The 2016+ Chevrolet Malibu looks OK as far as mid-sized sedans go but I can’t get over how unrefined those lower control arms look from behind.
Chevrolet sells a lot of mid-sized Malibus. According to GoodCarBadCar, last year they moved more than 144,000 Malibus off dealership lots and onto American streets. Combining 2016, and 2017 sales figures and GM has more than half a million newer Malibus driving around. That’s a lot of Malibus.
With so many Malibus running around, I’ve come across more than a handful. Stuck in traffic, one tends to fixate on the rears and what irks me so much so that I’m writing words about it is just how unrefined and quite ugly they’ve managed to make the rear lower control arms look like. Here’s what I mean.
It’s as if Chevrolet designed a rough draft of a rear lower control arm, was 80 percent done with the design as far as aesthetics, and said, “That’s good enough.”
I’d understand if GM was trying to save weight where it could, picked a light but raw looking material, and skipped on paint and left it as is to save on some oz’s but Malibus come in around 3,000 pounds and then some which is par for the course for mid-sized sedans.
Here’s what the whole lower control arm looks like if you want to buy just that piece on eBay. It’s a lot more complicated looking than what the rear end suggests.
Looks aside, I’m sure this rear suspension does its job just fine. As per GM, they use a four-link independent rear out back including a hollow stabilizer bar. When Car and Driver and Motor Trend took out Malibus for reviews both commented that the Malibu can soak up bumps and road undulations with the best of them but is hardly a sporty offering, and it never really was.
Don’t make me feel like I’m the ONLY one out there that’s had this thought about how those LCAs look, let me know if you’ve noticed, too, in the comments below!
