How the Chevrolet Malibu Stacks Up Against Honda, Toyota and Nissan

I've been driving Honda Accords for the past 15 years, so when I heard that Chevrolet is introducing its Malibu model to compete with the Accord, my curiosity was piqued. A sneak peek at the 2008 Chevy Malibu only furthered my curiosity. Could it be that Chevy has made a midsize model that stacks up to its foreign competition?

At first glance, the folks at Chevy designed the new Malibu to look similar to not only the Honda Accord, but to the popular midsized Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. Apparently, the strategy was intentional, with Chevrolet officials hoping the Malibu's style and price will encourage loyal Honda, Toyota and Nissan customers to make the switch. "We know we face a big challenge because Malibu is going up against strong competitors like Accord and Camry," said Kim Kosak, general director of Chevrolet advertising and sales promotion. "But we know we have a great product, a strong media plan, and a creative advertising and promotional campaign to tell our story. We're confident we can get the new Malibu on people's shopping lists."

The differences between the Chevy Malibu and its foreign competitors are subtle, and in many instances, improvements over the 2008 Honda, Toyota and Nissan models. For starters, the Chevy Malibu offers a much smoother line design. While Honda Accord models over the past years have been criticized for their stunted back end design, the Malibu offers a sleek, stylish design that flows from front to back, very similar to the Toyota Camry.

But inside is where it counts for many Honda and Toyota die-hards. While Honda has always done a good job with making the interior functional and comfortable, the Chevy Malibu is hands down more modern and upscale in interior appearance and positioning of function controls. In the Chevy Malibu LTZ, understated elegance comes to mind, with two-tone leather seat combinations, chrome door accents and quality cast skin material on the instrument panel.