So I had a recent business trip and decided to rent a car and save putting 1200 miles on my own car over 3 days. After having the clerk at National read all the available cars to me like a waitress rattling off the salad dressing choices, I settled on a 2013 Malibu. I haven't had the chance to drive one yet, and after reading all the lukewarm reviews I figured it would be a good idea to check it out for myself.
I was happy to find out that when I got to the car, it only had 1500 miles on it and was a 2LT with the 2.5.
Pros -
I was able to quickly find a comfortable driving position with the 8 way power driver seat that also had 4 way power lumbar (a nice touch).
The "gages" were clear and easy to read, with a DIC in the center that was full color and provided plenty of additional information.
The Chevy MyLink works well, giving a touchscreen interface to the radio, Sirius XM, Bluetooth, Bluetooth audio streaming, Pandora and Stitcher. Steering wheel controls are clear and easy to use. Sound quality was good - it appeared to have standard speakers (no Pioneer upgrade).
The engine is barely audible inside, and the cabin is very quiet when accelerating and cruising along the highway. No squeaks or rattles.
Steering and handling are very nice, this is a nice highway cruiser, and easy to navigate in town. This car had 18" wheels and tires that looked great and I am sure they added to the comfortable ride and handling.
Power from the 2.5 is very good for a base engine. The car is quick to get moving from a stop light, goes up hills without a lot of downshifting, and has plenty of power for passing. You're not going to win any races, but for normal driving it's great with plenty of low end torque.
Cons -
This car has to have the world's ugliest dashboard. It doesn't feel cheap, but it sure looks it. I don't know what they were thinking with the black horizontal strip that runs the length of the dashboard. It does light up nice at night, but during the day it is an eyesore. The center stack is also odd looking, it reminded me of a tombstone.
All in all, it was a comfortable car to spend a 1200 mile trip in. I averaged 32.2 MPG according to the DIC for the time I had the car. Everything on it felt quality and well put together.
I was happy to find out that when I got to the car, it only had 1500 miles on it and was a 2LT with the 2.5.
Pros -
I was able to quickly find a comfortable driving position with the 8 way power driver seat that also had 4 way power lumbar (a nice touch).
The "gages" were clear and easy to read, with a DIC in the center that was full color and provided plenty of additional information.
The Chevy MyLink works well, giving a touchscreen interface to the radio, Sirius XM, Bluetooth, Bluetooth audio streaming, Pandora and Stitcher. Steering wheel controls are clear and easy to use. Sound quality was good - it appeared to have standard speakers (no Pioneer upgrade).
The engine is barely audible inside, and the cabin is very quiet when accelerating and cruising along the highway. No squeaks or rattles.
Steering and handling are very nice, this is a nice highway cruiser, and easy to navigate in town. This car had 18" wheels and tires that looked great and I am sure they added to the comfortable ride and handling.
Power from the 2.5 is very good for a base engine. The car is quick to get moving from a stop light, goes up hills without a lot of downshifting, and has plenty of power for passing. You're not going to win any races, but for normal driving it's great with plenty of low end torque.
Cons -
This car has to have the world's ugliest dashboard. It doesn't feel cheap, but it sure looks it. I don't know what they were thinking with the black horizontal strip that runs the length of the dashboard. It does light up nice at night, but during the day it is an eyesore. The center stack is also odd looking, it reminded me of a tombstone.
All in all, it was a comfortable car to spend a 1200 mile trip in. I averaged 32.2 MPG according to the DIC for the time I had the car. Everything on it felt quality and well put together.