Practical car: Chevy vs Mazda

[Mermaidman]

Chevrolet Malibu Maxx LT: Cheap, very well-reviewed, same platform as Saab 9-3. But butt-ugly especially on the inside. I like the red exterior.

Mazda6 "5-door" (aka hatchback): Easy on the eyes, also well-reviewed, but more expensive than the Maxx and perhaps not as versatile. Big negative: Cannot upgrade factory stereo due to crappy design of console. Rice potential: High (for better or worse). I like the COPPER exterior color.

 

[Vette73]

Malibu seems to be the best OVERALL. but this is fan"anandtech"boy so I am sure the mazda people will be here soon with "gm sucks..." and so on.

Also most reviews are based on the old Malibu. the new Malibu has been getting great reviews and it reliability is much better then the old "fleet" Malibu they use for rentals.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Malibu seems to be the best OVERALL. but this is fan"anandtech"boy so I am sure the mazda people will be here soon with "gm sucks..." and so on.

Also most reviews are based on the old Malibu. the new Malibu has been getting great reviews and it reliability is much better then the old "fleet" Malibu they use for rentals.

I had a new Malibu rental and I thought it was a GREAT car. This is coming from someone who would never, ever buy a GM product.

 

[lokiju]

my friend just got the Maxx about 3 months ago and loves it. I've driven it a few times myself and was impressed with how solid it felt. I would say go for the Maxx.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Malibu seems to be the best OVERALL. but this is fan"anandtech"boy so I am sure the mazda people will be here soon with "gm sucks..." and so on.

Also most reviews are based on the old Malibu. the new Malibu has been getting great reviews and it reliability is much better then the old "fleet" Malibu they use for rentals.

Aren't you the fan"GM"boy? Oh wait, you are.

 

[KingPhil]

Ford=

Found On Road Dead

Fixed Over Repaired Dodge

Fix or Repair Daily

 

[Mermaidman]

Heh, I currently own a GM so while not a GM 'fanboi,' I can get a $1500 loyalty rebate.

But the dashboard of the Maxx is so bad, IMO, that I don't know if the rest of the car can overcome that.

Maxx interior 1

Maxx interior 2

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Heh, I currently own a GM so while not a GM 'fanboi,' I can get a $1500 loyalty rebate.

But the dashboard of the Maxx is so bad, IMO, that I don't know if the rest of the car can overcome that.

Maxx interior 1

Maxx interior 2

I don't see anything wrong with it. At least it feels more substantial than Pontiac's dashes. I feel like I'm going to break the buttons whenever I touch a Pontiac radio.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: KingPhil
Ford=

Found On Road Dead

Fixed Over Repaired Dodge

Fix or Repair Daily

how old are you, 10?

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: KingPhil
Ford=

Found On Road Dead

Fixed Over Repaired Dodge

Fix or Repair Daily

how old are you, 10?

I think you are giving him too much credit..

 

[SearchMaster]

The dash looks cheapish in typical low-end GM fashion, but certainly looks functional though I haven't seen the car myself.

What's the out-the-door price with the discounts?

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Malibu seems to be the best OVERALL. but this is fan"anandtech"boy so I am sure the mazda people will be here soon with "gm sucks..." and so on.

Also most reviews are based on the old Malibu. the new Malibu has been getting great reviews and it reliability is much better then the old "fleet" Malibu they use for rentals.

Aren't you the fan"GM"boy? Oh wait, you are.

No I buy thr best car for the buck. My girlfriend is looking for a car and I have showed her the crossfire, 350z, RX8, etc...

If someone else has a better overall car then i will get it. I lean toward GM as right now buck for buck they are hard to beat. But when it comes to 2 seater cars the only one they have right now is the Corvette and that is out of my girls price. So we are waiting on the pontiac and MAYBE sky before she jumps.

 

[vi edit]

I looked at the Maxx's when I was car shopping a while back. They definitely are an excellent value. Lots of options and bells and whistles for the money. The V6 in it has a lot of grunt and offers excellent gas milage. Lots of room in the back seat with a pretty good amount of cargo room with the seats down. It was quite and smooth to drive.

My single biggest complaint about it was the steering feel. It was just completely disconnected feeling. Absolutely no feedback. Felt like the steering column was stuck into a bucket of vasoline.

At the time I bought, I wanted a bit more "fun" in my ride and went with a Mazda 3 hatch.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: SearchMaster
The dash looks cheapish in typical low-end GM fashion, but certainly looks functional though I haven't seen the car myself.

What's the out-the-door price with the discounts?

Everybody (myself included) knocks GM for cheap interiors. Well, I now own a Toyota Highlander and I can honestly say that the dash/HVAC controlls in the Highlander are no better than some of the stuff that GM puts out.

Big clunky plastic all over in the Highlander. It's functional for sure...but it ain't pretty.

 

[CraigRT]

Mz6 wagon!

 

[cavemanmoron]

Dodge Magnum

 

[PandaBear]

Best bang for the buck and good quality: Hyundai Sonata

Malibu is ok but cheap (quality wise), 6 is overpriced, Honda has reliability problem in the tranny, Camry is no better in the look dept and also has a lower quality than before.

Get a Sonata.

 

[clickynext]

Better grab a 2005 Mazda6 rather than wait for the 2006, because I think they're withdrawing all the good colors for next year (including blazing copper).

 

[SilentZero]

They both are garbage, but if those are your only two options definately go with the mazda.

 

[suicidalpigeon]

hyundai sonata looks like an old people's car.