Which would you pick from new Elantra SE, Jetta SE, or Malibu LS

Of the 3, my pic would be the MALIBU.

While(as you know), the Elantra & Jetta are in the compact sedan category along with the Civic, Corolla, Sentry, the Malibu is a size segment above and in the midsize family sedan along with the Accord/Altima/Camry. Depending on your driving style and preferences is what you should buy. Do you want sporty or nice to drive in comfort and quiet every single day on the crappy NewOrleans roads?

Don't measure a vehicle cost by MSRP, go by how much can you knock down the price of the car? Typically, the Chevy will be less costly to buy & own.
Here's what I mean. Chevrolet usually piles lots of money on the hood of the car just for walking in the dealership. And if you negotiate strongly, I've seen as much as $5K-$7K knocked of the sticker and maybe(MAYBE) and extra $1000 if your already a GM owner(loyalty $$$) for buying another GM vehicle. This may not be the case right now but the deals are there.

Then there is the cost of insurance. When I was at an AARP Driver Safety Course, a representative from Liberty Mutual came into the meeting at the end of the course to answer questions. So I asked a question that no one was asking!

Me: "If we were to buy a vehicle based on the lowest insurance cost, which vehicles should we consider?"
Ins.Agent: "Buy domestic! Domestic cars, especially Chevrolet, typically cost le$$ on insurance while Hyundai/KIA and VOLVO cost more" according to Liberty Mutual.
 
If the question from the OP were something else, I would have answered differently as well. However the OP was asking specifically about 3 vehicles.
Personally, I would not particularly choose any of the 3 but(just off the top of my head) however I wouldn't necessarily discount them either. Mainly because I am typically a Honda & Toyota buyer even though I've owned other makes/models.
 
I actually own a 24 Elantra SE. My job changed this past January where I have a fairly long commute and I was looking for a low cost new vehicle that was good on gas mileage. Used car prices back then were still stupid high and it didn't make sense to spend almost as much on a used anything. I know BITOG is not a hugh Hyundai/Kia fangroup, but most of their recent engine problems have been with their direct injected engines. The 2.0 Smartstream engine in the Elantra is multi-port injected. The Elantra also comes with a lot of safety tech for an entry level vehicle, rear cross traffic, blind spot, lane keep & centering etc. But the main thing I was seeking was good MPG and after 13K of driving so far I can report that my Elantra consistently beats the EPA highway estimate. I do a daily 86 mile round trip commute 5 days a week. Two-lane, rolling hills with 55 mph speed limits and only three traffic lights along the route. I am consistently getting 46-48 mpg (hand calculated) in this car. So far I've had no issues, but I should not in a new car. Long term reliability is the big question and only time will tell, but I do not regret one bit buying this vehicle so far; but their warranty is a plus. Not dissing the other choices, however my experience with GM turbo engines has not been great. No experience whatsoever with VW. Good luck deciding.
 
These were the exact three cars i shopped during my last vehicle purchase. All of them were very close in many subjective categories but the 2024 Malibu LS 1.5T was $17k new. I could not ignore that facet. It also offered a little more passenger hip/shoulder space. With a booster seat in the back, that was important too.
 
KIA because of the warranty.
Jetta because of looks. I do not like the driving dynamics of the base Jetta (Drove one 3 yrs ago as a rental).
Malibu because of space.
 
These were the exact three cars i shopped during my last vehicle purchase. All of them were very close in many subjective categories but the 2024 Malibu LS 1.5T was $17k new. I could not ignore that facet. It also offered a little more passenger hip/shoulder space. With a booster seat in the back, that was important too.
That was a great price!
 
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