Compare the2023 Volkswagen JettaVS 2023 Chevrolet Malibu

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Jetta 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 Jetta 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 Jetta has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Malibu’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Jetta 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 Jetta 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available lane departure warning systems.

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Jetta is safer than the Chevrolet Malibu:

	Jetta	Malibu
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	101	160
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.3 inches
Abdominal Force	188 lbs.	232 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	306	365
Spine Acceleration	56 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	1117 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	239	279

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Volkswagen Jetta is much safer than the Malibu:

	Jetta	Malibu
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	POOR
Head Injury Criterion	226	1178
Head Peak Forces	no contact	142 G’s
Neck Tension	245 lbs.	402 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	89 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.06 in	2.17 in
Shoulder Force	245 lbs.	402 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head Injury Criterion	274	335
Head Peak Forces	no contact	74 G’s
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	469 lbs.
Shoulder Force	379 lbs.	892 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.69 in	1.81 in
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

Warranty

The Jetta 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 Jetta’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 Jetta 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

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 Jetta’s reliability 20 points higher than the Malibu.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Jetta
	Manual	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/42 hwy
	Auto	S 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	31 city/41 hwy
		SE/SEL 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/40 hwy
Malibu
	Auto	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The Jetta stops shorter than the Malibu:

	Jetta	Malibu
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	149 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Jetta S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Malibu LS’ standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Jetta 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.

Chassis

The Volkswagen Jetta may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 200 pounds less than the Chevrolet Malibu.

The Jetta is 7.7 inches shorter than the Malibu, making the Jetta easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Jetta easier. The Jetta’s trunk lift-over height is 28.7 inches, while the Malibu’s liftover is 30.5 inches.

Ergonomics

The Jetta’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’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Jetta SE/R-Line/SEL/SEL Premium the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows with the driver’s door power window switch. The driver of the Malibu can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Jetta 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 Jetta’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Malibu’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Jetta SEL 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.

The Jetta’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Malibu’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Jetta SEL has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Malibu doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Jetta is less expensive to operate than the Malibu because typical repairs cost less on the Jetta than the Malibu, including $93 less for front brake pads.

Recommendations

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

The Volkswagen Jetta outsold the Chevrolet Malibu by 57% during 2021.