Compare the2024 Chevrolet MalibuVS 2024 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe

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

Safety

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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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Malibu’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Malibu and the 2 Series Gran Coupe 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Warranty

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Malibu 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 2 Series Gran Coupe ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 8 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Malibu’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Malibu second among midsize cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The 2 Series Gran Coupe was rated third in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Malibu gets better mileage than the 2 Series Gran Coupe:

			MPG
Malibu
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
2 Series Gran Coupe
	FWD	228i 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/34 hwy
	AWD	M235i 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy
		228i 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Malibu uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 2 Series Gran Coupe requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Malibu has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (15.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Malibu higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (3 to 7). This means the Malibu produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 2 Series Gran Coupe every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Malibu stops shorter than the 2 Series Gran Coupe:

	Malibu	2 Series Gran Coupe
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	132 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Malibu RS’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 2 Series Gran Coupe (245/45R18 vs. 235/35R19).

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Malibu’s wheelbase is 6.3 inches longer than on the 2 Series Gran Coupe (111.4 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Malibu is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

Chassis

The Chevrolet Malibu may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 400 pounds less than the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.

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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Malibu LT is quieter than the M235i xDrive Gran Coupe:

	Malibu	2 Series Gran Coupe
Full-Throttle	71 dB	83 dB
70 MPH Cruising	65 dB	73 dB

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Malibu a Mid-size car, while the 2 Series Gran Coupe is rated a Compact.

The Malibu has 11.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (102.9 vs. 91).

The Malibu has .1 inches more front legroom, 3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear headroom, 3.7 inches more rear legroom and 4 inches more rear shoulder room than the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

Cargo Capacity

The Malibu has a larger trunk than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (15.7 vs. 15.1 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Malibu Premier’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 2 Series Gran Coupe 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’s available exterior PIN entry system. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist 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 2 Series Gran Coupe’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Malibu has standard extendable sun visors. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Malibu to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the Malibu and the 2 Series Gran Coupe offer available heated front seats. The Malibu Premier also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Malibu LT keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Malibu LT offers an optional 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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Malibu LT’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Malibu owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Malibu will cost $1200 less than the 2 Series Gran Coupe over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Malibu will be $13883 to $17704 less than for the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.

Recommendations

The Chevrolet Malibu outsold the BMW 2 Series by almost 10 to one during 2022.