Chevrolet Malibu Prices Paid and Buying Experience

chrpai · June 2005

In VA sales and use tax is 3% and it's charged before the rebate is subtracted. ( Yuck ). In TX the sales tax is ( I think ) 6.25% ( ouch! ) but they subtract your trade-in and your rebates before they calculate it ( whew! )

I don't remember how OH did it when I lived there.

maxx4me · June 2005

Did you all see the commercials advertising GM employee pricing for everyone on all their cars through mid July?? What a deal!! GM's stock may be going down the tubes, but they certainly are not going down without a fight.

csandste · June 2005

I got the GM friends and relatives rebate, I believe there's another one for employees. In my case the rebate added about $80 because adding it negated some other discounts. I got about $6K off the list price of the base Maxx and the amount was equal no matter what the dealer. This was in early February. I'd be curious to know how much greater the new discount is.

Sales taxes are so confusing that it's best not to add them in when discussing amounts paid. In Missouri it's net after discounts and trade-ins. It's not paid to the dealer but to a tag agent within thirty days of purchase. If you sell the car yourself you still discount the difference. I think rates are 7-8% depending on municipality. Tags are transferrable and travel with the owner not the car. Still more reason to ignore all of this stuff in discussing price paid.

I paid right at $16 grand for my Maxx, not counting sales tax. I didn't have a GM card but got an auto-show discount. I'm not even sure how all the discounts added up, only that once I said I had the employee (drive-way?) discount, everyone quoted exactly the same price.

I think these changing discounts hurt GM but once you start it it's kind of hard to quit. Hyundai plays by the same game. There's not much of a discount on the new Sonata but I think most Hyundai buyers will wait for bigger stuff down the pike. Kind of like all those Saturns that used to be sold as used with 100 miles so that they could discount off the fixed new price.

luvmytrigue · June 2005

Is there room to haggle with these GM employee prices? I'm interested in a new Malibu, but would just like to know how firm these prices are.

bluedevils · June 2005

We bought a 2004 Malibu Maxx last October. Some dealers tried telling me the GM Employee price (GMS) was fixed and non-negotiable. However, we ended up getting price quotes from at least 2 dealers for $500-600 below GMS. Ended up buying a Maxx with 5,000 miles (service mgr driven) for $1,500 below GMS.

So, yes, I think it is negotiable. I'm not sure if the dealer needs to get creative with the paperwork.

Our deal did NOT involve any trade-in.

danno5 · June 2005

Well, I am a new Malibu Maxx owner, got it yesterday. Very nice car..

sdca05ls · June 2005

So we're new owners of a silver Malibu 05, LS 1SB plus XM radio. Great car! There were several cars in the San Diego area new but no used that had what we wanted. The rebates are only 2000 now but we were able to get 1000 below GMS price plus 60 months at 4.99% or 72 at 5.25%. Decided to go with the dealer that was a bit more straightforward with me and didn't lie to me.

We're happy with the car and for less than 18,000 I think a good value.

Thanks for an awesome forum.

ddelise · June 2005

Congrats on the car - I have the same one (color and all)!

Just curious how you got the car for $1000 under GMS price? Was it a demo? Did you have a trade-in? What was the dealer fee?

Regards - Damon

tiger10 · June 2005

Congrats on the car. i have a Malibu which i bought in February and had about a $3500 cash back and did some price slashing myself with the salesperson and got if for about $13900 in the Oklahoma City area, the new malibu is better than the competition especially when it comes to Camry. i am really satisfied with the dealer the car and the price. thanks-Tiger

christinad · June 2005

My initial transaction was ok. Dealer insisted on collecting sales tax, even though I wanted to pay them myself. Fine. However, nearly a month later, nothing had been done with my taxes, registration papers, title, etc. It took more than 8 phone calls to get them to mail it to me to take to the DMV myself. They seemed to have no interest in my need for tags that aren't expired when I'm about to drive the length of the east coast!

sdca05ls · June 2005

There were two identical malibus from dealers about 30 miles apart, and I was able to get simultaneous quotes from both to drive the price down a bit. It began when the first dealer mentioned some minor damage to the car during a big windstorm. I was able to see the exact work bill for repair of damaged windshield, molding, and taillight but absolutely no findings on car whatsoever. This lowered the price about 500, then I used that quote to call the other dealer and they drove it down another 500 or so for total about 1000 below GMS. In the end I could have gotten them just a tad lower to 17,600 at the second dealer (1200 below GMS on a car with no history of minor scratch/damage) but since I could find no evidence of problems whatsoever, and that dealer had been much more honest and straightforward than the other, I bought the car from them. Also both vehicles had been on their lots for some time.

As I understand it, the GM reimbursment on GMS price to the dealer is about 1100 here. Add in the quarterly holdback of about 600 and my estimate was that they have around 1700 wiggle room on the GMS price, so 1000 under shoudl still give them several hundred profit.

So far we're very happy with the car. Both my wife and I love driving it, and feel so safe and comfortable.

Thanks everyone!

maxx4me · June 2005

well, I'm guessing that they didn't get any profit at all. Remember, they've been making monthly payments to the actual owner of the car (the bank). Since you said the car was on the lot for a long time, I'd imagine that your car was starting to burn a hole in their pocket. You got a great deal. Enjoy!

mchugh2001 · June 2005

Hi everyone. Just thought I'd give back a little since you all have given me so much information! This past Saturday I got a Malibu Base Sedan plus Option Package 1SB. I had some hesitation, but decided the smaller engine could get the job done. The MSRP was $20,660, and the GM Employee Discount price was $16,418.45 (which included the $2000 rebate- I paid cash). I threw out a starting price of $15,600 and he countered with $15,995, which I accepted. Now that it's near the end of the month, I suspect he would have compromised a few hundred more, but I'm happy. He showed me the "memo" line, which I'm sure is bogus, but anyway it indicated that his profit is $921 if I were to buy at the GSP price.

So the earlier posting that hypothesized a $1700 wiggle room seems right on the money.

Thanks everyone and enjoy your Malibus!

Kirstie_H · June 2005

A reporter is interested in speaking with someone who has purchased a GM vehicle using the current GM Employee Discount promotion. If you are interested in speaking with this reporter about your purchase decision, please contact Pam Krebs, Edmunds.com PR, at pkrebs@edmunds.com with a phone number where you can be reached. The reporter needs to speak with someone today. Thank you

pittsburgh · June 2005

My wife and I just got our maxx on the 25 th. I had been to a few dealers to talk about price and everyone claimed that the price was now set by GM due the GM employee pricing for everyone program and that there was no profit in the car to move on. I tried to point out how illogical that statement was but it had no affect.
I tried one more dealer who seemed more than willing to deal. The MSRP on a maxx LT 1SB was $26,350, the price after employee discount and rebates was $21,448. We bought it $21,170 which on the drive home I realized I could have done better because when dealing, I signed a statement saying I would buy it for $21,000. The salesman took the statement to his manager. During this time we saw someone charging the battery on the maxx (the only one on the lot which had sat there for some time) and I did not think anything of this at the time. The salesman comes back, to the cubical and makes a counter offer of $21,170 which took. On the drive home is when I realized that they were charging the battery because they had a signed paper from me saying I would buy it at $21,000. They preping of the car because it was leaving the lot that day no matter what. How much better I could have done? I don't know.

m1miata · July 2005

Considering that amount of money, I'd say you could have bought a Honda Accord, Altima, or Mazda6 and been far ahead. Come time to trade-in or sell the car, you will see the difference. Since it is an 'o5, it is almost a year old, so I always consider that worth a $3,ooo or more discount on top of any other push needed to sell. I realize Honda may not do that, but I would wait for the next model in that case. GM car should be good ride you, and the deal is done, so why worry about what could have been. Personally, I have never owned a remarkably good GM car, but going by the data on reliability, following the year 2001, most GM and other cars have pretty good averages for reliability. The Malibu score well in some tests, and in safety it is best in rear end collisions at protecting the head from whiplash. That said, I would never pay the same for a GM if there is a Japan make which will have much higher resale selling near to the price.
-Loren

csandste · July 2005

I know there's been other comments about this, but it looks to me like GM actually raised prices when they went to the employee discount. I got $6K back on a $22K car in early February. This is with a "friends" discount that only amounted to a net $80 and a car show discount. At that price and with the Maxx's flexibility I was very satisfied. I could have done better with an LT. This was without any owner loyalty or GM card discounts.

Something similar is happening on the Sonata threads where dealers are asking (and sometimes getting) little or no discount on MSRP. Although I think the Sonata (and Malibu) are equal in quality to the Camcords, I would take neither without a fairly large discount.

I have very little alliance to any brand, although GM's dealers seem a stronger bunch than Hyundai's --- or Toyotas for that matter. It's mostly about money. There's plenty of good cars out there. I wish a few more had a hatch.

psm0110 · July 2005

My mother waited until the last minute; not her fault, she was waiting for a sale of her own to complete. Anyway, I had all of 3 hours invested in haggle-time, so I think I did well. We could have done better if I had my standard full week.

Chevy Malibu Maxx LS Package 1SB Dark Blue Metallic

+23360 MSRP
-600 haggling
-2560 GMS discount (tax applies here, of course)
-2000 rebate
-3500 gm card rebate
-1300 trade-in (10 yr old buick, did very well IMHO)
+1200 tax
-------
14600 cash

bluedevils · July 2005

You got a pretty good car for less than 16 grand (I like to exclude trade-ins when talking prices)! Nice. What were the details of the Buick that she traded in?

psm0110 · July 2005

It was a 1995 Buick LaSabre, fairly well beaten. I was honestly expecting to get $700 for it - both my mother and I were so shocked by getting $1300 we didn't even try to get more, which we probably could have...

chuck1 · July 2005

"I'd say you could have bought a Honda Accord, Altima, or Mazda6 and been far ahead"

Not everyone wants to buy an Accord. They have had their share of transmission problems as of late. Mazdas continue to have poor resale value. There are many Mazda 6's and also Mazda 3's on used car lots already. The 3's have had many reliability issues as well. Of all the cars you mentioned, none has the utility of the Maxx. Altimas are hitting the used car lots as "off rentals", these are good buys but it is affecting resale.

cwesleyg · August 2005

I got my loaded LS that had MSRP of $26K for $19.6K... I'm content and in the process they paid off the loan on my gas guzzler... that was a 2002 something something that I owed $10K on...

You guys can keep comparing our Chevy's to CamCords all you want. I think I got the best 5 passenger car for the money and I supported U.S. auto workers, working for a U.S. bottom line... Many of the foreign brand cars are tempting, but I do what right for my local and U.S economy. Plus I like the looks of my Maxx over all the cars mentioned... I would have liked a 5-6 speed gear box though...

csandste · August 2005

I'm not a buy American type. I get the best deal I can. I'm a free trader. My last car was an Elantra which I liked. The Maxx is simply one of the best cars I've driven. Two of my kids drive fifteen year old Camrys and driving a short way in an 04 Camry made me realize how much Japanese cars have slipped in comparison to American and Korean makers in the past decade.

The mid-sized import comparison thread irks me. I strongly believe that the Maxx can compete with any of the cars out there, but it hasn't been invited to the party.

maxx4me · August 2005

but it hasn't been invited to the party.

It is pretty simple csandste.......It's lonely at the top. Toyota doesn't build anything like the Maxx. The Prius would be the closest design. Honda does build something close in design to the Maxx (Accord Wagon) but are afraid of exporting it to the US in fear of it cutting into their SUV profits. The Maxx simply stands alone in versatility. As a car, it does so much more than any other car out there. I bought an extended warranty to make sure it gets me through this pathetic SUV phase as gas creeps towards $4. Hopefully by the 120k mile mark, there will be a another car company who will be smart enough to build a car that is more than a grocery getter. GM certainly did this time around.

csandste · August 2005

Actually there's the Mazda hatch and wagon. Somebody photochopped a Sonata wagon and the results were much improved over the sedan imho.

If the comparison is sedans only then stick in the 'Bu sedan and all of the upcoming Ford triplets. There are good American cars out there. Defining anything as domestic or import is confusing in this world economy.

southcarolina · August 2005

Isn't that the truth! An Impala is made in Canada, the Hyundai that is "made in the Alabama plant" shows that it is 72% Korean made. Hard to tell anymore.

Kirstie_H · August 2005

Please stick to discussion about Malibu pricing. If you use the search tools at the left, you can find all sorts of other GM-related discussions for this conversation.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions

cwesleyg · August 2005

Yeah, no hijacking threads.

marywilson · August 2005

Hi There:

Can anyone tell me what GM conquest incentive is all about?
My colleague at School told me she got an extra discount call "conquest incentive" on her Maxx purchase a few days ago because she traded a Honda Accord for this deal.
If such an incentive exist, must I trade in a vehicle in order to receve it?

Thanks

maxx4me · August 2005

it exists, and all you have to do to get it is bring in your non-GM title/registration. You get to keep your car, don't worry.

marywilson · August 2005

Thanks.

Mary

dwcycle · August 2005

Hey Maxx4me or Marywilson: I am new to the forum and am about to snatch up the LS sedan - I absolutely cannot locate a reference for the conquest incentive and the dealers say it doesn't exist - can you please help? Also, if I am reading correctly, I can expect that the dealer will come down off of the GMS price by about $500- $1000 - is that right? Then, if the conquset exists, another $1000?

marywilson · August 2005

Hi dwcycle:

According to GM's website, only Vibe has conquest incentive. Sorry, but Malibu is out of the question.
I have asked my dealer to sell a Maxx at $500 below GMS price, but he said that is out of the question. However, he did stated that he would give me a higher than normal trade in for any vehicle I bring in for this purchase.

I already own a Maxx LS with 1SB; it is a wonderful vehicle. No major complains. I get about 24miles/gallon combine, close to 30 on hwy travel---NYC to DC.
My sister has a Toyota Camry, and that is the reason I had asked about conquest incentive. My colleague at school had correct information, but wrong car. I will have to drag my sister down to my local Chevy dealer to have her Camry appraised.

Hope that help, and good luck.

consfused · September 2005

Found a Chevrolet Malibu LS 2000 with great miles at a great price...got approved for a loan, can't get to the car but need the loan when I do, can't get the loan until I know I have the car. The dealership won't hold the car, the bank won't give the money. Any suggestions, help!

maxx4me · September 2005

can''t get the loan because you don't have the car???? You need a new bank/CU, real fast. I'd also advise you against that Malibu. Surely there are better and more reliable used Japanese models out there for you to throw your hard earned money at. Please check your local library. The 2000 Malibu was riddled with problems (electrical, brakes, cooling, A/C), only fixed in the last year of that model (2003).

exalteddragon1 · September 2005

Surely there are better and more reliable used Japanese models out there for you to throw your hard earned money at

First of all, chevy is more reliable than toyota, and has benn for about 2 years now. Its only then overall toyota with lexus vs ALL OF GM that the reliablility is different. Second of all, didn't the Malibu do much better in all the quality rankings as of late? This is a very reliable car with a bulletproof powertrain and 35mpg on the hyway.

Also, i agree that the 2000 malibu is not like the 2004, but there are many 2004's out there you can get a killer deal on.

redmaxx · September 2005

Historically, GM has trouble with reliability. I lemon lawed a 2003 Malibu for a myriad of problems. The 2004 though is a different story. GM has taken their time and while the 04 MY had its problems, they have worked out many if not all. There are no major powertrain issues, electrical issues, body issues, etc.

ilovemaxx · September 2005

Maxx LS 1SB, $23,635 including heating seat and $625 destination fee. $18,641+tax and other fee. said $400 below GMEP. OTD will be around 20,500, I guess. I am asking for $1,000 below GMEP. Waiting for response.

jjpnyc · October 2005

Just bought my first car via a dealer who was eager to get rid of his 2005's to make room for the '06s. The details are:

Malibu Sedan LS
MSRP $21,265 plus the sports appearance package & side-air bags package (1SB) which brought the total sticker price up to $24,180.

Dealer originally offered a price of $22,245 without me even asking. Through several rounds of negotiation (all done via the phone), final price was $20,429 (16% off of sticker & $1,123 under Edmund's TVM pricing). Throw on top of this the $3,250 cash-back GM is offering on '05s and my GM Card points and I'm driving it off the lot just a shade above $15,100 plus tax.

Looks like dealers are eager to get rid of their '05s NOW.

clarencehollow · October 2005

Don't you people ever read or ask question to a dealer? Don't take this the wrong way but with as much information that is out there, consumers are still in the clouds when it comes to buying a car.

Delivery Fee? What are you having the vehicle delivered to your house? It's called the DESTINATION FEE and is included on every vehicle, GM, Ford Employee what have you. This deal is over - thank god.

Per last post: You got the GM employee price plus possible some dealer cash, maybe up to $1000 late last month. Where did you get the $3250 in rebates? So you bought a $24,180 Malibu for a tad over $15K?

I'll call you on this and say you are lying. Sorry - but my friend is a Chevy dealer and we looked, there was no programs like that. Where I live there are practically no Malibu's all sold out. Besides, a 2006 Malibu LS now lists for $17,998 and with rebate the car is yours for Under $15K, and that is with NO GM discount.

Take TMV pricing with a grain of salt, as it's not very accurate, in some cases high, and others low and should be considered like a wild @ss guess.

obriend21 · October 2005

The 2006 Malibu LS is now the BASE model, so you can't compare the price of a 2005 and 2006 LS. The 2005 LS is a 2006 LT, the 2005 LT is now the 2006 LTZ.

I'd apologize for calling the previous poster a liar!

tarheelman · October 2005

Ten days ago, I bought one of these with package 1SB for $19,400 including tax, title, and fees. I got the GM employee discount price plus a $2000 rebate and, at this price, this car is a fantastic bargain.

When I took it out for a test drive, my first impression was that it had a great balance between ride comfort and handling agility---easily the best of any vehicle I've ever driven. GM has come a long way in its chassis engineering during the last eight years (my Dad used to own a '98 Malibu). They've also done a great job improving the fit, finish, and materials quality of their interiors, as this car's interior is just as nice and as well put together as the interior of my Dad's '03 Toyota Camry. Ditto the fit and finish of the exterior body panels---the tolerances are as tight as the Toyota's.

If this Malibu proves as reliable after almost three years as my Dad's Camry has so far, then GM is definitely back in the big leagues.

jjpnyc · October 2005

Hi Clarence-
In response to your claim that I'm lying, I beg to differ. Here's how the deal broke down:

MSRP: $24,180 (base price of $21,265, $2,290 in options, & $625 destination charge)
Negotiatied price: $20,249
GM Cash Back: $3,250 (check the recent 2005 northeast incentives on GMBuypower.com)
Price before GM Card points: $16,999
GM Card Point: $1,831 (I have the "old" card that doesn't limit how much you can use)
Final price: $15,168

Of course I'm not including tax & title as that varies by state so it's not fair to include it hear as it'll vary from place to place & out of our control. But everything else above was available through either incentives, GM Card point, or good old negotiation. What can I say, I'm a good negotiator. The dealer was eager to move the car off of his lot and was willing to do it at an attractive price to get it out of the way. So that is how I got my 2005 Malibu LS for just a shade above $15K. I'll take your apology when you are ready.

csandste · October 2005

Other than the GM card (which I didn't have), this is in line with what I pad last winter for my LS Maxx. Don't see how that guy can accuse you of lying. :mad:

bellarose214 · December 2005

I purchased a used 2005 Chevy Malibu Classic for just under $9,000 (pre TT&L) today. It was previously a rental car and it has just over 12K miles on it.

It's getting cleaned tonight and I can't wait to pick it up!

micky · January 2006

Just tried a V6 Malibu 2005 model and like it. Now I want to buy a new 2006 model. The MSRP is 17990. How much I can negotiate with dealer. Do you know how much discount is GMS and GM employee discount? The dealer gave me -500 for Malibu 1LS. I wonder this discount is too little.

Thanks a lot.

howdy1901 · January 2006

05 LS with 15,000 miles, standard equip for the model with spoiler.

Or 05 STD with 12,000 miles same equip as above but with 4 cyl engine.

Thanks in advance

indychick73 · February 2006

Don't know if this will help, but here is my experience:

I bought a used '05 LS with 11,000 miles (as you describe minus the spoiler) for $14K before tax, title, and extended warranty. I was able to haggle with the dealer and he came down $1000 on the price. Edmund's appraised the TMV (True Market Value) of this used car at $16,500 dealer retail. I think I got a great deal in part because I purchased on Dec. 29 (end of month/year). Try using Edmund's website to get the TMV for the used car you're looking at.
Good luck.

indychick73 · February 2006

I just realized that I didn't read your post closely enough. The car I purchased is a Maxx LS, not the sedan. Pricing would be different, I think.

gdubya2 · February 2006

Hi everyone....Michigan newbee here. On 1/31/06 I leased a 2006 LS sedan with the ABS/Traction control option. MSRP was $17,455.00. I received a $500.00 rebate plus an additional $500.00 rebate related to the Detroit Auto Show. GM had boosted my GM card dollars from the $525.00 I had on the card to $2,000.00...good until the end of January. I was not eligible for any supplier or employee discount. I used only the dollars from my card - no out of pocket money and leased the car for 39 months, 12,000 miles per year, for $192.00 per month. Dealer even delivered the car 70 miles to my home today! Very happy with the deal and the car so far!

Chevrolet Malibu Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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