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2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

(credit: Chevrolet)

This is the 2013 Malibu Eco, the most fuel efficient Malibu ever that delivers 37 miles per gallon on the highway 25 city.

The Eco has a sticker price of $29,380 dollars. For that, you get a lot of car, filled with a lot of technology. And it's pretty good looking with styling cues taken from the Camaro, and a little bit of a BMW in the rear section.

Under the hood, there's an all in one generator/motor connected to 32 lithium-ion cells housed in a battery pack behind the back seat. The electric motor gives you 15 more horses to play with. Switching between the 2.4 liter four cylinder engine to E-Assist is seamless. And so is the transition from auto stop to power.

The Malibu is proudly built by the men and women of Kansas City, KS.

I am a big fan of the interior and the quality of materials is first rate. Even the steering wheel feels great in your hands. The styling of the gauge cluster again inspired by The Camaro.

And then there's My Link, which is standard on the Eco version. This is a nice touch. Flip a button and behind the seven inch screen is a place to store your cell phone or other valuables. You get an AM FM stereo with CD and MP3 playback, hooked up to a nice sounding Pioneer 8 speaker sound system. The cabin is a very nice place to be including the optional leather seats.

The eighth generation Malibu is a smooth, quiet and refined automobile with extensive use of sound blocking and sound absorbing materials and a starting price of around $26,000. The Chevy Malibu has been around since 1964. It was a pretty sweet car in the '60s. The late '70s and '80s, not too sweet. This new generation Malibu is a car that does Chevrolet proud.

Mike West