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Chevrolet Malibu MPG-Real World Numbers

1457910

Comments

  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    on the tires no comparison as I upgraded to an aftermarket 17 inch rim on my Maxx...michelins were the pilot sport A/S and the BFGs were g-force Supersport A/S as Im running a 225/45/17 tire... both sets were rated the same..I rotate at every oil change so that is about 5-7k and front end alignment check yearly......so dont know why the difference...

    as for the brakes...not sure of the brand...as had them done at Merchants Tire and my local mechanic...believe they both used a NAPA supplied pad...meeting OEM specs
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    On about 2500 miles I got 30MPG. It would not have been that good except that I travelled through states that had lower speed limits such as Indianna. There are long stretches of 60 MPH going the length of the state. If I'd been running about 70 to 75 the whole trip I'd guess no better than 28MPG. I'd guess only about 500# of passenger and luggage. I did add air to tires on the way up after an overnight where temps dropped below freezing. By the time we got back home temps had dropped enough that I did not have to let any out. I ran BP regular and maybe one tank of Shell.
    A few months later, still at over 50% oil life, I noted that when I passed 6K that engine seemed to start losing some pep and like maybe dropping a little on MPG for my local driving. My last fill was Chevron premium, wondering if that would make a difference. It does not seem to have effected performance but will know MPG at next fill. So I have to wonder if oil is losing some of its lubricity. I might change ahead of time and try synthetic.
  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    1LT with 4 cyl and 6 spd. Still new and not broken in. My mpg has been going up steadily since about 600 miles were on it. Last tank was a jump from 26.4 to 29.8. Used mostly for commute to work that is 6 miles city and 9 miles Interstate. Interstate is congested and narrows to two lanes in construction zone.
    Tried to check mpg yesterday but gas pump didn't auto shut off and spilled gas out on ground.
    Using DIC today, I got 25.0 avg mpg from my house to the on-ramp (11 mins). Then I reset it and it reached 41.0 mpg avg for the 9 miles on the interstate.
    The total commute to work is 32.6 mpg. It was 25.4 mpg when I first got the car. A very unexpected increase in just 1300 miles.
    Rounded off, DIC says I am getting the EPA hwy (33) on my 40% city driving commute. Warm weather, no a/c.
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    (1300 miles) Still new and not broken in.

    How will you know when it's "broken in"? When do you expect that to
    happen? (Doesn't your manual speak of 600 miles? Mine do...)

    Tried to check mpg yesterday but gas pump didn't auto shut off and
    spilled gas out on ground.


    Relying on a DIC's reading is a mistake, in my opinion, unless you are
    interested in a trend, not absolute numbers.

    DIC says I am getting the EPA hwy (33) on my 40% city driving commute

    Just don't trust it -- don't spill gas on the ground and make an
    honest computation yourself :-)
  • lemonmalibulemonmalibu Member Posts: 7
    I PURCHASED A USED 2009 LTZ ON JANUARY 2 2010. THE VEHICLE HAD 17,400 MILES. THE VEHICLE ONLY AVERAGES ABOUT 15 TO 16 MPG HERE IN PITTSBURGH. ALSO, AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 15 AND 27 MPH, THE CAR WILL SEEM AS THOUGH IT SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL FOR A INSTANT (VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME) AND THEN SEEM TO ADJUST BACK. I HAVE HAD THE CAR BACK AT THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY KEEP SAYING THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCE ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE MPG. THIS WAS ONE OF THE REASON I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    do you have a 4 or 6 cyl?
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Lemonmalibu,
    Did you have the service tech ride with you in the vehicle so they could feel the shifting problem? What engine do you have in the vehicle? Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    In the past, I noticed that gas mileage maxed out for me at 60000-80000 miles on a vehicle.

    If nowadays they are broken in at 600 miles, does that mean mpg peaks at 600 miles? What I mean by 'broken in' is that mpg hits max.

    The DIC was accurate to within .1 mpg for an entire tank of gas recently on avg mpg.
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    In my Bu's 05, I haven't noticed MPG improvements as I drove them more (30K on one, and 40K on the other now). Not that I am unhappy with what I was getting from the beginning :-)

    For my Bu's 05 DIC shows about 1.2 better MPG than it is in reality.
    06 Maxx DIC lies big time, adding about 2 MPG.

    And I hope you reset the DIC MPG meter at each fillup -- you do it, right?
  • phil53phil53 Member Posts: 54
    I'm guessing you have the 6A. Are you experiencing this when you lift off the throttle momentarily, then get back into it? I get that - at just about any speed. As for the mileage, I've never gotten quite that bad, but I do have the 4 cyl. Maybe you have the V6? That said, if I just use it to putz around town, I have gotten as low as 18 mpg. The other thing I find interesting is that, as I have put on more miles, my mileage has actually gone down a little. My current commute is 30 miles. 25 of those are on freeway/interstate and the traffic is not that bad. I'm averaging about 22 to 23 mpg.
  • lemonmalibulemonmalibu Member Posts: 7
    4 cyc
  • lemonmalibulemonmalibu Member Posts: 7
    Yes Mariah
  • lemonmalibulemonmalibu Member Posts: 7
    Yes Mariah and I have even spoken on several occassions to GM Customer Service reps. Can you help me?
  • lemonmalibulemonmalibu Member Posts: 7
    It is a 4 cyl. The Dealer also thought that I might have been lifting off the throttle momentarily. This is not the case. I can be driving at a steady pace with my foot stayed on the pedal and what I discribed happens on a continous basis. It is very frustrating.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Lemonmalibu,
    I need to get some information from you in order to at your situation further. Can you please email me your VIN, current mileage, dealership and service request number if you have one? You can get my email by clicking on my name. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • lemonmalibulemonmalibu Member Posts: 7
    Mariah, I previously spoke to you via telephone. I will call you again to discuss the same issue listed above and that we also spoke about previously.
  • nomabunomabu Member Posts: 1
    Also called the no go mabu by my friends.

    We feel totally ripped off and even reading the forum posts by people happy with the malibu, I'm disapointed. I mean.. what' up with being ok with a lying odometer?

    At any rate, I'm lucky to get 15 mpg in town with this beast. And that's if I drive llike a granny- not that there is much choice with this car. If I drive like a granny on the highway, I MIGHT get 30 mpg.

    My last car was a honda accord with 225,00 miles on it, also a four speed. Got 35 in the city til the day I traded it in.

    Also the GPS, what freakin' did the voice recognition? I have to turn off my windshield wipers or they can't hear me?

    I also had to talk and talk to the people at onstar. They must live in a small town and assume I have time to chat before asking my directions. I'm in Chicago. Small talk can make me miss an exit. A garmon would be quicker than dealing with a varying degree of clarity and understanding issues.

    Also, the turn signals already broken and won't turn off automatically. yeesh.

    Malibu 2009 20000 miles on it. 4 cyl w/ useless automatic.
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    a lying odometer? In what post? :-) (I, for one, mentioned a lying MPG meter -- a big difference.)

    Otherwise, a very helpful post,thank you. (My 05 and 06 Bus have none of the 08+s "advanced features" and (the sedans) a perfect mileage. Very happy with them all so far.)
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I made that same trip a couple of weeks ago. This time I got just over 32MPG and that includes some local driving and torturous jammed up freeway driving through Chicago, express lanes closed. It was stop and go for at least half hour.
    I also noted that the engine seemed to have a bit more power when using 89 or 93 octane.
  • lemonmalibulemonmalibu Member Posts: 7
    Mariah, I just sent you an email. Please respond.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Lemonmalibu,
    I did send you an email. Please let me know if you don't receive it. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • raygazzmanraygazzman Member Posts: 2
    Hi all,

    I have 820 miles on my 4 clyinder 6 speed 1LT. Up to now I have HORRIBLE gas mileage of 15.1 mpg, per the DIC system and also my calculations. Granted most of my driving is in Queens NY with stop and go traffic, I also drove with the fan on speed 2 for most of 2 weeks, for we have had some heatwave in NYC lately

    I just reset my DIC AVG and plan to drive to maximize my MPG I will report after 2 more tank fulls.

    I intend to drive with the INSTANT MPG readout on screen, maybe this can help me drive to maximize MPG. Does anybody use this INSTANT MPG readout for this purpose?? If so any success?

    Lastly I think my 2010 1LT may have a touch of what lemonmalibu has described. Ive asked 2 people to drive it a bit and they say they like how it drives but can feel some hesitation or jump.... I will take it to my mechanic soon and will report.

    Best to all,
    RayGAZZman
  • raygazzmanraygazzman Member Posts: 2
    Hello,

    No action on this board, too bad.

    Well I am upadating my previous post. I recently took a road trip and got somewhere over the advertised 33mpg on strictly HWY miles.. yippeeeee.
    However my City miles are still lagging the advertised 20mpg.
    After driving veeeeeery carefully around the city trying to manage my MPG optimally, Im still getting only about 16-17 mpg. But I am happy bout my HWY mpg.

    I havent taken my car in yet for service but I will soon and will post if there is any
    success with my CITY mpg..

    Thanks,
    Ciao
  • phil53phil53 Member Posts: 54
    You're doing better than me. I have yet to crack 30 mpg. In fact, my best is 29 - or would have been if I hadn't had to get off the interstate to fill up. Usually, I get 27 to 28 with steady state cruising. Of course, here in the midwest, highway speed limits are 70 mph and an additional 5 mph is usually a 'gimme', so that means setting the cruise at 75. I could probably do better with the cruise set at 65, but then I'd be a road hazard. ;)
    Around town - some urban, some suburban and a bunch of freeway (interstate loop), I get low 20's - about 22. If I actually drive just around the 'burbs or in the city, I get high teens.
    I just keep thinking - for that kind of mileage, I coulda had a V6. And, actually, my Corvette with the 350 V8 gets just as good a mileage. Of course, it takes premium fuel, but it's also a LOT more fun to drive. And it can get out of its own way - something the Malibu with the 4A has trouble doing, unless you're really flogging it.
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    My 05 Base just returned from another "college trip" between MA and
    TN (about 1100 miles each way).

    There (loaded): 35.9. Back (empty): 36.9.

    The trip included plenty of mountain climbing in NY, PA, and TN (a gross
    MPG killer), and some stop-and-go on the way "there". This time I
    also made two fill-ups at the south and north borders of VA, a
    relatively flat road. For that span of the road (back), the result
    (by the fuel purchased) is 40.4 MPG, better than I expected.

    A bit under 42K miles on the car now, and I've been happy with it.
  • greg_nygreg_ny Member Posts: 8
    2010 Malibu LS 4 cyl. with 2300 miles
    I live in Brooklyn NY and I use 87 and 89 octane gasoline.
    With A/C on Hwy average is 32-35 mpg but city is very bad, between 12.7-14 mpg
    I have this car since April 28, 2010 and truly regret buying it for few reasons.
    I was going to buy Camry but Malibu had a factory rebate at the time that is why I went for Malibu. BIG MISTAKE.
    I've had 2006 Chevy Equinox before and city milage was about 17 mpg.
  • greg_nygreg_ny Member Posts: 8
    I have about 2600 miles on my 2010 Malibu.
    My October MPG average was very bad 10.9
    No A/C, no sitting in traffic, just normal city driving
    :lemon:
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    Comparing your two posts: 09/05 -- 2300 miles, 10/31 -- 2600 miles on the odometer.
    300 miles in two months? 150 in one month? I find it hard to call in a "normal city driving". How many gallons on gas have you purchased to drive those 300 miles? You do one fillup a month? Sorry, your numbers look suspicious to me.
  • marsjmarsj Member Posts: 3
    2007 Malibu Maxx LTS, 6-cyl with only 35,000 miles on it
    I am getting only about 20 mpg according to the display, but my avg speed is only 29-30, with 50/50 highway & stop-&-go local driving. MPG is much better on long, hwy trips of course (25+), but I was hoping it would be better overall.
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    QUESTION: ---- What brand of tires are on your Malibu? ---- What pressure are you running to get those MPG figures? ----- Dwayne (Owner of a 2010 four cylinder LTZ with a 6 speed auto trans that only gets 27 MPG on the highway.)
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Hi all: ------------ Chevrolet and General Motors owes the owners of the "four cylinder Malibu" reasons why we are not getting the posted highway mileage of 30 to 33 mpg! ---- (They advertise these figures, ----- but many of us have not seen these figures in the real world! ----- WHY?) ----- Many of us have purchased these vehicles because of this posted mileage! ---------- Best regards! ------ Dwayne :shades: :confuse: ;):)
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    You are not going to get the same mileage in cold weather as in warm, known fact.
  • phil53phil53 Member Posts: 54
    I agree with Dwayne - to an extent.
    And I would tell 'gonogo' that cold weather appears to have little to do with it. I've owned my 09 LTZ 4cyl 6A since they came out and I have never seen 30 mpg - not once, in any weather. Actually, my wife saw right at 30 mpg once - on a trip from KC to DM doing all interstate driving. The best mileage I have ever seen (same route) was about 28 mpg. Normally, in combined driving, I get around 22 mpg. For that kind of mileage, I coulda had a V6! I will also note that this is the first GM product where I haven't gotten the advertised mileage or even close to it.
    As to Dwayne's observation, the reason we don't see those kinds of mileage figures is that we don't drive like the EPA loop nor are we hyper-milers. We are just ordinary drivers who get in our cars and drive them. And, since these are little 4 bangers whose transmissions are tuned for mileage instead of performance, it actually back-fires and we see worse than we should. I'm guessing if I had a 6M, I would see better mileage - but still not what is advertised on the sticker.
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    phil53:

    You comments are right on the money! ----- The four cylinder in this car IS NOT sufficient to power this vehicle. ---- (It is working too hard to move the vehicle!) This is where the mileage is going!!!! ---- It does not come close to a four cylinder Honda Accord engine. (What was GM thinking putting this "toy of an engine" in this vehicle?) ------ Maybe if this engine had a Turbo something might happen! ---- In addition, the "original equipment tires" ARE NOT "mileage friendly tires." ---- They are at the low end of the tire spectrum! ----- I am seriously considering putting on four Michelin tires at a cost of $888.00. --- I will
    bet this will improve the mileage. ---------- Best regards. ----- Dwayne. :shades: ;):)
  • phil53phil53 Member Posts: 54
    Keep in mind that high mpg (i.e., low rolling resistance) tires sacrifice performance to achieve their goal. And sometimes comfort. So you have to be aware of the trade-offs going in.
    Personally, I prefer performance over mpg. But that's just me.
    As an interesting side-note, I recently found myself in a Dodge Avenger rental car. Now, this car was nowhere near as polished or comfortable as my Malibu. But the thing I noticed is that I had better response, smoother shifts and seemed to get similar mileage. The engine was the same size, although not quite as powerful and I'd bet that the transmission was a 5 speed at best - maybe a 4 speed. So this is an area where the Malibu really disappoints.
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    QUESTION: ---- Why can Honda build a four cylinder engine that performs in the Accord, but the American Manufacturer cannot seem to engineer the same technology? ----- Did we forget how to build an engine? ------- Dwayne.
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    QUESTION: ---- Do you think synthetic oil would make a difference in the MPG? --------- Dwayne
  • phil53phil53 Member Posts: 54
    I have used synthetic in my car since the first oil change. And my mileage is not that great.
    On the other hand, I wait until the 'oil life' read-out on the DIC is down to single digits - or, at least low double digits - before I change oil. I'm not changing oil nearly as often as I used to under the old 5000 mile rule and I suspect that my engine is better protected (although it's hard to prove without tearing it down).
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Hi All:

    We have all been discussing the poor fuel mileage on the four cylinder Malibu! ---- We have been discussing the possible causes of this condition.

    I am sure that there are General Motors Representatives on this forum. ---- Why haven't they joined the discussion, and in the process, share some insights from the factory point of view?

    Best regards? ----------- Dwayne :shades: :confuse: ;):)
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    The Ecotec is German engineering.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    I have seen as high as 33 mpg with my Ecotec 2.4, in a 09 G6 not Malibu.
    Maybe it's just Chevy.
  • maddog0324maddog0324 Member Posts: 55
    You might be on to something, my '08 G6 got 31mpg on a recent trip.
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Hi phil53:

    QUESTIONS:

    1.) Do you have a six speed automatic transmission in the 09 / G6?

    2.) What tires do you have on this vehicle?

    Size:

    Manufacturer:

    3.) Do you run synthetic oil in this engine?

    4.) What fuel do you use in this engine?

    5.) Do you use the cruise control?

    6.) Do you run the tires hard 32+ psi?

    Best regards. ----------- Dwayne :shades: :confuse: ;):)
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    form a legal standpoint..I dont think GM employees are allowed to join in the discussion.....in another forum dealing with a specific Pontiac model....we had both a sales person from a dealership and a engineer assisting members....but only a few knew their exact identities....they provided invaluable inside into issues, and fixes as they were engineered...or simply discussions on why things were designed or worked as they did.....

    You do have one customer service rep who frequents the board..but not sure how effective she is in handling issues...
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    when Chevy changed the malibu engine after the 06 MY I beleive..there was a slight loss in MPG.....my 04 Malibu Maxx LT has a 3.5L 6 cylinder and I regularly get 22-24 in the city and 28-31 on the highway depending on conditions...with 178K on it now...

    I have always run Mobil 1 0w or 5w-30 full synthetic oil (change interval averages 6000 miles), I upsized my tires from 16 inch (215/60/16) to 17 inch aftermarket rims running 225/50/17 tires...have run Michelins, BFG, and currently GY Eagles on them....MPG has remained constant with the only difference being tire wear, cruise is used on long drives and tire inflation is 32 lbs (checked weekly), and I use nothing but tier 1 brand fuel....in my case I pump nothing but Shell regular....
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Good Morning:

    Lets look at this from a "public relations point of view!" ---- This is an open board where owners and people who have an interest in this vehicle can express their opinions with regards to the quality of the vehicle.

    We have people on this board, who are not happy with the advertised fuel mileage. ----- If no one at the corporate level addresses this issue in a professional manner, the conclusion from the customer's point of view is that; --- 1.) The company does not care. --- or --- 2.) There is no fix for the problem. --- or --- 3.) There is a "fix" but the company does not want to spend the money. ------ The net result of this action is that "sales will suffer!" ------ Chevrolet & GM have a nice vehicle, but it does not live up to their posted fuel figures. ---- If the tires are the issue, let the owners know that a better grade of tire will make a difference. ---- Give the owners some credit on the old tires, and let them "trade up" to a better grade of tire! ------ Best regards. --------- Dwayne
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I believe it was 2010 that EPA started using new test method. I glanced at procedure and at least for the city it should be easy for most to beat. Lots of stop and go in my opinion.
    However vehicle may not yet be tested. Makers are allowed to come up with their own figures until EPA tests. In an attempt to keep them honest, there is a penalty if it is off, on each built vehicle.
    My 09 LT2 was satisfactory on mileage, but it seemed to drop some as mileage increased. And my 11LacrosseCSX did get the 28MPG highway until around 2500 miles. Since then mileage has dropped about 3 MPG highway and local. No explanation so far and the 4.0L V8 Aurora with four speed was doing slightly better on highway.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    1. no
    2. P225 50 R17 Hankook touring
    3. no
    4. 87 octane
    5. yes
    6. yes, 32 psi came from dealer that way
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Kindly be advised that my Malibu is a 2010 LTZ, and it came with 18" Goodyear tires at 30psi from the dealer. ---- Did your vehicle originally come with Goodyear tires? --------- Dwayne
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    No, came with Hankook. I priced the Hankook after I bought the car, one place had priced them $118 each.
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