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Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Reviews
kurtamaxxxguy
Member Posts: 1,798
in Chevrolet
The Maxx SS they tested rode like a rock, with floor boards and other stuff shivering over every bump.
And if you read carefully, it's clear they were not enthused about the huge 18" wheels and lo-profile tires. Those Goodyear Eagle-LS2 tires did poorly in a tirerack dealer comparison, especially for ride. What's bad is there is only __ONE__ other replacement tire for this car, the Bridgestone Potenza, which is a good summer tire but not for snow!!
On other hand, I've found Goodyear TripleTreads on 16" wheels definitely improve the Maxx's grip and ride. In comparison at tirerack, these did very well.
And if you read carefully, it's clear they were not enthused about the huge 18" wheels and lo-profile tires. Those Goodyear Eagle-LS2 tires did poorly in a tirerack dealer comparison, especially for ride. What's bad is there is only __ONE__ other replacement tire for this car, the Bridgestone Potenza, which is a good summer tire but not for snow!!
On other hand, I've found Goodyear TripleTreads on 16" wheels definitely improve the Maxx's grip and ride. In comparison at tirerack, these did very well.
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The tire/wheel insanity continues. Maybe will reach where it seems to be going - just ride on the wheels/rims (26").
There has even been a book written about this type of behavior in general: "Extraordinary Popular Delusions And The Madness Of Crowds" - MacKay. One of the examples was the Tulip Bulb Mania. We're in the low-profile tire mania.
Perhaps CD will test the SS for 40K miles and see how rattle free it remains (one Porsche they tested began to rattle the minute they put low profile tires on it.). Perhaps they will stick decent tires on it as well.
The SS engine sounds nice, though...hope Chevy sees the light and puts it in a few other Maxxes with lower gearing or a 5 speed to let it get a little better gas mileage as well as perform.
I'll try to find the book, maxxliberty...thanks!
Also at Autoweb.com, in '2006 Chevy Malibu Maxx SS Driving Impressions', Christian Wardlaw author says in the Overview that,"...and rumor has it that the Malibu Maxx is going out of productionafter the 2007 model year."
I find this upsetting since there are very few midsize hatchbacks! Of the few there are Maxx was my favorite! Mazda 6 costs more with less interior volume. What other hatches, or even wagons, are out that has around 106 passenger volume, decent fuel economy (around 22/30), above average crash test rating (IIHS silver rating),JD power overall rating score 5 out of 5, and with a starting price under 25000!
I found it to be a terrific automobile. Unexpectedly lively, smooth power train - engine and transmission. Exemplary ride. Ergonomically best possible controls. Especially useful electronic Driver Information Center.
Incredibly simple and efficient automatic shifter, ingeniously incorporating 'manual' shifting - none of this stupid gate business.
A really good looking car in the parking lot.
My one objection is visibility of the instrument cluster and Information Center: daytime visibility of the unlighted instrument cluster, together with unacceptable reflections, is a fatal flaw. The DIC display is faint green requiring flipping of sun glasses to see it in bright daylight conditions. I wouldn't want to live with this year in and year out.
The HHR fixed this by putting the DIC within the instrument console, where light does not wash it out.
Amen. My other complaint with my 04 Maxx is the outside mirrors, which are much too small. Lane changes in this car are a headache. But I agree with all the things you praised...I really like this car a lot.
B
What is really ironic is the Maxx was considered the more innovative and useful version of the Malibu (per nearly every Malibu review I have read).
But few people bought them - why?
One theory is the Maxx costs more (compared to base Malibu, it does....how many Malibus sold are base models ??)
Another is Americans just cannot "get" hatchbacks. Yet hatches sell well as "hot hatches" (the Maxx SS could have been one of those if the engineers had gotten their say).
We get 23 to 35 mpg, and don't have any trouble reading the info display, as some of you apparently have. We've got 25K miles on it now, and the warranty will run out at 36K or 3 years, which for us is next August. I've noticed the brakes juddering above 50 mph, so I suppose it's rotors, and will ask that they be fixed at the next oil change. Have any of you bought an extended warranty? Is there any reason to?
I write about commercial trucks for a living so occasionally meet factory car people, including GM types. I have complimented them on the Maxx and then browbeat them about the '08 and its lack of a hatchback. "Oh, we were disappointed in the Maxx," one replied. "We only sold 200,000" (as of February '07). Well, you didn't advertise it, either, I told him. Can you think of one Malibu Maxx commercial? He couldn't. How do you expect to sell it if you don't advertise it? I said. "Well, we don't have a lot of money for advertising," he lamely replied.
(The only commercial I recall was from '04 or '04, a silly skit where a Maxx gets hung up on a drawbridge where it teeters on the edge of a span and the guys in the back seat keep it balanced by moving the seat fore and aft. It never showed the hatchback.)
I believe hatchbacks are the most useful type of car, almost as useful as SUVs, and adapting more sedans to this style will help auto makers meet the newly decreed CAFE standards (i.e., 35 mpg by what -- 2020?) because they are lighter and more aerodynamic than even crossover SUVs. What do you folks think?
--Tom in Ohio
" BATMOBILE " and love watching DVD's as we CRUISE..the wife likes the remote start in winter and I LIKE THE SPEED & HANDLING !!!
WE have had it on 3 different long trips accross country(1500k trips each) and to 3 INDY 500's WE LUV IT !!
THANX !!
tires4u USA
note; These are 1 of FORBES magazines ..TOP 10 MOST PATRIOTIC VEHICLES !!
There are drawbacks- the upholstery quality is horrible, you can get plain water on the seat and it appears stained. But if you use a foamy upholstery cleaner on it, it cleans up pretty well. Nice seat covers are a good idea.
Also, the keyless entry remote sucks. Get an aftermarket one when yours stops working.
Many little cosmetic things have gone wrong, not a huge deal... like the vanity mirror covers broke off pretty early, the radio power button's decal has worn off, etc. but these are little piddly, petty things. I'd rather things like this break as they don't affect the drivability of the car.
When I was at about 50k miles, a guy tried to jump my car but his jumper cables were mislabeled. It shorted a fuse out and "stuck" a CD in the CD player. It still works, but I have to listen to that one CD. The radio still works fine, as does the CD player, but like I said I cannot remove the CD so it's just Colbie Callait for me. Due to the "anti-theft" feature on the radio (or I call it- the "pro-money" feature for the dealer) they cannot take the radio out or really do anything without making the whole thing not work. I refuse to pay $800 plus for a new stereo. I've thought about getting a really nice aftermarket system put in, but I'll lose the features that are connected to the car- trip meter, fuel economy calculator, fuel range estimator, etc. so I just got an adapter for my iPod that plugs into the cigarette lighter and broadcasts my music on any unused radio station of my choosing. It works very well and is the cheapest as well as easiest solution.
I have done very little to this car and had very little in repairs so far. I've always changed the oil & filter every 3k miles. I replaced the belt (it only has one belt) proactively at around 85k miles. I've had a brake job and a new set of tires. I've replaced the headlight bulbs a few times, as they tend to burn out, but it's because they're daytime running. If I have the car on a long trip and it's not cloudy or overcast, I just turn the daytime running lights off. After I started doing that, I haven't had to change the headlamp bulbs in about 3 years.
This car hasn't required very much in the way of repairs. A seal on the front right transaxle leaked for a while and was replaced (around $150 repair). It has been leaking again and my mechanic suggested a new axle. It's only going to be about $300, which seems pretty reasonable.
I drove this car off road/dirt road when living in the mountains for a year. No pavement for 15 miles to the house, so 30 miles part off road/part dirt road almost daily for a year. Some days were pretty scary with mud, snow, and ice. Considering this car is not made for that kind of driving, I think she did really well. The ground clearance is pretty good on this car- a little over 6 inches. I had a steep incline driveway that consisted of dirt, big rocks, and boulder type rocks. I had to be very careful and crawl up slowly so as to not tear up the undercarriage (although, truth be told, the undercarriage of this car looks like someone took a sledgehammer to it). I did have to replace the tranny pan, but it was a $150 fix and pretty much my own fault for driving my car in places it wasn't meant to be driven.
I've had a "sort of" tuneup, but recently realized that I have never had the spark plugs replaced. I have almost 130k on the original spark plugs. (Eeks.) That being said, it's rather irresponsible on my part, but kudos to the makers of those plugs.
The A/C recently stopped getting as cold as normal, and I've got to have that looked at, but even if it's a big repair bill, I've more than gotten my money's worth out of this car. It's never left me on the side of the road, which I appreciate.
I have consistently gotten way better than EPA figures in mpg. My normal city mpg was around 28, and I averaged 36+ hwy until about 10k miles ago. I think a good tune up will help get my numbers back up again. Currently, I'm at around 25 city and 34 hwy, which is still awesome. On a road trip to the east coast a few years back, I got over 45 mpg driving at sea level at around 55 mph. I was floored when I saw the reading on the display and I checked and rechecked using the old fashioned way with my math skills. It was real and it was right. I couldn't believe it.
I've read that some people have had horrible luck with the Malibu Maxx, and others love theirs. Not every single car made is identical and some are truly lemons and some are okay, and I think some end up being really great. I am fortunate to have had a great experience with my Maxx. I took pretty good care of her until moving to the mountains and I know that took it's toll, but I'm pretty confident that I can get 200k out of her or better. The Maxx has been good to me.