Americans didn’t invent the car, we just made the car better, just like we did with cinema, basketball, and buffets. Henry Ford democratized car ownership with the Model T, and this country experienced a long run of great, gas-powered sedans. That’s over, as GM will finally end production of the last actual internal combustion sedan sold in America by any American car brand.
That’s right, the Chevy Malibu–the 5th best thing you can rent from any Enterprise in the Phoenix area–will see its long production run come to an end this year. Why? To make room for electric crossovers. Welcome to the future.
The future is arguably worse in England, as Ford is threatening to limit the number of gas-powered cars because of EV mandates and a desire to be profitable. That’s still better than the prospect for Chinese cars in the United States, where the government is bandying around the idea of a ban. And, finally, Uncle Sam is looking into Tesla for all matter of serious crimes.
RIP Malibu
I was tempted to write that the death of the Malibu this year marked the death of the gas-powered American car, but there are American cars. Chevy is still building Corvettes, Ford is still building Mustangs, and… oh, actually, that’s it. Huh.
Did you even know the Malibu was still in production? I sort of forgot until I saw a story in the Detroit Free Press pointing this out:
General Motors (GM.N), said Wednesday it will end production of its gasoline-powered Chevrolet Malibu car later this year in order to produce new electric vehicles.
GM has sold more than 10 million Malibus since 1964 worldwide and will end production in November. The Detroit automaker is investing $390 million at its Kansas assembly plant to build next-generation Chevrolet Bolt EVs. GM halted production of the prior generation Bolt in December.
That’s it. No more affordable sedans for the moment. Ford’s abandoned the Focus, Fusion, and Taurus. Buick’s lineup is all crossover. Lincoln’s lineup is all crossover. Stellantis ended production of the Charger and 300C. There’s the Tesla, but the company has unfortunately abandoned its V8-powered Model S-X and that’s hardly affordable. This will make the Cadillac CT4 the most affordable American-built, gas-powered sedan, but at $35k starting it’s $10k more than the starting price of the Malibu.
If you want a reasonably affordable sedan the 2024 Chevy Malibu is it! The car was updated in 2024 and the little graphic really gives away why the car was built at all:
You get a new color and you get rear park assist for “non-fleet models.” How many non-fleet human beings bought a Malibu?
If you miss sedans you don’t need to worry too much because this shall only be but a brief lacuna, a pause, a temporary void. Next year you’ll get the 2025 Dodge Charger, which is an American sedan (well, it’s a fastback type thing). Otherwise, your only options will be electric cars like the Cadillac Celestiq and the Tesla Model S.
Of course, non-American automakers will happily sell you a sedan. So if you can’t get a new Malibu you can console yourself with a 2025 Toyota Camry.
Ford Would Rather Sell Fewer Gas Cars Than Lose Money
Ford Europe came out swinging yesterday amidst the confusing, contradictory signals it’s getting from the UK government.
Here’s what Martin Sander, GM Ford Model e Europe/CEO Ford Werke GmbH, told the Financial Times during a summit they hosted this week:
He told a Financial Times summit that weak sales meant the company’s only option to avoid crippling fines under the UK’s new electric vehicle quota rules was to divert sales to other countries.
“We can’t push EVs into the market against demand. We’re not going to pay penalties. We are not going to sell EVs at huge losses just to buy compliance. The only alternative is to take our shipments of [engine] vehicles to the UK down and sell these vehicles somewhere else,” he told the FT’s Future of the Car Summit in London.
He added: “I don’t know if consumers in the UK would like seeing [engine vehicle] prices going up.”
The current government is a little wishy-washy on the EV thing, but it’s not clear how long this government will be in place. Currently, automakers in England have to sell a certain percentage of EVs (22% this year) or pay a penalty. Rather than sell more EVs, it sounds like Ford is considering just selling fewer gas-powered cars to make up the difference.
Is this an idle threat or a real thing? I’m not sure, but Ford is dramatically reducing its gas-powered offerings in the UK so it does make some sense. The quickest way to get a numerator to do what you want is to change the denominator.
That being said, Sander did say that he still thinks EVs are the end goal, even if it’s going to take a little longer. Or, as Sander put it in a LinkedIn post:
My optimistic message might surprise some: Ford has been in the market for 120 years, and we plan to be in the market in 120 years. So we have to compete and become ever more efficient. Uncertainty is part of the business now. We have to embrace it and enjoy it!
Uncertainty! A thing all business owners enjoy.
No American Government Is Going To Let Chinese Cars Happen
Americans have been buying and driving Chinese-built cars for a while. Chinese parts seep into everything. But a Chinese brand? That is a bridge too far, apparently.
The Trump Administration put in a 27.5% tariff on Chinese cars and President Joe Biden was happy to keep that going. Back in February, the Biden Administration doubled down on the growing anti-Chinese car sentiment by saying it would do, uh, something.
Courtesy of Reuters, we’ve got a slightly better idea of what that might mean:
The U.S. could take “extreme action” and ban Chinese connected vehicles or impose restrictions on them, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Wednesday, in the first indication a ban could be on the table after a national security investigation.
The Commerce Department is reviewing public comments that were due by April 30, Raimondo told Reuters, on a probe the Biden administration launched in February into whether Chinese vehicle imports pose national security risks.
“We have to digest all the data and then figure out what action that we want to take,” Raimondo said without detailing a timeline. “We could take extreme action, which is to say no Chinese connected vehicles in the United States or look for mitigation” including safeguards, guardrails or other requirements.
There’s a bit of realpolitik here as we’ve already seen with Chinese-made cars in Europe. America’s relationship with China isn’t great at the moment, but it’s not terrible, and I could see a Biden administration merely putting in ‘guardrails’ in exchange for some help isolating Russia.
Federal Prosecutors Looking Into Whether Or Not Tesla Did A Wire Fraud
Even I get a little mixed up over the various legal actions that Tesla is mixed up in at any moment. The company’s got more probes than a ’90s Ford dealer.
This time it’s the Justice Department looking into whether or not Tesla “committed wire fraud, which involves deception in interstate communications, by misleading consumers about its driver-assistance systems, the sources said. They are also examining whether Tesla committed securities fraud by deceiving investors, two of the sources said.”
In case you were curious, the Justice Department’s investigation shouldn’t be confused with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s investigation over similar issues.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
This game on the radio this morning and I got to explain The Blue Album to my daughter, which was fun. Also, fun fact, drummer Patrick Wilson is a car guy!
The Big Question
What was the last American sedan you owned? Would you buy another one? If you’ve never owned an American sedan have you owned… any sedan?
The last sedan I owned was a 1971 Volvo 144S.
Since then I’ve owned a wagon, a hatchback, a coupe, a truck and now a convertible.
I still have fond memories of my Mom’s big ’72 Mercury Monterey Custom – and her succession of Volvo 240 sedans that replaced it.
I always had midsize sedans prior to having a hatch, but none were American brands. There was always at least one GM sedan in my family growing up, usually small ones until the last domestic, a Saturn Aura.
I rarely have a need for people carrying which is where most of the advantage is in midsize sedans now, so I’d likely only get another sedan if I had access to something else with an open/flexible cargo area. But small hatchbacks fill the bill all around for now.
Most reviews seemed to say the current Malibu was decent enough, at this point it is just old. It did seem like the first time they actually had the size, powertrain, and the feature set all competitive for the segment, usually one or two of those were lacking in Malibus over the years.
It would have seemed like GM could do a deep refresh of the current Malibu, maybe bring back the hybrid, and it’d have legs for a bit longer. Not that I expect sedans to have sudden tremendous sales growth overnight, but I imagine Ford would be in a better position if that were to happen to revive the Fusion by bringing the current global Mondeo over.
I’ve owned two sedans, a B5 1.8L A4 and an N55 2-series, and both were incredibly practical, though the 2-series was a bit too muscle car-ish for what’s supposedly a small 2-door sports sedan.
I’d be interested in another sedan the size of the B5 if and when I start a family, but if I want that size, a manual and a crash structure that can survive an Equinox to the door, I’ll have to compromise with a newer hatch instead. That being said, sedans are lovely and a perfect fit for most applications, I just don’t need a second row of seats right now. I could get a WRX, but I’ve done that song and dance, so I’d prefer a new experience over a familiar one.
My last sedan was a 2017 Fusion Sport, which I leased since Ford didn’t offer leasing on the Focus RS (well, a good one anyway). With the exception of lacking the Focus’s manual, the Fusion was a fucking hoot to drive, and only down 25hp. The AWD system laughed at any accumulation of Northwest NJ snow. In retrospect, I should’ve bought that lease out. I’d buy another as a daily driver in a heartbeat.
The last ‘American’ sedan I owned was a Pontiac G8. Despite being the Rupert Murdoch of cars (an Aussie cosplaying for the red-blooded and red-hatted American), it fit the bill pretty well. Long(ish) wheelbase, decent low end torque (even from the V6), and uninspired fuel economy offset by a large fuel tank.
I’m not likely to have a sedan any time soon. I’m more likely to stick with a truck or SUV with some kind of decent tow rating, but it’s not unlikely my wife’ll end up with a Civic or Accord, which are far more American than my Pontiac was.
The Malibu is what I would consider the generic car at this point. It doesn’t do anything particularly well, nor does it do anything particularly poorly. It’s not really a class standout in any area it just kinda exists. I hate that the sedan is dying but the Malibu isn’t the type of sedan that I would want.
I do currently own an American sedan, a CTS vsport, and maybe if I save enough of my pennies I’ll be able to get a manual CT5 Blackwing before they are gone for good. It truly feels like the end of an era, there won’t ever be another car like it.
I hadn’t realized I never owned a sedan. I lived in NYC for 35 years, so I’ve owned 4 cars in my 69 years: pre NY, a convertible, sports coupe, wagon, and upon retirement and moving, a 5 door hatchback.
I’m not allergic to the idea of a sedan. I’d look for a 9th or 10th generation Accord, but I hope to keep my Fit for the rest of my driving years.
Heh, that’s my current daily driver Chevy Cruze. Currently averaging about 42 mpg this tank of fuel driving a highway commute. GM captured lightning in a bottle with the 1st gen Cruze only to make it worse with an ugly mid-cycle facelift and a disappointing second generation.
Having had a second-gen Cruze, I agree. I was smitten with the first-gen and its solid, bigger-than-it-is feel. The second-gen was comparatively quite disappointing. It felt cheap and tinny. I regretted it as soon as I’d had it for a week.
The last sedan I owned was a Honda Civic, but it replaced a Ford Focus. I also had a Chevy Citation. Everything else has been coupes, SUVs, hatchbacks, or pickups. I’d love to get into a good luxury sedan (preferably EV, but at least hybrid), but I can’t find one I really want for a price I feel willing to pay.
The last American sedan was a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville SE that I used for commuting. Before that was a 2000 Ford Focus. But those are the only two American sedans I’ve personally owned.
As for the Malibu, it was probably my third choice for a rental car, behind the Camry and Corrola. For what it is, the Malibu isn’t too bad, especially with the 2.0L turbo engine. The real problem is the derivative styling and that it doesn’t do anything better than any other sedan on the market, but also doesn’t cost sufficiently less than any other sedan on the market to compensate. It’s a perennial also-ran, so I can see why GM would kill it instead of trying to improve it.
I think GM would do well to re-skin the current Malibu, which is on a perfectly capable platform, and make it hybrid-only…not unlike what Toyota just did with the ’25 Camry. Alas.
The last American sedan I owned was a 2016 Cruze Premier RS. It was a time in my life when I had a long commute, and needed something to replace my recently-totaled 2014 Lincoln MKS. I can’t say I’d ever buy another Cruze. It was mediocre and felt cheap, even for what was the fully loaded model.
2nd gen Cruzes were cost-cut to a ridiculous point. They also looked derivative of the Civic. GM had that car ready to go in 2014 for the 2015 model year but delayed it until 2015. Just in time to look like a knockoff Civic.
Correct. Interestingly enough, my best friend and his husband bought a 2017 Volt LT around the same time. That one was on the same platform as the gen. 2 Cruze, but had the solidity the original Cruze had and that the second-gen lacked. And it wasn’t just the heavy battery, either.
The rumor I heard was that Chevy entertained a refresh. They obviously decided against it.
It’s a shame GM discontinued the Malibu hybrid after just three years. If they had packaged the battery better and advertised them more, I’m sure they would’ve sold a bunch.
I’ve owned an American coupe (1990 Beretta GT), and I currently have an American coupe project car (1970 GTO), but all of my sedans have been Japanese (2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, 2003 Infiniti M45), or German (2003 BMW 540i M-sport). Everything else has been wagons, hatches, trucks or vans.
I’m sure I’d buy a sedan again, given the right circumstances. Probably a used Volvo PHEV, or maybe lease an Ioniq 6? A crossover is just too compromised to make me happy. Not enough cargo space to justify the efficiency hit over a sedan or hatch.
I can’t get too sad about the Malibu if GM continues to take the Trax seriously. It’s cheaper, as roomy, and borderline car-shaped. I mean, had a Malibu rental or two, and no complaints, it just had no reason to exist unless you were buying them by the thousands or have been going back to your local Chev dealer for the past ~40 years and just keep buying An Car.
I haven’t had an American sedan since ’06, when I wrote off my Ford Escort. I liked it (and the Chrysler Intrepid I had before it) just fine, but I like having a hatch over a trunk more. I could maybe stretch to include the Cavalier coupe I had up to ’09, which was also fine, but like the Escort, I mostly had because it was bought cheap.
I have never owned an American sedan. I look forward to eventually owning a ’66 Chrysler Newport sedan, a 1955 Chrysler Imperial or 300 sedan, or maybe a 1952 pontiac silver streak sedan. Those are pretty American.
Until GM slaps a gold bow tie on the Wuling Starlight
GM should slap a gold bow tie on the Wuling Starlight
My current American sedan is a ’65 Rambler Classic. About as American as you can get, excepting the Rambler American
“If you’ve never owned an American sedan have you owned… any sedan?”
The only sedan I’ve ever owned was a 2004 Subaru STi, which was a pretty far throw from an American sedan of any sort.
However, the 1 single American car I’ve ever owned was a 1999 5-speed Mercury Cougar V6. It was my first car, and was generally pretty wonderful to drive despite being fairly unreliable.
Side note: I love the hell out of the Blue album
The last American branded sedan I had was a 2014 Ford Fusion Platinum. I really enjoyed that car. It was comfortable, had sufficient power and in my opinion, it looked great. It didn’t even suffer from endless recalls like my Maverick does. Unfortunately, it was totaled in a hailstorm in 2017. My current Sedan was assembled in America, but the brand is German (Mercedes Benz).
Oh, and the V8 Tesla – I’ve been waiting for this and now you’re telling me they’ve abandoned it? Probably in favor of building more EVs. 🙂
Last American sedan I owned : 85 Pontiac 6000, was driving that in 2004. My dad had an impala or 2 in the early 2000s, but I think by 05 he had move into a Rav4, and has had those since.
1996 Ford Taurus GL, in ubiquitous white. Trouble free except for a water pump that exploded right in front of my mechanic’s shop, comfortable, not too bad on gas. A bit small in the back for carrying around college freshmen (as the only one in the group with a car on campus), but otherwise it was a great car for that period in my life.
Big Question: I can go a couple ways depending on how you classify my first answer. What I consider my last American sedan was a ’07 Malibu Maxx. Some people wanted to try and say it was a hatchback (it wasn’t, but I like the line of thinking), so if you’re one of those people, it would have been a ’02 Mercury Sable. Between the two, the Maxx was amazingly better.
That Maxx was a fun car. Got the upgraded engine standard. Had a few inch stretch that went exclusively to the back seat passengers, and the hatch-like opening. That car was up for anything, and was dependable as all get out! A couple features I loved from that car, only one that I’ve ever seen repeated anywhere else: 1) Speed-sensitive wipers. Not automatic wipers, but the intervals would change based on speed, so it was close enough! (And probably better than the fully automatic wipers I have now.) 2) This one is just me looking too closely at some details, but if the turn signal had started its cycle when the auto-cancel would click in, the thing would finish the blink! I get so irritated in my CX-30 with the fun heartbeat signals when it’s in the middle of the cycle, and instead of still gently fading off, it rushes to the finish line…
Re: Weezer. As a kid born in the 80’s, I of course know of them and have listened to a lot of their catalogue, however I’ve never seen them live-and-in-person. My buddy finally convinced me to spend some bucks this year to see them for The Blue Album’s… [check’s notes]… THIRTIETH Anniversary tour! (Damn, that’s a tough pill to swallow.) They’re apparently playing the whole album, and my buddy gets to make me finally see Dinosaur Jr!
I always thought the Maxx was a better idea than execution. A Wagon/hatch malibu was a great idea, but I never liked the shape of the hatch. It always seemed like someone came in at the last minute and said wagons don’t sell, so they moved the rear glass 8 inches closer to the windshield, so they could say “see, it has a ‘trunk shape’ “
I tend to agree, but it was a much better car than the standard-sedan version!
I am of the belief that all sedans are better with a hatch. This may not be entirely true in execution, but in theory it hold up.
Or better yet, in wagon form.
Right there with ya. The Maxx was a well-kept secret, lol
Last America sedan was a 2003 Saturn Ion. It wasn’t nearly as reliable at the 1992 Saturn SL2 it replaced. The last sedan we had was my wife’s 2005 Honda Civic.
We did test drive a 2023 Accord, but the 2023 CRV won out. Its far more practical for our family.
I don’t see a sedan in our future. A wagon…possibly.
Last sedan I owned was a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix that I used to commute to college.I traded that in for a 2008 Pontiac G6 Street Edition but that was a coupe. I loved both. I’d don’t really think I could make a sedan work for me in daily life. I use my truck bed for too many things.
I really hate how these brands stopped making cars though but maybe I’m an old guy yelling at clouds.
I own a Focus sedan. Love her and plan to hang onto her as long as I can.
And the biggest liability to me – not being a hatchback – has slowly mitigated over the years as I’ve come to use the trunk as a tool/detailing equipment box and appreciate that it’s all out of sight. I don’t have a garage, so being able to store in there is wonderful.
The biggest positive was what made her harder to find at first but worth it – she’s a 5 speed.
1998 Buick Century. Whatever was the top of the line. Leather and power stuff. Great highway cruiser. Unfortunately, it had to be replaced by the minivan to haul kids stuff. About 10 years or so later, I got a sequoia and the kid hauler was no longer needed. A couple of days later the first of a few v6 camrys appeared on my wife’s side of the garage. Zoom zoom. And yes. Those camrys had some zoom.
> About 10 years or so later, I got a sequoia and the kid hauler was no longer needed
That sounds pretty grim 🙁