the Chevy Malibu for a minute wishing was was not in Detroit but in warm, sunny Malibu, California. Finally, the cold ended my day dream and I made hasty entry into the mid-sized Chevy, out of the wind and snow. First, I noticed comfortable, supportive seats. Second, what a nice interior! Third, the HVAC controls were easy to use–a good thing because I needed heat, quick and lots of it!

This car drives well. The steering has the right feel and effort. Ride is comfortable, but firm enough for Tom Henry Racing Camaro owners to appreciate. The car is quiet, yet not too isolated–another trait Camaro and Vette owners will like. It comes standard with a Malibu version of Corvette's and Camaro's Active Handing and Traction Control, called "StabiliTrak" in this instance, both welcomed while driving around snowy, icy Detroit on all-season radials. A "Brake Assist" feature was added in 2009 which, during a "panic" stop, automatically develops maximum brake boost to mitigate a driver’s tendency to brake without enough force to bring the vehicle to a quick stop.

GM's 3.6L "high-feature V6" is optional in it's 252-hp, port-injected, variable valve timing version. Image: GM Communications.

All Chevy Malibus now have a six-speed automatic with TAPShift. This unit is the one that goes with Ecotec four-cylinders. The V6 automatic is similar in appearance but a more robust design because of the V6's higher torque output.
Image: GM Powertrain.

Our test car had the base powertrain. The 169-hp Ecotec four's performance has always been adequate and, last year, it got a performance and mileage boost with a six-speed automatic replacing the four-speed which was standard with four-cylinder engines up to 2010. Not only does the four-cylinder model, now with six gears, accelerate in a more sporting manner, but it gets great fuel mileage, 22-city and 33-highway. Another upgrade for 2011 is all Malibus now have GM's "TAPshift" manual shift control which is pretty darn cool, if you're one who likes to shift the transmission yourself. With the Malibu's 3400-lbs, Ecotec works hard, but gets the job done more quietly than other Ecotecs we driven–a testament to GM's attention to noise in Malibu. If you want more power, a 252-hp V6 is available but, Corvette-grade acceleration? Well–that's not what this car is about.

Here is an mid-level, LT, like the one we tested for this article. Image: John F. Martin

In 10-15° weather, we didn't stand around very long looking that this car, but one of Malibu's strong points is its exterior. Long hood, short deck, Chevy's characteristic front grille with gold Bow-Tie, clean sides interrupted only by wheels openings, a seductive roof line and some Corvette styling cues at the rear all make this car as pleasing as it is unique to look at.

Toyota or Honda dealers, thinking about 4-door sedan sales and the weak dollar, then seeing Malibu's style, features, quality and price, oughta be nervous–real nervous.

At Tom Henry Chevrolet, parked right near some 2012 Corvettets and couple of 2012 Supercharged THR Camaros, we've got several of the 2012 iterations of this great mid-sized car from the Bow-Tie folks. Shopping for a daily driver? You gotta put Malibu on your list.

 What makes the new Chevy Malibu pleasing to the eye are some of the same attractive cues in the Corvette's exterior design: the Chevy lineage, the long hood and short deck, slightly bulged fenders and good looking wheels. Image: GM Communications.