Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'malibu'.
Found 13 results
-
Will the MyLink 7” (I think) from a 2017 Silverado double cab fit in a 2014 Malibu LT (also with a 7” MyLink just very old version)??? -
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 2-6-2018 All indications are that now is a pretty good time to shop for a Malibu if there is an empty garage bay at your house. Although GM is enjoying increases in transaction prices overall, when it comes to midsized sedans, Chevy is offering more incentive dollars than any other automaker to move inventory. And the trend is up for Chevy. Chevy is offering up to $5,500 in cash on the dash, on average, according to a study by Motor Intelligence. Honda is so confident in its new 2018 Accord's abilities to attract buyers it is slashing incentive spending to nearly zero. Incentive spending is a combination of cash back, dealer discount incentives, special financing, and other offers automakers use to entice buyers. Chevy’s Malibu discounting is up 11% year over year and shows no signs of slowing. Some dealers are offering up to $8,000 discounts on Malibu (see above image). It seems Chevy is desperate to move the Malibu. In December, Chevy sold about 16,000 Malibus. The January sales number dropped to just 7,553. By contrast, Toyota sold 43,000 Camrys in December.
-
John Goreham Staff Writer 8-6-18 In its latest compilation of great cars, J.D. Power (Hammer) liked the Chevy Malibu and Buick Lacrosse. Both were named to the list of Eight Most Reliable Certified Pre-Owned Cars. Together GM’s two cars made up a quarter of the top eight. In its summary of the LaCrosse, the publication says, “Buick’s full-size LaCrosse sedan has plenty going for it, from a choice between a light-electrified hybrid drivetrain and a powerful V-6 engine to a roomy and comfortable cabin wrapped in upscale sheet metal.” Of the Malibu, the publication says, “In its final year before a complete redesign for 2016, the midsized 2015 Chevy Malibu offered real value along with, apparently, excellent reliability. Pair the torque-rich turbo with the top LTZ trim level and you’ll have a dependable and upscale rocket.” The list of eight was derived from J.D. Power’s dependability data, which comes directly from owners. This list is interesting because it looks at the dependability of 2015 model year cars that might be coming off of 36 or 39-month leases. As a CPO car, the vehicle will have a warranty and will have undergone an inspection.
-
Assuming that gasoline prices do not stay at their historic low prices (with inflation factored in) cars and especially fuel-efficient mid-size cars, will continue to be a hugely important part of the industry. Chevy says its new Malibu will be larger, more in line wit the Accord, and more fuel efficient. The vehicle also looks fantastic and is sort of along the lines of the new Chrysler 200. Coupled with the new mainstream Malibu, Chevy is updating the Malibu hybrid. GM says the Malibu hybrid could approach 48 MPG. That would make it a standout in the segment now dominated sales-wise by the Toyota Camry. Mid-size hybrids need to offer value and a conventional feel, instead of just the top fuel economy possible, as Honda is now learning the hard way. Chevy says the new Malibu hybrid will use a two-motor system adapted form the Volt along with a 1.8-liter gasoline engine. This is great news. The new Volt strikes a great balance of real-world usefulness and green credibility. The more GM can spread the drivetrain components around the family, the lower its costs should be per unit. Anyone who has been watching this industry for a while knows that Chevy always says of the Malibu when updated, "this time we will be competitive." This time it needs to be true. 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Hybrid -
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 4/1/2015 As our prior post reported, GM's sales are trending towards trucks and SUVs in a big way. Car sales are continuing a multi-month plunge. This is not a trend all manufacturers have seen. Toyota's car sales have not declined though it does sell every extra truck it chooses to make. GM needs to balance its vehicle sales to avoid CAFE fines and to stay a major player in the car market. The all-new Malibu will be critically important to Chevy and GM, and it may have just the right formula. Assuming that gasoline prices do not stay at their historic low prices (with inflation factored in) cars and especially fuel-efficient mid-size cars, will continue to be a hugely important part of the industry. Chevy says its new Malibu will be larger, more in line wit the Accord, and more fuel efficient. The vehicle also looks fantastic and is sort of along the lines of the new Chrysler 200. Coupled with the new mainstream Malibu, Chevy is updating the Malibu hybrid. GM says the Malibu hybrid could approach 48 MPG. That would make it a standout in the segment now dominated sales-wise by the Toyota Camry. Mid-size hybrids need to offer value and a conventional feel, instead of just the top fuel economy possible, as Honda is now learning the hard way. Chevy says the new Malibu hybrid will use a two-motor system adapted form the Volt along with a 1.8-liter gasoline engine. This is great news. The new Volt strikes a great balance of real-world usefulness and green credibility. The more GM can spread the drivetrain components around the family, the lower its costs should be per unit. Anyone who has been watching this industry for a while knows that Chevy always says of the Malibu when updated, "this time we will be competitive." This time it needs to be true. 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Hybrid
-
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 8-10-2017 The GM-Trucks.com team was fortunate to find some seat time in a new, 2017 Chevy Malibu Hybrid this month. General Motors has cut its media fleet for 2017 and the Malibu was the only GM car we’ve driven in recent memory. Simply put, it blew us away. Reviewing any car or truck requires focusing the mind in two ways. First, what do owners of this type of vehicle want and look for? Second, could this vehicle be so good that it transcends its segment and may attract buyers from similar segments? With our brain re-set from trucks, we found this midsize green sedan hits the mark for its target audience and definitely would make conventional midsize family shoppers very happy given a chance. The Malibu Hybrid’s defining feature is comfort and refinement. We’ve driven the Camry Hybrid, Kia Niro, Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and others in recent months and the Malibu Hybrid doesn’t just meet the bar, it exceeds it in almost every way. If you like a smooth comfortable ride over bumpy roads (the GM-Trucks team spends considerable time on dirt roads, so we do), then the Malibu is tuned for you. The “normal” profile tires on our mid-trim Hybrid were compliant and kept the ride very mellow. The Malibu handles like most other midsize family sedans in all other respects. If you want a Car and Driver breakdown of skidpad adhesion and handling “at the limits” good luck. You may be better served by a Cadillac CTS-V. This car is for daily driving and it excels at its mission. The drivetrain is outstanding, but only if quiet, smooth operation with outstanding fuel economy is your preference. In this segment, that is exactly what buyers want and expect and the Malibu Hybrid delivers better than either the Kia or Hyundai we recently tested (which are about the same size as the Malibu in passenger volume, in case you wonder why they are in this story for reference). We managed 49 MPG in our real-world suburban and highway driving, better than the 46 MPG the EPA estimates most drivers will see. On regular gas. That means they Malibu Hybrid costs about the same per mile as an EV would, in our expensive electricity market. In our testing of the new Hyundai Ioniq, which boasts a much higher EPA Combined estimate, we saw 48.2 MPG. In the Niro, we saw 44 MPG. The low-key Malibu Hybrid topped them both. Inside, our mid-trim Malibu was drab. The flat-back, unheated, cloth seats were a let-down and with no moonroof, the interior was dark. Our $31,235 tester lacked a few things, but if you want leather, Nav and a moonroof they can all be added in for customers with a $35K budget. The trunk is small for the class as well, due to the battery pack behind the passenger seatbacks. On the plus side of the Chevy frugality, the Malibu Hybrid did have Android Auto which we put to good use. Apple Car Play is also included of course, and this allows buyers to skip Nav and save some money while being able to get the best Nav possible via one’s phone (which you already own). The Chevy Malibu line is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, only its headlights' rating held it back from the top score possible. Our tester had emergency auto braking but did not offer adaptive cruise control. An odd combination. Conclusion Overall we feel that the Chevy Malibu Hybrid deserves more attention. This is a fair-priced, super-safe, fuel-sipping car with outstanding comfort. Isn’t that what family sedan and mid-sized green-car shoppers put at the top of their wish list?
-
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 7-12-2017 The 2014 Chevy Malibu sedan and Equinox crossover are near the top of the list of popular high-depreciation cars in a study done by iSeeCars.com. The Malibu's depreciation is 1.23-times greater than the average for vehicles in general. The study finds that the average price of a 2014 Malibu is just $14,622, reflecting a 43% depreciation over just three years. The Equinox is not far behind the Malibu with an average price of just $17,200, reflecting a 41% depreciation over three years. These are cars still under the original GM warranty. Even more incredible is the deal that shoppers of used Cadillac CTS sedans should expect. After just three years, the CTS is worth less than half its original value. iSeeCars pegs the average 2014 CTS price at just $27,537. That is a whopping 52% depreciation rate reflecting a depreciation that is about one and a half times that of the average vehicle. Silverado and Sierra both hold their value better than the industry average. After three years, they have depreciated roughly 29% compared to the average of about 35%. See the full study at this link.
-
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 12-6-2016 Chevrolet announced that its new 9-speed automatic transmission will debut on the 2017 Chevy Malibu 2.0-Turbo, in the Cruze Diesel for '17, and then the Equinox Diesel will also get the new transmission for 2018 when it is ready. So far, Chevy has only qualified the new Chevy Malibu with the 9-speed so we have compared that car to its peers to see how the new transmission will help the Malibu in this very competitive segment. First, the intangibles. Chevy says (and we believe) that the new transmission's first gear contributes to better off-the-line performance. Quickness is not a high priority for most midsize sedan buyers, but remember, Chevy is pairing the most powerful Malibu it makes with the new 9-speed. This car will compete with the Honda Accord V6, which uses an automatic 6-speed and offers an optional manual 6-speed. The Accord is a fast car thus equipped and having tracked that car, we can tell you it is surprisingly fun to toss around. By moving to the turbo engine and 9-speed the 33 MPG Highway / 26 MPG Combined 2017 Malibu could have matched up well with the 33 MPG Highway and 25 MPG combined the Honda Accord V6 Auto 6AT currently produces. The Nissan Altima with its V6 engine and CVT transmission earns a 32 MPG highway rating and a 26 MPG Combined rating. We say "could have" because the 2017 Malibu is rated with Premium fuel, not the regular that the V6 Accord and Altima use. The 250 hp of the Malibu 2.0T is also significantly less than the 278 hp the Accord offers and the 270 hp the Altima comes with. The Camry will be all-new for next year and its drivetrains are expected to change so we left it out of this comparison. When matched with the diesels Chevy is about to launch, we expect big MPG numbers. However, for 2017, Chevy brings a new Malibu drivetrain that is down on power compared to its peers, only matches the current offerings mileage ratings, and uses more expensive fuel than its competitors. Note: All MPG numbers in this story are the official numbers at www.fueleconomy.gov.
-
First up, the Malibu and Impala basically crushed the list by winning the two most important categories, mid-size car and large car. Those two categories really are the two actual family car categories and GM should be proud to have earned the wins. Of the new Malibu, U.S. News said, "Testers say the redesigned 2016 Chevrolet Malibu is a strong contender with class leaders thanks to its spacious seats, user-friendly infotainment system and good trunk space. The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu has the best combination of interior space, safety and reliability ratings, and available family-friendly features in its class, making it our 2016 Best Midsize Car for Families." Note that U.S. News wisely includes reliability and safety in this type of vehicle. U.S. News gets it. Meanwhile, over at the "car magazines" they are doing top speed runs in 4-cylinder economy cars and talking about "lift throttle oversteer at high Gs." There are families that want big, and the Yukon delivers. We just tested the 2016 Yukon Denali, and it is hard to argue there is a better beast that does what it does. The Escalade wins its category too. Some families do want luxury along with size and the Escalade coddles you and the rest of your basketball team. Check out the rankings here for yourself. Look for our new road test format coming soon. The Denali will be the first up. -
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 3/9/2016 The staff at GM-trucks.com are fortunate to count some of the key people at U.S. News and World Report as friends and colleagues. We admire their novel way of surveying the rest of the motor press and drawing conclusions about which cars are best based on a compilation of review results. They also back up their findings by testing vehicles themselves. This week, the folks at U.S. News released their 2016 list of Best Cars For Families. GM vehicles took home the top spot in four of the most important categories. First up, the Malibu and Impala basically crushed the list by winning the two most important categories, mid-size car and large car. Those two categories really are the two actual family car categories and GM should be proud to have earned the wins. Of the new Malibu, U.S. News said, "Testers say the redesigned 2016 Chevrolet Malibu is a strong contender with class leaders thanks to its spacious seats, user-friendly infotainment system and good trunk space. The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu has the best combination of interior space, safety and reliability ratings, and available family-friendly features in its class, making it our 2016 Best Midsize Car for Families." Note that U.S. News wisely includes reliability and safety in this type of vehicle. U.S. News gets it. Meanwhile, over at the "car magazines" they are doing top speed runs in 4-cylinder economy cars and talking about "lift throttle oversteer at high Gs." There are families that want big, and the Yukon delivers. We just tested the 2016 Yukon Denali, and it is hard to argue there is a better beast that does what it does. The Escalade wins its category too. Some families do want luxury along with size and the Escalade coddles you and the rest of your basketball team. Check out the rankings here for yourself. Look for our new road test format coming soon. The Denali will be the first up.
-
The Malibu Hybrid is more like the Accord Hybrid than the Camry Hybrid. The newest generation of hybrids use multiple electric motors. Instead of just recapturing energy from braking like early hybrids, the Malibu, Accord, and some others use the gas engine much less. The vehicle is usually propelled by an electric motor and the gasoline engine acts like a generator much of the time it is in use. In other reporting I have calculated the cost of energy to run an EV in the California and Massachusetts markets vs. the cost of a 50 MPG gasoline powered car. Because electricity is costly in these markets, and gas is cheap everywhere, the gas-powered vehicle can match the per-mile cost of an EV now. Smart buyers looking for a green car that comes with no range-anxiety may realize that the Chevy Malibu is the perfect mix of real-car usability and a cost per mile for fuel around five or six cents. -
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 12/10/2015 The all-new 2016 Chevy Malibu Hybrid is coming to market at an impressively low starting price under $29K. The new Malibu Hybrid shares a lot of its fuel-miser hardware with the Volt. The fuel economy numbers have not yet been set by the EPA, but GM thinks they are going to be impressive. GM's press release today says, "Malibu Hybrid offers a GM-estimated 48 mpg city, 45 mpg highway – and 47 mpg combined, unsurpassed in the midsize car segment." Although those number are fantastic, the 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid has official EPA numbers of 50/45/47 now. So the whole "unsurpassed" part is maybe a little over-eager. Regardless of the marketing buzzwords, 47 MPG combined is damn good. The Malibu Hybrid is more like the Accord Hybrid than the Camry Hybrid. The newest generation of hybrids use multiple electric motors. Instead of just recapturing energy from braking like early hybrids, the Malibu, Accord, and some others use the gas engine much less. The vehicle is usually propelled by an electric motor and the gasoline engine acts like a generator much of the time it is in use. In other reporting I have calculated the cost of energy to run an EV in the California and Massachusetts markets vs. the cost of a 50 MPG gasoline powered car. Because electricity is costly in these markets, and gas is cheap everywhere, the gas-powered vehicle can match the per-mile cost of an EV now. Smart buyers looking for a green car that comes with no range-anxiety may realize that the Chevy Malibu is the perfect mix of real-car usability and a cost per mile for fuel around five or six cents.
-
GM claims no fatalities have occurred as a result of any of these safety defects.
