2025 Chevrolet Malibu vs. 2026 Nissan Altima

TrueCar says the Chevrolet Malibu's $25,895 MSRP undercuts the Nissan Altima's $28,855 by $2,960, and the Malibu also wins on fuel economy at 28 city/36 highway mpg versus the Altima's 26 city/36 highway. Lithia, citing NHTSA crash testing, says the Altima is safer than the Malibu in side-impact testing, earning 5 overall stars to the Malibu's 4, with a 5-star rollover rating that NHTSA data indicates makes it 1.1% less likely to roll over, and iSeeCars.com data shows the Altima retains 52.18% of its value after five years versus the Malibu's 50.44%, while The Car Book found typical repairs cost less on the Altima, including $234 less for a water pump and $260 less for a muffler.

Which to choose, and why

$2,960 cheaper, better mpg

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says the Chevrolet Malibu's $25,895 MSRP undercuts the Nissan Altima's $28,855 by $2,960, and the Malibu also wins on fuel economy at 28 city/36 highway mpg versus the Altima's 26 city/36 highway.

The Altima crash-tests safer and resells better

Lithia (opens in a new tab), citing NHTSA crash testing, says the Altima is safer than the Malibu in side-impact testing, earning 5 overall stars to the Malibu's 4, with a 5-star rollover rating that NHTSA data indicates makes it 1.1% less likely to roll over, and iSeeCars.com data shows the Altima retains 52.18% of its value after five years versus the Malibu's 50.44%, while The Car Book found typical repairs cost less on the Altima, including $234 less for a water pump and $260 less for a muffler.

Questions buyers ask

Which is cheaper, the Chevrolet Malibu or Nissan Altima?

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says the Malibu, by $2,960 at MSRP.

Which is safer, the Chevrolet Malibu or Nissan Altima?

Lithia (opens in a new tab), citing NHTSA side-impact testing, says the Altima, at 5 overall stars versus the Malibu's 4.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Chevrolet Malibu: 1 records · Nissan Altima: 2 records.

Decision field	Chevrolet Malibu	Nissan Altima
Exact EPA records	1	2
Model / option labels	1	2
Drive layouts	Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	1.5L 4-cyl SIDI	2.5L 4-cyl SIDI
Transmissions	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Fuel types	Regular	Regular
EPA classes	Midsize Cars	Midsize Cars
Combined efficiency	31 MPG/MPGe	28–30 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	Not listed	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$2100 per year	$2150–2300 per year

Head to head

Chevrolet Malibu vs. Nissan Altima: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Chevrolet Malibu	Nissan Altima
Starting price (KBB base)	$26,995	$28,720
Top trim price (KBB base)	$32,695	$31,620
Horsepower	163 hp	182 hp
Torque	184 lb-ft	178 lb-ft
Curb weight	n/a	3,253-3,442 lb
Length	194.2 in	192.9 in
Wheelbase	111 in	111.2 in
Cargo volume	15.7 cu ft	15.4 cu ft
Seating	5 seats	5 seats
Basic warranty	3 years	3 years

Figures are ranges across each model’s trims from Kelley Blue Book records (2025 and 2026 model years); prices are KBB base prices.

The Chevrolet Malibu starts $1,725 lower: $26,995 against $28,720 before options and fees.
On peak horsepower, the Nissan Altima leads: 182 hp against 163 hp.
On peak torque, the Chevrolet Malibu leads: 184 lb-ft against 178 lb-ft.
On length, the Chevrolet Malibu leads: 194.2 in against 192.9 in.
On wheelbase, the Nissan Altima leads: 111.2 in against 111 in.
On cargo volume, the Chevrolet Malibu leads: 15.7 cu ft against 15.4 cu ft.
Both list the same seating capacity: 5 seats.
Both list the same basic warranty: 3 years.

Background on each vehicle

What public sources say about the Chevrolet Malibu and the Nissan Altima.

2025 Chevrolet Malibu

The Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet from 1964 to 1983 and from 1997 to 2025. The Malibu began as a trim-level of the Chevrolet Chevelle before becoming its own model line in 1978. Originally a rear-wheel-drive intermediate, General Motors revived the Malibu nameplate as a front-wheel-drive car in 1997.

Source: Chevrolet Malibu (Wikipedia)

Engines. The Chevrolet Malibu Cruiser concept was built by GM Performance Division for the SEMA show in 2001.

Safety. The Malibu was extensively redesigned and reengineered for the 2008 model year, with styling by Bryan Nesbitt. GM vice chairman Robert Lutz was determined to make the nameplate competitive with Japanese mid-size cars. Trim levels were LS, LT, Hybrid (2008 and 2009 only), and LTZ.

NHTSA rated the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 5 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (3 campaigns across the latest model years)

April 2026, Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rearview camera screen may display a distorted or blank image. Consequence: A rearview image that does not display correctly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
August 2024, Equipment:Other:Owners/Service/Other Manual. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2024 Cadillac XT4 and Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The vehicles may have the wrong owner's manual in the glove box. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard… Consequence: The wrong owner's manual may contain inaccurate information about vehicle functions and other safety relevant information, which could lead to improper operation of the vehicle and increase the risk of…
December 2022, Structure:Frame And Members. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The front impact bar, a structural portion of the vehicle frame, may not be properly welded to the front frame rail. Consequence: An improperly welded front impact bar may result in the front crash sensors not performing correctly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Owners filed 11 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about back over prevention (5), electrical system (4), unknown or other (4).

2026 Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima is a mid-size car manufactured by Nissan since 1992. It is an offshoot of the Nissan Bluebird line, which began in 1955. The Altima has historically been larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than the Nissan Sentra but less so than the Nissan Maxima.

Safety: Sixth generation (L34; 2018) The sixth-generation Altima debuted at the 2018 New York International Auto Show in March for the North American market, and in December 2018 for the Chinese market. Its design was previously previewed by the Nissan Vmotion 2.0 Concept, which was first showcased at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in January.
Reception: The third-generation Altima was well received by the press, with many critics praising the new style and extra space, being one of the most powerful and best-handling family sedans available. As the Altima offered the performance and space of the upper-market Maxima in a less expensive car, this significantly reduced Maxima sales but made Nissan competitive in the mid-size segment for the first time.
Awards: 2002 North American Car of the Year. 2010 Altima Received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Highest Front-Impact Crash Safety Rating (five stars). 2017 Nissan Altima named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. 2019 Nissan Altima named a finalist of the 2019 Green Car of the Year® by the Green Car Journal.

Source: Nissan Altima (Wikipedia)

NHTSA rated the 2025 Nissan Altima overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 5 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (3 campaigns across the latest model years)

August 2026, Air Bags:Critical Fasteners. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima vehicles. The front passenger air bag and front passenger knee air bag may have been installed with incorrect mounting fasteners, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended. Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
January 2026, Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima, Sentra, 2025-2026 Frontier, and 2026 Kicks vehicles. The door strikers may have been improperly welded and break, allowing the door to open while moving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with… Consequence: A door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury or a crash.
December 2023, Steering:Rack And Pinion. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Altima vehicles. The bolts connecting the electronic power steering unit to the steering rack may loosen, resulting in a loss of steering control or steering lock-up. Consequence: A loss of steering control or steering lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.

Owners filed 7 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Nissan Altima, most often about service brakes (2), hydraulic (1), air (1).

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2025Chevrolet Malibu1 configurations →02 · 2026Nissan Altima2 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

13 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu or the 2026 Nissan Altima?

Efficiency

The 2025 Chevrolet Malibu lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (31 vs. the 2026 Nissan Altima's 29 MPG/MPGe).