Used 2012 Chevrolet Malibu 3LT for sale 

The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu is available in three trim options, namely LS, LT, and LTZ. The base LS variant is available at a price of around $22,000 and gets decent standard features. The LT trim is available at a price of $23,470 and gets alloy wheels along with power seat adjustment, remote ignition, and few more features. The top-of-line LTZ trim is available at a price of $28,600 and gets the best features as standard.

We Recommend

If we need to choose from the available options of Chevy Malibu, we would go for the top-of-the-line LTZ trim with the more powerful V6 engine option. The powerful V6 exponentially improves the overall performance while also providing great standard features like the sunroof, automatic climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels, and heated outside mirrors. The maxed-out V6 LTZ would cost you around $34,000.

The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu is available in two engine options. The base engine is a 2.4-liter inline-4 cylinder that generates around 170 hp along with 158 lb-ft of torque. The second is a 3.6-liter V6 engine which is much more powerful and generates 252 hp along with 251 lb-ft of torque.

Both the engines are mated with a 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission and deliver the power to the front wheel as standard. The base engine setup is very slow on acceleration, with 0-60 mph reach in 9.3 seconds. Along with that, it takes 16.8 seconds to cover the quarter-mile distance. 

The 2012 Hyundai Sonata is the most powerful in this comparison with a power output of 198 hp, while the Honda Accord generates a maximum of 177 hp. The Honda Accord is the quickest in acceleration, with 0-60 mph reached in 6.1 seconds, while the Hyundai Sonata takes 6.5 seconds. The Chevy Malibu has the highest top speed of 156 mph, while the Accord and Sonata top out at 148 mph and 147 mph, respectively.

The 2.4-liter engine is quite decent on fuel economy as well as the high-powered V6 engine. The base engine provides a mileage of 22 mpg in the city, which improves to 33 mpg on the highway. Thus we get a combined mileage of 26 mpg from the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The high-powered V6 engine provides a combined mileage of 20 mpg. It is equipped with a 16 gallon of fuel tank capacity that provides a maximum range of 528 miles. 

The Hyundai Sonata is the most efficient in this comparison with a combined mileage of 28 mpg, while the Honda Accord is just behind with a combined mileage of 27 mpg. Both the Accord and Sonata have a fuel tank capacity of 18.5 gallons, which results in a maximum range of 629 miles and 647 miles, respectively.

The interior design of the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu is quite decent, but the entire feel of the cabin is underwhelming due to the use of cheap materials overall. The interior is well insulated to prevent the penetration of road noise into the cabin.

The seats are comfortable and provide enough bolstering for a comfortable ride. Three adults at the rear is a squeeze, but two people can accommodate comfortably at the rear. The Malibu provides a decent cargo capacity of 15.1 cu.ft behind the rear seats, which can be improved by folding down the 60/40 split rear seats.

All the vehicles in comparison can accommodate up to 5 passengers inside their cabin. The Honda Accord provides the best spacing for both the passengers at the front and the rear. The Sonata has a better spacing than the Malibu and also provides the best cargo capacity of 16.4 cu.ft in comparison. The Honda Accord has the lowest cargo capacity of 14.7 cu.ft. Here is a list of interior features that are available with the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu:

• Cloth/leather upholstery
• 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks
• Power driver seat adjustments, heated front seats
• Automatic climate control
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror

How is the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu Sedan’s infotainment system?

The infotainment system in the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu is not the best and gets only a few standard features. They include satellite radio, auxiliary audio jack, CD/MP3 stereo, USB audio jack, and Bluetooth connectivity.

It gets a basic 6-speaker audio system which is decent in sound quality. There is no optional package available with the Malibu to get additional infotainment features. Here is a list of infotainment features that are available with the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu:

• Satellite radio
• Auxiliary audio jack
• CD/MP3 stereo
• USB audio jack 
• Bluetooth connectivity
• 6-speaker audio system

The exterior design of the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu is quite minimalist with its simple fine lines and decluttered front and rear fascia. The front split grille with huge automatic headlights on both ends make the Malibu follow the Chevy design language.

It is the heaviest in comparison with a curb weight of 3,432 pounds. It has a length of 192 inches along with a longer wheelbase of 112 inches that provides slightly better legroom. Along with that, the Malibu has a decent ground clearance of 6 inches. 

The Hyundai Sonata is the lightest in this comparison with a curb weight of 3,161 pounds, while the Honda Accord weighs 3,216 pounds. The Accord is the longest in length, while the rest all the dimensions are similar to the other vehicles in comparison. Thus they have a similar footprint on the road. Few standout exterior features of the sedan are-

• 17-inch steel/alloy wheels
• Automatic headlights
• Body-color outside mirrors
• Fog lamps
• Heated outside mirrors
• Sunroof
• LED taillights

There NHTSA has given the 2012 Chevrolet a 4-star rating out of 5 in its tests. The IIHS has also given it a ‘Good’ rating in all the test segments. The IIHS has also given it a Top Safety Pick award for the year 2012 in the midsize sedan segment. Thus the Malibu is capable of safeguarding the passengers in case of an accident. Along with all this, the Malibu is equipped with few safety features that improve the overall safety factor of the vehicle. Few salient safety features include-

• Antilock disc brakes
• Stability control
• Traction control
• Front-seat side-impact airbags
• Side curtain airbags 
• OnStar telematics system

The 2012 Chevy Malibu does not strike a chord with us with its base 2.4-liter engine. It is underpowered and slow on acceleration. But the bigger V6 engine provides greater power output and a much better overall performance. The interior is spacious, but the use of cheap materials overall the cabin makes it bland. The Malibu stands high on the safety rating, and that is one of the few things that it could bank on to make us choose this as our daily driver.