Vehicle: 2004 Chevy Malibu LS
Price as tested: CDN $25905

Performance: The Malibu LS is powered by a 3 and a 1/2 liter OHV V6 that bumps out 200hp and 220 lb/ft of torque. While this pushrod engine still lacks the refinement of competitors’ SOHC and DOHC V6 engines, it provides more than enough power for daily driving. The throttle response is typical GM quick. The same goes for the 4-speed auto tranny. Its shifts are smooth and crisp although I found it hunting between 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear. GM should give Malibu a 5-speed auto which is more competitive with the rest of the segment. While Accord, Camry and 6 are all offer 5-speed auto,Chevy fell behind the rest of the pack in engine packaging. On another note, this 3.5L V6 not only fell short of refinement compares to Camry, Accord and Altima’s 6s. It also doesn’t feel as refine as GM’s venerable 3800 Series 2 pushrod engine.

Handling: Since Malibu shares the same Eplison platform as 9-3SS and Vectra, it doesn’t come as a surprise its a stiff structure. Even though Malibu shares the same chassis as 9-3, it doesn’t feel to have the same stout struture when pushed through corners. The electric power steering feels numb, featherweight, completely lack of feedback and has slow response. Every time I turned the wheel, it feels like the software for EPS has died. When I pushed the car through left and right transition tests, the steering has a dead feel on center and slightly stiff off center. This EPS feels as worse as the unit in the last Ion I drove. Another problem is this steering needs slight correction when going straight, especially on highway speed. The ride quality is acceptable although it doesn’t feel as comfy as an Accord or as firm as a 6. However, it needs more rebound damping when going over washboard pavement and expansion joints. As usual, it has plenty of understeer and body rolls when pushed.

Brakes: The front discs/rear drums provide better than average pedal feel. The ABS kicks in appropriately. The pedal modulation feels better than many GM cars preceding it.

Interior: Inside the Malibu, there are tons of hard plastic on top of hard plastic on the dashboard. The texture of the wood trim looks even more faux than many others’ faux wood trim. Although the switchgears have some pretty decent quality feel, the knobs are loose on our tester. The velour has a low-rent rental car feel. In other words, its texture has a rough and low-quality feel. The driving position feels more like seating on top instead of in a car thanks to its flat seat. On the other hand, the instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. The auto shifter slightly tilts toward the driver is a smart idea. The stereo placed above the climate control is another smart idea from GM. Back seat space is more than adequate.

Malibu’s trunk uses instrusive trunk hinges for cost measure. While its good at save money, its never been a good idea on my book. It also has a high liftover that is not very good for loading.

Conclusion: Although the Malibu has improved significantly over its predecessor, it still fell short of the competitors. Suffice to say, it barely match the bar sets by the rivals. GM needs lots of efforts before Malibu becomes a real Camcord, Altima, 6 and Passat competitors.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2004 CHEVY MALIBU LS
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Performance: 2/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 2.25/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2.25/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2/5