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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu
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And, not that it matters, but the Chevy dealers I have done business with are humble but increasingly confident of the improvement in their product, while most (not all) of the Honda dealers I have dealt with are snotty or arrogant - despite the fact that Honda is constantly looking over their shoulder (in their domestic market and most foreign markets) wondering how they are going to survive the onslaught of the implacable Borg-like Toyota.
Honda and Toyota do presently hold their value longer, but Chevy is starting to do better in some residual guides; part of that will depend on GM accepting a permanently lower market share and not overproducing (think: flooding the market with fleet sales and over the top sales). But aren't we on Edmunds supposed to look to the future, and not be confined by the past, when we make our shopping decisions?
While car shopping this time I did visit many dealerships, most of them imports. The only one didnt like was the Honda dealership. Not initially but the salesman followed up a few days later and I told him I was waiting for a certain car to come into another dealership which sounded good before I decided. He said, I do hope its's a Honda or an Accura! I hated the sound of his tone and simply said, NO. I decided at that moment I wasnt buying a Honda. He made the impression that if I didnt buy Honda or Accura, I was stupid. The car I was waiting for came in a few days later as promised and after being very impressed on an overnight test drive, I bought it. An 05 Malibu with the full airbag package, a nice red color (I wont own a silver, tan or white car!) and very low Km's. I appreciate the salesman's efforts to hunt down a used car with the things I wanted, and give me a great price.
On my previous car, a 03 Malibu, I recall how I liked the feel of it when I bought it several years ago but after a few weeks certain things became tiring and didnt feel so great anymore. My 05 still feels great to me after several months and I'm very impressed by it's virtues and capabilities. After driving and considering a few imports, I think this car is a good bargain. I thoroughly enjoy driving this car. And the ol pushrod V6 engine? I love it! That excellent low rpm torque beats the crap out of most import engines.
The incentives also kill the resale value. If GM got away from incentives, fleet sales, and rentals, they would have comparable resale value.
If they did this, it would cut their sales in half.
Think Honda. For years they have done well by not overproducing. Even cars that are not popular (Element) hold their value well because they limit the number they produce - they don't overproduce then overdiscount. But Honda doesn't have all the "fixed" overheads that GM does.
I sure hope we can save GM. The steel industry got decimated while I was growing up, and everybody thought steel was a loser, but not steel is a winner (think: massive building projects in China and elsewhere; high tech steels) but America isn't the dominant player anymore. We might lose all or a large part of our domestic auto industry, but cars won't go away, in fact total sales volume will go up. I'd rather see us keep those jobs as domestic as possible.
The public has gotten used to having money thrown on the hood, now with the new pricing strategy slowly incentives will go away to some day being equal to what the imports offer.
So you lower prices and still offer incentives. Still not a winning combination. Build better cars. Then there won't be a need for incentives. healtcare, pension plans and unions are simply excuses. If you build better cars, you can charge more. People will pay for quality. ONly time sales go up is when they offer the incentives. the end of the model year is coming up, so you know what is around the corner.... They have to get teh cars off the lot.
The quality that you talk about is not quality, it is a perception of quality. The comparable quality has been there for years with GM cars, its about how to change peoples perception of quality. GM consistantly has some of their brands rank at the top of the quality list every year. If you want to see this go to JD Power and you will see a big list of GM models in every catagory. If your still not convinced than maybe you should start hanging out on the Japanese forum boards. Not ever one is willing to change their perception.
MAXX or Sedan?
Sunroof?
Heated Seats?
If you have a Maxx with both Sunroof and Heated Seats then there aren't any unused fuses.
I forgot what vehicles get the base level rear electrical center but if you have that one you wouldn't have any spare fuses either.
Of course, I take no responsibility
The Malibu doesn't have an optional amplifier.
dtownfb, i understand it might seem like this is true, but look at the top brands, and these top brands generally do not have healthcare, union, and pension problems.
If these were not problems than toyota and honda would build in union territory with union workers, but they do as much as possible to avoid that.
Think of it this way, me and you would have to race 100 meters, only you had a backpack with 30lb weights in it. If we are otherwise in the same shape, who would get to the finish line first?
This was a study conducted by the non-biased J.D. Powers posted October 2004.
The title of the article, "Asians oversell horsepower
Toyota, Honda inflated claims of engine muscle; new tests force automakers to come clean with buyers."
A few quotes...
"Strict new tests developed by the industry's top engineering group are prompting the carmakers to roll back horsepower estimates on several key vehicles, including the Toyota Camry, America's best-selling car, and Honda's luxurious Acura RL."
"The changes are likely to raise questions among customers.
Toyota and the other companies better have a good answer when customers ask questions about what happened."
"Detroit's automakers say they have been conservative in calculating horsepower and don't expect to have to reduce horsepower ratings on many vehicles. In fact, after retesting, the Big Three have revised horsepower ratings upward on several vehicles."
Find the article here: http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0508/17/A01-283759.htm
1. Do everything you can to get the key to turn. this is your best chance to save time and money. After spending hours and countless attempts with multiple keys, and tapping on it with a hammer, and yes even some silicone lubricant, the key would just not turn....damn... you have a problem.
2. Tow your car to the nearest Chevy dealer and have them fix it. $200 towing and $550 to replace the lock cylinder. Fortunately the first time this happened it was under warrantee. Now if you choose to fix it yourself..here are somethings to consider:
a. Your car has a Passkey II theft deterent system. So smart, in fact, it is stupid. The system is designed so you can not start your car without a working ignition key coded to your Body Computer Module, BCM, and your Powertrain Computer Module, PCM. This is the easy part. Now comes the hard part.
b. Removing the radio/ignition trim is easy. Remove the dashboard trim is alright, and remove the 4 screws and slide the instruments out of the way. Unscrew the radio for easy access, slide it out of the way. Unscrew the 2 ignition fastners, and push back the ignition and slide it over the front of the instrument cluster. Everything is relatively easy up to this point.
c. Now the hard part. Your ignition system will not allow you to unplug the switch, or remove the lock cylinder unless you can turn the key in the cylinder. So you ask HOW THE HELL DO I FIX THIS PIECE OF SH....T CAR!!! I have a solution but maybe not the best answer. This is what I did, and completed the job in 2 hours for $230.00.
1. Buy the correct lock cylinder from Chevy. $180.00 incl tax.
2. Take your key and new lock cylinder to a locksmith. They will properly code the cylinder for about $50.00. My locksmith took the best part of the morning because it is not as easy as making a key.
3. Now that you have your new cylinder, make sure you have the original key, or you will be screwed, take it to the car.
4. Since you cannot easily remove the old lock cylinder, you will have to drill part of the bottom of the switch to remove plasic material where the metal lock mechanisim holds the cylinder into place. Pry the piece of metal lock and pull and remove it with some needlenose pliers. Now your cylinder can easily slide out of the switch.
5. Place the new cylider into the switch, and try it. If your theft system is on you will disable your fuel injectors and your car will not start. GM Service Centers do not like to tell you that there is an easy way to re-code your passlock II system. Turn your key over for a second and leave it in the on position for 10-30 minutes until the THEFT light goes out. Your car should now start.
6. If you do not want your cylinder to slide out each time you remove your key, place some body filler in the hole you drilled to add strength to that area.
7. Total cost for this job $180.00 for the cylinder, $45.00 for the locksmith to code the cylinder, and $3.50 for an extra key. Plus $40.00/day parking in an airport parking lot where my car was stuck for 4 days. Total = $269.00
I could not find this information on the web for this specific problem, so I hope this will help others. I did find lots of very helpful information here, and wanted to thank others for their contributions. Bribing the GM Tech helps too!
Unfortunately for me it has happened twice to me in three years. I was lucky the first time. GM paid for my towing and repair because of my warrantee.
I was not so lucky this time.
If the Malibu were an Accord, it would not be a Malibu.
hmmmm.... check out Intellichoice and you'll see the accord is actually the better value. as far being better looking, that's in the eye of the beholder.
when you speak of quality you're speaking of one aspect of quality - reliability. the current malibu sedan has a below average reliability rating according to CR subscribers by the way.
there are other aspects of quality and this is where the malibu and other GM sedans continue to fall back compared to the top asian brands. and these other aspects of quality are noticed immediately with a test drive.
there's quality of materials used both inside and outside.
how good is the fit and finish?
how do the doors sound when closed including the trunk?
how refined and responsive is the engine when pushed?
how well is the transmission matched to the engine?
how well does the suspension handle the road at various speeds?
does the car feel solid and composed over broken pavement?
the accord and camry simply come across as more sophisticated, refined and, yes, higher quality vehicles when compared to the malibu. and the market reflects that!
I've driven it occasionally on trips and such, and lately have been driving it regularly while my daily driver, a 2003 Ford Focus, has been in the shop for warranty work and body repair. I also own a 2003 Malibu with the V6 which my oldest daughter drives. I am very satisfied with both of them, and have no complaints with either of them. The '03 has over 40,000 miles. The '04 is a pleasure to drive, gets over 35 mpg on long highway trips at 70 mph with the A/C on. I know, I did that last weekend and it got up to 35.6 mpg on the in-dash display.
Go ahead and get the Malibu. Make sure you get the full 30,000 mile service done, and buy an extended powertrain warranty if you think it will make you feel better. It's an excellent value car. It's cheap. It works. What else do you want?
I do my own oil changes and use Mobil-1 oil and K&N oil filters. I don't yet have enough history of doing this to make any claims, but that's what I do to make me feel better.
how good is the fit and finish?
It is excellent, as good as it gets in the industry
how do the doors sound when closed including the trunk?
Again, excellent, solid and better when compared to many asians.
how refined and responsive is the engine when pushed?
True at the wheels rated HP and response is great. The asians measure HP at the flywheel so take that into account. GM may look unrefined but the old pushrod engine has many decades of refinement. It's solid and simple, nothing wrong with that.
how well is the transmission matched to the engine?
GM has always been good at that, the V6 propels this car quite nicely, to the surprise of many asian car owners as they once again get a view of the back of it pullig away from them.
how well does the suspension handle the road at various speeds?
The suspension is great, being based on the 9-3 it always gets good reviews for handling.
does the car feel solid and composed over broken pavement?
Lots of rough roads here and its very good on them.
All car companies have had their bad models, shall we use the 1st Civics as examples? I believe the new Malibu is a winner for GM and competes nicely against anything in its class. Mine was also purchased because of its safety rating, outdoing most asians. I drove the asians and picked this based on alot of criteria. Choice is a personal preference thing, most cars are of good quality and GM is going the right direction, try one out. GM is still the top selling car in Canada, the market reflects that.
1. Intake gasket problem - Plenty of reading on the web about the Dex Coolant issue with the ethylene glycol eating away the intake gasket. My dealer charged me close to 900.00 to repair.
2. Lock cylinder frozen, twice. The first time it was a 550 dollar repair covered by warrantee. The second time I fixed it myself for about 250.
3. Fan blower switch does not work in positions 1 and 2. Common problem, apparently.
4. Driver door power window switch inoperative. I fixed it myself for the cost of the part. About 150.00
Otherwise, I have very happy with everything about the Malibu. Like others have said, good power, drivetrain, etc..
Thanks
p?t=30403&highlight=2007+malibu
There's also word that it'll get a fairly extensive makeover for 2008 on the long-wheelbase version of the Epsilon platform that the Maxx, G6, and Aura use. Check more around GMInside news for some spyshots of the exterior and a CG of the interior.
The problem with Consumer Reports' reliability tables are based on that magazine's readers alone, which do not represent all car owners, and the reliability tables only go back 8 years. The average car on the road in America today is over 8 years old. I want a car I can keep, afford to fix, and drive 200,000 miles plus with few problems or expenses. The Chevys (and Fords) I've owned over the years have, without exception, done that.
What about the J.D. Power studies, which show many GM nameplates to have better quality than most Japanese and European brands? What about the people who pay $50,000 for an Audi or BMW despite what some surveys say is poor quality in those cars? Obviously Audis and BMWs have qualities (driving feel, engineering excellence) that makes people want them despite the fact that some Consumer Reports readers wrote on a survey that they had trouble with one. Big deal. They probably didn't know what they had and had no idea how to drive or take care of it.
You can pick and choose any information you want to back up a point you're trying to make. I'll just rely on the years of experience I've had with GM cars to help me make my decision. And if I ever strike it rich and can afford to buy an Audi or BMW, I'll buy it without even getting Consumer Reports' approval first.
I have to snicker sometimes. I am driving one of the highest rated cars for safety, only slightly beat out by Audi and Subaru, for a fraction of what those cars cost. AND I love driving it, its simply a good car.
I simply do not like toyotas and hondas, I've tried em. That doesnt mean I'm an idiot, it means I can be strong enough to be an individual and follow my own ideas and tastes. As far as quality difference between a Malibu and a Hondayota, thats been proven recently to be negligible if any at all.
I love saying to some smartass [non-permissible content removed] car lover, show me your 1982 honda/toyota, etc and I'll show you my 1982 and 83 GMs. IF they have one, then show me how much it's cost you to keep it on the road, and I'll show you how much its cost me. Then lets drive the both of em, do some comparing. You guessed it, my old GM wins that little contest.
So who's the idiot?
The bottom line, to me, is very simple. The car business has changed a lot in the last few decades, and the cars now are a lot more alike than they are different, as far as build quality. People talk about things like "tighter tolerances" in Japanese cars, but that's a lot of malarkey. Everyone in the auto business knows how to build an engine, and the tolerances are what they need to be. If you make them tighter, the crankshaft won't turn, or it will turn only with great effort.
What they mean to say is not that the tolerances are tighter but that they are closer to the center (less variation) and that's true of all cars, U.S., Japanese, and European.
And as far as the 5, 6, and 7-speed automatics, that's largely a marketing move. An engine with a reasonably flat torque curve (such as the 3.5 V6 in the Maxx) does not need that many gears, and having them offers no real benefit and introduces extra complexity and more things to break for no reason.
If you don't believe me, check out the fuel economy specs on the Dodger Caliber with a CVT, which, in effect, has an infinite number of gears. Mileage with CVT isn't really that impressive; 26/30 I think. That's with a four-cylinder. The Maxx, which is bigger and heavier, does almost that well with a V6 and a "lowly" 4-speed automatic.
Absolutely not, thats simply a nonsense opinion based on nothing except what....CR? Again, go on past history and base reliability and cost to run over a period of 10-20 years. There's alot of older GMs on the road. Every day I see those early 80's rear wheel drive Cutlass, Malibu, etc but very few imports of that vintage. And as for cost effectiveness, those GMs cant be beat. I know, I still drive 2 rear wheel drive GMs of that vintage and they have cost me virtually nothing to keep running.
There's no indication that the new Malibu is going to be a long lasting vehicle but that that also goes for any newer vehicle. I'd say it certainly has the potential to be but only time will tell. I gave up reading CR many years ago for their ridiculous information and ratings on consumer electronics. I gather all the products they review and give ratings to are as silly.
Consumer Reports has information running back eight years on RELIABILITY (not durability) of cars their readers own. That's not "bashing" them, that's telling the truth. People look at their auto ratings as some kind of Gospel, but all they are doing with those charts is reporting survey details reported by a limited, non-representative, non-scientifically sampled group of people.
As far as what will be here in 15 or 20 years, Consumer Reports has no data on that; the only thing you can do is look around. And as you say, I sure do see a lot of old Cutlasses, Impalas, Ford Crown Vics, etc. Don't see many old Civics, Camrys, Accords.
You said, "90% of the car buying public don't keep a car for more than 7 or 8 years anyway."
The fact is, the average car on the road in the U.S. is almost NINE years old, and the average truck is over EIGHT years old. That's from the U.S. Government:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/onh2p3.htm
And, it's not a question of who likes what CR says, it's a question of what they actually do and don't say, and whether it's relevant or not to MOST U.S. car owners, which it's not, because MOST U.S. car owners are driving older cars.
It's easy to have clouded opinions when you and all your friends may drive brand new cars, but most people don't live like that, and they need to think about what's going to last for a long time when they spend their hard-earned money.
It was used an as example of long term track record. Obviously those vehicles dont pertain to the newer ones, it simply shows that GM's record shows they have had some great vehicles, as most companies do. Most companies also have made crap. The point is that nothing will tell us the long term reliabilty and costs except time. Predicting that is simply that, predictions. But based on the problems cars have in the 1st few years, I'd say that the Malibu has a great start since people here report very few problems, and certainly no more than the imports.
I agree most people dont keep their vehicles longer than 7-8 years but they do sell them, and someone else owns them for awhile, and so on.
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2007/toyota/camry/100699458/cto.html
And who suggested that? But on the other hand, Chrysler seems to be selling alot of bigass vehicles with hemi's in em. GM has always been on top for high mpg ratings, and still are, check the data.
My 82 Malibu station wagon has a V6, and gets damn good mpg for a car that size but yeah, its old and damn ugly. My 83 full size van with a 305 V8 gets crap for mpg but you cant kill that thing, a truly amazing vehicle based on long term cost and reliability.
Now that I think about it, I'd love to see a RWD Malibu. This FWD stuff has hopefully run it's course, lets get back to more RWD vehicles.
The comparable one year old Honda or Toyota, of which I agree dont depreciate as fast, was vastly more $$ and I am not willing to pay that since nobody can prove to me it's worth it. And yes I drove them, they arent worth it. I test drove a 3 year old Accord with 50,000 miles priced $6,000 more than my 05 Malibu. The Accord did not feel near as good as the Malibu and made some very strange noises. Why would I pay more for a car thats not as safe, will cost me more and I dont like as much?
The one car I almost did go for was a 05 Altima. But it lacked so many safety and comfort features as compared to the Malibu that I couldnt see paying $4k more for it.