When I reviewed the Saturn Aura Green Line back in July, I panned it. Acceleration was patchy and uneven with an on-off, slow-then-go feel. The four-cylinder engine sounded sickly and harsh. Braking was just as wobbly, requiring constant adjustments of pedal pressure to help compensate for the hybrid system's automatic downshifting.
That's why, when I entered the highway course in the Malibu Hybrid, I thought the General Motors PR man riding shotgun was lying. There was no way, I thought, the car I was driving was a Malibu Hybrid.
Acceleration was smooth and quiet. Braking also felt even and predictable. The improvements that make the new Malibu Hybrid so nice to drive have also been made to the Saturn Aura Hybrid.
It will take more than just a run up and down a test track to know for sure, but a good Malibu Hybrid, even though it won't match the fuel economy of the Camry Hybrid, could potentially represent a better overall value.
