Thoughts on the Chevy Malibu?

[bguile]

So I have been looking for a mid size sedan for awhile now. Things like the malibu, fusion, camry, etc. I drive about 40 miles a day, in SE Michigan. I am looking for something that is both comfortable to drive everyday and is fairly reliable. Gas mileage was a big deal, but with current prices, not so much anymore. Mid size only, compacts are too small for us, and we already have a compact SUV that does what I need it too. Almost certainly purchasing, not leasing. We tend to stay in our cars for 5+ years.

I have driven the fusion and sat in a camry, and they are both out. Also drove a prius which I have always wanted, but afterwards I don't know. I thought it was ok, but the wife hated it (she is bias towards american cars though).

Still need to try the mazda 6 and the accord, and sonata/elantra (I always get the two mixed up). I have tried an optima about a year ago also but was pretty meh on it. I suppose I should revisit it.

But anyway, we went and test drove the Malibu the other day, and I ended up liking it a lot better than I would have thought. I need to take it back out again, since the initial test drive was during a pretty bad snow storm, but it has pretty much everything I want, for around 21 after rebates, promotions, family discount, etc. Thing is I don't see much talk about them, usually its the fusion, or the camry that get the most press in the mid size segment.

My main concern is that its a Chevy. My wife had a 98 blazer that was endlessly breaking down and cost us a lot of money, so for a long time I have sworn off Chevy's.

Thoughts?

Edited to add: It was the 1LT, with power convience package and sunroof. I also like Chevy's bigger warranty over the competiters (not counting the Korean carmakers).

 

[NutBucket]

Personally I think the Malibu is quite nice. It might be a bit boring for my taste but we're talking about midsize family sedans. These days the only about cars I would avoid as a daily driver are Chrysler sedans and anything Italian/French.

 

[SparkyJJO]

My brother has one. Seems to be a nice car. Trunk is larger than it first appears. It is his daily driver, fits two car seats in the back easy, mpg is pretty good too from what I understand. He has the 4 cylinder. His is the previous gen not the newest one that came out recently.

FWIW, GM has done a lot in the past few years on improving quality. Heck, all of them have, really.

I have a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer as my daily driver at 190k miles. Only real problem with it is the rust is gradually taking over (been a northern vehicle all its life so plenty of salt).

 

[Jimzz]

The last 2 styles have been really good in term of reliability.

I think the new Impala is nicer IMO, but both should be reliable.

 

[smackababy]

My GF's brother has a new one (2013) and it is pretty nice. He has a pretty long commute (around an hour and a half one way) and the gas mileage is pretty nice on it.

Can't speak on long term reliability, as he has had it just over a year with no problems, but nothing seems to jump as as "destine to fail".

 

[Ketchup]

My parents have one and I have driven it a few times when we came over to visit. To me, it has a nice size and good handling, and I do really like the interior (looks and comfort.)

If I had to choose between it and our Mazda 6, it would be a tough one. It's a good car.

BTW, you can tell your wife GM has come a long way since the 90's. I think they are actually trying to stay in business now.

 

[foghorn67]

I have an 09 LTZ, and it does just fine. I've only done oil changes and changed the front pads once. The OEM tires sucked, so I am glad they were due for replacement around 40-45k.
That's it so far.

 

[nerp]

The Malibu is a nice pleasant car. I would strongly consider it. For a little more money the Buick Verano might be worth looking at.

 

[bguile]

The Malibu is a nice pleasant car. I would strongly consider it. For a little more money the Buick Verano might be worth looking at.

Actually we did test drive it. My wife was looking at the Rendevous, and we took the verano out while we were there.

The Verano was nice. Real nice. We both liked it alot. Unfortunately its a bit to small for our needs though. Smaller gas tank, less mpg, smaller trunk, rear seat size, etc. My son didnt have much room behind me during the test drive. If it was just my wife and I, I would probably be strongly considering it, but for right now, the midsize segment are what seem to fitting our needs as far as price/size/features go.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I recently bought a Camry Hybrid. Never even considered the Malibu. I spend a lot of time in my car each day commuting though so for me a hybrid made sense. Give a little more to Toyota upfront for considerable fuel savings for close to a decade? Yeah, tough call that was.

Enjoy the lower fuel prices now, I sure am, I can drive over 500 miles on 13 gallons of regular gas in very mixed driving.

 

[Gillbot]

My wife has a 2013 Malibu Eco, she likes it fine.

 

[WackyDan]

My wife's 2005 Malibu... Well, lets not go there.

I've now driven around ten or so of the new Malibu's as rentals. I haven't been impressed with the ride, or the comfort. View rearward is horrible, and at 6'2" I found getting in and out of the thing somewhat cumbersome.

Funny thing is, I've rented a lot of Cruzes and I prefer them over the Malibu and if you are concerned about mpg then maybe you should look at the Cruze. I'm not impressed with the fit and finish on them either, but for a mid-size economy sedan, it is about right and I have been very impressed with the mpg on them... Gas will get expensive again you know.

I know it comes down to personal taste, but for me the Malibu is a no sale... There are far better cars for the same coin from other brands. I know you didn't like the Fords, but to me they feel better put together. Is Mazda and Subaru out?

 

[mmntech]

I was never a big fan of the seventh generation Malibu, which I had the unfortunate privilege to spend a great deal of time driving. They were ugly, clunky cars with very cheap interiors (on the lower end models) and would develop strange quirks as they aged. Had one blow a piston once. Not exactly something to sour the entire line but they weren't my favourite car. I always thought the 2.4L EcoTec was weaksauce. It would get going but felt like you had to mash the gas to get it to. I can't speak for the eighth generation, though it seems they've made some improvements. Keep in mind that we only kept these cars for a year or 70,000 clicks. Yes, they were driven harder than the average one owner car, but so was everything else in the fleet.

GM has improved on quality but I do think they're quite up to their Asian counterparts, or even Ford. GM doesn't know how to make a good cars IMO. Their trucks and SUVs, however, are bulletproof.

I really like the Sonata, but only if it's the sixth gen. Handles well, comes very well equipped for the price, is comfortable, and has good power. Especially with the 2.4L GDI. I'm pleasantly surprised about what Hyundai has been putting out. Especially given their past reputation. Wouldn't mind the Genesis Coup myself, though the Veloster is getting more appealing now that they added a turbo option to it.

Accord is an all around good pick. So is the Mazda 6. I've driven both recently, owned one may years ago. Can't go wrong with either.

Then there's the Camry. Well, it's a car. It goes vroom when you push the gas peddle and it's definitely very reliable. But it's an appliance. I always felt that there was something off about the Camry. Yes, it's boring but there was something else that just felt off about them. Can't quite put my figure on it. It's clearly not the car for me. I feel the same about the Corolla and RAV4. Personally I'd get a used Lexus ES 350 or IS 250 before buying a Camry. The only think I can say is they do take premium gas so it will cost more to fill. And of course luxury car, luxury maintenance. Though you can get 2010 models (there's a lot of those on Autotrader) with low mileage for the same or less than the base Camry so take your pick.

 

[iamwiz82]

Having driven both current gens in rental form many times the Fusion is a better car.

 

[nerp]

I'm with you on the Camry missing something. I drove a 12 when my car was at the body shop and it felt so stale, bland and uninspired. The steering was absolutely horrible. It would get stiff for no reason in a turn and then suddenly get loose. I know this is Toyota's failed attempted at creating "feel" but it was terribly implemented. The wheel felt like a video game controller and then would suddenly stiffen in a turn but the effect was very jarring and unrepresentative of what the car was actually doing.

The interior felt really cheap and it was tinny and noisy while driving. Stereo sucked, suspension was blah and there was a nauseating sensation that I really had no way of controlling the car properly in a serious accident or intense maneuver. It did feel like an appliance, especially with the awful whine of the engine and transmission which felt like they were slapped in with no regard other than cost and efficiency. Sure, it's reliable but for the love of god it was unpleasant to say the least.

It didn't help the previous renter was obviously a woman who bathed herself with bad perfume every morning. The car stank like hair salon. I cannot convey how greedily and excitedly I gave back those keys. I do miss the fake stitching in the dash and doors that swing open with no resistance - nothing like being at risk of dinging cars in parking lots of a 5mph gust of wind comes along. Oh and the greenhouse is shaped such that you feel like you're about to get ejected out of the windshield and impaled with the steering wheel in your neck on your way out. And the windshield was up against our noses no matter how we adjusted the seats.

I think it's a top selling car because people don't know any better or they just keep buying Toyotas.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

I had a 2014 as a rental last month.

It was a car, thought the new Accord, Mazda6 and Fusion are better more attractive packages.

The center stack still seems really cheap, rear seat room and comfort also werent as good.

Not to mention the back is still ugly.

 

[Jimzz]

I'm with you on the Camry missing something. I drove a 12 when my car was at the body shop and it felt so stale, bland and uninspired. The steering was absolutely horrible. It would get stiff for no reason in a turn and then suddenly get loose. I know this is Toyota's failed attempted at creating "feel" but it was terribly implemented. The wheel felt like a video game controller and then would suddenly stiffen in a turn but the effect was very jarring and unrepresentative of what the car was actually doing.

The interior felt really cheap and it was tinny and noisy while driving. Stereo sucked, suspension was blah and there was a nauseating sensation that I really had no way of controlling the car properly in a serious accident or intense maneuver. It did feel like an appliance, especially with the awful whine of the engine and transmission which felt like they were slapped in with no regard other than cost and efficiency. Sure, it's reliable but for the love of god it was unpleasant to say the least.

It didn't help the previous renter was obviously a woman who bathed herself with bad perfume every morning. The car stank like hair salon. I cannot convey how greedily and excitedly I gave back those keys. I do miss the fake stitching in the dash and doors that swing open with no resistance - nothing like being at risk of dinging cars in parking lots of a 5mph gust of wind comes along. Oh and the greenhouse is shaped such that you feel like you're about to get ejected out of the windshield and impaled with the steering wheel in your neck on your way out. And the windshield was up against our noses no matter how we adjusted the seats.

I think it's a top selling car because people don't know any better or they just keep buying Toyotas.

That and most people like bland flavor less cars. The Ford Taurus was the #1 selling car when it was a basic bland box that was even unreliable but still sold a ton of them. When they "updated" it to a more round sporty look sales peaked then became sluggish and then dropped as other boring cars came out. The first gen Taurus sold over 2 million cars.

The Camry had its best sales number in 2007. They dropped a lot when the new 2011 body came out. They saw a big jump 1 year later but still below the Mid-2000 numbers.

Reading car forums you think 2 door coupes and 4 door V8 powered cars would sell well but they usually do not. It basic 4 door boring "safe" cars that bring home the bacon.

The new Malibu is getting a early update due to many thinking they over did the current model in "styling". I have not seen what the new update will look like but I bet its more basic design then the current sporty/stylish style.

 

[phreaqe]

That and most people like bland flavor less cars. The Ford Taurus was the #1 selling car when it was a basic bland box that was even unreliable but still sold a ton of them. When they "updated" it to a more round sporty look sales peaked then became sluggish and then dropped as other boring cars came out. The first gen Taurus sold over 2 million cars.

The Camry had its best sales number in 2007. They dropped a lot when the new 2011 body came out. They saw a big jump 1 year later but still below the Mid-2000 numbers.

Reading car forums you think 2 door coupes and 4 door V8 powered cars would sell well but they usually do not. It basic 4 door boring "safe" cars that bring home the bacon.

The new Malibu is getting a early update due to many thinking they over did the current model in "styling". I have not seen what the new update will look like but I bet its more basic design then the current sporty/stylish style.

Wait, you mean the malibu that has basically looked the same for a long time? To me it looks like the same boring chevy design they have had for ages. Unlike the Impala which I think looks fantastic. I actually feel bad for car makers. If they go out and design a beautiful car people will complain that its not boring enough. I just bought a Fusion because i think its the best looking car on the road today(at least ones that i can afford). I want to reward Ford for actually completely blowing up a design and starting from scratch. The old and the new so completely different and i feel that car manufacturers usually have to play it safe to much and just do small changes to their current design.

 

[BurnItDwn]

In 2004 my 1999 Chrysler 300m had like 8K worth of hail damage. When it was in the body shop for a month, I got a rental covered by my insurance so that I still had a way to get to/from work.

The rental they gave me was a 2004 Chevy Malibu. It was a new car, yay.

I drove it and instantly I HATED it.

The steering was unresponsive, worst car I've ever driven.
It was not particulraly comfortable, my Chrysler was MUCH better.
It was VERY slow, worse even than early 90s era Grand Am or Ford Escort.
It made strange rattling noises, glove box door loved to rattle.
The ergonomics were fvcked up Ceiling was very low and I constantly hit my head so I had to put it in "laying down" position so that I did not hurt my head, but then the arms were too far back, so I had to slide the seat up, but then the wheel hit my knees.
The gas milage was mediocre, given the tiny puny engine and lack of power, I would expect better.

The worst car I have ever driven was a 2004 malibu.

I've driven various vans, sedans, coupes, suvs, pickups, etc....
The Chevy Malibu was the most turdly.

It was worse than the dodge neon my mom had for a rental which appeared to be made of cardboard.

 

[Drako]

Get an SS instead

 

[mvbighead]

In 2004 my 1999 Chrysler 300m had like 8K worth of hail damage. When it was in the body shop for a month, I got a rental covered by my insurance so that I still had a way to get to/from work.

The rental they gave me was a 2004 Chevy Malibu. It was a new car, yay.

I drove it and instantly I HATED it.

The steering was unresponsive, worst car I've ever driven.
It was not particulraly comfortable, my Chrysler was MUCH better.
It was VERY slow, worse even than early 90s era Grand Am or Ford Escort.
It made strange rattling noises, glove box door loved to rattle.
The ergonomics were fvcked up Ceiling was very low and I constantly hit my head so I had to put it in "laying down" position so that I did not hurt my head, but then the arms were too far back, so I had to slide the seat up, but then the wheel hit my knees.
The gas milage was mediocre, given the tiny puny engine and lack of power, I would expect better.

The worst car I have ever driven was a 2004 malibu.

I've driven various vans, sedans, coupes, suvs, pickups, etc....
The Chevy Malibu was the most turdly.

It was worse than the dodge neon my mom had for a rental which appeared to be made of cardboard.

Not to discount your opinion, but the Malibu from 2004 is a completely different animal than one from the past 2-3 years.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'm with you on the Camry missing something. I drove a 12 when my car was at the body shop and it felt so stale, bland and uninspired. The steering was absolutely horrible. It would get stiff for no reason in a turn and then suddenly get loose. I know this is Toyota's failed attempted at creating "feel" but it was terribly implemented. The wheel felt like a video game controller and then would suddenly stiffen in a turn but the effect was very jarring and unrepresentative of what the car was actually doing.

The interior felt really cheap and it was tinny and noisy while driving. Stereo sucked, suspension was blah and there was a nauseating sensation that I really had no way of controlling the car properly in a serious accident or intense maneuver. It did feel like an appliance, especially with the awful whine of the engine and transmission which felt like they were slapped in with no regard other than cost and efficiency. Sure, it's reliable but for the love of god it was unpleasant to say the least.

It didn't help the previous renter was obviously a woman who bathed herself with bad perfume every morning. The car stank like hair salon. I cannot convey how greedily and excitedly I gave back those keys. I do miss the fake stitching in the dash and doors that swing open with no resistance - nothing like being at risk of dinging cars in parking lots of a 5mph gust of wind comes along. Oh and the greenhouse is shaped such that you feel like you're about to get ejected out of the windshield and impaled with the steering wheel in your neck on your way out. And the windshield was up against our noses no matter how we adjusted the seats.

I think it's a top selling car because people don't know any better or they just keep buying Toyotas.

There's a reason why I never bothered to test drive or even consider the Chrysler 300.


And you are exaggerating big time. I'm 5'11" and have never felt like I was hitting the windshield in my Camry. Oh, and show me one other car in this segment that doesn't have a plastic molded dash and has real stitching in the dash.

It's a top selling car because it is reliable and fuel efficient and people want cars like this especially if they are driving long distances on a daily basis.

I was tempted by the Ford Fusion Hybrid but didn't test drive one because they were fairly new to the marketplace (the new ones, not the older body style-I had no interest in that car) and finding one let alone getting a good price on one was impossible. Besides, you have to deal with Ford dealership sales goons and I've had bad experiences with this in the not so distant past.

 

[phucheneh]

Not to discount your opinion, but the Malibu from 2004 is a completely different animal than one from the past 2-3 years.

To put it even more into perspective...in 2004, GM's cars sucked. Plain and simple. And the Malibu was pretty much the height of that suckery.

Fastfoward to 2009...GM is...a little better. Still fairly shitty, IMHO. But the Malibu is easily Chevrolet's best offering. Especially if you only look at the 4cyls and ignore the continued use of the 'we've been using versions of this motor for decades and still can't get it right' V6's.

In the realm of 2012-2014 cars, GM is finally turning the corner that was so prematurely claimed. I don't think I've been in a 2013 Malibu, but if the Cruze and Sonic are any indication, it's pretty damned decent. A far cry from the 2004 Malibu, which probably had more in common with a 1995 Lumina.

 

[NutBucket]

To add to that, almost every rental car I've gotten in to has had the seat height almost all the way up. What, are midgets the #1 rental demographic?

 

[foghorn67]

To put it even more into perspective...in 2004, GM's cars sucked. Plain and simple. And the Malibu was pretty much the height of that suckery.

Fastfoward to 2009...GM is...a little better. Still fairly shitty, IMHO. But the Malibu is easily Chevrolet's best offering. Especially if you only look at the 4cyls and ignore the continued use of the 'we've been using versions of this motor for decades and still can't get it right' V6's.

In the realm of 2012-2014 cars, GM is finally turning the corner that was so prematurely claimed. I don't think I've been in a 2013 Malibu, but if the Cruze and Sonic are any indication, it's pretty damned decent. A far cry from the 2004 Malibu, which probably had more in common with a 1995 Lumina.

My 09 has essentially the same 3.6 they use in today's GM cars.
Again, you're a long winded blowhard.