Chevrolet Malibu vs Toyota Camry: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Camry burns about $1,200 of fuel annually against $1,350 for the Chevrolet Malibu. That $150 yearly gap compounds to roughly $750 over five years and $1,200 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 Toyota Camry leads in both cycles — 53 mpg city and 53 mpg highway against 49 and 46 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 Toyota Camry with 4 (SIDI & PFI; Hybrid, SIDI & PFI, 3-mode (Spt/Normal/Eco)). Across 24 recorded Chevrolet Malibu configurations and 83 for the Toyota Camry, 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 Toyota Camry with All-Wheel Drive, 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 Toyota Camry emits 170 g/mile of CO2 versus 194 g/mile for the Chevrolet Malibu. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.