30 Days Of 2013 Ram 1500: Photo Gallery
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2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco: 25/37 mpg, 29 mpg combined; 22/34 mpg (base); 21/30 mpg (turbo)
Fuel efficiency is improved with the 2.5-liter versus the outgoing 2.4, but only marginally
those numbers just barely beat out the base four-cylinder Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry and fall well short of both competitors' hybrid variants.
Despite the extra power, Chevrolet expects the new powertrain to be marginally more efficient as well -- mileage estimates for the 2013 Malibu have been pegged at 22/34 mpg city/highway, which is one more mpg on the highway than the outgoing car.
The lower grille houses computer-controlled shutters that close tight to reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed.
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2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco: 25/37 mpg, 29 mpg combined; 22/34 mpg (base); 21/30 mpg (turbo)
EPA
Fuel efficiency is improved with the 2.5-liter versus the outgoing 2.4, but only marginally
Car and Driver
those numbers just barely beat out the base four-cylinder Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry and fall well short of both competitors' hybrid variants.
Autoblog
Despite the extra power, Chevrolet expects the new powertrain to be marginally more efficient as well -- mileage estimates for the 2013 Malibu have been pegged at 22/34 mpg city/highway, which is one more mpg on the highway than the outgoing car.
Automobile
The lower grille houses computer-controlled shutters that close tight to reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed.
Edmunds
The Malibu bows with an all-four-cylinder engine lineup that significantly boosts fuel economy over the last version. It also gets other gas-saving features, such as active shutters that smooth the airflow at its front end, lower rolling-resistance tires, and lighter-weight materials. It's not as efficient as other roomier mid-size sedans, though.
The base Malibu engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, with 192 hp, mated to a six-speed automatic. The combination is rated by the EPA at 22 miles per gallon city, 34 miles per gallon highway. It's a marked increase for the Malibu, though the current Nissan Altima sets the benchmark with a 38-mpg highway rating.
The Malibu with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four is rated by the EPA at 21 miles per gallon city, 30 miles per gallon highway. The same powertrain is being fitted into vehicles across the GM lineup this year, from the Buick Verano to the Cadillac ATS.
The highest-rated gas mileage in the Malibu lineup will come in the form of the Eco, already on sale. With the highest fuel economy ever for a Malibu, the Eco model uses GM's eAssist technology--a set of lithium-ion batteries and an electric motor that recapture energy from regenerative braking and enable start/stop technology and other fuel-saving measures.
The Malibu Eco is rated by the EPA at 25 miles per gallon city, 37 mpg highway. Lagging the base Altima in gas mileage, the Malibu Eco neatly divides the non-hybrid and hybrid versions of strong-selling sedans like the Sonata (24/35 mpg or 35/40 mpg), and the 2012 Ford Fusion (23/33 mpg and 41/36 mpg), but fades when compared with the new Camry Hybrid's 43/39-mpg rating. GM says the Eco delivers almost 600 miles of range on a tank of gas.
Conclusion
Gas mileage is higher across the board, but the Malibu Eco isn't the equal of a true hybrid--or the latest four-cylinders, even.
