Well i hope the new Malibu really is good. Because in in the long run, toyota would try harder in making the camry better. Until another car manufacturer beats the camry in sales, Toyota wouldn't bother putting too much effort in making the camry better than anyone else.
great example is the newest version of the camry, data shows it is only no.3 in a comparo losing to an outdated accord and the new altima. Toyota execs never worried. because at the end of the day, camry still beats all of them in sales. which all of us knows, that is what Toyota only cares about.

 

Hell I think the next generation car dealer will sublease all the major brands to the same lot and let them drive them all and make a choice. It'll work because they'll constantly produce better cars all around when the competition is literally a car away.

*idea pending patent

 

Interesting story. I have friends all over the auto industry that I meet at my track, at a show or just on the street. 2 years ago I took a guy who worked at a Ford dealership to see how a Toyota dealership worked. Toyota dealer was actually very open to it, and the Ford guy's comment was that Ford had a ways to go, both in service and in quality of what they sell.

 

Though we all know that the Camry, quality-wise, is a far better car than any Malibu, I can understand why Chevy dealers are putting new Camrys into their showrooms. The fugly nose of the new Camry, alone, will probably sell a lot of Malibus.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks of this. I usually refer the front end as the "beluga whale". I just dont see the styling in the hump..

 

I quite like the new front end. It's different...in a good way.

 

I think they need that fugly proboscis to distinguish it further from the ES350. They weren't on the Taiwan version of the Camry(possibly other countries too) as we've seen pics here before. Some still think the Camry doesn't look different enough from the Lexus as it is now.

 

The first word that came to me when I saw the Camry's front end is "sloth". Dunno why

 

That's a heck of an assumption considering I don't think anyone here has had a chance to do a full analysis of the all new Malibu.

That and the fact that, for example, JD Power doesn't really rate the Camry's quality too highly these days. If "we all know", then why doesn't JD Power?

 

Apparently many Americans like the fugly nose =/

 

I think that is sucide. The first thing you learn in marketing is to never mention a competitors product. Let alone have a customer draw their own conclusion. I think this will only bring the Malibu down.

 

Agreed. Desperate move by a desperate company. The Camry is the best selling car in America. Much of the struggles of American car companies is due to the fact that many consumers think they make an inferior product. If anything, I think this takes away sells from the Malibu because it gives the people who normally probably wouldn't look at the Camry, a look at the Camry.

Personally, I don't care what features both cars have or what who wins how many awards. All I care about is which car will be in better shape 5-15 years from now. That's the mark of a quality automobile. I've never taken initial quality studies seriously. The new Camry V6 has had it's problems but I'm willing to see if they can fix this problem in newer model Camry's. You can't look at a new car and predict where it will be in 10 years, but you can cite an automaker's past history in better determining which cars will hold up better. If you put a 10 year old Camry vs. a 10 Year old Malibu (or maybe it was the Lumina), well, there isn't much comparison. That's not to say Chevy can't improve, but I'll give them a chance if the 2008 Malibu is still rock solid by 2018.

 

No, it's not a heck of an assumption. It means just what it says. Though it is true that some 2007 Camrys (a few cars) have had defective transmissions, compare the Malibu's fit-and-finish, quality of materials, hardware, paint finish, engine/drivetrain smoothness, noise isolation...many different areas.....to a Malibu and you will see for yourself. The only area that GM can really compare to Toyota in is the quality of their A/C systems....up with Toyota/Lexus. The Camry's fugly nose, though, will probably get some Malibu sales when people see them parked side-by-side in the showroom.

And you quote J.D. Power. Consumer Reports is generally a better source for vehicle quality and reliability then Power. CR's evaluation of the Camry is that its repair record has indeed fallen slightly in the last few years, but that it still handily outperforms the Malibu in their overall evaluation.

 

I had to go pick up a 07 malibu with less than 3000 miles off the side of the interstate the other day because the brakes went out. Can't say we've had any problems with the Camrys yet

 

GM has a reputation for using sub-standard pads and poor-quality metal in the rotors, causing frequent warpage. Still, at 3000 miles, it sounds like on that particular Malibu it was probably more of fluid-leak or master-cylinder problem....brakes are generally not going to wear out at 3000 miles.