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2013 Chevy Malibu

98 messages,  Last post on Apr 18, 2013 at 6:29 PM

You are in the Chevrolet Malibu Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu, Future Vehicle, Sedan

Messages Page 4 of 11

#24 of 98 Re: New Camry Vs New Malibu [djm2] by djm2

Nov 03, 2011 (6:14 pm)

Replying to: djm2 (Aug 29, 2011 6:15 pm)
HI ALL: -----------I am looking forward to seeing the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. It is going to have a 2.5 four cylinder engine.
 
     Since the Chevrolet dealer up-dated the software in my 2010 - 4 cylinder Malibu is drives GREAT! ----- I easily get 30 mpg at 60 mph. ----- On a long road highway trip I get 33 mpg with 87 octane off brand fuel. ---- (I still service the engine every 2,500 miles at the dealer, and I use BG / MOA in the oil. ----- I also run a fuel additive to keep the injectors clean.)
 
     I will probably trade my 2007 XLE V6 Camry in the Spring! ------- If the 2013 Malibu lives up to my expectations, I will purchase one! ----- If a Turbo is offered, it might be late in the production year, so as such, I my have to delay my purchase. -------- (I still have some time left on my extended warranty on the Camry!)
 
      Best regards to all!
 
      Dwayne

#25 of 98 First Drive 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco by bwia

Dec 22, 2011 (8:27 am)

Automobile Magazine wrote a positive review of the 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco. Read full report at
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1112_2013_chevrolet_malibu_eco_drive- n/index.html

#26 of 98 Re: First Drive 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco [bwia] by malexbu

Dec 22, 2011 (10:52 pm)

Replying to: bwia (Dec 22, 2011 8:27 am)
What's positive in this report, ending with "from where we sit, it wasn't worth it"?
 
An overpriced, over-engineered car with an untested power plant, compensating odd gizmos and an abysmal fuel economy.
 
What's positive there, then?

#27 of 98 Looks nice but...(yawn) by beedublu

Dec 23, 2011 (10:19 am)

I like what I've seen of the 2013 Malibu, but then I liked the '08-'12 version, too. Except for the so-called "Camaro" taillights and a slightly boxier front end, this new 'Bu doesn't look much different from the previous one.
 
The bigger problem I have with it is the dimensional changes: Shorter, with less legroom, but wider? What's with that? It seems that they're designing the car for shorter and , uh...wider people. And with the Cruze offering decent accomodations at least up front, plus a larger trunk, why push the Malibu down in size? I don't get it.

#28 of 98 Re: New Camry Vs New Malibu [djm2] by djm2

Jan 14, 2012 (6:37 pm)

Replying to: djm2 (Nov 03, 2011 6:14 pm)
Hi All:
 
       I am still waiting to see the new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The dealer told me that it would be in the showroom sometime in April.
 
       I stopped at a Buick dealer to see the new Verano. I looked at the "top-of-the-line Verano," and it does not come with a power seat on the passenger side of the vehicle! ---- This is a BIG marketing mistake on the part of Buick. ----- My 2010 LTZ Malibu has twin front power seat! --- What was Buick thinking?
 
       Recently I took a test ride on a 2012 XLE Toyota Camry. I drove both the 4 and 6 cylinder models. This is a very nice vehicle. My dealer is very anxious to take my Camry in on trade because of my style of maintenance. He might have a buyer lined up for my vehicle.
 
       On a trip to Gettysburg PA with the Camry, I managed to get 34 mpg at 60 mph with off brand fuel and no cruise control. ------- That is not bad for a vehicle with 70,000 miles. ------- The new four cylinder Camry is rated at an average of 35 + mpg! ---- This is going to be a hard decision! (Camry vs Malibu) --- I have two excellent dealers.
 
        Best regards. -------- Dwayne

#29 of 98 Re: New Camry Vs New Malibu [djm2] by bwia

Jan 15, 2012 (7:18 am)

Replying to: djm2 (Jan 14, 2012 6:37 pm)
Dwayne,
 
I saw the 2013 Malibu at the New England auto show yesterday. Compared to the current Malibu it "looks" much bigger, closer in size to the Impala than the 2012. Standing side-by-side to the 2012 the 2013 Malibu looks like a genuine mid-size car compared to the compact like size of the current Malibu.
 
The interior design, quality and fit and finish of 2013 Malibu is superior to Camry (based on both cars displayed at the auto show) in every respect but when it comes to exterior design I would rate the Camry above the 2013 Malibu. Unlike the other Chevy products that created a buzz at the auto show, the Malibu was anonymous and forgettable by comparison. The Buick Verano is a nice car but pricey (at $28,000) and too cramped on the inside. I don’t think Buick will sell many of these as the target market seems ill defined.
 
Stay Blessed

#30 of 98 Re: New Camry Vs New Malibu [bwia] by djm2

Jan 15, 2012 (2:40 pm)

Replying to: bwia (Jan 15, 2012 7:18 am)
Hi bwia:
 
       Thank you for your posting. I will be going to an auto show at a community college in New York State. There will be a Chevrolet dealer at the show, so just maybe there will be a 2013 Malibu that I can look at!!!!!!!!
 
       My basic concerns are vehicle ride, seat comfort and mpg.
 
       I am lucky because I have two great dealers in terms of service, (Chevrolet & Toyota) I have a 2007 Camry and a 2010 LTZ Malibu.
 
       Thanks again for the information.
 
       Best regards. ---------- Dwayne

#31 of 98 Re: New Camry Vs New Malibu [bwia] by malexbu

Jan 17, 2012 (8:07 pm)

Replying to: bwia (Jan 15, 2012 7:18 am)
Compared to the current Malibu it "looks" much bigger, closer in size to the Impala than the 2012.
 
Interesting... If I remember the specs at Edmunds' correctly, 2013 is 3 or 4 inches wider than 2012 but not bigger in any other respect, and they (Edmunds.com) introduce the upcoming model this way: ... Chevrolet will debut a smaller and more fuel-efficient 2013 Malibu.
 
When you say, Standing side-by-side to the 2012 the 2013 Malibu looks like a genuine mid-size car compared to the compact like size of the current Malibu.,
do you mean that the 2012 Malibu was also presented at the show, parked next to 2013?
 
The interior design, quality and fit and finish of 2013 Malibu is superior to Camry (based on both cars displayed at the auto show) in every respect
Like what?..
but when it comes to exterior design I would rate the Camry above the 2013 Malibu.
Because?.. Maybe "the eye of the beholder"?
 
(Buick Verano) I don’t think Buick will sell many of these as the target market seems ill defined.
I am beginning to feel that Chevy won't sell many of the new Malibus. With the engine problems plaguing recent (2011) GM buyers (see other boards).
 
GM would better focus solely on reliability, aggressively taking care of those who have been made unhappy with their purchases, for real reasons. Can one name a recent (say, 2008+) GM car/SUV make or model that has been proven "solid like a rock"?...

#32 of 98 Re: New Camry Vs New Malibu [malexbu] by djm2

Jan 20, 2012 (7:39 am)

Replying to: malexbu (Jan 17, 2012 8:07 pm)
With regards to the four cylinder engine problems, most of these issues tend to be with the Chevrolet Equinox. I wonder if these engines come from a different engine plant???????? I have a four cylinder 2.4 in a 2010 LTZ Malibu that is very quiet and smooth! It now has 24,000 miles!
 
Best regards. ------------ Dwayne

#33 of 98 Re: New Camry Vs New Malibu [djm2] by malexbu

Jan 20, 2012 (9:20 pm)

Replying to: djm2 (Jan 20, 2012 7:39 am)
You are probably right about Equinox being the most visible sore spot. But I've been watching the GM cars' boards for quite a while and have a firm feeling that all the current GM cars are plagued with some fundamental problems. Don't remember how Buick has been surprising its buyers but remember that it has done so, unpleasantly. Cadillac? The 3.6L 6-cyl burns oil like crazy, stalls etc. Impala? Depends on the model year -- may be tires being quickly worn out, may be leaking gaskets. And guess what? For 2012, Impala got an improved engine -- 3.6L (the same as in in Cadillac, I figure ). Cruze has been with us for one year only and already I've got an impression that the car is causing its owners pains. (I read somewhere that its steering wheel may come off while driving... he-he... But surely the quality of the internal materials is top-notch... and the very special firm seats...) If anything, the Malibu's boards have been relatively quiet over the last year.
 
The fact that you hear more about Equinox and Impala problems may be, among other things, related to the number of the cars on the road. Where I live, I think I see dramatically more Equinoxes, and somewhat more Impalas than (the 2008+) Malibus. In fact, today, in 2012, it still seems to me that this (2008+) generation of Malibu is a newly designed line -- so few of these cars I see around. And no surprise: with roughly the same MSRP, Equinox is a much more practical vehicle, truly a UV. Being more spacious, it also claims a better highway mileage than Malibu -- 34 vs 32 MPG. What's not to like about Equinox, and what would cause one prefer Malibu? So, I figure, there are more Equinox buyers to be hit with the car's problems.
 
As for the engines, search for "GM Family II engine" at Wikipedia: the one in the 2008+ Malibu is LE5, the one in the 2011 Equinox is LAF, on which Wikipedia says:
 
   The LE5 is a larger 2.4 L... version of the Ecotec...
   The LAF is a direct injected 2.4 L. It uses technology based on GM’s other four-cylinder direct injection applications...
 
Perhaps, LAF is worse (i.e. less reliable than LE5), but these two engines don't seem to be fundamentally different. And why should one assume that the 2.4L engine in a Malibu will be always better than the one GM is happy to install in other cars?
 
I have a practical interest in watching all these troubles: 2012 had been my target year for replacing one of my Malibus with a new car (the GM card cycle being one of the factors.) Another Malibu has been the likeliest candidate. But I am reading all these boards, where day after day, somebody new pops up, cursing his past stupid belief in "the new GM". The car that I've been thinking about replacing, is a 2005 Malibu, which has been reasonably trouble-free: if anything failed, it was auxiliary equipment -- the radio, an A/C component. So, what if I buy a new Malibu, and get a PITA similar the ones I am reading about? (Impala is off my list already, purely because of its disturbing reliability.)
 
About three weeks ago, I went to a dealer and drove the 1.8L Cruze (didn't like it), and the 2.4L Malibu (still on the list.) In 20 minutes of the test driving one cannot fully evaluate a car (although some can be crossed out after the first traffic light, like Cruze.)
 
Honestly, I don't know if I liked the 2012 Malibu -- when I test-drove it in 2008, I got a more positive impression. But this is "unscientific" -- again, too little time behind the wheel.
 
Perhaps 2013 Malibu is going to be better than this generation (at least they made its front end look good, at last). But having connected the dots between the scarce bits of information about it, I do have concerns. And the biggest concern is the engine design and reliability
 
We'll see... Maybe it will be a 2012 Malibu for me: I am now encouraged with your words. "Quiet and smooth!" -- glad to hear it. After my test drive I got afraid that they have lost that already...
 
The 2008+ model owners: Have you been happy with it? Is it reliable? Would you buy it again? (This is slighly off-topic for the board about the 2013 Malibu but only slightly, and I would pick the answers posted on another board...) Thanks!...

Messages Page 4 of 11

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