You are here: Forums Sedans Chevrolet Malibu Chevrolet Malibu

Chevrolet Malibu

4908 messages,  Last post on Aug 14, 2009 at 12:47 PM

You are in the Chevrolet Malibu Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu, Sedan

Messages Page 5 of 491 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 491 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

#41 of 4908 '00 Malibu LS Questions by lacrusier Oct 03, 2000 (6:20 am)
Bought a '00 Malibu LS two weeks ago, so far have 550 miles on it. We both liked it very much and hope to keep the car for many years if it cooperates with us. Have following questions and would appreciate your inputs. 1. In Owner's Manual, it states "Don't drive at any one speed -- fast or slow -- for the first 500 miles." Does anyone know the technical reasons for this? 2. The car comes with standard 3-yr/36,000-mile warranty. The dealer also offers 6-yr/60,000-mile extended warranty from GM, which costs considerably higher than others available from credit union or the Internet. Does anyone have any recommendations on this?
#42 of 4908 LACRUISER by malibu99 Oct 03, 2000 (1:35 pm)
The reason they say not to drive at a set speed for the first 500 miles is because your engine is breaking in during that period. Basically if you go at one set speed during that time the engine will wear uneven and it could result in harsh performance in the future. Keep the speeds below 60MPH and just do some city driving or so. This will allow the metal parts to start wearing evenly and it will help your engine "get used" to your driving habits. After that have fun! I haven't had experiences with other warranties but I did have experience with GMPP. It was ok since I only had to use it twice ( hood cable, solenoid) for my Beretta. Good luck!
#43 of 4908 lacruiser by ghtrap Oct 03, 2000 (5:00 pm)
The extended warranty from the dealer is loaded with profit for the dealer. They will negotiate if pressed on the price. If they refuse to negotiate, consider one of the other options. Read the fine print carefully. Your credit union's deal may be more credible than some of the internet deals. Stay with known companies. Good luck!
#44 of 4908 . by martini6 Oct 04, 2000 (6:00 pm)
I bought '97 malibu in July with only 30,000 miles on it. I was able to get a one year warranty with the purchase to cover any unexpected problems. I like this car. The only thing is, I have this uneasy feeling about it. I notice that the car seems to vibrate and throb when I'm at idle or at low speeds. I don't know if it contines when I'm on the freeway because I can't sense it. Also, when I'm on the freeway, the acceleraton seems sluggish sometimes, especially going up-hill. Other than that the car runs great and is in pristine condition. My dad, who knows about cars, says that there is nothing wrong with it, but I still feel uncomfortable. Any ideas to my mind at rest?
#45 of 4908 martini6 by malibu99 Oct 04, 2000 (8:54 pm)
Just sit back and enjoy the drive without focusing on problems. The mind is tricky and since the 97 model s was kinda iffy it can create unnecessary worries, Not all 97 and 98 models were bad. enjoy the car
#46 of 4908 calling all Malibu owners.... by sauer4 Oct 05, 2000 (12:53 pm)
I am new to this but somehow stumbled onto this site, in my search for reviews. My husband and I have recently been offered a deal on a 1998 Malibu LS. I was just wondering what this car is all about. Any out there with Pros? Cons? We currently own a 1991 Honda Accord with 199,860 miles on it!! AND I still love it!! I have heard that this Malibu is comparable to the Accord. Is this true? I still have alot of miles left on my Accord, but need something newer, with less miles. Anyone with any info, please pass it on... Thanks
#47 of 4908 sauer4 by malibu99 Oct 05, 2000 (1:57 pm)
The Malibu is comparable to the Accord but I would look into a late 99 model. While not ALL 97-98 models were bad some issues were present. However keep in mind that most 98 owners haven't had major issues, mosty issue were the 97 models built in 1996. That's all the info I can offer right now. I have a late production 99 and I love this car more everyday. Great car! Good luck!
#48 of 4908 sauer4 by yurakm Oct 05, 2000 (3:36 pm)
I have a 98 Malibu, build in July 97. We bought it used (and probably somewhat abused) in September 98, when it was one year old, with 15k miles on odometer. Not LS one, but close thing: 3.1l v-6 engine, power everything, and very decent cassette radio with 6 speakers in 4 places. We had put additional 21k miles, mostly city traffic, and have 2 years experience with this car now. Our friends have an 4-cylinders Accord of about the same age, so I probably can compare. The Malibu is more powerful, have better acceleration. Especially at slower speed, as in city. Not bad at highways too: passing and takes hills better than any 4 bangers, and than most of older v-6 cars, but not competitive with v-6 Accords or Camry of the same age. The Malibu is larger, especially inside. Have a huge trunk, were we load all our beach stuff at spring and are carrying it till late fall. A lot of legroom at rear - very important with teenager kids and, again, can easy load and carry a lot of belonging. The Accord is substantially quieter. At least comparing with the base Malibu: I have read somewhere than the LS Malibu have more noise-suppressing materials. I'd said that the Accord's dash is a bit more convenient. Mostly it is just matter of time to became accustomed, but the Malibu dash has one substantial drawback: the air condition ducts cannot be adjusted to aim high enough, away from both driver and the front passenger. There was only one substantial design problem with Malibu: the front brake rotors were prone to warp. Currently GM changed the design or material, and the problem is all but disappear. But the replacement at Chevrolet dealership may cost $300 to $500. There are some aftermarket brakes with even better reputation, and they are also cheaper. But be prepared to spend this money, if you are buying the Malibu. Concerning the build quality: our friends had no problems with their Accord. With we could to say the same about our car. Nothing major, but we had smaller problems to solve every time when we visited our dealer to change oil. Some sticky sensor at the door (simply need lube), failed speaker, noise from the strut (again, simply lube), the plastic cord holding the fuel tank plug was broken at 34k, a fun resistor need to be replaced... Summary: Malibu have better powertrain and the general design, Accord have better attention to detail both in design and build quality. Probably Accord will be more reliable and serve longer, but it is much more expensive, especially with used cars.
#49 of 4908 fun resistor? by iusecad Oct 05, 2000 (5:28 pm)
I didn't see that one in the brochure! I guess you can have too much fun in a Malibu?
#50 of 4908 iusecad by yurakm Oct 05, 2000 (6:49 pm)
Or yes, many typos. The spellchecker does not read my mind well

Messages Page 5 of 491 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 491 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

You are here: Forums Sedans Chevrolet Malibu Chevrolet Malibu