Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
welcome to the forum.....keep us all update on your Maxx...good or bad....I think most of us are pleased with the Maxx to date...with some minor problems......we all hate the sun shades on the rear skylight!!!!
Got them to throw in satellite radio and 5 free oil changes. Are the rebates really now up to $4000 like I have heard?
Up over 10,000 miles now and I absolutely love the vehicle. Still, in all of my travels I have only seen three other Maxx's. Probably move of the regular Malibus, but I don't pay much atention to them.
Coming up on 5K miles and still no real compliants. We too have had the s### scared out of us when the sunshades in the back SLAMMED open. But the only reason I had them closed to begin with was because streetlights shining through back there cast reflections that I found distracting at night.
We only test drove a Maxx. The wife saw it, sat in it and said, "This is it. I want this car." Has anyone also test drove a sedan? How do the two compare? Just curious.
Other than that, 8000 miles and the car is still very pleasant to drive in. Its suspension seems to have more travel than most - bumps that grounded my former Saturn ION are no trouble for the Maxx. The engine has a lot of low end grunt making it really easy to bark the tires, but kinda runs out of steam near the redline. Seats could be wider and the lumbar support comes and goes with temperature. But it's quiet, handles and rides well, and is easily the best car I have owned (over older hondas and camrys too).
Now if only I could have waited until the sales events.... the most rebate I got was around $1000 (back in February when the car first came out) but at least it sold for close to Invoice (it's the LS - couldn't get the LT in Driftwood; that color stays quite cool in the California summer!)
I read a lot of posts here before buying...thanks for the good info. The only two noticeable things on my vehicle, from a possible problem standpoint, are those window screen latches (as described earlier) and it takes a good thump to close the hatch correctly (described earlier too).
There seem to be a LOT of positives...nice ride, strong engine, decent fuel economy (if I get 19-20 mpg I'll be happy - anything better than 13!), lots of room, cool real skylights...etc..
I bought a low end LS and we are having a sun/moon roof installed later this week. I plan on buying and installing my own rear seat DVD for the kids...
So far, it's a great car (based on 12 hours of ownership and a few test drives)...
I have owned mostly foreign cars over the past 10 years (started with an 89 Beretta and then to an Accord, CRV, Axiom and now this). I think Chevy/GM has a winner with this car.
Anyway, does anybody think they'll have anything similar in the way of incentives to get rid of the last of the o4s? My local dealers still seem well stocked with them.
I picked up a new Maxx LS last week and now have 500 miles on it. These miles have all been city miles with the air conditioning on "high". So far the trip computer is saying 13 MPG avg fuel economy. Now the traffic hasn't been that bad and I haven't pushed the car that hard. Am wondering if something is wrong.
Am also wondering what other Maxx owners have experienced during break-in.
Thank You for your post.
First of all, I have never averaged less than 23.5 miles per gallon. And that was only one time when I did little highway driving. I put on 800 miles after having the car two days and, on that first trip (obviously all highway miles) averaged 27 and 29 mpg. Since that time, on mostly highway miles have averaged between 26 and 31 mpg.
The trip computer always shows a higher mpg (and I have complained to the dealer with little success) Usually by 1.5 to 2 miles per gallon higher than actual. Also, a related complaint is that it shows the same numbers all the time, ie 26.1, than 26.7 than 27.4, 30.2, 30.9, etc., never anything in between
I have noticed, and I hope this is not an omen on things to come that the car, even though only a few months old and 10,000 miles is not taking the bumps in the road as well as it did when it was new. Maybe my imagination, but I don't think so. Surely in 10,000 miles the shocks should not have worn out that much!
Other minor complaint is that the low fuel light goes on too early. I have had it go off when I could only squeeze (and I squeeze every ounce of gas in each time I fill--so I can determine accurate gas mileage) when I could only put in a little over 13 gallons. Supposed to be a 16.1 gallon tank and once I actually put that much in. Must have been running on fumes!
Otherwise, very pleased with the car (except that I paid 24k with 0 financing for LT listing at
$25,600 in early April & could have bought the same car last week for a little less than 20k. The 0 financing would not have cost me 4 thousand. Anyone know what the rebates are now for August?
IOW, they cut $500 off the previous (July) rebates in exchange for the financing deal.
Are you saying that you fill up beyond when the gas pump automatically kicks off? This isn't my area of expertise, but I thought doing that caused extra stress on the fuel pump. I'm sure somebody here is more knowledgeable on this than I am and can attest to that.
Remember that when calculating gas mileage manually, that you are relying on the accuracy of the pump.
Also, for those that aren't getting accurate readings from the car's readout, are you remembering to reset the average after fillup? That could possibly be skewing the mpg average.
I really don't know what the computer uses to calculate mpg. Is it possible that when the engine is idling that it is somehow still doing calculations?
The bottom line is that I am getting great mileage for the mix of driving that I do. The mileage does take a hit when it is hot. I remote start and let the interior cool off before we go get in. I did not do that in the cold weather to heat the interior.
The car has 2900 miles on it right now. Getting about 19 MPG in mostly city driving. Like others, its on board computer is off by as much as 2 MPG. Got as much as 30 MPG on the only trip I took.
The LS listed for $23,500. Asked the dealer to match another dealers add, Which they did. The rebate and the discount totaled $5600. They also took $2200 on my GM card. In fact they also took a $500.00 coupon for a GM Auto Show In Motion! They gave me $750 for my old clunker that was not worth a penny as well. All in all, I knocked about $9000 off the price of the car with out paying a penny out of my pocket. But I did purchase the extended warranty simply because this was a first year model. I felt I need to cover my rear on that one count.
Impressed with the car. Plenty of power. Can fit my long legs in this small car by pulling out the steering column so they can slide under easier. This why I have this car rather than a Camry or Accord. Handles very well as well.
What I do not like: The cloth seats are a little hard. Takes some getting use to. There is also a pretty big blind spot. Other than that it's so far so good.
It's easy to "game" the computer to get artificially high or low readings. It seems to work by summing up miles and gallons after the last reset and computing a new mpg every few minutes. Like others I have noticed that the readings occur in discrete steps. If you want an artificially high reading, accelerate to highway speed, then at the top of the next hill hit reset and take your foot off the gas. I've seen as high as 50 MPG playing this game. Conversely, if you hit reset and then drive around the parking lot for awhile, you'll see about 5 MPG.
I think the main value of the trip computer is in what it tells you about how your driving style affects mileage. You'll notice that high mileage requires gentle acceleration and minimal use of the brakes. It also favors a high cruising speed. Jackrabbit starts and abrupt stops will really bring it down. Pay attention; it's your gas money.
I'd like to add what a great paint job Fairfax did. The medium gray is stunning, it sparkles in the sun. I haven't found a single defect, and the paint is smooth with no orange peeling.
The ride continues to astonish me, it is well balanced between comfort and responsiveness. This car was supposed to be my everyday driver, but now I'll be using it for road trips as well.
Last the stereo. When I picked up the car I was disappointed but apparently the stereo has a break-in period as well. The radio itself doesn't sound hot, but CD's sound wonderful with the EQ set flat. (mine is the single-disc CD model with no satellite option).
As for gas mileage, I drive 50 miles everyday on highway 1 between Trenton and New Brunswick, NJ so I consider this highway but with frequent stops. My gas mileage has been in between 23 and 26 mpg. I took my wife to Philadelphia and reset the computer when I left Phily (all highway at ~ 60 mph) and got 32.
I am a conservative driver who likes to see that number on the high side, so I drive conservatively, no jack starts and take my foot of the accelerator as I approach a light. So, I do not know If I would be considered an "average" driver.
Well, so much for my two cents worth.
Enjoy the forum.
You are right
Clinic also said SS version is for '05 - big wheels/low prof tires, lower to ground, body flairs, supercharged engine, tuned exhaust, etc.. A Chevy Red Line, I guess.
The 2004 I have with 8K miles is slowly improving its mileage - mixed travel in hot LA with AC on is around 23 mph. Car continues to ride well and is staying together (may be one new rattle under instrument panel - otherwise pretty tight). The big tires will howl if you try to turn hard. Good freeway cruiser. Seat back Lumbar support comes and goes with the heat.
One nice thing about driftwood and tan interior: it takes a week for the windows to fog up from the hot LA sun (by comparison, my Red Geo Prism with black interior would fog its windows in a DAY).
thanks for the info.....figured the window soiled with the addition of the spoiler...when it stays clear now....wonders of an airstream....one would think they would engineer one that didnt do that...An SS version may add additional interest to this small but growing segment...I would be interested in the lower profile tires and a 17 inch rim on the car for sure....
We bought a 2004 Malibu Maxx and so far we love it. It has a very smooth, quiet ride and good power while getting respectable gas mileage. Having owned mostly foreign cars since my original car (an 89 Beretta, which I loved but it fell apart), I seriously doubted I would ever own another Chevy. The Maxx changed my mind and is something you should definitely test drive.
Between the Jetta and the Maxx, I think you will probably find the Jetta handles better (sportier) but he Maxx has a smoother ride. The Maxx has more interior passenger room, the Jetta more cargo area.
I always wanted a Jetta, but I read reports about engine problems with VWs (Jetta and Passat in the 2000-2003 model years) and that combined with relatively high price tags influenced me to stay away from them. I also read that Jetta is due for a re-design...2005 or 2006 maybe (see below)? So if I had bought a Jetta, I would probably have bought a used one (there seem to be a lot of them around here...)
I guess you could say that I took a little bit of a risk with the Malibu Maxx, but at 6K off of sticker (including 4K from GM and 2K from the dealer - bought it last month) and considering some of VWs recent mechanical woes, I figured it was worth it.
BTW Here's what I saw about future Jetta models:
-------------------------------------------
News VW regards the U.S. as just another of its many global markets. That's why the new-generation "Mark V" Golf, on sale in Europe for almost a year now, doesn't come here until early 2005. It debuts at this winter's L.A. Auto Show along with redesigned Jetta sedans and wagons.
Though VW hasn't announced final plans, the new Golf is expected to greet America as a sporty 2-dr GTI sold only with a new turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cyl engine boasting VW's FSI direct fuel injection and 200 hp. Mainstream 2-and 4-dr hatchbacks should show by next summer. Jetta, as the company's top U.S. seller, is likely to arrive with a choice of engines in GL and upscale GLS models. A sporty Jetta GLI should return at some point as a sort of 4-dr GTI. Both lineups will likely offer a base 150-hp non-turbo FSI 4-cyl and an improved 1.9 turbodiesel-4. All engines should be available with 6-speed manual transmission or a new 6-speed automatic option. V6 models are likely by '06 and may use a new 3.6-liter version of VW's narrow-angle engine in concert with a computer-controlled "clutchless" 6-speed manual. Look for a new hot-rod Golf R36 in that mix.
Golf or Jetta, the redesign brings more expressive styling and a slightly larger package. Wheelbase expands by 1.5 inches to 101.4. Golfs stretch 2.3 inches longer, an inch wider and 1.5 inches higher. Jettas will show similar gains. Passenger and cargo room should improve as a result. Cripser handling is implied a new multi-link independent rear suspension, replacing today's simple twist-beam axle. Other highlights include a switch from hydraulic to electric power steering and a claimed 80-percent increase in structural stiffness. All models will include 4-wheel ABS disc brakes, curtain side airbags and front torso side airbags. Uplevel versions should add VW's ESP antiskid/traction control. Navigation will be optional, and rear torso side airbags may join the list too. Most models will come on 15- or 16-inch wheels, with 17s available for the sportiest rides.
Further out, Europe gets a 4-seat Jetta-based convertible in 2005, which likely makes it a 2006 or '07 model for the U.S. Unlike previous Golf-based Cabrios, this one has a power hideaway hard top instead of a cloth roof, no ungainly "hoop" over the cockpit, and its own exterior look.
Wrt Jetta, would be nice to see their quality get improved. As of today via most surveys VW's near the quality cellar, while Chevy is at least average and in one survey third in this regard.
Further updates as they become available! *L*
http://www.weathertech.com/store/vehsearch.asp?make_id=11&yea- r_no=2004&veh_id=1148&item_group_id=4&veh_opt_choice_- id=0
I have the complete set installed.....quick and easy installation....you can see them on the Mxx website I have up...just have the fronts installed in the pictures..need to update
http://home.att.net/~p.oswald
take a look here if you like to see them as well as the bene vento sunroof wind deflector
If you forget to turn off the turn signal while changing lanes for example, the turn signal will chime until you turn it off. Scared the Sh*t off my wife when this happened.
ps. My wife would not let me drive the Maxx yet.
I've had a couple of customers complain of this light. It looks like a car with a padlock on it, in the center of the instrument panel. It comes on about 1 minute after shutting car off and locking it. It's normal, just saying the security system is armed.
Oh, Momma let's me drive it. She really doesn't like driving and prefers to be chauffeured. So when we go somewhere together I do the driving. But heaven forbid I forget to put the seat back in the right place, re-adjust the mirrors, re-set the shoulder belt height...etc! *L*
I just read the Car & Driver article on the Equinox and they described the driving experiance as 'Painless'. It just does about everything right. It struck me that is a good way to also describe this car. Totally painless! While it doesn't set any stand out standards as far as handling, acceleration, ride, comfort,...etc, it just does everything well.
Maybe it's the things that you don't notice that make it a great car. Things like no back ache after a few hours. No sore butt after a daily drive. Not having to raise your voice over the road noice. Catch my drift?
Hey! Chevy Ad Guys! You reading this? *L*
In my experience, the 70 series tire is the best compromise for handling, ride and mileage. Big wheels don't supply any functionality I'm looking for - except when designed to house larger brakes.
When the tires are due for replacement on my '04 Maxx I plan to put Malibu 15" alloy wheels on it with P205/70R15 tires - probably Michelins.
No 70 series tires available that will fit the Maxx using 16 inch wheels.
Also: Low profile tires are treacherous in snow.
More: It's kind of strange - this Maxx is a 1980 Citation (original owner) replacement for me - the 2.8 engine recently blew, and I wanted a hatch. The Citation's original wheels were 13s, which were too small and offered limited tire replacements, and now the Maxx has 16s - with, for me, limited tire choices. I replaced the Citation's 13s with later model Citation X11 14s, and will be replacing the Maxx's 16s with 15s.
You've got the right car!