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Chevrolet Malibu vs. Toyota Camry vs. Honda Accord

804 messages,  Last post on Mar 07, 2011 at 4:52 PM

You are in the Chevrolet Malibu Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 3 of 81

#17 of 804 2001 Malibu by bateejeff

Mar 04, 2007 (1:16 pm)

I don't have any experience with Camry, but may I share with you my experience with Malibu?
 
First, I’d like to mention that by no means I am trying to condemning GM or the entire domestic automobile industry. I want both GM and Ford to succeed and outperform foreign auto makers. In fact, my company makes parts for Ford and GM. If GM or Ford collapses, my job could be in jeopardy, which is one of the reasons why I always buy Ford or GM.
 
My story starts from March 2001 when I purchased a new 2001 Chevy Malibu from Doug Chevy located on South Arlington Road of Akron, Ohio. After driving it for only 5 years, I got rid of it in 2006 without any regret. If I were asked to rate the 2001 Malibu, I'd rate it as a classic piece of junk built by GM.
 
The car had many problems. For example, ever since I bought the Malibu, the warning lights (such as the Check Engine light) came on every two or three months due to bad sensors, and I had to waste money and time to get them fixed. After only 4 years, in December 2004, a mechanic at Doug Chevy diagnosed that some kind of engine gasket was leaking, and so “the engine oil is mixing with the engine coolant” (Here I’m simply quoting his words since I know very little about cars). This single repair alone cost me almost $1000 even after the dealership suggested me to use a 10% discount coupon that was cut from the local phone book, and I was surprised that the repair was not covered by the power train warranty. During the 5-year period I owned the vehicle, I got bogged down numerous times due to mechanical problems such as bad starter etc.. By the time when I dumped the car, the repair bills plus tow truck expenses had totaled almost $4000.
  
On top of many other problems, the car developed a window fogging/frosting problem, i.e., frog or frost, depending on temperature, built up on inside windows in wintertime, and I couldn't see through the side windows while driving, which was a very dangerous situation. During wintertime, each morning when I drove through the gate of my company's campus, the security guard could not see my face through the side window due to the frost, and so I had to roll down the window so that the guard could identify me and let me through the gate. That eventually became a joke in my company, and literally all of my co-workers knew about my crappy Malibu. I didn't have to have a bad mouth about Chevy, but the poor quality of the Malibu was too obvious for me to hide.
 
I visited several local Chevy dealerships (including Doug Chevy who sold me the vehicle) begging them to fix the window frosting problem. First, they didn't want to admit that there was such a problem with the car. They blamed me for not knowing how to use the climate control system. That was a real insult to me. I got my Ph.D. Does one need to know rocket science in order to operate the Malibu? Eventually, on one cold morning, I showed the car to a dealership when the side windows were coated with a thick layer of frost. And, guess what? The dealership people couldn't remove the frost by using the climate control system even after the mechanic drove the car for a while. Therefore, they finally agreed with me that the window fogging/frosting problem was not an artifact caused by the vehicle owner's no-knowledge of how to operate the vehicle, and they agreed to fix the problem for me. Guess how they tried to fix it? They argued that the frosting problem was caused by my stepping into the car with my wet feet, and so they dehydrated the carpet several times hoping to eliminate the frosting problem. Of course, that didn't fix the problem. Eventually, they told me that that was all they could do, and they suggested me to de-hydrate the floor mats every week. I was very disappointed. How could GM build a vehicle which they don't even know how to fix? The incompetence of GM is rather obvious.
 
In addition, it seems that GM shows no respect for its customers. For example, ever since I bought the vehicle, GM kept sending me correspondence addressed to "Mr. ... Low". I have no idea how GM could invent a family name like "Low" for me. I made innumerable attempts to get my name corrected. I initially visited Doug Chevy where I bought my vehicle. The dealership blamed GM Chevy division. Then, I contacted GM, but GM told me that it was the dealership's fault and so they referred me back to the dealership. So, I went back to the dealership. The dealership told me that my last name was 100% correct in the computer system of the dealership and that it is GM's responsibility to correct my name in GM's computer system. Then, I talked with GM again and complained profoundly. Eventually, GM seemed to indicate that they would take actions to correct my name. But later, I still kept receiving letters and postcards that were addressed to "Mr. Low". Then, I called GM again, but GM told me that those correspondences were sent out by the dealership who used GM's name. So, I went back to the dealership and showed them the letters and postcards. The people at the dealership laughed and said that since the letters and postcards were clearly printed with GM Chevy Division's Toledo address, this correspondence had nothing to do with the dealership. Once again, I got kicked out of the dealership without resolving the problem. Then, I contacted GM one more time, but GM blamed the dealership again. The same story I heard over and over again from GM and the dealership. It seems that stupidity seems to be the rule rather than the exception. I didn’t seem to see anything else I could do on my part to get my name corrected. Eventually, I gave up.
 
After I got rid of the 2001 Chevy Malibu, I was going to buy a 2006 Malibu, because I wanted to save money (I had almost $3000 GM credit card rebate) and also because I tried to cash in on the GM supplier's discount program (As I mentioned earlier, my company is a GM supplier). However, due to our bad experience with the 2001 Malibu, my wife strongly disapproved of buying another Malibu. I tried to defend GM by saying that the 2001 Malibu didn't do well because it was the early model year and so GM didn't have the chance to debug everything. I argued that the 2006 Malibu had been re-designed and so all the bugs in the early models had been worked out.
 
Despite the strong disapproval by my wife, I visited Burt Greenwald, a Chevy dealership at Akron, Ohio. Before the sale rep showed me the 06 Malibu, he was touting that the vehicle had won some kind of JD Power's Initial Quality Award. I jokingly replied, "Please show me the initial quality before you brag about it". What happened next is hilarious! None of the four 06 Malibu’s on the dealership's lot would start because the batteries were dead. Perhaps because the vehicles had not been test driven for a long time (presumably because few people care buying a Malibu). I questioned the sales rep, “Where did the Initial Quality Award come from? The

#18 of 804 Part 2 of 2001 Malibu by bateejeff

Mar 04, 2007 (1:22 pm)

Looks like part of my previous message got cut off because the message was too long. So I post the cut-off part below:
 
After I got rid of the 2001 Chevy Malibu, I was going to buy a 2006 Malibu, because I wanted to save money (I had almost $3000 GM credit card rebate) and also because I tried to cash in on the GM supplier's discount program (As I mentioned earlier, my company is a GM supplier). However, due to our bad experience with the 2001 Malibu, my wife strongly disapproved of buying another Malibu. I tried to defend GM by saying that the 2001 Malibu didn't do well because it was the early model year and so GM didn't have the chance to debug everything. I argued that the 2006 Malibu had been re-designed and so all the bugs in the early models had been worked out.
 
Despite the strong disapproval by my wife, I visited Burt Greenwald, a Chevy dealership at Akron, Ohio. Before the sale rep showed me the 06 Malibu, he was touting that the vehicle had won some kind of JD Power's Initial Quality Award. I jokingly replied, "Please show me the initial quality before you brag about it". What happened next is hilarious! None of the four 06 Malibu’s on the dealership's lot would start because the batteries were dead. Perhaps because the vehicles had not been test driven for a long time (presumably because few people care buying a Malibu). I questioned the sales rep, “Where did the Initial Quality Award come from? The cars don’t even start!” The sales person had to borrow another vehicle to jump start one of the 06 Malibu’s. Even after jump starting, the sale person was afraid to get bogged down and insisted that I test drive the vehicle on local roads instead of highway. I think he simply had no confidence on a new vehicle which he bragged about being an award winner. Since it was getting dark, I agreed with him and took a local road (Rt. 261 near Rolling Acre Mall of Akron) for test driving. After a few minutes on the road, I noticed that at the roadside ahead of me, there was a shining, new-looking, but bogged down vehicle with its hood open. I joked to the Chevy sales rep who sat by me, “Hopefully, that’s not a Chevy bogged down”. He said, “no-no, that can’t be one of us.” Guess what? When we drove by the bogged down vehicle, I saw clearly the Chevy cross logo, and, surprisingly, the vehicle looked brand new. I said to the sales rep, “Is that bogged down vehicle from your dealership? Is it another vehicle with a dead battery? No wonder you don’t want me to test drive on highway.” The sales rep offered no comments on what I said. After test driving, I parked the 06 Malibu near the dealership’s main door and turned off the engine. But, the sales person changed his mind and wanted me to park the car back to where we picked up the car, the reason being that the dealership was about to close and he didn’t want to leave the vehicle overnight near the main door. Following his instructions, I tried to re-start the engine. Guess what? The engine wouldn't re-start because the battery became dead again. At that moment, the sale person became very embarrassed. I could see his face turning red like a tomato. What a bizarre day of car shopping for me! When I told friends about what happened that day, they all burst into laugh. Some had difficulty in believing and asked whether I made up the story.
 
Discouraged by the "Initial Quality" of the 06 Malibu, I became hesitant to buy another Chevy. Eventually, I bought a 07 Buick Rendezvous in November 06 in order to utilize my GM credit card rebate. So far the Rendezvous has been running OK. There have been only a few minor issues. If the Rendezvous doesn't do good for me, it will be very difficult for me to convince myself to buy another GM car in the future, and I will likely try a Japanese car to get a comparison. Maybe the lawn is indeed greener on the other side of the town. Or, may be not.
 
When my wife changed her car last year, I was unable to convince her to buy a GM or Ford. She simply had enough bad experience with GM and Ford and so couldn't take any more. She bought a 07 Toyota Avalon, and so far she loves it.
 
Being an American citizen and working for a company making parts for GM and Ford, I have been a staunch supporter of the US auto industry for many years by always buying American cars (either Ford or GM). On the other hand, I've become increasingly disappointed by the quality of GM and Ford. It is very sad to watch GM and Ford going down hill while foreign automakers like Toyota and Honda simply thriving. If GM and Ford reach Chapter 11 someday, what will it mean for the country? I wish GM and Ford would listen to customers about their concerns and improve the quality of their vehicles.

#19 of 804 Re: Part 2 of 2001 Malibu [bateejeff] by madurbs

Mar 04, 2007 (6:23 pm)

Replying to: bateejeff (Mar 04, 2007 1:22 pm)
Bateejeff: As an American citizen I gave up on the domestic nameplates in 05. Too many bad experiences (GM). I have had no problem going to what some consider the "dark side". I have been the happy owner of a foreign nameplate that is assembled in the United States. Competition is a great thing in this industry and any industry. The domestic nameplates continue to improve but not enough IMO to earn my dollars. Great story on your shopping experience.

#20 of 804 Re: 2001 Malibu [bateejeff] by malexbu

Mar 04, 2007 (8:37 pm)

Replying to: bateejeff (Mar 04, 2007 1:16 pm)
,--- You (bateejeff) [ Mar 04, 2007 (12:16 pm) ]
|
| I tried to defend GM by saying that the 2001 Malibu didn't do well
| because it was the early model year and so GM didn't have the chance
| to debug everything. I argued that the 2006 Malibu had been
| re-designed and so all the bugs in the early models had been worked
| out.
 
It sounds as if you think that 2001 is an earlier model of 2006,
whereas its a totally different car. Why even compare them?
 
If you want to make the case that Malibu 2001 sucked, providing such a
detailed account of your experience, I wouldn't argue with you -- not
because I know it sucked but because I don't know if it did not.
 
But what does it matter for a different car -- Malibu 2004+?
 
Your story about the test drive is entertaining and it is
understandable that you skipped Malibu 2006 -- but can one honestly
base a car's reliability record on that kind of experience?
 
I'd say, based on my own experience with Malibu 2005 and having read
multiple other owners' accounts, that you made a mistake not buying
Malibu 06 -- but, hey, you've got a chance to tell your friends a
funny story and let the world know about a few Chevy dealers who had
displeased you.
 
| The incompetence of GM is rather obvious.
  
| In addition, it seems that GM shows no respect for its
| customers. For example, ever since I bought the vehicle, GM kept
| sending me correspondence addressed to "Mr. ... Low". I have no idea
| how GM could invent a family name like "Low" for me.
 
Yeah, that's highly truly very important to know! Why did you even go to
test drive Malibu 06 after all that incompetence and disrespect?
 
| She bought a 07 Toyota Avalon, and so far she loves it.
 
Er... I bought two 2005 Malibu's (in the year 2005) and so far I love
them!.. But surely 07 Avalon's record of reliability is much
stronger, who'd argue with that?...
 
BTW, batteries do go dead in cars that stand on a lot.
 
My second Malibu, which I test drove fine in December 2005, didn't
even start when I was getting it, registered, a few days later. The
battery "didn't have juice". A shocker? You bet!... You should have
seen the salesman and his manager's faces...
 
OK, they replaced the battery on the spot, without me asking, in some
ten minutes, putting in a better battery than the OEM one. The car
has been serving me well since then. 15,000 miles on the odometer.
 
I love the Chevy dealers I've dealt with and I love two my little
Bu's.
 
Good luck with your Rendezvous, BTW!

#21 of 804 Re: Part 2 of 2001 Malibu [bateejeff] by captain2

Mar 05, 2007 (4:01 pm)

Replying to: bateejeff (Mar 04, 2007 1:22 pm)
understanding your companies interest in GM/Ford products, do you also not realize that your wife's Avalon is more of an 'American' car than either your Malibu or Buick?

#23 of 804 Re: 05 Malibu [shadow5599] by elroy5

Mar 06, 2007 (8:16 pm)

Replying to: shadow5599 (Jun 23, 2006 8:36 am)
The new design is so much better and competes very nicely with the Camry, Accord or any other car in it's class.
 
This statement is very familiar. It's the same thing they said about the 97-02 Malibu. In 97 it was named "Car of the year" and was "recomened" by Consumer Reports. I have experience with the 01 Malibu, and it is a very crude car. "Quality and Refinement" are not words I would use to describe the Malibu. Some people are not concerned with quality and refinement, and just want a basic A to B car. I am totally ok with that. Everyone has their own wants and needs. I do appreciate Quality and Refinement, and I am willing to pay extra for it.
 
The Malibu competes well with cars in it's own price range. It does not compete well at all, with the Accord IMO.

#24 of 804 I've had both by lovetocamp

Mar 06, 2007 (8:18 pm)

I have had Chevy's and Toyota's and all I can say if you like the Malibu I am happy for you but I really think this is a GM employee trying to keep his job. I had a 10 year old Toyota that was still worth $5,000. I've had 3 year old Chevy's that weren't worth that much.

#25 of 804 Re: I've had both [lovetocamp] by malexbu

Mar 06, 2007 (9:24 pm)

Replying to: lovetocamp (Mar 06, 2007 8:18 pm)
,--- elroy5 [ Mar 06, 2007 (7:16 pm) ]
|
| This statement is very familiar. It's the same thing they said about
| the 97-02 Malibu. In 97 it was named "Car of the year" and was
| "recomened" by Consumer Reports. I have experience with the 01
| Malibu, and it is a very crude car.
 
I guess we should be concerned with the new (2004+) Malibu now that we
are in the year 2007
 
| "Quality and Refinement" are not words I would use to describe the Malibu.
 
You speak from the personal experience with a Malibu 2004+?
 
| Some people are not concerned with quality and refinement, and just
| want a basic A to B car. I am totally ok with that. Everyone has
| their own wants and needs. I do appreciate Quality and Refinement,
| and I am willing to pay extra for it.
 
And if Q&R were coming on the cheap, you'd mind?
 
Seriously, do you have anything to say about Malibu 2004+ based not on
your reading but on the owning or at least driving?
 
| The Malibu competes well with cars in it's own price range.
 
What else could Chevy wish?
 
| It does not compete well at all, with the Accord IMO.
 
Does Accord compete well with BMW? Wanna say that Accord and BMW are
in different price ranges? Malibu should beat the cars 1.5 (or 2?)
times more expensive, but the same should not apply to Accord?
 
,-- lovetocamp [ Mar 06, 2007 (7:18 pm) ]
|
| I had a 10 year old Toyota that was still worth $5,000. I've had 3
| year old Chevy's that weren't worth that much.
 
Chevy and Toyota's depreciation are clearly different and if this is
the determining factor in buying, well, one should go to Toyota
without hesitation. But this is not everybody's significant factor --
not for me, in particular.
 
What about the "price to quality" ratios in the new cars? How does,
say, base Malibu 2006 sedan stack up against a base Camry or Accord?
This is a serios question -- I don't know the answer. I *feel* as if
I know it -- but I don't know for a fact.
 
Obviously, Camry and Accord are excellent cars -- one needs to spend
just a little time in each to feel that. But so Malibu feels to many.
 
Obviously, Camry and Accord have excellent reliability reputions
(disputed at times, at least for the new Camry, AFAIU). But so Malibu
apparently does (and read Edmunds.com for that, not the joke of
"Consumer Report", please).
 
If you placed a new base Camry and Accord in front of me and said,
"Pick one -- it's yours for the same money" (let's say, "free"), I
wouldn't know which one to pick. I'd need to do some research to make
the decision. (I'd probably end up with the Accord, but I am not
quite certain.)
 
If you did the same placing a base Malibu and one of Camry or Accord
in front of me -- "Take either -- same price", I would not hesitate a
moment -- I'd pick the Camry or Accord on the spot. Not because I have
reservations about Malibu (I don't). Not because I *know* that
Camcord is a better car (I don't). Just because for the same price a
Camcord would be a better deal than Malibu (and, as opposed to a
similar imaginary experiment with Malibu agains Cadillac, I wouldn't
need to worry about the anti-Malibu repairs).
 
But this is *for the same price*. In real life, a base Malibu is
vastly less expensive than a Camcord, with no established inferiority
I am aware of. So, why should I pay more to buy the latter? To
possibly get some of my money back in 10 years?.. Sorry, there are
better investment ideas than that -- kid yourself if you wish but I'll
park my $7K+ elsewhere and in 10 years we'll see if you are able to
sell your Camry for $7K+ more than I will my Malibu.
 
Am I wrong with the numbers? Counterarguments, anybody?

#26 of 804 A loaded Honda Accord is $24k these days by thegraduate

Mar 07, 2007 (11:28 am)

How much is a loaded Malibu? I don't know how much these cars are going for. Someone care to tell me? I'd assume a loaded Malibu SS would compete best with the Accord (it comes closest to horsepower with the Accord (Honda has 244), still doesn't have a 5-speed auto though.

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