Unconfirmed: New Malibu Selling Only 9% Fleet

[MN12Fan]

A good chunk of the relatively few fleet sales must be in Las Vegas. I was surprised to see a massive amount of them cruising the streets in taxi garb the past couple of times I was there this year. (they had this odd color scheme too with a liberal use of the color pink)

[ChevroletRevived]

No doubt the Malibu is an very impressive car, and people have took notice. These numbers really prove that the car has been a very big success for GM. 8% is incredible compared to what the old Malibu has done and for what has traditionally been standard fare at GM. Hopefully GM will build on the success of the current car with the next generation model. The Malibu really is the car you can't ignore!

[djo165]

Originally Posted by ponchoman49

Imagine how well it would do in retail slaes with NAV option, fold down rear armrest, overhead assist grips, re-instated power pedal and fold flat passenger seat option and a true dual mode hybrid.

Hey, why did they do away with the power pedals anyway? I'm guessing costs. Probably the same with the side marker lights, which is a shame. They looked classy, IMO.

[gmparts]

What's wrong with some fleet sales? When I rent a car I'd rather be picking up the new Malibu than an import, plus, Alamo, Enterprise et al are bringing in more imports than would otherwise be here...

[eurohazard]

I saw a nice white Malibu this weekend. I saw a man putting some gear into the trunk, and I asked him how he liked his new Malibu. His response..."It's a rental". lol

He said it was bit sluggish, but it rode, and drove well...and that he liked it a lot. I noticed the Malibu had a nice low, and wide trunk opening. I need to drive one for myself one of these days.

[Canyonaro]

Originally Posted by eurohazard

I noticed the Malibu had a nice low, and wide trunk opening. I need to drive one for myself one of these days.

Actually thats my biggest holdup and gripe about the new '08-'09 Mali (I have 3). The '04 we have has quite a bit larger opening then the new body style. It is true the new one has a tad bigger trunk though. But it makes it more difficult then the older style for a stroller or a small kennel or the like to fit through the opening with ease.
My second one is the plastic all over the doors. Again I wish it had some softer plastic and cloth as the old ones did.
And finnally it is just the cosmetic lack of a side marker on the '09's. What a shame to have removed that classy touch.

Besides that it is quite a nice car and would buy one in a heart beat if the current cars we own weren't so good and dependable. The new Mali is bounds ahead of the last body style and the competition IMO, (I test drove a new '09 Mazda 6 and Nissan Sentra Saturday).

[mpsrent]

I'm not sure what the official "fleet" number is but my own observation of rental lots and the roadway suggests that it might be higher than we think. Yesterday I actually saw a Hybrid Malibu. That was a first for me on the road.

Ironically I saw another Malibu this morning and it had a large NATIONAL sticker on the trunk. I didn't need to ask if that was a rental.

[eurohazard]

Originally Posted by Canyonaro

Actually thats my biggest holdup and gripe about the new '08-'09 Mali (I have 3). The '04 we have has quite a bit larger opening then the new body style. It is true the new one has a tad bigger trunk though. But it makes it more difficult then the older style for a stroller or a small kennel or the like to fit through the opening with ease.
My second one is the plastic all over the doors. Again I wish it had some softer plastic and cloth as the old ones did.
And finnally it is just the cosmetic lack of a side marker on the '09's. What a shame to have removed that classy touch.

Now that you mention it...I know what you're talking about. The back glass is so sloped towards the back of the car, that it forces the opening to be smaller than it should be. Good input.

[USA1Fan]

Originally Posted by Canyonaro

Actually thats my biggest holdup and gripe about the new '08-'09 Mali (I have 3). The '04 we have has quite a bit larger opening then the new body style. It is true the new one has a tad bigger trunk though. But it makes it more difficult then the older style for a stroller or a small kennel or the like to fit through the opening with ease.
My second one is the plastic all over the doors. Again I wish it had some softer plastic and cloth as the old ones did.
And finnally it is just the cosmetic lack of a side marker on the '09's. What a shame to have removed that classy touch.

Besides that it is quite a nice car and would buy one in a heart beat if the current cars we own weren't so good and dependable. The new Mali is bounds ahead of the last body style and the competition IMO, (I test drove a new '09 Mazda 6 and Nissan Sentra Saturday).

I've owned one of each of the latest (modern) Malibus, starting with a '97, then moving into an '04, and now an '08. The '04 was leaps and bounds better than the 97 in build quality, fit, finish, performance, comfort, and fuel efficiency. I really liked the 97's style when we had it, and the front of the 04 was sort of so-so (grown on me with time, but I remember thinking 'ugly' when we got it- but it was for the wife, and SHE liked it). The interior I thought was fine, though it still gets panned by reviewers. Everything stayed nice'n tight, and felt good to the touch.

The trunk on both the 97 and 04 seemed much larger than my 08's, no matter what the specs say. It's mostly because of the low depth and backswept glass. The 04 sedan was lighter than the 08 is, and had better fuel economy than either the 97 (3100 V6 /w 4AT) or the 08 (LTZ V6 w/6AT). The engine (original 3500 non-VVT), while not as strong as the new 3.6L (not even close), was peppy enough, and still returned anywhere between 32 and 38 (max high) on mostly highway trips. The 08 has been returning anywhere between low 28's and 32.2 in mostly highway driving, and I don't believe I recall ever breaking 30 with the 97. If it weren't for the anti-pushrod naysayers out there, GM could've made the 3500 an option for non-fleet cars, and probably picked up another mpg or two over the 3600 on the EPA ratings.

Anyway, it's good news for the car's long-term values that it hasn't hit the fleets in large numbers. That was really the worst thing for the 2004. Its value went down the drain so fast it was scary. Otherwise we were very happy with it.