Compare the2022 Chevrolet MalibuVS 2022 Acura TLX

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Malibu are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The TLX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 TLX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Malibu and the TLX 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, 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 Acura TLX:

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 Acura TLX:

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 TLX’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 11 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Acura 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 TLX isn’t in the top three in its category.

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 Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 49 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Acura is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 11 places higher in reliability than Acura.

As tested in Motor Trend the Malibu Premier 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Acura TLX turbo 4 cyl.:

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

The Malibu has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The TLX doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Malibu stops much shorter than the TLX:

The Malibu LS/RS/LT has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Premier) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the TLX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Malibu Premier handles at .88 G’s, while the TLX A-Spec SH-AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Malibu Premier executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the TLX A-Spec SH-AWD (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Malibu’s turning circle is 3.1 feet tighter than the TLX’s (37 feet vs. 40.1 feet). The Malibu’s turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the TLX Technology/A-Spec/Advance/Type S’ (37 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

The Chevrolet Malibu may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 1000 pounds less than the Acura TLX.

The front grille of the Malibu (except 2.0 Turbo) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The TLX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Malibu LT is quieter than the TLX Type S:

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Malibu a Mid-size car, while the TLX is rated a Compact.

The Malibu has 9.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the TLX (102.9 vs. 93.4).

The Malibu has 1.9 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the TLX.

The Malibu has a much larger trunk than the TLX (15.7 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

The Malibu has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The TLX has no towing capacity.

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 TLX 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 TLX does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Malibu and the TLX 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 TLX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 TLX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its AcuraLink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

Consumer Reports rated the Malibu’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the TLX’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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

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 TLX 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 TLX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Chevrolet Malibu outsold the Acura TLX by over two to one during the 2021 model year.