Chevy Raises Prices on 2008 Malibu

What do you do after winning Car of the Year honors and having to add a second plant that works two shifts just to keep up with orders?

Why, you raise prices, of course. That’s exactly what Chevrolet did, upping the price of its 2008 Malibu sedan by $300 for cars built after April 2. The company's website is already showing the new price predominantly while the old price is still showing up in certain areas as shown above.

Chevy would only say that periodic "price adjustments" are common, but Aaron Bragman, an analyst with Global Insight, said the reason for raising the price of a car whose sales were up 110% in the first quarter of this year is obvious.

"Chevy has a hot model that they think they can get $300 more for, and they’re right,” Bragman said. "Chevy isn't getting the revenue it used to get from trucks because trucks aren't selling as well. They have to replace money not coming in from trucks with revenue from somewhere else, and that's what cars have to do for them."

Chevy also raised prices on the Cobalt, HHR and Impala, but wouldn't say how much. Dealer sources said they were far less than the Malibu.

"As the market shifts from trucks, cars are going to have to account for more profit at Chevy," Bragman said.

Comments

Supply and Demand dictates prices. Discount what rots on the lot and raise what flys off the lot. No shock here. The only shock is now a GM vehicle is doing it again.

F that car of the year award.

The SAME car gets the same award two years in a row, how much GM bribed those voters?

GM needs to be careful. A friend with a new Malibu is having way more problems than the previous generation with the high reliability scores. You have to show more value, not less, when you raise prices.

LOL. Ever incompetent GM cannot even get the price of their vehicles correctly linked to the same amount on their OWN corporate website!

And you want to buy a new car from them with hundreds of moving parts and trust they will still work in 5 years! Thanks car.com. I needed the laugh.

I just purchased an Accord and during my cross shopping I visited three Chevy dealers to test drive the Malibu. My experience tells me that the car is not flying off of dealer lots as all three had more than a dozen in stock. All three offered invoice without any negotiating on my part. I selected the Accord because I thought it was a better overall value and would clearly hold-up five years from now given Honda's reputation. The only downside I had to visit a fourth dealer to get the silver EX that I coveted. It appears to me that Honda is not having any problems selling black, silver and white EX's.

Y did GM remove the side marker lights from the '09 Malibu?? I think they were cool, tho look cooler when in the side view mirrors...