A bumpy winding road quickly showed the Chevrolet Malibu handles well. Chevrolet engineers deliberately tuned the Malibu's ride and handling to fall smack dab in between Accord firmness and Camry softness. We think it was exactly the right decision. The rock solid body structure provided us with a very quiet and comfortable ride, yet allowed spirited driving. The chassis is well controlled.The electronically controlled steering is sharp and responsive. It provides the driver with more assistance at low speeds for parking maneuvers, with less power assistance at highway speeds for better steering feel. Both of the available engines deliver plenty of power, as well as good fuel economy within their segments. GM's 2.2-liter dual overhead cam four-cylinder Ecotec serves as the base engine. It delivers 144 horsepower and 24/34 mpg city/highway. GM's newly developed 3.5-liter V6 delivers 200 horsepower and a still-decent 23/32 mpg in the sedan and 22/30 in the Maxx. We were impressed with the extra kick the V6 gave us in highway passing maneuvers. Base models come with rear drum brakes. LS and LT models come with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Dynamic Rear Proportioning, which dynamically adjusts brake pressure between the front and rear brakes, improving stability and shortening braking distances. ABS allows the driver to maintain steering control under hard braking. |
