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Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid Vehicles - Archived Discussions Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 
163 messages, Last post on Dec 04, 2008 at 4:53 AM
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GM has done this before. Coming out with a "hybrid" that really doesn't doesn't do much but allow GM to say they have a hybrid vehicle in their lineup. Remember the Chevy hybrid truck? I'll give credit where credit is due; the new Malibu is a worthy competitor to the Accord and Camry and that's quite an accomplishement for GM. But putting a hybrid option out there with a 10% gain in fuel effeciency is rediculous. hybrid pro: better fuel economy (not much to cheer about here) hybrid cons: added weight and less room in vehicle. added up front cost. added maintenence down the road. added uncertainty with a technology that GM hasn't had much experience in. |
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Replying to: nosirrahg (Oct 29, 2007 2:04 pm) Although i do not agree with people doing 80 miles an hour on the Chicago toll roads in heavy traffic either. Yes, it can be done by flying down the shoulder to avoid traffic and it happens much too often! Not that i have ever done that of course, well maybe once.... 
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Replying to: luvmbooty (Jun 12, 2006 9:37 pm) |
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A hybrid car that only gets 32 mpg (max) is completely pointless - like so much else that comes from Detroit these days. We are probably going to be paying $5.00/gal within 2 years. Why would I buy Malibu when a Prius will best its mileage by 50% to 75% (if you are a typical urban freeway crawler). Pointless. I wouldn't even take a first look at a Malibu. |
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Replying to: kingacres (Jan 12, 2008 1:44 am) I agree that 32MPG Hwy is nothing special...but I wonder how is the real world city mileage is...
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Replying to: mickeyrom (Jan 12, 2008 7:51 am)
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Replying to: scortch (Jan 12, 2008 10:23 am) |
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Scortch, the market, the hundreds of millions of people in the world who might buy a new car of the 2008 model year, is fickle. The people who want to spend too much to get a full hybrid that delivers 50 mpg bought the Prius and never got their 50 mpg in regular use. They were consistently chagrined that the Corolla, not even pretending to be a hybrid, gets 40 mpg and establishes a darned solid baseline of comparison. Since the 2008 Malibu hybrid is a hybrid assist, doesn't do much, but does do something measurable, it needs to be a cheap option. It is . Back when the Prius was a new choice, I calculated that the payoff time for me was 10 years if the Prius delivered 50 mpg. At 45 or thereabouts mpg, the Prius battery pack can't last long enough for the Prius to ever break even in the Corolla comparison. The Malibu might not impress the eco-purists with it's technological whiz-banginess, but for the green eye shades crowd its a more realistic choice than a Prius. The Malibu hybrid assist actually can deliver tangible $ benefits if you keep it for a realistic number of years of $3 and $4 gasoline. As the market has developed, it's become obvious that other than a small part of the population which wants to pay too much for too little economic benefit, the market really wants cars that look good and go fast. The market is telling the manufacturers that some people will buy a hybrid if it looks better and goes faster than a Prius. For people who want a car that gets good gas mileage in 2008, there is the 40 mpg cheap Corolla or the even better choice of a 38 mpg cheaper Aveo. I have and remain convinced that GM, putting 2-stage hybrids in pickups and SUV's will sell better at 20 mpg than Toyota or Honda can at 45 mpg. The 20 mpg pickup is a 25% or 30% improvement. The 45 mpg subcompact is only an 12% improvement. |
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It's still a huge waste of R&D, time and our money. It doesn't produce enough measurable results to be worth everything that went into making it and buying it. GM probably got some huge credit for doing it and that's the only reason. It's a worthless piece of junk that's trying to capitalize on people that see hybrid and don't know that GM is ripping them off with something that isn't worth a crap. You can get more measurable results by just driving a little differently or buying better fuel. GM is just trying to play people for fools and some will play along with them and buy into it. It's a scam, just like E85 is.
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