My new 2009 Malibu LTZ is a joy to look at both inside and out. Beautifully designed and appointed. It has all the bells and whistles. From a performance standpoint it is smooth, solid, and quiet. The six speed transmission gives this car a lot of pep. You can feel and smell (yes smell) the quality of this car. GM and the Chevy engineers appear to have gotten dead serious about making the Malibu a very competative high quality mid size package. This car is the real deal. Most of my driving has been city with a few 30-50 mile highway trips. I've been averaging around 29.8 mpg since my March 18th purchase.

I have the 4cyl. 6 speed. The acceleration, while not stunning, can only be explained as smooth. The brakes instill a lot of confidence. The build quality is fantastic and the ride is nothing short of luxurious. I'm still getting used to the car, so the fun factor is still increasing. It handles much better than I originally realized. The electrically assisted steering was odd at first, but I've found it to be very responsive. It carves out curves with poise for a family sedan.

50K+ miles so far. Maintenance has been good but not stellar. The radio antenna is very weak. The key fob wore out and cost $200 to replace. There is a small rattle in the suspension on bumpy roads. On the other side the gas mileage on the road has been great. Handling is good once I replaced the lousy hankook tires. The car is quiet and comfortable even over long hauls. I have driven all over the country and it performed well.

Love this car, but lacks the acceleration with the 4cyl, city mpg only 20, highway 31. Have only 1700 miles right now, hopefully performance and gas mileage get better. Seems to fall on its face when you accelerate.Back to dealer??

The car is a good one to own as it doesn't cost much to maintain it. When you do need power, you can switch it to semi-manual and have some serious fun. Overall it is a nice car but I just want to get the 2013 now :-)