I saw my first Malibu Maxx today, it was obviously a NFS version. It had Michigan license plates (here in Texas) and 2 older men were driving it.
Not very good looking, it reminds me of a really tall Austin Maestro or a Skoda Felicia or some other boxy British hatchback from the 80's. Truth be told, the Signum is just a bit smaller, but the Maxx has a face only a mother could love, while the Signums I've seen are all handsome.
my father just got a 04 malibu maxx today for a few months. i dont think they are in dealers yet are they? anyway if anyone wants me to take some pictures let me know. i dont mind taking any pictures if you have any requests... the more of these GM sells, the bigger my father's bonus is
hi all... today here in detroit we have had gloomy weather. not good weather to take pics in. however i did manage to take some pics of the maxx (didnt turn out very well at all). here is the link:
there are also pics of a 2004 malibu ls sedan that my father had in summer. let me know what you guys think and if you want any other pics. i have NO problem taking whatever pics you want. the maxx drives just like the sedan (i have driven the two a lot). oh yeah... and there is a lot of room in the back seats.
Well, the Colt Vista was different looking, and so was the Mitsubishi Expo. I haven't slammed the car.
In fact I love the utility aspect of it. Just not the cheap everything else aspect. I am waiting for a car more like the Signum to come to America, something that's extremely utilitarian but designed carefully and well-built. Basically, like the European equivalent of an MPV. Give me the new Renault Scenic.
just really sucks. They're a good company, except their designs are just horrific. Anything that is stylish in the rest of world that they bring to NA, they "dumb" it down for Americans. Malibu MAXX anyone?? I would have rather had a Signum exterior with Bu interior, or Bu exterior with Signum interior. The GTO, though not very muscular car-ish, looks much better than the Holden, however. Thankfully, GM learned that the Malibu styling wasn't well received. The Cobalt at least looks better up front!
what goes around....the narrow width and the tall greenhouse are back in favor, simply because it is an efficient package design...not too pretty but VERY functional...imo the current malibu is nothing to take home from the dance especially compared to the previous design (sorry, i always thought that was a clean intelligent body shape...contents left something to be desired...). for my money, i'll take content over a pretty face...especially at the price point for LT...a definite steal, imo. jackg
Does any one have info about this new engine GM has placed in the Malibu? Took the family to the Auto Show in DC last week -- my choice was the Honda Accord ExV6 (3.0 liter, 240 hp) but wife doesn't like it...the Malibu Maxx seemed to be the winner with the Nissan Altima a close second. Really liked the sliding rear seats in the Maxx and the availability of a DVD player. Motor Week indicates the 0-60 speed of the Accord is 8.0 seconds (16.3 1/4 mile) compared to the Malibu's 0-60 speed of 8.0 (16.1 1/4 mile). They did not like the handling as well but overall really liked the car. My concern is that buying a Honda is a pretty much bullet proof, I'm questioning if this new GM 3.5-liter pushrod V6 (with 200 hp) will hold up over the long run -- I keep my vehicles 10-15 years. I currently have an 1989 Stanza (130,000 miles) and a 2000 Odyssey (29,000 miles). Any thoughts or suggestions I should ponder?
one dealer in my area claims to have 6 MAXX hatchbacks on their lot... and you can build and price a Maxx on the website. So now, the Maxx is officially out and on the road. I'd take a Signum, Malibu, Zafira anyday over what Chevrolet is offering now, although what GM is offering right now from Chevrolet isn't bad. The Aveo is pretty well received, the Cobalt looks to be a winner, and the Malibu has been favorable in a recent CR comparison test.
The 3.5l is a descendant of the 2.8l that went in the Beretta and Corsica. It went to 3.1l, then 3.4l, now 3.5l. They keep boring or stroking it, or both.
Now, having said that, the 3.5l is wonderfully torquey and fuel efficient to boot. It was re-engineered enough that it likely only has the block in common with some of those predecessors.
it probably has been changed so much over the years from 2.8 to 3.1 to 3.4 and now to 3.5 that the 3.5 probably has little in common (if anything) with the original 2.8 developed for the Corsica/Beretta.
Attended the San Diego Auto Show yesterday and right out front they had several Chevy models available for a test drive including the new Maxx. It was an LS model silver with grey cloth interior. The auto start function is neat and will surely impress the neighbors. I liked the electric steering despite it being criticized for being too light at low speeds. I currently drive a '02 MB C240 and the heavy steering is annoying at times. The fit and finish is pretty good but still below the Camcords of the world. The utiluty of the car cannot be denied. The cargo tray and the folding/sling rear seats are great. The rear seats also lock down and need to be released to sit back upright. The car rode very well. The 2 mile lap around the convention center was very smooth so I could not hear any rattles if there were any. The car has a bunch of torque (more than my Mercedes) right of the line. I managed to spin the front tire quite easily! The car only had 22 miles on it so I thought I would break in right.
I think you can manually shift, but I didn't like the position on the button. IIRC it was on the top of the shifter, and also you didn't have total control of all the gears.
Maxx- I hope they add a REAL shiftronic because what they have right now only allows control of the first 3 gears and the placement of the actual buttons aren't that great.
There was an article on GM's media site that claimed the 3.9 is a derivative of the 3.5. I think they said they bored it out from 99 to 104 mm. Something like that...
I'm getting the impression very quickly that the State of Florida doesn't care for the new Malibu. Not only have I not seen one on the road to date, I note that inventories are building quickly.
As far as the Maxx, in my major metro area, of 3 Chevy dealers, only one (the "supermarket"; not my dealer) has received any Maxxes, and 16 of them, mostly LSs. Needless to say, I haven't seen any of them on the road yet either.
I drove a sedan LT back in Oct. and was impressed. Likely replacement for our '00 LS this summer, or possibly a Maxx LS (Maxx LT at over $27K is out of line).
The main problem for me, and likely many others, is good old depreciation. It's worse on my '00 LS than a comparable Hyundai Sonata!! It's REALLY bad. Because GM chose not to change the name of the Bu, as it's doing with many other models, unfortunately the new Bu will be saddled with the reputation of the prev-gen Bu, and will most likely depreciate like a rock as well.
The answer? $2,500 - $3,000 rebates, not the measly $1,000 that has now been extended to 3/31. Even the brand-new Aveo has $1,000 cash back!!! Right now, the Maxx has $0, since I don't think it's been officially introduced yet.
A name change would help. The slightly tarnished reputation of the old Malibu (I mean it wasn't a domestic Accord or anything) hurts the new Malibu right off the bat. Pick a new name. And don't just change somebody's ending. (Uplander- Freelander-Outlander)
How about the Chevrolet Prizm? It has a past, and it was a good little rebadged Corolla, which means people have a good impression from it, and are more likely to buy the current larger Prizm. Plus, if GM still has some old Prizm badges sitting around, they can use them, saving the costs of producing badges.
Caused too many complaints from teachers, who found that students were using the wrong spelling based on the car name. The Prizm replaced the Nova, which also caused problems, because it means "no go" in Spanish.
How 'bout Chevelle? Probably too close to Chevette. Monza? Celebrity? Lumina?
From what I'm hearing and observing, the Maxx suffers from the same "conditional visual appeal" (i.e., it looks great in some shots, and not-so-great in others) as the Malibu sedan.
I haven't seen one in person yet, but the LT in the Malibu brochure (which is finally at dealers) is not great-looking. The LS that was in a pre-production brochure was very good-looking.
Go figure.
Personally, I didn't find the shot of the Maxx in the TV spot all that appealing. It was also de-emphasized. We'll see when I see one in the flesh.....
Comments
Not very good looking, it reminds me of a really tall Austin Maestro or a Skoda Felicia or some other boxy British hatchback from the 80's. Truth be told, the Signum is just a bit smaller, but the Maxx has a face only a mother could love, while the Signums I've seen are all handsome.
I didn't hate it... it's just very uninspiring. The Colt Vista of the 2000's.
http://photos.yahoo.com/amulay2003
there are also pics of a 2004 malibu ls sedan that my father had in summer. let me know what you guys think and if you want any other pics. i have NO problem taking whatever pics you want. the maxx drives just like the sedan (i have driven the two a lot). oh yeah... and there is a lot of room in the back seats.
(Magneto/Snaab: Let's hope your dad can forgive the AMG. Who wouldn't want one? Perhaps a CTS-V will help your Dad's bonus though?)
You are right, it's not the best, but the one I saw definitely did stand out as it's very different looking than any other car around.
In fact I love the utility aspect of it. Just not the cheap everything else aspect. I am waiting for a car more like the Signum to come to America, something that's extremely utilitarian but designed carefully and well-built. Basically, like the European equivalent of an MPV. Give me the new Renault Scenic.
logic1: i may have told a little lie about having an E55 AMG
http://www.km77.com/marcas/renault/scenic_03/0primera/gra/01.asp
-juice
Vibe and Madza 3 hatch have similar look though.
I could go with a version of the Signum with the Chevy badges though.
-juice
Now, having said that, the 3.5l is wonderfully torquey and fuel efficient to boot. It was re-engineered enough that it likely only has the block in common with some of those predecessors.
-juice
-juice
Maybe someone else can verify that.
-juice
Maxx- I hope they add a REAL shiftronic because what they have right now only allows control of the first 3 gears and the placement of the actual buttons aren't that great.
As far as the Maxx, in my major metro area, of 3 Chevy dealers, only one (the "supermarket"; not my dealer) has received any Maxxes, and 16 of them, mostly LSs. Needless to say, I haven't seen any of them on the road yet either.
I drove a sedan LT back in Oct. and was impressed. Likely replacement for our '00 LS this summer, or possibly a Maxx LS (Maxx LT at over $27K is out of line).
The main problem for me, and likely many others, is good old depreciation. It's worse on my '00 LS than a comparable Hyundai Sonata!! It's REALLY bad. Because GM chose not to change the name of the Bu, as it's doing with many other models, unfortunately the new Bu will be saddled with the reputation of the prev-gen Bu, and will most likely depreciate like a rock as well.
The answer? $2,500 - $3,000 rebates, not the measly $1,000 that has now been extended to 3/31. Even the brand-new Aveo has $1,000 cash back!!! Right now, the Maxx has $0, since I don't think it's been officially introduced yet.
Just putting some better looking side mirrors on it would help.
How 'bout Chevelle? Probably too close to Chevette. Monza? Celebrity? Lumina?
http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp
Now CHEVELLE.... that may have had cache!
But definately not Vega Kammback.
Maz da = gives more
I think this is why we see so many alphanumeric names. Even then, some letters and numbers are bad luck in some cultures, 13 here for instance.
Maxx looks cool in that new GM ad, doesn't it? With the 'vette and the Aveo?
-juice
I haven't seen one in person yet, but the LT in the Malibu brochure (which is finally at dealers) is not great-looking. The LS that was in a pre-production brochure was very good-looking.
Go figure.
Personally, I didn't find the shot of the Maxx in the TV spot all that appealing. It was also de-emphasized. We'll see when I see one in the flesh.....
The aerial view with the big moon roof / sky light look awesome.
I only wish the car was about 5-10 inches longer in the rear. It just doesn't have much extra storage area in the back.
-juice
-juice