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1) The Malibu and Maxx are quality products, even though many people refuse to believe it. The interior quality is on par with the Accord, and slightly less than the Camry. It is MUCH better than the Altima.
2) The comfort and romminess of the Maxx is much better than in some cars that are larger and more expensive, such as the new Five Hundred, the new Legacy, the Grand Prix, and almost all of the small SUV's.
3)The Maxx is a bargain! Plain and simple.
4) Most people (in L.A. at least) will simply never buy the Maxx because it is a domestic product. I blame the Big Three for this to a certain extent (they did unload some crap on the us in the '80's and early '90's), but I also think that many people are just shooting themselves in the foot by not considering the newest cars GM is producing. The Maxx, and the Cobalt, are competitive products. (Although the new LaCrosse was a disappointment.)
5) This is not about the Maxx, but I had to say it anyway. Ford's new Five Hundred was a trip -- it looks pretty good on the outside but has an interior that should be in the updated Crown Vic. It is not the kind of car that appeals to anyone under 60. Their new Fusion, on the other hand, looks like it will appeal to those in their 30's and 40's. Maybe that is their product plan.
Overall, I am happy to report that my trip to the Auto Show made me feel happy about buying a Maxx. If I had to do it over again, I would buy another Maxx without hesitation, except this time I would get the sunroof!
Also, any observation as to what was the most popular car at the show (my hunch: Chrysler 300 and the upcomming Dodge Daytona)
For some reasons Americans now hate hatchbacks.
Example: The VW Golf is far more popular than the Jetta in overseas markets, but in the USA the reverse is true.
I suspect even the mighty Chrysler 300C would be a flop in a hatchback version here in the USA. Overseas, who knows?
wipers were problematic...had that skipping problem with the smearing of the windshield...changed the wipers out and havent had any problems since....
is a time for another poll yet?...how many miles do you or have you put on y ou Maxx in the first year????
SnowCat
Drive like a screaming maniac with my hair on fire.
'04 Malibu Maxx 'Crow'
'91 Pontiac 6000 'Swan'
'69 Cutlass S Holiday Coupe 'Goldfinger'
Did anyone try to find bumper guard for MAXX?
Hence GM doesn't make them - Do you think
Protege5 guard would fit?
One thing I have noticed however, is now that it is MINUS 10 degrees F (today)....the steering assist is almost non-existant until the car warms up. I asked the service manager at our dealer if there was a TSB on this issue and he didn't even bother to look it up....he just said "I don't remember seeing anything on that."
Overall, we've been very pleased with our ownership experience.
Obviously, this is a significant vehicle change for my wife. She wanted something with excellent fuel mileage, easy to load (a hatchback) and that wasn't an SUV. Primary competitors were the Mazda6 Sportwagon and 5-door. (We did not consider makes that do not have a local dealer.) I think she is going to be happy with the Maxx.
Thanks to everyone who participates in this forum! She decided on the Maxx based on the information here. I'll try to post some information from time to time on her Maxx experience.
As the Maxx has more weight on front wheels than the Camry did, I'm hoping better tires, and turning off what sounds like a potentially troublesome traction control, will let the Maxx do as least as well as the Camry did should I have to drive in the snow.
I start every trip on a steep inclined driveway with curves. I take my 05 Maxx LS on D with no effort. Absolutely no problem yet. But we have had no snow yet in the MidAtlantic area I live in for a snow test.
Let us know if you had better control wothout the TC on as suggested by other drivers here.
Why's that? I thought the sensor should react instantly, am I right? Thanks for any help.
Give it a day or two and see if the message goes away.
As far as driving the Maxx or the Bonneville in the snow, I always turn the traction control off and I do fine in the snow with either car.
If so suggest next time you take vehicle to dealer to ask them to look at these complaints on Check Gas Cap message and fuel gage (if you notice what I mention). Dealer has Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) #04-08-49-025 Fuel Gauge Does Not Read Full When Fuel Tank is Full....(Inspect Fuel Level Sensor Operation). Title doesn't mention the Check Fuel Cap message but this same thing can also cause that complaint.
However we have parked both the AWD Suzuki Aero and the Maxx on the hilltop as we do every snow storm.
Good luck Maxx drivers in New England.
Conditions: 2 inches of snow, very wet, compacted, and now pure ice due to lack of road treatment.
ABS: Waaaaaaaaaaay too sensitive. I've never seen a car chatter (and never shut up) like this car. In fact, as a snow/ice driving expert, I did as well or better modulating the brakes myself, and not allowing the ABS to come on at all. Grade: C-
Bridgestone Tires: Nowhere near as good as in dry and rain conditions. Although it is sheer ice out there, I slipped much more than with my H rated Firestones. I had no problem plowing through higher drifts, but I also sensed that I had to take it a lot more gently than with my 626 or Vibe. Grade in snow: C
Traction Control: this was a trip; after reading all the negative posts on here regarding the TC system, I must post polar (no pun intended) opposite views. The TC did exactly what it is supposed to do. I had no difficulty overcoming the engine power down, and it did not leave me wanting for power for too long under any circumstance. I pushed it real hard today, and the TC shut off faster than I would have expected it to. I also pushed the Maxx with the TC turned off and found myself quickly turning it back on. The car handled much better with it on than off. Grade: A
Granted, it is all ice out there now, and I did push the car hard, puting it though my normal winter paces; nonetheless, as I took some turns hard and put the car into a spin, there was little to no way to recover. The TC is not meant for that, and the ABS was simply grasping at straws in an attempt to put me back on the straight and narrow. I will do a similar test once (if) we have a good 6 inch powder snowfall in the east.
THX
ABS: improved from the C I gave it on ice, although I submit that the improvement is from the friction of the snow which was not removed from any of the roads I drove on. I still contend that I prefer to modulate the brakes on the Maxx, rather than rely on the ABS, as I have done with all previous cars I've owned. Final snow grade: B-
Tires: much improved from the ice results, although I submit the friction issue played a big part here too. Nonetheless, they handled quite well in the snow and slush, and I was the fastest driver on the road by far as a result of their performance. Final Snow grade: B (I give them an A+ in dry and rain conditions)
Traction control: still a winner in my book, although it tends to prompt and/or allow way too much torque steer, thrusting the car to the right. Final snow grade: A-
One thing which is bothering me however: as I cleaned off the car with a bucket of hot water, I noticed significant snow dams in the wheel wells. Essentially my tires were entombed. While not unusual to have some daming, I think this was the worst instance I had ever seen due to the tiny clearance between the tires and the car.
The build quality is excellent --- better, IMHO, than my wife's 1991 Cadillac Seville and her 1996 Oldsmobile Aurora. Kudos to the Kansas GM plant!
My wife has finished reading the Owner's Manual and is _very_ pleased with her Maxx's features. On the second day I was allowed to take a boxed bicycle to the local Fedex store. The box would have just barely fit in the back seat of her Aurora. Of course, it easily fit in the Maxx. Her first trip to the grocery store this morning confirmed that the Maxx is much easier to load and unload than her Aurora.
Two observations specific to our Maxx: (1) The cargo panel is a little tighter fit than in the other Maxxes I examined. (2) The rear seat audio panel and switches seem a little loose. We were told this car was on the transferring dealer's showroom for several months. That's probably the explanation for (2). I'll fool with the rubber stops on the cargo panel and see if that changes anything.
Given its versatility, I'm surprised that the Maxx has not emerged as a significant player in the rental market.
Supposedly, Mr. Lutz had planned only the Malibu Classic for the rental market, but supposedly the weaker than expected sales of Maxxes resulted in them now being sold to rental fleets. Can anyone confirm or deny?
I got an awesome deal on my '04 Malibu LT; I saved thousands of dollars compared to an equivalent Toyota and I love the car. I'll take the up-front savings over any possible savings down the road from a supposed better resale.
Also: for those who were discussing the wipers and fluid lines the other week, in 18 degrees (not including the 30 mph winds), my lines froze up and did not work this morning. I have to attribute that to the warm buckets of water I threw on the car last night. I'm sure they froze inside the sprayers.