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Sedans Chevrolet Malibu Chevrolet Malibu vs. Toyota Camry vs. Honda Accord
652 messages, Last post on Dec 04, 2009 at 9:01 PM
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Replying to: malexbu (Mar 09, 2007 8:43 pm) I just find it unfair that you say we cant judge the current Malibu's based on previous Malibus made by the same company. How else to predict future maintenance issues, than the previous track record? The repeated opinion in C&D and other magazines has lauded accords/camrys in different ways (reliability, initial quality and finish, etc for both-- praise for accord's sportier nature, camry's softer ride), while the malibu hasn't done as well. so the only way i can see it being logical to buy the malibu is if you're saving at least like $6,000 under a comparable camcord. otherwise, you'll end up paying (if you sell in the short term) in depreciation difference, or (in the long term) depreciation and maintenance. plus, the INITIAL quality doesn't seem to match the camcords. IDK, just my opinion. Clearly, each option's merits sways if you start saying 'i want an american car'. that's a different debate where the camcords are at an inherent disadvantage. |
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I don't really see why most people would buy the Malibu over the Impala... the Impala is actually selling better than the current Malibu, and for only a bit more you get a nicer car with more room. I don't think the currently Malibu is anything much more than a ho hum car in just about every way ie. boring... at least the Impala is a much better looker.
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Replying to: neteng101 (Mar 10, 2007 3:40 pm)
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Replying to: csandste (Mar 11, 2007 1:06 pm) A point was made that comparing a former generation to a current one is valid, I disagree. Shall we base Honda on those 1st Civics? Talk about junk, that thing was the ultimate. How about the Pony? Obviously both those companies have come a long way and GM, Ford and Chrysler have all had their exceptional vehicles, now and in the past. I bought my current Malibu based on safety (in the top 6), cost ($16k Canadian $$ for a 1 yr old car with 16,000 kms). I take advantage of 1st yr depreciation and have always come out ahead. I couldnt even buy a 4 yr old Honda for that price. Yes, that will bring up the argument about low depreciation, which is true but the Hondas I tried for that price could not compare to the 05 Malibu in value, safety and features. I tend to keep my vehicles a long time and still have my 82 GMC van with almost 300,000 kms on it and have never done anything major to it. That goes for all the vehicles I've owned, never anything major went wrong unless it was caused by abuse. If you buy a decent car to begin with, dont abuse it and take care of it, chances are you will do fine. My 05 Malibu is a solid, safe, comfortable, fun car and nothing out there can compare when you factor in cost of ownership over period of several years. So far I've been given no reason to change my cost effective buying habits. And I have the peace of mind knowing my money is staying on this continent. Yes, the imports "build" cars here but where do the big profits go? They dont stay here. I know that car buying is a personal preference but it's not fair and very closed minded to think that anyone who buys North American is ill informed and stupid. It'd be interesting to hear some other cost of ownership numbers.
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Replying to: shadow5599 (Mar 12, 2007 7:50 am)
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Replying to: elroy5 (Mar 12, 2007 2:55 pm) As far as quality only belonging to imports, that statement is growing tiresome. It's not like my Malibu is uncomfortable, leaky, no heat, no a/c, rocks for seats, burns oil, smells, breaks down, etc. It is good quality and losing more $$ per year buying imports because of perceived quality isnt worth it to me. In my situation if I'd have bought Hondas all these years, I'd have lost alot more money on vehicles. I like spending money on far better things than cars. How about a 72 Duster with a 225 slant 6. One of the most reliable engines ever built. Nobody in their right mind would trade for a Honda of that decade. It was bought in 1982 with 20,000 miles on it and looked like new. Paid $2500. I put 100,000 on it and sold it in 1994 for $500 since it had a case of the rusties quite bad. Otherwise it was running perfect, as usual. I dont recall doing anything to it except tires and a battery but I'll add $500 to be sure. 2003 Malibu bought in 2004 for $13,000 Was involved in a total loss accident 2 years later in 2006. Insurance payout was $12,500 $0 repair costs. So for the van that comes to $261/year The Duster comes to $208/year The Malibu comes to $250/year Oh I've made mistakes as well, such as buying a brand new Tempo in 1985. Yikes! But in it's defense, it was very reliable in the 4 years I owned it. Not one thing went wrong with it. It's cost was over $1000 per year to own.
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We are comparing two different things here, guys. People that buy new cars will obviously have a higher cost of ownership (due to depreciation, especially with American's quicker drop) than those buying used. It is the reason Dave Ramsey buys used - it is money smart! It proves very VERY little about the cars though. Tempo, Duster, Van, American vs Japanese, Impala...None of these help further the conversation much for people clicking this thread expecting to see discussion about Accords, Camrys, and Malibus. Just a thought... 
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Replying to: thegraduate (Mar 12, 2007 9:17 pm) As far as the comparison goes, I was reading the customer reviews on the Camry and there is the usual whining. The same as you see for most vehicles. I think the Malibu is good competition for the Camry. Most of what people say is simply opinion anyway. You have to drive and compare prices and deals to really decide. If you keep cars long term, depreciation becomes less important and more comparable. There is a definite lack of customer complaints on the new generation of Malibu. Being an owner of both generations, I have to say that the new generation is way ahead of the last. |
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Ok, my 2 cents. I went to our local auto trading site (Toronto) area and used their 'value finder' function for 05 Camry and Malibu. Here's what I got: There are 19 2005 TOYOTA CAMRYS in our listings. LOW MEDIAN HIGH $15,900.00 $19,995.00 $23,999.00 There are 27 2005 CHEVROLET MALIBUS in our listings. LOW MEDIAN HIGH $4,250.00 $13,999.00 $15,995.00 So there's about 6 grand of difference. A brief inspection revealed that on average these toyotas listed have higher mileage. I got a 05 Malibu LS for 15000$. it had 30000 km on it at that moment. When I look at used Camries with a V6 engine it looked like i could not do much better that 20-22 grand for the same or higher mileage. Now. JD Powers gives 05 Malibu 4 stars in Overall Quality and Camry of the same year is something like 4 and a half. Half a point difference, and mind you 3 stars is 'average' so both are above average. So...I beliewe Malibu has something going when it comes to used cars. My prev. car - 05 Pontiac Vibe had only 2 stars but still sold for 13900 at 68000 km (!). And the low rating is there for a reason - the Vibe definitely lacked in mechanical quality. Sure, if high resale value is the goal then Camry is your car. But if you want a car that you would keep for a while, i think there's enough data to say that Malibu is a cheaper option. |
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Replying to: yury (Mar 13, 2007 7:37 am) Cost was of course a consideration but I am not going to give up quality or safety to achieve that. I drove all these cars and in the end there was NOT a great difference in quality or feel. As far as safety, the Malibu keeps great company! Been in the top few since 04. That is if you get one with all the airbags. You'll notice the Malibu scores better than the Camry and the Honda. http://www.iihs.org/ratings/summary.aspx?class=30 |
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