Eight Reasons College Students Should Drive a Malibu

The years spent in college are undoubtedly a unique time in life. On the one hand, you’re making new friendships that will last a lifetime. And on the other, you’re making memories that will last just as long. But, in order to do these things, there are essentials that we need. One of those is a vehicle. But shopping for a vehicle for the first time is no easy process. There’s a lot to consider. How much space do you need? What’s your budget like? What kind of trips do you foresee? How comfortable will you be? How comfortable will your passengers be? How much trunk space should you have? All great and valid questions. There’s also a great answer: the Chevy Malibu. Better yet, it’s close by at DePaula Chevrolet, your Saratoga, NY, Chevy Malibu dealer.

Here are eight reasons why we believe that the Chevy Malibu is a great option if you’re a college student.

One: Great Vehicle For Those On Strict Budgets

The Chevy Malibu has been around for decades and has always been a stylish yet affordable vehicle. Purchased new or used, you can find something that works for your specific budget. For 2023, Chevy released the Malibu in four unique trims: the LS, RS, 1LT, and 2LT. The most affordable trim is the LS which has a starting MSRP of $25,000.^[a] The RS and LT can also be purchased for under $30,000, while the top trim, the 2LT, is a little over that benchmark.

Two: You’ll Love the Performance

The 2023 Chevrolet Malibu is equipped with a 1.5L turbo 4-cylinder engine that also features auto start/stop. With this engine, you will net up to 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque.

Three: The MyChevrolet App Will Be A Great Help

The MyChevrolet App offers you next-level access to your 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. This connected service, available on the 2023 Malibu, features more control and insight into your vehicle. To start, the app turns your phone into an additional key fob. This can come in handy in situations where you’re in a rush to class and need to drive to get to your next building. Sometimes, the parking lot or garage can be the biggest annoyance. If you don’t have an assigned parking space at your school and find yourself in random parking spots, which inevitably leads to you losing your car, then you’ll certainly appreciate the vehicle location feature. This feature allows you to locate your car on a mat and set boundary alerts.

Finally, the app is there for you to gain more insight into your vehicle. If you’re busy trying to study, write term papers, working late shifts for your job, or catch a professor during office hours, it becomes easy to forget about that oil change. The MyChevrolet App, in constant communication with your vehicle, will make sure you don’t miss out on your regular maintenance.

Four: Safety Features

This might be more important for your parents, but safety is something Chevy takes very seriously. With the 2023 Malibu, both the driver and passenger side have five-star frontal crash ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many of the safety features you’d want are standard on the 2023 Malibu, such as a rear vision camera, automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, forward collision alert, and buckle-to-drive. Rear park assist is available to avoid damage to your Malibu when parking in busy campus parking lots.

Five: There Is More Than One Way to Save Money With a Malibu

Saving money is essential, especially with the cost of books, food, activities, and tuition. Recent gas prices have reached highs that make it even more important to save money. Nothing can ruin the fun of a vehicle more than discovering it is a gas guzzler. This is not a concern for the 2023 Malibu. In terms of fuel efficiency, the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu gets an EPA-estimated 27 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway (30 MPG combined). You won’t have to worry about stopping too often at every busy gas station near campus nor will you have to worry about any road trips you take being interrupted by a few too many fill-ups.

Six: Entertainment

When in the driver’s seat of a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu, one of the first things your eyes will be drawn to is the 8-inch screen that sits in the middle of the dashboard. Drivers or a passenger are able to perform a variety of tasks depending on the chosen options or trim. Standard on the LS, RS, and 1LT is an 8-inch touchscreen that features wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The 2LT kicks things up a notch; it features a navigation system with enhanced voice recognition. This trim also can connect with your mobile device just as the others; however, this 8-inch touchscreen displays in high definition.

If you are a commuter or have to drive a bit to get to work, then it’s likely you end up caring a bit about how your music and podcasts sound when you’re driving around. Chevrolet’s placement of six quality speakers in the LS, RS, and 1LT trim leaves you with an amazing experience. For the 2LT trim, Chevy partnered with Bose for their sound system. The Bose system includes 9 speakers placed throughout the cabin, the result is sound that is not only clear but, more importantly, music will have a concert-like quality to it.

Seven: The Malibu Is a Great Looking Vehicle

The exterior of the 2023 Malibu is gorgeous; it is a sleek sedan. This happens to be where Chevrolet took the opportunity to show the personality of the Malibu in all trims and additional packages available. The LS sets the bar high with 16-inch alloy wheels and all-season blackwall tires that oozes dependability and fun. The RS has a bit more of an aggressive look with 18-inch aluminum wheels, a set of its own all-season tires, and a black Chevrolet emblem that ties the look together no matter what color is chosen for the body. For the 1LT and 2LT, there are 17-inch and 19-inch wheels, respectively.
You can also opt for special editions of the 2023 Malibu. The Redline Edition features front and rear black Chevrolet bowtie emblems, a black Malibu badge with a red outline, and 19-inch Black-painted aluminum wheels with red hash marks. The second available edition is the Sport. The Sport includes front and rear black bowtie emblems, a black Malibu badge, and a blacked-out grille. The Midnight Edition is also available, which has the same 19-inch black aluminum wheels, comes in the Mosaic Black Metallic exterior color, has black bowtie emblems, a black Malibu badge, and a blacked-out grille surrounded by darkened chrome.

Eight: Plenty of Space

When thinking about traveling, working, and recreation, space becomes pretty important. With adequate front leg, head, and shoulder room, you aren’t in for a cramped ride if you’re going a long distance. If you’re bringing friends with you or loading up the Malibu with your own stuff, at 15.70 cu.ft. of trunk space, there’s going to be room for a few bags. Having this sort of interior space will also come in handy for those days you need to run laundry home, have to go to work right from class with bags in tow, or for move-in day.

If you are looking for the perfect college car, we cannot recommend the Malibu enough. You can find this model and many more at DePaula Chevrolet, your Saratoga Chevy dealer.