Oh good lord, they’re killing ALL “affordable” cars. You could find these new on Autotrader for under $25k… this is a bad move. Number one selling new car is Nissan Versa… Toyota Corolla… America WANTS CHEAPER CARS
You’re not analyzing it correctly. Number 1 selling new car, yes among **those who want cars**. However if you compare overall vehicle selections, Americans are picking SUVs and trucks over cars. This really is basic economics. Yes poorer people and car enthusiasts in general are getting less options to choose from but it’s because the demand for cars continues to fall because more people wants trucks and suvs
Toyotas best seller is the RAV 4-Honda's is the CRV, and it has been this way for several years. Versa is doing ok, because its only direct competition is the soon to be killed Mitsubishi Mirage. There is no profit in the subcompact car segment.
@@dty1207 I disagree, I think that most people don't feel the need to purchase a cheaper vehicle because APR is so low. car finance industry has been on the rise for the last 20 years now, which is allowing the avg owner to purchase a bigger, more expensive new car for (what seems to be) cheaper. This also plays into credit score, EPA and safety rating of the vehicle. Because SUVs and trucks don't have to deal with a lot of that stuff, they get similar or better APR than cars that do have to. In one way, this does mean that the avg buyer is getting more quality vehicles, but for the avg enthusiast, car engineer or for macro-economics, this means cars are getting worse as an industry. government overreach is literally killing us slowly.
The Malibu was near junk anyways when it was redesigned in 2017 the beginning of the end for the model back when the Malibu was a substantial car in the 70s GM had the world by the tail unfortunately those days are long gone
I actually bought a new Malibu today…an RS model built in Kansas City. Approximately $4000 off the sticker was hard to pass up. Get one while you still can! It’s the first sedan I’ve owned in years. I have pretty much the same feelings about the Malibu as you do….i had hoped they would update it but they won’t, and I think that will hurt GM over the long haul
I think they want to allocate production to vehicles with a higher profit margin per vehicle. But abandoning that market share and brand loyalty is not smart IMO.
American auto makers are in a headlong rush to drop coupes, sedans, station wagons, and convertibles. This allows foreign makers to occupy a significant share of the market. Your regrets are well placed, Jon, and I fully agree.
It’s in its 9th year, a car the currently rates at the bottom of what’s left of the mid sized market. Big deal… the sad part is they’re not going to replace it. So that leaves Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai & Kia. I think GM is delusional to think the Bolt will sell over 100,000 copies annually, even with taxpayers incentivizing buyers.
The new 2025 Chevy Bolt EV sales are gonna plumbit in the future. Because it's going to cost so much that an average American buyer is not going to be able to afford it because of the economy and inflation. Malibu sales were strong within the 8 years and Chevy Bolt EV is not going to top that.
I am betting that many/most of those malibu sales were to fleets anyway...GM was probably making marginal money on the platform. A sure was that they never invested more in it after all these years.
I just rented a 2023 Malibu in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and drove it home to Southern California. I covered 3100 miles in 10 days with side trips. The car cruised nicely at 80+ mph where it was legal in Texas. Average 31 mpg for the full trip. I thought it was a great car.
I currently have a 2024 Malibu as a rental car from Hertz. Honestly, I love the car. The ride is smooth, it has great trunk space, and adequate power (not much, but it's okay). It's also very good-looking. The interior is honestly a bit cheap, but it's fine for me. And for the price of one of these, in my opinion, it's a very good value. In Germany, where I live, we could use a car like this in the rental fleets very much (I also work at a car rental company). I would also buy one of these as a daily because it's just a nice car with great value and good fuel economy. I'll be very sad to see it go.😢
How do you find the Malibu compares to the old GM-based Opel Insignia (Buick Regal)? I guess they are on the same platform (not sure). I don't know if Peugeot are still having Opel make a mid-size sedan nowadays. I'm guessing the Opel Insignia had stiffer suspension settings than the Chevrolet Impala to provide tighter handling, as that is usually what the German market prefers.
That's what was surprising and what I talked about in the video... the Malibu wasn't failing. But no updates for an 8 year old car and GM just wants to go find easier profits.
@@AllCarswithJon Not just easier profits, but anything that is not a SUV ("light truck") is bad for CAFE too (a sedan needs to magically have 40% lower fuel consumption than a SUV with the same engine, even though the reduction in aerodynamic drag in favour of the sedan is usually only about 20%). That's certainly also contributed to the US automakers abandoning the passenger car segment.
I've driven a Fusion for almost 10 yrs now. I've already accepted that my next Sedan will be from a Japanese make. American automakers are simply not interested in building Sedans anymore.
130,000 units and GM kills it. The Subaru Legacy is down to 25,000 and they are killing it off. Surely GM could continue to build the Malibu. They choose to sell SUV's. Go figure.
I agree the front end and profile is very eye catching. It is also nice to still have analog guages and actual climate controls instead of a touchscreen & best of all it's made in USA. I have a 2022 with only 5,000 on the odometer still feels brand new.
I don't think GM has any vision with this what so ever. I think they are just following the shiny new trend. I don't think the Bolt will ever match the Malibu sales numbers. GM could always nix one of the overlapping crossovers they have to have the Bolt build at whatever plant that is.
@@a64aquarian It will. At least 50% market share by 2030 and 90%+ market share by 2035, and 100% sometime after that. A majority of charging can be done at home, so there will never be the same amount of charging stations as there are gas stations. Apartments will eventually all install level 1 and 2 charging stations in parking spaces, or they can charge once a week at a station. Majority of car makers will eventually go full EV production by 2030s, wiping internal combustion engines off the face of the planet, it will happen, just a matter of time.
@@a64aquarian You are forgetting that I mentioned that if you can't charge at home, you can just charge at a charging station, once or twice a week.. Average daily miles driven is 40 miles.. so with a 250 mile vehicle, you can charge once or twice a week. A majority of people in the US own a home, so a majority will be able to charge at home. For the minority who can't, they will have public charging stations, and there will be plenty. Even Mazda, which has a small market share, plans to go full EV by 2028-2030. Just set out an investor call, it's set and done, just execution as EV related production costs continue to tumble.
I'm old enough to remember GM killing all of its fuel-efficient cars for gas guzzlers. What is striking is that they haven't learned from their past mistakes. Gas is currently $5 in certain states. No one is driving 75-100k SUVs or trucks. They should've doubled down on Cruze, Prism, Malibu, and even Impala...but the foreign markets are taking that market share...
Back in the 1970's with two oil embargoes and gas lines, GM wanted to continue producing gas guzzlers along with Ford and Chrysler. The auto companies were saying small cars equal smaller profits. In 1970, Volkswagen had something like 10 percent of the United States car market, and they had fuel efficient cars. In 1972, the VW Beetle took the title as the best selling car of all time away from Ford who held it with the Model T production. The Japanese car makers were making major inroads in the American car market. While this was going on GM, Ford, and Chrysler continued to build big gas guzzlers. The problem was so bad that Chrysler ended up almost broke, and had to get a Government bail out. None of these companies learned from their mistakes. What will happen when there is a shift in customer demand for SUV's back to cars? The Detroit 3 car makers all will again be in a position where they will not be able to provide product when the market shifts. I remember the gas lines and shortages in 1973, and again in 1979.
The Malibu will go down in the automotive history books as the last GM family sedan who would have thought that years ago. It outlived the Cutlass:Century :88:98 :Lesabre Celebrity: Grand Am: Caprice:Bonneville: Impala: Nova: Lumina: Saturn: Regal:Roadmaster:Alero: Aurora: G6: Omega: just to name a few.
@alexanderkennedy2969 I think 2022 was also the last year the car came with a standard spare tire the current ones have a can of fix a flat.The 2022 was the last year for the mechanical parking brake & a map pocket on the driver's side in addition to the passenger's side seat.
Their short sided decisions they have been making for the last 50 years have killed off many of their successful vehicle names. There were many other successful names GM has killed off in the past, and a lot of them had production milestones in the millions. The Malibu was killed back in 1984, and revived in 1997. Now again.
The Malibu is a good car, I had a 1980 Malibu sedan, a 1999 and a 2007. I've had them as rentals various times, as recently as last fall. I find them, especially these newer ones, to be smooth driving, comfortable, adequately powered, and reliable. It's a pity GM is moving into EVs faster than the charging infrastructure or grid can keep up. Toyota has been smarter by not putting all of their eggs in one or two baskets. I suspect that in the future, cars will not be electric but will more likely have some kind of hybrid system that may include electric combined with hydrogen or even synthetic fuels (which already exist). Plugging in every night, especially if you live in a city and park on the street, does not seem like a viable option to me.
I’m sorry to see it go too. I reserved a Camry on my last business trip but got a Malibu instead. I thought the car drove pretty good and had a very nice interior. I think it would be a great second car or a starter car for college or high schoolers.
Well that’s part of that mentality that is hard for me to understand. Car and truck builders are often so obsessed with changing things that work with something unproven then they have problems. I would hardly call the MALIBU crap but that’s your prerogative. I rented a couple during vacations and another when my ’21 ALTIMA was rear ended and destroyed on the freeway back in late 2022. I found them to be solid and smooth riding cars. Before the settlement check came, I wasn’t sure the NISSAN dealers were going to have an identical ALTIMA so I seriously considered a MALIBU since the CHEVROLET dealers had several in stock. When the check finally came, a NISSAN dealer had a ’23 ALTIMA indentical to my totaled example except for the color. Without hesitation, I bought this one. The ALITMA had more standard HP without a turbo with their potential long term problems and I was familiar with the ALTIMA. The MALIBU would have been fine but I like to keep things the same if possible.
I accepted years ago that the 5 of us left in America that still want to drive Sedans will only have the foreign automakers to pick from. And I'm okay with that.
The Traxx will move into the place of the Malibu if they keep the cost down, but that just contradicts what they are trying to do. Which is build cheap and sale high.
I can’t remember the last time I saw an advertisement for this car and I honestly thought they had already stopped producing it. It’s hard to believe that we’re at a place where this car isn’t making a profit, especially given how Accords and Camrys are printing money.
The thing I think most automakers need to understand is that having a car is something great to have in an automakers lineup. Not everyone wants a crossover or SUV, especially with the insurance costs. I feel that most of the Asian vehicle manufacturers are doing well with a sedan or two or three options available in the lineup. It's a shame to see the last affordable American sedan go away, for good.
No amount of engineering can change the fact of the height of the Center of l gravity is what it is for typical crossover or larger SUV. I love them. I have big trucks but I'll always have a car with much lower center of gravity. it's just a driving enjoyment thing. But clearly some people wouldn't understand
As someone who works at a dealership. I know that the malibu didn't have friendly lease (dollar) rates where as the Silverado and Blazer do have good rates. Gm could have done better. Gm wanted people to buy or lease other cars in their line up.
The current Malibu reminds me of the the 82/83 chevy Celebrity. Midsize 4 cylinder, fabric on the door panels, floor shift, black steering wheel fwd. Big chrome grille with the bowtie in the center and the 83 had a wheel option that was near identical to the 16" aluminium wheel on the present Ls.Curiously the 80's Malibu has nothing in common with the present Malibu.
Bolt owner here. The Bolt's a great little car that meets my needs. Just traded my 2019 to get a new 2023 Bolt EUV. $22,500 OTD after the tax credit. Cost about 3 to 5 cents a mile in electric. Insurance is $1,066 a year. Little known fact about the Bolt is it's one-pedal is just about perfect. Glad to hear the Ultium Bolt will be made in the USA.
My dad bought a 2016 Chevy Malibu LT in 2017, and he still drives it today with 109,000 miles I would have to tell my dad to keep his Malibu because you never know. My dad is holding on to a piece of history of th last survival of a GM traditional family sedan.
I mean, we’re already at that point. As you mentioned yourself, Malibu has significant fleet sales. And right now, there really isn’t any American options around $20k and under. The Trax. And I think that’s the entire list.
I’m disappointed to see another American ICE sedan go away. Even though this was a dated mediocre car IMO…I’m shocked that GM won’t keep at least one gasoline sedan in their lineup as Honda Toyota, Nissan among others, have stayed in the sedan market. GM could have made a minimal investment in a modest redesign and continue to sell a reasonably priced sedan, instead of another unaffordable EV. And GM, given their prior actions will probably screw up the pricing of the new Bolt.
I bought a new 2022 Malibu Premier and as you said it is a great car especially considering the price point. I love the 2.0 LTG turbo engine and 9 speed transmission. Mine was one of the last ones made with this engine/trans package. I traded in a 2013 Malibu LTZ that was just fantastic for 9 years of use. No doubt they made a lot of improvements on the 2016/2019 redesigns and I was pleased they retained the 2.0 turbo engine (a real sweetheart design). Prior to that I bought new a 2005 Malibu Max that served me very well for 8 years of use. I greatly missed the discontinuation of that hatchback design like many folks did. So after a long history of purchasing these affordable and dependable sedans it is sad news they are going away. Not sure what comes next after this news? Very bad decision on GM's part.
I almost bought one but I got the Cadillac XT4 instead, which as you said is made at the same factory. I liked it a lot better than the Camry as far as the seats. We have Camrys as company cars and the seats aren't really good for tall people.
I don't want my tax dollars going towards other peoples' car purchases. The government needs to get out of the car business. Let the free market work as it should.
Almost everyone I know dismissed the Malibu as the quintessential "rental car" car, along with the Toyota Avalon (which is probably why Toyota stopped selling that in the U.S. in 2022), as if that were a bad thing. So with everyone but Enterprise apparently in serious decline, they really shouldn't be surprised that it's gone. CHEVY MALIBU 1978-1983, 1997-2025 (plus 1964-1977 as a trim of the Chevy Chevelle) May it rest in peace.
I never owned a Chevy Malibu but GM killing all there sedans I will have to change brands and I'm a GM guy I keep a GM SUV and a Buick sedan this is just heartbreaking to me
I looked at one the other day at a dealer and was impressed. Decent look (though tired) but really affordable, roomy, and roomy. My only concern would be the small engine and cvt. I do wish GM would do an update. The American manufacturers are, as you mentioned, giving up on a market that still exists. I might consider getting an RS edition if discounted enough
I remember a few years back when the Malibu got quality awards placing it over the Camry even. I read how great a car it was in Consumer Reports. Then my son bought a 2017 and I figured it had to be a misprint. At 57,000 miles his car needed all new pistons because of low RPM detonation burning holes in them. It was covered under warranty, but the dealer specifically told me they didn't know if it was going to last or not. Seems to be a common issue on the turbo cars. I'm trying hard to get him into a Camry because he's not a gearhead and he just needs something rock solid reliable.
Me as well. I may need a new car soon; stuff on my 2000 Civic is starting to go out, and it won't get fixed. I hate SUVs, and as there are no more domestic sedans, it will be an import. Also, since I keep cars a long time (15 or so years), and as I'm pushing 70, any new car may be my last.🚗
@@AllCarswithJon I previously had a 2019 Malibu and then 2022 Malibu as company cars. They are a decent vehicle to get from point A to point B. I don’t know that I would buy one myself. I like V-6 and V-8 engines. Very few of those left sadly.
I had a Malibu last year as a rental. A totally worthless car. Interior was beyond cheap. Very thin and flimsy plastic. My '14 Accord with 200,000 miles is nicer car. GM just stopped caring about Malibu's years ago. Can you find out how many were fleet or rental sales. My local Chevy dealer had one in stock, so they must not sell very well.
Went to a Chevy dealer to order a new Malibu on 11/27.Sales agent went to the manger was told Gm is no longer taking orders for Malibus. The only way to get one is to buy remaining inventory at the dealerships.They had two 2024 Rs Malibus that the dealership bought to use as loaners. The salesman told me that they can be purchased but those are the last two new Malibus that will ever be ordered new buy that dealer. Just used one's for the future.Drove by this dealer a few months ago and there were numerous Malibus on the lot. He said they were sold fast.
Bye bye Malibu. I actually liked that Chevrolet car. Typically I didn’t like the recent Korean made Chevrolets, but the Malibu was a proper American sedan. RIP.
My wife bought two of Malibu one in 2015 that is still in use by a family member and runs great and a 2017 2.0 turbo that was a fantastic car. We were able to sell that thing for more than she paid for it during the pandemic and that was to CarMax!
The American car makers killed built all of the sedans even though though it actually did good numbers Ford fusion Ford Focus .They sold good numbers GM with the impala and the Malibu they actually sold good numbers ... I think it's done on purpose to make you go by a more expensive SUV or crossover.Since the people who would normally buy a Sedan are brand loyalist they pull up to the dealership looking for a car and they don't have one... so a lot of people just go by the next thing , which is what a Ford Escape or a Chevy Equinox Chevy traxx, etc ... same with Chrysler to an extent... What I'm trying to say is that there is a market for sedan. It's not as strong as it was , it's still here. GM and Ford are for the profit, not common sense 🙄
But the sales numbers for all their sedans were dropping for decades. Sure they are happy to sale more CUVs. But let's not kid ourselves. Less and less people wanted these cars.
@baronvonjo1929 but 100k 150k selling every year ain't nothing to look over either ... That's still a good number ... gm ford Chrysler gor lazy and didn't redesign their sedan, and they got stale plus sometime-ish reliability....
I was a FORD man for about 30 years until 2021 when I bought my first NISSAN ALTIMA. Then 13 months later after my 2021 was rear ended on the freeway I bought a 2023 ALTIMA. I had a 2004 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS from new until it was 17 years old 205k. I would have bought another FORD built sedan but they discontinued all of them. So I learned that it’s ok to let go of builder loyalty and just buy whatever vehicle suits your purposes balanced with quality and price and value. There’s a heck of a lot more freedom that way. Sometimes I wonder if some people are afraid that a car builder will send someone to come over to their house and scream at them if they dare step foot in a competing brand’s showroom.
@jermainec2462 True. It just seems like how the world works now it has to be enough. I do find it strange. If a car keep above 100k units sold I don't understand why it's axed. I guess with sedans with smaller profit margins and ever increasing costs play a factor? Building a car is probably harder than it's ever been.
I get your point, but that didn't work for me. I still buy American, but I would rather purchase a previously owned sedan than a new SUV. Not everybody wants an SUV. Bring back some choice!
Most of these Malibu's were Airport Rentals, Unmarked Police cruisers (for detectives), security companies...like you said fleet. I suggest avoiding buying these cars used, especially in white, as often fleet vehicles have lot of idling time, which is not good for the engine long term -:)
We leased a 2018 Malibu in 2018. When the lease was up, we bought the car. I've driven Japanese cars since 1984 and still drive a Camry. I must say, though, that I've enjoyed driving the Malibu. So far, it's been reliable (it is still relatively low mileage at 38,000 miles), handles well and gets decent gas mileage. It's not quite the car next to its chief rivals, the Accord and Camrey. Still, I think it's a good m id-sized sedan. Well, maybe they'll bring it back years from now. But, maybe not. They dropped the Impala, and have no plans to revive it.
I've had a '22 for the last 8 days as a rental while my Camry has been in the body shop. I've been impressed with it for the most part. I wouldn't trade my Camry for one though.
I'm sad to see this too. I look back to the era in the middle of the last century and lament how much the industry has changed. I can't imagine having my pick of a dozen or so midsize or full size cars made by American companies who are actually trying to make a good, stylish product (note: EVs are not even a consideration for me, so Tesla doesn't count). I've been saying for a few years I wish the Malibu had been built on the same platform as the CT5. Can you imagine a mid size RWD Chevrolet sedan with available AWD and 180+ hp? I feel like that would sell like crazy.
I'm not surprised this generation would end as its been around since 2016 and that's a successful run for any generation of car. What I'm shocked about is there is apparently no Tenth Generation coming to replace it. The rumors around GM circles was an all new one was coming either 2025 or 2026. My mother purchased a 2022 and loves it.
I owned a 2017 model. While the interior was cheaper than a 2007 Honda Accord. It rode well OK and I put 70,000 miles within a year(travel car) didn’t give me any major issues. P.S I would’ve love to have had it with the bigger engine, though I didn’t trust GM with a turbo back than 🤣
That’s one of the reasons why I chose another new ALTIMA over a MALIBU. My ALTIMA has more standard HP and torque and no turbo. This engine runs under 2000 rpm at 70mph while the MALIBU was about 2500 rpm or higher. Longer life, less noise and less heat since no turbo. Can’t do much though if a turbo is all that they have. Just change oil more often If push comes to shove.
@@crabbymilton390 I agree, I drove the refreshed Altima, and honestly I’d buy one if it wasn’t for that CVT. I’m sure if it’s well maintained it’ll last a bit. But I’ve heard of Nissan dealership refusing to do service the CVT before 100k miles
@@theloversDeAyer I know I heard the bad reports of their CVT problems. I also got the impression that most of those were from the late ‘00’s to the mid ‘10’s. Perhaps they are indeed improved now as many have suggested. Some people are put off by the way they perform and missing gear changes. I find it a very nice transmission for the car. Hey, as long as I don’t have to shift gears myself either automatic is fine.😀
I had a 1982 MALIBU CLASSIC from 1986 to 1991. It was my second car and first nice car. To show how far engine efficiency has come, it had a 4.4L V8 that was rated at 115HP. Only 5 HP more than the standard 3.8L V6. Now the MALIBU has that 1.5 turbo 4 with 160HP. Frankly that old V8 would easily outlast that little 4 and sound better too.
Shows you where American car industries are at. They won't make american cars or affordable ones. But Chevy also introduced the Trax but I'm sad to see a sedans go away.
I thought it had been dead for a while now...both Ford and GM said like 5 years ago they were done with sedans (dumb idea in my opinion amidst skyrocketing gas prices) and I haven't seen a new one in forever Sadly those Malibu sales are super inflated because most of them are fleet and rental sales. I mean sales are sales but companies hate when cars aren't popular amongst consumers, as that is when they make the biggest margins on the vehicle, as large scale bulk fleet/rental sales mean they're discounted because of the volume in which they're purchased.
I NEVER liked the Malibu especially in recent DECADES but am disappointed that another american sedan is leaving the market…. And I’m FED UP with them CRAMING these e-v’s down our throats …. I have ZERO INTEREST in driving or owning one
Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion, Kia Stinger, Chrysler 300, Ford Taurus, Ford Taurus, Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, Ford Focus are all great cars killed off by manufacturers despite being affordable and capable in their segments.
I have owned a 2016 Malibu with the redesign. It has been reliable (180k miles) comfortable with good gas mileage (30mpg). But like Ford , GM will not have a mid-sized sedan to offer. Maybe they will import the Buick version from China.
Thank you for this video, you point the major problem of the American auto industry: going for the easy things, SUV's and Trucks, while giving up on the customers (in North America and abroad) of sedans of all sizes, coupes and hatchbacks. The Japanese and Korean auto makers will keep selling sedans in the lower price segments and the Germans will take the luxury sedan segments that used to be a part of the heritage of Cadillac and Lincoln (Chryler too in some way). The only American automaker to sell sedans will be Tesla 😪
Its sad they discontinued it. I still drive my 09 malibu to work, yes, it's not as nice as my 15 Audi a3, but it still gets the job done at +300k and it's still clean. I'm also hanging on to my 98 s10 zr2 single cab too. I like older gm vehicles.
The Malibu was never better than average and underwhelming. I am sad to see sedans as a whole, especially affordable ones, being dropped. It's a tough segment when you've got the Accord and Camry as your primary competition.
I agree, Malibu has a lot of potential but GM just gave up too easy. They could EASILY make it the new Camry Hybrid competition if they set their efforts to do it. I would have loved to see Ford or GM build a hybrid sedan RWD/AWD competition to the new Camry.
I'm surprised this car was still here to this day. While we're on the subject of GM, I'm hearing rumors about Pontiac possibly being revived, and I saw that supposed ad in Car & Driver. Thoughts, anyone?
I preferred the big GM cars (Impala/LaCrosse/XTS). But I was hoping they would at least keep the Malibu to have one toe in the sedan pool. I dunno about the Chevrolets, but the Verano/Regal/LaCrosse still exist in China. They are designed and paid for they just do not build or sell them here.
The domestics have been giving up ground to imported cars since the 1970’s. When an Asian model would start to dominate sales, the domestics seemed unwilling or unable to compete in that class. They surrendered that part of the market and focused on higher profit margin vehicles. As of now most of the less expensive domestic brand SUV’s are not made here. The only vehicles they are concerned about are high priced truck based models that the average person cannot afford.
Chevrolet killed the Malibu in 1984, and replaced it with the Celebrity. Then they killed that and tried the crappy Corsica. When that failed they were told by their long standing customers the Malibu never should have been dropped. In 1997 Chevrolet brought the Malibu back for a new midsize car to replace the Corsica. Then a few years ago, they decided to drop the V6 equipped Malibu, and only offer two 4 cylinder models. A 2.0 turbo, and 1.5 4 cylinder engine. A couple of years ago Chevrolet then drops the 2.0 engine, and only offered the 1.5 4 cylinder. The moves they made during the last few years were an indication they were trying to kill off the Malibu again. After selling more than 10 million Malibu cars during two successful runs, they kill it. Just like Buick with no sedan offerings Chevrolet decides to kill it again. Chevrolet killed the Cavalier which was GM's longest running compact car nameplate. Then they kill the Impala with more than 12 million produced. Now they kill the Malibu with more than 10 million produced. Chevrolet has killed many highly successful car names in the past and continues to do so. The Chevelle was also killed along with the El Camino, and Monte Carlo. The Bolt will not achieve these sales mikestones the other brands they killed have. Chevrolet cars have been part of our family for many generations. Now I will just keep my trusty old Ford Freestar even longer. I also have a Chevy Cruze, and do not like the direction GM is going. In the past, there were also three Malibu cars in the family.
The compact CUV has become the default affordable family car. I would argue that the CRV is probably the best expression out there of the type of no fuss appliance NPC that most buyers really want. The disadvantages of these vehicles have narrowed vs sedans, since many of them have hybrid options. We have an aging population, CUVs are easier to enter and exit, and have better outward visibility that makes older drivers feel more comfortable and safer. The folks that used to inhabit Avalons are now in RAVs and Highlanders. The Crown is Toyota's experiment to see how a sedan form factor does with a higher seat point. The Malibu was actually a good car but it was competing with great ones. This has been a long-time problem with GM. It is only in the last 15 years that their vehicles have been remotely competitive (not counting full size trucks where the Americans dominated) With Japan Inc. The Malibu was IMO only competitive in the 2.0T versions, as the standard engine did not match the output of the equivilant Honda, Toyota or Mazda. As for compact cars, the big three only offered them for CAFE compliance, every Caviler, Colbalt, Cruze, Escort, Focus, Shadow, and Neon lost money for their respective companies. In the C segment the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic account for 85% of all sales in that segment with the remaining split between VW, Mazda, Nissan and Subaru. I suspect that it is similar story with midsizers. Maybe GM will keep pumping these out for rental fleets for a couple of years.
I think Chevy and GM as a whole, is making a mistake by going full into the EV market. Ford did that and look at where they are. Their dealer lots are chock full of F150 Lightnings and Mach Es that aren't selling. Toyota got it right back in the late 90's when they got into hybrid tech. Hybrids are the immediate future vs. EVs. The EV infrastructure is in no way ready for the mass public adoption of EVs. Toyota did it right with its hybrid system which has a solid twenty years plus of existence and is the benchmark for hybrid systems. The Feds should be and will be backing off the EV push as they will see the current goal is unattainable. There are still a lot of issues to work out with EV tech which may get resolved. I still question whether it's a cleaner energy source when you factor in the mining process, disposal of spent batteries as well as the general charging of batteries using an electric grid that still using coal power plants in some parts of the US and atomic energy in others. But I digress. The Malibu is a solid seller. No question. For Chevy to pull the cord on its production seems insane, just like when they originally pulled the plug on the Bolt and realized it was a mistake and now bringing it back. Could this be a repeat with the Bu? Only time will tell. Thanks, Jon for another thought-provoking vid.
China is quite capable of providing Americans with a broad range of affordable cars and trucks. I have a friend who is a consultant for a large number of top auto dealerships in the U.S. and he spent four weeks in China and he toured auto factories and design centers; but more importantly, he drove many of the cars and trucks that came out of those factories and he liked them. China has the capability to put GM, Ford, Toyota, etc, out of business in this country and I think that is now a good idea. As it stands now, most auto workers are making over $100.000 a year. They are not worth it. GM and Ford are asking $100.000 for some of their trucks and SUV's. They are not worth it.
I totally agree! I am so impressed by Chinese cars and other brands! China is living in the future. The Biden so-called administration just placed 100% tariffs on Chinese made EV's and it also placed other tariffs on other Chinese brands. To me, those tariffs will not hurt China one bit, but it will boomerang on the US and the end results will not look good for the US. The US cannot compete with China at all. It does not have what it takes! US is not trying hard to innovate anything for the goodness of the world, but it is trying so hard to conquer 100% of the world which it will fail.
This is absolutely stupid. GM has screwed up again. Not everyone wants an SUV or a crossover. People don't really care about EVs. Once again, GM, Ford, and Chrysler are surrendering the legit car market to import brands. Absolutely absurd. Going all EV is going to be a huge mistake that will costs them dearly. I guarantee that. The Bolt will never be the success that GM wants it to be. Never!!!
Correction: Fairfax plant is in Kansas... not Kentucky. Duh.
Oh good lord, they’re killing ALL “affordable” cars. You could find these new on Autotrader for under $25k… this is a bad move. Number one selling new car is Nissan Versa… Toyota Corolla… America WANTS CHEAPER CARS
You’re not analyzing it correctly. Number 1 selling new car, yes among **those who want cars**. However if you compare overall vehicle selections, Americans are picking SUVs and trucks over cars. This really is basic economics. Yes poorer people and car enthusiasts in general are getting less options to choose from but it’s because the demand for cars continues to fall because more people wants trucks and suvs
Toyotas best seller is the RAV 4-Honda's is the CRV, and it has been this way for several years. Versa is doing ok, because its only direct competition is the soon to be killed Mitsubishi Mirage. There is no profit in the subcompact car segment.
@@dty1207 I disagree, I think that most people don't feel the need to purchase a cheaper vehicle because APR is so low. car finance industry has been on the rise for the last 20 years now, which is allowing the avg owner to purchase a bigger, more expensive new car for (what seems to be) cheaper.
This also plays into credit score, EPA and safety rating of the vehicle. Because SUVs and trucks don't have to deal with a lot of that stuff, they get similar or better APR than cars that do have to.
In one way, this does mean that the avg buyer is getting more quality vehicles, but for the avg enthusiast, car engineer or for macro-economics, this means cars are getting worse as an industry. government overreach is literally killing us slowly.
@@timgt5that's not entirely accurate. It's just in the US that they aren't popular.
The Malibu was near junk anyways when it was redesigned in 2017 the beginning of the end for the model back when the Malibu was a substantial car in the 70s GM had the world by the tail unfortunately those days are long gone
I actually bought a new Malibu today…an RS model built in Kansas City. Approximately $4000 off the sticker was hard to pass up. Get one while you still can!
It’s the first sedan I’ve owned in years. I have pretty much the same feelings about the Malibu as you do….i had hoped they would update it but they won’t, and I think that will hurt GM over the long haul
If you look at Fusion and Malibu sales figures up until their discontinuation, it really makes no sense why they were cancelled.
Never better said. The Fusion and Malibu were solid sellers, that got axed for no reason. The same could be said of the Chrysler 200 too.
I think they want to allocate production to vehicles with a higher profit margin per vehicle. But abandoning that market share and brand loyalty is not smart IMO.
Auto manufacturers don't want to sell cars. Very little profit per unit in a car
@@mrgurulittle7000Haha. The 200 was unreliable piece of rubbish
@@gregorylyon1004Sedans are just not selling. You're spot on.
American auto makers are in a headlong rush to drop coupes, sedans, station wagons, and convertibles. This allows foreign makers to occupy a significant share of the market. Your regrets are well placed, Jon, and I fully agree.
It’s in its 9th year, a car the currently rates at the bottom of what’s left of the mid sized market. Big deal… the sad part is they’re not going to replace it. So that leaves Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai & Kia.
I think GM is delusional to think the Bolt will sell over 100,000 copies annually, even with taxpayers incentivizing buyers.
This!!!
they are so delusional i’m sick
And Hyundai/Kia are going to discontinue the K5/Sonata in the next 3-4 years apparently.
The new 2025 Chevy Bolt EV sales are gonna plumbit in the future. Because it's going to cost so much that an average American buyer is not going to be able to afford it because of the economy and inflation. Malibu sales were strong within the 8 years and Chevy Bolt EV is not going to top that.
I am betting that many/most of those malibu sales were to fleets anyway...GM was probably making marginal money on the platform. A sure was that they never invested more in it after all these years.
I just rented a 2023 Malibu in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and drove it home to Southern California. I covered 3100 miles in 10 days with side trips. The car cruised nicely at 80+ mph where it was legal in Texas. Average 31 mpg for the full trip. I thought it was a great car.
This feels like yet another attempt by GM to read the tea leaves by looking at coffee grounds. In K cup pods.
hahaha. I suspect some day, subconsciously, I'm going to mis-quote this clever turn of phrase.
I apologize in advance for my future transgression. :)
america car makers can not match the foreign cars so they gave up
I love it!
@@AllCarswithJon You know, I'm OK with that, as long as there is an occasional attribution. 😃
@@ondago2 I'm here all week. Remember to tip your server.
I currently have a 2024 Malibu as a rental car from Hertz. Honestly, I love the car. The ride is smooth, it has great trunk space, and adequate power (not much, but it's okay). It's also very good-looking. The interior is honestly a bit cheap, but it's fine for me.
And for the price of one of these, in my opinion, it's a very good value.
In Germany, where I live, we could use a car like this in the rental fleets very much (I also work at a car rental company).
I would also buy one of these as a daily because it's just a nice car with great value and good fuel economy.
I'll be very sad to see it go.😢
How do you find the Malibu compares to the old GM-based Opel Insignia (Buick Regal)? I guess they are on the same platform (not sure). I don't know if Peugeot are still having Opel make a mid-size sedan nowadays. I'm guessing the Opel Insignia had stiffer suspension settings than the Chevrolet Impala to provide tighter handling, as that is usually what the German market prefers.
The Japanese automakers keep redesigning and improving their sedans, whereas the American automakers give up when the model fails and cancel the car.
That's what was surprising and what I talked about in the video... the Malibu wasn't failing. But no updates for an 8 year old car and GM just wants to go find easier profits.
@@AllCarswithJon They only want to sell Silverados and Escalades for 80k+.
@@AllCarswithJon Not just easier profits, but anything that is not a SUV ("light truck") is bad for CAFE too (a sedan needs to magically have 40% lower fuel consumption than a SUV with the same engine, even though the reduction in aerodynamic drag in favour of the sedan is usually only about 20%). That's certainly also contributed to the US automakers abandoning the passenger car segment.
Ironically the Japanese just inherited the demand from the domestic sedan buyers
The Fusion, Malibu, Impala were actually a sales success, but profits are lower on their sedans.
For long distance driving on the highway a sedan is the best. I drove my Malibu for 300k miles problem free.
I've driven a Fusion for almost 10 yrs now. I've already accepted that my next Sedan will be from a Japanese make. American automakers are simply not interested in building Sedans anymore.
Don't forget to consider American automakers Lucid and Tesla, They make good sedans.
What about a Mazda 3?
@@ernielaw EVs can kiss my a$$.
GM is out of touch with the public. It is the only car GM makes that I would consider buying. Bye Bye GM!
I’m the last year I’ve rented 3 Malibus. While I don’t love it, they served their purpose well enough. Got me from point A to B safely.
Exactly. They're rental cars.
130,000 units and GM kills it. The Subaru Legacy is down to 25,000 and they are killing it off. Surely GM could continue to build the Malibu. They choose to sell SUV's. Go figure.
SUVs generate a lot more profit per unit than a Chevy Malibu does. It's all about money per unit sold.
The current generation Malibu is one of the most beautiful cars ever designed in the modern era. It's sad that it is going away
I can honestly say, without a doubt, the Malibu is one of the cars of this modern age.
It's not beautiful but it is definitely one of those cars when you rent it is nice. But you know it's going to age like a turd.
It is a poorly built 4 Dr appliance.
I agree the front end and profile is very eye catching. It is also nice to still have analog guages and actual climate controls instead of a touchscreen & best of all it's made in USA. I have a 2022 with only 5,000 on the odometer still feels brand new.
@@xiondFirst If you don't abuse a car keep it clean and keep up on oil & fluids any car will age well.
I don't think GM has any vision with this what so ever. I think they are just following the shiny new trend. I don't think the Bolt will ever match the Malibu sales numbers. GM could always nix one of the overlapping crossovers they have to have the Bolt build at whatever plant that is.
It's just reality, you either go EV or go bankrupt. Anybody with sense can see the industry will eventually go 100% EV.
@@igotanimac1 Its never going to be 100% EV. Charging infrastructure will never be robust enough for EVERYONE to be in the position to own an EV.
@@a64aquarian It will. At least 50% market share by 2030 and 90%+ market share by 2035, and 100% sometime after that. A majority of charging can be done at home, so there will never be the same amount of charging stations as there are gas stations. Apartments will eventually all install level 1 and 2 charging stations in parking spaces, or they can charge once a week at a station. Majority of car makers will eventually go full EV production by 2030s, wiping internal combustion engines off the face of the planet, it will happen, just a matter of time.
@@igotanimac1 You are forgetting that most big cities have on street parking. So they will be hard to convert. Some jobs will installed....not all.
@@a64aquarian You are forgetting that I mentioned that if you can't charge at home, you can just charge at a charging station, once or twice a week.. Average daily miles driven is 40 miles.. so with a 250 mile vehicle, you can charge once or twice a week. A majority of people in the US own a home, so a majority will be able to charge at home. For the minority who can't, they will have public charging stations, and there will be plenty. Even Mazda, which has a small market share, plans to go full EV by 2028-2030. Just set out an investor call, it's set and done, just execution as EV related production costs continue to tumble.
I just got a 2023 Malibu Lt all white black wheels only 1200 miles on it they are dam good lookin cars man I love mine
I have a 2021 Malibu Lt in red ♥️🍒 with the black 🖤 wheel 🎡 cover love ❤️ my Malibu. Sad 😭 to see the Malibu go 😞.
I'm old enough to remember GM killing all of its fuel-efficient cars for gas guzzlers. What is striking is that they haven't learned from their past mistakes. Gas is currently $5 in certain states. No one is driving 75-100k SUVs or trucks. They should've doubled down on Cruze, Prism, Malibu, and even Impala...but the foreign markets are taking that market share...
Back in the 1970's with two oil embargoes and gas lines, GM wanted to continue producing gas guzzlers along with Ford and Chrysler. The auto companies were saying small cars equal smaller profits. In 1970, Volkswagen had something like 10 percent of the United States car market, and they had fuel efficient cars. In 1972, the VW Beetle took the title as the best selling car of all time away from Ford who held it with the Model T production. The Japanese car makers were making major inroads in the American car market. While this was going on GM, Ford, and Chrysler continued to build big gas guzzlers. The problem was so bad that Chrysler ended up almost broke, and had to get a Government bail out. None of these companies learned from their mistakes. What will happen when there is a shift in customer demand for SUV's back to cars? The Detroit 3 car makers all will again be in a position where they will not be able to provide product when the market shifts. I remember the gas lines and shortages in 1973, and again in 1979.
They should kept the Cruze.
The Malibu will go down in the automotive history books as the last GM family sedan who would have thought that years ago. It outlived the Cutlass:Century :88:98 :Lesabre Celebrity: Grand Am: Caprice:Bonneville: Impala: Nova: Lumina: Saturn: Regal:Roadmaster:Alero: Aurora: G6: Omega: just to name a few.
wow, The malibu is really the end of an era
Ct4 and ct5 still around and well lol. The ct6 is alive in the Chinese market along with the Buick lacrosse
To be honest, I never expected that my malibu would be able to outlived the impala.
@alexanderkennedy2969 I think 2022 was also the last year the car came with a standard spare tire the current ones have a can of fix a flat.The 2022 was the last year for the mechanical parking brake & a map pocket on the driver's side in addition to the passenger's side seat.
@@robertriley1569 Yep my 2022 came with a spare tire.
GM making short sighted decisions has a half-a-century old history and this time it is no exception 😏
Saturns, geos, on and on
Their short sided decisions they have been making for the last 50 years have killed off many of their successful vehicle names. There were many other successful names GM has killed off in the past, and a lot of them had production milestones in the millions. The Malibu was killed back in 1984, and revived in 1997. Now again.
The Malibu is a good car, I had a 1980 Malibu sedan, a 1999 and a 2007. I've had them as rentals various times, as recently as last fall. I find them, especially these newer ones, to be smooth driving, comfortable, adequately powered, and reliable. It's a pity GM is moving into EVs faster than the charging infrastructure or grid can keep up. Toyota has been smarter by not putting all of their eggs in one or two baskets. I suspect that in the future, cars will not be electric but will more likely have some kind of hybrid system that may include electric combined with hydrogen or even synthetic fuels (which already exist). Plugging in every night, especially if you live in a city and park on the street, does not seem like a viable option to me.
Sad to this version of the Malibu go away. One correction: GM's Fairfax Assembly and Stamping plant is in Kansas City Kansas, not in Kentucky.
I’m sorry to see it go too. I reserved a Camry on my last business trip but got a Malibu instead. I thought the car drove pretty good and had a very nice interior. I think it would be a great second car or a starter car for college or high schoolers.
This is the second time the Malibu has been discontinued. The first time was in 1983. GREAT VIDEO!
Well that’s part of that mentality that is hard for me to understand. Car and truck builders are often so obsessed with changing things that work with something unproven then they have problems. I would hardly call the MALIBU crap but that’s your prerogative. I rented a couple during vacations and another when my ’21 ALTIMA was rear ended and destroyed on the freeway back in late 2022. I found them to be solid and smooth riding cars. Before the settlement check came, I wasn’t sure the NISSAN dealers were going to have an identical ALTIMA so I seriously considered a MALIBU since the CHEVROLET dealers had several in stock. When the check finally came, a NISSAN dealer had a ’23 ALTIMA indentical to my totaled example except for the color. Without hesitation, I bought this one. The ALITMA had more standard HP without a turbo with their potential long term problems and I was familiar with the ALTIMA. The MALIBU would have been fine but I like to keep things the same if possible.
Odd to think back in 2019, Chevy had the spark, Cruze, Malibu, and impala. Malibu been alone since 2020…. Rip
I accepted years ago that the 5 of us left in America that still want to drive Sedans will only have the foreign automakers to pick from. And I'm okay with that.
The Traxx will move into the place of the Malibu if they keep the cost down, but that just contradicts what they are trying to do. Which is build cheap and sale high.
I can’t remember the last time I saw an advertisement for this car and I honestly thought they had already stopped producing it. It’s hard to believe that we’re at a place where this car isn’t making a profit, especially given how Accords and Camrys are printing money.
Dont forget gm gave up oldmobile. Bought and killed saab. Gm kinda sucks ...
The thing I think most automakers need to understand is that having a car is something great to have in an automakers lineup. Not everyone wants a crossover or SUV, especially with the insurance costs. I feel that most of the Asian vehicle manufacturers are doing well with a sedan or two or three options available in the lineup. It's a shame to see the last affordable American sedan go away, for good.
No amount of engineering can change the fact of the height of the Center of l gravity is what it is for typical crossover or larger SUV.
I love them. I have big trucks but I'll always have a car with much lower center of gravity. it's just a driving enjoyment thing. But clearly some people wouldn't understand
@@ondago2 That's true.
As someone who works at a dealership. I know that the malibu didn't have friendly lease (dollar) rates where as the Silverado and Blazer do have good rates. Gm could have done better. Gm wanted people to buy or lease other cars in their line up.
The current Malibu reminds me of the the 82/83 chevy Celebrity. Midsize 4 cylinder, fabric on the door panels, floor shift, black steering wheel fwd. Big chrome grille with the bowtie in the center and the 83 had a wheel option that was near identical to the 16" aluminium wheel on the present Ls.Curiously the 80's Malibu has nothing in common with the present Malibu.
Bolt owner here. The Bolt's a great little car that meets my needs. Just traded my 2019 to get a new 2023 Bolt EUV. $22,500 OTD after the tax credit. Cost about 3 to 5 cents a mile in electric. Insurance is $1,066 a year. Little known fact about the Bolt is it's one-pedal is just about perfect. Glad to hear the Ultium Bolt will be made in the USA.
If it's fast charging was... faster... I probably would have snapped one up last year.
My dad bought a 2016 Chevy Malibu LT in 2017, and he still drives it today with 109,000 miles I would have to tell my dad to keep his Malibu because you never know. My dad is holding on to a piece of history of th last survival of a GM traditional family sedan.
My 2021 Malibu just hit 70k miles.
@@markirizarry4851 My 2022 over 15k.
I bought my ‘21 black cherry Malibu RS during the height of the China Virus for 22k out the door. Absolutely no complaints about it at 41k miles!
I mean, we’re already at that point. As you mentioned yourself, Malibu has significant fleet sales. And right now, there really isn’t any American options around $20k and under. The Trax. And I think that’s the entire list.
I’m disappointed to see another American ICE sedan go away. Even though this was a dated mediocre car IMO…I’m shocked that GM won’t keep at least one gasoline sedan in their lineup as Honda Toyota, Nissan among others, have stayed in the sedan market. GM could have made a minimal investment in a modest redesign and continue to sell a reasonably priced sedan, instead of another unaffordable EV. And GM, given their prior actions will probably screw up the pricing of the new Bolt.
I bought a new 2022 Malibu Premier and as you said it is a great car especially considering the price point. I love the 2.0 LTG turbo engine and 9 speed transmission. Mine was one of the last ones made with this engine/trans package. I traded in a 2013 Malibu LTZ that was just fantastic for 9 years of use. No doubt they made a lot of improvements on the 2016/2019 redesigns and I was pleased they retained the 2.0 turbo engine (a real sweetheart design). Prior to that I bought new a 2005 Malibu Max that served me very well for 8 years of use. I greatly missed the discontinuation of that hatchback design like many folks did. So after a long history of purchasing these affordable and dependable sedans it is sad news they are going away. Not sure what comes next after this news? Very bad decision on GM's part.
I almost bought one but I got the Cadillac XT4 instead, which as you said is made at the same factory. I liked it a lot better than the Camry as far as the seats. We have Camrys as company cars and the seats aren't really good for tall people.
I used to own a 2020 Malibu RS. Had no issues when I owned it. I trade it for a Jeep Wrangler
I don't want my tax dollars going towards other peoples' car purchases. The government needs to get out of the car business. Let the free market work as it should.
Almost everyone I know dismissed the Malibu as the quintessential "rental car" car, along with the Toyota Avalon (which is probably why Toyota stopped selling that in the U.S. in 2022), as if that were a bad thing. So with everyone but Enterprise apparently in serious decline, they really shouldn't be surprised that it's gone.
CHEVY MALIBU
1978-1983, 1997-2025 (plus 1964-1977 as a trim of the Chevy Chevelle)
May it rest in peace.
I never owned a Chevy Malibu but GM killing all there sedans I will have to change brands and I'm a GM guy I keep a GM SUV and a Buick sedan this is just heartbreaking to me
I looked at one the other day at a dealer and was impressed. Decent look (though tired) but really affordable, roomy, and roomy. My only concern would be the small engine and cvt. I do wish GM would do an update. The American manufacturers are, as you mentioned, giving up on a market that still exists. I might consider getting an RS edition if discounted enough
I remember a few years back when the Malibu got quality awards placing it over the Camry even. I read how great a car it was in Consumer Reports. Then my son bought a 2017 and I figured it had to be a misprint. At 57,000 miles his car needed all new pistons because of low RPM detonation burning holes in them. It was covered under warranty, but the dealer specifically told me they didn't know if it was going to last or not. Seems to be a common issue on the turbo cars. I'm trying hard to get him into a Camry because he's not a gearhead and he just needs something rock solid reliable.
16/18 Malibus have alot of problems the 19 to present are better GM got the bugs out.
They had a hybrid version that got 49/43. Let that sink in considering what the current state of car buyers now.
I’m about to pick up my second Malibu (2024). I love the car & am very disappointed that they have decided to cancel it
One less car as an option. I don’t like SUVs or trucks, so I’m running out of options.
Me as well. I may need a new car soon; stuff on my 2000 Civic is starting to go out, and it won't get fixed. I hate SUVs, and as there are no more domestic sedans, it will be an import. Also, since I keep cars a long time (15 or so years), and as I'm pushing 70, any new car may be my last.🚗
I bet you could get a *deal* on a Malibu this year. Spot checked last night and dealership near me has them for about $22k (LS models)
@@AllCarswithJon I previously had a 2019 Malibu and then 2022 Malibu as company cars. They are a decent vehicle to get from point A to point B. I don’t know that I would buy one myself. I like V-6 and V-8 engines. Very few of those left sadly.
Kansas. I had a tour when they built the Grand Prix there
Yes.. I know. Brain fart when I recorded and didn't catch it in editing.
Oh no,please not the Malibu!
I had a Malibu last year as a rental. A totally worthless car. Interior was beyond cheap. Very thin and flimsy plastic. My '14 Accord with 200,000 miles is nicer car. GM just stopped caring about Malibu's years ago. Can you find out how many were fleet or rental sales. My local Chevy dealer had one in stock, so they must not sell very well.
I agree. They elongated an econocar and thought it was a good idea.
you must’ve been in a base model, my 2016 malibu premier is pretty nice even in 2024
My 2020 Malibu LT is a great car.
Everyone hates their rental because it isn't a purchase they need to defend
Went to a Chevy dealer to order a new Malibu on 11/27.Sales agent went to the manger was told Gm is no longer taking orders for Malibus. The only way to get one is to buy remaining inventory at the dealerships.They had two 2024 Rs Malibus that the dealership bought to use as loaners. The salesman told me that they can be purchased but those are the last two new Malibus that will ever be ordered new buy that dealer. Just used one's for the future.Drove by this dealer a few months ago and there were numerous Malibus on the lot. He said they were sold fast.
Bye bye Malibu. I actually liked that Chevrolet car. Typically I didn’t like the recent Korean made Chevrolets, but the Malibu was a proper American sedan. RIP.
My wife bought two of Malibu one in 2015 that is still in use by a family member and runs great and a 2017 2.0 turbo that was a fantastic car. We were able to sell that thing for more than she paid for it during the pandemic and that was to CarMax!
Never been a fan of GM however this is sad to see another car disappear from a sea of crossovers and SUVs. Rest Easy Malibu.
The American car makers killed built all of the sedans even though though it actually did good numbers Ford fusion Ford Focus .They sold good numbers GM with the impala and the Malibu they actually sold good numbers ... I think it's done on purpose to make you go by a more expensive SUV or crossover.Since the people who would normally buy a Sedan are brand loyalist they pull up to the dealership looking for a car and they don't have one... so a lot of people just go by the next thing , which is what a Ford Escape or a Chevy Equinox Chevy traxx, etc ... same with Chrysler to an extent...
What I'm trying to say is that there is a market for sedan. It's not as strong as it was , it's still here. GM and Ford are for the profit, not common sense 🙄
But the sales numbers for all their sedans were dropping for decades. Sure they are happy to sale more CUVs. But let's not kid ourselves. Less and less people wanted these cars.
@baronvonjo1929 but 100k 150k selling every year ain't nothing to look over either ... That's still a good number ... gm ford Chrysler gor lazy and didn't redesign their sedan, and they got stale plus sometime-ish reliability....
I was a FORD man for about 30 years until 2021 when I bought my first NISSAN ALTIMA. Then 13 months later after my 2021 was rear ended on the freeway I bought a 2023 ALTIMA. I had a 2004 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS from new until it was 17 years old 205k. I would have bought another FORD built sedan but they discontinued all of them. So I learned that it’s ok to let go of builder loyalty and just buy whatever vehicle suits your purposes balanced with quality and price and value. There’s a heck of a lot more freedom that way. Sometimes I wonder if some people are afraid that a car builder will send someone to come over to their house and scream at them if they dare step foot in a competing brand’s showroom.
@jermainec2462 True. It just seems like how the world works now it has to be enough. I do find it strange. If a car keep above 100k units sold I don't understand why it's axed. I guess with sedans with smaller profit margins and ever increasing costs play a factor? Building a car is probably harder than it's ever been.
I get your point, but that didn't work for me. I still buy American, but I would rather purchase a previously owned sedan than a new SUV. Not everybody wants an SUV. Bring back some choice!
Most of these Malibu's were Airport Rentals, Unmarked Police cruisers (for detectives), security companies...like you said fleet. I suggest avoiding buying these cars used, especially in white, as often fleet vehicles have lot of idling time, which is not good for the engine long term -:)
We leased a 2018 Malibu in 2018. When the lease was up, we bought the car. I've driven Japanese cars since 1984 and still drive a Camry. I must say, though, that I've enjoyed driving the Malibu. So far, it's been reliable (it is still relatively low mileage at 38,000 miles), handles well and gets decent gas mileage. It's not quite the car next to its chief rivals, the Accord and Camrey. Still, I think it's a good m id-sized sedan. Well, maybe they'll bring it back years from now. But, maybe not. They dropped the Impala, and have no plans to revive it.
I've had a '22 for the last 8 days as a rental while my Camry has been in the body shop. I've been impressed with it for the most part. I wouldn't trade my Camry for one though.
I'm sad to see this too. I look back to the era in the middle of the last century and lament how much the industry has changed. I can't imagine having my pick of a dozen or so midsize or full size cars made by American companies who are actually trying to make a good, stylish product (note: EVs are not even a consideration for me, so Tesla doesn't count). I've been saying for a few years I wish the Malibu had been built on the same platform as the CT5. Can you imagine a mid size RWD Chevrolet sedan with available AWD and 180+ hp? I feel like that would sell like crazy.
I'm not surprised this generation would end as its been around since 2016 and that's a successful run for any generation of car. What I'm shocked about is there is apparently no Tenth Generation coming to replace it. The rumors around GM circles was an all new one was coming either 2025 or 2026. My mother purchased a 2022 and loves it.
I owned a 2017 model. While the interior was cheaper than a 2007 Honda Accord. It rode well OK and I put 70,000 miles within a year(travel car) didn’t give me any major issues.
P.S
I would’ve love to have had it with the bigger engine, though I didn’t trust GM with a turbo back than 🤣
That’s one of the reasons why I chose another new ALTIMA over a MALIBU. My ALTIMA has more standard HP and torque and no turbo. This engine runs under 2000 rpm at 70mph while the MALIBU was about 2500 rpm or higher. Longer life, less noise and less heat since no turbo. Can’t do much though if a turbo is all that they have. Just change oil more often If push comes to shove.
@@crabbymilton390 I agree, I drove the refreshed Altima, and honestly I’d buy one if it wasn’t for that CVT. I’m sure if it’s well maintained it’ll last a bit. But I’ve heard of Nissan dealership refusing to do service the CVT before 100k miles
@@theloversDeAyer I know I heard the bad reports of their CVT problems. I also got the impression that most of those were from the late ‘00’s to the mid ‘10’s. Perhaps they are indeed improved now as many have suggested. Some people are put off by the way they perform and missing gear changes. I find it a very nice transmission for the car. Hey, as long as I don’t have to shift gears myself either automatic is fine.😀
I had a 1982 MALIBU CLASSIC from 1986 to 1991. It was my second car and first nice car. To show how far engine efficiency has come, it had a 4.4L V8 that was rated at 115HP. Only 5 HP more than the standard 3.8L V6. Now the MALIBU has that 1.5 turbo 4 with 160HP. Frankly that old V8 would easily outlast that little 4 and sound better too.
Shows you where American car industries are at. They won't make american cars or affordable ones. But Chevy also introduced the Trax but I'm sad to see a sedans go away.
John, hope you're doing well.
I really don't know why car companies think everyone wants to drive an SUV.....
I thought it had been dead for a while now...both Ford and GM said like 5 years ago they were done with sedans (dumb idea in my opinion amidst skyrocketing gas prices) and I haven't seen a new one in forever
Sadly those Malibu sales are super inflated because most of them are fleet and rental sales. I mean sales are sales but companies hate when cars aren't popular amongst consumers, as that is when they make the biggest margins on the vehicle, as large scale bulk fleet/rental sales mean they're discounted because of the volume in which they're purchased.
I NEVER liked the Malibu especially in recent DECADES but am disappointed that another american sedan is leaving the market…. And I’m FED UP with them CRAMING these e-v’s down our throats …. I have ZERO INTEREST in driving or owning one
Wow, when you see Malibu sales in contrast with GMs decision of continuation and replacement of a less volume car, GMs decision is really dumb.
Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion, Kia Stinger, Chrysler 300, Ford Taurus, Ford Taurus, Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, Ford Focus are all great cars killed off by manufacturers despite being affordable and capable in their segments.
I have owned a 2016 Malibu with the redesign. It has been reliable (180k miles) comfortable with good gas mileage (30mpg). But like Ford , GM will not have a mid-sized sedan to offer. Maybe they will import the Buick version from China.
Thank you for this video, you point the major problem of the American auto industry: going for the easy things, SUV's and Trucks, while giving up on the customers (in North America and abroad) of sedans of all sizes, coupes and hatchbacks.
The Japanese and Korean auto makers will keep selling sedans in the lower price segments and the Germans will take the luxury sedan segments that used to be a part of the heritage of Cadillac and Lincoln (Chryler too in some way).
The only American automaker to sell sedans will be Tesla 😪
Ugh... Tesla!
Its sad they discontinued it. I still drive my 09 malibu to work, yes, it's not as nice as my 15 Audi a3, but it still gets the job done at +300k and it's still clean. I'm also hanging on to my 98 s10 zr2 single cab too. I like older gm vehicles.
I own a 2012 Malibu LT and I absolutely love it! It has 80,000 trouble fee miles on it and it's a great boulevard cruiser.
I used to rent the 2003 Malibu. A very good car. Not too big or small just right. Sorry to see it go 😭
At 2:40. A large number of those sales are rental fleets.
I love Chevy Malibu I had a 10' now I own a 13' and I love it don't stop making them chevy.i want a 1980 and a64 Chevelle malibu😅
Rest in peace my first car was a Malibu.
I thought this was already canceled. The rumors have been out there for a couple years now and I thought it was dropped last year.
The Malibu was never better than average and underwhelming. I am sad to see sedans as a whole, especially affordable ones, being dropped. It's a tough segment when you've got the Accord and Camry as your primary competition.
My favorite Malibu was the 2nd generation (1968-72). It was actually a trim level of the Chevelle for the first two generations.
I agree, Malibu has a lot of potential but GM just gave up too easy. They could EASILY make it the new Camry Hybrid competition if they set their efforts to do it. I would have loved to see Ford or GM build a hybrid sedan RWD/AWD competition to the new Camry.
I'm surprised this car was still here to this day. While we're on the subject of GM, I'm hearing rumors about Pontiac possibly being revived, and I saw that supposed ad in Car & Driver. Thoughts, anyone?
I preferred the big GM cars (Impala/LaCrosse/XTS). But I was hoping they would at least keep the Malibu to have one toe in the sedan pool. I dunno about the Chevrolets, but the Verano/Regal/LaCrosse still exist in China. They are designed and paid for they just do not build or sell them here.
The domestics have been giving up ground to imported cars since the 1970’s. When an Asian model would start to dominate sales, the domestics seemed unwilling or unable to compete in that class. They surrendered that part of the market and focused on higher profit margin vehicles. As of now most of the less expensive domestic brand SUV’s are not made here. The only vehicles they are concerned about are high priced truck based models that the average person cannot afford.
Chevrolet killed the Malibu in 1984, and replaced it with the Celebrity. Then they killed that and tried the crappy Corsica. When that failed they were told by their long standing customers the Malibu never should have been dropped. In 1997 Chevrolet brought the Malibu back for a new midsize car to replace the Corsica. Then a few years ago, they decided to drop the V6 equipped Malibu, and only offer two 4 cylinder models. A 2.0 turbo, and 1.5 4 cylinder engine. A couple of years ago Chevrolet then drops the 2.0 engine, and only offered the 1.5 4 cylinder. The moves they made during the last few years were an indication they were trying to kill off the Malibu again. After selling more than 10 million Malibu cars during two successful runs, they kill it. Just like Buick with no sedan offerings Chevrolet decides to kill it again.
Chevrolet killed the Cavalier which was GM's longest running compact car nameplate. Then they kill the Impala with more than 12 million produced. Now they kill the Malibu with more than 10 million produced. Chevrolet has killed many highly successful car names in the past and continues to do so. The Chevelle was also killed along with the El Camino, and Monte Carlo.
The Bolt will not achieve these sales mikestones the other brands they killed have. Chevrolet cars have been part of our family for many generations. Now I will just keep my trusty old Ford Freestar even longer.
I also have a Chevy Cruze, and do not like the direction GM is going. In the past, there were also three Malibu cars in the family.
I never knew they still make the Malibu.
Its about TIME! The thing is a rental queen!
The compact CUV has become the default affordable family car. I would argue that the CRV is probably the best expression out there of the type of no fuss appliance NPC that most buyers really want. The disadvantages of these vehicles have narrowed vs sedans, since many of them have hybrid options. We have an aging population, CUVs are easier to enter and exit, and have better outward visibility that makes older drivers feel more comfortable and safer. The folks that used to inhabit Avalons are now in RAVs and Highlanders. The Crown is Toyota's experiment to see how a sedan form factor does with a higher seat point. The Malibu was actually a good car but it was competing with great ones. This has been a long-time problem with GM. It is only in the last 15 years that their vehicles have been remotely competitive (not counting full size trucks where the Americans dominated) With Japan Inc. The Malibu was IMO only competitive in the 2.0T versions, as the standard engine did not match the output of the equivilant Honda, Toyota or Mazda. As for compact cars, the big three only offered them for CAFE compliance, every Caviler, Colbalt, Cruze, Escort, Focus, Shadow, and Neon lost money for their respective companies. In the C segment the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic account for 85% of all sales in that segment with the remaining split between VW, Mazda, Nissan and Subaru. I suspect that it is similar story with midsizers. Maybe GM will keep pumping these out for rental fleets for a couple of years.
My chevy Malibu Maxx has over 381,000 miles. No real problems. I got people trying to buy mine. Gm is stupid for canceling it.
CVT 4 cylinder FWD rental car sh*tbox. No one is really sad about this.
What gets me is how Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia keep selling cars and American companies can't 😐😐❓❓
Your forecast is right .. Chevy malibu 2025 will be seen in the market
I was at dealer last week
Looking for my next car
Looked at a accord$39k
Looked at a civic $29k
There are no affordable new cars
Built like trash, but I will miss it 😢
another short sided move by GM, they stopped updating the Malibu thus killing it off, it could have been a good sedan if they only cared
I think Chevy and GM as a whole, is making a mistake by going full into the EV market. Ford did that and look at where they are. Their dealer lots are chock full of F150 Lightnings and Mach Es that aren't selling. Toyota got it right back in the late 90's when they got into hybrid tech. Hybrids are the immediate future vs. EVs. The EV infrastructure is in no way ready for the mass public adoption of EVs. Toyota did it right with its hybrid system which has a solid twenty years plus of existence and is the benchmark for hybrid systems. The Feds should be and will be backing off the EV push as they will see the current goal is unattainable. There are still a lot of issues to work out with EV tech which may get resolved. I still question whether it's a cleaner energy source when you factor in the mining process, disposal of spent batteries as well as the general charging of batteries using an electric grid that still using coal power plants in some parts of the US and atomic energy in others. But I digress. The Malibu is a solid seller. No question. For Chevy to pull the cord on its production seems insane, just like when they originally pulled the plug on the Bolt and realized it was a mistake and now bringing it back. Could this be a repeat with the Bu? Only time will tell. Thanks, Jon for another thought-provoking vid.
The Mach-E isn’t selling?
@@upbeattvraw-hiphop8242 It did when it was the newest thing, but not so much now.
@@jimlubinski4731 good. We don’t need any more SUVs lol
@@upbeattvraw-hiphop8242 Could not agree more! And it's certainly not a Mustang!
China is quite capable of providing Americans with a broad range of affordable cars and trucks. I have a friend who is a consultant for a large number of top auto dealerships in the U.S. and he spent four weeks in China and he toured auto factories and design centers; but more importantly, he drove many of the cars and trucks that came out of those factories and he liked them. China has the capability to put GM, Ford, Toyota, etc, out of business in this country and I think that is now a good idea. As it stands now, most auto workers are making over $100.000 a year. They are not worth it. GM and Ford are asking $100.000 for some of their trucks and SUV's. They are not worth it.
I totally agree! I am so impressed by Chinese cars and other brands! China is living in the future. The Biden so-called administration just placed 100% tariffs on Chinese made EV's and it also placed other tariffs on other Chinese brands. To me, those tariffs will not hurt China one bit, but it will boomerang on the US and the end results will not look good for the US. The US cannot compete with China at all. It does not have what it takes! US is not trying hard to innovate anything for the goodness of the world, but it is trying so hard to conquer 100% of the world which it will fail.
GM couldn’t organize a 2 car parade.
This is absolutely stupid. GM has screwed up again. Not everyone wants an SUV or a crossover. People don't really care about EVs. Once again, GM, Ford, and Chrysler are surrendering the legit car market to import brands. Absolutely absurd. Going all EV is going to be a huge mistake that will costs them dearly. I guarantee that. The Bolt will never be the success that GM wants it to be. Never!!!
Excellent comment