Fortune magazine’s Alex Taylor has called the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco
“the most disliked car of the year (so far).” Chevy’s roll-out of the eAssist
Eco mild hybrid six months ahead of the conventionally powered Malibu is to
blame. Like too many new cars and trucks introduced recently, the eAssist
promises more than it delivers. It doesn’t give the Eco buyer much, if any,
real-world fuel economy gains even if it’s helping the automaker meet Corporate
Average Fuel Economy goals. In the past, we promised to wait for the new
2.5-liter four coming with the non-eAssist versions of the Malibu before making
final judgment. That day is here. The reverse-flow 2.5-liter is from GM’s
revised family of large four-cylinder engines, rationalizing North American-spec
with the versions on-sale in Europe for some time.
In the Malibu, it is rated at
a healthy 197 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, 27 horses better than the
2013 Fusion’s base 2.5-liter engine. It is mated to GM’s next-generation
six-speed automatic and though not yet EPA rated, Chevrolet predicts 22 mpg city
and 34 mpg highway fuel economy, which is in the hunt, but shot of the new
Altima’s impressive 27/38 mpg. A 2.0-liter turbo Malibu comes a bit later with
an estimated 259 horsepower and 260 pound-feet, topping the 2.0-liter EcoBoost
Fusion’s estimated 237 horsepower and 251 pound-feet. Chevy estimates a
6.3-second 0-60 mph time for the turbo Malibu.
It levels out too much, unfortunately, and feels a bit weak in the
mid-range. Once in the real world, the streets around Grand Rapids, Michigan,
the noises coming from the new engine prove to be its weak point. Geared for
fuel economy, if you put your foot into it, the 2.5 whirrs like a Hamilton-Beach
appliance and the transmission feels a bit like a CVT. That’s good for
smoothness sake, but not very tactile to the driver.
The range-topping LTZ trim level, which includes lane depart warning and
collision avoidance, offers Buick-overlap interior plushness and quality though
some of the chromed plastic parts, especially around the gearshift and power
window controls, stand out for the wrong reasons in an otherwise elegant
interior. The non-eAssist Malibus are distinguished from the Eco models by the
wheels and taillamps. Ecos have rectangular backup lights at the bottom of the
taillamp lenses, while the others have square backup lights in the center of the
taillamps.
Handling at Milford felt like a nice compromise between ride and
handling, with good body control and moderate understeer. There’s a bit too much
front-rear rebound coming off of big road dips, though. In the real world, some
sharp bumps in the road made the Malibu’s chassis feel a bit stiff for a midsize
family sedan, giving up some comfort for handling. We’ll need a full instrument
test to sort this out.
Overall, it’s an improvement over the 2008-12 Malibu, which was the first
of the model (since it went front-wheel-drive) that we could say is a credible
competitor for the creme of the midsize segment, which used to be Toyota Camry
and Honda Accord. It’s still in the hunt, though this major update doesn’t do
enough to make it a surefire contender for the top of its class.
Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan 2.5L/197-hp*/191 lb-ft* DOHC
16-valve I-4
