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"Chevy has taken Malibu from the realm of rental fleet darling to a must-see Best Buy in this highly competitive segment. This midsize sedan stands out for its refined powertrains, smart interior design, and value pricing. We especially like the smooth, quiet 4-cylinder engine and frugal Hybrid. Considering a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry? Be sure to add Malibu to your test-drive list." -- Consumer Guide
"In sports and the entertainment industry, there is a phenomenon known as the sophomore jinx. It's that inexplicable occurrence when an athlete who was a standout his rookie year bombs the next season, or when a movie's sequel doesn't come close to the excellence of the original. Thankfully, the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu isn't another Matrix Reloaded. The downsides to the Malibu are minor and few." -- Edmunds
"The Malibu is more adept than ever at cruising America's highways and byways, ...With a quiet and lush interior, and newfound levels of refinement and style, the Malibu is a legitimate contender for best-in-class bragging rights.." - Motor Trend
"Sleek sheetmetal, a decent interior, and compelling dynamics give the Malibu plenty of ammunition with which to battle the entrenched segment leaders." -- Car and Driver
"It's a first-class, affordable, four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive, mid-size family sedan now equipped with a transmission worthy of the name. This is major. This is a breakthrough. This is GM behaving in a most un-GM-like manner." - Washington Post
"The Chevy Malibu stands up well when held against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord gold standards. Choosing among them largely comes down to nitpicking, splitting hairs and personal preference." - New Car Test Drive
"Make no mistake, there are no excuses. This is the car the folks at Chevy should have built long ago, but they get serious props for making it happen today." -- AutoWeek
"The 2009 Malibu looks wonderful, is solidly built and carefully crafted inside and out, offers good fuel economy, drives wonderfully and is priced to sell in serious volumes." -- Kelley Blue Book
KBB Editors' Overview
Chevy's mid-size Malibu, like most GM passenger cars, suffered corporate neglect in the 1990s and early 2000s as customers – and the company's engineering attention and budget – increasingly shifted toward trucks and SUVs. Still, the plain-looking previous Malibu has drawn kudos as a solid, reliable, high-value contender and has sold fairly well. Fresh from last year's complete makeover, Chevrolet's Malibu has bolted from middle-of-the-road contender straight to the top of the mid-size sedan game. The 2009 Malibu looks wonderful, is solidly built and carefully crafted inside and out, offers good fuel economy, drives wonderfully and is priced to sell in serious volumes. There is even an affordable "mild" hybrid version that performs better than the base four-cylinder car and gets four miles-per-gallon better in city driving.
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Edmunds Consumer Rating
 out of 10
Based on 134 reviews of the 2009 Malibu.
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