CleanMPG First Drive Review of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

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"Car bailouts necessary says Bob Lutz"


/and around and around we go..

Hi All:

It was just 6-weeks ago when I visited a Kia dealership in Carlsbad, CA that they had a brand new 2011 Optima Hybrid on the lot for just $23,100 USD.

That is what the entire mid-size category has to compete with. A fuel economy world record setting car with UVO, a backup camera, proximity key with push button start, dual-zone A/C, rear A/C, 8-way power driver seat w/ Lumbar support (the seats are extremely comfortable for the long haul), leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and for 2012, you get power folding outside mirrors to name but a few of the standard options. I do not know of anything that can compete with that kind of content for the price in the midsize class let alone the class-leading interior/exterior design attributes. And we are talking about the hybrid, not the non-hybrid!

Wayne

Yes, Hyundai/Kia has really stepped up their game. I was still against them, remembering the Hyundai Excel. Several of my friends had them, none of them lasted to 100,000 miles. Last summer a friend of mine purchased a certified used 05 Sonata with 12,000 miles, and I was impressed with not only the roominess and build quality, but the fact that the dealer included lifetime free oil changes on a $13,000 used car.

EDIT: I forgot, the dealer also had an 05 Sonata on the showroom floor that was traded in with over 400,000 miles!

Nice looking car, lots of features ... but, mortals are not reporting great real world mileage (well below epa).
http://www.insideline.com/kia/optima...and-video.html
... check the forums, everybody seems to be saying the same thing: mpg not living up to claimed (by a large margin)

This guy has got jokes . I guess this wont make Psyshack's future car list

Looking at mileage reported by owners to FuelEconomy.gov, there are 2 2011 Optima Hybrids listed, with both one user reporting 32.2 MPG and one user reporting 33.2 MPG. I didn't see any Optima Hybrids registered @ Fuelly. It would seem that the average user is not doing as well as one of us would.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.d...rue&details=on

Hi Carcus:

Everybody?

The Optima's EPA is 35/40/37 just like the EPA of the Malibu ECO is 25/37/29. These are not made up numbers. If asked to break a world record or drive around the block, which would you choose to save the most money at the pump? The answer is pretty clear just like the city results between the Malibu ECO, HSH and TCH when driven back to back on the same exact RT loop. The KOH uses the same drivetrain as the HSH.

Wayne

Hi Carcus:

Yet another back to back on the same city/country loop with just the basics between the CT200h, Optima Hybrid, Mazda2 with the 5-speed stick, Elantra GLS with the 6-speed stick, Infiniti M35h, Cruze ECO with the 6-speed stick, Civic with the 5-speed auto and Buick LaCrosse with eAssist... The LaCrosse and the Malibu use the same eAssist drivetrain.

Midwest Automobile Media Association - 2011 Spring Rally

Wayne

The Malibu will carry lots of cash on the hood also, you dont pay MSRP for those.. the one thing the Eco is missing to be a full hybrid is an atkinson mode on the engine.. it may need a bigger motor for that.

Hi Wayne,

I'm not doubting the KOH EPA numbers. I DO wonder if this is a car who's mpg falls apart under even slightly adverse conditions (ie. Cold, or windy, or slightly agressive driving). The majority of reviews or owner's comments I have read report mpg's in the low to mid 30's.

I see from your review the steady state mpg at 65 mph, no winds and 80 deg was below EPA highway -- I'd consider that a clue to the mystery.