2020 Chevrolet Malibu

The volume LS/RS/LT trims use the 1.5L LFV turbo four. The 250-hp 2.0T with a 9-speed was still offered for 2020 but only on the top Premier trim, so it doesn't set the representative figure.

Peak torque of the volume 1.5T. The turbo's low-rpm torque makes it adequate around town despite modest horsepower.

The 1.5T/CVT pairing arrived with the 2019 refresh and carried into 2020 unchanged, so instrumented figures for it apply directly. Low-8-second runs are slow for a mid-size sedan. The Premier 2.0T is genuinely quick but is a low-volume trim.

The 1.5T is quiet and adequate at low speeds but runs out of breath on the highway and gets coarse under sustained load, with mild turbo lag off the line. The optional 2.0T is strong and smooth but limited to Premier, and no hybrid was offered after 2019.

The 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 2020 Malibu trim is front-wheel drive, and this generation never offered AWD. The 2020 Altima and Fusion offered AWD, and the Camry added it for 2020.

Two gas engines: the 1.5T/CVT on most trims and the 2.0T/9-speed on Premier only. The hybrid was dropped after 2019, so there is no electrified option, and the stronger engine is locked to the top trim.

32 MPG combined is competitive with gas mid-size rivals (Altima 2.5, Accord 1.5T at about 30–32) but well behind hybrids. The ratings drop to 30 for 2023.

29 MPG city, helped by standard stop/start, is on par with or slightly above naturally aspirated rivals and far behind hybrids in stop-and-go driving.

36 MPG highway is decent for a gas mid-size, trailing the Altima's 39 and the mid-40s of hybrid rivals.

A 15.8-gallon tank at the 32 MPG combined rating gives about 506 miles. That clears 500 miles, which is solid for a gas sedan, though hybrid rivals exceed 600.

EPA estimates $2,050 a year to fuel the volume 1.5T, saving $1,250 over five years versus the average new vehicle. The Premier 2.0T costs about $1,000 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 (recommended for rated output), which makes requirements mixed across trims.

NHTSA rates the 2020 Malibu 4 stars overall. Frontal is 5 stars, but side is only 4 stars (3 stars for the rear-passenger combined side rating) and rollover is 4 stars, one star short of the 5-star overall ratings of the Camry and Accord.

Good in driver small overlap, moderate overlap, the original side test, roof strength and head restraints, but Marginal in passenger-side small overlap and Poor in the updated side test, with no 2020 IIHS award. A Poor result and a Marginal result in core tests keep it in the bottom band.

On the 2020 car a rear camera is essentially the only standard driver aid. AEB, forward collision alert, lane keep assist, blind-spot, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise are all confined to optional packages: Driver Confidence I/II on LT, and the Enhanced Driver Confidence package on Premier. The 2020 Camry and Accord ship AEB, LKA and ACC as standard.

When optioned, the systems rate well vehicle-to-vehicle (Advanced for the Driver Confidence system, Superior for the Enhanced version), but pedestrian detection earns only Basic in daylight. None of it is standard, so most 2020 Malibus have no AEB at all.

Side Blind Zone Alert with Lane Change Alert and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are alert-only and come only in optional packages that aren't offered on every trim. There is no active intervention or safe-exit warning, and the thick rear pillars make the gap more costly.

Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning comes only in the optional Driver Confidence II / Enhanced Driver Confidence 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 range-topping Premier, as part of a package. The LS/RS/LT volume trims can't get it, and there is no combined highway-assist mode, while rivals made ACC standard by 2020.

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

IIHS rates the halogen headlights on LS/RS/LT/L Poor. Only the Driver Confidence version with high-beam assist reaches Marginal, and no configuration is rated Acceptable or Good.

The ninth-generation fastback roofline brings thick rear pillars and a shallow rear window, and reviewers fault the thick A-pillars and deep dashboard. 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: two full LATCH positions plus a tether-only center seat, with the lower anchors set deep in the seat bight. Generous rear legroom and wide rear doors make seats easy to fit once they are installed.

Every 2020 Malibu trim (L, LS, RS, LT, Premier) is a five-passenger sedan with a three-place rear bench. 2020 is a carry-over year of the ninth generation (2016 launch, 2019 refresh).

39.1 in of front headroom is near the top of the mid-size sedan range. The body and interior carried over unchanged from the 2019 refresh into 2020 and 2021.

41.5 in sits at the low end of the mid-size band; the 2020 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. Reviewers list rear legroom among the 2020 car's strengths.

A 15.7 cu ft trunk 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 standard; reviewers note the trunk has no interior release.

Storage is conventional but adequate: a covered console bin, a hidden cubby behind the sliding infotainment surround, decent door pockets and front cupholders. Nothing is clever, and wireless charging, the rear USB port and the 120V outlet are Premier-only.

On the LS/RS volume trims: cloth seats, with a power driver's seat from the RS up. Reviewers find the front seats wide but short of support and cushioning 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 16-inch alloys on L/LS give the softest ride; RS's 18s take a small edge off it.

An acoustic-laminated windshield and Active Noise Cancellation (LS and up) keep wind and engine noise down, and Consumer Reports calls the cabin unusually quiet. Held below 70 because 2020 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; LT adds heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate with a rear vent and remote start; Premier adds ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats and a heated steering wheel.

The 2020 L was the cheapest mid-size sedan on sale, undercutting a base Camry L and Accord LX. The L was a thinly equipped price-leader trim, and most retail buyers started at the LS.

The LT is the representative retail trim for 2020. It is the step where options such as blind-spot monitoring and dual-zone climate become available, while fleet sales leaned on the LS. A buyer choosing the RS or LS would pay $2,400–3,000 less.

Routine service on the 1.5L turbo and CVT is cheap, but Edmunds-style projections for this generation run high once the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain cover lapses, because of CVT and turbo/coolant repair risk. The estimate sits a little below the ~$6,400 Edmunds-based figure used for the 2023 car, reflecting the lower parts and labor costs of the 2020 projection period, and well above CarEdge's nameplate figure.

The 2020 has now lived through its whole five-year window. It held up better than the Malibu's historical curve because the 2021–2023 used-car price spike lifted its values, finishing near half of original MSRP.

GM's 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty is the industry floor. It matches Toyota, Honda and Nissan and is two years short of Hyundai and Kia.

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

Starting with the 2019 models, Chevrolet covers only the first scheduled maintenance visit within 12 months (oil change, tire rotation, inspection). That replaced the older 2-year/24,000-mile Complete Care plan. Add 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance and courtesy transportation plus OnStar and Connected Services trials, and the package is short included maintenance with better-than-average roadside cover.

$27,495 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $13,748) leaves about $13,748 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,200 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $19,948 in total.

J.D. Power and Consumer Reports disagree on the 2020 Malibu. J.D. Power rates its quality and reliability 84/100 ('Great'), while Consumer Reports calls it less reliable than other 2020 cars. 2020 is a carry-over year in the 2016 generation, after the 2019 refresh. The volume 1.5T/CVT drivetrain falls in the 2018-2021 build window where turbo and oil-consumption complaints cluster, which holds the score in the mid 60s.

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

MY2020 has a single NHTSA recall: loose or missing rear seat-belt retractor fasteners on 402 vehicles across Malibu and XT4. It has no powertrain, fire or airbag recalls, so recall activity is light. The score is not higher because of recurring service-bulletin patterns on this generation: 1.5T oil consumption, CVT shudder and 'Engine Power Reduced' warnings.

The volume powertrain is the 1.5L LFV turbo paired with GM's CVT. Its known weak points are oil consumption from low-tension piston rings, turbo failures concentrated in 2018-2021 builds, and CVT shudder. The CVT is also expensive to replace once the 60,000-mile powertrain warranty ends. The Premier-only 2.0T with a 9-speed automatic has a better record but sells in low volume.

The cabin design dates to 2016 and reviewers describe it as mostly hard plastics, with some soft-touch and stitched trim on upper trims. It looks dated next to the Accord, Camry and Sonata. The score is held at 45 rather than lower because the Malibu is priced below those rivals.

J.D. Power's 2020 Initial Quality Study named the Malibu the best mid-size car, which points 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 even though Malibu production has ended. The score stays at 80 because a failed CVT means replacing the whole unit, which is costly.

2020 made the 8-inch Chevrolet Infotainment 3 touchscreen standard on all trims, dropping the previous 7-inch unit. Mid-pack for 2020, but no larger screen was offered.

Infotainment 3 is quick and intuitive with real knobs and buttons for volume, tuning and climate, and in 2020 its graphics and 8-inch screen were still competitive. Reviewers praised it as one of the car's strengths.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every 2020 trim, but wired only — wireless projection arrived for the 2021 model year and was not offered at any 2020 price.

Built-in navigation (Infotainment 3 Plus) is a Premier feature; LS/RS/LT buyers get basic command voice control and rely on wired CarPlay/Android Auto for maps.

Volume trims have the standard six-speaker system — adequate for podcasts, thin with music. The only upgrade, a nine-speaker Bose, is Premier-only.

Volume trims have analog speedometer and tachometer around a small Driver Information Center; only the Premier gets an 8-inch color center display, still flanked by analog dials. No full digital cluster at any price.

2019+ Malibus with Infotainment 3 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 2020 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).

Front USB ports and a 12-volt socket on the volume trims; the rear USB port, a 120-volt outlet and the wireless charging pad are all Premier-only, so back-seat passengers in most 2020 Malibus have nowhere to charge.

Keyless Open and Keyless Start are standard on all 2020 trims. Remote start begins at LT, 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 is standard; rear park assist and rear cross-traffic alert come only in optional Driver Confidence packages not offered on every trim. No surround-view camera, which hurts given the thick rear pillars.

No head-up display was offered on any 2020 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 standard 60/40 fold swallows a stroller. Held mid-band by IIHS's Marginal LATCH rating and no rear USB below the Premier.

On the 2020 car the 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 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 2020.

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: no heated rear seats below Premier, a rear vent only from LT, no rear USB below Premier, and cloth seats reviewers say lack long-drive support; 2020 reviews also flag road noise.

Low-speed manners suit a commute: smooth CVT take-off, 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 remote start on LS/RS.

Cheap per mile on regular fuel — the volume 1.5T returns 32 MPG combined and EPA estimates $2,050/yr — with inexpensive tires and parts and a huge dealer network. Mid-band because hybrid rivals 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 2018–2021-build 1.5L LFV carries an oil-consumption/turbo complaint history and the CVT has 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 2020 Altima, Fusion and Camry 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, but the soft tune and FWD-only layout keep it short of engaging — secure but unremarkable, below the Accord and Camry.

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, helped by a ~3,100 lb curb weight. Held below 70 for lack of a retrieved instrumented 70–0 figure for the 2020 1.5T.

Volume trims use the 160-hp 1.5T 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 is the high point. The fastback roofline limits outward visibility and makes entry awkward, and volume-trim cloth seats are underbolstered (power driver's seat from RS up).

The volume 1.5T/CVT, numb steering and comfort chassis are pleasant but forgettable. The 2020 lineup still offered the 250-hp 2.0T Premier (~6 s to 60), which lifts the nameplate slightly over the 2023+ single-engine cars.

The 2020 Malibu came standard with a touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and a rear camera. Automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise were all optional packages, and some were not offered at all on lower trims. The 2020 Camry, Accord, Altima and Sonata made AEB and lane-keep standard, so the Malibu lagged on essentials until Chevy Safety Assist arrived on later model years.

Transaction prices were low. Sticker prices started at $22,970, and GM layered $2,250–3,500 discounts on top all year, making a roomy mid-size sedan with a 36-mpg-highway 1.5T very cheap. Missing standard safety tech and a modest 160-hp base engine keep it at fair value rather than a bargain.

Five trims (L, LS, RS, LT, Premier) span about $11,000, with two engines: the 1.5T with a CVT and the 2.0T with a 9-speed on the Premier. That is broader than the de-contented 2023 car, but the 2019 hybrid was gone for 2020 and AWD was never offered, so it trails the Camry, Accord and Altima.

Calendar 2020 sales fell 22% to 102,651, partly because of COVID. The Malibu slipped as low as seventh in the segment in Q2 and finished fourth to fifth in Q4, far behind Camry and Accord, and fleet volume propped up a shrinking retail base.

Chevrolet is a familiar mass-market brand with the densest dealer network, but the Malibu carries rental-fleet associations and soft resale. In 2020 it was still an active nameplate, though press speculation about its future had already begun.

In the pre-shortage 2020 market, the Malibu carried large national incentives all year: $1,750–2,750 customer cash plus cash allowances and GM Financial bonus cash, totalling up to $3,500 off, alongside low-APR financing.

2020 is the fifth model year of the ninth generation (launched for 2016) and the second year after the 2019 mid-cycle refresh, which brought new front styling, the CVT for the 1.5T and the RS trim. It sits mid-cycle on an aging platform. The Camry and Accord were fully redesigned for 2018, and the Sonata for 2020.

Reviewers credit the comfortable ride, roomy rear seat and low price, but call the 1.5T slow and the interior plain. The 2020 Malibu won no class awards or comparison tests and ranked in the lower half of US News' mid-size car rankings.