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

GM Scores Among Award Finalists

Perhaps marking GM’s reemergence from the automobile wilderness, the domestic car giant makes four of the six finalists for the 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year award. Even better, the automaker now finds itself in a position to score wins in both Car and Truck of the Year a feat no other company has achieved two years in a row, a feat no other company has achieved. 

Truck of the Year finalists include GM’s Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid SUV and Buick Enclave crossover SUV, with Mazda’s CX-9 crossover SUV filling the third spot. As for Car of the Year, the Honda Accord will compete with GM’s Cadillac CTS sport sedan and the highly praised Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan.

Now if the world’s largest auto manufacturer could only transfer this success to sales. While its vehicles continue to improve, the perception of domestic cars in terms of quality and design still lags behind Japanese and European makes. Earning awards is nice, but earning back car shoppers is obviously GM’s more pressing goal.

Vote is in: GM Rules (Detroit Free Press)

Chevy to Introduce Malibu Hybrid in Just 11 States

Citing limited numbers of the 2008 Malibu Hybrid, Chevrolet has announced it will restrict the debut of the vehicle to 11 states, concentrating sales on the West Coast and in the Northeast. That means that if you’re interested in a new Malibu Hybrid but live in fly-over country, you’re out of luck for the time being.

Chevrolet says it doesn’t want the hybrid vehicles sitting on low-volume dealerships gathering dust, but after the anticipation for the vehicle, some would-be Malibu fans are left scratching their heads. Of course, this move could be just a stop-gap as the company develops a more efficient full-hybrid version of the sedan.

Right now, Chevy’s schedule for the Malibu looks like this: The standard gasoline version debuted in November, and the gas-electric hybrid version will hit those key markets in January. If you live in the Midwest, Southeast or Mountain West, however, you may have to wait until that full hybrid comes along.

GM to Limit Malibu Hybrid to 11 Markets (Autoweek)

Cars.com Faceoff: 2008 Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry

The best-selling cars on the market are always mainstream midsize sedans. The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry top that list almost every month, but now Chevy has hopes that its redesigned Malibu can make some waves in that pool. Cars.com’s Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder pitted the four-cylinder versions — the most popular engine choice — against each other to find out which one would win without boring the owner at the same time.

Cars.comparison: Family Sedans (Cars.com)

Friday Fleet Notes: 11.30.07

Cars.com’s notes from our test fleet return after an extended break due to the L.A. auto show and Thanksgiving holiday. That means we had some good impressions built up on a number of recently reviewed cars and SUVs including Chevy's all-new Malibu.

2008 Jeep Liberty

• I was wowed by the extra-large ragtop sunroof, and the airlock-like sound you get when that top closes. It opened up, letting a lot of sunlight into the car, and gave it a near-convertible feeling. That said, the driving experience left me feeling like I was hovering over the wheels, not really attached to them — just kind of bobbing up and down on the suspension. I didn’t feel directly connected to the road, and there was some pretty noticeable lean in turns. — Patrick Olsen, managing editor

Video: Check out the Accord, Camry and Malibu

Last week when I was checking out the new Chevy Malibu for our review, I was also able to test drive the competition, including the Toyota Camry and the new Honda Accord. Having some extra time on my hands, and extra tape in the video camera I was able to highlight some of the difference between the three cars and hopefully give some insight into the hotly contested segment.

Ed. Note: GM supplied all three cars and I believe all three were representative of what consumers would find on dealer lots. They were all near base model, four-cylinder trims. The Honda and Toyota performed similarly to other vehicles provided to us at other times by the respective automakers.   

Video: 2008 Chevy Malibu

No overview of a new model would be complete without some video to go with it, right? That’s why I spent some time shooting the all-new Malibu on my recent test drive. You can check out the numerous bowties hidden in the lights, the interior color scheme, the folding rear seats and, of course, the trunk.

More Malibu News

Your Chevy Malibu Questions Answered

Last week we asked you to submit questions about the redesigned Chevy Malibu. Today, we’re going to try and answer the ones we’ve already received and any new ones you can think of.

What’s the interior quality like? I’d be most interested in a Saturn Aura vs. Chevy Malibu comparison. — Scott J.

The overall quality is quite good. Compared to the Aura, Chevy has improved on the feel of the bulky plastic covering the doors and dash. It is a softer type of plastic and in almost every shade looks and feels better than the Aura. To me that were the glaring issue with the Aura’s interior. One thing they didn’t change was the center stack which I talk about later.

Cars.com Reviews the New 2008 Chevy Malibu

With hundreds of miles of Tennessee and Mississippi roads under our belts, we’re back from reviewing the all-new 2008 Chevy Malibu. This is GM’s big hope to best the import competition. Actually, GM is pretty honest with its hopes for the new Malibu: It just wants consumers to consider the Malibu when shopping for an Accord or Camry. That bluntness is appreciated, and in our review we try to plainly spell out the pros and cons of the new family sedan from Chevrolet.

2008 Chevrolet Malibu Expert Review (Cars.com)

Which 2008 Chevy Malibu is Right For You?

The new Chevy Malibu went on sale last week behind a massive advertising blitz. The sedan comes in four trim levels with three engine choices, and ranges in price from $19,345 to $26,345, before a $650 destination charge. GM is hoping the car’s value statement will attract as many customers as its all-new design. To help decipher the difference in trim levels, we’ve designed the guide below. A review of the new Malibu can be found here.

LS: Starting at $19,345

• This is the base model that gets Chevy all that good advertising of a starting price below $20,000. The LS comes well-equipped, but its biggest drawback is a lack of standard stability control. It does come with the same six airbags and traction control as the rest of the lineup, plus 16-inch wheels, but for just another $1,000 we’d opt for the LT.   

What Do You Want to Know About the 2008 Chevy Malibu?

In September we spent a lot of time on the blog talking about the redesigned Honda Accord. The car is a best-seller and quickly became the most-searched car model on Cars.com after commercials for it hit the airwaves. One common complaint inquiry was if we would cover the new Chevy Malibu in the same way when it went on sale in November. The answer was yes.

To back up our claim, we’re opening up the discussion to the readers. Take the space in the comments below to send us your pressing questions about the new Malibu. We’ll be driving it this week and delivering a full review, as well as video and blog coverage. Tell us what you want and we’ll try to bring it to you as best we can.

First Look: 2008 Chevy Malibu

Last week we were able to test-drive a slew of new vehicles from GM on the street and on the track. Unfortunately, one of them was not the upcoming 2008 Chevy Malibu, though we did get to check out a near-production-ready example of the redesigned sedan up-close. Kelsey Mays will take you through it via video below. Below that is a photo gallery, and here’s what a few of us thought of its looks.

2008 Malibu Pricing Announced

The 2008 Malibu won't hit dealerships until mid-November, but Chevy announced pricing today for the new model lineup, which includes a hybrid version of the midsize sedan.

The base price of $19,345 is a more-than $2,000 jump over last year's base version and places the Malibu at the top of the price sheet above competitors like the Ford Fusion ($17,770 for the base model) and Toyota Camry ($18,570). Pricing of the new Honda Accord has yet to be announced.

The Malibu hybrid, which Chevy now says will debut at the same time as the rest of the lineup, comes in at $22,140 — about $3,000 less than the Camry Hybrid. Full pricing follows, not including a $650 destination charge.

Base LS: $19,345
1LT: $20,305
2LT: $21,985
LTZ: $26,345
Hybrid: $22,140

GM To Spend $100 Million Marketing New Malibu

There’s no question the Chevy Malibu is one of GM’s most important vehicles. When it was last redesigned in 2004, the blocky look turned many off to what had been a perennial best-seller. Now, the company has a bold new design and an already-praise-winning chassis— the Malibu is virtually identical to the new Saturn Aura — and they’re ready to tell the world about it.

GM is planning a $100 million marketing assault for the new Malibu so it can get the new car in front of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord shopper. A new, redesigned Accord goes on sale this fall. Sales of the new Malibu begin Nov. 1, and an efficient, entry-level four-cylinder model teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission will be available in early 2008. Prices haven’t been announced, but we expect base models to remain close to the current Malibu’s $17,215.

Chevy recently launched a Malibu-only website and has provided some new images of the car we’ve added to a gallery below. UPDATE: Additional photos have been added below.

GM Pedal to Metal for Malibu (The Detroit News)

Related
More Chevy Malibu News (KickingTires)

Chevy Malibu Hybrid Breaks Cover at All-Star Game

We’ve seen some strange places serve as sites to debut a new model, but Chevrolet really takes the cake this week. The company unveiled its 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid at Major League Baseball’s All-Star FanZone in San Francisco. The powertrain is similar to the Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid sedan, and new 2008 EPA figures have mileage rated at 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. These figures aren’t as high as other hybrids, like the Toyota Camry, but it does achieve better mileage than the standard four-cylinder Malibu — by 2 mpg — while producing more power. GM will introduce a more-efficient hybrid system for a number of vehicles in 2009. 

While the 2008 Malibu will offer a six-speed automatic transmission for the standard gasoline-powered four-cylinder, the hybrid will feature only a four-speed automatic transmission.

The standard four-cylinder and V-6 powered Malibu will go on sale in August. Production of the hybrid starts in October, with the sedan hitting dealerships soon after. 

Coming Soon to GM Showrooms: A Camry

Don’t be surprised to see a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord at your local Chevrolet or Saturn dealership this summer. According to reports from CNN and Automotive News, dealers could soon be carting in Camrys and Accords to display next to the Saturn Aura and redesigned 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The hope is that once shoppers see both cars up close, they’ll set their sights on the GM.

The Malibu doesn’t arrive until fall, but GM says you’ll be able to test drive both the Aura and Camry at Saturn dealerships starting next month, according to CNN. Given that salespeople will probably have a thing or two to say while you’re browsing, it doesn’t seem likely that the Camry or Accord would get a fair shake this deep in enemy territory.

All shilling aside, GM does have one thing in its favor: pricing. Malibu prices have yet to be announced, but the Aura tops out around $28,500. Spy the window sticker on a fully loaded Camry (yes, it starts with a “3”) and it might just be enough to sit you down in the Aura — no persuasion needed.

To Sell a Malibu, get a Camry (Automotive News) — Must register to view article
GM dealers offer Toyota test drives (CNN.com)

2007 Detroit Auto Show: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu

There are few cars more important to Chevrolet than its midsize Malibu. The all-new 2008 seen here in full for the first time is a huge leap from the awkward-shaped outgoing model and it should help Chevrolet combat the new Ford Fusion and upcoming Dodge Avenger in the mid-size sedan segment.

The big news here is that, unlike its sister vehicle the Saturn Aura, the new Malibu comes with a more affordable entry point and a 164 hp four-cylinder engine that gets an estimated 31 mpg on the highway. No prices or other fuel economy figures were released but we expect the Malibu to start under $20,000.

The other Malibu engine will be a 252 hp V-6 with six-speed automatic transmission standard that was warmly received in the new Saturn Aura XR. The six-speed will be an option on the four-cylinder Malibu.

There will be three different models: the LS, LT and LTZ. All models come with a bevy of standard safety features including traction and stability control systems, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and front and rear curtain airbags.

Keep reading for more photos, including an array of different interior color combinations.

A Glimpse of the New Chevy Malibu

If you can’t wait until January to see the new models at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit — and based on the stream of news from the automakers, you can’t — then have we got the teaser image for you. Above is the front end of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Chevy’s bread and butter family sedan is getting a major overhaul for the 2008 model year and sports the new corporate “face” for Chevy. We won’t make any definitive remarks until we see the whole design in person, but besides being an improvement over the current Malibu, it doesn’t quite knock our socks off…yet.

Related: GM Reveals Next Chevy Malibu Interior

GM Reveals Next Chevy Malibu Interior

In an odd early-look, GM has released this image of the next-generation Chevy Malibu’s interior. The new mid-size sedan won’t make its public debut until the Detroit auto show in January, but the company is eager to show off what seems to be a much-improved interior with a two-tone color scheme. We say it seems much improved because this is just one image and we will withhold judgment until we see the car in person. However, we have tested a number of GM’s newest products, like the Chevy Tahoe and the Saturn Outlook, and they definitely show a marked improvement over previous interiors, which left a lot to be desired.