Compare the2022 Chevrolet MalibuVS 2021 Volkswagen Arteon

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Malibu are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Arteon doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Malibu and the Arteon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Malibu 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Arteon. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Arteon ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 5 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Malibu’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Malibu second among midsize cars in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Arteon isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 62 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 48 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 7 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

As tested in Motor Trend the Malibu Premier 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Volkswagen Arteon:

On the EPA test cycle the Malibu gets better mileage than the Arteon:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Malibu uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Malibu Premier for maximum performance). The Arteon requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Malibu has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Arteon doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Malibu higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Arteon (3). This means the Malibu produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Arteon every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Malibu Premier, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Arteon.

The Malibu has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Arteon doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Malibu stops shorter than the Arteon:

The Malibu Premier handles at .88 G’s, while the Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4Motion pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Malibu Premier executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4Motion (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Malibu’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Arteon’s (37 feet vs. 39 feet).

The Chevrolet Malibu may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 750 pounds less than the Volkswagen Arteon.

The front grille of the Malibu (except 2.0 Turbo) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Arteon doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Malibu has 6.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Arteon (102.9 vs. 96.5).

The Malibu has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Arteon.

The Malibu’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Arteon does not have an oil pressure gauge.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Malibu LS/LT/Premier’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Arteon doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Car-Net can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

Consumer Reports rated the Malibu’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Arteon’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Malibu Premier has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Arteon doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Chevrolet Malibu outsold the Volkswagen Arteon by almost 11 to one during the 2021 model year.