2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

wpbharry · October 2003

Swamped with work stuff.

Had no idea this week would be this busy.

I DO apologize.

johnclineii · October 2003

rwisem: Thanks for the great review. Do tell more about those manual automatic AC controls, though!

harry: It's okay man. We were just afeared your review had been axed, or we all missed it!

dindak · October 2003

Great post, thanks for taking the time.

Still no 04 at the local dealer. The only 04s they have are Cavaliers. Lot is actually 1/2 empty which is unusual. They must be expecting a big load of 2004s any day one would think as there is virtually nothing to sell?

johnclineii · October 2003

Well, either that or someone is planning on going out of business!!

regfootball · October 2003

4 wheel discs on the Impala

I don't recall seeing in the (US) congressional register the bill that was passed which would actually force chevy to do that....usually that's what it takes.

you know what, if they did that on their own 'accord' (no PUN intended) then I commend them for doing that. Good move, I say.

johnclineii · October 2003

Sigh, Reg.

My 2000 Impala has 4 wheel discs.

Thanks for playing, though.

dindak · October 2003

LS always had them. All models do now. Good move IMO though rear drums can be done fine.

johnclineii · October 2003

This is post 2500!

YAY!

Malibu!

Waiting for the Maxx!

bcmalibu99ls · October 2003

Just returned from a 14 hour trip in my 99 Bu(averaged 32 MPG, if you care to know), and everything was fine, but the seats are not very comfortable - I had to wiggle a lot and changed the seat position quite a few times. In the city driving it's not that noticeable, but during a long trip it gets to you. Oh well

regfootball · October 2003

which is why its important for even sedans to be 'entertaining' and offer a higher 'driving experience'.

ehaase · October 2003

Last week, johnclineii questioned my posting here because I was closed minded on the Malibu (which I am not because I would certainly consider the car at the right price). I stated that people willing to wait could get a well equipped V6 Malibu for around $16,000 by next summer instead of buying one now. Johnclineii said that only the 2004 Malibus selling for $16,000 will be used ones.

Well, a local dealer is already advertising a 2004 Malibu LS V6 for $18,995 - roughly $3,000 off the sticker price. If they're already discounting the cars like this, I am certain that I was correct in saying that well equipped Malibu V6's will be available at around $16,000 by next summer.

pat · October 2003

... to the more appropriate 2004 Chevrolet Malibu vs. Alternatives discussion.

Please keep in mind that this is a dedicated discussion to a single vehicle. The discussion I just linked was specifically created for the type of messages I just moved.

Please also note that moving messages is an extremely time consuming and difficult process. I will not continue to do so; instead I will remove messages that do not belong here.

So please stop and think before you post. If you want your message to survive and if it involves other vehicles besides the Malibu, put it in the proper discussion.

Thanks.

wpbharry · October 2003

Hey all, thought I'd let you know that next week on MotorWeek, they'll be testing the '04 Malibu.

Should be interesting.

We have 3 PBS stations in WPB; sure many of you have more. They keep flip-flopping the time that it's on and just saw it at 6:30 PM EDT.

Harry

rwisem · October 2003

Here is the control panel. I hate it when the auto system uses fan speeds and airflow settings I would prefer to change. On the new Malibu these can easily be adjusted manually with two easy to grasp knobs. Bottom left position is full automatic on each. We love this flexibility.

bcmalibu99ls · October 2003

all of your pics compare the behinds, and the behind is the saddest looking part of the classic Bu. How about comparing the fronts! I bet my cutie's face beats your little froggy!!! ;-)

And what is the color of the rear turn signal in 04 Bu? It's not RED by any chance, is it?

logic1 · October 2003

One thing immediately obvious is how tightly the new 'Bu pieces fit together.

corsicachevy · October 2003

The current issue of Car and Driver has a flattering review of the new 'Bu. In a nutshell, they said it was well put together, handled competently and provided above average performance and fuel economy.

Their only two concerns were about the styling and the ability of the car to compete with the reputations of the Camcordes.

logic1 · October 2003

did not have C&D on the shelves this weekend. I hope it shows up soon.

You see the article as positive. In the Malibu comparo sight, Reg and Venus suggest it buries the 'Bu.

These magazine distributors have to move quicker.

corsicachevy · October 2003

Reg and Venus have a different opinion. For the most part, the article was positive.

Of course, the Car and Driver staff will fly off the deep end every time they see a pushrod engine or an exposed screw. I think the crude (on paper) drivetrain tainted their objectivity.

Logic - wait until you see the Prius ad. The placement is incredibly annoying.

tgp1810 · October 2003

I was up at the dealer on Saturday looking at the new 'Bu (he had 12 in stock). I've liked this car from day one but I must say that it looks 10 times better in person than what it does in the pictures. rwisem, would you mind posting some pictures (int and ext) of your 'Bu at night? I'm curious to see what the IP looks like.

johnclineii · October 2003

All I see is a bunch of red X's! Must have taken the "or nothing" route!

deminin · October 2003

We drove past the local dealer yesterday, and they had a new LT on the lot. It was gold with the light cream leather interior, same as out '03 LS. First impression is quite positive. The car looks much better in person than in pictures I've seen. The side sculptering actually looked quite good in this color..I suspect the lighter colors will be the better sellers. The perfed seat panels are probably a good idea..ours can get kind of sticky on a hot day. I didn't see any LH cup holder on the dash...that's a shame..I've kind of gotten used to having a cup of coffee close at hand on a longer drive. The sticker price was $23.5K, and they had a note on the rear view mirror for $2K rebate or 0% financing. This car looks quite good, and if it shows anywhere near the reliability we have enjoyed on our '03..over 10K miles now with Zero problems...it may well be a car to pull some sales back from Japan/Europe.

johnclineii · October 2003

http://www.detnews.com/2003/insiders/0310/07/inside-291379.htm

johnclineii · October 2003

and another one:

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0310/07/f01-291142.htm

alpha01 · October 2003

I thought the review was really fair, not overly "kind" as some have said. An interesting analysis of the Malibu. (Even though, as a Camry fan, it is INCREDIBLY frustrating that the auto mags refuse to recognize that the Camry's V6 HAS NOT been the 192hp version since Feb of this year. And sorry, but the 2004 3.3L V6 will smoke the 'Bu).

~alpha

corsicachevy · October 2003

Alpha - the C&D article was fair and, taken in its entirety, flattering. There were more positive comments contained in the article than there were negative ones. And, in my opinion, the negative comments were for mostly minor issues.

Is it better than a Camry, Accord or Altima? No. Is it better than everything else in that class? Yes. Once the out-the-door cost is considered the Malibu, from a value perspective, may actually take third place from the Altima.

wpbharry · October 2003

Am STILL overwhelmed with problems (appliance gremlins for one thing) and other work things.

Not complaining to ANYONE, but for a bit of relaxation, I just spent FOUR HOURS reading through all of the posts in the 4 Malibu discussions and in Pontiac GP SINCE 10/1!!! If I were retired, fine, but as I mentioned to a missing-in-action member earlier today, I can't do this that much anymore. The info (well, most of it) is great, but a bit overwhelming.

As far as my long (and integrated) review, still on the hard drive (well, the 2/3ds I got through, but to meet appropriate TOS standards, what I have requires editing, and I don't have the time for that these days).

On a more postive note, MOST of the info that was going into the review is already here among the various posts by myself and others. So, I don't feel THAT guilty.

A few issues about the new Malibu that I need to mention before getting out of here:
1. I admit that I probably was wrong about the tilt wheel lever, since I never use it on my car, and can't remember the last time I had to readjust it from someone else's use of it.
2.(hit enter without being done, d'oh) Despite raving about the step-up in interior quality, I was not so impressed with the sound of the door slam quality. Either the car I drove is a bad example (but no squeaks or rattles, as I mentioned), or mine is unusually tight, but nevertheless, it wasn't impressive.
3. AND NOW THE BIG GRIPE THAT NO ONE HAS MENTIONED (of those that have driven it, and I can't believe it, and it's not so good). You get in, start the engine, foot on the brake, and then what? Folks like me with floor-shift automatics are in for a shock. NO, you don't press the +/- button to shift out of park (Chevy's gonna have a BIG headache over this one; +/- shouldn't be where it is; +/- only works in "L". So, how do you get from "P" to "L", or from "P" to anywhere? I REALLY felt stupid (had I been alone, would've had to call Roadside Asssistance or OnStar). Even with my height, I totally missed this. You can't see this in pix, but there's a fairly large button on the dash side of the shift lever, in the center, that does what the side button used to. I CAN'T believe that one. Obviously, if you own the car, no biggie, but heaven help anyone unfamiliar with it that drives it. Uh oh.

Later, all.

regfootball · October 2003

i wouldn't call the C/D review flattering. I would call it 'pleased with the progress it made but its still not there'. Basically they are saying its worthy of consideration now and somewhere in the pack, but you wee they also mentioned how they will need to continue the big bribe.

Look at the bright side, at least it wasn't another Ion debacle.

I think for 2004 its a good showing to get chevy back in as an option you can defend, but when 2007 let's hope they come out with another new iteration and don't wait till 2011 for the next new Bu.

johnclineii · October 2003

WHICH big bribe are you talking bout:

*cash back to buyers

*cash back to dealers and other incentives

*cash to, er--make that huge amounts of advertising in buff books and wonderful trips for the writers, editors and publishers thereof?

People talk about not trusting Consumer Reports, but to their credit I have never heard of CR accepting such things. That doesn't mean they know snot about cars, just that they haven't been boughten and paid for...

venus537 · October 2003

i'm nit picking here, but i would say C/D doubts the malibu will be able to compete with the Camcordes on more than just their reputations.

venus537 · October 2003

review from consumer guide (not to be confused with consumer reports)

http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/- 37454

corsicachevy · October 2003

My impression was that C&D thought the new Malibu will compete with the Camcordes by being a very competent value leader. No, they didn't think it is as good a vehicle has its Japanese competition, but they did say it is very good car with a high level of standard equipment at a decent price (incentives included).

If I were ranking cars in this class right now (all things considered) the order would be:

1. Honda Accord
2. Toyota Camry
3. Nissan Altima/Chevy Malibu
4. Ford Taurus
5. Mitsu Galant

I would say that is a pretty good showing for the Chevy.

ronbo10 · October 2003

Two of the autoweek editors wrote their comments regarding the '04 Malibu, and they were about as complimentary as an enthusiast publication is going to get over a mid-priced sedan with a 4 speed auto. Here's the link:
http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- _code=carboard&loc_code=index&content_code=02394329

ronbo10 · October 2003

I went for a second brief spin in an '04 Malibu. Just a few comments to add to what I've already written (hope I didn't get too long winded on that...). Firstly, my overall impression remains basically the same- very positive.

The brake pedal on this particular example didn't feel as firm as on the other LT I had sampled. Not mushy, but not outstandingly firm, which was my impression of the other car. It was perhaps slightly more difficult to modulate as a result.

I also wanted to get a better understanding as to how the rocker switch on the left side of the shift lever functions. Another member of this forum described it at some length earlier, so I thought I'd elaborate just a little bit more. If you are driving along with the transmission in drive (D), and you were to select Low (L) (assuming you are in fourth gear), it will then drop down to third without touching the button. To drop it into second , press the rocker switch's back half and it will do it. Or press it twice to go down to first (assuming you are going slow enough- it won't allow you to overrev the engine). Likewise the upshift from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd requires a button pushe on the front half. To go to 4th and/or overdrive from this point one must then slide the shift lever to drive. With the shift lever selected to low, it seems that the transmission will then hold whatever gear you have selected given that it is in the normal operating range for that gear. I didn't try coming to a stop with low (3rd) selected, for example, but my guess is that it would still downshift at some point. I doubt it will allow 2nd gear startouts in snow, for example.

In low, the shifts made using the rocker switch are virtually instantaneous while at the same time being quite smooth. Well designed, though I wish you could just leave the shift lever in low and shift it using the rocker swtich from top to bottom and back (including 4th/overdrive).

All you wanted to know and more...Cheers

retiredguy · October 2003

I took about a 10 mile test drive in an LS..The salesman had to check the owners manual regarding the rocker switch which did not respond in drive. My interest in downshifting is only to gain engine braking to slow down and reduce the wear on the brakes. As my wife would also be a driver the requirement to shift to L and then select a lower gear is beyond her mechanical capabilities. It seemed that the engine braking after the first click was not very useful, it took two clicks to get to a still lower gear. This is inconvienent compared with our present car where there is an O/D lock out that also gives some engine braking.

jtrujillo86 · October 2003

Sorry guys! I have been so busy with work (or works I should say), school, yearbook, and other crap. Anyway, I was at my local (loco) Chevrolet dealer today and I saw a brand new Bu! I have to say I am extremely impressed. The car looks so much better in person. I really like the back...kinda reminds me of the Camry's but not as big. The inside was awesome too, except for the big thing that says "Malibu" across the front. On the pre-production photos, there was a clock there and the "Malibu" sign was on the cluster if I remember correctly. I liked that better. I think it's kinda dumb how there is a label inside the car reminding you what you're driving; I would shoot to build a car that you can never forget what you were driving if you get my drift. Anyway, the car was great.
About the old gen bu's: does anyone's make a ticking noise when at idle? Mine does and I learned why from a dealer mechanic I know. He said it was piston slap. It was a design flaw when they made the 3.1 liters. Oh well...I guess I'll just live with it. Also, my car idles kinda rough. I think I mentioned this before, but I don't remember anyone else having this problem. If you do or have had this problem, lemme know. My uncle says it has something to do with the idle air control solonoied (I think that's how you spell it). Another thing, I was reading about a TSB for the bu's front passenger seat. The TSB says it shakes on the highway when "unoccupied". Well mine still does this, but the dealer says there is no outstanding TSB or recall to be performed on my car. How do I get them to fix this? Will they do it, even if my car is almost 7 years old? Another thing, again: I have had water in my rear tail light since I have bought her. If I drill a hole in the housing, do you guys think that the water will drain quick enough so that condensation won't build up on the lense? Or any other ideas?? Also, my inner cv boot is cracked. The part @ Checker's is only 25 bucks. How much do you think it will be if I have a garage install it? I also have a cracked oil pain...I think I mentioned it but the part is 125 only avil. through the dealer...YEHAW...I'm excited!

Well sorry I kept ranting on but any help is appreciated!

So does anyone have any problems with their new bu yet? Let's see some pics!!!!

Jeremy

jtrujillo86 · October 2003

As you may know, I'm trying to sell my car, but it has a salvage title. Everytime I tell prospective buyers, they freak out and don't even wanna look at it. So my dilemma: do I tell the person that she's be wrecked or just go with it and see if they notice anything when I hand the title over? Many people I talked to had no idea what a salvage title is anyway. What do you guys think?

Okay, so two last things: I'm planning on changing my ATF soon, just to see if the tranny shifting will get softer; it's not really hard now, but as I push the RPM, the shifts get harder, naturally. I just wanna see if it makes them (the shifts) any better. I have the filter and I'm gonna get the ATF. Aamco is gonna do a full flush for only $50. So how many quarts does the tranny take??

Thanks again!

bcmalibu99ls · October 2003

Check the manual for tranny fluid capacity

How many miles u got on your Bu now?

Would you not rather drive it till it dies? New cars are not cheap...

gbriank · October 2003

In some states, you are required to tell the buyer if the car is salvaged. Term is called "disclosure". If you don't and the perspective buyer finds out, you may be required to take the vehicle back. Due to all of the reports being done by magazine tv shows (Dateline), considerable attention is being brought to these types of vehicles. Are they as safe as they were during manufacture, do they suffer from electrical or mechanical problems, or is there rust behind body panels inside the car (due to flood damage)? I'm not sure and could understand someone not wanting to buy one.

Plain and simple, be honest.

robertp4 · October 2003

I have a '99 Malibu with a 2.4 liter engine. Can anybody tell me where the gas filter is located. Is it hard to replace?

wpbharry · October 2003

Finally have a few spare minutes while I wolf down some lunch...

1) I can't understand how ANY of you have received the 11/03 issue of Car&Driver. Mine is still not here. 3 buddies in FL and 2 in NY have not seen it yet either. You all must have special Fed-X shipping for $10 an issue or be mfr. reps...
2) STILL no one is commenting on Chevy's stupidity in placing the regular shifter button out of sight on the new 'Bu. Guess I'm the weird one...
3) Jeremy, some replies (remember, my '98 LS V-6 has relatively low miles, so you'll need some help from someone with a much higher mileage car for those things I can't help out with): (I'M TIRED OF HITTING RETURN AND HAVING IT POST. VERY ANNOYING!!!!!!!!)
* Piston Slap: Design flaw in 3.1/3.4s usually occurring in cars with over 75K miles. I don't have it. Buddies old '98 with 90K miles had it real bad. I was shocked when I drove it last summer. One of the major reasons he ditched the car.
* Rough Idle: The only time I had this was right before the alternator went.
* Passenger Seat: Never had a problem. Doubt Chevy will touch it this late in the game.
* Taillight Condensation: As far as I'm aware, only a problem in '97s. Problem fixed in '98s. Be aware that you very well might not have taillights in the affected light(s) since the condensation tended to short them out. Most were fixed by owners under warranty soon after purchase. Drilling a hole might crack the whole unit and a new one is $200ish (maybe you can find a used one....). However, on a related note, the '97s - '99s also had a headlight unit condensation problem. Both of mine were replaced under the 3/36 warranty.

Lastly, Jeremy I do have to come after you for one thing. The place where the Malibu label is on the new 'Bu was actually a black space on the preproduction vehicles (the clock is in the radio). EVERY car I've EVER owned (including the current one; sure yours has one too) has had an identifying dash label. What's the problem??? It's not there to remind YOU what you're driving, it's to let passengers know what they're riding in. REALLY. Of all the *** things.... As far as your '97, my friend I think you're in a very bad jam. Someone above suggested keeping it until it dies, and I agree. Keep saving your $ during that time (as much as you can, given the PITA nature of your car). Good luck!

rwisem · October 2003

Harry, we're ALL a little weird about something. After more than a decade of owning vehicles where We were in the habit of flipping the steering wheel up for more entry/exit clearance, we are resigned to setting the relative heights of the seat and wheel and now just leave it as you've always done. Maybe this is why even the base model has a power height adjuster on the seat? We've decided we can get used to this.

About the shifter button: I can honestly say I had no reaction to it. I immediatly noticed the button in front and didn't try to use the gear button on the side. My wife also had no problem with it, but did say she thought it might be a little harder for a person with arthritis to use.

We are really enjoying the car. The ride is a revelation and there are little surprise and delight touches we appreciate. Love the telescopic wheel and pedals. I'm getting used to the seats and have decided they are more comfortable than the old Malibu. The needles on the speedo and tach are white during the day and glow red at night - how do they do that?

breetai52 · October 2003

Maybe they tie it into the light sensitive headlights?

It also might be subtle during the day so that you don't notice the red. If you turn on the cabin light do the needles still appear red?

wpbharry · October 2003

Well, if I hadn't quipped in my earlier post, I wouldn't have seen it for another two weeks, but in fact, it DID arrive today. FINALLY. (Boy, is that Prius uglyyyy. Wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole).

If you don't subscribe to C&D, buy yourself a copy in a week or so. It's a well-written and highly accurate article (and the most photogenic pix of the car I've seen anywhere. I think it's rather handsome; talk about an about-face).

Some notes:
1. NOW we know what happens when you get OnStar AND XM. 2 thingys on the roof. It looks worse than hideous, IMO. I'm still curious if the sunroof is the el-cheapo GM kind that slides over the roof or if it slides into it. Anyone know? (My car avoided the el-cheapo GM bit as I had an ASC moonroof installed aftermarket, which closes automatically when you turn off the ignition. I'll miss that).
2. Was intrigued by the silver-green color, but now that I see it on the car, I'll pass. Silver it'll be.
3. The neutral UltraLux is WAY too light (even lighter than on mine). No thanks. Don't like the wood nearly as much as the aluminum either. Grey it is.
4. I think the entire article was very fair, plusses and minusses. I'm sure reg and venus just loved Daniel Pund's Counterpoint (Robin Warner's as well).
5. Maxx hopefuls, like me, will just do a backflip in air when they read the closing paragraph ("All is not lost...). The part about how they don't expect rebates on that (unlike the sedan) does worry me however.
6. I'm VERY disappointed in the Bridgestone Insignias. GM installs Goodyears on nearly everything else; they must have some written agreement with Bridgestone/Firestone for this car forever. As an aside, the 11/03 CR rates the good old Firestone Affinitys on the "classic" dead last. What a shock.

Per some recent posts, I'm getting ever more convinced that assembly is still somewhat inconsistent. Brakes differing on 2 cars; my experience with door closure sound; rattles and squeaks on some; console problems on some, etc. But I still think it'll be MUCH better from the get-go than the last Malibu was. For one thing, the warranty claims would bankrupt GM if they had to go through THAT again.

icvci · October 2003

Is it better than a Camry, Accord or Altima? No. Is it better than everything else in that class? Yes. Once the out-the-door cost is considered the Malibu, from a value perspective, may actually take third place from the Altima.

Where's the Mazda6? The 6 is the only one of those mentioned that looks great and drives even better. Reliability has been good and, it's built in America.

I GUARANTEE the Malibu won't win over 50 international awards and have the resounding list of accolades the 6 has. Heck, it was one of Automobile Magazines all-stars and, the only unanimous pick at that.

johnclineii · October 2003

Yep, but the Malibu probably won't rust around the tops of the doors either. See the Mazda6 forum for that, where it is stated this is happening with great frequency...

corsicachevy · October 2003

You are absolutely correct. I forgot about the Mazda 6. You are also correct in pointing out that the Mazda 6 is a better car than the new Malibu. You will get no argument from me on that point. Thank you for pointing out that omission. I see so few on the road that it slipped my mind.

Ok, so the Malibu is better than all the domestic offerings, the Galant and possibly the Altima. I guess that makes it a "good" car - no better, no worse.

wpbharry · October 2003

I'm not expecting the Malibu sedan to win much of anything, either. But the Maxx will win a zillion, including Car of the Year. Only competition for that is the Prius, but that's low volume, despite the intriguing technology (and those looks, UGH, that only a mother could love...).

Question is: Will the sedan also be included by default? If so, you might have to eat your words, icvci.

bcmalibu99ls · October 2003

I think keeping your car till it dies makes sense almost always. Purely from a financial standpoint, if anythying.

If you drive a 20K car for 5 years, it works out to be 4K per year. But keep it for 10 years, then it's only 2K per year, it's like adding 2K tax-free to your annual income, and your insurance should be lower, as it is an old car.

Of course, if it starts breaking every month, then it's both expensive and time-consuming to keep it. I've heard an advice about keeping an old car, which I think makes lots of sense. It goes like that: if the repairs on your current car are higher (per month) than potential payments on a new car, then get a new car. So, if in the past year you've spent, say, 3600 bucks on repairing your old horse (or 300 per month), then it would make sense to get a new car, as long as you would pay no more than 300 bucks per month for it. But do not forget about higher insurance rates for new cars! It's another factor to consider

jtrujillo86 · October 2003

Thanks guys, for all of your responses. To: Wpbharry - my 97 Bu has just about 65K on her. To everyone else - I understand that someone wouldn't want my car. I had the same dilemma when I bought it; it was cheap with very, very low miles (48,417 miles, 4.5 years old, $5,000). Everyone in my family has had Chevrolets and I figured mine would be as reliable as theirs, but I guess I was wrong. I have decided, however, that I'm just gonna fix EVERYTHING that's bugging me with her, and keep it. I plan to keep the ad on the net though; I didn't pay $55 to advertise for nothing, right? I have also decided to tell ANY potential buyer. I tried to hide it with one person, and I felt pretty bad. I wouldn't wanna buy a car and find out later it had been wrecked. Oh about the rear tail lights -- I check them every month and drain the water and dry the lense with an air compressor hose after every car wash. I do, however, still have to change the bulbs(2) once every other month. Oh well.
Anyway here's what I need done:
Tires - need replacing
Alignment
Oil pan - cracked
CV boot - cracked
Control head on HVAC system
Check Oil light - burnt out
Passenger side seat - rattles
Passenger side air vent (by the door on the dash) - cracked and rattles
Rear bumper - There is a ripple in it...kinda looks like someone backed into it, but there is not paint chipping or anything
Paint - Chipping EVERYWHERE except rear bumper, especially around every door handle!!!!

I guess that's about it. I can live with it all, but I think I'm gonna fix them in this order:

CV boot
Oil Pan
Tires/Alignment
Control head (pretty cheap online)
Vent
Then the rest will just get done when I have money.

Anyway, enough of my cryin'. Let's talk about the new bu. So how does this shift interlock thing work since it's not on the side of the shift lever? Can you post pics or e-mail them; I'm pretty interested. About the "Malibu" label inside - The picture in the recent C/D review looks like a clock. I could be mistaken, but the one at the dealer with the label looks REALLY cheap. Even in the current gen bu's it looks cheap, IMHO. I read also in C/D that the new Malibu had front AND read disks. I thought a couple months ago we were complaining because the rear's were drums...? Maybe Chevy got the hint. The remote start seems like it would work out AWESOME in the chilly weather we get here in Denver. I thought, though, that in our owners manual, it's not good to let the car sit to "warm up". I had this discussion on the VW Passat board, and I agree. I, personally, just like to jump in, and once the RPM calms down, I go...I just keep the tach under 3K and it's all good. She warms in less than 5 mins, whereas if it sits it takes upwards of ten minutes to get to normal operating temp.

One last thing before I go -- If you have changed your tranny fluid, what kind have you used? No matter what, I am definitely using Valvoline (but I would still like to hear what you have used)...I just don't know if I should use Durablend ATF or MaxLife. Like I said, I have 65K on the odo. I use Durablend motor oil, but the MaxLife protects against leaks and is good if you have over 75K, which I will soon be passing. Anyway, just give some advice if you can. Thanks

JeReMy

2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

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