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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu
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Your English is just fine. I would have never guessed English wasn't your first language.
Tamu - There is nothing wrong with being just a bit pretentious; as long as you are not an arrogant SOB. Getting a PhD degree takes a lot of dedication, time and of course brain, so congratulation. There is a reason people with PhDs are referred to as "Dr." instead of "Mr" or "Ms".
I got a question for you all about our 02 Malibu. Occationally the engine makes a slight whistling sound during acceleration at low speed. Is this normal? Should we have it looked at?
BTW we just got our windows deep tinted today for $150. It'll make life a lot easier for our two little ones back there in hot summer days. Should've done that 2 summers ago...
but they're (those with a degree less than a PHd and a six figure salary) also more likely to do more research on a car they're going to purchase too. it's the people who buy GM cars that are more likely to be the so called people who know nothing about cars.
you can see it in the way the cars are advertised when the selling point is huge rebates.
many people will still only buy the traditional american makes. nothing wrong with that, but it has nothing to do with the merits of the car.
and when someone does research on a car, which direction do you think they'll be pointed to?
cavalier no
malibu yes
impala no
grand am no
grand prix no
regal no
century no
bonneville no
some of the above cars are reliable but are still engineering dinosaurs. i do realize that GM has new models on the way to replace most of the above cars, but as of now they're lineup is like my favorite MLB team the milwaukee brewers. ok, GM is not that bad, a better analogy to the brewers would be the the yugo.
It takes education to figure out what is what these days.
I know you're a die dard import guy, but I take issue with your comment. A more educated guy might research more on cars but that doesn't mean he knows more than the "average" Joe, maybe on paper but not mechanically. Another factor comes into play is income. If one earns 29K it doesn't matter if he knows how much better an accord is than the Malibu--he can only afford the Malibu! That was the case with us. But now finally entering the work force, the imports suddenly become more appealing to us Kudos to GM for making excellent reliable basic transportations like the Malibu. I can easily see a 6 figure income guy prefer the new Malibu to the imports.
being informed about cars as you call it "on paper" does mean you're more knowlegable versus just walking into the dealership without any research. are you going to rely on the salesman for your information?
i'm just responding to whoever stated that people who know nothing about cars are more likely to recommend toyotas and hondas. well duh! when they pick up any consumer or enthusiats car magazine it's going to hold toyotas and hondas in high regard. i may know nothing about watches but i do know that a timex in no rolex.
sorry, i don't see a six figure income guy preferring a malibu (or lower echelon asain cars for that matter) over the imports.
It depends on his priority, doesn't it? Not everybody is obssessed with status and prestige. The new Malibu is certainly an equal or near equal to the imports on merits. Coupled to its considerable lower price tag, it's an exceptional value to a rich guy with higher priorities.
BTW my blue collar friends in the same building are much better mechanics on cars than I. Obviously it's because they don't always have the luxury to pay to have somebody else fix their car for them.
Now that's how you truly KNOW cars.
if some rich fat cat really doesn't care about cars than of course the malibu is a possibility, but to actually prefer one over a nice passat on the basis of engineering is something i personally can not comprehend.
and the malibu isn't the great value you think it is. go to intellichoice.com for their figuring of actual ownership costs.
knowing how to fix a car is entirely different than knowing how to engineer one. but so what. are you going to tell me that mechanics prefer domestic cars now? some of them make good money, especially the ones who fix the expensive imports. good job security for the european mechanics.
This engine powers my Malibu and is the basis for the Saab 9-3
http://www.ny-jbodies.org/forum/library/ecotec/ImportFighter.htm
You're certainly entitled to your opinion. The accord is pretty cool. The camry? Can't see myself driving one. I may be boring and practical, but not that lack of personality.
"and the best the new malibu could manage was mid-pack in edmund's latest family sedan comparison test."
I take what pretentious car journalists have to say with a ton of salt. Being academic myself, I know how theoretical, up-in-the-air, and full of themsleves people can be. At the end of the day, it's how YOU like the car. Who cares most of the stuff they complain about anyway? Well, maybe a real car guy like you do And even if you could feel the 5% more ride harshness, you gotta ask yourself "is this worth paying 7 grand more for?".
"if some rich fat cat really doesn't care about cars than of course the malibu is a possibility, but to actually prefer one over a nice passat on the basis of engineering is something i personally can not comprehend."
Again, people have different criteria. The Passat's pathetically small size alone will completely turn me off, don't get me started on the ridiculously high price tag (30K? give me a break!).
" the malibu isn't the great value you think it is. go to intellichoice.com for their figuring of actual ownership costs."
Screw the "true cost to own". I intend to keep in past 5 years. And my true cost to own will be gas, insurance, maintainance and repairs. I change my own oil which cost me less than $40 a year. We're now onto our 3rd year with or Malibu, it still runs like new. Our insurance cost is $280 (full coverage) for 6 months. We got above 30 mpg on the highway. Did I mention we paid almost 10K less than a comparable accord? BTW the real world selling prices of domestic and import are not that far off.
"knowing how to fix a car is entirely different than knowing how to engineer one. "
Who said that? I was merely saying people who know how to fix cars REALLY know cars. Didn't mean my janitor can design a car better.
People not happy with the Malibu styling should take note. The G6 is a beautiful car.
http://www.freep.com/money/autoreviews/phelan12e_20040812.htm
See my post #4121 regarding this engine.
2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GT2
2004 Chevrolet Malibu LS
2004 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE
2004 Toyota Camry LE V6
I have only driven the GT2. I plan on test driving the others very soon.
Thanks!
Kristen
You will most likely get the best deal on the Malibu or the Grand Prix. Personally, the Camry is kind of a boring car. The Altima is nice, but interior seems kind of cheap. The GP seems like a bigger car than the rest and I don't like the back seat design - no cup holders in the back either. My choice would be the Malibu - very nice car for the money. I have made some posts in the Malibu discussion about a couple of trips I have taken in my fathers Malibu. The only thing I really do not like is the power steering seems to light.
Go drive all four and see which one you like the best. I imagine the final price will come out the best on the Malibu. Let us know. Good luck.
Thanks!
Kristen
Thanks for everyone's input.
Kristen
I don't think the Malibu is a cheap car. In fact, it's pretty nice compared to what else you can buy in the price range. It's a bit drab inside but it feels good and fit and finish is excellent. I like my GP better in terms of size and looks but I think the Malibu offers great value and quality over all.
Kristen
Kristen
btrfly,
While you're at it, check out the new generation Kia Spectrum too. It's based on the same platform as the Elantra and has standard features such as side and curtain airbags! Car&Driver gave it a very good review.
If you have access to Consumer Reports, check their fuel economy ratings.... The Malibu kicks the GP in the pants by 6 mpg overall, out accelerates it by .2 second, stops faster and is cheaper.
Also, my ABS light comes on periodically for reasons unknown. Anyone know what the deal is here?
Thanks!
I posted this on the Malibu Care & Maintenance board but only got one reply.
Anyone here have a Malibu with the Ultralux seats?Do these seats get dirty easily? Are they easy to clean? How well do you think they will hold up say, over 5 years? I went and test drove another Malibu. This one was an LT with gray Ultralux. I liked it a lot and am thinking about purchasing it but was wondering about the seats? I don't have any kids (a possibility in the future), so that is not an issue. I liked the feel of them better than the cloth. I thought they were a lot more comfortable, but I don't want them to be a constant pain!
Thanks again!
Kristen