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Chevrolet Malibu

4972 messages,  Last post on Feb 09, 2013 at 10:37 AM

You are in the Chevrolet Malibu Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu, Sedan

Messages Page 147 of 498

#1459 of 4972 So Long for Now, Malibu by jdmorton

Feb 27, 2003 (3:23 am)

I just wanted to thank everyone who posts here for the excellent discussions I've read about over the past 3 years. On Monday, I returned my leased Malibu LS in and got a Cavalier. I ended up not getting another Malibu for one reason - money saved. With a daughter still in college, one that graduated less than 2 years ago and two more at home, I went for the least expensive car with the features I wanted/needed. (No cracks about "jumping into the fire from the frying pan" - I owned a 1984 Cavalier that I had for 10 years and put over 161,000 miles on it. It was one of the better cars that I've owned, from a reliability and cost standpoint. It didn't look like much at the end - body rust was a big problem with those cars.)
 
Before I go, I would like to offer my thoughts on 3 years of experience with the Malibu LS. Overall, I have to rate this vehicle as very good. From a mechanical standpoint, it has been reliable. My Chevy dealer did have to fix the brake/rotor problem (under warranty) and did replace the leaking manifold gasket (again under warranty) that has been previously discussed on this board. Both of these issues were detected and fixed during routine maintenance check-ups, so they weren't much of an inconvenience for me. I think the ride and the level of features you get in a Malibu is hard to beat, for its class.
 
A final note. I've read a number of messages that compare the Malibu with foreign cars (usually Honda or Toyota). My oldest daughter bought a brand-new 2001 Honda Civic after graduating from college. The car came standard with the same Firestone tires as my Malibu. In addition, the paint on the front bumper and hood is starting to peel, after less than 20,000 miles.

#1460 of 4972 take care jdmorton by tamu2002

Feb 27, 2003 (7:10 am)

I hope your Cavalier will give you a great many trouble free miles as your last one did. I have tremendous respect for folks raising a big family and still able to make ends meet. Between work, time, hobbies, food and everything there's a lot of sacrifice to be made (certainly including one's choice of wheels )

#1461 of 4972 Accessories, anyone? by credman41

Feb 27, 2003 (8:41 am)

Hi.'all....been thinking about my plain vanilla '02 Bu, and want to jazz it up a bit. Anyone know anything about adding a sunroof, or maybe a rear spoiler to their 'Bu. I've also seen some window vents added....d'you know if these are readily available from a dealer? Had my Bu about 5 months now, after 10 years and 193,000 miles on a Lumina...very happy with both, actually love the 'Bu even tho it's a plain jane..no power windows, seats, cruise....but a great ride. Still only about 23-24 MPG, but I attribute that to the bitter cold we've been getting up here in the New England area...need to warm it up a touch before driving it.
So far, no complaints about the Affinity tires, but I figure to leave 'em for about 25-30K miles, then see what's available. No sense spending $500-700 when I don't have to.....
Any help on the add-ons would be greatly appreciated.... thanks.

#1462 of 4972 Accesories by deminin

Feb 27, 2003 (1:15 pm)

You can buy a spoiler and vent visors from J.C. Whitney for a better price than almost anywhere else. If you do a spoiler, be VERY careful about drilling the trunklid..measure 3 or 4 times, and drill once. Then be sure you seal the holes carefully, or you open the door to rust. I would think a sunroof could be a real problem..and expensive, unless you know a shop that specializes in this..and ask for references to see how well they really do. One item that is easy and cheap is the factory mudflaps. They are only about $36/set from the dealer or chevy web-site, and they fit perfectly, and look good..my opinion. Plus, they do a pretty good job of keeping lots of crud off the car.
We got our LS loaded, so everything was already on it..still debating on the vent visors. Wind noise isn't too bad with a window cracked, but they may be good to have when it starts raining.
We're getting about 26/27 combined mileage so far with about 1500 miles on it. Warmer weather and more miles should get us up to near 30 on the road. So far, I have no problems with the Affinity tires. They have a UTQG of 500 which means they will probably wear like iron, but with that high a rating, they may not have the best of grip for aggressive cornering, etc. Thats ok with me as I didn't buy this car to run road rallies with. I did catch myself doing almost 90 the other day on the interstate, and the car and tires were smooth as butter.

#1463 of 4972 deminin by credman41

Feb 28, 2003 (7:12 am)

thanks for the help. deminin....very much appreciated.

#1464 of 4972 Accessories for Malibu by bryancos

Feb 28, 2003 (2:15 pm)

A good source for the GM accessories for the malibu is
gmpartsdirect.com. (competitive pricing compared to jcwhitney for some of the parts)
 
I picked up a bug shield for $25. They also have the molded splash guards ($25 for set of four MSRP $36) and painted rear spoilers ($250 MSRP $359). Check the following URL for part numbers and then plug them into the search engine at gmpartsdirect.com.
 
http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/gmgoodwrenchjsp/accessories/brochure.- - jsp?make=3&model=5&year=1&sid=5424830638236251

#1465 of 4972 Thanks, Tamu2002 - It's Not All Sackcloth and Ashes! by jdmorton

Mar 01, 2003 (7:53 am)

Tamu2002,
 
You're right, it does take a lot of juggling with a large family to get what you want out of life (just ask my wife); but I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. With four daughters, Father's Day is getting to be like Christmas for me. Of course, now that they are older, I keep saying elopement is an option <grin>.
 
I'll stop in from time to time on this message board to see how things are going. Like I said, I really did like the Malibu, and I continue to recommend it to people who are in the market for that class of car.

#1466 of 4972 Malibu accessories..bryancos by deminin

Mar 01, 2003 (5:10 pm)

Yes, you are right..GMpartsdirect has cheaper prices. However, I don't like to recommend them because of their high shipping charges. They are the website for Flow Chevrolet, and what they save a person on price, they make up for on shipping and handling. The mud flaps are a small savings through them, but I am probably going to add a hood protector before we start heading out on the summer trips, and my local Chevy dealer has a better deal. Flow will save me about $10 on the protector, but adds almost $25 shipping/handling/tax. The local dealer just adds the part to his next shipment, and when it comes in..about a week..he just charges me sales tax. This is a savings of about $14 under what Flow would charge. Call me picky, but I just have a thing about ordering from sources that try to jack up their shipping and handling charges to make their profit. I would rather they be honest and up front, and price their items fairly. Well, thats my soapbox for today..use gmpartsdirect carefully, and compare the final price before you buy from them.

#1467 of 4972 Deminin, Your Advice Applies to Most Internet Sites by jdmorton

Mar 02, 2003 (6:16 pm)

The Internet is great for research and finding out what is available. It is also great for ordering items that you can't get at all locally (or in your country). But, if you can go to a parts store (or clothing store with a web page or catalog), you can usually order whatever it is you want, pay the sales tax, and save on the shipping charges.
 
Some people order from the Internet from store web sites like Wal-Mart, Sears, JC Penny Home Depot, and then are "surprised" when they find out that they have to pay hefty shipping charges (sometimes handling charges as well). Also, most (if not all) of these stores allow you to place an order and pick it up, also saving on the shipping charges.
 
Of course, some people are willing to pay these other charges for either the sheer convenience of being able to order at 2 AM on Sunday morning or they hate to go shopping.
 
For some people, time is money. Paying $25 dollars shipping and having it delivered right to your front door might be a bargain, if you work hours that don't allow you to get to the store when it is open or do a lot of traveling. For others, their time is worth a lot more than $25/hr, so if it would take an hour to pick up the item (round trip), then they might be happy to pay these charges.

#1468 of 4972 STONES FROM PASSING CARS HITTING THE SHIELD by wilfj1

Mar 02, 2003 (9:35 pm)

I've never had to replace a windshield on a car as we just don't go down gravel roads. However, I've had a stone through the shield after one month on our malibu. Now this weekend another stone, just a chip on the top right side. Now is this something common to the Malibu? is it the low profile of the hood ? Still have our 1991 lumina and not one chip on the glass. Has anyone experinced wind shield damage ?

Messages Page 147 of 498

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