Family cars have lost a little steam to the crossovers and SUVs on the market, but that hasn’t eliminated them completely. Chevy offers a pair of sedans in the 2019 Impala and 2019 Malibu, and both have tons of room, features, and potency to meet most Green Cove Springs, Florida buyers’ needs. Which Chevy family sedan is better for you? Continue reading to find out.
Exterior
The Chevrolet Impala went through its last redesign in 2014, making it now five years old. While this is far from ancient, it is showing a little age. Despite this, the 2019 Impala still strikes an imposing full-size silhouette on the road with its sharp lines and standard 18-inch wheels. Things get even better when you upgrade to the optional 19-inch alloy wheels, though there is nothing overly exciting about it.
The Chevy Malibu went through its last redesign in 2016, but it received a sharp refresh to its front and rear fascias for 2019. This new look delivers more style and sportiness than the Impala, better tuning it for the younger crowd. This is especially true when you opt for the RS trim and its dark accents. The Malibu also gets nearly luxurious looking in its range-topping Premier trim, which boasts 18-inch aluminum wheels and bright exhaust tips.
The 2019 Chevy Impala is large and in charge at 201.3 inches long, 73 inches wide, and 58.9 inches tall. It rides on a 111.7-inch wheelbase and weighs 3,681 to 3,811 pounds.
While the Malibu shares the Impala’s 73-inch width, it is smaller than the Impala in every other measurement at 193.8 inches long and 57.6 inches tall. Despite being 7.5 inches shorter, the Malibu’s wheelbase is just 0.3 inches shorter than the Impala’s, giving it a more secure stance. The Malibu is also significantly lighter at 3,126 to 3,366 pounds.  Â
Advantage: 2019 Chevy Impala
- Imposing appearance on the road
- Big optional wheels
Advantage: 2019 Chevy Malibu
- Smaller footprint is easier to handle
- Sporty RS trim
- Lighter body
- Long wheelbase gives it a strong stance
Interior
Inside, the Malibu and Impala share a lot of Chevy’s corporate design language, but Chevy designed them with specific demographics in mind. The Impala has the older, more established buyers in mind with its classic four-spoke steering wheel, available wood trim, and more. It also has a trick touchscreen that lifts to expose a small, lockable storage cubby. But it also has some goodies for the younger buyers, including 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.
The 2019 Malibu, on the other hand, has a three-spoke steering wheel, more contrasting colors, and a shaplier dash — all things a younger buyer may like. And like the Impala, the 2019 Malibu has standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but its 4G LTE Wi-Fi doesn’t come in until its second trim level.
Inside, the Impala’s front seats offer 39.9 inches of headroom, 45.8 inches of legroom, 57.9 inches of shoulder room, and 54.9 inches of hip room. The Malibu has an extra 0.2 inches of headroom and 0.6 inches of shoulder room, but it falls short in legroom by 0.5 inches and hip room by 0.8 inches.
In its rear seats, the 2019 Chevy Impala has 37.4 inches of headroom, 39.8 inches of legroom, 56.9 inches of shoulder room, and 54.1 inches of hip room. The Malibu offers an extra 0.1 inches of headroom and 0.2 inches of shoulder room, but its legroom is short by 1.7 inches and its hip room is 0.7 inches tighter.
The larger the trunk, the more you can pack for a family weekend getaway. The 2018 Impala delivers with 18.8 cubic feet of trunk space. The Malibu’s standard trunk is smaller than the Impala’s at 152.8 cubes, but it still has plenty of room. Unfortunately, the Malibu Hybrid’s battery pack eats up some space, dropping the capacity to just 11.6 cubes.
Advantage: 2019 Chevy Impala
- Standard Wi-Fi
- Classic styling
- Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- More legroom
- Significantly larger trunk
Advantage: 2019 Chevy Malibu
- Youthful looks
- Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- More shoulder room and headroom
Performance
Performance is far from the first thing buyers look for in a family sedan, but the 2019 Malibu and Impala offer optional engines that delivers decent power and straight-line acceleration. But they also have thriftier base engines, and the Malibu adds an extra wrinkle with its optional hybrid powertrain.
The 2019 Chevy Impala comes standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 197 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. Buyers can also get a 3.6-liter V-6 engine that cranks out 305 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque. Both engines pair to a six-speed automatic transmission that delivers power to the front wheels. With the 2.5-liter engine, independent tests put its 0-to-60 time in the mid- to high-eight-second range. The 3.6-liter drops the 0-to-60 time to an independently verified 6.1 seconds.
The 2019 Chevy Malibu has a more complex lineup of powertrains that includes turbocharged four-cylinder units and a hybrid. The Malibu’s standard engine is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. This engine pairs with a standard continuously variable transmission. This setup sprints the Malibu to 60 mph in an independently tested 8.3 seconds.
The range-topping Premier trim adds an extra dose of sportiness with its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that cranks out 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. This engine pairs with a nine-speed automatic transmission that ships power to the front wheels. This extra power sprints the Malibu to 60 mph in under six seconds.
The Malibu Hybrid comes with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that pairs with two electric motors that combine to produce 182 combined horsepower. This electrified Malibu delivers a respectable 7.5-second 0-to-60 time.
Fuel economy plays a big role when shopping for a family sedan. The Impala delivers decent thriftiness for such a big vehicle as it gets up to 22 mpg city, 29 highway, and 25 combined with the 2.5-liter engine and up to 19 mpg city, 28 highway, and 22 combined with the V-6 engine.
The smaller Malibu and its more high-tech engine options delivers better fuel economy. With the 1.5-liter engine, the 2019 Malibu gets up to 29 mpg city, 36 highway, and 32 combined. Bumping up to the 2.0-liter engine drops its thriftiness to 22 mpg city, 32 highway, and 26 combined. The Malibu Hybrid kills it in fuel economy at up to 49 mpg city, 43 highway, and 46 combined.
Advantage: 2019 Chevy Impala
- Potent V-6 option
- More powerful standard four-cylinder engine
Advantage: 2019 Chevy Malibu
- Two peppy turbocharged engines
- Big fuel-economy advantage in without hybrid models
- Massive fuel economy numbers with hybrid powertrain
Pricing and Features
The 2019 Chevy Impala is available in three trim levels: LS, LT, and Premier. Their starting prices range from $28,895 to $37,595.
The 2019 Chevy Malibu comes in six trims — L, LS, RS, LT, Hybrid, and Premier — and their starting prices range from $22,965 to $32,695.
2019 Chevy Impala Key Features and Pricing by Trim
LS: $28,895
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine
- Six-speed automatic transmission
- Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes
- Hill-start assist
- Electric power steering
- Headlight-integrated daytime running lights
- Body-color door handles
- Acoustic windshield and front-side glass
- Halogen headlights with auto-on/off
- Power, body-color mirrors
- 18-inch steel wheels with hub caps
- Intermittent front wipers
- Single-zone electronic climate control
- Rear center armrest
- Six-speaker Chevrolet MyLink Radio with 8-inch touchscreen
- Lockable storage behind touchscreen
- Bluetooth with audio streaming
- Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Two front USB ports
- SiriusXM
- Compass
- Cruise control
- Power door locks
- Power window with one-touch-up/down
- Driver information center
- Front and rear floor mats
- Keyless entry and ignition
- OnStar and Chevrolet connected services
- 4G LTE Wi-Fi
- Chevrolet Connected Access
- Two 12-volt power outlets
- Rearview camera
- Eight-way power driver’s seat
- 60/40 split-folding rear seats
- Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
- Steering-wheel-mounted controls
LT: $31,395
- All LS features, plus
- 18-inch painted alloy wheels
- LED daytime running lights
- Heated mirrors with integrated turn signals
- Puddle lights
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Remote ignition
- Leather-wrapped shifter
- Leather-wrapped shift knob
- Rear climate-control vents
- Front-door umbrella storage
Premier: $37,695
- All LT features, plus
- 3.6-liter V-6 engine
- Dual-outlet stainless-steel exhaust
- Chrome door handles with body-color strip
- HID headlights
- Front chrome door-sill plates
- 19-inch machined aluminum wheels
- Navigation
- 11-speaker Bose Centerpoint audio system
- Cargo net
- Eight-way power passenger seat
- Wireless charging pad
- Ambient lighting
- 120-volt power outlet on rear center console
- Heated front seats
- Perforated leather seating
- Universal home remote
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Rear parking sensors
- Blind-zone monitoring
2019 Chevy Malibu Key Features and Pricing by Trim
L: $22,965
- 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
- 16-inch steel wheels with hub caps
- Automatic stop/start
- Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes
- Continuously variable transmission
- Black antenna
- Automatic on/off halogen headlights
- Power mirrors
- Single-zone manual climate control
- Chevrolet Infotainment System with 8-inch touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay
- Android Auto
- Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming
- Six-speaker audio system
- Cruise control
- Power door locks
- Power windows with one-touch-up/down
- Monochromatic driver information center
- Front and rear floor mats
- Keyless open and ignition
- OnStar and Chevrolet connected services capable
- Chevrolet Connected Access
- 12-volt power outlet
- Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
- Steering-wheel-mounted controls
- 60/40 split-folding rear seat
- Rear-seat reminder
- Rearview camera
LS: $24,095
- All L features, plus
- 16-inch aluminum wheels
- Acoustic windshield and front-side glass
- Compass
- 4G LTE Wi-Fi
- Temperature display
- Front vanity mirrors
- Teen Driver
RS: $25,095
- All LS features, plus
- Dual exhaust with bright tips
- Black front and rear bow ties
- Blacked-out grille
- Rear spoiler
- 18-inch black-chrome-finish wheels
- Eight-way power driver’s seat
- Leather-wrapped shift knob
- Leather-wrapped shift knob
LT: $27,495
- All LS features, plus
- LED daytime running lights
- LED taillights
- 17-inch aluminum wheels
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- SiriusXM radio
- Switchable rear reading lights
- Remote ignition
- Rear HVAC vents
- Illuminated vanity mirrors
- Heated mirrors
- Heated seats
- Body-color antenna
Hybrid: $29,095
- All LT features, plus
- 1.8-liter engine with two-motor hybrid system
- Electric parking brake
- 8-inch HD touchscreen
- 8-inch multi-color driver-information center
- High-definition rearview camera
Premier: $32,695
- All LT features, plus
- 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
- Nine-speed automatic transmission
- Stainless-steel dual exhaust with bright tips
- 18-inch aluminum wheels
- LED headlights
- Mirror-integrated turn signals
- Bright sill plates
- Chrome door handles with body-color inserts
- 8-inch HD touchscreen
- High-definition rearview camera
- Bose nine-speaker audio system
- USB charging port in rear of center console
- Two-position driver-seat memory
- Interior ambient lighting
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- 120-volt power outlet on rear of center console
- Ventilated front seats
- Heated outboard rear seats
- Six-way power passenger’s seat
- Heated steering wheel
- Trunk mat
- Wireless charging pad
Who Should Buy the 2019 Chevy Impala?
The 2019 Chevy Impala is best suited for more established buyers or those with older kids and need more rear legroom.
Who Should Buy the 2019 Chevy Malibu?
The 2019 Chevy Malibu boasts a sportier look inside and out, making it a better option for the younger crowd. This is especially true in with the sporty RS trim that includes a spoiler, sharp wheels, and dark accents.
Whether you prefer the 2019 Chevy Impala or 2019 Chevy Malibu, you can check out either one at Garber Automall today. Can’t stop by our new-car showroom serving the Fleming Island and Jacksonville areas today? Check out our online inventory to see what 2019 Impala and 2019 Malibu models we have in stock before stopping by. Once you have one — or a few — picked out, you can swing by for a test drive.
