2021 Chevrolet Malibu: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

20 builds left the factory as a 2021 Malibu, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 5 main configurations sell for $7,994–$22,489 today.

  • 5 main configurations
  • 40,680 vehicles built
  • 625 for sale right now
  • $7,994–$22,489 typical price range

Which Malibu is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Malibu

What actually differs

LT (1LT) · FWD RS (1SP) · FWD LS (1FL) · FWD Premier (2LZ) · FWD
Engine 1.5L 4-cyl 1.5L 4-cyl 1.5L 4-cyl 2L 4-cyl
Typical price today $14,725 $17,219 $15,123 $17,900
For sale right now 349 106 97 6
Vehicles built 24,912 6,865 2,994 808
Same on every 2021 Malibu
  • Drivetrain Front-wheel drive
  • Transmission Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Sedan
  • Seats 5
  • Doors 4-door

What people actually pay

667 price observations · updated Sep 6, 2026
LT (1LT) · FWD
$14,725
RS (1SP) · FWD
$17,219
LS (1FL) · FWD
$15,123
$7,754 $11,607 $15,459 $19,312 $23,164
Price trend

Median up $169 over the last 12 months.

2021 Malibu price history →
Will it hold value?

A Malibu typically keeps about 67% of its price over 5 years — a 5-year-old one runs about $10,188 today.

Malibu depreciation by year →
Cost to run

29/36 mpg city/highway. Roughly $1,450/yr on fuel at 15,000 miles.

EPA estimate for the 2021 Malibu

Safety, in plain English

Driver assistance — varies by configuration
  • ✓ Warns you before a crash
  • ✓ Watches your blind spot (optional)
  • ✓ Warns when you drift from your lane (optional)
  • ✓ Steers you back into the lane (optional)
Decoded from NHTSA build records.

What 1G1ZC5ST-M means

1G1 ZC5ST · M
1G1
the World Manufacturer Identifier Chevrolet registered — assembled in the United States
ZC5ST
together encode the Malibu line — Sedan, 1.5L 4cyl, Front-wheel drive — as Chevrolet filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
M
in position 10 — model year 2021
9, 11–17
vehicle-specific fields: check digit, plant code and production sequence
Real VINs from this run 1G1ZC5ST 4MF086458 1G1ZC5ST 6MF030375 1G1ZC5ST 7MF086373
15 rare configurations — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Malibu?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.

2021 Chevrolet Malibu prices →