2019 Chevrolet Malibu

The volume LS/RS/LT trims use the 1.5L LFV turbo four. The 250-hp 2.0T was offered only on the top Premier trim for 2019, and the Hybrid was in its final year, so neither sets the representative figure.

This is the peak torque of the volume 1.5T. Its low-rpm turbo torque makes it adequate around town despite modest horsepower.

2019 is the first year the 1.5T was paired with the CVT, as part of the refresh, and instrumented runs land around 8 seconds. That is slow for a mid-size sedan. The Premier 2.0T is quick but sells in low volume.

The 1.5T is quiet and adequate at low speeds but runs out of breath for highway passing, gets coarse under sustained load, and has mild turbo lag off the line. The 2.0T is strong and smooth but limited to Premier.

The new-for-2019 CVT on the volume trims pulls away smoothly and simulates stepped shifts, but it flares revs under hard throttle and has no real manual mode. The Premier's 9-speed automatic shifts smoothly.

Every 2019 Malibu, Hybrid included, is front-wheel drive, and this generation never offered AWD. The 2019 Altima and Fusion offered AWD.

2019 offered three powertrains: the 1.5T/CVT, the 2.0T/9-speed (Premier only) and the 1.8L Malibu Hybrid. That is broader than 2020 onward, which dropped the hybrid, but the 2.0T is locked to the top trim and there is no plug-in option.

32 MPG combined is competitive among gas mid-size sedans but well behind hybrids, including the Malibu's own 2019 Hybrid.

29 MPG city, helped by standard stop/start, is on par with naturally aspirated gas rivals.

36 MPG highway is decent for a gas mid-size sedan, trailing the Altima's 39.

A 15.8-gallon tank at the 32 MPG combined rating gives about 506 miles, which is solid for a gas sedan.

EPA estimates $2,100 a year to fuel the volume 1.5T, saving $1,500 over five years versus the average new vehicle. The Premier 2.0T costs about $1,050 more a year.

The volume 1.5T runs on regular 87-octane. It is held in the low 80s because EPA lists the Premier's 2.0T on premium fuel, which makes requirements mixed across trims.

NHTSA rates the 2019 Malibu, the first year of the mid-cycle refresh, 4 stars overall. Frontal is 5 stars, but the passenger frontal score is 4 stars, side is 4 stars (3 for the rear passenger) and rollover is 4 stars, so it trails the 5-star Camry and Accord.

It rates Good in driver small overlap, moderate overlap, the original side test, roof strength and head restraints. The passenger-side small overlap is Marginal, the updated side test (applied retroactively to 2016–25) is Poor, and it won no 2019 IIHS award, since its headlights rated Marginal/Poor. The Marginal and Poor results keep it in the bottom band.

Beyond the rear camera and the Teen Driver feature, no driver aid is standard on the 2019 car. Forward collision alert, AEB, lane keep assist, blind-spot alert and rear cross-traffic alert are in optional Driver Confidence packages, and adaptive cruise is limited to a Premier package. The 2019 Camry and Accord ship AEB, LKA and ACC as standard.

When it is optioned, IIHS rates the system well in vehicle-to-vehicle tests (Advanced/Superior depending on package), but pedestrian detection is basic and was never tested at night. Because none of it is standard, most 2019 Malibus have no AEB at all.

Side Blind Zone Alert with Lane Change Alert and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert only warn the driver, and they come only in optional packages that are not offered on every trim. There is no active intervention or safe-exit warning.

Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning is optional, in the Driver Confidence II / Enhanced packages. It only nudges the car back from the line, and no lane centering is offered at any price.

Adaptive cruise control is available only on the top Premier trim, as part of a package. The LS, RS and LT volume trims can't get it, and there is no combined highway-assist mode.

No hands-free highway system is offered; Super Cruise was never available on the Malibu.

IIHS rates the halogen projector headlights Poor without high-beam assist and Marginal with it. No configuration is rated Acceptable or Good, and there are no curve-adaptive lamps.

The fastback roofline means thick rear pillars and a shallow rear window, and reviewers fault the thick A-pillars and deep dash. A rear camera is standard, but rear park assist is optional and no surround-view camera is offered.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Marginal: the lower anchors are set deep in the seat bight and the center seat is tether-only. Generous rear legroom and wide rear doors make fitting seats easier once the anchors are reached.

Every 2019 Malibu trim (L, LS, RS, LT, Hybrid, Premier) seats five with a three-place rear bench. 2019 is the mid-cycle refresh year of the ninth generation (2016 launch); the cabin package carried over.

39.1 in of front headroom is near the top of the mid-size sedan range. The 2019 refresh changed the nose and tail but not the cabin.

41.5 in sits at the low end of the mid-size band; the 2019 Camry (42.1 in) and Accord (42.3 in) give front occupants more stretch-out room, because the Malibu's long wheelbase was spent on the rear seat.

37.5 in is respectable for a fastback-profile sedan and above the segment midpoint, though the sloping roofline brings taller adults close to the headliner and makes rear entry a duck.

The 111.4 in wheelbase pays off in the back: 38.1 in matches the Camry (38.0 in) and seats two adults comfortably, though well short of the Accord's 40.4 in. Cars.com lists rear legroom as a 2019 strength.

A 15.7 cu ft trunk on the gas trims is above average for a mid-size sedan and larger than the Camry's 15.1 cu ft. A 60/40 split-folding rear seatback is fitted; reviewers note the trunk has no interior release. The 2019-only Hybrid loses trunk space to its battery.

Storage is conventional but adequate: a covered console bin, a hidden cubby behind the infotainment surround, decent door pockets and front cupholders. Nothing is clever, and wireless charging and the 120V outlet are top-trim content.

On the LS/RS volume trims: cloth seats, a 6-way manual driver's seat on LS and an 8-way power driver's seat with power lumbar on RS. Reviewers find the front seats wide but short of support on long drives. Leather, a power passenger seat and ventilation are Premier content.

Ride compliance is the Malibu's strongest comfort trait: a soft, well-damped tune that soaks up broken pavement, floating a little over big heaves. The LS's 16-inch alloys give the softest ride; the new RS's 18s take a small edge off it.

An acoustic-laminated windshield and Active Noise Cancellation keep wind and engine noise down, and Consumer Reports calls the cabin unusually quiet. Held below 70 because 2019 reviews specifically flag road noise on coarse pavement.

Comfort content is back-loaded. The LS/RS volume trims have manual single-zone A/C and no heated seats (remote start only via an LS package); LT adds heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate with a rear vent and remote start; the Premier adds ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and, new for 2019, heated rear outboard seats.

The 2019 L was the price leader of the refreshed Malibu and undercut the base Camry and Accord. It was thinly equipped, and most retail buyers started at the LS.

The LT is the representative retail trim, the step where dual-zone climate and the driver-assistance packages become available. Fleet volume leaned on the L and LS.

Routine service on the 1.5T is cheap, but 2019 was the first year of the CVT on the 1.5T, and turbo/coolant repairs push projections up once the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain cover lapses. The estimate sits just below the 2020 car's ~$6,200 because of the earlier cost period.

The 2019 car's five-year window ended in 2024, after the used-car price spike had partly unwound. Its retained value now sits at 45% around year seven, which puts it at about half of MSRP at year five, in line with the nameplate curve.

GM's 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty is the industry floor. It matches Toyota, Honda and Nissan and trails Hyundai and Kia's 5 years/60,000 miles.

The 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain cover on the scored gas car is the band floor and half the mileage Hyundai and Kia give original owners.

2019 is the first model year after Chevrolet replaced its 2-year/24,000-mile Complete Care plan with a single first maintenance visit within 12 months (oil change, tire rotation, inspection). That, plus 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance, courtesy transportation and OnStar/Connected Services trials, amounts to short included maintenance with decent roadside cover.

$27,340 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (49% retained, or about $13,397) leaves about $13,943 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,100 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $20,043 in total.

Both sources rate the 2019 Malibu better than the 2020. J.D. Power gives it 87/100 ('Great') for quality and reliability, and Consumer Reports rates it about average for its model year. 2019 is the refresh year of the 2016 generation, and it is the first year the volume 1.5T came with a CVT. It also falls inside the 2018-2021 window where turbo and oil-consumption complaints cluster, so the score stays in the low 70s rather than higher.

In J.D. Power's dependability studies Chevrolet ranks near the top of the mass-market brands, but Consumer Reports rates it only average. That puts the brand above mid-pack without making it a consistent top-five performer.

NHTSA lists one recall for MY2019: loose or missing rear seat-belt retractor fasteners, covering 402 vehicles across the Malibu and XT4. The 2018 Malibu's injector-software, brake-caliper and start/stop accumulator recalls do not include 2019. The score stops at 80 because this generation has recurring service-bulletin patterns: 1.5T oil consumption, CVT shudder and 'Engine Power Reduced' warnings.

The volume powertrain is the 1.5L LFV turbo, which was paired with GM's new CVT for the first time in 2019. The known issues are oil consumption from low-tension piston rings, turbo failures concentrated in 2018-2021 builds, and CVT shudder. A CVT is also expensive to replace once the warranty runs out. The 2.0T with the 9-speed automatic, offered on the Premier only, has a better record but sells in low volume.

The 2019 refresh left the 2016 cabin largely alone, adding a larger 8-inch screen on most trims. Reviewers describe the cabin as mostly hard plastics, with some soft-touch and stitched trim on upper trims, and it looks dated next to the Accord and Camry, both redesigned for 2018. The score is held at 45 rather than lower because the Malibu is priced below those rivals.

J.D. Power lists the 2019 Malibu as a Quality award winner, which counts problems reported per 100 owners in the first 90 days, and gives it 87/100 for Quality & Reliability. Both point to consistent assembly at Fairfax. Owner reviews rarely mention rattles or panel misalignment, though the cheap materials keep the score short of the top band.

Chevrolet has about 2,860 US franchises, one of the densest dealer networks in the country, including rural areas. Its service satisfaction is above the mass-market average but trails leaders such as Subaru.

Routine repair costs are about average for the class and below the all-vehicle average. The 1.5T and CVT are shared with the Equinox, Trailblazer and Encore GX, so GM and aftermarket parts remain plentiful after Malibu production ended. The score stays at 80 because a failed CVT means replacing the whole unit, which is costly.

The 2019 refresh replaced the previous MyLink unit with an 8-inch Chevrolet Infotainment 3 touchscreen on every trim; the Premier and Hybrid get the HD-screen Infotainment 3 Plus at the same size. No larger screen was offered.

Infotainment 3, new for 2019, is quick and intuitive with real knobs and buttons for volume, tuning and climate; its graphics and 8-inch screen were competitive for the year. Reviewers list the multimedia system among the car's strengths.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every 2019 trim, but wired only — wireless projection arrived for the 2021 model year.

Infotainment 3 Plus (Premier/Hybrid) adds enhanced voice recognition and connected navigation; LS/RS/LT buyers get basic command voice and phone pass-through, relying on wired CarPlay/Android Auto for maps.

Volume trims have the standard six-speaker system — adequate for podcasts, thin with music. For 2019 the nine-speaker Bose left the LT's Leather Package and became Premier-only.

Volume trims have analog speedometer and tachometer around a monochrome Driver Information Center; only the Hybrid and Premier get the new 8-inch multi-color reconfigurable center display, still flanked by analog dials. No full digital cluster at any price.

2019 is the first Malibu year with Infotainment 3, which can receive over-the-air infotainment updates via OnStar data or Wi-Fi; the car lacks GM's newer VIP electrical architecture, so updates are infotainment-only.

The myChevrolet app covers lock/unlock, locate, diagnostics and hotspot management, but on a 2019 car remote commands are a trial that lapses into a paid OnStar/Connected Access plan, and app remote start needs factory remote start (LT and up, or an LS package).

Front USB ports and a 12-volt socket on the volume trims, plus a USB charging-only port at the rear of the console; a 120-volt outlet and wireless charging pad are Premier-only.

Keyless Open and Keyless Start are standard on all 2019 trims. Remote start begins at LT (optional on LS), there is no hands-free or power trunk, no phone-as-key, and app remote functions need a paid plan after the trial.

A rear camera (HD on most trims for 2019) is standard; rear park assist and rear cross-traffic alert come only in optional Driver Confidence packages, and the new Automatic Parking Assist is Premier-package content. No surround-view camera, which hurts given the thick rear pillars.

No head-up display was offered on any 2019 Malibu trim or package, or anywhere in the ninth generation.

Physical fit is good: 38.1 in of rear legroom takes a rear-facing seat without shoving the front passenger forward, the rear doors are wide, and a 15.7 cu ft trunk with a 60/40 fold swallows a stroller. Held mid-band by IIHS's Marginal LATCH rating.

The 2019 car's safety proposition falls short for families: NHTSA 4 stars overall with 3 stars for rear-passenger side impact, IIHS Poor in the updated side test with no award, Poor–Marginal halogen headlights, and AEB, lane keep, blind-spot and cross-traffic alerts all optional. Camry and Accord included AEB, LKA and ACC as standard in 2019.

The chassis does the road-trip work — a comfortable ride, decent rear legroom and a big trunk. The rear cabin is bare on volume trims: heated rear seats only on the Premier, a rear vent only from LT, and cloth seats reviewers say lack long-drive support; 2019 reviews also flag road noise.

Low-speed manners suit a commute: smooth CVT take-off (new for 2019), 184 lb-ft from low revs, a soft ride, physical controls, keyless start and CarPlay on every trim. Held back by no adaptive cruise below Premier, no lane centering, wired-only phone projection, manual single-zone A/C and no standard remote start on LS/RS.

Cheap per mile on regular fuel — the volume 1.5T returns 32 MPG combined and EPA estimates $2,100/yr — with inexpensive tires and parts and a huge dealer network. Mid-band because hybrid rivals (including the Malibu's own 2019-only Hybrid at 46 MPG) return far better city mileage and the 1.5T/CVT leave powertrain warranty at 60,000 miles.

A full mid-size footprint (194.2 in long) with a reasonable 37 ft turning circle and a standard rear camera. Rear park assist is only in optional packages, there's no surround view, and the fastback's thick pillars limit sight lines.

A token 1,000 lb trailer rating with no factory trailering package, FWD only, a 160-hp 1.5T with a CVT on volume trims, and a sealed trunk. The Premier's 250-hp 2.0T adds grunt but not capability. Not a work vehicle.

Heavy fleet/rental use and durable cloth interiors support it, but the 1.5L LFV of this era carries an oil-consumption/turbo complaint history and 2019 is the CVT's first year, with shudder reports — both off warranty at 60,000 miles.

A 120V outlet exists only on the Premier; there are no factory roof rails, crossbars or hitch, no washable flooring and no upfit ecosystem. A 60/40 fold and trunk hooks are the whole list.

A comfortable ride and good highway economy on a 15.8-gal tank give long legs between stops. Held back by plain cruise on volume trims (ACC Premier-only, no lane centering), cloth seats that lack long-drive support, reported road noise, and a small four that revs hard on grades.

No AWD on any trim (the 2019 Altima and Fusion offered it), ~6 in ground clearance, token towing, no roof rails, and an AC outlet only on Premier. Pavement-bound.

Above-average trunk (15.7 cu ft) and a standard 60/40 fold for long items, but a sedan trunk opening limits bulky gear, there's no interior trunk release, and no underfloor storage, roof rails or hitch.

The comfort-tuned ninth-gen chassis is sure-footed and stable with modest body roll, and Cars.com lists 'ride and handling' as a 2019 strength, but the soft tune and FWD-only layout keep it short of engaging — secure but unremarkable, below the Accord.

The electric rack is quick and accurate enough to place the car confidently, but road feel is thin — the most-cited reason the Malibu never feels sporty.

Reviewers describe the brakes as strong and easy to modulate with a linear pedal and no regen blending (gas trims), helped by a ~3,100 lb curb weight. Held below 70 for lack of a retrieved instrumented 70–0 figure for the 2019 1.5T.

2019 is the first year the volume 160-hp 1.5T is paired with a CVT: low-rev torque makes tip-in feel brisk and the CVT is smooth with simulated steps, but there's mild turbo lag, auto stop/start, and the engine runs out of breath at higher revs. The Premier's 2.0T/9-speed is smooth and strong but low-volume.

At part throttle the 1.5T is unobtrusive; loaded up it turns raspy and stands out in an otherwise hushed cabin.

37 ft curb-to-curb on a 111.4 in wheelbase is mid-pack for a mid-size sedan, marginally tighter than the Camry's 37.4 ft. Chassis and steering are unchanged across 2019–2025.

A conventional, driver-focused layout with physical climate and audio controls and a tilt/telescopic column is the high point. The fastback roofline limits outward visibility and makes entry awkward, and the LS's 6-way manual cloth seat is underbolstered (8-way power from RS up).

The volume 1.5T/CVT, numb steering and comfort chassis are pleasant but forgettable. The 2019 lineup offered the 250-hp 2.0T Premier (~6 s to 60) and the new RS appearance trim, which lift the nameplate slightly over the 2023+ single-engine cars.

The refreshed 2019 Malibu made an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto standard from the LS up (the L got a 7-inch screen), along with a 4G LTE hotspot and a rear camera. Automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise were optional packages on upper trims only. The 2019 Camry and Accord made Toyota Safety Sense and Honda Sensing standard, and the 2019 Altima made AEB standard, so the Malibu lagged on essentials.

Transaction prices were low: stickers started near $23,000, and incentives of $1,500–3,250 were common. That bought a roomy mid-size sedan with a frugal 1.5T/CVT, an available 250-hp 2.0T, and the Hybrid. The lack of standard safety tech keeps it at fair value rather than a bargain.

Six trims (L, LS, RS, LT, Hybrid, Premier) span about $9,600, with three powertrains: the 1.5T with a CVT, the 2.0T with a 9-speed on the Premier, and the 1.8L Hybrid. This was the broadest Malibu lineup of the generation, though AWD was never offered, so it still trails the Camry, Accord and Sonata.

Calendar 2019 US sales were 131,917, down about 9% from 2018 as the sedan market contracted. That put the Malibu mid-pack, roughly fifth in the segment and well behind the Camry, Accord, Altima and Fusion, with fleet volume a meaningful share.

Chevrolet is a familiar mass-market brand with a dense dealer network, but the Malibu carries rental-fleet associations and soft resale. In 2019 it was an actively refreshed nameplate, before the speculation about its future began.

In the pre-shortage market, the 2019 Malibu carried regular national cash: $1,500 customer cash at launch, and $3,250-class stacks on the outgoing 2018s, rising to $2,250 off leftover 2019s in 2020, alongside GM Financial low-APR offers.

2019 is the mid-cycle refresh year of the ninth generation (launched for 2016), with new front styling, a new infotainment system, the CVT for the 1.5T, and the new RS trim. The facelift was fresh, but the platform was four years old next to the 2018 Camry and Accord redesigns and the all-new 2019 Altima.

Reviewers credit the comfortable ride, roomy cabin, the Hybrid's efficiency and the strong 2.0T, but call the 1.5T/CVT sluggish and the interior plain. The 2019 Malibu won no class awards or comparison tests and sat in the lower half of mid-size rankings.