From the ArcaMax Publishing, Automotive Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/automotive/s-366123-809443
The Chevy Malibu is without question one of the nicest mid-sized
family sedans - and best deals going - you might drive home in. But
what about the new hybrid version? It's touted as being "green" - like
all hybrid vehicles - but will it actually save you some green?
ENGINES & PERFORMANCE
The Malibu hybrid is what's known in the business as a "mild" hybrid -
meaning that, unlike the Toyota Prius and some other "full" hybrids,
it cannot actually be driven (beyond a very slight 3 mph creep) on
pure battery power alone. Rather, the software turns off the 2.4 liter
gasoline engine when you're stopped at traffic lights or idling in
traffic in order to save fuel - quickly restarting the engine once you
touch the gas pedal.
The battery pack/electric motor also supplements the 2.4 liter
engine's 164 horsepower when you floor it, for what GM claims is
better acceleration than the 2.4 liter engine would provide all by
itself but without the fuel economy penalty of a larger, more powerful
engine. A four-speed automatic transmission drives the front wheels.
Performance is not the Malibu's strongest suit. The car needs 11
seconds or more to reach 60 mph, which is slower than most
current-year econo-boxes and about 2-3 seconds off the pace of many
non-hybrid mid-sized sedans.
Supposedly, the payoff for going slow on the road is going longer
between fill-ups. However, the Malibu hybrid's EPA rating of 24
city/32 highway isn't muchof an improvement over the 22 city/30 mpg
performance of the standard (non-hybrid) Malibu with the four-cylinder
engine.
RIDE & HANDLING
Excellent ride, not so great handling - probably due to the
balance-impeding weight of the hybrid gear, which plumps up the
Malibu's curb weight. This is a common problem with hybrids in general
- the Prius included. It's a design compromise that seems to go with
the territory. Not that it handles poorly; it just feels heavier and
more oafish than the standard version. This isn't noticeable at low
speeds or even at the speed limit, frankly. It's the kind of thing
that comes into play when you're going considerably faster. But of
course, most people don't buy hybrids for their cornering prowess and
in ordinary driving as most people who would buy a car like this will
experience, the car does what it needs to do with competence, if not
gracefulness.
STYLING AND UTILITY
The just-redesigned Malibu is a good-looking car; one of GM's best
efforts in many years. It is proportionate, handsome - tasteful. And
the interior is just as nicely rendered. If you have not been in a GM
vehicle in a few years, you'll be surprised how much GM has reformed
and made amends for past sins. The Malibu's cabin is as attractively
laid out and quality-feeling as any Toyota or Honda. The hybrid
version gets some hybrid specifics, including a different gauge
cluster with battery/boost meter. Otherwise, there are few obvious
clues that it's got different running gear from the non-hybrid
versions of the Malibu.
One bit of happy news is you don't lose trunk space to the hybrid
running gear - as on many other hybrid models. The huge Lexus LS600h,
for example, has a tiny 12 cubic foot trunk. But the Malibu hybrid's
15 cubic foot trunk is just the same as the trunk you'd get in the
regular version (and bigger than the $90,000 Lexus hybrid's!).
Hybrid or not, this is a superb family car as good or better than
anything else in its price range - import or domestic.
QUALITY/SAFETY
Again, Chevy (and GM in general) has really cleaned up its act. Cars
like the Malibu show that Detroit is fully capable of building
excellent vehicles - when short term thinking and contempt for the
consumer haven't addled its management. The tragedy is that it took GM
so long to pick itself up off the mat - and get cars like the Malibu
into showrooms. Many buyers - including once-loyal GM buyers - have
simply given up in the interim and moved on to brands like Toyota and
Honda.
The irony is that GM's current cars may be better than Toyota's in
terms of quality/reliability. Toyota has suffered a number of
embarrassing public disclosures about less-than-great engineering
lately - as well as (deservedly) negative press coverage of the way
these debacles were handled. Like GM at its worst, Toyota has become
ossified and even arrogant - and is in danger of assuming it can live
forever on the fumes of its reputation.
Safety-wise, the Malibu's also got the bases covered. High scores in
both government and insurance industry crash-tests. It comes standard
with ABS, traction control, stability control and full-row curtain
airbags. GM's OnStar system is also included. It can alert emergency
crews if you have an accident - but not everyone likes having Big
Brother (in the form of an electronic tracking system tied into GPS
satellites) riding shotgun.
Chevy packages the hybrid powertrain with a high level of standard
equipment, including automatic climate control air conditioning,
16-inch alloy wheels, remote keyless entry and a decent stereo rig
with six speakers, MP3 player, single-slot CD changer and satellite
radio hook-up.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The Malibu hybrid has two real problems. First, it is under-powered
and not just relative to other mid-size sedans but also to other
hybrids. The smaller Toyota Prius, for example, is quicker 0-60, in
part because it is lighter and in part because it has a more powerful
electric motor/battery pack. I live at a higher elevation (appx. 3,200
ft. above sea level) and drive roads that have fairly steep grades.
This kind of driving really taxes the Malibu hybrid; like Capt. Kirk
in "Star Trek," you'll be hearing the desperate please of Mr Scott
warning you that "the engines willna take anymore!" as you try to keep
pace with traffic. Pulling onto a busy road can be challenging if you
have to deal with fast-moving oncoming cars. I found myself mashing
the gas pedal to the floor more often than I would have liked. If I
owned this car, I'd be concerned about how over-the-road longevity
would be affected by having to ask so much of the engine so often.
Which brings me to the second - and related - problem. The
low-performance might be acceptable if the payoff was high economy.
But a 2 mpg advantage? One could probably equal the hybrid Malibu's
mileage in the standard Malibu just by driving with a light foot. And
you'd only be paying $20,630 (for the high-trim LT; the base model
Malibu LS is even less at $19,345) vs. $22,140 for the hybrid.
That's an extra two thousand bucks - for two extra MPGs. Maybe the
Malibu hybrid's green in terms of its emissions output (which is
lowered by having the gas engine automatically shut down when you're
at a traffic light, etc.) But it's hardly green where it really
matters to most people - in their wallets.
Even at $3 per gallon, two thousand bucks will buy more than 650
gallons of regular unleaded. Assuming you burn through about a tank
per week (15 gallons), that two grand will keep you swimming in "free"
gas for one full year, at least.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It's hard to rationalize the economics of the Malibu hybrid. The
standard version makes a much stronger case for itself, both
money-wise and driving-wise. That said, GM says it will have a more
advanced Two Mode hybrid system in the Malibu soon - perhaps by the
'09 model year. This system, like the hybrid systems in the Prius,
offers the ability to drive the vehicle at road speeds on pure
electric power alone for serious reductions in fuel consumption - as
well as better overall performance under hard acceleration, courtesy
of a stronger supplementary boost from the electric motor/battery
pack.
That one might be worth waiting for, if you are really hot to have a
hybrid. In the meanwhile, I recommend the standard Malibu. It's a
great car in its own right - and in its current form makes a lot more
sense than its hybrid stablemate.
========
www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for
comments.