Compare the2022 Volkswagen PassatVS 2022 Chevrolet Malibu

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/05/01

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Passat are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Malibu doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Passat has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Malibu doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Passat’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Malibu.

The Passat Limited has standard Park Distance Control to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Malibu doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Passat has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Malibu’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Passat has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Malibu.

Both the Passat and the Malibu have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Passat is safer than the Chevrolet Malibu:

	Passat	Malibu
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	119	160
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.3 inches
Abdominal Force	136 G’s	232 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	280	365
Spine Acceleration	61 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	627 lbs.	1117 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Passat comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The Malibu’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Passat’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Malibu’s (7/100,000 vs. 6/100,000).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Passat for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Malibu.

Reliability

The Volkswagen Passat’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Malibu’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Passat’s reliability 36 points higher than the Malibu.

Engine

The Passat’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (174 vs. 160) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 184) than the Malibu’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Volkswagen Passat is faster than the Chevrolet Malibu 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Passat	Malibu
Zero to 30 MPH	3 sec	3.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	8.4 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	86 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Passat gets better fuel mileage than the Malibu Premier 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder 8 speed Auto (24 city/36 hwy vs. 22 city/33 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Passat uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Malibu Premier requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Passat has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Malibu (18.5 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Passat higher (7 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Malibu (5 to 7). This means the Passat produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Malibu every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Passat’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Malibu:

	Passat	Malibu
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11.8 inches

The Passat stops shorter than the Malibu:

	Passat	Malibu
70 to 0 MPH	169 feet	171 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	149 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Passat has larger tires than the Malibu (235/45R18 vs. 205/65R16).

The Passat’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Malibu LS’ standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passat has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Malibu LS.

Suspension and Handling

The Passat has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Malibu doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Passat executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Malibu LT (26.9 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Passat’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Malibu’s (36.4 feet vs. 37 feet).

Passenger Space

The Passat has .9 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more rear headroom and 1 inch more rear legroom than the Malibu.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Passat easier. The Passat’s trunk lift-over height is 28.2 inches, while the Malibu’s liftover is 30.5 inches.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Passat. The Malibu doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Passat Limited’s trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Malibu doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The Passat’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Malibu’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. The Malibu LT/Premier’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Passat the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Malibu can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Passat has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Malibu doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Passat’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Malibu’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Passat to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Malibu doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Passat R-Line/Limited has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Malibu doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Passat R-Line/Limited also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Passat’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Chevrolet only offers heated mirrors on the Malibu LT/Premier.

The Passat has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Malibu LT/Premier.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Passat owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Passat with a number “1” insurance rate while the Malibu is rated higher at a number “3” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Passat is less expensive to operate than the Malibu because typical repairs cost less on the Passat than the Malibu, including $31 less for a water pump, $91 less for front brake pads and $89 less for fuel injection.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Passat, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Malibu isn't recommended.