The Car Thread!

[Bears Discover Fire]

I plan on purchasing a 2008 Chevy Malibu 2LT with 11,000 miles on it. I would prefer to not have this devolve into a "Toyota is better" discussion, as seems to be the case on other forums.

Does anyone here own one? And, if so, what are your impressions with them?

Thank you in advance.

My grandmother had a 1998(?) Malibu that was T-boned in an intersection when it had less than 5K miles. The frame was bent nearly in half and I'm still shocked that her insurance didn't demand to total it. Instead, she had the frame straightened and drove it until her death in 2001. The car continued to drive relatively well, considering the massive injury it sustained when it was new.

That's the only experience I have with them, but off of that I'd say they're pretty resilient cars.

 

[Captain Ice]

My Dad bought a brand new '98 Malibu. Horrible car. At one point we realized that my then 4 year old Ford spent about 1/4 of the time in the shop that his new Chevy did. He put 3 Powertrain control modules into it, and it was ready for a new carpet set at 60,000 miles when he fave up on it and traded for a '03 Camry.

What's more interesting is that the Grand Am board I frequent tells me that the 3.1L v6 used for the Grand Am, Malibu, and Olds Alero is prone to Lower Intake Manifold gasket failure early in life (50 - 60K in some cases) and more than $1000 to fix. Thank god we didn't have that problem.

That said, I hear that the '03 and newer Malibus are well built and reliable.

 

[Saturn0660]

I plan on purchasing a 2008 Chevy Malibu 2LT with 11,000 miles on it.

i'll answer your question with a question. Do you really want to own a GM? Are you ready to deal with the fact that in 3 years your car will be worthless? GM only does one thing well...Thats
offer rebates on cars.

 

[indranee]

Just out of curiousity, why do you hate American cars?

My friend, your love for American muscle cars is most noble, but you have to understand where this bitter sentiment comes from. I think it was Car and Driver magazine that printed a nice article about the state of American cars. They acknowledge that the last couple of years offers better, faster, more fuel efficient models, but with the state of that industry, it may be too late. Many of us are still mentally scarred from the models we've owned through the 80s and 90s and some in this century.

They're by no means lemons. Those built around established engines have very reliable powertrains. It's everything else that reflected the lack of quality control. Corrosive tendencies, endless interior and exterior trim pieces falling or easily breaking off, premature electrical failures, etc.

My favorite is Fords. The ride, the sounds, the feel, the handling, after about 30-60k miles, it becomes a totally different vehicle. Like a Transformer that needed me to shake it up first. Those of us who are observant of these things and like to get under the hood start to notice they are just not as solid.

great post.

 

[indranee]

Just to jump in here in favor of hybrids, alternative fuels, tree-hugging and the cars of the future.

'Nuff said.

fecking awesome. but you forgot to paint your nacelles blue

 

[Sakrysta]

I had a '97 Malibu that did really well for me. I finally traded it in basically just because it was "time" - it was 10 years old, and I was needing a car with more storage/hauling space, and I had the means to buy a new car thanks to a gift from my grandmother. But I really had no complaints about my Malibu. It served me well.

 

[John Picard]

Right now, I have some long range plans in the works and am considering a replacement for my pickup. I want something roomy that can haul but will shield the cargo from the elements. I was originally thinking of a wagon, but am not leaning toward either a Ford Edge or a Toyota Rav4. As always, I'll be buying a two or three year old vehicle rather than new. I'll never do that again.

 

[Sakrysta]

I currently have a 2007 Rav4 that I love. My one suggestion is to get a V6. I got a 4 cylinder and miss that extra power sometimes. But overall it's a great vehicle.

 

[John Picard]

I currently have a 2007 Rav4 that I love. My one suggestion is to get a V6. I got a 4 cylinder and miss that extra power sometimes. But overall it's a great vehicle.

Thanks for the input. Can you haul a lot with it? From what I've gleaned in my research, the V6 is powerful yet fuel efficient.

 

[Emher]

New Malibus are supposed to be awesome and incredibly improvements on all areas.


On the topic, what's people opinion on this: http://jalopnik.com/5434979/the-50-mustang-is-back I think it definitely is an interesting turn and will pressure GM to up the Camaro a bit sooner.

And don't talk to me about Saab, I just don't have the energy anymore. I love the brand but it seems the people with actual power in this country would rather people go without jobs.
http://jalopnik.com/5429269/five+oh-2011-mustang-gt-gets-412-hp-50+liter-v8

 

[Sakrysta]

I currently have a 2007 Rav4 that I love. My one suggestion is to get a V6. I got a 4 cylinder and miss that extra power sometimes. But overall it's a great vehicle.

Thanks for the input. Can you haul a lot with it? From what I've gleaned in my research, the V6 is powerful yet fuel efficient.

The back passenger seats fold down, and I could fit at least 12 of the big Rubbermaid storage containers in the back. There's a huge amount of space back there - more than you would think looking at it from the outside.

If by "haul" you mean "pull behind", that I don't know. I don't have a trailer hitch and haven't needed one - yet. I would say definitely go for the bigger engine if you plan on towing a trailer or camper, though.

 

[Warp Coil]

I've never owned American so I can't really comment from experience. Having said that, my aunt and uncle purchased a 1998 Malibu brand new and they've had tons of problems with it. They'd love to buy something new but they're trying to make the car last as long as it can. Granted, the 2008+ models are completely different vehicles (the Malibu was completely re-designed around 2004, and again in 2008). They're supposedly more solid and reliable. They certainly look better. But I still don't think it's quite up to par with the competition. GM products really are getting better. Some of them look quite nice.