I recently took a 2013 Malibu Eco for a spin and while the engine and transmission were acceptable, the exterior styling, gaudy interior, numb ride, and hard flat seats were a shocking step backward from the previous generation. While Toyota and Honda have been building on particular design themes and a particular feel, GM took their award-winning 2008-2012 Malibu and completely tossed it out the window, starting over with a a car that tries too hard while succeeding at nothing.
The Malibu's back seat looked a bit tight compared to the previous generation but I didn't bother trying it out.
The brown trim on the dashboard was a different shade of brown from the materials on the doors, as if one of their suppliers delivered the wrong color. I'm sure someone in production noticed but didn't delay the car to address the problem. The wood trim looks like some kind of cheap leopard print from a hooker's uniform, applied to chintzy bits of plastic.
The OLD Malibu, however, used tasteful bits of fake wood that swooped elegantly across the dash and in front of the center stack. The old car was elegantly restrained and resulted in a cabin that felt more sophisticated and upscale than it actually was.
Even in black you can see how the color on the dash doesn't match the doors:
There's also a strip of fake aluminum that runs across the dash from end to end, likely inspired by the S-class but poorly executed in a way that makes it look busy and distracting. The basketball-like graining is at best strange, lacking in refinement and niceness.
The only thing worth praising was the infotainment system inspired by the Buick Lacrosse.
GM's response was to heap on the incentives, drop the MSRP, and carve out the front seat to create more rear leg room. Half-assed and inadequate for this segment. The whole car needs to be discarded and redone.
I used to look forward to renting Malibus. Now I'll have to hope for a Mazda 6.
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MEANWHILE, the brand new Impala is elegant, tasteful, drives brilliantly, and is an incredible bang for the buck. It might be the best deal on four wheels, driving, looking, and feeling like a significantly more expensive car. I even prefer its styling, despite the excessively high beltline and Korean-inspired tail end, to the gaudy and awkward Cadillac XTS which shares the same platform.
Even Consumer Reports gives the 2014 Impala 95/100.
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How did a single manufacturer get one car so right and the other so wrong?
