Is Chevy Malibu Even a 'Hybrid'?

The amount of assist is very minimal, as are the fuel economy gains.

When Consumer Reports tested the Malibu hybrid, they got 18 city/38 highway, 27 overall. The non-hybrid 4 cylinder model got 16 city/38 highway, 25 overall.

You can compare this w/their results for the Prius at Most fuel-efficient cars. Clearly, it's a far cry from all the full hybrids on that list.

 

Ok ok, I know this is an ancient thread, that started back in the pre-bankruptcy days ... but after all this time, I FINALLY saw a Malibu Hybrid (or should I say Malibu auto engine off) in the wild ... zooming down the freeway yesterday. 30ish mpg according to their web site. oh boy, no wonder GM pulled the plug on it. I went to the GM web site, and * see there are still a bunch that never sold.
Sad.

 

Aye Laddie, and if my Grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon!!!

How many Energizer 9 volt batterys are needed..

 

sure is!

 

I also saw ONE 'in the wild' as a NYC cab last weekend. But I also saw far more Altima, Escape, Camry and Highlander hybrids as cabs. At stop lights half the cabs were hybrids. Ditto for buses. The air in NYC was the cleanest I had experienced.

 

That's the beauty of what NYC is doing. All taxis after 2012 have to be hybrid or alternative fuel. the NYC MTA can't buy non hybrid/ alternative fuel buses at this point. I hardly see "hazy" summer days anymore. I have seen a couple of malibu "hybrids". I actually smile a little that i see Prius and altima hybrid cop car.

 

This has been my feeling all along.
Maybe the Volt has GM seeing differently??? Of course, I still have my doubts about GM actually mass marketing the Volt, but they may just fool me.

 

Yes, and the fact that it is almost useless, makes me very angry.
GM is doing as much damage to the hybrid's reputation , as they did to the reputaton of the diesel engine 20-30 years ago.
GM's worthless 5.7 Oldsmobile diesel , turned off a couple of generations of buyers to diesel engines.

 

By EPA the new Malibu hybrid is 15% more efficient than the non hybrid 4 cyl model. I don't know why anyone would buy a Malibu, but I sure hope they buy the hybrid version of the two.

If GM could e.g. increase the fuel economy of the Cruze by 15% for a minimal extra cost that would be pretty stupendous.

Addendum: msrp for the 'starting from price' hybrid is $3k more than the non-hybrid. I don't know what other differences there are between the cars, but that is hardly chump change.

More GM spin, I suppose.