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Chevrolet Malibu: Meet the Owners

176 messages,  Last post on Nov 29, 2006 at 11:38 AM

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu, Sedan

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#174 of 176 Re: [KarenS] by gonogo Nov 23, 2006 (4:25 am)
Replying to: KarenS (Jun 02, 2004 9:13 am) Since when did the 04 Malibu come with the side seat airbag option. My understanding is it was not available until 05.
#175 of 176 New 2006 Malibu SS Owner - 5 month update by nickrct Nov 27, 2006 (12:36 pm)
Hi All,   I purchased a brand new Silver 2006 Malibu SS five months ago, here's my report to date. First off, I got a great deal through the place I work where I was able to get GM Supplier Pricing plus a dealer rebate of $1,500. In all that knocked off about $4,500 off the MSRP. If you are looking to buy a GM vehicle, never go by the sticker price, you can usually get thousands off if you look around for rebates. Also, I kept pressuring with the dealer because I knew wanted the sell and I said I wasn't paying for the XM radio because it was not a feature I wanted. Since he could't find another SS model he bit the cost on that XM receiver. He had also offered free oil changes for 5 years but I swapped that for a $500 dollar gas card instead, because I like to change my own oil.   As for the car, its been terrific. I've already put about 8K miles on it, a combination of Citi and Highway driving. The engine is different from the base 4 banger and the other V6 model I test drove. The 3.9L engine is a romp to drive, The variable valve timing defintely helps...and yes it feels like overkill at times, but being a young driver its a good feeling. The downside is obviously the reduced MPG, I'm averaging about 23-25MPG, which is to be expected by an engine this size. I know some ppl have been complaining about the steering with the other Malibu models but the SS came with power hydraulic steering which has been excellent. Its precise and speed sensitive, so I think the steering problems are restricted to the electronic power steering (EPS) in he other models.   Some of the other Pros: - The Suspension: Tight and agressively tuned, its not floaty or all and that helps take turns smoothly. - The Body Mouldings: The spoilers and rocker panels are all different than the normal Malibus' and look terrific. - The Wheels: This consistently gets comments and remarks from everyone. They are a perfect design for this car I think, the 18 inches are just big enough to draw stares but small enough so that the ride quality isn't affected. - Easy to maintain: This may be a minor thing for some but for me it was important. The oil pan and filter were easily accessible ensuring that keeping the car maintainted is an easy job. (My old subaru was a pain cuz the filter was inside the wheel well.) Parts for GM cars are also obviously cheaper.   The Cons - They really should have added an extra gear or two to the transmission. Although there is more than enough power from the V6 to cruise at highway speeds at around 2,000 rpm's...an extra gear would have utilized the engine more efficently. - The radio controls...lots of buttons,a simpler interface would have helped. - The leather seats...they have cloth inserts in the middle so techinically its not fully leather...but this could be a good thing also because now that its getting colder I'm glad I'm not freezing my a$$ in the morning on cold leather. - The wire seatback holders...whats that about?   In all though...I'm quite happy with my SS. It fulfills the rational side of my brain with the power/speed side of my other side. Replies to this message: clarencehollow (Nov 29, 2006 11:38 am)
#176 of 176 43,000 mile update on fuel economy on my 2005 Malibu (new style) by clarencehollow Nov 29, 2006 (11:38 am)
Replying to: nickrct (Nov 27, 2006 12:36 pm) Well, I have been posting occasionally blurbing about my 2005 Malibu Base I bought in Nov 2004. It has the 4 cylinder and the window sticker said 25 city, 35 highway. I also have seen where many websites list best fuel economy cars but the Malibu was not on there. I wonder why, look at these stats. I just completed a trip from Gulf Shores Alabama (where I am temp. living) to Buffalo NY, about a 1175 mile trip one way. I just got back and averaged 33.7 mpg the whole trip, that is highway and city. About 100 miles from destination back in Alabama, I logged a record 39.9 mpg travelling above 70 mph much of the time. So that means my 2005 Chevy Malibu got 39.9 mpg! I could not beleive how far I went one one tank of gas, and how nice my car was. I also enjoy the replacement Bridgestone Turanza's I put on. They are the best water tire and make the car very quiet. Most people think I have a 6 cylinder.

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