Chevrolet Malibu reviews

1997 Chevrolet Malibu Walkaround

The first thing you notice about the Malibu's shape is there's not much to notice. While certainly pleasant to look at, Chevrolet chose to go the safe route with a generic Japanese shape with no Chevrolet family look. And that's a positive, because Chevrolet's family look is not very distinctive. So while the Malibu's look is derivative, it's good derivative.

The Malibu stretches 190.4 inches bumper to bumper, which makes it a touch longer than most of the competition. The 107.0-inch wheelbase is virtually the same as the Accord, an inch less than the Stratus.

You may have noticed only five horsepower separates the four-cylinder engine from the V6. So why bother with the larger engine? The answer is in the torque curves. The V-6 generates 30 lbs.-ft. of torque more than the four-cylinder engine, and reaches that maximum output at 4000 rpm which is 400 rpm sooner. That means quicker response off the line, better acceleration for merging and passing and less downshifting on grades and hills. And speaking of shifting, it's all automatic. No manual transmission available for this front-drive family sedan. That's fine because few buyers in this market would likely opt for a five-speed transmission.

Since Malibu is the latest model from Chevrolet, it's only reasonable to assume it reflects Chevrolet's contemporary approach to doing things right. It does.

For example, standard exterior features include clearcoat paint that provides a high-gloss shine, hefty P215/60R touring radials on 15-inch wheels, 5-mph bumpers at each end, body-color door handles, body-color breakaway side mirrors, fog lamps (LS only) and reflector-optics headlamps.

In an effort to reduce wind noise to a minimum, Chevy engineers made the door handles flush with the door, hid the wipers at the base of the windshield, designed a special windshield seal and even went with a permanent spiral ground radio antenna that creates less wind noise.

Another reflection of new thinking is the Malibu's construction that uses a hydro-formed chassis for greater solidity and a net gauge hole body side process that uses four precisely placed location holes in the body to ensure dimensional accuracy of body panels when they are installed. Benefits to the owner range from less expensive crash repair to improved tire life from more accurate wheel alignment.