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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu
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04 Malibu
Yup.
Folks, you cannot use the img src tags to display copyrighted pictures unless you or Edmunds.com owns the copyright.
Links are fine. Displaying is not. Unfortunately, I did have to remove some messages.
Email me if there are any questions, thanks.
tamu: That's great that your Malibu performed well on your trip. I made my final decision on the Malibu when I rent one to go up to Boston. It's a 300 mile trip each way. And the malibu performed nicely. I love mine but I'm not foolish enough to believe it is as good as the Camry, Accord, passat group. Unfortunately GM hasn't put the advertising dollars into this vehicle. Too many are being sold to fleet and rental companies which further hurts not only resale value but the reputation of the car. It's a shame because it seems likethey have gotten all the bugs out of it. Although my brakes were chattering a little which i understand is the beginning of the dreaded warped rotors. Good luck with your Malibu and give us some updates. So far at 23k miles, all i have had to do is change the oil, rotate the tires and put gas in it. Been averaging 22-24 mpg per tank with mix driving. Higher (28-29) with all highway. Lowest tank was 20 mpg.
credman
tamu: I bought it when they just had the $1500 rebate. it helped to lower the amount we were financing. the malibu didn't comeinto sight both literally or figuratively until we were test driving the Olds Alero. We finally decided against the Alero once we sat inthe back seat and then tried to put a car seat back there. Yikes!!!!! Then I looked over and saw the Malibu and asked the salesman about that car and he said it a nice car with a littl emore room then the Alero. Took a test drive, then rented it to goto Boston and then to DC and was sold. The funny thing is the Accord was our first choice but during the test drive, I noticed the steering wheel of the Accord rested on my knees making it difficult to drive on long trips (I'm 6'4" tall) and my wife was afraid that she would get too many tickets with the Accord. (She was doing 85 mph on Route 78 and couldn't tell until myself and the salesman mentioned it to her) So we opted for the malibu. I like the the look of the malibu event though it is sort of bland. It has that look that won't grow old, similar to the camry and accord. One thing i wish I had done is get the spoiler. The malibu is one of the few cars that look good with a spoiler.
I didn't know the Alero has less room than the Malibu. I sort of like the Alero's styling better. Well it cost a couple grands more so we couldn't afford it, anyways. Hey what did you mean when you said you guys didn't feel the Accord's high speed? Was it quieter than the Malibu? Just curious. We didn't test drove the Accord so I have no idea how it compares to the Malibu.
The Alero is the twin of the Grand AM but they are all built on the same platform. The Malibu is a couple of inches longer. Also the Alero shape restrict the interior space. Meaning, it's shape get narrower near the roof of the car. Also the backseat is awful. And it is hard to see out the back because of the roofline of the trunk. The styling is very nice though.
This Malibu will give a couple of old duffers many good miles of enjoyable travel.
It seems that one of the complaints on this car is the tires...Firestone Affinity. However, they have a UTQG of 500 AB which is better than the equivelant Michelan. I suspect with a regular rotation, they will last well past 60,000 miles. Firestone has taken a lot of heat, but if one looks past the media hype, and the ambulance chasing lawyers, there were probably other reasons for the SUV problems other than just the tires.
Our Malibu has excellent fit and finish, runs and drives great, has a great stereo, and the sunroof is a hoot. Add to that the $3,000 rebate, and I doubt that there is another car that can compete, dollar for dollar, with the Malibu. We certainly didn't find any.
I'm also glad to hear you testify the Firestone tires will last over 60,000 miles (hopefully). That's one less thing to spend money on. We have almost 7000 miles on our 2002 Malibu LS and not a single problem. Happy motoring.
I believe, the OEM, factory-installed Firestone Affinity are somewhat different from aftermarket ones, warranted for 80k miles. I looked at Firestone / Bridgestone dealer - the tread pattern were similar, but not identical.
However, even 30k is decent mileage. Additionally, my driving style and pattern is somewhat hard on tires, especially on edges.
The recommended tire pressure (29 psi front, 26 psi rear) is on low side. Currently I am inflating tires about 4psi more than recommended.
1SB package looks(black with gold pkg.)attractive. I owned a 94 lumina with 3.1 engine found it to be great. Lasted 178,000 before it was totaled in accident. Any input as to what BU
described above should be going for? Actually, it is supposedly a salesmen"s demo with 2,000 milles. I was caluclating sticker plus
dest charges @ about 23,000.00 less 3,000.00rebate, less 10% off siticker, less 1,000.00 for demo (2,000miles @.05/mile)===16,700.00 offer/sale ??? . Those of you with experience in this market, please advise your opinion. Thanks in advance for you input.
c_worc:
Our Malibu is a 2002 LS with a spoiler. We paid $16300 after the $2500 rebate. I'm sure what your option costs but seems like you should be able to get a much better deal than $16,700, especially for a demo with that many miles on. Good luck!
The new Accord offer a tilt and telescoping steering wheel which solves that problem.
RE OEM tires: The objective of the OEM tires is to give you a quiet, nice ride at the cheapest price they can negotiate. they could care less how long they last as long as they last 12,000 miles (warranty). Unfortuantely, with the exception of a few auto makers, the OEM tires are generally subpar.
Extras include LS Preferred Equipment Group
Includes vehicle with standard equipment and front leather appointed bucket seats with reclining seatbacks and adjustable head restraints, rear spoiler and electric power tilt-sliding sunroof with mirror map light. In addition this beauty has the gold package as well
as an AM/FM Stereo (ETR) w/CD and Cassette. I've got these guy's down to 17,700.00 However they are now talking about additional fees including 95.00 for title preparation, registration and 198.00 government fee (which I have never heard of). If your deal included above extras; then my tentative deal is not so good. Option Packages total $1477.00 at invoice cost.
TAMU2002
My daughter (19years young) did most of the driving on this one after I decided that it was too cramped for me. I don't want to be too critical because I have been accustomed to full size cars like my 1994 Caddy Concours. We have put about 48,000 miles so far and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever. Ride and handles beautifully and is what I consider a "LOOKER" It is a LX Model with all the extras including the V-6 engine. I think a car should have enough "get up and go" to get out of it's own way in a tight situation; and the Accord certainly does. With exception noted I would highly recommend it.
Regards,
c_worc
My question is:
is the grease supposed to be there? (I don't remember seeing it before). If not, how did it get in there?? And why would the hood not shut? I doubt the soft grease could be the culprit. The weather has been very cold lately with temp in the teens though.
Thanks guys.
Lets try this again..see if I can keep my finger off the enter key. First, the white grease on the hinges is probably ok. Its common practice to use white grease on door/hood hinges..stays put better, and isn't quite as messy. Try to determine if its the hood hinges or the front latch causing the problem. If the hood moves up and down freely, but you have to slam it to latch it, its probably the front latch sticking, or dirty or rusting, etc. A good penetrating oil..WD 40, etc., will clean it out..wipe up any that gets on the paint. Then, put some white grease on a q-tip and coat all moving surfaces. If the hood is binding as it goes up/down, don't force it too much..the sheet metal is rather flimsy on most hoods, and you could wind up with a badly warped/bent hood. Again, flush the hinge area with penetrating oil, and apply grease afterwards. BTW, WD40, and white grease are common items at any auto parts store, or Walmart.
I'm thinking it was probably the cold temperature that somehow caused the front latch not to latch. I haven't openned the hood again yet since last time. I guess I'll wait till the weather gets a little warmer and see what happens. Weird thing is I don't remember ever seeing that big chunk of white grease in the hinge. Well, it must've been there all aong. I might replace it somewhere down the road.
The recent years for the Malibu have been much better then the early years. Chevy seems tohave gotten rid of most of the bugs. I have a 2001 Malibu LS with 23.7k miles. So far so good. All I have done is oil and filter change, rotate tires and changer the air filter.
Others who have had their 'BU longer may be able to give you a better perspective then me.
Test drive one, and drive it hard, slam the door. I've even jumped a couple of ditches and curbs, of course not on purpose, and yes i did have to get an alignment. Anyway, good luck.
We purchased a sage 2003 LS with the CD/Cassette upgrade. The stereo sound is very good also.
I did make one addition to our LS..since we live about 1/2 mile down a gravel road. I bought a set of factory mud flaps, and installed them. The tires are fairly wide, and will throw rocks onto the lower mouldings/paint. These factory flaps fit perfectly, and offer good protection without looking obnoxious. They are easy to install if you follow the instructions carefully. There is enough clearance to drill behind the front tires--by turning the wheels, but it is better to remove the rear tires before drilling, unless you have a right angle drill. I left them the flat black/unpainted, and they look good against the gold color of the car. And, I concur with your opinion of the upgraded stereo. I can boom-box with the teenagers, or put in an ENYA CD, open the sunroof shade, and cruise in total enjoyment. Good luck with your new Malibu
As for brakes, some minor noise on disk brakes is normal..depending on the type of pad being used..just a slight sound if you listen closely. With the aluminum wheels, its easy to monitor the disks. When washing the car, etc., always inspect the rotors. They should be smooth, with no evidence of grooving etc. You can reach thru the wheel, and feel the inner surface with your finger to test for grooves. Don't do this unless the car has sat awhile..they get hot. If I start seeing any wear as the car gets some miles on it, I will probably change over to Sintered Iron pads. They are a softer material, and grip better. Plus, the iron compound has a tendency to melt slightly as the pads heat up, and help fill any microscopic pits that form in the rotors..thus helping to keep them in good shape. I used these iron pads..Raybestos brand from O'reily auto parts..on a '90 Z28 I drove for my last 10 years of working, and they did real good. I could haul the Z car down from 90 to zip real fast, and no chatter or grabbing. I got 60,000 miles out of the first set, and had most of the pads left after 30,000 on the second set when I sold my toy car. I never touched the rotors on the Z. In my opinion, if you have to turn the rotors, its better to replace them.
Tamu, i bet the noise that you hear sounds kinda like a slow whining noise just before you stop huh? Well, for my car usually does that right after i have my brake pads replaced. Now, about you pedal being tight, i'd like to know what you find out about that i have no idea.
Thanks for the brake pad recommendation. I'll definately keep that brand in mind when the time comes to replace them.
Malibu19,
Your description of our braking noise sounds about right. Does your car still do that now that the pads have been broken in?
Anybody have any idea about the brakes being tight? My feeling is it is better than being too soft. But it's some getting used to the extra pressure required for a full stop. But again, it's not like you have stand on it or anything.
Thanks for the advice about the brake brand. I'm writing that down for the next time i need a brake job, and I'm going to try them.
tamu
Usually a few days or sometimes a week, just depends on how much i drive it after the pad replacement, they usually stop making the noise. If you have some type of labor warrenty, consider talking with the place about it, if you are still uncomfortable. Never hurts to ask questions, and sometimes they do make and fix their mistakes.