2016 Chevrolet Malibu
Honestly, the Chevrolet Malibu has not traditionally been our best choice among midsize family sedans. More rental car necessity than suburban favorite. But the last gen Malibu took major steps to compete more directly with Camry, Accord and others. Now it appears the all-new 2016 Malibu has turned those steps into leaps. So, let’s see if this Chevy stalwart is finally a true family car contender.
Yes the Malibu has struggled, and maybe even been consistently underrated, in the midsize sedan segment. That’s why the 2016 redesign is such an eye opener.
For one thing, it’s a lot bigger, yet still lighter by almost 300-lbs. Wheelbase is now 111.4-inches, up 3½; while overall length increases by about 2-inches.
More importantly, substantial changes are afoot inside. In fact, if you were able to hide the Chevrolet badges, it would be hard to figure out what brand of car it is. It doesn’t look American, none of the switchgear is stock GM; and it certainly doesn’t look Japanese… appears a bit too showy for European… Korean perhaps?
Well that’s a good comparison, as Hyundai and Kia have done a lot over the past few years to step this class up, and it looks like GM is up to the task too.
Materials improve by a long stride; there are more soft ones, even if it’s still not a consistent feel throughout, there are different surfaces in high wear areas. It’s a good idea, but it could be executed a little better.
And while it may still not match a Honda-level of refinement, the layout and ergonomics are excellent; as they’ve done a good job of leaving proper buttons for the basics, and using touchscreen controls for secondary functions.
There’s even great seat comfort, perhaps the best we’ve felt from GM in recent memory. And they should no longer hear complaints about rear seat legroom, as with all of the additional wheelbase, it’s up by about an inch and a half; though it feels like even more.
On the minus side, all of the rearranging has caused both trunk space and fuel capacity to suffer.
Top drawer Premier trim fulfills all the luxury feature wants you could have in a family car; while available Driver Confidence packages add the latest safety features including automatic braking.
Gauges are fine and clear, and will make convert buyers feel at ease.
There are 3 engine choices, with all getting some type of assist. A 1.5-liter turbo I4 powers base models, and its 160–horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of torque will probably be adequate for most. It’s attached is a 6-speed automatic.
Next up, is a 2.0-liter turbo-4 with 250-horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque; and it gets a new 8-speed automatic.
Finally, a hybrid returns to the lineup but this time it’s a full-hybrid, based around a 1.8-liter I4 rated at 47 MPG Combined! With both hard and software from the new Volt, and 182 horsepower, it is equally well sorted, and smooth.
We spent most of our time in the 2.0T, and it’s a heck of an engine. Plenty of guts off the line, sharp throttle response, and great torque range for a 4. Transmission shifts are seamless, with programming among the best we’ve driven in an 8-speed yet.
Altogether, the new Malibu is extremely quiet, with virtually all engine and wind noise eliminated; the only real intrusion at this point is a bit too much tire noise on concrete.
Handling is just fine, better than most, as the chassis feels very solid; both suspension and body rigidity are greatly improved, and we found it more responsive than expected.
GM clearly focused efforts on improving ride and handling, and it shows; even the electric steering has decent weight, although also the typical numb feel.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are up across the board; with the 2.0-liter’s coming in at 22-City, 33-Highway, and 26-Combined……for a good Energy Impact Score of 12.7-barrels of oil consumption and 5.6 tons of CO2 emissions yearly.
As for the all-important pricing, Malibus start at a modest $22,500, with Premier trim coming in at $31,795.
With the growing popularity of SUVs as family mainstays, the four-door sedan market continues to shrink. Yet, it is still large, and with lots of entries, making it a true buyer’s market. The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu has now jumped into the sweet spot of that fray. The turbo-4 gives it a sportier feel over a traditional V6, and comfort is top notch. Plus, the Hybrid gives the most fuel conscience a serious new choice. While no car design is perfect, overall, this Malibu makeover has us very impressed.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.0 liter
- Horsepower: 250
- Torque: 258 lb-ft.
- EPA: 22 mpg city/ 33 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 12.7 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 5.6 tons/yr
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Hyundai’s Trucklet Gets A Lot Techier And A Little Truckier
Small trucks are once again a big deal here in the U.S., with more options to choose from than we’ve had since the 1980s heydays, including newcomers like this Hyundai Santa Cruz. And just like the Hyundai Tucson crossover that it’s based on, the Santa Cruz gets some major updates for 2025. So, it looks like it’s time for us to do some more tiny truckin’!
The Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck, and the Hyundai Tucson compact utility that it’s based on, get some significant updates for 2025, mostly revolving around style and tech. So, while our focus here is on the Santa Cruz, just know that most of what you see also applies to the Tucson.
The biggest changes happen inside where the Santa Cruz adopts Hyundai’s curved panoramic display that puts the 12.3-inch driver display and 12.3-inch infotainment screen into a single housing that stretches from behind the steering wheel to over the center stack. And while the center stack itself remains relatively minimal, they’ve redone the climate controls and actually added a few more physical buttons and dials back in. There’s also a better-looking steering wheel with a Driver Attention Sensor behind it; and while the Tucson moved its gear selector to the column, the Santa Cruz keeps its beefy old school shifter right there on the console. That, combined with an overall feel that’s not quite as open as the Tucson, goes a long way towards helping this trucklet feel more truck-like.
XRTs have a Surround View Monitor, Blind Spot Monitoring, and some branded logos. Rear seat room is more plentiful than you’d think seeing it from the outside, but you do sit very upright, and the seats themselves are not very comfy.
Exterior changes center around the usual new grille and wheel choices, but the off-road-inspired XRT gets a tiny bit more serious, featuring a unique front fascia with added tow hooks and a tidied-up undercarriage for better approach angles; plus, exclusive 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. No changes to the integrated 4-foot bed with all trims getting storage cubbies on the side of the bed as well as underneath the floor. The integrated bed cover comes with XRT and above or is available in SELs as part of an added Activity package which also adds a sliding rear window.
[It] is certainly one of the best riding vehicles around with a bed.
The Santa Cruz is certainly one of the best riding vehicles around with a bed, nothing rough or tumble here. In XRTs, you will hear a little more road noise from the more aggressive tires, but it’s far from being annoying. And the Santa Cruz’s size makes it very easy to whip in and out of parking spaces.
Nothing changes mechanically; that means a standard 191-horsepower, 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I4 engine in SE and SEL. While XRT and Limited get the turbocharged version of that engine with 281 horsepower, 311 lb-ft of torque, plus standard all-wheel drive. AWD is available on SE and SEL for $1,500. The turbo engine gets a unique dual-clutch transmission which gets an added tow mode for ’25, while the non-turbo works with a traditional automatic; both are eight-speeds. Max tow rating is 3,500 lbs. with the standard powertrain and 5,000 lbs. with all-wheel drive.
After towing our crew to Mason Dixon Dragway, the turbocharged Santa Cruz XRT delivered us to 60 in 6.6 seconds, about half a second slower than what we achieved back in ’22 with a Limited. Full power was a little late to arrive, but once it showed up, it was ready to get to work, providing steady power the whole way down the track. Our best quarter-mile time was a 15-flat at 96 mph. At wide open throttle, DCT shifts were smooth with no power loss moving through the gears, but it does still stumble a little at slower speeds around town.
The handling experience with the XRT was also different from Limited, as the off-road tires struggled to get a good grip on the pavement when we pushed hard; leading to oversteer and more roll than we remember. There was great feel and feedback coming from the brakes in our panic braking runs however; also, consistent fade-free stops from 60 in just 105 feet.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 19 City, 27 Highway, and 22 Combined; we averaged a good 23.1 mpg of Regular. That’s an average Energy Impact Score; consuming 13.5 barrels of oil annually, with CO2 emissions of 6.7 tons. Starting price is a low $30,100, but things get much more serious for the XRT which starts at $41,600, though that’s still well below the average transaction price for a pickup truck these days.
So, until Subaru brings back the Brat or Baja or something similar, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz will remain as the most car-like “truck” you can buy. For purists, that’s an absolute turn-off, but for a lot of others, it’s exactly what they desire.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 2.5-liter turbo-4
- Transmission: 8-speed DCT
- Horsepower: 281
- Torque: 311 lb-ft
- EPA: 19 City | 27 Highway | 22 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 6.6 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 15.0 seconds at 96 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 105 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 23.1 mpg