2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Review – Chevy's New Hybrid Sedan

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By Holly R.

2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

Pros:

  • Decent mileage
  • Acceleration is reasonable at speed
  • Pretty stylish looking
  • Looks roomy
  • XM® Satellite Radio
  • OnStar (Standard for ONE YEAR)

Cons:

  • Not a lot of storage in the main cabin
  • Battery takes up too much room when the seats are folded down for trunk over-spill
  • Little noise reduction (despite what’s advertised)
  • The switch from gas engine to battery mode and back again is not seamless
  • The mileage was decent, but not what I’d expect from a hybrid (some non-hybrid cars get better mileage)

Introduction:
The 2008 Malibu Hybrid is a really sharp-looking sedan. The car’s lines are really nice and it actually looks like it has a decent amount of room. I was excited to drive it, and compare it to the only other hybrid I’ve driven – a Prius. Plus, the Malibu was voted the 2008 North American Car of the Year.

2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

Driving Impressions:
I didn’t expect the vehicle to have much in the way of “bling” or horsepower. But I honestly thought that it was a decent ride. Definitely not plush, but not a rough ride either. It was somewhere in the middle. The most impressive thing about the ride was its stability. I’ve driven a Prius in the wind and rain, and was absolutely terrified. I’d give the Malibu a much-higher rating for stability at any speed. I felt very safe, and very stable in this car.

Build:
The seats and trunk seemed a bit flimsy. I had to be extra firm when closing the trunk, else it didn’t latch. Even though I felt the seats were a bit flimsy, they made up for it with the fact that they were reasonably comfortable. The doors seemed very light and wispy, but I didn’t have any issues in closing them. The windows rolled up and down easily, but the soundproofing was sub-par. It was noisy in there! Bottles rattled in the bottle holders, as the holders seemed a bit big for a standard water bottle.

(Continued on page 2 – Interior Comfort | Performance | Handling)
(Continued on page 3 – Styling | Value | Conclusion and Ratings )

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  • Chevy Hybrid says:

    Malibu is good car and save my money to buy fuel.

  • Bud park says:

    I own the Mailbu hybrid and I think for the money it is a good car. I took it on a trip last week end and averaged 35 Mpg. I get 26 in town.Over all for not being a full hybrid I think GM has done a good job.The 09 model will get 26 in the city and 34 on the highway. That is 2 cents worth.

  • HollyR says:

    OMG, Bob, you’re right. I swore I put the MPG in the review, but I forgot it. Point taken.

    The Malibu got 28.5 mpg while I was driving it. The mileage is decent, given the mileage of most standard cars on the road today. But I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t get the mileage up into the 30′s. I’m pretty easy on the gas pedal, and this was the best I could do…

  • Bob says:

    Did I miss something here? What about fuel economy? This is a hybrid right? You don’t mention anything about the biggest topic most potential hybrid drivers consider. Instead, you focus on cupholders, CD holders and trunk space.

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