Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Sentra: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Chevrolet Malibu burns about $1,350 of fuel annually against $1,800 for the Nissan Sentra. That $450 yearly gap compounds to roughly $2,250 over five years and $3,600 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Chevrolet Malibu leads in both cycles — 49 mpg city and 46 mpg highway against 30 and 40 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Chevrolet Malibu is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; Hybrid), the Nissan Sentra with 2 (SIDI, 1.8). Across 24 recorded Chevrolet Malibu configurations and 38 for the Nissan Sentra, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Chevrolet Malibu is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, the Nissan Sentra with Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Midsize Cars and Midsize Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Chevrolet Malibu emits 194 g/mile of CO2 versus 262 g/mile for the Nissan Sentra. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.