Compare the2022 Chevrolet MalibuVS 2021 Honda Accord

The Malibu’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Accord doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Malibu and the Accord have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Malibu is safer than the Honda Accord:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Malibu is safer than the Honda Accord:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Malibu’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Accord’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 3 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Honda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Malibu’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Malibu second among midsize cars in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Accord isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

The Malibu Premier’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 58 more horsepower (250 vs. 192) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 192) than the Accord’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Malibu Premier 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Honda Accord 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Malibu gets better mileage than the Accord:

The Malibu has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Accord (15.8 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Malibu’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Accord:

The Malibu stops much shorter than the Accord:

For better traction, the Malibu’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Accord (245/45R18 vs. 235/40R19).

The Malibu Premier handles at .88 G’s, while the Accord pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Malibu Premier executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Accord (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Malibu’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Accord LX/EX-L’s (37 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The Malibu’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Accord 2.0T’s (37 feet vs. 39.6 feet).

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Malibu LT is quieter than the Accord Sport:

The Malibu has .2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Accord.

The front step up height for the Malibu is 3 inches lower than the Accord (13.5” vs. 16.5”). The Malibu’s rear step up height is .9 inches lower than the Accord’s (14.1” vs. 15”).

The Malibu’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Accord LX’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

The Malibu’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Accord’s (1000 vs. 0 pounds).

The Malibu Premier can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Malibu can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Accord can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Malibu’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Accord does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Malibu and the Accord have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Malibu is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Accord prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Malibu’s standard front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Accord’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Malibu LS/LT/Premier’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Accord doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its HondaLink Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Malibu’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Accord’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Malibu to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Accord doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

On extremely cold winter days, the Malibu’s optional (except LS/RS) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Accord doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Malibu Premier has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Accord doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Malibu Premier’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Accord doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Malibu owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Malibu with a number “3” insurance rate while the Accord is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Malibu is less expensive to operate than the Accord because typical repairs cost much less on the Malibu than the Accord, including $161 less for a starter, $145 less for fuel injection, $162 less for a fuel pump, $16 less for front struts and $606 less for a power steering pump.