I realize cars are not investments but some hold value better. My 1983 Camry, costing $13K, netted me around $2500 after 9 years. My 1996 Prism, also $13K, got $1.5K after 6 years. The Saturn 2003 Ion, 0.6 years old, $20K out door, was estimated at $9K.
Whatever...only time will tell how the Maxx fares. Hopefully a better version will be around when day comes to buy again!
just my 2 cents on resale..when you drive a car...like i do..and put 80-90 thousand miles on it...you have no trade in value, regardless of the physical condition of a car...any resale alot will tell you any car over 70K will be passed to a third party seller, because the dealership cant make any money on used cars with that kind of mileage because they can neither certify them or warranty them...some models excluded like Mercedes or perhaps BMW...I have found that a dealer will give you modest trade in value if you are buying a higher end automobile, or a new model year like the Maxx....
JIm, must have been the hot water.......havent had any problems with freeze up on the wipers or the fluid with our weather..... stay warm all
With all due respect to tires, ABS and TC I do think that driver comfort is on par when driving in hazardous conditions.
I discovered the neat little feature of adjustable pedals( brake and accelerator). With snow boots on and winter clothing I needed to adjust my reach to the pedals. I did in my Maxx and was amazed at what I had been missing all these years in other cars. This feature in itself gives a lot of versalitily to the Maxx. Wow!
In my Maxx, one chooses to see the time, or the station, or the song/artist info. Although I love my Maxx, I expected the time to be a constant display, not a substitute. In my Expy, the time display is locked, while one views either or both of the other two choices.
Seems like I need to find an aftermarket clock with illumination.
Seems like the 2nd line of info display is mostly wasted as always viewing trip, oil life, economy, average speed, etc, is not necessary.
This applies to both of the radios that have dual line display
One of the display lines is pretty much devoted to Driver Info Center type info and the other line to radio/time/temperature.
You have control to a certain extent for both these lines to display what you want.
For the DIC line you can change what it is displaying using the INFO button
For the radio/time/temperature link you can change what it displays by pushing the DISPLAY radio button (center of right knob). There are 3 or 4 alternative displays for each mode you are in (AM/FM, XM, or CD) . In order to make that Display "stick" you should hold the button for a few seconds, I think you will hear a beep like when setting radio stations, I didn't have a vehicle readily available to double check that.
<The cargo panel is a little tighter fit than in the other Maxxes I examined.>
Try a bit of silicone grease (the stuff plumbers use for O-rings ... GM also sells it for use on the rubber weatherstripping) on the rubber stops on the cargo panel. It will help them slip into the slot more easily and reduce the problem of rubber "scuff marks", but the panel will remain secure.
after 2 months of dealing with incompetent local dealers I drove 33 miles away from town to go to a different dealer where the GM regional rep doesn't cover problems .
Here's the problems that I had that 2 local dealers couldn't figure out so the Regional Rep put a red flag next to my name stating not to touch my car any longer. The WI DOT states this is a breach against warranty and is still investigating.
1. car pulls to the left while accelerating/decelerating
2. while making a left turn the steering wheel sticks to the left at about 10 o'clock which is the same position it sticks to when accelerating
3. while driving highway speeds and accelerating, the car pulls to the left.
I drove the car to the other dealer who test drove my car and another maxx lt and told me the steering wheel feels like a magnet and it wants to keep pulling left.
The SA then told the mechanic what the problem was. they hooked up a TECH 2 machine to my steering module and it tested out 2 codes that fixed the problem in a matter of 10 minutes! We took it for a test drive and all is well. As far as the other 2 dealers who were incompetent and told me not to bring my car back to them for warranty work, the WI DOT will take of them I'm sure.
glad you got the problem fixed finally....as I mentioned in a much earlier thread..I think most of GMs problems are with incompetent dealerships only interested in selling you a car and getting you out the door....when most of the money is in service, parts and used car sales from the lot...Im still amazed at the lazy service managers who will not look up a TSB or are completely unaware of them..then the incompetent service techs who are not properly trained or up to date on the proper diagnostic tools or procedures...GM..wake up here and come down hard on these dealers that are giving you a bad name!
Yesterday's USA Today asked several major auto maker's CEOs several questions. Rick Wagoner GM CEO Replied to the question what is the next big thing? I quote"The growing strength of Chevrolet. We've done some great stuff at Chevrolet, but we are just getting started at what we can do with that brand. If GM is going to be sucessful, Chevrolet has to be sucessful." IMHO he has a lot of work with some of his Chevy dealers.
I'm OK with the service department where I bought my car, but because of the sales department I will not buy there again, and probably not a Chevy.
Chevy sent me a survey regarding my selling dealer; wish I could say I gave them a high recomendation, but they flunked. The car is good, but GM really needs to get its Chevy dealers and service sorted out.
Yes, e2helper, that's how it works. You may also associate the tone selection with any station that is set with one of the pre-sets. That is, you could select "talk" for say a classical music station by holding the button in for several seconds right after setting it to talk. Don't have manual in front of me, but hold-in time varies with choices.
Sad, but true. My Maxx has the "check gas cap", and "pulls to the left" problems. I am hesitant to get it repaired, because I have no faith in my dealer. GM needs to exert some pressure on the dealerships, if they want to build a strong brand.
In re the pull to the left problem, have you taken it to a tire store for a 4-wheel alignment check? I have very few complaints about my Maxx. However, it "feels" like it is pulling left until I let go of the wheel. Then it drifts to the left about 70% of the time, with or without an adult front seat passenger (if that makes any difference). I guess my pull is very slight since 30% of the time it ends up drifting to the right, and that is sometimes after about a quarter mile of dead straight ahead, steering wheel untouched.
The "Tire Kingdom" chain stores in my area offer a free 4-wheel alignment check. Rather than complain to the dealer, I'm first going to try a rotate/balance and alignment check to see if that makes any difference.
Well, I recently posted about my Maxx being the worst car I've ever driven in the snow. Everyone in my family agreed. My wife who has 34 yrs. experience in snow area driving took the car out Sunday with two of my kids and crashed and rolled the car. She was very close to our house on a downhill left curve and hit a patch of frozen slush. The car started to veer left an she had absolutely no control. She was going 25mph in a 50 and other cars were in front and in back of her doing the same speed. We have hit patches of ice all our lives but this vehicle just didn't want to straighten out. The traction was terrible! The only good things are that no one was hurt and I don't need to bring my long list of problems into the terrible GM dealers. As far as the pulling left issue, the March '05 issue of Motor Trend (pg. 127 upper rt. corner), Has a problem area of this car described as "Possible wheel alignment issue (pulls left)". Also on the NHTSA site I read that several, I think it was 8, people have lost the electric steering but they looked into it and the closed the investigation. With the terrible rear visibility, defective steering column, poor snow/ice handling, left pull and wierd driving habits, I'm glad my daughter dosen't have to drive it any more. Good luck and be carefull!
Post #2895 described a "pull to left" Malibu that was successfully fixed. Mine also had columm failure but seems to have been serviced right - no pull to the left noted so far.
The poor training the Chevy dealers service departments appear to have is becomming a worry.
That is the very reason why I got rid of my MAXX last month. Worst car in the snow I have had for some time. Traction control is worthless, if you ask me. Otherwise, I did enjoy the car. Was a frequent poster to this board. Put on 24k miles in 8 months or so. Liked the many features, the flexibile seating, huge amount of room in the back, great gas mileage, very peppy. Had none of the steering problems, or gas cap problems that others seem to have had. I was just not comfortable driving the vehicle in the snow. I am a veteran driver for over 40 years, have never had an accident of any sort during those years.
I took a big hit in getting rid of the vehicle (got 13,500 trade in which means a hit of around $10,000 for the 8 months I had the vehicle). Ended up with a Subaru Outback 2.5i ltd. Somewhat less peppy than the MAXX, but I can learn to live with it & I feel a whole lot safer in the vehicle.
Hi occking, I just felt I had to comment on the perceived snow traction problem. I, too have been driving for many years..about 45..Egads!
I have driven just about everything, just about everywhere, and while we all know that the greatest safety feature is the safe driver, I still find my '05 Maxx LS to be very good in the snow. You mentioned that you had 24,000 miles on the car...I would assume the only winter weather you have encountered are the last several months, and by my quickie calculations you had almost 20,000 to and including 24,000 miles on those tires during this period of poor winter driving. Maybe the car is not the greatest in the snow, but those worn out tires may have contributed to it's poor performance(I'm assuming you had the OEM tires on it).
I find the car to be excellent in the snow, but, I have only 2400 miles on it in the last 3 months, I've owned it..and the TC, whether it's coming on or not, seems to work well. My guess is, if it's coming on a lot, you may be doing something wrong..It won't protect against foolish driving..Anyhoo, good luck with the Subie....Jack(from snowy, icy, upstate NY)
...while heading down 405 freeway in LA, saw another driftwood Maxx, small black ball on antenna, and machined wheels (was LT ..vs.. my LS). First Maxx I have seen in nearly 10 months. Hopefully they are happy with it.
I had just about 23000 miles on the vehicle before first snow fall out here. A lot since then!! (live near Providence, RI) I just didn't like the way the torque was reduced to the point the vehicle would barely crawl. Had I kept the veh;icle (and I almost did) was ready to buy a set of four "Triple T" tires from Goodyear. That mayhave made a big difference. I will never no but I have no regrets switching over to the outback.
Have to agree with firemanjack here. Unless the suspension is frozen or the brakes are wicked grabby there is onle ONE thing affecting traction in snow. TIRES. Go get Snow Tires people. Don't rely on front or even all wheel drive to soothe you into a sense of complacency about winter traction.
Occking, sorry to hear about your experiences with the Maxx and snow. I've had the opposite experience. We've had a lot of snow here in Michigan this January and I haven't had a problem driving in it. In fact, I feel safe in the Maxx. For the record I've been driving in Michigan winters for 42 years. Good luck with your Subaru!
Any car is only as good as its tires when it comes to driving in the snow. Maybe instead of trading in your Maxx and losing 10 grand you should of spent 400 bucks on some decent snow tires. I rented a Maxx last week and drove it 10 hours to Detroit for the car show (and loved it), unfortunately they had a snowstorm there last weekend and those 205-55-16 low profile bridgestone tires are not meant for winter driving. With proper tires the Maxx would be as good as any FWD car in the snow.
I've posted on many car and truck sites and one thing there is no shortage of is opinions. Four people in my family drove the Maxx in the snow, we all had the same surprised response! This car is so bad in the snow and ice that we are going to file a formal complaint. We had 5 vehicles, '99 Deville, '02 GMC Sierra Denali, '77 Grand Prix,'77 El Camino, and the Maxx, at the same time and 3 of us switch cars regularly. My wife commutes daily, in any and all types of weather, into Manhattan with the Caddy and has never had a problem. The Maxx slid to the right and spun the tire on acceleration, wouldn't climb hills, wouldn't stop and tried to turn itself around in the slightest skid! Our other cars do not do this. Mabye our snow is different here!
I am guessing the Maxx will have more trouble in icy snow than very cold, powder type snow, as the traction control only reduces power to all drive wheels rather than directly controlling the spinning wheel.
All I can say is that in all the years I have been driving I was extremely disappointed by the MAXX in the one little storm we had a few weeks ago in which I could not back up a very slight incline without sliding sideways. Maybe 4 or 5 inches of snow, that's all. I think the "traction control" in that vehicle is worthless. True, maybe because I had 23k on OEM tires that may have been a factor & if I had kept the vehicle would have purchased four of the Goodyear Triple T's. I love the Outback 2.5 I ltd I got four weeks ago, already have over 2500 miles on it. Maybe a few mpg less than the MAXX & a little "piggy" off the line but I am very satisfied I made the change. Also, during the good weather never missed having a rear windshield wiper that the 2004 MAXX's don't have .it's absence when it is snowing out is very noticeable. In just rainy weather the water just blows off but if you are going slowly & wet, sticky snow falling the rear window gets blocked up real quick. Looking back that was a good idea for Chevy to install the rear wiper.
The problem is the tires. They are only B rated traction. If you read user opinions on them at Tire Rack, you will see everyone who has them has problems in wet and snow. I switched to BF Goodrich Traction T/A. They are reasonable, and in the past big NY snow storm, I was driving around many stuck SUVs. The handling, traction and comfort are all increased. Before you throw away a good car, or take a chance getting hurt, try changing the tires. For less than $400, you will be amazed.
That is not the report I was looking for. I have read posts here for nearly a year but just signed in tonight. I almost purchased a Maxx last March but I was "low balled" on my trade in. $125 for ignition wiring fixed my rough idle problem that they wanted to knock off over $1000 for.
I have a '98 Outback with 185,000 and it has been great. I really haven't done anything to it except routine maintenance and got 89K out of my first set of OEM tires and brakes. I have $3500 built up on a GM card and want a new wagon. That leaves me with the $45K Caddy and the Maxx if I want to use the points. The 626, Magnum, Pacifica or the new Ford would be OK but I can't use my GM points. GM is WAY WAY behind in wagons and the new PT Cruiser on steroids they are coming out with doesn't sound too promising. Even if the styling works out the Maxx introduction with all the TSB problems (19?) would scare me away from a first year GM product.
I want a simple wagon, preferably with all wheel drive, that won't break down. I do realize that getting to 185,000K may not be the manufacturers idea of a good customer but it does build loyalty. I would buy another Subaru in a second if the $3500 in points didn't keep talking to me.
All the extra electric components on the Maxx scare me with big service bills down the road. Maybe I should buy the 100K warranty and trade it in before 100K? That is what my mechanic suggests for cutting my liability. On the other hand, maybe I should get another Subaru and hope I get 7 more trouble free years? I can save my points for another couple of years and maybe GM will have something my wife is interested in by then.
Good luck with your Subaru! I'll keep reading posts here as I will probably have to make a purchase sometime this year.
The good test drive I had with the Maxx, and wanting to give GM one more try after the bad Saturn experiences, were what sold me.
I took a __real__ gamble on this car in that the CU frequency of repair records blacklists the Malibu for brake and electrical problems (much worse than average at the 3+ year mark).
If you decide on the Maxx, be __very__ sure your dealer is competent and well trained. My local ones are half baked (lucked out on the steering columm fix, bombed out with interior trim fixes I ended up doing myself).
Then again, a co-worker had major problems with his new Subaru (gas tank/fuel hookups, turbo overheating), so they are not foolproof either.
Yes the GM card points do talk. I waited till year end for the best use of the points. After test driving the 2004 Maxx I nearly walked away. But three 2005 Maxx test drives and I found the car I wanted with terrific brakes and handling. I gave up $1500 to buy a better 05 Maxx vs an 04. I think it was a good decision.
No complaints at 1800 miles. I have started using cruise control to keep from driving at 70-80 because the car does so naturally. Its 55-65 or get ticketed. Well no tickets and January is over. Got lucky and still have a clean record.
The lesson I learnt was test drive several cars of the same model before making a decision to pass or buy. Of course all other factors such as dealer expertise do matter.
I know you said a wagon. I also drove the Caddy SRX. The v6 was noisy and no one had a v8 rwd only. I ended up with a Maxx. Fortunately other than a defective thermostat (ran low) I have had no problems and I like the car. I have been to 2 different Chevy dealers for service with mixed results.
Take a look at the 2005 Pontiac Montana. I would not buy a 2004 because I was not impressed with the 3.4 engine. My son has 2 vans with that engine. He likes them, but I hear a noise I don't like. The new 2005 has the same engine as the Maxx and the styling is revamped. I know it looks like a soccer mom van, but it might be an alternative to the Maxx and you can still use your points. It is available in AWD. I needed a car last March and Pontiac had nothing I wanted. The Vibe was underpowered IMHO. Also every Vibe I looked at was empty, no air bags, no ABS. If Pontiac had this vehicle last March I would be driving one now.
Just got Feb issue of Consumer Reports. In it, they compared family sedans, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima, Pontiac G6, Toyota Camry and Malibu MAXX. Here is an excerpt from that article:
"However, it had limited tire grip, which impeded handling"
I have a feeling, because the wheelbase was extended 6 inches on this compared to regular Malibu, this may have had something to do with poor traction. I cannot believe the OEM tires were solely to blame for the problems I had.
There was a blizzard in the NYC area a couple of weeks ago which left us a huge mess that's still melting. My Maxx did amazing in the snow, including driving through the streets, up and down hills, and parking in snow banks. My other car is an '02 Audi Quattro 3.0, I expected there would be a big difference in the snow and was very pleasantly surprised.
I do not own a Maxx (yet) but I have been driving a Saturn wagon with traction control since 1993 in Pennsylvania. Some of the complaints above seem to me to be comparing the Maxx with cars that do not have traction control. No power? - Is there a traction control active warning light on this vehicle? How about a switch to turn it OFF when you are stuck in DEEP snow? TC is great technology (I would never own a car without it after my experience with it!), but if you have a heavy foot and OEM factory tires you are going to have to switch it off or change your driving style.
I also highly recommend dedicated snows (on a separate set of steel wheels) for real Winter driving areas. "All season" tires are like "One Size Fits All". A set of snows is about what your insurance deductible is, so if you avoid ONE "minor" accident by buying them they pay for themselves.
On the '04/'05 Maxx there is a traction control light which illuminates when the system activates. You also have the ability to manually turn the system off. As posted before, I found the TC to be excellent; turning on when it needed to, allowing me to climb at a reasonable rate of speed, and shutting off earlier than I would have expected.
went to Vegas NV and back this weekend on freeways and back roads. 600 mile round trip. Save for a few rattles over some bumps and cruise control hunting on hills, maxx ran like a champ. Trans responsed very well to accelerator. Nearly got 32 mph on the freeway leg home. Suspension ate up the bumps and rough roads exceptionally well. No problems with steering - tracked very well and without being nervous. Managed two hours between some rest stops and got out of the Maxx with less stiffness than my Ion/Prism/'82 Accord/'83 Camry had offered.
Didn't think I was going to get this, but couldn't get over the flexibility. Sold my 01 Elantra to my daughter. So far so good, am averaging 26 mpg mixed-- that's as good as my Elantra, amazing for a 3.5 liter engine-- credit the loafing ohv engine. I for one, like the low tech approach, no timing belts to screw with.
Although I'm amazed at all the electronics, there are a few features I miss with the Elantra--
1. Headlights that go off with the ignition switch rather than having the thing chime at me.
2. The ability to lock my door with keys in the ignition-- the Elantra would pop the locks back up. Haven't actually checked this out but salesman told me that this wasn't a feature of the car.
Do miss having a five speed, but do like this so far.
The Malibu does have the lock-out protection, if you lock the doors with the ignition off, but the key still in the ignition, the driver's door will unlock immediately after the lock switch is hit.
Our LS has Auto Lights. Speaking of options I just this morning saw a Maxx with a rear wiper and definitely no roof spoiler - only the second Maxx I've ever seen in the area.
works fine. Check that up to mistakes on my delivery briefing. Other than that no complaints on the dealer. In fact the availability of a number of dealers plus the fact that just about anyone can fix a Chevy were a big reason for selecting the Maxx over another Hyundai or a Suzuki Aerio SX, a car with even more doodads (and a greatly improved interior) like automatic climate control. I did test drive a Tucson and had the dealers requisite 20 year old bird dog lounging in my back seat using the now-standard local Hyundai dealer's line of "what will it take you to buy right now? What if we sold it to you for $10,000?" This has happened twice and both times my response has been-- I've got my Discover right here let's put the $10K on it right now-- at which point they back up.
No such purchase flim-flams with Chevy. Got a quote of $16.1-- more than $6000 off-- and I let my GM card expire or I'd have an even bigger discount. Most of the dealers I contacted were low key and professional (lessons learned from Saturn?)-- at least compared to the Hyundai dealers.
As you can tell from the cars that I was considering (also a Scion xB which was great except that it was turning over 3500 rpm at 70-- not acceptable for a road car, needs a 6th. gear), I was looking for some storage space and good mileage. Although I don't normally like a car with an automatic, the Chevy's big torquey slow revving engine works well with the transmission and the mpg so far has been excellent for this large a car.
How do you guys get such a great gas mileage out of Maxx. My commute is 10 miles one way through moderate city traffic and I got 15.5 mpg in average since new and and it did not improve with mileage. This is less that my 00' Diamante (17 mpg) with the same driving pattern and same as Mercury minivan.
To ehelper - is there any computer re-flash for this?
Also: What is a "rough idle" - I mean how rough is rough is?
I can feel vibration on the steering wheel and sometimes it is not even, but not like it is going to stall on me...
Comments
Whatever...only time will tell how the Maxx fares. Hopefully a better version will be around when day comes to buy again!
JIm, must have been the hot water.......havent had any problems with freeze up on the wipers or the fluid with our weather..... stay warm all
I discovered the neat little feature of adjustable pedals( brake and accelerator). With snow boots on and winter clothing I needed to adjust my reach to the pedals. I did in my Maxx and was amazed at what I had been missing all these years in other cars. This feature in itself gives a lot of versalitily to the Maxx. Wow!
Its Maxx for me.
Malibabe
Seems like I need to find an aftermarket clock with illumination.
Seems like the 2nd line of info display is mostly wasted as always viewing trip, oil life, economy, average speed, etc, is not necessary.
Is this the same with all of the radio options?
Thanks.
One of the display lines is pretty much devoted to Driver Info Center type info and the other line to radio/time/temperature.
You have control to a certain extent for both these lines to display what you want.
For the DIC line you can change what it is displaying using the INFO button
For the radio/time/temperature link you can change what it displays by pushing the DISPLAY radio button (center of right knob). There are 3 or 4 alternative displays for each mode you are in (AM/FM, XM, or CD) . In order to make that Display "stick" you should hold the button for a few seconds, I think you will hear a beep like when setting radio stations, I didn't have a vehicle readily available to double check that.
Try a bit of silicone grease (the stuff plumbers use for O-rings ... GM also sells it for use on the rubber weatherstripping) on the rubber stops on the cargo panel. It will help them slip into the slot more easily and reduce the problem of rubber "scuff marks", but the panel will remain secure.
GM also makes its own silicon lube for door seals. This should be available at any GM parts counter.
For now my shelf "rubber" bumpers are wrapped in viva paper towels, which has helped keep the shelf quiet.
Per my past threads....
after 2 months of dealing with incompetent local dealers I drove 33 miles away from town to go to a different dealer where the GM regional rep doesn't cover problems .
Here's the problems that I had that 2 local dealers couldn't figure out so the Regional Rep put a red flag next to my name stating not to touch my car any longer. The WI DOT states this is a breach against warranty and is still investigating.
1. car pulls to the left while accelerating/decelerating
2. while making a left turn the steering wheel sticks to the left at about 10 o'clock which is the same position it sticks to when accelerating
3. while driving highway speeds and accelerating, the car pulls to the left.
I drove the car to the other dealer who test drove my car and another maxx lt and told me the steering wheel feels like a magnet and it wants to keep pulling left.
The SA then told the mechanic what the problem was. they hooked up a TECH 2 machine to my steering module and it tested out 2 codes that fixed the problem in a matter of 10 minutes! We took it for a test drive and all is well. As far as the other 2 dealers who were incompetent and told me not to bring my car back to them for warranty work, the WI DOT will take of them I'm sure.
TO: GM/Chevrolet
Doesn't it feel great when you beat the system?
I'm OK with the service department where I bought my car, but because of the sales department I will not buy there again, and probably not a Chevy.
The "Tire Kingdom" chain stores in my area offer a free 4-wheel alignment check. Rather than complain to the dealer, I'm first going to try a rotate/balance and alignment check to see if that makes any difference.
The poor training the Chevy dealers service departments appear to have is becomming a worry.
I took a big hit in getting rid of the vehicle (got 13,500 trade in which means a hit of around $10,000 for the 8 months I had the vehicle). Ended up with a Subaru Outback 2.5i ltd. Somewhat less peppy than the MAXX, but I can learn to live with it & I feel a whole lot safer in the vehicle.
I have driven just about everything, just about everywhere, and while we all know that the greatest safety feature is the safe driver, I still find my '05 Maxx LS to be very good in the snow. You mentioned that you had 24,000 miles on the car...I would assume the only winter weather you have encountered are the last several months, and by my quickie calculations you had almost 20,000 to and including 24,000 miles on those tires during this period of poor winter driving. Maybe the car is not the greatest in the snow, but those worn out tires may have contributed to it's poor performance(I'm assuming you had the OEM tires on it).
I find the car to be excellent in the snow, but, I have only 2400 miles on it in the last 3 months, I've owned it..and the TC, whether it's coming on or not, seems to work well. My guess is, if it's coming on a lot, you may be doing something wrong..It won't protect against foolish driving..Anyhoo, good luck with the Subie....Jack(from snowy, icy, upstate NY)
Within last ten years I had 04'Accord, 04'Probe,06'Altima, 00'Diamante - all bought new.
So far with the stock tires 04'Maxx is the best snow driving/handling vehicle and we have plenty of it in New England this year.
I have seen people on this forum rating ABC, TC etc,. for Malibu MAXX and just wandering what's the benchmark?
Has anyone noted differences on snow .vs. ice ?
And lately I've seen way more Maxx's than I ever have, mostly new ones with dealer plates. I hope everyone is happy with their Maxx's too.
I have a '98 Outback with 185,000 and it has been great. I really haven't done anything to it except routine maintenance and got 89K out of my first set of OEM tires and brakes. I have $3500 built up on a GM card and want a new wagon. That leaves me with the $45K Caddy and the Maxx if I want to use the points. The 626, Magnum, Pacifica or the new Ford would be OK but I can't use my GM points. GM is WAY WAY behind in wagons and the new PT Cruiser on steroids they are coming out with doesn't sound too promising. Even if the styling works out the Maxx introduction with all the TSB problems (19?) would scare me away from a first year GM product.
I want a simple wagon, preferably with all wheel drive, that won't break down. I do realize that getting to 185,000K may not be the manufacturers idea of a good customer but it does build loyalty. I would buy another Subaru in a second if the $3500 in points didn't keep talking to me.
All the extra electric components on the Maxx scare me with big service bills down the road. Maybe I should buy the 100K warranty and trade it in before 100K? That is what my mechanic suggests for cutting my liability. On the other hand, maybe I should get another Subaru and hope I get 7 more trouble free years? I can save my points for another couple of years and maybe GM will have something my wife is interested in by then.
Good luck with your Subaru! I'll keep reading posts here as I will probably have to make a purchase sometime this year.
I took a __real__ gamble on this car in that the CU frequency of repair records blacklists the Malibu for brake and electrical problems (much worse than average at the 3+ year mark).
If you decide on the Maxx, be __very__ sure your dealer is competent and well trained. My local ones are half baked (lucked out on the steering columm fix, bombed out with interior trim fixes I ended up doing myself).
Then again, a co-worker had major problems with his new Subaru (gas tank/fuel hookups, turbo overheating), so they are not foolproof either.
Yes the GM card points do talk. I waited till year end for the best use of the points. After test driving the 2004 Maxx I nearly walked away. But three 2005 Maxx test drives and I found the car I wanted with terrific brakes and handling. I gave up $1500 to buy a better 05 Maxx vs an 04. I think it was a good decision.
No complaints at 1800 miles. I have started using cruise control to keep from driving at 70-80 because the car does so naturally. Its 55-65 or get ticketed. Well no tickets and January is over. Got lucky and still have a clean record.
The lesson I learnt was test drive several cars of the same model before making a decision to pass or buy. Of course all other factors such as dealer expertise do matter.
Take a look at the 2005 Pontiac Montana. I would not buy a 2004 because I was not impressed with the 3.4 engine. My son has 2 vans with that engine. He likes them, but I hear a noise I don't like. The new 2005 has the same engine as the Maxx and the styling is revamped. I know it looks like a soccer mom van, but it might be an alternative to the Maxx and you can still use your points. It is available in AWD. I needed a car last March and Pontiac had nothing I wanted. The Vibe was underpowered IMHO. Also every Vibe I looked at was empty, no air bags, no ABS. If Pontiac had this vehicle last March I would be driving one now.
Good luck.
Then again, there is no AWD for Maxx, yet.
"However, it had limited tire grip, which impeded handling"
I have a feeling, because the wheelbase was extended 6 inches on this compared to regular Malibu, this may have had something to do with poor traction. I cannot believe the OEM tires were solely to blame for the problems I had.
Hope Maxx keep going and going strong. I love my Maxx.
I also highly recommend dedicated snows (on a separate set of steel wheels) for real Winter driving areas. "All season" tires are like "One Size Fits All". A set of snows is about what your insurance deductible is, so if you avoid ONE "minor" accident by buying them they pay for themselves.
My $0.02. :-)
Although I'm amazed at all the electronics, there are a few features I miss with the Elantra--
1. Headlights that go off with the ignition switch rather than having the thing chime at me.
2. The ability to lock my door with keys in the ignition-- the Elantra would pop the locks back up. Haven't actually checked this out but salesman told me that this wasn't a feature of the car.
Do miss having a five speed, but do like this so far.
No such purchase flim-flams with Chevy. Got a quote of $16.1-- more than $6000 off-- and I let my GM card expire or I'd have an even bigger discount. Most of the dealers I contacted were low key and professional (lessons learned from Saturn?)-- at least compared to the Hyundai dealers.
As you can tell from the cars that I was considering (also a Scion xB which was great except that it was turning over 3500 rpm at 70-- not acceptable for a road car, needs a 6th. gear), I was looking for some storage space and good mileage. Although I don't normally like a car with an automatic, the Chevy's big torquey slow revving engine works well with the transmission and the mpg so far has been excellent for this large a car.
To ehelper - is there any computer re-flash for this?
Also: What is a "rough idle" - I mean how rough is rough is?
I can feel vibration on the steering wheel and sometimes it is not even, but not like it is going to stall on me...