Was the Malibu on the top 10 worst car lists recently?

I see they're still pushing fuel cells. I guess someone didn't get the memo.

i agree the malibu sucks compared to the prius but lets not forget it is a hybrid. This is a step in the right direction and GM should be commended for their efforts.

Just be glad its not a display of the latest and greatest gas guzzler.

Actually, I don't know about that. The Malibu "hybrid" only boasts about a 2 MPG improvement over the non-hybrid version. Its key selling point is that it's a relatively cheap upgrade to the hybrid option.

In my view, GM deserves to get thwacked for the way they approached the Malibu "hybrid" because they created a car for people who want to say they bought the cheapest hybrid they could find, without getting any of the real benefits. It's for hybrid posers, if you will.

I guess he's right in a way. The Malibu doesn't appear to have a GPS option or a "Smart Key" equivalent and the Prius is a hatchback.

I hope, by the way, that he wasn't referring to interior space. In that respect, they're actually pretty comparable.

______________Malibu__________Prius
Head room_____39.4/37.2_______39.1/37.3
Leg room______42.2/37.6_______41.9/38.6
Shoulder room_55.9/53.9_______55.0/52.9
Hip room______53.0/52.1_______51.0/51.6

My mom had a Malibu. It felt more cramped to me than the Prius (I think because of the Prius' ample windows) and it was always having problems with the air conditioner (it had to be fixed several times while still under the warranty period).

The only problem I have with the Malibu Hybrid is that it doesn't increase MPG (by much) and doesn't lower emissions either (compared to a non-hybrid version). So, when people finally realize this, they will think its a scam (it kinda is) and by association, they will think all hybrids are also a waste of money (like this one). Judging by comments I see on other auto blogs, a lot of people already feel this way (because they are ignorant).

Thanks GM. Doing for hybrids what you did for automotive diesels back in the 80's.

Actually they even had a model / spokewoman on the microphone talking about the fuel cells and how the only emissions from the vehicle is "drinkable" water.

A hybrid in name only as others have already noted. It only serves to diminish what people perceive as the likely benefits of hybrids. It is really just a half-*** way of making hybrids to improve your green image.

I guess Bob Lutz and the PR department aren't reading each other's e-mail.

GM, Toyota Doubtful on Fuel Cells' Mass Use


Hydrogen Highway's dead end.

Man if this car doesn't get close to it's EPA numbers we might as well go back to the days of throwing lumps of coal into a boiler and steaming down the road!

environmental image my a$$!

24-32 mpg is better but neither good nor brilliant. GM must realise that you cannot just stick a hybrid badge on a car and think it'll make it all OK with the environmentalists. Car manufacturers are doing something that bothers me. They use hybrid technology to increase the power and acceleration instead of using the added efficiency to reduce fuel consumption.

And the Volt? I get the idea that GM execs are sniggering in their palms going: "Just keep them thinking we care about the planet while we keep selling fuel guzzlers".

It's probably a bit like Dilbert at GM head office....

Dilbert.com - The Official Dilbert Website by Scott Adams - Dilbert, Dogbert and Coworkers!

GM had a very similar display at the San Francisco auto show a few months ago.

Correct. GPS nav system isn't even an option nor is there a back-up camera option. The funny thing is the press tries to claim it's a competitor to Accord, Camry and Altima. All three have GPS nav system options while the latter two can have back-up cameras and smart key systems (standard even on non-hybrid Altimas).

But it must be a green car, did you notice all the green on the display.

GM execs thinking,
"It worked for diesel cars so it should work for hybrids then we can get back to making V8s."

Boulder Bum was on the right track: interior volumes of the Prius and the new Malibu are almost the same. Prius has 96 cu-ft. The 2008 Malibu has 95 cu-ft according to the EPA website, or 97.7 cu-ft according to Edmonds.com. What does GM say? Well, they refuse to publish that particular spec....

They must be doing it right becasue it is the North American Car of the Year.

My friend has a Malibu and it's very nice car.

Or mingling with the right people and putting money in the right pockets.

i like the styling, it would be great if it had the gs450h powertrain.

I believe OnStar has GPS capabilities. I wouldn't want to pay monthly fees, but when the updated map with the new highways to my parents' comes out for Garmin, it will likely run a $100 or more.

If BAS was downgraded to a basic auto stop, and made standard on all new models, then GM could be doing more than Toyota.