2022 Chevrolet Malibu

Just as it was last year, the Chevrolet Malibu last domestic midsize sedan on the market. You can still buy a tiny Chevy Spark or the full-size Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, but the Malibu stands alone among American midsizes thanks to the 2020 cancellations of the Buick Regal and Ford Fusion. These casualties are down to the popularity of crossovers and SUVs, but the Bowtie brand has kept offering the Malibu for sedan-minded consumers. It isn’t exciting, but it’s handsome, easy to live with, and at times an overlooked bargain.

After a lengthy production stoppage in 2021 and speculation that Chevy might kill off the venerable sedan, production resumed in November. The car hasn’t changed much since a light refresh in 2019, and the basic design dates to 2016. Very little is new for 2022, but Chevrolet was ahead of the curve in some respects when the car was new. Its interior is roomy and comfortable, Its fastback shape doesn’t look dated and it isn’t a terrible performer despite its age and tepid power output.

Sedans now fall into two categories: updated entries that are better than ever, and aging ones that are running out the clock before being replaced by EVs or crossovers. This Chevy is definitely in the latter category and one of its competitors, the Volkswagen Passat, ceased production in January. Despite its age, the Malibu is still competitive in some areas with newer cars like the Honda Accord, Kia K5 and Subaru Legacy. 

Except for the top-spec Premier, the Malibu is powered by a 160-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged four driving the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). It’s a tepid combination, but neither slow nor exciting. Handling is neutral and the ride comfy. The Premier’s 250-horse 2.0-liter is much faster but not a great value  at $34,595. Most of the Malibu’s competitors are faster and some drive better, but it’s no worse than low-end Altimas and Legacies, and gets decent gas mileage.

The Malibu’s cabin is fairly basic and in lower trims it’s a sea of black, but it’s comfortable for four and the back seat roomy enough for tall people or three kids. Car seats fit easily and the 15.7 cubic-foot trunk is above average. IIHS and NHTSA scores are so-so, but unfortunately, Chevy makes buyers pay extra for all of the Malibu’s available safety gear. It’s only a $1,095 package, but most other cars now make things like automatic emergency braking standard and Chevy should too. 

Chevy also doesn’t offer the lengthy warranty coverage that Hyundai and Kia do, and is stingier with complimentary maintenance than either Hyundai or Toyota, but the Malibu still has plenty of appeal for families on a budget who need a hassle-free car with a big back seat and trunk at an affordable price. Dealer markups on Malibus may also be less frequent, and less costly, than with trendier cars like the Camry (and certainly compared to compact SUVs) a plus in inventory-constrained 2022.

Performance: 10/15

Most Malibus are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque driven through a CVT. While it doesn’t feel horribly slow, the Malibu is never in very much of a hurry and can feel a little haggard trying to pass on steep grades. Acceleration is neither great nor poor, and it’ll hit 60 mph in around eight seconds.

The car’s handling is compliant and neutral. The steering is light without being floaty and the ride is smooth and quiet. The sporty-looking RS trim doesn’t change anything about how it drives. It isn’t very engaging, but as a transportation module it rarely offends. Its stop-start system is a bit herky-jerky, but can be easily turned off.

The Premier offers much more power courtesy of a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 250 hp and 260 lb-ft on tap mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. This potent combo good for zero-to-60 sprints in the low six-second range and effortless power compared to the standard Malibu, but for its price, there are better options. 

Fuel Economy: 12/15

It’ll never keep pace with the Hyundai Sonata or Honda Accord Hybrids on fuel economy, but most Malibus get mileage similar to the regular Accords and Sonatas.

Every Malibu except the Premier uses the 1.5-liter engine and CVT, and they return 29 mpg city, 36 highway and 32 mpg combined. In nearly 850 miles of driving two separate Malibus, Forbes Wheels observed highway mpg close to 37 mpg and combined mileage of 32.4. This is much better than equivalent Legacy, Passat or K5 models.

The more powerful 2.0-liter Malibu Premier returns 22 mpg city, 33 highway and 26 mpg combined according to the EPA, which is roughly equivalent to the 2.0-liter Accord Sport and ahead of the 1.6-liter turbocharged K5, but slightly behind the turbocharged Legacy. Unhappily, the Premier requires premium gas, which the Subaru does not.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 8/15

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu gets Good marks in all of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) tests and a four-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), marks that are strictly so-so in this competitive field. It also loses a bunch of points in our evaluations because none of its active-safety features come standard. 

While many rivals now come with the basics, like automatic emergency braking (AEB) and forward collision warning (FCW), as standard equipment, nearly all of the Malibu’s driver-assist gear is part of a $1,095 Driver Confidence package. It includes AEB with pedestrian detection, FCW, a following distance indicator, lane departure warnings with lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts. If this package were standard, we’d rate the Malibu higher. 

Adaptive cruise control is only available on the Premier, and one wonders why because it’s standard on the base-model Subaru Legacy and Honda Accord.

Comfort & Room: 13/15

Exciting it ain’t, but as frequent visitors to the Avis counter can attest,  the Malibu is quiet and comfortable for journeys long and short. Like most other family sedans, there’s plenty of room for tall folks in front. There’s a little less legroom than in most rivals, but the open and airy cabin doesn’t feel confining. The seats are supportive and well-bolstered if a little on the firm side (though Subaru’s Legacy is firmer).

In back there are 38.1 inches of legroom, two inches less than the Accord and somewhat less than many alternatives, but the seats feel large and even a six-foot-four adult could easily ride in them all day without feeling confined. The Malibu feels bigger than it actually is, and perfectly comfortable.

Infotainment: 12/15

Every Malibu comes with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display running GM’s familiar and colorful software. Though this interface seems a little simplistic compared to some, like Kia’s excellent UVO, it’s very easy to learn and operate and becomes second nature pretty quickly. Chevrolet retains plenty of hard controls are retained for HVAC and other functions, which adds to the ease of use. 

For those who don’t like Chevy’s interface, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and work well. There are also a pair of USB ports, A and C type, and standard Wi-Fi hotspot capability, though it requires a data plan after the first month. Unfortunately, navigation requires upgrading to the top-spec Premier, which isn’t a great value.

Cargo Space & Storage: 14/15

The Malibu offers 15.7 cubic-feet of trunk space, which is above average compared to its rivals but shy of the Honda Accord’s best-in-class 16.7 and fractionally less than the 16 cubic-feet in the Sonata and K5. The Subaru Legacy, Volkswagen Passat and Nissan Altima all offer less, but the Subaru’s trunk is configured to take better advantage of the space and has a wider load opening.

Inside, the cabin is also full of useful storage spaces and bins. The Accord does a little better here, but most drivers will find it easy to take advantage of all the space Chevy packs in.

Style & Design: 7/10

Chevrolet was definitely ahead of the curve on exterior design when the Malibu was introduced way back in 2015. Its fastback design has aged very well, presaging entries like the newer Kia K5 and Hyundai Sonata. The look was improved by a modest style update in 2019, but that was almost four years ago now and the overall silhouette is very familiar. It’s also not as characterful as newer fastback sedans like the Kia or the Volkswagen Arteon. The latter costs much more, but the Kia isn’t far off.

Inside, the Malibu is much less adventurous. The quality of the plastics and materials is better than in GM cars of the past, including earlier Malibus, but the cabin a sea of gray or black and the design rather plain, particularly on the low-end models.

Is the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu Worth it? Which Malibu is the Best Value?

It isn’t an exciting car, but the Malibu is a perfectly good daily driver for the needs of many different consumers and best of all, it’s relatively easy to find compared to some alternatives. Quick nationwide inventory searches reveal many more sub-$30,000 Malibus for sale with actual prices (which are less likely to be severely marked up when you arrive at the dealer) than Accords or Legacies. It’s an easy car to live with, if not an exciting one.

If you can live without heated seats or 17-inch wheels, the $25,395 (including a $925 destination fee) RS is the best of the bunch, since adding the $1,095 Driver Assistance package still puts it under $27,000. 

If you want a few more features, including a remote starter and the option of heated seats and heated steering wheel (all useful assets in icy midwestern winters), the $27,985 LT is the better bet, though you still need to pay extra for the active-safety gear and those heated goodies. LTs also offer more wheel choices and a light tan interior scheme, which helps relieve some of the gray monotony of the cabin.

The $34,595 Premier has lots more power and more equipment, but that’s an awfully steep price for this vehicle, putting it up against the top-spec Toyota Camry and Sonata models and their hybrid versions.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Chevrolet Malibu?

The Chevrolet Malibu costs about the same to insure as its competitors. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,992, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $1,973 for the Accord LX, $2,138 for the Hyundai Sonata SEL, $2,101 for the Nissan Altima and $1,924 for the Passat. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.