Making its debut in the 1960’s as a trim package for the Chevelle, the Chevy Malibu has been traversing the streets of America for quite some time now. Starting off as something sleek, muscular and fairly cool looking; the Malibu slowly turned into something geeky, awkward and not terribly appeasing to the eyes. However if you look past its history of frumpiness, the Malibu has been able to hold onto one tempting selling point-it has a fairly modest price tag.
Featuring the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ with its 29 mpg fuel rating, its surprisingly long lasting life expectancy, and its appealing MSRP listing for less than $20k-this car is one you should definitely consider when looking into a reliable first car or maybe just a third family vehicle.
The LTZ is at the top level for the Malibu trim offering for the year and carries a large assortment of features that make this vehicle rather enticing. This model comes with Bluetooth with attached voice recognition, an auto-stop feature that helps you save on gas, a variety of music apps and more. This car is miles ahead of it predecessors in regards to aesthetic appeal with its curved lines, larger cabin space, and in this case its all leather interior.
In regards to the mechanics behind it all, this particular model carries a 2.5L, 4-cylinder engine capable of producing about 196 horsepower which is pretty standard for the class of car. The transmission in this model is a 6 speed automatic however you wouldn’t be able to tell while driving as it happens to be a CVT.
Speaking of driving the Malibu, there were a few things that came to mind specifically the fact that if I were 18 again this car would be my best friend. It’s affordable, the gas mileage isn’t terrible, it looks classy and the fact that I could feel every bump in the road wouldn’t bother me too much. However, as an adult who feels the pain every time it rains, the bumps in the road got annoying pretty quickly. On top of the occasional bouncing I will
say that it handled very well at higher speeds and shifted lanes comfortably, much better than its 2008 counterpart that was more boat like than anything.
In terms of comfort, the leather is a nice touch and definitely adds a layer of cushion however the back support was a bit lacking and would probably get fairly uncomfortable after a few hours of driving, especially if you have a pre-existing back condition.
In short, for a first car, this would actually be pretty nice and if treated well (as most cars should be) it should last the driver quite a while.
Average Joe Auto Review 
Leave a comment