We’ll cut right to the chase. Are you looking for a Chevy dealer serving Tulsa and its surrounding towns and cities? At Bob Hart Chevrolet, we’re one of the most highly experienced dealerships in the area, providing our customers with popular Chevy vehicles daily for years now. If there’s one thing that Tulsa is, it’s busy. As one of the largest cities in the state, it’s not always a casual Sunday drive down the street, especially if you’re one to travel on the highways quite often. That’s why we’re bringing to you our top choices when it comes to driving in Tulsa, and these vehicles will offer you an exceptional value.
Starting with the 2022 Equinox, this SUV isn’t the cheapest one sold by Chevy, nor is it the priciest. What it is, however, is a fantastic value for the price. This year’s Equinox starts at an MSRP of around $25,000 and is available in four trim levels. The base trim known as the LS is here like many other Chevy vehicles, and this is followed by the LT, the RS, and then the Premier at the top, which is also reminiscent of other Chevy vehicles. The Malibu is a sedan that starts at around $23,000 for the same LS trim. The rest of the trim levels are reminiscent of the Equinox’s lineup. If you’re interested in used examples of these models, we recommend you shop for an Equinox at least from 2018 as it will be within the same generation as the current model. For the Malibu, it’s the 2016 model where you should start your search for many of the same features as the latest iteration.
Save Money Now and Later
What do we mean by saving money now and later? In addition to the Equinox and the Malibu being fairly priced in both the new and used markets, they’re exceptionally fuel-efficient and not too far apart in this regard. If you’re buying a new Equinox, you’ll have a turbocharged 1.5L I-4 with a 6-speed automatic transmission that creates 170 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque. This is the same turbocharged engine that you’ll find on various used models, including the 2018 Equinox.
Those in the used market are in luck because earlier Equinox models allowed for additional stronger powertrains that exceeded the base engine. Sticking with the turbocharged 1.5L I-4 isn’t bad, however, and this is because this SUV remains immensely fuel-efficient with EPA-estimated ratings averaging 26 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway. Drivers who may do occasional light towing can do so here with tempered expectations, but 1,500 lbs are still impressive for this engine nonetheless.
The Malibu is certainly interesting, and this is because it not only has a turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine like the Equinox, but it has retained the more powerful engine we mentioned prior. That means the 2022 Malibu is more powerful in the end, but we’ll get to those numbers shortly. Although similarly sized, the turbocharged 1.5L I-4 inside of the Malibu produces 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, and this comes with a CVT instead. Ultimately what transmission you want will be up to personal preference as there are arguments to be made for CVTs, although you’ll likely hear more in favor of the traditional type of transmission. Because of this power reduction, it winds up being more fuel-efficient as a result, with EPA-estimated ratings of 29 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway.
The more powerful engine that we alluded to earlier is a turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine. Even if you go back a few years, you can still get this engine on used variants such as the 2016 Malibu, for example. This engine outperforms both of the base engines that we’ve discussed so far for both vehicles with a total of 250 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. What’ll also likely pique the interest of drivers is the 9-speed automatic transmission that it comes with. It’s worth mentioning that fuel efficiency remains stellar with this engine, gaining EPA-estimated ratings of 22 MPG city and 33 MPG highway.
Staying Safe
We believe that the Equinox and Malibu exceed in multiple ways, and like most Chevy vehicles, careful attention has been placed on its reliability and safety. Older models also receive a wide range of safety features, although you’ll also have to purchase higher-tier trims of the Malibu. There’s plenty of safety features that are available to implement in the Malibu, but one that comes standard is Teen Driver. For those who have teenagers living in the house, even if they still won’t be driving for a few more years, Teen Driver has overhauled how parents can teach their kids how to properly operate a vehicle. Even for the more experienced drivers, city traversal can be tricky, and Tulsa is no exception.
How does Teen Driver work? It has an assortment of abilities, and what we mean by that is the app on your phone can do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to limits that you want to set. Let’s say you don’t want your teenager listening to music at an ear-shattering and distracting volume level when driving, or even set speed limits so that they never go above the legal limit; the choice is yours. The system also has other limitations put in place to promote safer driving, like not allowing the driver to shift out of park if the seatbelts aren’t fastened.
All of the features that are available for the Malibu come standard on the Equinox. This is expected for an SUV as they’re more so marketed towards families rather than your average everyday commuter. Features that come standard will help your everyday commute better and safer, from IntelliBeam Auto High Beam Headlights to Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection to prevent collisions with people and vehicles. You’ll also receive a warning before any impact can occur, and this feature can easily save lives and should be implemented in every vehicle from now on. Additionally, for highway travel in Tulsa, your vehicle will also ensure that you’re always paying attention to your lane when driving and will navigate you back to the lane in some cases.
Buying Your Chevy in Tulsa
Now that you know a couple of Chevy vehicles that we think would suit Tulsa drivers, it’s up to you to come to visit us to see them for yourself. Not sure whether or not you want to purchase a particular vehicle? We offer test drives for all of our vehicles, so if you want to experience the Malibu or Equinox first-hand, then this is the way to do it. Have any questions regarding these two vehicles or any other vehicle that Chevy produces? Our staff are knowledgeable and always up-to-date on our latest arrivals, and they’re the perfect people to ask about these vehicles. There’s something special about driving a Chevy, something that has yet to be replicated by competing manufacturers and something that will likely never be replicated. Every Chevy driver knows what we’re talking about, but if you’re new to the scene, come visit us, and we’ll tell you how to get started.
