Car Rental Review: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 2LT

National's 2013 Chevrolet Mailbu 2LT

• Rented From: Stamford, CT
• Car Class: Full Size (FCAR)
• Miles Out: 18,992
• Miles In: 19,561
• Fuel Economy: 22 city/34 highway with 2.5L Ecotec 4-cylinder engine and 6 speed automatic
• MSRP as rented: $24,890

Pros:

• Cute little storage cubby behind the MyLink screen.
• Good gas mileage with nice highway cruising range
• LED lighting accents are nice.
• Liked the color trip computer. 

Cons:

• Mileage a bit on the high side, and it felt like it.
• Engine could use a bit more pep.
• XM trial subscription was up, although the MyLink system worked nicely with iPhone and Spotify.

On a weekend road trip to Boston during the early days of Spring, I was offered one of these as a free upgrade at my usual local National location. Having never rented one, I figured I might as well try it out.

This silver Malibu with Ohio plates came with a black cloth and leatherette interior, and is a mid-level 2LT model. Some standard features on the 2LT include MyLink, remote start, dual zone automatic climate control, 6-speed automatic transmission with manual mode, electric parking brake, 17" wheels, and 8-way power driver's seat with 4 way lumbar support. Equipped with no other options, this Malibu's MSRP is $24,890.

While the Malibu was comfortable, it could use a few improvements. The engine felt a bit sluggish for the size of this car, and sometimes merging onto the highway took a bit of work. The engine seemed buzzy and lacked refinement. Transmission shifts were smooth and seamless. 

All in all, it was a pretty good rental. I ended up driving almost 600 miles between Connecticut, Boston and Rhode Island. I wouldn't mind renting another one...perhaps a LTZ with the 2.0 liter turbo.

Car Rental Review: 2014 Chevrolet Traverse 2LT AWD

National Car Rental's 2014 Chevy Traverse 2LT AWD

• Rented from: Philadelphia 30th Street Station - free upgrade as I'm an Emerald Club member
• Car Class: Premium Crossover (PGAR)
• Miles Out: 2408
• Miles In: 2583
• Fuel Economy: 16 city/23 highway with 3.6L V6 engine and 6 speed automatic 
• MSRP as Rented: $38,865 

Pros: 

• A little better looking than the last generation.
• SiriusXM satellite radio was still working...as seen up above. Also, this generation has the MyLink system which is just kick ass!
• Loaded with goodies such as backup sensors, rear-view camera, remote start, and tri-zone automatic climate control.
• Not too awful on gas.
• Easy to maneuver and drive. 

Cons:

• They stuck the USB port inside the cubby on the dashboard...took me a while to find it (I actually had to look in the owner's manual to figure out where they put it.)
• Wood-like plastic trim is awfully tacky looking.
• Soft touch buttons were finicky and sometimes didn't want to work right.
• No dual-pane moonroof like in the LTZ's.
• No leather, which is just as well. It was almost 100 degrees the day I rented it.

While a pleasure to drive, there are better PGAR's to rent. You might be able to snag one of the Traverse's platform mates, the GMC Acadia SLT or Buick Enclave...those are even better equipped.