2022 GM Malibu Not a Viable Option

[tomj76]

Just looked at the 2022 Malibu. The engine is 1.5L Turbo. No thanks. They have just "marketed" themselves out of my choices.


My dad had a '76 Malibu Classic. It came with a 250 CI (4.1 L) inline 6 engine. That car was HUGE! I think two of the 2022 model could fit inside the footprint of the 1976 model.

[Blue Bowtie]

The '76 G-bodies were actually not "huge" but were a lot bigger than their current contemporaries. A '76 B-body was actually huge. A '76 Caprice 2-door had a quarter panel that was 11 feet long. The door alone was almost 6 feet.

I believe the comparable D bodies were even slightly larger. A '74-76 Buick Electra, Olds Ninety Eight, or Sedan de Ville had a curb weight that rivals most "standard" pickups today, at just under 5,300 curb weight. 130" wheelbase, 80" wide, 235" long, and that was with 27G of fuel versus the option 48G on a modern F-250.

The station wagons were even more massive. It was a different philosophy.

[wpbharry]

The 1.5L Turbo has been in the Malibu since model year 2016 and you'll find it in the Equinox as well. I have a similar engine in my Ford Fusion and it's not bad. My BIG problem with the Malibu, and why I didn't buy one, is the lack of a start/stop off switch. Other GM products have one but not the Bu.

[tomj76]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

A '76 B-body was actually huge. A '76 Caprice 2-door had a quarter panel that was 11 feet long. The door alone was almost 6 feet.

My dad's 'Classic' was a coupe and it also had very large doors, I'd guess 5-6 ft long. He bought it with a manual transmission (on the column) because it was either during or just after the oil embargo and the price of gasoline had increased so much. The hood seemed to go on forever.



As far as the new Malibu, I am not a fan of turbo charged engines for a daily driver. I see turbo as a very expensive added failure point. Another smaller negative is the issue of turbo lag in engine output response.

[maxwedge]

My wife's 2021. Equinox 1.5 turbo is surprisingly responsive, the smaller turbo spools pretty quickly. Given a choice I would have preferred a non turbo engine. Gotta use a pretty specific Dexos 2 oil. Been averaging about 27mpg, it hasn't reached 32 degrees here in a month!

[wpbharry]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

My wife's 2021. Equinox 1.5 turbo is surprisingly responsive, the smaller turbo spools pretty quickly. Given a choice I would have preferred a non turbo engine. Gotta use a pretty specific Dexos 2 oil. Been averaging about 27mpg, it hasn't reached 32 degrees here in a month!

My Fusion with the 1.5L is very responsive as well. Considering an Equinox to replace it if the chip shortage ever goes away. I don't mind the higher oil change prices, but that $300 battery because of stop/start was an eye-opener.