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On a lovely day such as this (45F and rain), I decided to venture on over to the local Berger Chevrolet dealership to see the all-new 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Sitting on the lot, there were a selection of three made available; Two LS models with the I4 and four-speed automatic, and one LTZ with the V6 and the six-speed automatic. Undoubtedly, the first thing you notice about the Malibu are the shockingly good-looks on the exterior, easily superior than that of the rather boring Toyota Camry and the so-so Honda Accord.
There is a strong combination of distinctively American looks that certainly has a fair bit of European influence as well. Immediately noticeable was the use of chrome, not just in the grille, but also on the door handles, around the windows, and a really nice touch that lines the bottom edge of the doors just to even things out. Large shoulders, although muscular, are inoffensive, and make for a very attractive overall look. I was most-worried about the rear section of the vehicle, looking as though it was simply cut-off and sort of a last-minute decision made because they had ran out of ideas...
I have to say that it looks much better in person, but I can't honestly say that I loved it completely. I think it may be the only thing that a lot of people are really going to pick apart when it comes to the exterior, as everything else seems to be done quite well. The wheels in particular were noticeable for the correct size, more or less filling up the gaps and giving the car a proper stance that didn't make it look cheap. I can't say the same for the LS, however. The wheels on the lower-level models didn't look particularly appealing, maybe a bit too much rubber, but that is often the case with most cars that start at $19,995.
Normally, interiors are GM's largest weak-point, and I have to say that it simply isn't the case with the Malibu this time around. The quality of the materials feels ahead of most, if not all, the direct-competition. Granted, I'd say it still falls a bit short of the Volkswagen Passat, but that is almost in another league. The contrasting colors both in the seats and on the dash is a truly interesting touch, particularly in this application with the black and orange. The lower-level LS models had two-tone tan and gray interiors which were just as attractive as well.
The seats were wonderfully comfortable, almost like your Lay-Z-Boy chair at home. The seats being fully-adjustable, you could easily find the perfect position given enough time to tinker, and combine it with adjustable pedals and a tilt/telescope steering wheel, and you get the idea that Chevrolet really wanted to focus on the driver experience. I know that I have championed GM's new Radio and HVAC units in the past as well, and in the Chevrolet, it is no exception. Everything is laid out directly where you would want it to be, buttons have large enough lettering to explain what it is (not too large, like in a Hyundai, not too small, like in a Mercedes). Furthermore, much of the work can be done easily on the steering wheel as well, with many different buttons for the driver information center, radio controls, and not to mention the paddle shifters.
Thats right. Paddle shifters in a family sedan. In a GM family sedan.
Gauges are easy to read, and are well-lit similar to the way in which Honda and Toyota light theirs as of late. The separated bionicles of information (speedo, tachometer, fuel level, water temp, etc) reminded me much of the way a Nissan has the racing-inspired look to them, however, in the Chevrolet they do not move with the steering wheel.
Getting in the back seat, I found that there was plenty of room for myself (6'1", 160 lbs) with the front seats fully-back. They were comfortable enough, at least to me, for a long trip, and it appeared as though three could sit comfortably across the back without much fuss. Quality seems to continue on into the back, but it just doesn't seem quite as "polished" as it did in the front. Granted, I think its the case with almost any car, but it was a bit disappointing nevertheless. I was however rather surprised to see an AC/DC jack in the back seat, as I understand it, good for enough juice to keep a laptop running (or charge it), run a DVD player, or any other sort of equipment that may be needed. I do like it a lot in the back, and I would have loved to see what it was like to be driven around... I get car-sick really easily when in the back, and it felt "open" enough to where it wouldn't be a problem, but I couldn't be completely certain.
===
So how does it drive?
Well, simply put, I was really surprised by it. Going from driving the W-Body around today (my Jetta is in the shop), it felt like this was light years ahead. The ride was smooth, supple, and best of all quiet. Really, really quiet. It almost seemed quieter than a Toyota, but not having driven a Camry V6, I cannot confirm it. You didn't hear any of the cars around you, just the sound of you operating it and occasionally the engine if you chose to give it a bit of gas.
Speaking of that, wow, this thing takes off! I nailed it once and the car really got up and went, really quick and rather smooth shifts with the six-speed automatic. The roads were wet, so Stabilitrack did kick in and stop the wheels from spinning, but my guess would be that it would have burned through first gear and chirped it in second. The power delivery of the LY7 V6 (DOHC, VVT, 252 BHP) was smooth and quiet... And best of all, powerful when needing it. Going from the 200 BHP 3.8L in the Grand Prix to the 3.6L LY7 in the Malibu, it was like night and day. It seemed like less of an instrument of destruction and more or less one of precision, effortless power if you will. Not nearly as brutal in overall feel.
The handling of the car was also rather impressive as well. While the streets of East Grand Rapids are by no means a racetrack, a few quick tosses of the car showed that the body motions are pretty well-controlled (thank Opel and Saturn for that), and really doesn't give up too much personality in the effort to be comfortable at best. I believe the car does have the electronic steering, which I'm still a bit uneasy about, but compared to its predecessors (the previous Malibu and even the Cobalt were rather sloppy), this feels much better. The overall experience was far more "solid" than that of the newer Camry that I had driven, but still off my usual VW benchmark. But oh, it came so close...
===
Drawbacks?
There are a few nitpicks. Interior quality, even if better than most of the competition, still could use some improvement. The gaps are pretty tight, the materials feel quite good, but I still think more can be done. The VW yardstick shouldn't apply, but I'm doing it anyway. The contrasting colors may scare some people as well, but given that you can do it in a much more neutral black/gray or something other than black/orange, you're bound to find whats right for you.
The fuel mileage seemed to be on par with that of the other cars in its class as well, but being as large as it is and feeling a bit heavy at times, you never really know for certain. The six-speed kept revs rather low when traveling slowly, I don't think I ever exceeded 2500 RPM with the exception of the time when I punched it, which certainly does well for fuel economy. I'm eager to see, or possibly drive, a LS or LTZ model with the four-cylinder (2.4L I4, SOHC, VVT, 169 BHP) and the soon to be added six-speed automatic.
===
The price?
The base Malibu LS starts at just $19,995 and comes with a plethora of standard features that most families would find agreeable and presumably wouldn't need further addition. Higher-level LT and LTZ models obviously add to the list of standard features, and with more complicated extras made available, this particular LTZ V6 came it at just over $28,000. I think that there were some options that it could have done without, as I think most people would be far more satisfied with a well-equipped LT model to sit in the middle. Compared to other cars in it's class, the Chevrolet is a value, but at least from what I have seen on a personal level, Chevrolet's biggest worry is that of the Saturn Aura, and really nothing else.
In the end, it comes down to what you like and what you do not. But, if GM is going to keep building cars that are as good or better than this, well, it may be the end of the "crappy GM era" as we know it.
The Chevrolet Malibu gets an 8.75/10, and a VERY HIGH Recomendation
There is a strong combination of distinctively American looks that certainly has a fair bit of European influence as well. Immediately noticeable was the use of chrome, not just in the grille, but also on the door handles, around the windows, and a really nice touch that lines the bottom edge of the doors just to even things out. Large shoulders, although muscular, are inoffensive, and make for a very attractive overall look. I was most-worried about the rear section of the vehicle, looking as though it was simply cut-off and sort of a last-minute decision made because they had ran out of ideas...
I have to say that it looks much better in person, but I can't honestly say that I loved it completely. I think it may be the only thing that a lot of people are really going to pick apart when it comes to the exterior, as everything else seems to be done quite well. The wheels in particular were noticeable for the correct size, more or less filling up the gaps and giving the car a proper stance that didn't make it look cheap. I can't say the same for the LS, however. The wheels on the lower-level models didn't look particularly appealing, maybe a bit too much rubber, but that is often the case with most cars that start at $19,995.
Normally, interiors are GM's largest weak-point, and I have to say that it simply isn't the case with the Malibu this time around. The quality of the materials feels ahead of most, if not all, the direct-competition. Granted, I'd say it still falls a bit short of the Volkswagen Passat, but that is almost in another league. The contrasting colors both in the seats and on the dash is a truly interesting touch, particularly in this application with the black and orange. The lower-level LS models had two-tone tan and gray interiors which were just as attractive as well.
The seats were wonderfully comfortable, almost like your Lay-Z-Boy chair at home. The seats being fully-adjustable, you could easily find the perfect position given enough time to tinker, and combine it with adjustable pedals and a tilt/telescope steering wheel, and you get the idea that Chevrolet really wanted to focus on the driver experience. I know that I have championed GM's new Radio and HVAC units in the past as well, and in the Chevrolet, it is no exception. Everything is laid out directly where you would want it to be, buttons have large enough lettering to explain what it is (not too large, like in a Hyundai, not too small, like in a Mercedes). Furthermore, much of the work can be done easily on the steering wheel as well, with many different buttons for the driver information center, radio controls, and not to mention the paddle shifters.
Thats right. Paddle shifters in a family sedan. In a GM family sedan.
Gauges are easy to read, and are well-lit similar to the way in which Honda and Toyota light theirs as of late. The separated bionicles of information (speedo, tachometer, fuel level, water temp, etc) reminded me much of the way a Nissan has the racing-inspired look to them, however, in the Chevrolet they do not move with the steering wheel.
Getting in the back seat, I found that there was plenty of room for myself (6'1", 160 lbs) with the front seats fully-back. They were comfortable enough, at least to me, for a long trip, and it appeared as though three could sit comfortably across the back without much fuss. Quality seems to continue on into the back, but it just doesn't seem quite as "polished" as it did in the front. Granted, I think its the case with almost any car, but it was a bit disappointing nevertheless. I was however rather surprised to see an AC/DC jack in the back seat, as I understand it, good for enough juice to keep a laptop running (or charge it), run a DVD player, or any other sort of equipment that may be needed. I do like it a lot in the back, and I would have loved to see what it was like to be driven around... I get car-sick really easily when in the back, and it felt "open" enough to where it wouldn't be a problem, but I couldn't be completely certain.
===
So how does it drive?
Well, simply put, I was really surprised by it. Going from driving the W-Body around today (my Jetta is in the shop), it felt like this was light years ahead. The ride was smooth, supple, and best of all quiet. Really, really quiet. It almost seemed quieter than a Toyota, but not having driven a Camry V6, I cannot confirm it. You didn't hear any of the cars around you, just the sound of you operating it and occasionally the engine if you chose to give it a bit of gas.
Speaking of that, wow, this thing takes off! I nailed it once and the car really got up and went, really quick and rather smooth shifts with the six-speed automatic. The roads were wet, so Stabilitrack did kick in and stop the wheels from spinning, but my guess would be that it would have burned through first gear and chirped it in second. The power delivery of the LY7 V6 (DOHC, VVT, 252 BHP) was smooth and quiet... And best of all, powerful when needing it. Going from the 200 BHP 3.8L in the Grand Prix to the 3.6L LY7 in the Malibu, it was like night and day. It seemed like less of an instrument of destruction and more or less one of precision, effortless power if you will. Not nearly as brutal in overall feel.
The handling of the car was also rather impressive as well. While the streets of East Grand Rapids are by no means a racetrack, a few quick tosses of the car showed that the body motions are pretty well-controlled (thank Opel and Saturn for that), and really doesn't give up too much personality in the effort to be comfortable at best. I believe the car does have the electronic steering, which I'm still a bit uneasy about, but compared to its predecessors (the previous Malibu and even the Cobalt were rather sloppy), this feels much better. The overall experience was far more "solid" than that of the newer Camry that I had driven, but still off my usual VW benchmark. But oh, it came so close...
===
Drawbacks?
There are a few nitpicks. Interior quality, even if better than most of the competition, still could use some improvement. The gaps are pretty tight, the materials feel quite good, but I still think more can be done. The VW yardstick shouldn't apply, but I'm doing it anyway. The contrasting colors may scare some people as well, but given that you can do it in a much more neutral black/gray or something other than black/orange, you're bound to find whats right for you.
The fuel mileage seemed to be on par with that of the other cars in its class as well, but being as large as it is and feeling a bit heavy at times, you never really know for certain. The six-speed kept revs rather low when traveling slowly, I don't think I ever exceeded 2500 RPM with the exception of the time when I punched it, which certainly does well for fuel economy. I'm eager to see, or possibly drive, a LS or LTZ model with the four-cylinder (2.4L I4, SOHC, VVT, 169 BHP) and the soon to be added six-speed automatic.
===
The price?
The base Malibu LS starts at just $19,995 and comes with a plethora of standard features that most families would find agreeable and presumably wouldn't need further addition. Higher-level LT and LTZ models obviously add to the list of standard features, and with more complicated extras made available, this particular LTZ V6 came it at just over $28,000. I think that there were some options that it could have done without, as I think most people would be far more satisfied with a well-equipped LT model to sit in the middle. Compared to other cars in it's class, the Chevrolet is a value, but at least from what I have seen on a personal level, Chevrolet's biggest worry is that of the Saturn Aura, and really nothing else.
In the end, it comes down to what you like and what you do not. But, if GM is going to keep building cars that are as good or better than this, well, it may be the end of the "crappy GM era" as we know it.
The Chevrolet Malibu gets an 8.75/10, and a VERY HIGH Recomendation
) and won't even give the car a try. It'll take more than a few years to overcome that, so I hope GM and Ford keep up the good work, and Chrysler stops licking its own ass.
