What Do You Think Of This Car?

[Shantanu]

2003 Opel Vectra

Front View

Side View

Rear View

This car will be sold in the U.S. next year as the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, with minimal modifications.

The Vectra was introduced at the Geneva show last March and has been on sale in Europe since June. It has been selling well and has been well-received by the European press. (Our favorite headline: ?Shock! Vectra No Longer Lame!?) The Epsilon platform is a midsize front-driver promising a 200 percent improvement in rigidity, with aluminum suspension components?MacPherson struts in front and a four-link independent arrangement in the rear, and four-wheel disc brakes. Opels get traction control, as well as what?s called Interactive Driving System, which is electronic brake distribution combined with cornering brake control.

In Germany recently we drove the sporty version, a nice-looking car called the Vectra GTS. It felt tight and gobbled up the miles easily, seeming happiest and most relaxed at about 100 mph (60 mph arrives in 8.5 seconds according to Opel). The GTS was quiet and tracked straight and true, with nicely weighted, quick and accurate steering and a terrific driving position. The ride was firm but not harsh.

The 211-hp, 3.2-liter Ecotec V6 provided plenty of midrange grunt, meaning Opel could use tall gearing in the manual transmission. The 125-hp, 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel wasn?t bad either. It was so quiet we couldn?t really tell we were driving a diesel. Other engines offered in Vectras are a 122- hp, 1.8-liter four and a 147-hp, 2.2-liter gasoline-powered engine.

The driving was good, as was the interior build quality on our test GTS. Europeans say the Vectra?s interior is up to Mondeo standards. Americans will say it?s a whole lot better than the current Grand Am or Malibu?if GM can see its way to offering some of these materials stateside.

I think the car is awesome. This is the first time I will use the word "exciting" to describe a FWD econobox, while keeping a straight face. The exterior styling is much better than what any of the Japanese makes offer; the new Accord and Camry are downright ugly. The performance and handling are top notch.

GM is aiming for a $18,000-$30,000 MSRP on the new Malibu, which convinces me that they will stay true to not modifying the new Vectra. It's problematic to bring Opels over from Europe, because everything there is two sizes smaller. $10,000 1.2L hatchbacks are the norm. Midsize cars there are a luxury; here, they're average. Previously such Opels had to be cheapened substantially before they could be sold to American consumers. But GM is hoping to move the Malibu slightly upmarket (the evidence is in the pricing). With a kickass product like this, I'm willing to bet they can do it too.

Will the public continue to buy bland Japanese sedans, at the behest of Consumer Reports? Or will they start buying real cars like this one? These are interesting times we live in.

 

[loup garou]

Wow that's ugly.

EDIT: Interior is nice, though.

 

[tm37]

Ugly.

 

[N8Magic]

Much better than the current boring Malibu.

But, they had better offer that 3.2L V6 here so as to keep up with the new smooth V6's from Honda and Toyota. A crappy 4-banger won't cut it over here.

 

[BD231]

YUKKY!!

 

[Jugernot]

I like it, then again everyone else here is gay, so......









I'm kidding, don't be so damned touchy!

 

[Shantanu]

I'm curious as to what you two think are good looking family sedans.

This?

Perhaps this?

Please don't say this.

 

[StageLeft]

Man, you could rebadge a mclaren F1 as a chevy malibu, sell it for $8k and I still wouldn't drive it. For some reason it reminds me strongly of an Altima in appearance though (I like altimas).

122 and 147 HP are not gonna cut it so hopefully they'll up that for US. Sure you can get 200+ but at what cost?

 

[PowerMac4Ever]

Kinda looks like a Passat when viewed from the side.

 

[Alphacowboy]

this is the ONLY vehicle I will drive... no pansy cars... hehe Sorry, I love my truck a little too much and really do not like cars!

My Truck!

 

[vi edit]

It's the unholy union of a Volvo and a Cadillac CTS.

ICK!

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Shantanu
I'm curious as to what you two think are good looking family sedans.

This?

Perhaps this?

Please don't say this.

Oh, I don't know, considering it's going to be pushing $30k loaded...what about

This?
Or this?
How bout one of these??
Maybe one of these??
Or one of the...haha just kidding, it's ugly too!

My point in my first post was that the exterior is ugly. Period. I'll give you that there's not much left for good looking sedans in the $18-25k range, but when you stack on the options, who would buy a $30k ugly Chevy sedan when there are many proven and better looking choices out there (and I can list more, the $26-30k sedan market is super-crowded now).

 

[Punisher007]

The new Camry's are great cars. I would definately consider that if I was purchasing a family car.

 

[vi edit]

As werk said, you'd be fool to buy a $30,000 chevy sedan, let alone a $30,000 chevy sedan that's a rebadged car from an even crappier company than chevy. Cadillac Catera V2.0 anyone?

 

[Shantanu]

As werk said, you'd be fool to buy a $30,000 chevy sedan, let alone a $30,000 chevy sedan that's a rebadged car from an even crappier company than chevy.

The car's base price is $18K, a fully loaded one (with DVD navigation system, leather seats, "GTS" engine and package, etc.) will be $30K. The current Chevrolet Malibu, starts at $17,760 100,000 people have bought those thus far this year. I don't it's too crazy to assume that GM will be able to move at least the same number of units of a substantially better, though marginally higher priced car

Just for comparision: A fully equipped Camry comes to $32,000, but no one calls it a "$30K car" because most of its sales are in the $18-$25K range.

Apparently you're not the only the one who has no concept of price:

Oh, I don't know, considering it's going to be pushing $30k loaded...what about

This?
Or this?
How bout one of these??
Maybe one of these??
Or one of the...haha just kidding, it's ugly too!

My point in my first post was that the exterior is ugly. Period. I'll give you that there's not much left for good looking sedans in the $18-25k range, but when you stack on the options, who would buy a $30k ugly Chevy sedan when there are many proven and better looking choices out there (and I can list more, the $26-30k sedan market is super-crowded now).

LOL. Half those cars start at $30,000. Some, like the 3-series, go all the way up to $50,000. The Malibu will top out at $30,000, with most of its sales coming in at the $18K-$25K range. There's no overlap there, fool. It is quite flattering that you're comparing it to luxury cars like that (which it's not going to compete against), instead of its real competition like the Taurus, Accord, Camry, etc. I guess the latter don't constitute much competition, huh?

Step on up rice-boys. Allow me to cut you down (so that you can better fit in your Japanese car )

 

[Pr0Hawk]

Sh!t on wheels.

 

[brtspears2]

Nice interior...but eek, look at the trunk. Looks like a Crysler Cirrus.

Dual exhaust, nice touch, standard transmission, nicer rims, 4 wheel disc brakes, acceptable performance.

If the price is right, then you have a market. Knowing GM, it'll always have some 2000$ off MSRP + $1000 rebate.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Shantanu

Oh, I don't know, considering it's going to be pushing $30k loaded...what about
This?
Or this?
How bout one of these??
Maybe one of these??
Or one of the...haha just kidding, it's ugly too!

My point in my first post was that the exterior is ugly. Period. I'll give you that there's not much left for good looking sedans in the $18-25k range, but when you stack on the options, who would buy a $30k ugly Chevy sedan when there are many proven and better looking choices out there (and I can list more, the $26-30k sedan market is super-crowded now).

LOL. Half those cars start at $30,000. Some, like the 3-series, go all the way up to $50,000. The Malibu will top out at $30,000, with most of its sales coming in at the $18K-$25K range. There's no overlap there, fool. It is quite flattering that you're comparing it to luxury cars like that (which it's not going to compete against), instead of its real competition like the Taurus, Accord, Camry, etc. I guess the latter don't constitute much competition, huh?

Step on up rice-boys. Allow me to cut you down (so that you can better fit in your Japanese car )

Um, not a single one of those cars starts at $30k. And if you're kind enough to look, the TL comes LOADED, the only option being a navigation system (I should know, purchased a CL-S last year for ~$29k). I was gracious enough to agree with you that at $18-$25k, the cars in that range are also ugly (and then you call me a fool, nice). My point was that why would anyone buy a loaded one when there are other cars for the same price that are nicer looking and offer better performance? You don't have to be a dick when you reply, either...I'm guessing you've never actually bought a car yourself, either. Sounds like the typical responses of a teenage car fan who reads about cars in magazines and never drives them.

 

[EvilYoda]

I agree that it looks like an Altima...and the ass looks like a new Chrysler Sebring's after being pushed in a little and stretched. (Maybe the 300M?)

I think we should all calm down with the sh*t talking about cars....I know that people aren't talking about someone's specific car, but still, if I owned car X and someone said it looked like sh*t, I'd be a little annoyed. Just commenting.

 

[N8Magic]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
As werk said, you'd be fool to buy a $30,000 chevy sedan, let alone a $30,000 chevy sedan that's a rebadged car from an even crappier company than chevy. Cadillac Catera V2.0 anyone?

The Catera I rode in didn't seem so bad?

What was so bad about the Catera? (aside from the lack of a manual tranny)

 

[BL0RT]

i think it looks excellent

 

[UNCjigga]

You know, I could never figure out if this was a car in GTA3 or if that car (name from the game escapes me) was the Chrysler 300M.

 

[Shantanu]

Just found these spy shots:

Malibu Sedan

Powered by General Motor?s new HFV V-6 engines, the new sedans will also have a five-speed automatic transmission. The Malibu will be built in Fairfax, Kan., and should be in dealerships midway through 2003.

Malibu Extended Sedan (i.e. Wagon)

Carrying over many of the styling cues from the Opel Signum concept, the extended Malibu will share its look with the future Opel Signum. Opel?s version is will reach European dealerships in the spring of 2003, with the Malibu to follow soon after.

It's all guesswork of course. I'm not fully convinced they identified the first car right, because the Vectra has a curved roof, whereas the test mule looks like it has a flat one. The second picture seems more believable.

 

[Ornery]

Did they lose the blueprints to the good ones?

 

[psteng19]

HEY SHANTANU