Used 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 3LT for sale 

The Chevrolet Malibu ranges across three main trim lines at varying price points which are LS, LT, and LTZ. The LT trim is further divided into 1LT, 2LT, and 3LT while the LTZ trim is divided into 1LZ and 2LZ sub-trims. There are two engine options on offer, the base engine is a 2.5 L Inline-4 which is standard in all trims while a more powerful turbocharged 2.0 L engine is offered in the 3LT and 2LZ trims. 

The LS trim starts at $21,995 followed by the 1LT trim which costs $23,185. The 2LT and 3LT trims come with the same features but the 2LT comes with the base engine and the 3LT with the more powerful 2.0 L engine. 2LT starts at $24,890 and the 3LT trim starts at $26,600. The top-end LTZ trim also has two sub-trims with different engines and the same features. The 1LZ trim with the base engine starts at $27,365 and the 2LZ with the more powerful engine costs $29,700.

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The 3LT trim with the more powerful 2.0 L turbocharged engine under the hood that starts at $26,600 is the optimum choice as it is mid-level trim that comes with the more powerful engine and added features compared to the base level trim. It comes with features including dual-zone automatic climate control, remote vehicle starter system, full-color, high-resolution driver information center, driver 8-way power seat adjuster including power, lumbar control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and shift knob, 18" aluminum wheels, and fog lamps.

The Chevrolet Malibu comes with a 2.0 L Turbocharged inline-4 engine mated to a 6-Speed Automatic transmission churning out 259 hp of maximum power and 295 lb-ft of maximum torque. The Malibu takes 6.3 seconds to reach a speed of 60 mph and 14.9 seconds to cross the quarter-mile mark.

The Malibu has good steering, offering a good handling experience, and coupled with a strong engine, delivers good performance. However, the ECO mode of the Malibu is quite a lot more aggressive than desired and actually messes up the driving experience.

The Toyota Camry is the most powerful of the lot, outputting 268 hp and 248 lb-ft, followed by the Malibu with a power output of 259 hp and 260 lb-ft whereas the Regal is the least powerful outputting 220 hp and 260 lb-ft. The Toyota is the fastest to reach 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, followed by the Regal and Malibu in 7.5 and 8.2 seconds. The Malibu has the highest top speed of 155 mph, followed by the Buick which is limited at 146 mph, while the Toyota can go upto 137 mph.

The Chevrolet Malibu is a pretty fuel-efficient car. It delivers fuel efficiency of 21 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway, and a combined efficiency of 24 mpg. The Malibu has a fuel capacity of 18.5 gallons, outputting a range of 389 miles in the city, 555 on the highway, and a combined range of 444 miles. 

In comparison, the Toyota Camry is the most fuel-efficient, offering a combined efficiency of 25 mpg, followed by the Chevrolet and Buick offering 24 and 22 mpg of combined efficiency. The Malibu has the largest fuel capacity of 18.5 gallons, followed by the Buick with a fuel capacity of 18 gallons. The Toyota comes with a 17-gallon fuel tank. The Chevy delivers the best-combined range of 444 miles, followed by the Camry and Regal delivering 425 and 396 miles, respectively.

The Chevrolet Malibu comes with enough space on the interior of the cabin except for the rear row legroom, which lacks the materials and trims inside the cabin cannot be considered top-notch, but they are of great quality.

There is an abundance of soft-touch materials all around the cabin. The interior also features Chevrolet’s new and updated Mylink infotainment system. The seats are comfortable and supportive and also leather-covered in the highest trim. The Malibu gets a cargo capacity of 16.3 cu-ft.

The front row space of the compared cars is very competitive, and none of them is a clear winner. The Toyota falls a little bit short on legroom in the front row, while it offers more of it in the send row, thus maintaining the equilibrium. The Malibu has the least legroom in the rear row offering just 36.8 inches while the competition offers significantly more. When it comes to cargo capacity, the Malibu offers the most, measuring 16.3 cu-ft followed by the Toyota with 15.4, and the Regal with the lowest 14.2 cu-ft of cargo capacity. Few key features include-

• Driver 8-way power seat-adjuster including power lumbar control
• Front-passenger 8-way power seat-adjuster including power lumbar control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Leather-appointed seating with vinyl perimeter accents1
• Heated front seats
• Front and rear carpeted floor mats

How intuitive is the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu’s infotainment unit?

The new Chevrolet Malibu features a color, high-resolution driver information display, and a Chevrolet MyLink 7-inch touchscreen infotainment unit along with Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and USB ports. A 6-speaker audio system is standard while there is also an available more premium Pioneer premium 9-speaker sound system which sounds great. Other major infotainment features include-

• Bluetooth wireless technology for select phone
• Full-color, high-resolution Driver Information Center
• Chevrolet MyLink 7-inch diagonal color touch-screen
• AM/FM stereo 
• CD player 
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio with three trial months
• auxiliary audio input jack
• USB port 
• Enhanced voice recognition

The 2013 Malibu looks quite beautiful, sporty, and simple at the same time from outside. The main exterior features of the Malibu include a curvy and sleek design language. It doesn’t come with any bells or whistles like a very aggressive design or chrome elements all over the exterior. But it delivers a naturally simple and slightly sporty exterior. 

The front end features a small grille which is split into two and has the Chevrolet logo stuck between it. The projector headlamps and the lower bumper complement the grille in a beautifully designed manner. The rear end also looks attractive. The Malibu has a ground clearance of 6.5 inches.

The Regal weighs the most, weighing in at 3,671 lbs, followed by the Malibu which weighs 3,660 lbs, followed by the Camry that weighs a significantly lower 3,395 lbs. The Malibu is the longest, while the Regal is the highest. The Malibu also has the most ground clearance of 6.5 inches, followed by the Toyota with 6.1 and the Buick with 5.5 inches of clearance. Major exterior features of the sedan are-

• Grille with Black/Silver painted inserts and chrome surround
• Projector-beam, halogen with Automatic Exterior Lamp Control
• Heated, power-adjustable, body-color mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators
• LED taillamps
• Chrome door handles
• 18" aluminum wheels
• Fog Lamps

The new Chevrolet Malibu comes with a lot of standard safety features, which include an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) along with 10 airbags including 10 dual-stage frontals, thorax side-impact and knee for driver and front passenger with Passenger Sensing System, thorax side-impact for rear outboard seating positions; head-curtain side-impact for front and rear outboard seating positions. 

The Malibu gets superb safety scores of 5 stars and ‘Good’ from NHTSA and IIHS, respectively, assuring that it is a really safe machine to travel and drive-in. The 2013 Malibu stops from 60 mph in a distance of 119 ft, which is an impressive distance considering the competition and segment. Major safety features include-

• Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning 
• LATCH (Lower Anchors and Top tethers for Children) system 
• OnStar Directions & Connections Plan with Automatic Crash Response
• StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System with Brake Assist 
• Theft-deterrent system: content-theft alarm 
• Tire Pressure Monitor 

The Chevrolet Malibu is a very decent car, with enough power on disposal and offering good handling and a great interior. It is definitely a great choice in the segment. However, a major con is that it seriously lacks rear legroom and there are other competitors which offer a much better option. The Toyota Camry is a great example of the same. So other than this issue the Malibu is a great car to choose from in this segment.