The notable changes for the 2011 model year Malibu include making the 6-speed automatic transmission and the TAPshift manual shift control standard on all trims. Beyond that the Malibu is staying on its same pleasant course. The four-door sedan has a quiet personality thanks to a body construction that uses various noise reducing techniques (like liquid spray-on sound deadener and composite wheel liners). Malibu (sold in LS, LT and LTZ trims) has been a solid entry in the midsize car segment since its introduction as an all-new model in 2008. The sedan is roomy, providing ample headroom and legroom for front and rear seat passengers as well as a decent amount of trunk space at 15.1 cubic feet.

Malibu is powered by a choice of engines: a 2.4-liter Ecotec 4-cylinder (producing an estimated 169 horsepower at 6400 rpm and 160 pounds-feet of torque at 4500 rpm), or a 3.6-liter V6 (releasing 252 horsepower at 6300 rpm and 251 pounds-feet of torque at 3200 rpm). The car’s front suspension uses a MacPherson strut with aluminum L-shaped control arms while the rear suspension is a four-link independent with twin-tube gas shocks. The 2011 Malibu offers OnStar 9.0, which includes remote door unlock, improved voice recognition technology, stolen vehicle slowdown as well as turn-by-turn navigation. Estimated mpg for Malibu with the 4-cylinder engine is 22 city/33 highway. Malibu LTZ fitted with the 4-cylinder engine carries an MSRP of $27,015.