These days, budget sedans are almost entirely from Japanese and Korean automakers, with automakers in the USA focusing on more popular SUVs and crossovers; Chevy does offer the Malibul, still. The 2024 Malibu competes with the evergreen Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Despite its American roots, it lacks the classic muscle we expect from the brand and only brings a 160-horsepower turbo four-pot to the fight, while its rivals have more power and the option of hybrids. The Chevy does have a good list of standard tech, though, and it has a visage that most buyers will recognize and appreciate, along with boasting about a spacious cabin. However, with entry-level compact sedans focusing on delivering the best value for money, are these factors enough to keep up with segment leaders?

New For 2023

Very few changes to the new Chevrolet Malibu sedan are immediately evident, as the majority are optional. These include a new exterior paint, though two hues have been deleted, and three optional packages have been done away with. Body-color power side mirrors are now standard from the 1LS, as is the Driver Confidence package, which now includes rear park assist. Lastly, the tire inflator kit is now standard on every trim.

Year Make Model Price: Which One to Buy

As an affordable, entry-level sedan, the price of the 2024 Chevrolet Malibu is quite reasonable. Starting off at just $25,100, the LS is very competitive with other low-cost sedans. The RS is a very modest step up to $26,000, while the LT adds noticeably more value at $28,100. Being the only model to exceed the $30,000 mark, the 2LT rounds out the offering at $31,400 MSRP. These figures don't include the $1,095 destination charge or any potential discounts.

All models are mechanically identical, so it comes down to where the most value lies in terms of features. We'd consider the RS for its power-adjustable front seats, especially since it's just $1,000 over the base model, which we consider to be the very best value for money.

• 

  2024 Chevrolet Malibu LS

  Best Value

  Heated Front Seat(s)

  Not Available

  Power Driver Seat

  Optional

• 

  2024 Chevrolet Malibu RS

  Sporty Mid-Level Model

  Heated Front Seat(s)

  Not Available

  Power Driver Seat

  Standard

• 

  2024 Chevrolet Malibu 2LT

  Premium Pick

  Heated Front Seat(s)

  Standard

  Power Driver Seat

  Standard

Interior and Features

The interior of the Chevy Malibu is unfussy and straightforward, but some buyers may prefer the styling of Japanese rivals instead.

Sweet and simple is the name of the game, with a small touchscreen and a few physical buttons with some bright, retro lights around the commonly used dials. The dashboard has some unusual slopes, and the air vents seem overly stylized rather than functional. Unfortunately, these odd design choices are not helped by the substandard materials. On the plus side, there is a good amount of room, and getting inside is easy, though outward visibility could be a bit better.

Space

Most, if not all, sedans seat up to five passengers. However, the Malibu is a bit narrow, so there simply isn't enough shoulder room in the back for three adult or large teen passengers. Still, legroom is great for a car this size, so two adults should be quite comfortable even over long drives. The front seats are also accommodating, but you have to upgrade a trim level to get power adjustability. This means that it can take some time to find the perfect driving position.

Cargo

Sedans don't usually win any awards in this category, considering the existence of hatchbacks, wagons, and SUVs. But even compared to similarly restrictive rivals, the Malibu falls short in terms of cargo space, supplying just 15.7 cubic feet in the trunk. However, calling this inadequate for a sedan isn't fair, as you can still easily fit all your groceries and several suitcases if you are traveling. In a pinch, you can fold down the rear seats in a 60/40 split to fit some larger items.

At the other end of the spectrum, small-item storage is great. The glovebox is particularly large, and the armrest cubby is long and reasonably wide. There are two cupholders in the front and another two in the fold-down middle rear seat. Each door also has a sizeable pocket that could accommodate a water bottle.

Materials and Colors

Sadly, the materials used in this Chevy car aren't from the more expensive side of the factory, and as the brand's cheapest model, the Malibu makes do with rather basic upholstery. There are loads of hard plastics, and the upholstery is middling in all but the most expensive trim, despite being called premium cloth. This fabric is presented in Dark Atmosphere/Medium Ash Gray or purely Jet Black. The RS drops the lighter grays and keeps the black to match its exterior trim. The interior colors finally change when you reach the 2LT, which also upgrades to perforated leather, pairing the Dark Atmosphere with Light Wheat instead of gray.

Features and Infotainment

Even an affordable car needs to come with a lot of standard features to remain competitive, and the Malibu does a good job of this. It has keyless entry, push-button start, manual front seats, a 12-volt power outlet, and manual air conditioning. The infotainment is operated via an eight-inch touchscreen, which is actually very easy and pleasant to use. Functions include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, and Bluetooth streaming. A six-speaker sound system is standard. Moving up to the RS adds eight-way power-adjustable front seats, while the LT receives SiriusXM, remote start, heated front seats, and dual-zone climate control. Reserved for the 2LT are ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 120-volt power outlet, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and an eight-inch driver-information display. It also comes with a nine-speaker Bose sound system, navigation, and a wireless charger.

Performance

The engine in the Malibu is a rather sedate one, and with no option for AWD or a hybrid powertrain, it's at a significant disadvantage compared to core rivals.

There was a time when the Malibu was fun to drive, but that time has long since come and gone. Now, with just a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Chevy Malibu is far from being a performance sedan. A mere 160 hp and 184 lb-ft is sent to the front wheels, regulated by a continuously variable transmission. The latter certainly doesn't help the small car to feel athletic, favoring fuel economy over speed. In fact, it takes the Chevrolet Malibu a sloth-like 7.8 seconds to go from 0-60 mph.

While many rivals manage to be fun even without having access to loads of power, the Chevrolet is not one of these outliers. The steering is light and quite accurate around town, but it lacks a sense of feeling, providing little to no confidence for tackling corners. There is also no option for AWD, so the Malibu isn't great in cool weather states, as its name might suggest. Luckily, the suspension makes up for these shortcomings, at least a little, by absorbing bumps in its stride, while the brakes are downright excellent, providing superb stopping power and a lot of feeling when applied.

Fuel Efficiency

There is one good to combining a low-displacement four-pot with an efficient CVT, and that is impressive gas mileage. Across the city/highway/combined cycles, the Chevrolet Malibu achieves 27/35/30 mpg. Despite this, the American sedan still manages to be less frugal than its Japanese and Korean contemporaries. With a fuel capacity of 15.8 gallons, this means that the Chevy can cover a maximum of 475 miles with mixed driving.

Safety

Although the NHTSA feels the Chevy Malibu deserves higher marks, the IIHS wasn't as generous. You'll need to choose a more expensive trim to get the best safety assists.

While the safety review for the Chevrolet Malibu looks good coming from the NHTSA - almost perfect five stars across the board - the updated tests by the IIHS are far stricter. The organization scored it as Poor in the updated side crash test, while the small overlap front test was marked as Incomplete.

Nevertheless, the car comes equipped with a fair number of safety features, including ABS, EBD, traction and stability control, and an impressive ten airbags. The driver-assistance suite comprises forward collision avoidance, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, a rearview camera, rear park assist, and a teen driver system. The upper trims don't add anything as standard, but they do give the option of rear cross-traffic alert, lane change alert, blind-spot assist, enhanced emergency braking, and automatic parking assist.

Reliability

The Chevy Malibu boasts an extremely good reliability rating of 85 out of 100, according to J.D. Power, and it has faced only a single recall in the last couple of years. In 2023, there was an issue with an improperly welded front impact bar. As for the 2024 Malibu, it continues to enjoy a decent warranty that covers basic repairs for three years/36,000 miles and powertrain concerns for five years/60,000 miles. Roadside assistance is also offered for five years/60,000 miles.

Design

Sedans have to do a lot more than they did in the days before SUVs in order to stand out, but luckily, having its roots in the USA, the 2024 Malibu has been able to remain attractive in the eyes of buyers. Lacking the bold chunkiness of a larger vehicle, the Chevy instead went the sleek and sexy route, with a streamlined grille that flows from the base of the bumper up to the hood, bisected by a silver bar with the golden bowtie mounted in the middle. The RS has a blacked-out grille to match its overall darker accents. Every model gets LED headlights, but the LS sticks with small 16-inch alloy wheels, while the LS ups the ante with 17s, and hte 2LT boasts impressive 19-inch rims. The rear end is less exciting, with a slightly lipped trunk lid and blocky taillights.

Verdict: Is The Year Make Model A Good Car?

We have a lot of gripes with the Chevy Malibu, but truth be told, it isn't actually bad for the segment in which it competes. The car is not exciting to drive, but is is extremely reliable and easy to handle. It gets decent fuel economy, offers a good amount of interior space, and is equipped with all the features you'd expect from an entry-level model. It is worth pointing out that some rivals boast a longer list of tech at the same price or less, and this is what holds the Chevrolet back from earning a top spot, in our opinion. The design is different enough to draw attention, although it isn't particularly flashy, and the cabin materials are quite disappointing, but the Malibu remains a solid choice for those who really want to buy local now that Ford has gutted its sedan lineup.