The Chevy Malibu has been around for a long time, dating back to the 1960s. Over the years and generations, Chevy has refined its offerings to provide car shoppers with a great midsize sedan that offers a feature-rich driving experience. When deciding on whether or not the Malibu fits your preferences (compared to other sedans in this segment), it can be difficult to make the choice just by looking at it broadly.
However, when you break down the features and compare them to some of the other competitors on the market, there are some clear benefits to owning a 2024 Chevy Malibu. For those who aren't sure what those benefits are, we wanted to chart them out in detail, covering everything from capacity and fuel economy to affordability and features in contrast to other competitors in this segment.
Better Fuel Economy Than the Nissan Maxima
If you were looking for a great commuter sedan, then having a midsize vehicle like the 2024 Malibu makes for a great option thanks to its front-wheel drive design and its noteworthy fuel economy. These models are competing for the best fuel economy ratings within the segment, but most attempt to achieve better ratings through hybrid or alternative fuel designs.
The downside with that is you have less reliability when it comes to mechanical parts and any potential failures. If you wanted to stick solely with a gas-powered vehicle, you might look at competitors such as the 2024 Nissan Maxima as an option, but the Maxima comes up short compared to the Malibu.
When you look at both vehicles in terms of their size and efficiency, the Malibu provides better overall fuel economy for those looking for a good commuter vehicle. The 2023 Maxima is definitely a great vehicle, but its fuel economy tops out at 20 MPG in the city and up to 30 MPG on the highway. Respectable, definitely, but what if you want more?
With the 2024 Malibu, you have up to 27 MPG in the city and up to 35 MPG on the highway. So, if commuting is important for you in finding a midsize four-door sedan, then getting the most out of your vehicle would necessitate you to go with the Malibu. For families in need of a reliable daily driver or those on the upswing in their career looking for a great commuter, the 2024 Malibu beats the 2024 Maxima.
More Cargo Capacity Than the Toyota Camry
The capacity of a vehicle is extremely important. It determines how much you can travel with, what you can travel with, and where you can travel. The more cargo capacity, the more belongings you can store. For midsize vehicles, this is an important distinction to have when it comes to picking the right vehicle because the right amount of cargo space (or lack thereof) means you either can (or can't) bring certain things with you-and you don't want to be too limited on what you can store in your vehicle.
The Toyota Camry is one of the leading vehicles on the market, thanks to a lot of its great features across its trim line, but the 2024 Toyota Camry has slightly less cargo capacity than the 2024 Chevy Malibu. The 2024 Camry tops out at 15.1 cu.ft. of cargo capacity, whereas the 2024 Chevy Malibu tops out at 15.7 cu.ft. of cargo capacity. You get slightly more space out of the Malibu compared to the Camry. But the Camry isn't the only model outmatched by the Malibu; there is also the Nissan Altima, which comes short in the cargo capacity arena, topping out at 15.4 cu.ft.
Both the Mazda6 and the Subaru Legacy also fall short of the Malibu's cargo capacity, where the Mazda6 manages only 14.7 cu.ft. of space, and the Subaru Legacy tops out at 15.1 cu.ft. of space, just like the Toyota Camry. This is a clear bonus for anyone looking for a roomy, functional, and cargo-welcoming sedan. You get those benefits from the Chevy Malibu in addition to some great fuel economy right out of the gate.
Safety Features Not Available on the Hyundai Sonata
One of the most important aspects of any daily driver is its safety suite. The ability to drive to your destination and back with peace of mind, knowing that you have driver assistance features and other safety measures in place, gives you the stability and security you need while on the road. The Chevy Malibu is unique in the sedan segment, insofar that it has a lot of great safety features, including some that the competition lacks, especially when you look at other vehicles like the Hyundai Sonata.
The Sonata comes with Hyundai's SmartSense safety suite. This has things like Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Blind-Spot View Monitor, Lane Following Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Warning, and High Beam Assist. The Chevy Malibu also has many of the same features (with different names, of course), but it also has a lot of other unique features in the safety department not present in the Sonata.
One of the most significant and unique safety features of the Chevy Malibu is the Teen Driver mode. This is a feature exclusive to GM vehicles that enables you to customize the driving experience to make it more safety-oriented for teens. You have features like setting up safety checks such as Buckle-to-Drive, as well as ensuring that other safety measures are in place before being able to put the vehicle in drive. The other benefit of the Teen Driver mode is the driving report card, so you can follow and monitor what your teen drives like while on the road, which is helpful for helping your teen learn how to drive better.
More Affordable Than the Volkswagen Arteon
Features aren't the only important thing about a vehicle; the entry price is also a key element. A high MSRP for buying a certain model year can be a make-it or break-it moment for buying a certain vehicle. If you feel like the price point for a certain vehicle is just too much, then it's time to look elsewhere. When you consider the overall features within the segment, the 2024 Volkswagen Arteon carries an MSRP of about $43k. That's a fairly high entry price for a midsize sedan.
The 2024 Chevy Malibu is available for far less than the Volkswagen Arteon, with an MSRP clocking in at about $25k. This gives you a lot more leeway to save money compared to what you get with the Arteon, including overall better fuel economy and the safety exclusivity that comes with the Malibu. So, if you're looking for something affordable and feature-rich, then the Malibu is the way to go.
Keep the 2024 Chevy Malibu on Your Shopping List
It's easy to get wrapped up in the shopping cloud and only look at one or two features to make a major decision on a vehicle. Don't just let the fuel economy or the capacity win you over; look at the trim options, the safety features, and the infotainment, in addition to the overall MSRP. When you combine these, the 2024 Chevy Malibu is the way to go: it's reliable and has great fuel economy ratings, exclusive safety features, and plenty of trunk space for a sedan.