It’s hard to get excited about the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu.
This midsize family sedan has elegant exterior styling, a spacious interior and a good infotainment system. But otherwise this mundane Chevrolet has little else to distinguish itself from more compelling rivals such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima.
The competitors outpoint the Malibu in a number of areas, notably with the availability of all-wheel drive (AWD) and superior standard safety features, making the Chevrolet a tough vehicle to recommend. Find a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu for sale
2022 Chevrolet Malibu LS (starting at $23,400)
The bare-bones LS trim rides on 16-inch wheels and comes with a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 160 horsepower. That’s a meager output for a car of this size, and performance is not aided by the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which directs power to the front wheels.
We are not fans of CVTs, which can be fuel efficient but also tend to make engines surge noisily under full acceleration and detract from the driving experience. Unfortunately the only way to avoid the CVT in a Malibu is to move all the way to the top-spec Premier trim, which comes with a more pleasing 9-speed automatic, not to mention a more powerful engine.
We suggest skipping the lower trim levels if finances allow and heading straight to the Premier trim (see below for details).
The roomy LS interior is cloth trimmed, with space for five adults. Conveniently the rear seat is split 60/40 and folds to give access to the trunk for cargo flexibility.
The dashboard sports a center 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, plus controls for the 6-speaker audio system.
Standard safety equipment is limited to airbags and stability control. Extra safety features, including rear park assist, lane-change alert, blind-spot alert, and rear cross-traffic alert, are available in a $545 driver confidence package.
For $1,095, buyers can further upgrade the safety set with lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and front pedestrian braking.
Adding in the $995 destination fee, the Chevrolet Malibu LS sticker comes to $24,395. Given 3% financing over 60 months and no down payment, that would produce a monthly payment of $419. Find a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu LS for sale
2022 Chevrolet Malibu LS:
- Attractive design – Styling holds up well in its class.
- Folding rear seat – Useful feature for cargo-carrying flexibility.
- 8-inch touchscreen – Decent infotainment system.
2022 Chevrolet Malibu RS ($24,400)
Adding to the LS features, the RS trim brings 18-inch wheels, rear spoiler, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 8-way power-adjustable driver seat with power lumbar adjustment, and power door mirrors (the last two features are optional extras on the LS trim).
The RS can also be optioned with the same two safety packages as offered on the LS grade.
Adding in the $995 destination fee, the Chevrolet Malibu RS sticker comes to $25,395. Given 3% financing over 60 months and no down payment, that would produce a monthly payment of $436. Find a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu RS for sale
2022 Chevrolet Malibu RS includes:
- Power driver seat – Nice for the driver, if not the front passenger.
- Leather-wrapped wheel – A welcome premium touch.
- 18-inch wheels – Improves Malibu’s visual presence.
2022 Chevrolet Malibu LT ($26,800)
Moving up to the LT adds a few nice-to-have items to the standard equipment list. These features include dual-zone climate control, remote start, heated front seats, LED tail lights and daytime running lights, and heated door mirrors.
Options include a heated steering wheel, 19-inch wheels, and a power tilt/slide sunroof.
Adding in the $995 destination fee, the Chevrolet Malibu LT sticker comes to $27,795. Given 3% financing over 60 months and no down payment, that would produce a monthly payment of $477. Find a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu LT for sale
2022 Chevrolet Malibu LT includes:
- Heated front seats – Good for drivers in colder regions.
- Remote start – Another nice feature for Snowbelt drivers.
- Dual-zone climate control – Enables driver and passenger to choose their own climate temperature.
2022 Chevrolet Malibu Premier ($33,500)
A significant price hike from the lower Malibu trims turns this Premier trim into a much more desirable vehicle.
The biggest improvement comes from the move to the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which produces a healthy 250 horsepower and is paired with a responsive 9-speed automatic transmission.
Beyond that powertrain upgrade, the Premier comes with 19-inch wheels, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear (outboard) seats, heated steering wheel, 8-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, heated steering wheel, power tilt/sliding sunroof, an 8-inch color info driver display, and wireless phone charging.
For an extra $2,095, the Premier can be equipped with the Enhanced Driver Confidence package. This package provides essentially the same set of safety features available on lesser trims, but with the addition of adaptive cruise control and automatic parking assist.
Again, we recommend the Premier as the trim to aim for, but short of that, the LT grade would be our choice.
Adding in the $995 destination fee, the Chevrolet Malibu Premier sticker comes to $34,495. Given 3% financing over 60 months and no down payment, that would produce a monthly payment of $592. Find a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu Premier for sale
2022 Chevrolet Malibu Premier includes:
- 250-hp engine – Good power plus 9-speed automatic transform Malibu performance.
- Heated seats/mirrors/steering wheel – Turns Malibu into a comfortable winter car.
- Wireless phone charger – Winning convenience feature.
