The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is offered in 4 main trims - LS, LT, Eco, LTZ, and 7 total sub-trims under LT, Eco, and LTZ. The LS is the base trim with a starting price of $21,995 and packs features like single-zone climate control, 6-speaker set up for audio, cruise control, 2-way power-adjustable driver seat, etc. The LT is further divided into 1LT, 2LT, and 3LT where the 3LT has a turbocharged engine. 1LT, 2LT, and 3LT come at $23,185, $24,890, and $26,600 respectively. 

The 2LT and 3LT possess a lot of additional creature comforts and electronics like 8-way power-adjustable seats, leather trims, Interior LED ambient lighting system, 17-inch split 5-spoke painted alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, and SiriusXM. The next-in-line is the Eco which has a hybrid power set up and has two trims which are base and Premium audio. 

The base Eco with a price tag of $24,985 offers similar features to that of the LS and the higher trim which costs $26,595 is equipped with a premium audio setup and all the electronic goodies of the LT. The top-of-the-line LTZ shares two trims and both of them have all the top techs that are found on higher trims except for the powertrain on offer. The 2LZ with a price tag of $29,700 packs a more powerful turbocharged engine like the 3LT whereas the 1LZ which costs $27,365 has the 2.5-liter inline-4 engine.

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Following the vast selection of trims, it is quite difficult to choose the best out of them. If you are someone who wants more value then the LT trim has all the features and a more powerful turbocharged motor exclusively with the 3LT. The first two trims are more feature-proved and come with leather parts inside the cabin while the third one is more for enthusiasts. The range starts from $23,185 and goes up to $26,600 for the top variant.

Chevrolet has equipped the Malibu with two engine options primarily. The base engine on offer is a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 that churns out an impressive 197 hp and a grunty 191 lb-ft of torque. The other engine equipped on the higher trims is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 putting out 259 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The latter option has a sportier feel in the accelerations. 

Both the engines are mated to a 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission and push power through the front wheels. There is another mild-hybrid option that has a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine and an electric motor and combined they produce 182 hp and 172 but improves on the fuel economy over the other gas engines. In terms of straight-line accelerations, the base engine does a decent job in putting a 60 mph mark on the cluster in just 7.9 seconds. 

The Hyundai and Chevrolet lead the competition in terms of raw power and are followed by the Honda. Meanwhile, the Honda is the fastest sedan which does 0-60 mph in 7.6 seconds. The Toyota offers an underpowered engine that churns out 178 hp plus 170 lb-ft of torque and that does not translate well in the accelerations and it offers a sluggish experience. 

The powerful engine of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is not the best-in-class in terms of fuel economy. With the base engine, it returns 22 mpg in the city, a decent highway mileage of 34 mpg, and a combined 26 mpg. The Eco trim, however, is built to offer more mileage and the standard ones. It delivers 25 mpg for the city, a whopping 37 MPG on the highways, and 29 MPG as combined. As compared to the base engine, the 2.0-liter turbo engine drops the fuel economy by 1/4/2 mpg in the city/highway/combined respectively.

From the above table, it is clear that. The Accord offers the best-in-class fuel economy and a fuel tank with 1.4 gallons more storage capacity as compared to the Malibu. The Toyota and Hyundai come next with a decent economy. The biggest fuel tank belongs to the rival from Sonata which can carry 18.5 gallons of fuel and gives 518 miles combined range. 

The cabin is filled with soft-touch materials, replacing the majority of hard plastics from the previous generations. The dashboard is beautifully laid out and houses the infotainment screen at the center. There is enough opulence as you go up the trim list. There are leather and wood simulated trims that add extra luxury. 4-way manual adjustment is given to the front seats which can be replaced with an 8-way power adjustment and 4-way power lumbar support.

The cabin is fairly spacious with standard cloth upholstery which can be upgraded to premium cloth or leather on higher trims. The front has an abundance of space for the head, shoulder, and legs which is slightly compromised at the rear. The shorter wheelbase has resulted in the lower legroom but it is comfortable for city rides. Heated front seats are given under the optional heated leather package. Rear seats can split in a 40/60 fashion. Manual tilt and telescopic steering column, manual air conditioning, power locks on windows cum door, and dual 12V power outlets are some standard interior features given on the base Malibu.

The competition does not have a clear winner in terms of interior space with the Hyundai having a more comfortable front row and the least rear row space, while the Toyota and Honda having a more balanced cabin space. The Chevy is adequately spacious and has better leg and shoulder room than the Hyundai. That said, the Hyundai has the biggest trunk with 16.4 cu-ft of cargo capacity. A few of the standout interior features are:

• Leather upholstery (optional)
• heated seats (optional)
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Dual illuminating vanity mirrors
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror (optional)
• Manual tilt and telescopic steering wheel
• 3-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel

How intuitive is the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu’s infotainment unit?

For 2013, the Malibu offers a better infotainment screen with better viewing angles and color reproduction than the previous generation. It is a 7-inch touchscreen display connected to Chevrolet’s MyLink system. The system has a few lags and stutters with extensive use but is very user-friendly. Apart from the standard features found on the lower trims, there is a 9-speaker Pioneer audio system for enhanced music playback on the road. A few of the important infotainment features on offer are:

• 7-inch touchscreen display
• MyLink system
• Bluetooth connectivity
• SiriusXM
• USB port
• Voice recognition
• 6-speaker audio system

With the redesigned body of Malibu, the automaker has entered a new era of competition with sharp looks, and sporty layouts. The front has the sharper and newly designed projector headlamps, complemented by a small split grille having the “bowtie” logo. The bonnet has a lot of curves just like the sides. 

The rear has a bold-looking set of LED taillights and a blacked-out bumper. The car sits on a set of 16-inch alloy wheels as standard. The dimensions of the car are pretty much like a standard sedan with 191.5 inches of length, 73 inches of width, 57.6 inches of height, and a slightly shorter wheelbase of 107.8 inches.

The Malibu weighs the most in the competition and has the shortest wheelbase. The Sonata weighs the lightest and has the longest wheelbase, a bit lower ground clearance and a slightly shorter length. The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are kind of similar in terms of curb weight, width, height, and wheelbase but the latter has a better ground clearance than the competition. A few of the standout exterior features are:

• Heated mirrors
• Projector headlamps
• LED taillamps
• 18-inch aluminum wheels
• Power adjustable mirrors
• Fog lamps

Chevrolet has paid extra attention to making the Malibu a safe car with a lot of added features as standard and delivering a decent build quality. Agencies like the NHTSA and IIHS have rated 5-star and “Good” in the overall crash rating. Backing that up with the whole safety suite that comes bundled with the Chevrolet Malibu, the safety even gets better. Features like ABS, traction control, electronic brake distribution, 10 airbags, etc are a few among the list. A few of the important safety features are:

• Forward collision warning and lane departure assist
• StabiliTrak
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation
• Emergency braking assist
• Post-collision safety system

With a punchy performance, good interiors, decent handling capabilities, and a starting price of $21,995, the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu could be a perfect buy. Well, there are a few caveats like the lower fuel economy and cramped rear seats, especially the smaller gas tank. Still, the Malibu is great for commuting day-to-day hassle-free.