Types Of Gas A Chevy Malibu Uses (All Generations)

There are nine generations in total, each having a bunch of different engine options. Even the same engine displacement came with several different variations allowing for a wide range of power options.

To summarize, the big-block Chevys require premium 93 octane. The small-block Chevys require mid-grade 91 octane, while all the other engines use regular 87 octane gasoline, with a few exceptions covered below.

All the engine options and their fuel requirement has been discussed in detail. You can find your exact year and engine option down below. You can also compare many different model years with each other. Read on!

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Infographic explaining the different fuel types available for a chevrolet malibu.

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Fuel Requirements Based On Engine Type And Generation

1964-1967

Since we are not getting the poisonous leaded gasoline that helped fuel burn better and gave more power to the engine, it’s better to have mid-grade or higher-rated octane fuels to ensure that the engine runs cleaner and makes good power.

There are several additives in the market that you can use however not all of them are healthy for your engine. To know which ones are good and which ones are bad for your engine, please refer to the additives section of this article.

Engine	Fuel Requirement
3.2L Inline 6	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
3.8L inline 6	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
4.1L inline 6	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
4.6L V8	Mid-Grade 91 or higher octane rated gasoline
5.4L V8	Mid-Grade 91 or higher octane rated gasoline
6.5L V8	Premium Gas 93 Octane

1968-1972

In 1971, Chevy detuned all of its engines to take up regular gas without any lead additives to observe the new law. So from then onwards, the engines were made to run on regular pump gas with an octane rating of 87. Given how old the vehicle is, it’s much better to go for mid-grade or premium fuels instead of the regular gas.

The final nail in the coffin would be the oil crisis of 1973 that caused the gas guzzlers to lose their market. The oil prices skyrocketed, and no one could drive their wheels. The manufacturers had to come up with more fuel-efficient smaller engines as well to make it work.

Engine	Fuel Requirement
5.0L V8	Premium Gas 93 Octane
4.6L V8	Mid-Grade 91 or higher octane rated gasoline
5.7L V8	Premium Gas 93 Octane
3.8L V8	Mid-Grade 91 or higher octane rated gasoline
4.1L V8	Mid-Grade 91 or higher octane rated gasoline
6.6L V8	Premium Gas 93 Octane

1973-1977

This generation got the tune for the normal pump gas. The engines work fine with regular 87 octane-rated gasoline. Although if you want to run your Malibu on mid-grade or premium fuel, it’s okay to do so.

Engine	Fuel Requirement
4.1L Inline 6	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
5.0L Small Block V8	Mid-Grade 91 required premium 93 preferred
5.7L Small Block V8	Mid-Grade 91 required premium 93 preferred
6.6L Small Block V8	Premium Gas 93 Octane
7.4L Big Block V8	Premium Gas 93 Octane

1978-1983

With each passing year, the emissions standards were getting strict, so Chevy had to develop yet another line of engines having smaller displacements to cope with the government regulations and help save the environment.

Engine	Fuel Requirement
3.3L V6	Mid-Grade 91 required, premium 93 preferred
3.8L V6	Mid-Grade 91 required, premium 93 preferred
5.0L V8	Mid-Grade 91 required, premium 93 preferred
4.1L inline 6 (Mexico)	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
5.7L V8 (Mexico)	Mid-Grade 91 required, premium 93 preferred

1997-2003

Staring from this generation, we did not see lots of engine options like the previous generations. The market was more about the extra features rather than what was under the hood.

Engine	Fuel Requirement
3.1L V6	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher

2004-2007

This generation had 2 engine options, the standard 2.2L or the optional V6 (the last V6 offered in Malibu)

Engine	Fuel Requirement
2.2L inline 4	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
3.5L V6	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher

2008-2012

Inline 4s are smoother and more fuel-efficient. Thus it would be the way from here onwards.

Engine	Fuel Requirement
2.4L inline 4	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher

2013-2016

Engine	Fuel Requirement
2.5L	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas)
2.0L Turbo	Mid-Grade 91 or higher octane rated gasoline

2016-Present

In the 2.0L turbo, if you arent able to find premium gas – regular gas with an octane of 87 can be used, however, the performance will be reduced, and the acceleration will be affected. According to the owner’s manual, you would have to put premium gas as soon as possible because running regular gas for a long period can cause engine damage.

Engine	Fuel Requirement
1.8L Hybrid	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas)
1.5L Turbo	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas)
2.0L Turbo	Premium Gas 93 Octane

Also read: How Many Miles Can A Chevy Malibu Last? (Answered)

What Types Of Gasoline Can And Can’t Be Used?

There are tons of different types of fuels available in the market. If you are wondering which ones you can and can not put in your Chevy Malibu and then you are at the right place. We are going into detail on all of those fuels.

Reformulated Gasoline

Reformulated gasoline hasn’t been around for a very long time. This fuel is designed to lower emissions by burning more cleanly than the normal pump gas. RFG is specifically used in those places where the Air Quality Index is very poor, and the emission standards are set to be very strict.

Even though Chevys Owners Manual hasn’t specified whether or not you can use this type of fuel, you can have reformulated gas in your tank for this vehicle, as well as vehicles like the Chevy Volt, Spark, Blazer, and more. On top of all the other measures, if you are worried about the emissions test, go for the RFG.

Gasoline/Oxygenated Blends Or E-85

Flex-fuel should not be used in any of the engine options available. Chevy puts this fuel in the prohibited fuel category. Any fuel that has greater than 15% ethanol added should not be used. Only those vehicles are allowed to use these types of fuels designed specifically to handle high ethanol levels.

You can look at your gas cap to know if your vehicle can run on flex-fuel. Malibu, however, can’t run on flex-fuel.

Gasoline With Added Materials

Top Tier Detergent Gasoline additive is highly recommended. If your region doesn’t offer this, you can add ACDelco Fuel System Treatment Plus instead. It is recommended to add these additives every 9000 miles or at every oil change.

In case premium gas is required, but you can’t find any? Octane boosters are always helpful to add while you are running on regular gasoline. These additives are helpful if you are in an area where you can’t find premium gas.

Gasoline With MMT

Chevy advises against using MMT. these additives are not allowed as they can damage the spark plugs and can also affect the emissions

What If I Hear A Knocking Noise From The Engine After Refilling

According to the owner’s manual, the gasoline used should have the minimum recommended octane rating – failing to do so will cause engine knocking. The manual also recommends servicing the engine if the knocking is heard despite using premium gasoline.

Some knocking can be heard if lower octane-rated fuel is used in the premium recommended engines. After shifting to premium, that slight knocking sound will go away.

Does the Chevy Malibu Have Good Gas Mileage?

Chevy Malibus aren’t known for their good mileage. The older models suffer the most in this regard. However, the newer ones are very well equipped and have the capability of giving much better mileages than their predecessors.

With old engines, you won’t be able to achieve the mpg on paper. Realistically, the mileage numbers would be less than 10 mpg for the earliest gen models.

1964-1967

The first-gen models are the gas guzzlers. These are the ones that gulp oil without giving it a second thought. We have the estimates of all the engine options available in first-gen models.

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
3.2L Inline 6	13	15
3.8L inline 6	11	13
4.1L inline 6	11	12
4.6:L V8	9	10
5.4L V8	7	9
6.5L V8	6	8

1968-1972

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
5.0L V8	10	12
4.6L V8	9	10
5.7L V8	9	12
5.4L V8	7	10
3.8L V8	15	16
4.1L V8	12	13
6.5L V8	8	11
6.6L V8	8	10
7.0L V8	8	10
7.4L V8	7	8

1973-1977

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
4.1L Inline 6	15	17
5.0L Small Block V8	10	12
5.7L Small Block V8	9	12
6.6L Small Block V8	9	11
7.4L Big Block V8	7	8

1978-1983

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
3.3L V6	15	18
3.8L V6	19	21
5.0L V8	13	14
4.1L inline 6 (Mexico)	15	17
5.7L V8 (Mexico)	12	11

1997-2003

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
3.1L V6	22	30

2004-2007

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
2.2L inline 4	21	32
3.5L V6	20	29

2008-2012

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
2.4l inline 4	22	33

2013-2016

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
2.5L	25	36
2.0L Turbo	21	29

2016-Present

Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG
1.8L Hybrid	49	43
1.5L Turbo	29	36
2.0L Turbo	22	32

What’s The Gas Tank Size Of A Chevy Malibu?

Trim levels from different years have different-sized fuel tanks. Here we have sorted out the trim levels according to the engine option and have stated the fuel tank’s size.

1964-1967

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
3.2L Inline 6	20
3.8L inline 6	20
4.1L inline 6	20
4.6:L V8	20
5.4L V8	20
6.5L V8	20

1968-1972

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
5.0L V8	20
4.6L V8	20
5.7L V8	20
5.4L V8	20
3.8L V8	20
4.1L V8	20
6.5L V8	20
6.6L V8	20
7.0L V8	20
7.4L V8	20

1973-1977

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
4.1L Inline 6	22
5.0L Small Block V8	22
5.7L Small Block V8	22
6.6L Small Block V8	22
7.4L Big Block V8	22

1978-1983

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
3.3L V6	17
3.8L V6	17
5.0L V8	17
4.4L V8	17
5.7L V8 (Mexico)	17

1997-2003

Those Chevys that came between 1997-2003 have a gas tank >15 gallons. The actual tank size is 14.3 gallon

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
3.1L V6	14.3

2004-2007

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
2.2L inline 4	16.1
3.5L V6	16.1

2008-2012

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
2.4L inline 4	16

2013-2016

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
Base Model	15.8
LT or LTZ Models	18.5

2016-Present

Chevy that has been made since 2016 has 3 available engine options. The 1.8L hybrid variant has a 13.0-gallon gas tank, while the other two options – 1.5L and 2.0L come with a 15.8-gallon tank.

Engine	Fuel Tank (Gallons)
1.8L Hybrid	13.0
1.5L Turbo	15.8
2.0L Turbo	15.8

How Much Does It Cost To Fill Up A Chevy Malibu

So the most expensive state is California, where the cost of one gallon of gasoline is $4.388. When we calculated how much you would have to spend on a complete fill-up in California, and you seem to have the older model with a 20-gallon tank, the cost for a complete fill-up would be $87.76.

Now let’s move to the cheapest state, Mississippi. Here the cost for one gallon of gasoline is $2.816. Texas also has the same price of $2.816. These states are going to have reduced costs for one fill-up all the way down to $56.32.

If you have one of the newer models, the gas tank is somewhere around 15 gallons. In California, one fill-up will cost $65.82. In Texas and Mississippi, the price drops down to $42.24.

So wherever you are, with whichever trim level of Chevy Malibu, you are going to spend somewhere between $40-90$. The prices vary depending on the model year, trim level, and the state from which you are having your fillup.

Sources

Stefan K.

Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.

I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.

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