New Vehicle Review

By: Kristi Bannen

The 2001 Malibu LS Sedan is a mid-size car and I thought very comfortable to drive and very roomy too—a step up from my usual sub-compact test rides I’m given compliments of Mr. Masters!

Note from Mr. Masters: "We apologize for Kristi’s on-going whining about the "usual" cars she gets to test for us."

The 2001 Malibu LS Sedan had a quiet, sturdy-feeling ride. I felt quite safe in the car especially because of how it handled and responded. The brakes worked effectively in rain and snow. I could feel the brakes grab and hold firmly when applied in both conditions. And, the Malibu handled smoothly around sharp corners too.

This front wheel drive Malibu LS is powered by a 3.1 liter, V6 (170 HP) engine with four-speed auto transmission with overdrive.

I can’t recall seeing a lot of Chevrolet Malibu’s when I was out on the road driving. I liked that. It’s refreshing not seeing a lot of the same cars on the road all the time – it’s nice to be different.

Final note from Mr. Masters: "Chevrolet would disagree, they want to see millions of these on the road! The front-wheel-drive Malibu LS has only been on the market for about four years."

There’s nothing really flashy with the look of the Chevy Malibu LS Sedan and that’s not a bad thing. I liked the clean, practical look of the Malibu we test-drove plus the touch of sporty-ness it had with the rear-deck spoiler added. Other extras like the sunroof and fog lamps made it sporty too. I wasn’t quite sure I liked the gold package this car came with as an extra. The front grill was gold and my first instinct was that I didn’t care for that gold finish. The exterior was a navy blue metallic color with a tan/gray interior trim package.

The inside was very attractive and clean looking. The leather seats along with the wood accents and trim gave it a classier look. The instrument panel was easy to view too.

Some of the standard features on the 2001 Malibu LS Sedan included: air conditioning; AM/FM stereo with cassette and CD players; power windows, locks and front driver seat; cruise control; four-wheel anti-lock brakes and variable intermittent wipers. I liked the wipers too because they shoot the washer fluid out from two locations – from the base of the wiper and from the center which covered the windshield better.

There was plenty of room in the front and rear for a total of five passengers to sit very comfortably. There was plenty of legroom in the rear for this mid-sized car. As for storage, the Malibu LS had a split folding rear seat and the trunk alone provided significant storage space.

Since one of "The Car Show" hosts, Roger, always wants the low down on cup-holders, this car gets an "A+" in that department. It had four cup-holders and they were all in good locations. One was in the center front console and two popped out of the back of the console for rear passengers. My favorite was the one that popped out of the dash just to the left of the steering wheel. It didn’t block the view of any of the instruments either.

The gas mileage was fairly reasonable too. The Malibu LS Sedan averages about 20 miles per gallon in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway.

One of the options on the 2001 Malibu we drove was the "LS Preferred Equipment Group Package" which included a rear deck spoiler, electric sliding sunroof, and LS special leather bucket seating surfaces all for about $1300. The Gold Package was $125.

For just over $21,000, including the above options, I think this would be a reasonable investment and nice car to drive.

Safety and security features included: driver and front passenger frontal airbags (side air bags are not offered); remote keyless entry; daytime running lamps with auto lamp control; and child security rear door locks.

Overall, out of a four-tire rating, with four being the very best, I give the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu LS Sedan a 3 tires plus a spare rating for an above average rating. I found this car to be comfortable to drive and ride in - a practical family car with a touch of sporty-ness with nice added features for not a lot of extra cash.

The Chevrolet Malibu has affinity relationships with the United States Figure Skating Association and the U.S. Figure Skating Team plus U.S. Youth Soccer.