Catching up: the Chevrolet Malibu is on the heels of the best family sedans.(CR AUTO TEXT EXTRA)(Product/service evaluation)

The redesigned Malibu now ranks among the best family sedans, just below the Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry. It nearly matches the Accord's handling agility and the Camry's quiet interior. But its fuel economy isn't the best in either four-cylinder or V6 versions.A Malibu with a mild-hybrid drive system will debut shortly. Despite its high test score, we don't yet have reliability data for this redesigned model, so we cannot recommend it.

RIDE, HANDLING, AND POWERTRAIN

The Malibu absorbs bumps nicely, especially in the LT version. The LTZ has larger wheels and tires and a firmer suspension, which make impacts more pronounced and increase road noise, but we still found it comfortable enough.

We found the Malibu responsive in corners, with controlled body lean.With its smaller tires, the LT reached its emergencyhandling limits fairly early but slid gradually and controllably when it did break away.The LTZ was quicker and had better grip.

Six-cylinder Malibus have heftier-weighted hydraulic steering compared with the four-cylinder, but both have appropriate weighting and good feedback.The four-cylinder's electric steering is a big improvement over that in other GM models we've tested. Overall, the four-cylinder car is a bit more responsive, with quick turn-in, and it feels lighter on its feet.

Performance from the base 169-horsepower, 2.4-liter fourcylinder engine is just average. Paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, it delivered 23 mpg overall on regular fuel. The transmission shifts smoothly but is reluctant to downshift at times.This can, for example, allow the car lose speed on the highway before shifting or take off sluggishly in second gear from a rolling stop. A six-speed automatic will extend to the four-cylinder version for 2009 models.

The 252-hp, 3.6-liter V6 in our LTZ provides strong performance. It can also produce some wheel spin and torque steer, tugging on the steering wheel under hard acceleration. It got 20 mpg overall on regular fuel. The V6 is paired with a smooth and responsive six-speed automatic transmission, but it often upshifts early to save fuel, lugging the engine a bit.