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Let’s look at Chevy’s lone sedan, the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. Is it an adequate car choice to make you happy a happy driver?
What’s New for the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu?
If you stop by any Chevrolet dealership, you’ll be hard-pressed to locate a sedan. There are SUVs of any flavor, Camaros, Vettes, and pickups galore. But there’s just one sedan and you’ll struggle to look for it.
2020 Chevrolet Malibu – chevrolet.com | Shop 2020 Chevrolet Malibu on Carsforsale.com
The Malibu was all-new in 2016, and in 2019 there were appearance and infotainment updates plus the RS trim addition. For 2020, Chevy adds more colors like Stone Gray Metallic or Black Cherry, and the Malibu Hybrid disappears, unfortunately. The hybrid was a good combo of performance and efficiency with 46 mpg, so in this era of hybrid and EV promotion, it’s weird that they would dump it. Hybrids are morphing into EVs, and sedans aren’t a thing anymore. Or are they? Let’s find out if the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu will generate enough of your interest to drive it off the lot as an anti-SUV.
The Breakdown
User-friendly controls
Quiet and comfortable ride
Quick turbo 4-cylinder
Uninspired interior with low-quality feel
Very average handling
2020 Malibu Specs
- 160 horsepower from base engine
- 184 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 5 available trims
- 15.7 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 8-inch infotainment touchscreen
- 4-star safety rating
2020 Chevrolet Malibu Powertrain
Every 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, except for the Premier trim, has the 1.5-liter turbo-four and CVT. It’s not hateful and generally goes about its business quietly unless you ask it to go fast. It eventually gets there, but complains about it. The Malibu’s 0-60 time of 8.0 seconds matches the Mazda6, so the 1.5-liter Malibu has nothing to apologize about.
The upper-end Premier’s 2.0-liter turbo-four and nine-speed automatic transmission throws out 250 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. That means it will shock you with a 5.8 second 0-60, which keeps up with the more substantial-looking Honda Accord.
Don’t let the quickness from 0-60 confuse you though, even the Premier and RS aren’t what we would consider sport-oriented. However, it’s composed around canyon corners and typical of this segment. When you have to stop, everything slows down in a hurry. The ride quality is ultra-smooth, and we are amazed at how quiet it is. Bravo for Chevy on limiting noise, vibration, and harshness.
2020 Chevrolet Malibu Fuel Economy & MPG
2020 Chevrolet Malibu models with the 1.5-liter I4 engine under the hood reach 29 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway for a combined 32 mpg. Getting the more powerful 2.0-liter engine drops the gas mileage to a combined rating of 26 mpg.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
Within the last five years, Chevy cabins haven’t been impressive in any of their models. That’s changing on some models now, but the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu still sets a low bar on design and quality plastics. Today, consumers are expecting more, even at this price point.
We were wondering who thought cloth on the dashboard was a good idea? Did someone in a focus group say they liked it? One more criticism, and we’ll move on, is the touchscreen. It’s a good size and has potentially excellent image quality, but its angle allows the sun and other images to reflect on it, making it hard to see.
Otherwise, the controls are easily reachable, and the layout is simple. Chevy could have done a better job with the center console storage, as it’s tiny. But you’ll find ample space in the doors and glovebox for hiding things. Rear seat passengers have armrest cupholders and some more in the doors, plus you have seatback pockets.
The seats are comfortable and supportive enough, and we have no complaints about the base trim fabric. The Premier’s leather perforated seats are great for a more luxurious feel, and you don’t have to see the strange cloth on the dash. Although, you have power windows and mirrors in the L, power seats and power tilt and telescope steering are reserved for the LT, RS, and Premier.
Trunk space and the 60/40 seat give you similar amounts of room as you would get in an Accord or Camry, so no surprises there. It’s good for a week’s worth of family groceries from the store.
Entertainment & Technology
Although screen size isn’t as good as what you would find in other products, GM does an outstanding job with user-intuitive infotainment systems. Every 2020 Chevrolet Malibu trim gets an eight-inch touchscreen and a basic sounding sound system unless you get the Premier’s Bose nine-speaker sound system. The Premier also receives a higher definition screen and a highly valued wireless phone charging pad.
Standard (but not wireless) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work well, and so does Bluetooth. You can stream two Bluetooth devices, which is nice. Every trim from the LT upward gets 4G LTE.
Safety Features
Although times and market pressure are slowly changing things, GM, like most automakers, still provides little of the driver-assists available today on their base trim models. At least there’s a rearview camera and cruise control on the base L, LS, and RS trim. But to get anything else, you have to pay for the LT and Premier levels which most buyers of entry-level sedans can’t afford. Even Chevy says that buyers for this car are price sensitive. If you have the money, you can have GM’s full suite of driver assists.
2020 Chevrolet Malibu Trims & Pricing
L – $20,970
The 2020 Chevrolet Malibu’s base L trim isn’t horrible for a basic car. Chevrolet gives the Malibu keyless entry and start functionality for you – a surprise at this price level. And, although manual, the six-way adjustable passenger and driver seats are excellent. The Malibu has GM’s standard System 3 infotainment package. Don’t expect much out of the six speakers, though. If only for convenience, you’ll appreciate the auto on/off headlights, which are an unexpected feature.
LS – $23,220
The Malibu LS showed us the outside temp, compass, and available WIFI in the 8-inch display – so you have that. The WIFI isn’t free since you have to tie it to an AT&T plan. But on the LS, unlike the L, Chevy gives you the option to pay for WIFI as standard. Nice of them. You’ll also get a visor vanity mirror for the driver and passenger, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, plus 16-inch aluminum wheels.
RS – $24,220
For the Chevy Malibu RS, you immediately get the idea that it could be sport-oriented with its black grille, blackout badges, spoiler, and 18-inch wheels. The wheels, in particular, are striking, but the overall look makes the Malibu more acceptable to us. Don’t let the look deceive you because the RS is just a $1000 costume for the LS. There is no go fast or better cornering pieces added.
LT – $26,620
The Malibu LT fills its wheel wells out with 17-inch aluminum wheels, and you’ll get instantly recognizable LED taillamps. When you jump inside, you’ll land on heated seats and feel the comfort of the standard dual-zone automatic climate control. With this model, Chevy finally starts giving you some active driver assists.
Premier – $33,320
On the Malibu Premier, you don’t see it, but the big draw is Chevy’s 2.0L turbo four-cylinder engine that produces 250 horsepower. Outside you’ll see the 19-inch wheels and heated rearview mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators. Inside, the Premier also adds leather heated and ventilated seats, plus the Bose sound system, among other things. No added suspension upgrades, but you can get lowering springs from the factory for a $600 option. Otherwise, the Premier is loaded and priced accordingly.
Warranties
The Chevy Malibu comes standard with a typical 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
What we think
2020 Chevrolet Malibu – chevrolet.com | Shop 2020 Chevrolet Malibu on Carsforsale.com
If you choose the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu, you’ll have a solid ride, but there are better affordable choices than this very average vehicle. It’s almost as if GM is giving up on sedans and putting all their focus on SUVs, and there are better sedan values from Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. That’s too bad, because a little love and attention from GM could help the Malibu be so much better.
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