2018 Chevrolet Malibu MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2018 Chevrolet Malibu gets up to 30 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 46 mpg as a hybrid, across 3 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2018 Chevrolet Malibu · 3 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

30MPG combined

27 city 36 highway

$2,100 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score7/10

1.5L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic

Best hybrid version

46MPG combined

49 city 43 highway

$1,350 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score10/10

1.8L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT

Best version saves $4,250 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.00 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Nov 12, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $1,350 to $3,000 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2017.

One of the Malibu years to avoid

The 2018 drew 220 owner complaints in its first three years, against 65 for a typical Malibu year (43 for a typical year since 2016): 3.3 times as many.

Years to avoid: 2013 and 2016 to 2018; best years: 2021, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Malibu year ranked The 2018 Malibu's recalls and problems

Every 2018 Malibu version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Hybrid
1.8L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT Best EPA listing: Malibu Hybrid	46 mpg	49 / 43	$1,350
Gas
1.5L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Malibu	30 mpg	27 / 36	$2,100
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 9-speed automatic EPA listing: Malibu · Premium fuel	26 mpg	22 / 32	$3,000

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.00 a gallon for regular gas and $5.01 a gallon for premium gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
1.8L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT	$1,304	$109	$6,522
1.5L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,000	$167	$10,000
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 9-speed automatic	$2,890	$241	$14,452

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Does the hybrid pay for itself? See the payback for every model sold both ways.

Chevrolet Malibu MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 26 to 32 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2025); highest in 2019. Hybrid: 46 mpg (2016 to 2019).

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2018: gas 30 mpg · hybrid 46 mpg

Show as a table

Chevrolet Malibu best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2010	29	–
2011	26	–
2012	26	–
2013	29	–
2014	29	–
2015	29	–
2016	30	46
2017	30	46
2018	30	46
2019	32	46
2020	32	–
2021	32	–
2022	32	–
2023	30	–
2024	31	–
2025	31	–

Every Malibu year's ratings in one table

How the 2018 Malibu compares

2018 midsize sedans covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2018 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota Camry Best: hybrid	52 mpg	34 mpg	$1,200
Honda Accord Best: hybrid	47 mpg	33 mpg	$1,300
Chevrolet Malibu This page Best: hybrid	46 mpg	30 mpg	$1,350
Hyundai Sonata Best: hybrid	42 mpg	31 mpg	$1,500
Kia Optima Best: hybrid	42 mpg	31 mpg	$1,500
Nissan Altima Best: gas	31 mpg	31 mpg	$2,000

2018 Malibu recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 712 owner complaints for the 2018 Malibu.

Owners most often describe loss of power (198 complaints, 28%), then shifter errors (175). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 5 stars.

See the 2018 Malibu recalls and problems

Questions

How much fuel does the 2018 Malibu hybrid save?

Comparing two-wheel-drive versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.00 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,350 a year to fuel against $2,100 for the gas model: $750 a year, or $3,750 over five years.

Does the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu need premium gas?

Some versions do. EPA lists the 2.0L turbo 4-cyl on premium, the rest use regular.

How does the 2018 Malibu's MPG compare with the 2017?

For 2018, the best gas version is rated 30 mpg, the same as the year before and the best hybrid version is rated 46 mpg, the same as the year before.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.00, midgrade $4.61, premium $5.01, diesel $6.13 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.