2008 Chevy Malibu-
The Car You Can’t Ignore

I spent three hours last weekend driving three different models of the 2008 Malibu on the highways and back country roads of Mississippi. I drove the Hybrid, the 2LT, and the LTZ, and I can now confidently say that the 2008 Malibu is going to surprise you. It doesn’t look, feel, or handle, like any Chevy car you have ever driven.

The first car I drove was the Malibu Hybrid, which costs $22,790 and gets 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. This car is SO fun to drive! It’s quiet, it’s economical, and yet it still feels like a luxury car. The driver information center located on the center gauge lets drivers know exactly when they are driving in the most fuel-economical way, and the engine itself shuts off when the car is idling (battery power takes over). I made sure someone took my photo driving it!:

Next I drove the LT model. I want to mention that the Malibu has a 112 inch wheelbase, giving it an exceptional stable feel. Which was helpful when we came around a turn and I realized a man was walking his dog down the middle of the road. Fortunately, GM’s “StabiliTrak stability control system” is standard on LT and LTZ models. It uses “sophisticated vehicle sensors tied to the anti-lock braking system to help the driver maintain control during certain maneuvers.” There’s nothing like having the Vehicle Line Manager, who was my passenger during this leg of the drive, praise my “evasive driving skills” when I avoided running directly into the dog-walker!

My absolutely favorite feature on the LT is something I am so excited about, I have to all-cap it: ADJUSTABLE PEDALS! Oh, YEAH, baby. If you aren’t five feet tall like me, you probably don’t realize how hard it is for a short person to comfortably reach the gas pedal in most cars. I have spent most of my driving life just barely reaching the pedal with my toes, foot pointed. With the new Malibu LT, a push of a button moves the pedal up, and I adjusted it until my WHOLE FOOT was on the pedal-GENIUS. It’s a feeling of control over the car that I have never had before.

Also, look at the interior “cockpit” of the car-this is a sexy sexy car inside. I love the circular gauges, I love the ambient lighting that lights up the door handle and the radio knobs so they are easier to see in the dark-it gives it such a luxury car feel. Did I mention the base price of the car is only $19,995? Remarkable! Look at how cool it looks inside:

The last car I drove was the top-of-the-line LTZ. This car is the most luxurious of all, and feels like gliding rather than driving. All the cars are so quiet, thanks to a special layer of glass in the windows, body panels with sound-dampening technology, and Sound-absorbing acoustical material located in the console, beneath the rear seat, under the instrument panel and throughout the headliner.

All of the Chevy Malibus I drove were quiet, stable, handled themselves so well that it felt like the cars were practically driving themselves, and looked incredible. I highly recommend that you stop by a Chevy dealer or go to the Chevy Malibu website and read all about how much care Chevy has put into these cars. There are so many more technical details than I have room for in this post. But I strongly encourage you to consider a Malibu for your next mid-size sedan purchase. And thank you again GM, for giving me such an amazing opportunity. You’ve made me a fan of the Malibu!