2021 Chevrolet Malibu MPG
What You’ll Learn
As you read about the 2021 Chevy Malibu Gas Mileage, you’ll learn:
- While it’s known for its style, handling, and comfort, the 2021 Malibu also offers great gas mileage.
- The 2021 Chevy Malibu MPG is as high as 29 MPG city, 36 MPG highway, and 32 MPG combined.
- To get even better fuel economy from your 2021 Malibu, you can do things like get it maintained often and practice good driving habits.
2021 Chevy Malibu Gas Mileage
There are a few measuring sticks by which every economic era is defined: the price of milk, undergraduate degrees, houses, and more. Perhaps nothing is more significant than the cost of a gallon of gas. It’s important to teenagers who scrape together savings from summer jobs to plan a road trip with friends, and it’s still important years later as we commute to and from our offices in Phoenix or jobs throughout Maricopa County and beyond.
In recent years, the importance of fuel economy has taken on even more significance than the money we can save or lose at the pump. As environmental concerns rise, a vehicle’s efficiency is critical to those trying to reduce their carbon footprints. With all of that in mind, many drivers are delighted to find that the 2021 Malibu is a midsize SUV with responsible fuel efficiency.
Depending on the engine and transmission selected, you can expect your real-world results to approximate the following estimates from the EPA:
- 2021 Chevrolet Malibu With a 1.5-Liter Four-Cylinder Engine and Continuously Variable Transmission
- 29 Miles Per Gallon City
- 36 Miles Per Gallon Highway
- 32 Miles Per Gallon Combined
- 2021 Chevrolet Malibu With a 2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder Engine and Nine-Speed Transmission
- 22 Miles Per Gallon City
- 33 Miles Per Gallon Highway
- 26 Miles Per Gallon Combined
2021 Malibu Engine Options
The new 2021 Malibu offers two available engine options. Both of them have been fine-tuned to balance efficiency and performance without cutting corners or making sacrifices. Depending on what you’re looking for in your vehicle, you can choose the one that matches your needs most precisely:
- 1.5-Liter Turbo – This engine offers 29 MPG city and 36 MPG highway as estimated by the EPA, and it comes standard in the 2021 Malibu. It includes fuel-saving capabilities like start and stop technology, direct injection, and Continuously Variable Valve Timing. The 1.5-liter ECOTEC offers enough zip to make this midsize sedan a pleasure to drive, and the maximum highway range from a single tank is 560 miles.
- 2.0-Liter Turbo – This available engine is made for those drivers who demand a sportier performance with more power. 250 horsepower will make all of your daily drives a little bit more exciting. The 2.0-liter turbocharged ECOTEC engine comes with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and it comes standard at the Malibu Premier trim level.
How to Get Better Gas Mileage
The engineers at Chevrolet did their part to make sure this vehicle gets plenty of mileage from every single gallon of gas. Now it’s your turn to do your part by practicing good driving and maintenance habits. All of the following can help you stretch your fuel further:
Watch your speed
You might have heard that vehicles are more efficient at lower speeds, but this is only true to a certain point. From 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour seems the most efficient speed for most vehicles. Driving much slower or much faster will start to take a toll on your fuel spending. For example, driving at 85 miles per hour might use 40% more fuel than driving at 70 miles per hour. Add the cost of a speeding ticket to the cost of the fuel, and you’re looking at an even bigger difference.
Drive responsibly
This goes beyond just following the speed limit. Aggressive driving with lots of quick acceleration and braking makes your engine work harder than it would have to if you maintained a consistent speed. Sure, you may want to put the ECOTEC engine through its paces at some point, but it’s generally best to cruise along at a steady pace.
Don’t let the vehicle idle
Your vehicle won’t burn a ton of fuel if you just idle for a minute or two but keep in mind that you’re getting zero miles per gallon whenever the engine is running, and you aren’t moving. If you’ll be sitting around for an extended period of time, turn the engine off. Just make sure you don’t drain the battery by running the radio and A/C.
Vehicle tune-ups preserve efficiency
Services like tire rotations, oil changes, and fuel injector cleanings keep the vehicle at its best, so bring your vehicle in for scheduled Chevy maintenance at regular intervals.
Check your tires
Driving with low tire pressure increases friction and hurts fuel efficiency. Whenever you add air, it’s also a good idea to take a look at the tread. Low tread prevents the tires from gripping the road efficiently, which leads to wasted effort. It also leads to slower braking, wider cornering, and generally more dangerous handling.
Use the right kind of gas and oil
Some after-market additives come with marketing that claims the products will increase fuel efficiency, but the manufacturer’s instructions for oil and fuel have been carefully created to tell you exactly what’s best for the car. The formulas of some additives are bad for your engine and, therefore, fuel economy.
Avoid the stop and go
Taking lots of quick trips over short distances strains the engine more than cruising along (which is why city MPG is lower than highway MPG). Sometimes short trips are necessary, but planning your driving can help you keep them to a minimum.
Use cruise control
Use cruise control when you’re on the highway, or just manually maintain a steady speed. If you slow down too much, you’ll have to accelerate again, which is more taxing for the vehicle than maintaining a steady speed. Luckily, the 2021 Malibu is equipped with adaptive cruise control to help maintain a steady speed while adjusting to traffic automatically.
Know when to use windows and when to use air conditioning
Some people say that using the A/C reduces fuel efficiency compared to rolling the windows down for a breeze, but this is only partially true because rolling the windows down increases drag. Some experts have claimed that rolling the windows down during city driving makes sense, then rolling them back up and switching to air conditioning when you come up to highway speeds.
Test Drive the 2021 Malibu in Phoenix
When you have a fuel-efficient Malibu, you can count on getting where you’re going without wasting a bunch of fuel. This has some financial benefits because you’re lowering the cost of car ownership by spending less at the pump. You’re also spending less time at the pump, which means you get to your destination that much sooner. All the while, it’s nice to know you’re helping the environment by choosing a more environmentally friendly car.
Now that you know all about the 2021 Malibu fuel economy, it’s time to explore some other features. Find your nearest Valley Chevy dealership and stop by for a test drive!
