WHEN the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu won at North American Car of the Year, few who had driven it were surprised.
It's attractive -- unlike its predecessor, responsive -- unlike its predecessor, agile -- unlike its predecessor and built to Japanese standards of fit and finish -- again, unlike its predecessor.
In short, it's everything few General Motors mid-size sedans have ever been -- world class. That it all comes in at about the same price as the previous Malibu is even better.
Hindsight being what it is, it's easy to say that this is how GM should have been building cars 20 years ago. Such a move would have dulled the impact of the foreign invasion considerably. Easy to say, no less true.
You can't rewrite the past, but this car can be the start of GM's future.
Where the previous Malibu had a chunky exterior styling and dreadfully plastic interior, the new 'bu has smooth, flowing lines outside and a variety of materials and -- yes -- soft-touch vinyl on the dash. The use of woodgrain trim is restrained, even if any can be too much, but the result is a car that's welcoming to sit in and feels expensive. The previous Malibu reminded you daily how much money GM saved building it.
The powertrain is smooth and responsive. We were driving the 3.5-litre V6 with six-speed automatic transmission. Riding on a suspension that combines good ride comfort with sharp handling, the Malibu can finally compete head-on with the car that has arguably been the top front-driving mid-size sedan for years -- the Honda Accord.
The Malibu is solid, quiet and holds on to off-ramps and corners like glue. Delightfully absent from this car is the sometimes numb-feeling electric power-assist on the steering system. Instead, the Malibu has the tried and tested hydraulic system that offers excellent feedback, solid on-centre feel and quick turn-in.
Simply put, the domestic family car is back.
If there's one chink in Malibu's Honda-Accord fighting armour, it's fuel economy.
The four-cylinder Accord is the mid-size leader in miserliness, according to Natural Resources Canada, with numbers better than Malibu's. The four-cylinder Accord is rated at 9.4 litres per 100 km city and 6.4 l/100km highway (30 and 44 mpg respectively). Malibu's ratings for its four-cylinder are 9.6 and 6.5 litres per 100 km. Not a huge difference, but it can add up.
On the V-6 side, the Malibu loses to both the Accord and Camry. Malibu's 12.2 and 7.8 don't fare well against the Camry's 10.7 l/100 km city and 7.0 l/100km highway and Accord's 11.0 and 6.7.
The V-6 Malibu will cost $334 more a year than Accord and $342 more than Camry, accordng to NRCan's formula, which assumes 20,000 km, 55 per cent city and 45 per cent highway and adjusted to today's $1.30 gas price.
My real-world numbers on Malibu put the V-6 at 15.8 l/100 km over a typical Winnipegger's mix of city and highway driving, as calculated at fill-up. It's almost as thirsty as Cadillac's CTS and thirstier than some crossover vehicles.
Malibu has a model with a V-6 engine with four-speed transmission that gets better fuel economy, but at 11.5 l/100 km city and 7.2 highway still doesn't match Accord. It does beat the Mazda6 with a manual but is slightly worse than the Mazda6 with six-speed automatic.
Among domestics, the V-6 Malibu beats the V-6 Chrysler 300 but is also slightly thirstier than Ford's Fusion.
For those hyper-concerned with fuel economy, the Malibu Hybrid offers an impressive 8.5 l/100km city and 6.2 l/100km highway. It is available for $26,996, a price that rivals the smaller Honda Civic Hybrid.
But, as with everything in life, there are tradeoffs. Worth the fuel-economy penalty for some may be the generous trunk and passenger room. Malibu's 428 litre trunk beats both Accord (397) and Camry (425) and features a large opening with a low liftover.
Malibu's 42.2 inches of rear seat legroom is also at the top of the class.
Overall, the Malibu runs feature for feature with the best in this class. It's rewarding to drive and comfortable for passengers. If they could squeeze a bit more fuel economy out of it, it would be in the lead by a length.
The Specs
Engine: 3.6-litre V-6 with variable valve timing
Power: 252 hp @ 6,300 rpm
Torque: 251 lb-ft. @ 3,200 rpm
Transmission: six-speed automatic with manual shift
Steering: hydraulic rack-and-pinion
Brakes: four-wheel disc with four-channel ABS
Length: 4,872 mm (191.8 in.)
Width: 1,786 mm (70.3 in.)
Height: 1,450 mm (57.1 in.)
Wheelbase: 2,852 mm (112.3 in.)
Curb Weight: 1,550.6 kg. (3,418 lb.)
Warranty: three-year, 60,000 km complete; five-year, 160,000 km powertrain.
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