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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 10 of 10

#88 of 98 2013 owner report by bryan

Jan 09, 2013 (12:59 pm)

I have a 2013 Malibu, 2LT. Atlantis Blue with the cocoa/cashmere leather interior.
 
My partner and I have four Malibus now; an '07 LS, an '08 2LT, an '10 2LT. Here's my take on each one:
 
'07: Currently 60K miles on the clock. 4cyl with 4speed auto. Noisiest of the bunch to drive; no sunroof. Has routinely gotten the best mileage of them all, 37-38 highway. Rated at 30 IIRC. Cheapest interior, by far. Intermediate steering staff and both key fobs replaced under the extended warranty at 59K. Loosest steering feel of them all. Visually meh, inside and out.
 
'08: Has 42K miles; 4 cyl with 4speed auto. Quietest (is that a word?) of the bunch; no sunroof. Routinely gets 33-34 MPG highway. Rated at 30. Tighter fitting interior than the '10. Very nice interior finish; not much similarity to the '07. Just much improved with ergonomics and quality. Intermediate steering staff replaced at 39K under extended warranty. When they are parked together in the driveway, you can really see how much GM/Chevy improved the styling. Car drives like it did new. Much improved from the '07. Very attractive car.
 
'10: Has 23K miles; 4 cyl with 6speed auto. Almost as quiet as the '08; has a sunroof. Routinely get 34-36 mpg mighway. Rated at 33. Interior slightly tweaked from '08. Had the computer reflashed due to shifting issues. Made improvements but still hunts for gears at times. NO other issues. Car drives better than new due to computer reflash. Very attractive car.
 
I think the '08/'10 were vast improvements over the '07; now the '13 takes the Malibu to another level.
 
I had an '08 CTS for 15 months (took over a pre-paid lease). That was an absolutely awesome car to drive; it had the 3.6 6 speed auto AWD. By far the best drivetrain of any car I have owned; lousiest stereo of any car I've had in many years. Would have purchased the car but the negotiated residual was way too high at lease end.
 
'13: is stunning to my eyes, both inside and out. The driving dynamics are the closest to the CTS. I don't care about rear seat legroom, but do understand its importance to others.
 
I believe GM/Chevy made a huge mistake with the launch of this car. The ECO version completely turned me off, since the new 2.5 4 cyl is 34 highway EPA rated versus 37 for the ECO. Plus, the ECO "stuff" took up way too much of the trunk. However, once I drove the non-ECO version, I ordered one to my color/equipment specs.
 
I just retured from a 2400 miles road trip. I averaged almost 33 MPG at 70-74 MPH. Feels like a more expensive car; sounds like one too with the door "thunk". Controls are very different from the '08/'10, but very intuitive. I really like the MyLink touch screen; back-up camera; lane-departure warning device. Much more safety equipment. Love the hands-free phone usage. Better sound system than the CTS. Interior quality is enhanced; I like the self-rising trunk too. I would buy this car again.

#89 of 98 Re: 2013 owner report [bryan] by gmcustsvc

Jan 09, 2013 (1:47 pm)

Replying to: bryan (Jan 09, 2013 12:59 pm)
bryan,
 
We always love to hear happy owner stories - thank you for your continued enthusiasm for the Malibu! We wish you many more happy miles!
 
Sarah, GM Customer Service

#90 of 98 Re: 2013 owner report [bryan] by ab348

Jan 09, 2013 (7:37 pm)

Replying to: bryan (Jan 09, 2013 12:59 pm)
Interior quality is enhanced
 
Bryan,
 
Can you expand on this? To me, both in pictures and in person, the '08-'12 interior seems more attractive than the '13. The overuse of fake woodgrain and the mishmash of different materials and textures turn me off the '13, along with the squared-off instrument binnacles and the round-top center stack. The earlier generation just seems far more integrated to my eye. But I would be interested in your perspective.

#91 of 98 Re: 2013 owner report [ab348] by bryan

Jan 10, 2013 (6:58 am)

Replying to: ab348 (Jan 09, 2013 7:37 pm)
I agree that the 08-12 interior was done quite well. I think the '13 is different yet similar in some regards, if that makes sense.
 
The interior design is like the Camaro with its squared-off instrument binnacles, etc. I don't mind that at all. The woodgrain? Doesn't bother me; I've seen much worse on more expensive cars.
 
I really like the improved look/feel of the dash and other materials. I like the light/dark contrast with the light-colored seats. The center stack makes sense to me given all the new goodies that come with the MyLink system.
 
I like the feel of the new steering wheel and the shifter. The DIC is far improved and I like being able to scroll through and digitally display the speed, like the CTS did.
 
The MyLink is intuitive; you can do so much through that screen or use the other controls for the stereo, climate control, etc. The hands-free phone linkage works very well.
 
Better trunk ingress/egress. Quieter interior; improved door "thunk". I think the 08-12 is very attractive; the '13 even more so. Side profile especially.
 
Is the car perfect? No. A couple of minor "complaints"--why no express up on the power windows? Can't seem to find the speed control volume option like I have on the other Malibus.
 
I believe the '08 was such a vast improvement over the previous generation that some might be disappointed that the '13 may not seem to be such a leap compared to the outgoing model.
 
I would suggest people drive this car before it is summarily dismissed. I know I'm glad I did. Hope this helps.

#92 of 98 Re: Revision Coming [dodgeman07] by dispencer2

Feb 07, 2013 (11:23 pm)

Replying to: dodgeman07 (Dec 09, 2012 12:09 am)
They did all that. It is called the 2008-12 Malibu. As soon as I read that GM was shortening the wheelbase 5" I immediately bought a 2011 which has plenty of rear seat leg room. The reason GM cheapened the Malibu -which is exactly what they did - was to allow the 2014 Impala to be the "big" Chevrolet. The Malibu actually was bigger inside than the 2006-13 Impala. Anyway the reaction from buyers at the local Chevy dealer is that buyers are unhappy with the car. I'm perfectly happy with my 2011 and it is far better than the new one. It was a good decision. If you can find a left over 12 buy it instead of the 13.

#93 of 98 Re: Revision Coming [dispencer2] by bryan

Feb 14, 2013 (8:37 am)

Replying to: dispencer2 (Feb 07, 2013 11:23 pm)
I disagree with "cheapening" the '13. It is clearly superior in quality to my 08 and 10, especially in interior quality and driving dynamics.
 
Making the car "smaller" than the incoming new Impala makes some sense to me. Since I don't buy a car for rear seat room, that's just a non-issue to me. However, I can understand those for whom it is.
 
There is no comparison in how the 08 and 10 drive versus the 13. The 13 is far superior in so many areas.

#94 of 98 Re: Revision Coming [bryan] by 93923

Apr 07, 2013 (10:22 pm)

Replying to: bryan (Feb 14, 2013 8:37 am)
I could not agree more w/ the driving dynamics of this car. I have a basic model as a company car for a car w/ a msrp of 23K I could not believe how well this car handles and the quality of ride. I own a 2009 porsche 911 so I feel I have a good benchmark for quality. The Malibu is no 911 but the handling and ride of this car is very impressive. I would recommend having a test drive of this car and take it though the paces especially if you can take it on winding road to see just how well this car corners . I also own a 2007 Chevy Avalance w/ 217k miles w/ only a starter replacement and throttle body replacement $700 total costs. Still runs great w/ no rattles flexing or squeaks. . That being said I think Chevy has come a long way in quality and deserves a look.

#95 of 98 Re: Revision Coming [93923] by gmcustsvc

Apr 08, 2013 (11:23 am)

Replying to: 93923 (Apr 07, 2013 10:22 pm)
Glad to hear we are able to meet you expectations:-). I would love to hear more about your vehicle story:-) Can you send me a private message at socialmediagm.com "attn Crystal" in the subject line please? Thank You for being a GM customer!
 
Sincerely,
Crystal L. GM Customer

#96 of 98 2013 Malibu, Electrical Issues by kz8901

Apr 09, 2013 (7:29 pm)


 
2013 Malibu, 7800 miles, Base Unit
 
I just had my car returned to me after 3 and a half weeks at the dealer for them to tell me that the issue was the battery.
They stated that every 28 minutes for the entire time they had the car is would draw 4 amps of power FROM the battery until it dies(This occurs when the car is off.), then has to be jumped. How could the battery be the issue when it dies because something else is drawing the power?!
When this first occurred, I tried to turn the key in the ignition and "check engine" light illuminated and the Windshield wipers slowly wiped across the window (They were in the OFF position). They key also became stuck in the ignition cylinder. I could only move the key to ACC, ON, and CRANK. I could not get the key to the OFF to remove it.
Today after getting the car back today I locked it with the FOB and the lights activated but the horn made no sound. I contacted the dealer back, having just left there two hours prior, and they advised me to pull the fuses. I found the fuses had popped so I had replaced them.
The horn no longer sounds the same. It only sounds the high tone and not the dual tone.
 
I pay $460 dollars a month for a car that is NOT in my possession. Clearly I should have bought a FORD!
 
I am planning to contact my lawyer to initiate the lemon law.
 
Anyone having similar issues/comments/concerns can contact me direct forddude20yahoo.com
 
Thank you for taking the time to read!

#97 of 98 Re: 2013 Malibu, Electrical Issues [kz8901] by gmcustsvc

Apr 11, 2013 (2:43 pm)

Replying to: kz8901 (Apr 09, 2013 7:29 pm)
Hi kz8901,
 
I've reached out to you through the email you've provided.
 
Amber N.
GM Customer Care

Messages Page 10 of 10

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