GM Rolls Out Red Tag Sale, Chevy Deals

GM’s Red Tag Sale has become a bit of a holiday tradition, usually starting in December. However, the abysmal economy has forced the company to roll out the sale a month early this year. Dealers are instructed to clearly place the price consumers will pay after incentives and other fees have been calculated and deducted on a big, red tag on each vehicle. (The tag’s price excludes factory-to-dealer incentives, as well as other stackable incentives like recent grad cash back, auto show bonus cash, and tax, title and registration fees.)

First up in our list of such incentives is Chevrolet. A variety of incentives (or, to be technical, the Red Tag Sale price) are available on 2008 and 2009 models. A full list is available on GM’s Red Tag Sale page. Even new models like the Chevy Traverse crossover are severely discounted. A selection of available Red Tag pricing deals are listed below, though they may vary depending on what region of the country you’re in: 

Chevrolet's Employee Discounts Revealed

Yesterday, we hoped to figure out just how much GM’s Employee Pricing Sale could save customers, and short of invading dealerships or interrogating GM employees (“Hey, how much is your discount? Answer us!”), we’ve found the answers — on GM’s site.

Chevrolet unsurprisingly has concentrated most of its employee savings on its trucks and SUVs. At the employee-discounted price plus incentives, the Silverado is available for $19,948, which is $8,000 below MSRP. The Avalanche (almost $9,000 less than MSRP) and Suburban (more than $9,000 less than MSRP) are also available with hefty bargains.

If you’re a sports car enthusiast, you’re not left out. The Corvette is included in the sale, and we found more than $6,000 in Cash back on the standard ‘Vette. We’re devoting an entirely separate post to the ridiculous price of a 2008 Corvette Z06.

A substantial list of Chevy’s employee-priced vehicles is below, with expected cost after discounts and incentives. Check Chevrolet’s site for a full list of deals or GM’s site for differing trim levels, other models and to double-check which deals apply in your area.

GM Cars Get Better MPG for '09

It seems the folks over at GM are as experienced at emergency surgery as the cast of “ER.” Across GM’s entire lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs, the company has tried to enhance fuel economy above all else, often with significant results.

We can only report with certainty on the models whose EPA estimates have been reported so far, and the ones that stick out most are GM’s midsize sedans and full-size trucks.

The Chevy Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura now feature a six-speed automatic transmission in their four-cylinder models. The six-speed is offered only on certain trim levels of the Malibu and G6, but is standard, along with stability control, on the Saturn Aura. Prices haven’t been announced for the 2009 models, but prices for the same trims/packages for 2008 were $21,185, $21,775 and $20,405, respectively. That makes the Aura by far the value leader of the trio.

What does the new transmission mean at the pump? It means the trio — rated at 22/33 mpg city/highway, up from 22/30 mpg for 2008 — is now more efficient than four-cylinder versions of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which are rated at 21/31 mpg and 22/31 mpg respectively. They even best the manual-transmission Accord at 22/31 mpg.

Earlier, we reported on both the 2009 Chevy Aveo and the 2008 Cobalt base models getting mileage bumps.

What other GM models get better mileage this year? The Chevy Silverado.

Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Malibu Hybrid

Talk around the water cooler is all about gas prices, and that’s at water coolers outside Cars.com headquarters. Senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder hops into the hybrid version of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu to determine whether it offers enough bang for your buck to compete with more-advanced hybrids — that get better fuel economy — in these times of sky-high fuel costs.

2008 Chevrolet Malibu Expert Review

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.

Chevy Adds Six-Speed, Four-Cylinder Malibu

When the new Malibu was announced last year, its four-cylinder engine was paired to a four-speed automatic, much to the chagrin of the automotive journalist community. After driving the four-speed I didn’t really see anything wrong with it, but that didn’t stop Chevy from apologizing for it profusely and announcing a six-speed was on the way. Now we get the final details about the more refined transmission. 

Unlike the four-speed, the six-speed will only be available in the top-of-the-line LTZ trim with a starting price of $25,895, not including a $650 destination charge. The power plant returns mileage of 22/32 mpg city/highway. That takes it just beyond the five-speed automatic Honda Accord — 21/31 mpg — and ties it with the 2009 Hyundai Sonata as the class leader. A similarly equipped Honda Accord EX-L starts at $25,860, while the Sonata Limited starts at $23,970.

Lesser Malibu trims — the LS and LT — retain the four-speed four-cylinder and its measly 22/30 mpg for the foreseeable future. The new four-cylinder LTZ goes on sale this spring.

Related
2008 Chevrolet Malibu Expert Review (Cars.com)
2008 Chevrolet Malibu Videos (Cars.com)
More Malibu News (KickingTires)

Reader Review of the Week: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu

The much-heralded Chevy Malibu faces one tough critic in Tom from Las Vegas. Overall, Tom likes his new Malibu quite a bit, but he does have a few complaints. Read his review to find out why he thinks the Malibu has some improvements to make if it wants to catch up to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. You can also submit your own review here.

Midsize Cars Improve in Side Crash Tests

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently concluded crash tests on seven midsize sedans and discovered that while they had improved in side crash tests, they still lacked enough head protection to earn top marks in rear crash tests.

Tested were the 2008 model year Chevrolet Malibu, Dodge Avenger, Infiniti G35, Kia Optima, Mitsubishi Galant (which was updated for the 2009 model year on sale now), Nissan Altima and Saturn Aura.

Only the Kia Optima did not earn the top score of “good” for side impact crash tests – it received the second highest nod, “acceptable.” However, the Optima was the only car in the test to receive a “good” score in rear crash tests.

The difficulty in scoring the top rank in rear tests involves head and neck protection for those rear-end collisions that produce whiplash. The IIHS claims that those types of accidents and injuries lead to losses of $8.5 billion annually. Most vehicles need to equip active head restraints to pass this test.

The Audi A3, A4, Honda Accord, Saab 9-3 and Subaru Legacy – with optional stability control – earned good ratings in all tests previously and earned the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick designation for midsize cars. 

A full chart of how the cars scored is below.

New Chevy Malibu Gets Conquest Cash

Do you, or does anyone in your household, own or lease a 1999 or newer non-GM car or light-duty truck? Yeah? Then you’re eligible for a $1,000 incentive on the newly redesigned 2008 Chevy Malibu. This is what those in the biz call “Conquest Cash,” because the company hopes to woo drivers who own one of the competition’s cars.

This unknown (but certainly large) base of eligible shoppers has until May 21 to take advantage of this offer. Unlike similar offers, you don’t even have to trade in a vehicle to get the $1,000, nor do you have to be the person in the household whose name is on the title of the non-GM vehicle.

The only group of folks who really can’t take advantage of this offer are … well, loyal GM owners. Don’t be worried, GM loyalists, because GM is offering $1,000 off the cost of a Malibu (and a slew of other vehicles) for any owner of a 1999 or newer GM. There are currently no other cash back incentives on the Malibu. The other vehicles included in the loyalty offer can be found below.

Friday Fleet Notes: 2.29.08

This week, we have input from staffers on multiple vehicles, including the Mazda RX-8, Jeep Patriot, Subaru WRX STI and the always-coveted Chevy Malibu. Check out what our staff had to say, then take a look at our latest Expert Reviews for each vehicle for more in-depth coverage.

2008 Honda Odyssey

• Unlike many minivans, the Odyssey doesn't forget about the driver. The V-6 engine is a smooth performer, and the van's responsive handling is much appreciated. Cabin quality is impressive, and seat comfort is good in all three rows. If I were shopping for a minivan, I'd spend my money on this one. – Mike Hanley, Cars.com reviewer