GM Steps it up: Cobalt & Malibu now have best in class fuel economy

The "Best in Class" nonsense is really getting tiresome.

GM advertisements for midsize cars simply ignore Camry-Hybrid, pretending it doesn't exist.

So the use of "outstanding" won't be taken without a grain of salt... or perhaps a spoonful.

.

 

I thought this article from the same site was more interesting:

http://www.autosavant.net/2008/04/shift-to-smaller-cars-may-finally-be.html

 

Nice to see GM making some progress in the right direction. They are certainly pushing new boundaries in their creative use of numbers though. The cobalt is classified as a subcompact by the EPA, so the fact thats its barely more efficient than a number of substantially larger cars is not hugely impressive. City MPGs have only increased by 1 mpg, while highway is up 3 mpg. Good for road trips, no so great for everyday driving. My guess is this will take the combined mpgs up 1-2 mpg to 28 or maybe 29. We'll have to wait until the official numbers are up the EPA website to be sure, but lets say 28.5 for now. The Malibu is classified as a midsize, but is barely bigger than a number of compacts and quite a bit smaller than most other midsize. The Malibu picks up 2 mpg hwy, and 0 mpg city. Its probably overly generous buts lets brings its combined up a whole mpg to 26.

So, a more complete table ranked by combined mpgs would look like, :

Model ------ comb mpg - city mpg - hwy mpg - psng vol - crg vol
'08 Prius ------ 46 ------ 48 -------- 45 ------ 96 ------ 16
'08 Civic Hyb -- 42 ------ 40 -------- 45 ------ 91 ------ 10
'08 Altima Hyb - 34 ------ 35 -------- 33 ------ 101 ----- 10
'08 Camry Hyb -- 34 ------ 33 -------- 34 ------ 101 ----- 11
'08 Yaris MT --- 32 ------ 29 -------- 36 ------ 87 ------ 13
'08 Mini MT ---- 32 ------ 28 -------- 37 ------ 76 ------ 6
'08 MiniClub MT -32 ------ 28 -------- 37 ------ 80 ------ 17
'08 Yaris AT --- 31 ------ 29 -------- 35 ------ 87 ------ 13
'08 Corolla MT - 31 ------ 28 -------- 37 ------ 89 ------ 14
'08 Fit MT ----- 31 ------ 28 -------- 34 ------ 90 ------ 21
'07 Scion xA MT- 30 ------ 27 -------- 35 ------ 86 ------ 12
'08 Fit AT ----- 30 ------ 27 -------- 34 ------ 90 ------ 21
'07 Scion xA AT- 30 ------ 27 -------- 34 ------ 86 ------ 12
'09 Corolla AT - 29 ------ 27 -------- 35 ------ 92 ------ 12 *EST
'08 Versa CVT -- 29 ------ 27 -------- 33 ------ 94 ------ 14
'08 Scion xD MT- 29 ------ 27 -------- 33 ------ 84 ------ 11
'08 Accent MT -- 29 ------ 27 -------- 32 ------ 92 ------ 12
'09 Corolla MT - 29 ------ 26 -------- 35 ------ 92 ------ 12 *EST
'08 Corolla AT - 29 ------ 26 -------- 35 ------ 89 ------ 14
'08 Mini AT ---- 29 ------ 26 -------- 34 ------ 76 ------ 6
'08 Civic MT --- 29 ------ 26 -------- 34 ------ 91 ------ 12
'08 Matrix MT -- 29 ------ 26 -------- 33 ------ 94 ------ 22
'08 Vibe MT ---- 29 ------ 26 -------- 33 ------ 94 ------ 22
'08 Civic AT --- 29 ------ 25 -------- 36 ------ 91 ------ 12
'08 Elantra MT - 29 ------ 25 -------- 33 ------ 98 ------ 14
'08 CobaltXFE MT 28.5 ---- 25 -------- 36 ------ 86 ------ 14 *EST
'08 Sentra CVT - 28 ------ 25 -------- 33 ------ 97 ------ 13
'08 Scion xD AT- 28 ------ 26 -------- 32 ------ 84 ------ 11
'08 Versa MT --- 28 ------ 26 -------- 31 ------ 94 ------ 14
'08 Focus MT --- 28 ------ 24 -------- 35 ------ 93 ------ 14
'08 Focus AT --- 28 ------ 24 -------- 33 ------ 93 ------ 14
'08 Accent AT -- 28 ------ 24 -------- 33 ------ 92 ------ 12
'08 Matrix AT -- 27 ------ 25 -------- 31 ------ 94 ------ 22
'08 Vibe AT ---- 27 ------ 25 -------- 31 ------ 94 ------ 22
'08 Aveo MT ---- 27 ------ 24 -------- 34 ------ 91 ------ 12
'08 Elantra AT - 27 ------ 24 -------- 33 ------ 98 ------ 14
'08 Cobalt MT -- 27 ------ 24 -------- 33 ------ 86 ------ 14
'08 Malibu Hyb - 27 ------ 24 -------- 32 ------ 95 ------ 16
'08 Versa AT --- 27 ------ 24 -------- 32 ------ 94 ------ 14
'08 Mazda3 MT -- 27 ------ 24 -------- 32 ------ 94 ------ 11
'08 Sentra MT -- 27 ------ 24 -------- 31 ------ 97 ------ 13
'08 Aveo AT ---- 26 ------ 23 -------- 32 ------ 91 ------ 12
'08 Mazda3 AT -- 26 ------ 23 -------- 31 ------ 94 ------ 11
'08 MalibuXFE AT-26 ------ 22 -------- 32 ------ 95 ------ 16 *EST
'08 Cobalt AT -- 26 ------ 22 -------- 31 ------ 86 ------ 14
'08 Accord MT -- 25 ------ 22 -------- 31 ------ 106 ----- 14
'08 Camry AT --- 25 ------ 21 -------- 31 ------ 101 ----- 15
'08 Camry MT --- 25 ------ 21 -------- 31 ------ 101 ----- 15
'08 Malibu AT -- 25 ------ 22 -------- 30 ------ 95 ------ 16
'08 Optima V6AT- 23 ------ 20 -------- 28 ------ 104 ----- 14
'08 Avalon V6AT- 22 ------ 19 -------- 28 ------ 107 ----- 14
'08 Sonata V6AT- 22 ------ 19 -------- 28 ------ 105 ----- 16
'08 Camry V6AT - 22 ------ 19 -------- 28 ------ 101 ----- 15
'08 ES350 V6AT - 22 ------ 19 -------- 27 ------ 95 ------ 15
'08 GS350 V6AT - 22 ------ 19 -------- 27 ------ 98 ------ 13
'08 Altima V6AT- 22 ------ 19 -------- 26 ------ 101 ----- 15
'08 G6 V6 AT --- 22 ------ 18 -------- 29 ------ 95 ------ 14
'08 Taurus V6AT- 22 ------ 18 -------- 28 ------ 108 ----- 21
'08 MKZ V6AT --- 22 ------ 18 -------- 28 ------ 99 ------ 16
'08 Maxima V6AT- 21 ------ 19 -------- 25 ------ 104 ----- 16
'08 GrandPrixV6AT21 ------ 18 -------- 28 ------ 97 ------ 16
'08 Azera V6AT - 21 ------ 18 -------- 26 ------ 107 ----- 17
'08 Milan V6AT - 21 ------ 18 -------- 26 ------ 101 ----- 16
'08 AcuraTL V6AT-21 ------ 18 -------- 26 ------ 98 ------ 12
'08 CTS V6AT --- 21 ------ 18 -------- 26 ------ 96 ------ 14
'08 LacrosseV6AT-21 ------ 17 -------- 28 ------ 100 ----- 16
'08 Mazda6 V6AT -20 ------ 18 -------- 25 ------ 96 ------ 15
'08 Passat V6AT -20 ------ 17 -------- 26 ------ 96 ------ 14
'08 Malibu V6AT- 20 ------ 17 -------- 26 ------ 95 ------ 16
'08 Galant V6AT- 20 ------ 17 -------- 25 ------ 99 ------ 13
'08 Charger V6AT-20 ------ 17 -------- 24 ------ 104 ----- 16
'08 LegacyAWDV6AT20 ------ 17 -------- 24 ------ 94 ------ 11
'08 Sebring V6AT-19 ------ 16 -------- 26 ------ 94 ------ 16
'08 Avenger V6AT-19 ------ 16 -------- 26 ------ 94 ------ 16
'08 300 AWD V6AT-18 ------ 15 -------- 22 ------ 104 ----- 18

Of course, we also have to wait and see if GM is going to make more than 300 of these new XFE models per year

Rob

 

"Best in Class" - what class? Class of low performers?

 

Ooooh! I am so impressed. My 2000 Intrigue with a 3.5L V6 & 4 speed automatic was rated 19/28 and I get 25-30.

Best in class? Yeah, the Special Ed class.

 

I have no problems with GM's putting the Cobalt in the "compact" class and the Malibu in the "mid-size" class.

This corresponds to what the EPA refers to as "market" classification that's based more or less on car exterior dimensions, as opposed to the EPA classification that's based on car interior volume.

I actually prefer to use market classification/exterior dimensions as the basis to compare different cars. But like John said, to ignore hybrids (or diesels) in the same class is rediculous.