Article Comments - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu First Look, First Drive, and Full Test

106 messages, Last post on Mar 30, 2008 at 2:11 PM

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

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu, Sedan

First Look: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu - There's more to the new Mailbu than just the sheet metal and the low-sheen plastic. Even the proportions look significantly better thanks to a wheelbase that's a whopping 6 inches longer than the outgoing Malibu (now the longest in the class). From nose to tail, the Malibu measures 3 inches longer than before, and this visually pushes the wheels to the corners of the car and gives it a stable look. These dimensions should also provide GM with the means to make tangible improvements in ride quality and handling compared to previous efforts. (more)

First Drive: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu - he new Malibu shares the same basic chassis as the well-received Saturn Aura, and this means the expected MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink independent rear. It differs from the Aura only in tuning, really. Chevrolet says it used a new tuning philosophy for the Malibu, and as far as we can tell, this means the car now slots between the mushy Camry and the sporty Accord. (here)

Full Test: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ - The new Malibu jumps smack in the middle of most consideration lists. It might even sell well to the lost generation in California. (more)

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#75 of 106 Re: COMPARISON MEANS NOTHING [toyota4life] by bmark Nov 21, 2007 (3:44 pm)
Replying to: toyota4life (Nov 14, 2007 6:32 pm) Read the link from Edmunds bro. Car is already selling well in the first month. With limited supply. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=123628 Replies to this message: albook (Nov 22, 2007 12:43 pm) csandste (Nov 22, 2007 12:49 pm) bmark (Nov 22, 2007 6:35 pm)
#76 of 106 Looks to be an early sucess anyway by tir Nov 21, 2007 (9:38 pm)
I work for a auto group that has a few Chevy dealers in the area and they are reporting a lot of traffic in the stores around the Malibu and selling them pretty quickly as well. I'll say this much, the interior is as nice as anything out there even in the LS versions and just gets great in the LTZ. We shall have to see how the reliablility is but assuming that works out they just might have a really solid hit on their hands. I just saw the spy photos of the Gen 2 Opel version so I would suspect that we'll see an upgrade again in 5 years to this iteration. The G6 could really use a redo so that will probably have to happen 1st I would think. Its nice to see that GM got the word on the interors that used to be such a turn off. They even lighted the interior door handles on the LS version, the whole car just seems to scream "yeah we paid attention to detail here". The seams in the interior are just that tight and the body work panels are uniform. Even the hood isn't a roll over type but has to be percisely right or it won't fit at all. I'd really like to hear what other folks who have driven this car and given it a good hard look think of it. Replies to this message: csandste (Nov 22, 2007 9:00 am)
#77 of 106 Re: Looks to be an early sucess anyway [tir] by csandste Nov 22, 2007 (9:00 am)
Replying to: tir (Nov 21, 2007 9:38 pm) Looks like they're advertising much more than they did for the Aura. Hopefully that will drive sales. Personally I like the exterior styling of the G6, but the interior is very disagreeable. I have a Malibu Maxx and I think it's much nicer day in, day out than the G6 (although my experience in a G6 is limited and as a passenger).
#78 of 106 Re: COMPARISON MEANS NOTHING [bmark] by albook Nov 22, 2007 (12:43 pm)
Replying to: bmark (Nov 21, 2007 3:44 pm) Strong seller already. GM gets it now. Let the games begin! By the way, does anyone know who won Motortrend's Car of the Year? Replies to this message: csandste (Nov 22, 2007 12:49 pm) bmark (Nov 22, 2007 6:35 pm)
#79 of 106 Re: COMPARISON MEANS NOTHING [albook] by csandste Nov 22, 2007 (12:49 pm)
Replying to: albook (Nov 22, 2007 12:43 pm) I read the CTS, although the Malibu outpointed the Accord. Replies to this message: bmark (Nov 22, 2007 6:35 pm)
#80 of 106 Re: COMPARISON MEANS NOTHING [csandste] by bmark Nov 22, 2007 (6:35 pm)
Replying to: csandste (Nov 22, 2007 12:49 pm) Yes the CTS won car of the year
#81 of 106 2008 COTY by albook Nov 23, 2007 (6:32 pm)
Yes the CTS won car of the year Yeah! Sorry, that was off topic. But the Malibu outscored the BRAND NEW Accord! And Motortrend placed the Accord above the Camry. So Chevy just beat TWO Japenese best sellers. And Chevy goes wild.
#82 of 106 1st drive of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu by jackmack Nov 25, 2007 (2:56 pm)
I just drove the chevy malibu at the Phoenix Auto Show on Noveember 24, 2007 and was greatly impressed, It was smooth and quiet even over the rough downtown steeets and had plento of power and braked nicely too. I predict this to be a top seller for Gm in 2008. Replies to this message: uplanderguy (Nov 25, 2007 3:48 pm)
#83 of 106 Re: 1st drive of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu [jackmack] by uplanderguy Nov 25, 2007 (3:48 pm)
Replying to: jackmack (Nov 25, 2007 2:56 pm) I saw my first two 2008 Malibus today, at two dealers about thirty-five miles apart on a Sunday drive to see my elderly mother today. Our local dealer still does not have one. The first was a gold 1LT with chrome-plated plastic wheelcovers and the cocoa/cashmere cloth interior. Sticker was $21,100 and I was highly impressed with the quality look of the interior AND exterior, and that sticker price. The second one was a darker brown 1LS. It had the silver-painted plastic wheelcovers and didn't look nearly as nice as the 1LT but stickered at $1,000 less. The dealer had a sign in the windshield advertising it at $19,496.00--about $600 off sticker. I'm a Chevy customer, but I can't remember being this interested in a new model, nor have I read such positive press on a new Chevy model, since the '77 Impala and Caprice, which I think were really nice cars. Bill P.