2023 Chevrolet Malibu

There aren't many automakers in the USA still producing budget sedans. The 2023 Chevrolet Malibu is part of a dying breed, but unlike some local automakers, Chevy is not willing to let the high-value car go down without a fight, though. Both the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord are still going strong (and going hybrid), but Ford's Fusion has long since been discontinued. With excellent competition coming from Japanese automakers, the American automaker responsible for the Malibu has had to jump to keep up. So it reduced the lineup and cut the larger 2.0-liter engine to focus on fuel economy and value for money. This leaves the 2023 Chevy Malibu with a 1.5L engine that makes 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque - not particularly impressive in terms of outputs. Luckily, the new Chevrolet Malibu sedan makes up for this with an enhanced safety suite, so the only thing that might kill you is boredom.

The price of the new 2023 Chevrolet Malibu is one of its most appealing characteristics. Starting with the LS, you only need to spend $25,000 to start, or $26,000 if you want the RS. The LT is slightly more expensive at $28,100, while the only model that will cost you over $30k is the new 2LT at $31,500. These are the MSRP figures for the Chevrolet Malibu and do not include the $1,095 destination charge, nor does it take any dealer incentives into account.

Cheap sedans don't have to be boring, and the best are the ones that manage to balance handling with ride comfort; the Malibu doesn't excel here. It has the kind of light but accurate steering that is ideal for the urban environment, but there is little to no feedback. With so little power being put down by the wheels, you don't need much feedback anyway. Still, it hasn't been designed to thrill, and any hopes you may have of fun from behind the wheel should be shelved immediately. Instead, the suspension does a good job of smoothing out the ride to deliver a comfortable driving experience. The brakes are a highlight, giving just enough resistance to make it easy to modulate coming to a stop. If fun is what you're after, you're shopping in the wrong segment.

Our review of the Chevrolet Malibu might sound middling, but the truth is that we quite like the sedan for what it represents. It may have lost some of its fire since the stronger engine is out of the picture, but now it can focus on being the comfortable city commuter it was meant to be. It is also phenomenally affordable, with good mileage figures that keep the cost of ownership down. Its standard feature offering was a sore point in the past, but now the safety suite has been expanded to include at least some of what rivals bring to the table at a similar price point. We can't help but be disappointed by this because the Malibu might earn a spot among our top picks if it added just a little more, or at least made some of the more advanced tech as standard on upper trims. Still, it's a comfortable and easy-to-live-with sedan that fans of the brand may be willing to pick over some of the segment leaders - as long as they don't expect more than just a commuter car.

You can't pick the stronger 2.0L engine anymore, so it all comes down to how many features you want. Just taking the base LS and speccing the Driver Confidence Package should be enough for most people, as it keeps costs down and includes most of the features you could want. Spending over $30k for the 2LT just doesn't make sense since you can pick up an efficient Sonata or Camry Hybrid for less - and get a far more enjoyable drive out of it. If you can't live without power front seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, the RS is only a small step up in price over the LS.