IL Track Tested: 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

Another half-baked job by GM. Four speed automatic on a hybrid? Talk about a waste of money.

A hybrid test where everything is tested except the... fuel economy? No one buys hybrids for their zero to sixty time, c'mon. Post something relevant to what makes this car unique over a regular Malibu.

A hybrid test where everything is tested except the... fuel economy? No one buys hybrids for their zero to sixty time, c'mon. Post something relevant to what makes this car unique over a regular Malibu.

Yeah... can we get some mileage figures to make this article a little more useful?

I thought you buy a hybrid to score points with the environmentalist chicks.
MPG? Don't ask don't tell.

"Another half-baked job by GM. "

what about results? Do they count? Not in your eyes. C&D compared this to camry and Fusion and it got 29mpg vs 31 for the camry. Yeah a half baked effort. It was also the cheapest car in the test by thousands.

I also got frustrated when I saw no MPG posting but then I thought: This is a Track Test, not a Road Test, therefore they will list performance and MPG will not be posted due to the abnormal driving practices. The MPG is usually at its lowest because cars are pushed to the limit.

I saw a TV car show that compared a regular 4 cylinder Malibu to the Malibu hybrid. The hybrid got 2 mpg better on their city loop and they got the same mileage on the hwy.

They said the regular Malibu drove better and concluded the extra cost and complexity wasn't worth the slight improvement.

So yes I agree, it's a half-baked job. If I'm going to go the trouble and expensive of buying a hybrid I expect more.

boy, what a cracker jack job in reporting. I always look for a hybrid to run at least a 13 second 1/4 mile.

I have some good ideas for follow up articles.

Ready?

A trailer tow report on a BMW 1-Series.
The off road capability of a Mini Clubman.
How well suited is a Solstice Coupe in Construction work.
Run a Wrangler through the Skid Pad.
Report on a Challenger on a 2 week road trip with a family of 6.

yup, cracker jack reporting.

"yup, cracker jack reporting"

It doesn't interest you to know that the Malibu Hybrid is slower then the regular 4 cyl Malibu dispite the extra power of the electric motor?

I thought that was interesting. I had hoped there would be at least some benefit to paying thousands of dollars extra.

Me loves Cracker Jacks.

"So yes I agree, it's a half-baked job. If I'm going to go the trouble and expensive of buying a hybrid I expect more. "

Get the facts straight. Malibu hybrid (and Aura) have regularly gotten 29-30mpg in real world testing. Combined mileage for the I-4 model is in the mid 20s at best. I dont think I've seen any reviews in which the I-4 has gotten 25mpg. Also, the price difference is miminal when you adjust for equipment. I dont even think it's $2k. The real issue is how this vehicle performs (in terms of mileage) vs its pricier competitors. Honda is currently being praised for offering a simple, low cost hybrid system in the Insight and yet the malibu is called "half baked" for attempting something similar.

"Get the facts straight"

Come on, even you have to admit numbers from tests done at different time in different conditions with different drivers mean little.

The test I was refering too was a back to back comparison of a Malibu vs Malibu Hybrid. I don't remember the numbers down to the decimal point but the regular Malibu got about 22 in the city and the Hybrid got about 24. They both were around 30 on the hwy.

"Also, the price difference is miminal when you adjust for equipment"

That's only valid if you were planing on buying that extra equipment anyhow. Otherwise you are stuck with options you don't want.

"Honda is currently being praised for offering a simple, low cost hybrid system in the Insight and yet the malibu is called "half baked" for attempting something similar. "

The tests I've seen of the Insight show mileage in the high 40's to low 50's. Honda's system isn't half baked because it works better.

From looking at Consumer Reports results, there is 2mpg increase in the city....no highway change. This doesn't seem like a big enough increase to motivate me to buy a Hybrid Malibu.

"Honda is currently being praised for offering a simple, low cost hybrid system in the Insight and yet the malibu is called "half baked" for attempting something similar."

Um.. the Malibu hybrid gets 30 MPG, and the Insight gets 43 MPG on the highway. Slight difference there. The fact that Toyota and Honda can both run on electic only is another reason their systems are not "half baked." Also, as firstwagon mentioned, the Insight has reported numbers of over 50 MPG. Just admit it, GM did a crappy job on this "hybrid."

That's why they don't call it a hybrid. It's a "mild" hybrid. That is also the reason it doesn't cost as much as a real hybrid. But I agree, "mild" hybrids are pointless, unless you're one of those people who think driving something badged "hybrid" means that you're doing something good for the world.

Doesnt even compare to the Fusion Hybrid. Gets more than 10mpg less then the Fusion hybrid. Well its a try, nothin special.

Doesnt even compare to the Fusion Hybrid. Gets more than 10mpg less then the Fusion hybrid. Well its a try, nothin special.

Doesnt even compare to the Fusion Hybrid. Gets more than 10mpg less then the Fusion hybrid. Well its a try, nothin special.

What are you guys talking about? this is GM at its BEST!!.. GM , put your heart into making good cars or get your arse out.

Tough crowd - lots of anti-GMers.

Im actually a fan of the Malibu but I think GM took the wrong approach with the so called "mild hybrid" setup.

Sure the Malibu Hybrid is inexpensive compared to the Fusion/Camry/Altima hybrids and that was what GM wanted. Unfortunately the overall hybrid package couldnt deliver the same or similar performance as the others. GM should have went all out like Ford and Toyota did with their midsize hybrid sedans as even though it would have been more expensive it would have been a better car. The Malibu Hybrid reminds me heavily of the Honda Accord Hybrid in the sense of me asking myself......why?

"Honda is currently being praised for offering a simple, low cost hybrid system in the Insight and yet the malibu is called "half baked" for attempting something similar."

1487, on paper they seem similar but real world (AGAIN I STRESS LOOKING AT DETAILS) performance and execution are totally different as the Honda version (Insight) is still considered a full hybrid. Honda basically took the old IMA system, refined it, made it much simpler, more efficient and cheaper to produce. In other words the technology is present and 1st class however the cost of making it has decreased which made the final product available to more individuals, which was Hondas main goal.

Im not suggesting the Malibu isnt a creditable entry, I just think GM should have took its hybrid technology forward to at least match its competition as people WILL PAY for a good product.

honda did the same thing a while ago. when the superhero team of reporters at edmunds tested the accord hybrid versus the accord, the non-hybrid accord actually got better fuel economy.

this begs the question. how was it driven? Top Gear pitted a BMW M3 versus a Prius for 10 laps. In the end, the M3 got much better economy than the Prius did.

The Malibu's Start/stop system combined with the gains in economy will make the small investment worth it versus the 4 cylinder malibu. In rush hour traffic when the engine is cut and the small motor helps go along, how will it fair versus a car that's been running the entire time. Add up that driving pattern w/the small gain in hwy and city cycle and the car makes sense because it is many many thousands less than the full hybrid counterparts are.

NOW, the real question is if you want to save the most money in the end, which is the goal here isn't it? just buy a corolla/focus/cobalt/civic instead. not only are they $10,000 or more cheaper but they get almost as good of fuel economy AND aren't made with exotic material and miles of copper wiring. Hell, half of Canada is being strip mined for the nickel and lithium for the battery packs AND there isn't an infrastructure to recycle them. AND the 4 cars I mentioned don't require nearly the energy to produce as any full hybrid does.

honda did the same thing a while ago. when the superhero team of reporters at edmunds tested the accord hybrid versus the accord, the non-hybrid accord actually got better fuel economy.

this begs the question. how was it driven? Top Gear pitted a BMW M3 versus a Prius for 10 laps. In the end, the M3 got much better economy than the Prius did.

The Malibu's Start/stop system combined with the gains in economy will make the small investment worth it versus the 4 cylinder malibu. In rush hour traffic when the engine is cut and the small motor helps go along, how will it fair versus a car that's been running the entire time. Add up that driving pattern w/the small gain in hwy and city cycle and the car makes sense because it is many many thousands less than the full hybrid counterparts are.

NOW, the real question is if you want to save the most money in the end, which is the goal here isn't it? just buy a corolla/focus/cobalt/civic instead. not only are they $10,000 or more cheaper but they get almost as good of fuel economy AND aren't made with exotic material and miles of copper wiring. Hell, half of Canada is being strip mined for the nickel and lithium for the battery packs AND there isn't an infrastructure to recycle them. AND the 4 cars I mentioned don't require nearly the energy to produce as any full hybrid does.

well since everyone slamming this car is so smart....according to Edmund's.com itself, a reg 4cyl Malibu is rated at 22/30 and the Hybrid is rated at 26/34....so suck it! :P

amen.

ever notice how import snobs generalize areas in which a domestic is superior but know the exact fact when the import is?

For example, "the scion xB and the HHR generally have the same warranty..." no, the HHR has a 5 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty while the scion has a 5 year, 60,000 mile powertrain. Not really "generally the same warranty."

don't get me wrong, the domestics deserve a bad wrap after the last 3 decades BUT compare a Silverado and a Tundra and a Malibu versus a Camry. Sorry, the Toyota is really disappointing.

"Hell, half of Canada is being strip mined for the nickel and lithium "

That's news to Canadians. I don't know of any lithium mining and only one large nickel mine.

Facts are so much easier to find when you get to make them up.

then dont make them up and you should open a newspaper sometime. it might be news to you but not the rest of your country. canada is the 6th largest producer of lithium in the world.

yeah...thanks for proving my point exactly. facts are illusive when you're biased.

open you mind.

You're standing by a statement that half of Canada is being strip mining for lithium and nickle for batteries?

The percentage of the nickle mined in Sudbury (which is a deep mine BTW, not an open pit) that goes into batteries is almost too small to measure (most goes into stainless steel production).

By a wide margin, the largest source of Lithium is Bolivia. If Canada is 6th, it's percentage of the world production is very small ( as in not even mentioned in most info I can find). Most seems to come from extracting it from the salts in briney ponds, not strip mining.

I don't make things up. Try reading more then some newspaper article.

to continue my statement, Canada is the second largest nickel producing country in the world, second only to Russia.

Try talking to some Canadians. While most like the export income that thier natural recourses provides, many are concerned by the environmental impact and long term effects.

I confess, maybe stating that half of Canada was a current open strip mine was a little over the top. To take me literally that would mean that 2,5000,000,000 square miles were a current open strip mine. Talk about unrealistic. That would be just insane. Thanks for calling me on that because I was way out of line....

yeah...back to reality.

Toyota Prius battery packs start out as nickel in Canada, are transported to Europe to refine, sent to Japan for production and then to America for comsumption.

The environmental effects are much much more impacting than a Corolla/Focus/Cobalt/Civic are, even accounting for the marginal increase in mileage.

ISN'T THE POINT OF A HYBRID TO CONSERVE RESOURCES AND TO IMPACT THE ENVRIONMENT THE LEAST?

I also see you learned how to google. Nice, that's the first step...

baby steps...

"Try talking to some Canadians"

I am Canadian.

Worrying about the impact a small amount of nickle transported around the world for batteries is nonsense.

How about the vastly greater amount of steel and other metals that are transported around the world for the production of all cars?

How about about the countless millions of barrels of oil transported around the world to be burned?

Do you how many shiploads of coal Canada sends overseas every year to be burned? I see the trains go by everyday with hundreds of car loads.

You want something to worry about, pick something real.

You don't like hybrids, don't buy one.

"The environmental effects are much much more impacting than a Corolla/Focus/Cobalt/Civic are, even accounting for the marginal increase in mileage. "

Very questionable.

again, you proved my point by your "questionable" comment.

ever hear of the "Dust to Dust" impact statement? Taking into consideration raw materials, fuel, energy consumed over the life of the car, amount of recycled materials and how recycleable the car is. Taking that into consideration, the Hummer H2 is more enviromentally friendly than is a Prius.

I was under the impression that this fourm was about cars and the Malibu mild Hybrid. I guess that if you want to talk about coal, water, hershy's kisses or small mouth bass, we can.

I like the idea of hybrids but they are not the cure all. until the technology improves, one is better off to buy a normal car.

question for you. what do you do with a prius with 150,000 miles and a shot battery pack that is almost $8000? You are forced to total the car. how recycleable is it? not nearly compared to a normal car.

what do you do with a Corolla/focus/cobalt/civic w/a 150,000 miles? give it to your kids and let them take it to college or drive it as their first car.

on top of a more useable life span, lower lifetime maintenance you won't have to worry about being electrocuted during an accident.

thought so. in all honesty, why should anybody feel good about 50 mpg in a "green" hybrid when a Jaguar Diesel can achieve that every day of the week?

without batteries.
without miles of copper wiring.
without circuit boards or the toxic chemicals it takes to make them.
without 27 computers (don't take that literally wagon, I don't really know if 27 is the exact number.)
without complex electro/mechanical units to convert brake energy to regenerate electricity.

oh, yeah, one more thing, IT WILL RUN FOR 500,000 MILES BEFORE ANYTHING HAS TO BE DONE TO IT!

THE MATERIALS THAT GO INTO IT DON'T HAVE TO BE TRANSPORTED HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD!

Hybrids are a good idea, don't get me wrong. But until they get over 100 mpg, I don't see the point in buying one. For now they are exactly like the Hummer H2 was 5 years ago. Trendy with a "Hey, look at me!" badge.