Did the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu pick up where it left off in 2004? Before I give my take on this, remember that the 2004 Malibu was tops in its class in the J.D Powers Quality Survey and lived up to all expectations as being a confident, well engineered family sedan.
So, what’s my take on the Malibu of 2005? Chevrolet simply made a better car that maintained the previous year’s reputation and also upped the ante on design. With a new leather wrapped shift knob and a slightly elevated rear, the car is another solid Chevrolet offering of the type that true-blue Americans have come to appreciate. While it will not win any exterior design awards, the 2005 Chevy Malibu simply does what it says it will do. It only took a few minutes for me to see that the car hugged the road well with a surprisingly light steering at low speeds. If you live in a high traffic area like I do, you will thank me later.
To my mind, if there is any surprise about the 2005 model it has got to be the acceleration. I know. If you closed your eyes and thought of a Malibu, the last thing that would come to mind is acceleration, but the v6 (3.5 litre overhead cam four valve per cylinder engine) was aggressive from a standing position, and felt crisp and stable at highways speeds. The new Epsilon platform in the 2005 Malibu (also found in several popular European cars) performed well and provided a ride that rivals the Camry. The 2005 Chevrolet Malibu: A family car, that manages to excite. Go figure!
