My 2008 Malibu (Semi-Long Term Test)

[EldoFan]

Well it hasn't quite been 6 months yet (not until 3/9), but still feels like it's been long enough to write one of these up.

Back in late summer/early fall, that Lincoln Mark VII of mine had pretty much bit dust. I had thought about going used, but saw the wisdom in buying new after a little while. After I settled on a sedan for practicality reasons, the requirements I came up with were pretty simple; it had to be roomy, comfortable and good on gas. Oh, and it had to be just a tad bit stylish too

The other cars in my field were the LaCrosse (CX) and Ford's Fusion. Long story short, the entry price for the Buick was a bit too high for my pocketbook and I don't know why, but for whatever reason, I just couldn't get used to Ford's 4-banger (seemed slightly rough on my test drive).

In my eyes, the Malibus appeared sleek and (somewhat) sporty and so after doing my homework and gathering my thoughts, I went to my local Chevy dealer and snapped one up (a 1LT in Silverstone Metallic).

(Scroll down to Post #15 right here for pics)

Fast forward to today. Not quite 6 months later and it's got over 7200mi on the odometer. With the exception of a few long-distance road trips, most of my driving is localized.....to/from work here in town and then to school and back (100mi round trip) on the interstate.

For a mainstream family hauler equipped with an old school 4-spd slushbox, the LE5 four cylinder (169hp/162lb-ft) is pretty peppy. The power is ample for a vehicle of this size/class and I find delivery to be pretty smooth when my foot hits the gas. The downside to all this is naturally, the aforementioned slushbox. The main con is delayed acceleration. It's not that big of a deal and I notice it next to never driving around town, but when I'm on the interstate on ramp or passing someone, it might take an extra few seconds for the power to shoot you forward.

Like I said, it's not a big deal IMO and I wonder whether most people will even perceive it. All that is offset by the fuel economy which so far has been excellent. I don't bother checking my FE in town as I hardly ever do any driving except to/from work, but on the highway I've been averaging 32-34 MPG (that translates to roughly $18-$23 for a fill up based on recent gas prices for me; highest ever was $47...back when they were $3+/gal).

The Malibu is an absolute champ when it comes to winter driving here too. Though we don't get as much snow as some places, I've been surprised at it's ability to plow through 6-7" (like it did last weekend) given that it sits relatively low to the ground. It's also common around here for it to be in the single digits/low teens in the early morning, but every morning I get off work, I crawl in, turn the key and it starts like a champ--even those few days back in December when it hovered around -15F. Heating up as quick as it does also helps on those particularly cold days *(Thankfully I haven't yet tested the true ability of the brakes or traction control!)*

With the interior, GM did an absolute first class job--no other way around it. Not sure how it compares currently, but having rode and driven in a 7th gen. Honda Accord (LX), I can tell there's definitely been some attention paid to the little things. Take the shifter/console for example....in the Accord, you get a std. black stalk with a soft-touch grip jutting up from an uncovered gate/boot/whatever ya want to call it (this, over time, can become buried under a fine layer of dust particles/crumbs etc). In the Malibu, the shifter resembles the units seen in cars like the CTS/'10 LaCrosse. It's got a nice pseudo-leather boot with some hand stitching and surrounded by some tasteful chrome accents.

While I thought the 'custom cloth' interior felt a little rough at first, I'm now very used to it--the texture is roughly akin to a nice, well-worn pair of jeans IMO. The seats themselves are firm, but not hard and provide great support all around, even under moderate stress (I'm somewhat tiny though--5'10" + 130lbs).

The layout is very smooth and fluid, audio + HVAC controls all well within convenient reach.

One thing I can really appreciate is the steering wheel mounted volume controls. Though kind of awkward to reach based on how I'm holding the wheel, they nevertheless help keep me from getting potentially distracted on the road. Though I'm not an audiophile by any means, I'd say the highs/mids/lows from the std. audio system are decent at least with great bass (an 8GB iPod touch provides most of my entertainment).


With as busy as I am, I elected to make my first two service trips at the dealer where I bought it (H&H). Though I could save some money doing some of the simple things myself, the experience was so good/easy that I don't think I'd have any problem continuing with them

A major eval. of things like trunk space & interior room will come at the end of June. Will be driving my dad, cousin and dad's friend up to our usual fishing getaway in northern Minnesota--an almost 700mi road trip. The trunk will be filled with not only luggage, but fishing gear and 1-2 coolers as well.

Overall, I'd give Chevrolet a nice solid 'A' with this latest iteration of the Malibu. It's a solidly-built, well-trimmed car that has given me nothing but good times and will hopefully continue to do so for a long time

[ss925]

Originally Posted by EldoFan

Well it hasn't quite been 6 months yet (not until 3/9), but still feels like it's been long enough to write one of these up.

Back in late summer/early fall, that Lincoln Mark VII of mine had pretty much bit dust. I had thought about going used, but saw the wisdom in buying new after a little while. After I settled on a sedan for practicality reasons, the requirements I came up with were pretty simple; it had to be roomy, comfortable and good on gas. Oh, and it had to be just a tad bit stylish too

The other cars in my field were the LaCrosse (CX) and Ford's Fusion. Long story short, the entry price for the Buick was a bit too high for my pocketbook and I don't know why, but for whatever reason, I just couldn't get used to Ford's 4-banger (seemed slightly rough on my test drive).

In my eyes, the Malibus appeared sleek and (somewhat) sporty and so after doing my homework and gathering my thoughts, I went to my local Chevy dealer and snapped one up (a 1LT in Silverstone Metallic).

(Scroll down to Post #15 right here for pics)

Fast forward to today. Not quite 6 months later and it's got over 7200mi on the odometer. With the exception of a few long-distance road trips, most of my driving is localized.....to/from work here in town and then to school and back (100mi round trip) on the interstate.

For a mainstream family hauler equipped with an old school 4-spd slushbox, the LE5 four cylinder (169hp/162lb-ft) is pretty peppy. The power is ample for a vehicle of this size/class and I find delivery to be pretty smooth when my foot hits the gas. The downside to all this is naturally, the aforementioned slushbox. The main con is delayed acceleration. It's not that big of a deal and I notice it next to never driving around town, but when I'm on the interstate on ramp or passing someone, it might take an extra few seconds for the power to shoot you forward.

Like I said, it's not a big deal IMO and I wonder whether most people will even perceive it. All that is offset by the fuel economy which so far has been excellent. I don't bother checking my FE in town as I hardly ever do any driving except to/from work, but on the highway I've been averaging 32-34 MPG (that translates to roughly $18-$23 for a fill up based on recent gas prices for me; highest ever was $47...back when they were $3+/gal).

The Malibu is an absolute champ when it comes to winter driving here too. Though we don't get as much snow as some places, I've been surprised at it's ability to plow through 6-7" (like it did last weekend) given that it sits relatively low to the ground. It's also common around here for it to be in the single digits/low teens in the early morning, but every morning I get off work, I crawl in, turn the key and it starts like a champ--even those few days back in December when it hovered around -15F. Heating up as quick as it does also helps on those particularly cold days *(Thankfully I haven't yet tested the true ability of the brakes or traction control!)*

With the interior, GM did an absolute first class job--no other way around it. Not sure how it compares currently, but having rode and driven in a 7th gen. Honda Accord (LX), I can tell there's definitely been some attention paid to the little things. Take the shifter/console for example....in the Accord, you get a std. black stalk with a soft-touch grip jutting up from an uncovered gate/boot/whatever ya want to call it (this, over time, can become buried under a fine layer of dust particles/crumbs etc). In the Malibu, the shifter resembles the units seen in cars like the CTS/'10 LaCrosse. It's got a nice pseudo-leather boot with some hand stitching and surrounded by some tasteful chrome accents.

While I thought the 'custom cloth' interior felt a little rough at first, I'm now very used to it--the texture is roughly akin to a nice, well-worn pair of jeans IMO. The seats themselves are firm, but not hard and provide great support all around, even under moderate stress (I'm somewhat tiny though--5'10" + 130lbs).

The layout is very smooth and fluid, audio + HVAC controls all well within convenient reach.

One thing I can really appreciate is the steering wheel mounted volume controls. Though kind of awkward to reach based on how I'm holding the wheel, they nevertheless help keep me from getting potentially distracted on the road. Though I'm not an audiophile by any means, I'd say the highs/mids/lows from the std. audio system are decent at least with great bass (an 8GB iPod touch provides most of my entertainment).


With as busy as I am, I elected to make my first two service trips at the dealer where I bought it (H&H). Though I could save some money doing some of the simple things myself, the experience was so good/easy that I don't think I'd have any problem continuing with them

A major eval. of things like trunk space & interior room will come at the end of June. Will be driving my dad, cousin and dad's friend up to our usual fishing getaway in northern Minnesota--an almost 700mi road trip. The trunk will be filled with not only luggage, but fishing gear and 1-2 coolers as well.

Overall, I'd give Chevrolet a nice solid 'A' with this latest iteration of the Malibu. It's a solidly-built, well-trimmed car that has given me nothing but good times and will hopefully continue to do so for a long time

Coolers are a pain to load due to the smallish trunk opening... I just thought of it. I don't know if it will work, but if they don't fit in the trunk opening, maybe fold the rear seats and slide them in there.

[jkennedy293]

Glad to hear you are enjoying your new Malibu.

[PAULSTS1]

I remember when you got that Lincoln. I know the Malibu will satisfy you, it's new, and up to date. Congrats on your success and happy motoring!

[JBsZ06]

thanks for the cool 7 month update. Good to know your enjoying the ride and that the car is meeting your expectations.

I really like the malibu styling too.

sharp car.

[FenwickHockey65]

Glad to hear you're enjoying your Malibu...hope you'll have many more trouble-free miles ahead!