Saw a Malibu up close last night

[Whelan]

Took a ride by the local Chevy dealer after hours and pulled in to see the only one on the lot. What a looker. It's a very sexy lookin sedan, and the rear is very tastefully done. I never got a good impression of it from pictures. But wow, it's stance is somewhat aggressive but not overly done, it looks really spacious inside. The one I saw was a 2.4L 4 with the pwr. package, 6 way power drivers seat, alloy wheels and such for like $21k. Not bad at all!There are also signals on the front fenders for turning and the rear side bumper marker lights are really cool looking. They are red inside but the plastic cover is all clear, think the 05+ Matrix tail red inside of clear. Definitely gonna be a seller. It already is since GM announced they oversold production by 2500 units and dealers have waiting lists for the car right now.

[northvibe]

my mom has the 2005 malibu LT, not the classic, and wow that was one ugly car front end. not sure how it passed inspection but the look sure changed fast

[Whelan]

Yeah, the only front that looks good on is the Maxx version.

[ramenboy...]

yup it was posted here somewhere...i love the new commercials for the new malibu. it is alot slicker looking and i don't see why it wouldn't sell better than the previous gen. the only nice looking was the maxx, like you said.anyways the previous gen malibu reminds me of chevy celebrity of the 90s...really kinda blah.

[northvibe]

^^ dang...well in person that 2005 is way uglier hahha, but the 3.5l v6 is nice! at any rate, the new ones look mean and nice. they dropped the monte for that too i hear.

[Kamikaze]

I still have to see the new one.. From the Commercials I'm intrigued to see it.

[scott_h]

I really like the look based on the pics I've seen, but after owning a 98 Malibu for 6 years (before trading for the Vibe), I will absolutely positively never buy another Malibu (and possibly even a Chevy) ever again.Wow, that car spent a lot of time in the shop...

[bull77]

Not a fan of the split grill, but the rest looks good..GM's website is slick - check out the 'Compare Malibu' for pics of the accord, camry, altima, and malibu -> http://www.chevrolet.com/malibu

[cs1992]

I saw a new Malibu on the lot as well. IMHO, the Camry and Altima do not even begin to compare, at least in appearance. GM looks like they did their homework on this model and hopefully will attract a lot of new customers. This car certainly looks much better in person.

[Kamikaze]

My only real debate is... it might "look" good, but I know of all the problems that some of the older Malibu's had.. will this have the same?

[drunkenmaxx]

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »Yeah, the only front that looks good on is the Maxx version.meh, it's still not that great, very bland. this is coming from someone who has one. i didn't buy my car for looks, that is for sure.

[Whelan]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenmaxx »meh, it's still not that great, very bland. this is coming from someone who has one. i didn't buy my car for looks, that is for sure.Yes but if you had to choose which one got that front end I would have picked the Maxx. I seriously doubt you will see the same problems as older Malibus. This car was completely redesigned from the ground up, and Chevy knowing very well that this car is their ultimate fighting chance against Honda, Toyota, Nissan put a lot of engineering into it to make it right.

[mistertwo]

I'd still take a toyota or a nissan any day of the week over a chevy.

[redlava]

The new Malibu is a VAST improvement over the old style. I went to the build a Malibu section and they don't have very many options to choose from. But the interior looks nice and the styling is way nicer that anything they have put out int he past. If I was looking for a family sedan I would put it on my list for sure.

[scott_h]

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »I seriously doubt you will see the same problems as older Malibus. This car was completely redesigned from the ground up, and Chevy knowing very well that this car is their ultimate fighting chance against Honda, Toyota, Nissan put a lot of engineering into it to make it right.Don't you have any friends that had a bad experience with tequila (for example), and will never drink it again?The Malibu is my tequila...

[Pyro-Andrew]

it does loook VERY sexy! but my only thing is, its a Chevy. in my opnion, Chevy is becoming like Kia. Its a brand that wants to be in the Big boy league, like the Nissans, Pontiacs, Buicks, and even Ford. I think its ironic that chevy is doing "Flex Fuel" and everybody else is doing Hybrids. Not too smart either.

[michaelgt]

Quote, originally posted by Pyro-Andrew » I think its ironic that chevy is doing "Flex Fuel" and everybody else is doing Hybrids. Not too smart either.And the CHEVY Tahoe, Silverado, and Malibu Hybrids do not count? GM/Chevrolet is providing multiple ways to reduce petroleum consumption.

[drunkenmaxx]

wow, i just checked out the site, no V6 under $26k!

[Whelan]

Quote, originally posted by Pyro-Andrew »it does loook VERY sexy! but my only thing is, its a Chevy. in my opnion, Chevy is becoming like Kia. Its a brand that wants to be in the Big boy league, like the Nissans, Pontiacs, Buicks, and even Ford. I think its ironic that chevy is doing "Flex Fuel" and everybody else is doing Hybrids. Not too smart either.Hmm, Isn't Pontiac and Buick owned by GM. Buick is a sub luxury brand that competes just below the Cadillac segment, so they could be an entry level luxury, like Acura. As for Chevy, they have always been a direct competitor with Nissan, Toyota, and Honda. The Pontiac division is the more performance oriented of the two, it was created in that light.Flex-Fuel vehicles are a HUGE seller in the midwest and other areas. Not so much in my clustered area where E85 is not readily available at the pumps. But hey, it's better than nothing. Not to mention Chevy just introduced the Tahoe Hybrid, yes gas/electric. It is currently the only full-size SUV hybrid. And for note, the Highlander and RX are not full size. Also take a look at their site, they are ramping up to offer tons of hybrid options for their cars. Toyota has a few hybrids, Nissan has an Altima Hybrid now, and Honda is coming out with its first Hydrogen car in 2010.

[NibCrom]

I thought Chevy was the everyman's brand. Like Ford or Honda or Toyota. Not real specialized or anything, just a brand trying to get mass appeal (which it does, relative to many brands).

[Whelan]

Quote, originally posted by NibCrom »I thought Chevy was the everyman's brand. Like Ford or Honda or Toyota. Not real specialized or anything, just a brand trying to get mass appeal (which it does, relative to many brands).So is Honda, Nissan, Toyota. The Altima, Accord, and Camry are everyday sedans.