Used 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan Review
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan.
Most helpful consumer reviews
Great Commuter car even for tall people (UPDATED)
Kai Ponte, Los Angeles, CA, 02/03/2017
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid DD)
2023 UPDATE: car had 98000 miles. It did require a head gasket fix. Fortunately, I had an extended warranty. Shortly after, the hybrid power control module died. Also fixed under warranty. My mechanic kept begging me to get rid of it. I did. I purchased a Ford Mach-e BEV and am very happy. No more 0-60 in five minutes while attempting to get on the freeway.
2020 UPDATE: Car has almost … 60000 miles. Still have not needed brakes. Just occasional oil change.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Edmunds asked me to do this. Car has almost 50000 miles. No issues. Slight squeek in rear suspension only noticeable when driving electric.
TWO YEAR UPDATE: I have yet to take the car into the dealership for anything. All is working. I had a flat a few months ago, and am getting a TPMS code, but that's an issue with my mechanic.
EIGHT MONTH UPDATE: Still highly recommend this vehicle. Easy to drive, very quiet and comfortable. I've put on 19,000 trouble-free miles with only one oil change. Averaging 39 MPG of mostly city and combined highway driving. Great feel when driving 90MPH on the open road. Occasionally wish it had a V8 like my Avalanche but then remember that my Avalanche gets 14 MPG.
So, I have driven the earlier Malibu cars as rentals. There was nothing fancy about them. Having owned a 2000 Jetta TDI for commuting, I wanted something less cramped, noisy, smelly and with the ability to get 40+ mpg in mostly street driving. I decided between the Malibu, Fusion Energi, Fusion Hybrid, Sonata Plug-in, and Accord Hybrid. Out of all, the Malibu hybrid has the most comfort and room for me (I'm 6'4" and have two 6' tall teenage boys.) After three months and four thousand miles, I can highly recommend this car. It handles great. It is comfortable for long distances, seats four nicely, provides wonderful driving dynamics and has great gas mileage. In spite of it being a hybrid (based on the Volt drivetrain, which is fantastic), it can get out of traffic without a fuss. The engine has great torque and yet still maintains 43 mpg overall. My only complaints are that the trunk is a bit small with the battery pack. I would like to have seen the battery in the floor like the Volt. Also, maybe bring a bigger battery so the car can run on electric a little more. So, far, I've had zero defects and no need for service.
2016 Chevy Malibu practical but with some defects
Peter Jeffrey Adams, Mechanicsburg, PA, 08/19/2017
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid DD)
I obtained a 2016 Chevy Malibu hybrid in May 2016 because the hybrid model had enough total horse power to drive up hills without slowing and still get more than 40 miles per gallon. Also, the hybrid model had the advanced safety features unavailable on lower end models (e.g., forward collusion alert, rear cross traffic alert, front automatic braking and land change alert). This car is … very functional, fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. The safety features are generally effective and useful. However, the car when delivered obviously had loose front seat fasteners. Later, I learned that there was a Technical Service Bulletin (# 4529773) that applied to my car's front seats because of a known manufacturing process defect. Nevertheless it took a while to get service for these fasteners and the "fix" left the driver's seat a bit loose and squeaky. After complaining. Chevrolet did provide me an extended warranty on the front seats but would not do anything about the remaining looseness or squeaking. Also, the cooling system for the hybrid unit failed after 18,000 miles, which required having the car towed to the dealer and four days without the car. Communicating with my dealer and directly to Chevrolet about the defects was not very successful or satisfying. Therefore, assure, as best you can, that the car you are purchasing has no obvious problems before you accept the car. Don't rely upon assurances that problems will be fixed promptly when the car is serviced.
47/48 mpg is a straight up lie!
John, Chicago, IL, 02/17/2017
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid DD)
I bought a 16 Malibu hybrid to replace my Jetta tdi (scandal buyback) from the first tank I was skeptical of the posted fuel economy, my dealer had excuse after excuse( break in, cold weather, driving habits) for the poor fuel economy, I have yet to get better than 35 mpg out of a tank, lifetime average of 34.7mpg over 6300 miles. I drive 60,000 miles per year which translates to an … extra $2000 in fuel costs getting only 75% of the window sticker economy of 48 mpg. I contacted gm but they would do nothing at all and said it had to be my driving habit. Given my vw is a diesel and not a hybrid, it's rated for 42mpg and since 2013 I've had very few tanks of fuel less than 50mpg (8 mpg over rating) so I'm fairly certain it's not me. 2017 malibu hybrid is rated for 6 less mpg than 2016, odd considering the power train hasn't changed, hope they start a class action against gm, I'll join in! And for anyone thinking I'm a gm hater, I'm not, I also have a 15 duramax sierra Denali, a 14 Acadia Denali, an 02 quadrasteer sierra Denali and an 06 envoy, all of which I've been very happy with. I can honestly say after this experience I'll never buy another gm product, not for the car itself, but for the way I was treated, gm may as well just said "hey, thanks for being loyal and spending almost a quarter million dollars on our vehicles in the past ten years, now bend over and accept our thank you" because that's how i interpreted it! Long story short, Stay away from the hybrid!!!! And if you buy any Malibu, invest in a travel pillow for your back, you'll need it if you drive more than a half hour!
Great overall
Mike, Farmington, MI, 04/15/2017
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid DD)
I take it pretty easy and regularly get 55 mpg. Has decent pep and great exterior look. Roomy inside but interior could have better finishes.
Edmunds Summary Review of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan
Pros & Cons
- Pro:Spacious interior with tall-person-friendly front seats
- Pro:sporty handling around turns
- Pro:hybrid version is respectably quick to accelerate
- Pro:strong brakes
- Pro:responsive and intuitive 8-inch touchscreen interface with sharp graphics.
- Con:Mediocre acceleration from base 1.5-liter engine
- Con:some low-speed lurches from transmission
- Con:sparsely equipped base L trim
- Con:touchscreen prone to harsh reflections and obscuring fingerprints
- Con:distracting sun reflections from interior trim.
Full Edmunds Review: 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Sedan
Edmunds Insurance Estimator
The Edmunds TCO® estimated monthly insurance payment for a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu in Ohio is:
not availableLegal