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Consumer Reports (mostly) hearts new Malibu
click above to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Chevy Malibu
They're not quite done putting it through the paces, but Consumer Reports for the most part is liking Chevy's new Malibu. They've opened up the car's logbook on the magazine's blog, and here are a few of the positive quotes they shared:
"Wow. Impressive to drive, even in the four-cylinder version."
"Best normally-aspirated Ecotec (four-cylinder engine) application out there."
"Distinctive dashboard - definitely not a 'me-too' design."
This is a heavy hitter that competes head-on with Camry, Accord, and Altima."
Luckily for Chevrolet, the positive comments so far are in the lead, and most of the negatives are for relatively minor things like:
"hard to reach seat levers"
"I do not like the interior trim. The dash has a pink tone to it, whereas the other browns are more orange."
"I'm disappointed with the low shoulder belt anchor, poorly placed seat heater switch, and lack of a shifter indicator in the dash."
They promise to have a full review of the car in the magazine's March issue, which we're sure Chevy can't wait to read.
[Source: Consumer Reports]
Gallery: First Drive: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
Photos Copyright ©2007 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
thehype2049 1:42PM (2/01/2008)
This is a good turnaround for Chevy and GM
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psarhjinian 1:37PM (2/01/2008)
Now, before this turns in a "Consumer Reports Hates Domestics/Loves Toyota/Is Stoopid" slapfest, remember that they have positively reviewed the Lambda CUVs and rate the Fusion quite highly in both reliability and performance.
The domestics made, on average, medoicre cars for a long time. That's changing. Hopefully fans of thiers can lose the chip on their collective shoulders as well.
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retsel 1:37PM (2/01/2008)
I am dying to see a black one with nice 19 inch rims... with a 35% tint...
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mark275dc 1:49PM (2/01/2008)
I don't see what all the fuss is over this interior. I sat in one at the autoshow and that brown two-tone color looked awful. Like CR, I thought it looked pink. The brown leather on the seat was really nice, but didn't look good with the dash. Wasn't impressed with the interior of the others I checked out either. People rave about how great it was, but I thought the interior of the Fusion/Milan looked and felt much better.
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Mattias 1:53PM (2/01/2008)
Not bad. Fit it with an Opel grille, slap in the VM 630 series and do some minor tweaks to the dashboards and the interior colors, then we Europeans could warm up with this car.
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slider912 1:55PM (2/01/2008)
If you have an online subscription to CR, you can read the full reviews of the Malibu LT 4 and LTZ V6, it's just that they havent posted the full article - intro, photos, video just yet.
I think you have to get there through the "Cars A to Z" link, or something like that.
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PAT 2:01PM (2/01/2008)
Thank you CR for some reinforcement. I don't think CR is as credable as others do, but for those that live and die by what they say, maybe now they will start to put their salaries back into the American economy, instead of sending it across the ocean. And yes, I know American cars are globally sourced, but this car will always be better for our economy than any Toyota or Honda.
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TriShield 2:07PM (2/01/2008)
This thing craps all over every other American car in the segment, especially the interior.
GM's best move with it was creating an interior wwith actual style and offering it in interesting combinations for those who want them instead of just grey or barf beige. The Fusion isn't comparable and Ford's badly designed corporate headunit and switchgear make it look awful.
The actual quality of the materials is comparable to the competition but it won't impress people acustomed to European luxury cars. It's got some shiny hollow stuff that's par for the course in family cars both American and Japanese.
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MachinaDC5 2:08PM (2/01/2008)
Everybody's dying to find something to like about the car to attempt and put it above its superiors. There is no competition the Malibu creates between the Camry and Accord. Sorry GM Fanboys, but that is the simple truth. The interior is still extremely cheap, the suspension poor, and the engion very unrefined. Notice the "positive" comment on the engine was basically "Pretty good... for an Ecotec." Everybody just hates the Accord and Camry so much that they're just dying to find something to like about the Malibu.
Of course, if you're the slightest bit critical of an American car then, instead of just observing simple fact, you're automatically labeled somebody who hates all American vehicles and probably put on the Homeland Security watch list...
Consumer Reports tried very hard to find things about it they liked because nobody likes to hear how the Accord and Camry are consistently at the top- but they're there for a reason. Sorry. This Malibu is cheap and ugly. It's better than previous generations, but it's still not a very appropriate McHonda and Toyota fighter. As for the Altima... maybe- and only on the inside.
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PAT 2:16PM (2/01/2008)
Machina, you driven any of the vehicles you mentioned?
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geo.stewart 2:18PM (2/01/2008)
machina.
Only a tool could love a tool like the camry or accord.
and we should respect someone, reputedly an automotive fan, who cannot spell engine?
accord doesnt even play in midsize market since it bloated into the large car arena. interested how it compares against the competition there. a 4cyl Accord against the Taurus?
camry has definitely become the car for aging baby boomers and up. not necessarily a bad thing. it does what it purports to do very well. its just never going to be a car that inspires anyone. its an appliance.
nissan is definitely the sports car of the group.
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MachinaDC5 2:24PM (2/01/2008)
PAT, yes, have you?
geo.stewart, excuse my typo, I am imperfect. I can see you might be as well, considering numerous capitalization errors in your comment. Moving on, I do not love the Camry and Accord. They are better than the Malibu, however. It is that simple.
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psarhjinian 2:33PM (2/01/2008)
@PAT
If you want to help your economy, you buy where the operating and production costs go, not where the profit does. If a Toyota is built in your home state, the costs of producing that go to local workers and suppliers. The jobs that the factory and it's suppliers, plus the ripple effect into local business (where workers spend their paycheques) and local tax coffers (which bankroll your community) is what matters.
Not the tiny sliver of profit that goes back to Japan. The "where the profit goes" mantra is one of the greatest snowjobs that American auto execs ever pulled on their fanbase. Do you, the small guy, ever see these profits?
No, they go right into bonuses, dividends, head office costs and R&D, regardless of country of origin.
If the bulk of the cost of a Ford Fusion goes to benefit the citizens of Hermosillo, Mexico and the profit goes to Ford executives in Dearborn and Ford shareholders, what good does that do you? If a Toyota Camry, built in Kentucky, sees the bulk of it's costs go to workers in Kentucky, you can bet that it's going to have a more postive effect on you, especially if you live there, despite the 5% of the cars total price that went to some rich guys in Toyota City, Japan.
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Den in IN 2:39PM (2/01/2008)
I agree that the interior is at least equal to the best in the segment, color choices aside.
What struck me sitting in several new GM cars is the uniformity of design. Dark plastic dash, smattering of woodgrain, chrome rings around the dials, broad swaths of psudo-metallic trim and some shiny bits spread around. After looking at the new CTS, Lucerne, Silverado and Malibu I began to loose track of which one I was in. If I had only looked at one it would have been great, but after looking at all of them it was a bit formulaic, almost mundane.
Then again my taste might be out in left field. I like the simplicity of the interior in my Magnum RT and dislike the busy dash design of my dad's Acura TL. Personal taste I suppose.
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Martman 2:52PM (2/01/2008)
I have been in several of these cars and they seem very good. The 3.6 GM engine and the new 6 speed will be as good as anything from Honda or Toyota.
For you import biased folks lets not forget the Toyota engine sludge problems, or the Honda automatics in the honda van and early v/6 accords. They all make a few bad ones. The main difference seems to be Honda and Toyota try to make it the best they can all the time, where as with previous NA manufacturers the company seems to say lets see how bad we can make and and still have people buy it.
On the other hand we have Honda and Toyota to thank for the great new mailibu, it is these benchmarks
for quailty relability that have changed the automotive indusrty.Good competition is the best motivator for improved quality.
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Alex 2:51PM (2/01/2008)
a shifter indicator? The car is an automatic.
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PAT 2:57PM (2/01/2008)
Machina, driven all of them and compared them? I have not personally, but then again I wasn't placing judgement, just make a statement about how it was good to hear some positive feedback from CR.
psarhjinian, wow, I should do some more research, and check into this, and check up on what you are saying. What are you using as a basis.
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Matt Keller 3:07PM (2/01/2008)
Machina:
LMFAO. 0/10 for trolling.
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DKB_SATX 3:12PM (2/01/2008)
MachinaDC5: Interesting that the 4-cyl Malibu suprassed a 4-cyl Camry in the latest issue of Car and Driver, a magazine that has had a love affair with Japanese cars and is definitely driver-oriented. The Accord still beat it, and for some reason the ass-ugly Altima did as well, but it was a pretty good showing for the Malibu and they indicated it might have been more highly rated with the upcoming 6-speed slushbox (that is already on the V6 models.)
And it sucks that replies are broken.
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trevormeredith 3:31PM (2/01/2008)
@ psarhjinian
Nail - head. Whack. Nice summary!
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