mmarshall

A Review of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT.


http://www.chevrolet.com/2008malibu/


In a Nutshell: A rebadged, cloned version of the Saturn Aura......but a NICE one at that.




I did not get any specific requests to do a review of this car (at least not yet) but decided to do so anyway, for several reasons. First, there has been a lot of interest in this vehicle in the recent auto press.....and more than a little interest even right here in CL's Car Chat. Second, GM has been promising better fit/finish and interiors on their new vehicles, and, to some extent, they have been starting to deliver on that promise (witness the Cadillac CTS)........though, of course, it doesn't take much to improve on the flimsy, junk-plastic interiors they have used for so many years. Third, the new Malibu appears to be ahead of its predessor in many ways....you will see just how many in this review. Fourth, the 4-cylinder, lower-trim versions of the new Malibu appear to be relatively bargain-priced for what you get for your money, although the car is still not quite the super-bargain that the Hyundai Sonata is.

Chevrolet introduced the first-generation Malibu several years ago as a replacement for the lackluster, poorly-built, mid-size Corsica that preceeded it, and the even worse Chevy Celebrity that the Corsica replaced. The Malibu name, of course, was a retro-name from the '60s and '70s, and the car, despite being relatively unimpressive overall, was a significant improvement on most of the junk sedans that the General was cranking out in the 1980's and 90's. I looked at and test-drove the last Malibu sedan, but did not formally write it up. A sister, almost identical, Oldsmobile Cutlass version was briefly sold in 2003-2004 before the Olds Division was laid out to pasture. However, despite being a rather ho-hum car overall, the first generation Malibu had some nice features inside, such as A-Pillar-mounted dash vents, a dash-mounted ignition switch (basically copied from the then-Toyota Camry) that replaced the old column-mounted switch, fairly attractive though fake-plastic wood trim, and an industry-first (for an inexpensive car) remote starter-key fob that allowed one to start the car from some distance away (that feature, BTW, has been carried over into the new, second-generation Malibu). However, like it or not, the first-generation Malibu, with some justification, never seemed to live down its classic Rent-A-Car image, and, indeed, that is where many of its sales went........to rental companies in bulk orders.


Which now brings us to the second, and latest-generation Malibu (techincally, the third-generation....the second-generation model got some upgraded styling changes). Toss out all of the old images and stereotypes you have heard......and experienced....with this car. The old Granny, Budget-Rent, and Ho-Hum Basic-Transportation days are gone. The El Cheapo, low-grade plastic interior is gone. The Bubble-Gum steering, suspension, and tires are gone (perhaps TOO gone...more on that below). The park-bench-flat seats are gone. The lousy paint jobs are gone. This new car, today, is fit for far more than just baggage-carrying trips to the airport and back....it is much more of a Drivers' Car, especially in the firm, high-effort, BMW-like steering, although the firm-effort electric power steering on the 1LT seems more artificially-done than on BMW's unbeatable systems. (Both electric and conventional hydraulic steering systems are offered on the new Malibu, depending on trim line).

The new Malibu, not surprisingly, is more or less a clone of its corporate sister, the Saturn Aura (see my earlier review of the Aura), which itself is a cloned version of a GM/Opel Euro-platform. This basic platform is also shared by the Pontiac G6, but the G6 departs much more from the Aura then the Malibu does......the G6, of course, has a 2-door model with a retracting hard-top; neither the Aura or Malibu follow suit. The G6's basic body shape, even on the 4-door, and its overall styling, despite being on the same platform, differs from its two corporate siblings. However, all three cars use the same platform, as stated, and drivetrains....under the skin they are pretty much alike.

And the new Malibu and Aura, indeed ARE very much alike...not only in platform, bodies, powertrains, but almost everything except exterior trim and some interior materials. In general outline that are almost identical....under low-light or poor visibility conditions they would be hard to tell apart. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your styling tastes. IMO, both cars were relatively handsome, although they both, of course, share the sweep-down rear roofline that compromises rear headroom and the size of the trunk opening.....more on that below.

Five versions of the new Malibu are offered......LS, 1LT, 2LT, LTZ, and Hybrid. The LS, 1LT, and 2LT come with the 2.4L, 169 HP ECOTEC four, and the 3.6L, 252 HP V6 is standard on the LTZ and optional on the 2LT. The Hybrid, using the ECOTEC four, is like other GM-designed hybrids....a relatively unsophisticated design that has a small battery pack in the trunk and regenerative braking, but, in effect, does little else but shut off the engine at idle to save gas, and uses the electric motor to re-start the gas engine. Not very impessive....and certainly not up to the level of a Toyota or Honda-designed hybrid. Two transmissions are offered...a four-speed automatic with the regular fours and the Hybrid, and a six-speed automatic with the V6. Only the six-speed has a manual-shift feature, and with steering-wheel buttons only....no manual-gate on the shifter.

I decided, in the review, to skip the rather unimpressive Hybrid version (they are hard to get anyway), and to skip the V6 versions, as I already had some previous experience with that engine in the Saturn Aura. And the base LS and 1LT versions seemed to offer the most for the dollar. The LS starts at $19,995, but does not offer two useful features that many buyers would want.....stability control, which is standard on the slightly more expensive ($20,955) 1LT, and the aforementioned Remote Starter button that allows you to start the car from a distance, which is not available on the LS but is an option on the 1LT. So I chose a Black Granite 1LT for the review. The Black Granite Metallic paint is slightly extra ($95) but IMO is worth it......it is not outrageously priced like some extra-cost European paint jobs, even though though black, in general, is not one of my favorite car colors. This was one of the best paint jobs I've ever seen on a lower-priced GM car, and comparable to some Cadillacs. The Red Jewel Tintcoat is also attractive, same price ($95), but confined only to the 2LT and LTZ...you can't get it in the lower-line cars or the Hybrid. The rest of the paint colors.....well. Same old funeral-home stuff....and, like the Infiniti M45 I did a couple of weeks ago, mostly just blue/grays and amber/sands. The color choices in some 2007 and 2008 cars have been truly awful....seems like fewer and fewer shades and choices are offered every year. Fortunately, the new Malibu offers a nice choice of interior trim and shades.....and some nice two-tone interiors.

So.....how does this new car that is getting so much attention in the auto press rate and drive? Read on.







Model Reviewed: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT


Base Price: $20,955 (includes freight)

Major Options:

Black Granite Metallic Paint $95

Power Convenience Package $515

Body-Color Side Moldings $150 (Yes, these are factory ones, not dealer add-ons)


List Price as Reviewed: $21,715





Exterior Color: Black Granite Metallic

Interior: Ebony Cloth




Drivetrain:

FWD, Transverse-mounted Ecotec, VVT 2.4L in-line 4, 169 HP @ 6400 RPM, 160 ft-lbs. torque @ 4500 RPM,
4-speed automatic transmission (no manual-shift gate).







PLUSSES:



Relatively good value for the dollar.

Long 5 year/100,000 mile warranty on drivetrain (8 years for some Hybrid components).

Well-done, firm-feel power steering.

Interior fit/finish light-years ahead of its predecessor.

First-class interior hardware and feel of controls.

Slick, first-class paint job (Black Granite).

Slick-operating, fore/aft shift lever.

Well-finished trunk.

Good road/wind noise isolation.

Relatively sharp handling with lack of body roll.

Well-shaped seats with high-quality cloth.

Well-done stereo and controls.

Engine layout underhood relatively unobstructed.

Gauges well-done, with white/blue lighting/rings from upscale GM cars.

Hood has no-nonsense struts instead of prop-rods.

Clever front-sea-back scallops increase rear kneeroom.

Power-controlled pedals help driver comfort.

Remote Start feature handy on cold mornings.

Steering column has manual tilt/telescope function.

Far more solid body structure and lack of rattles than on previous version.

Relatively firm-feel brakes.







MINUSES:


ECOTEC four is smooth and quiet at idle but noisy and not very refined as revs build.

Transmission bumpy on 1-2 shift when cold and holds first gear too long.

Slope-down rear roofline, just like on the identical Saturn Aura, compromises
rear headroom and trunk opening, even without sunroof.

Unimpressive plastic on lower interior door panels.

Power Package, with the useful power-pedals and remote Start switch, not available on base LS
models, even as an option.

Ride comfort not up to previous Malibus.

No manual-shift gate or paddles for four-speed automatic transmissions.

With one or two exceptions, terrible paint-color choices.







Well, the first impression, as you walk up to this car, is two things. First, of course, is the strong, almost identical similiarity to the Saturn Aura, which I have already spoken about above, so I won't re-hash that again here. Second, compared to the old Malibu, is its substantially smaller exterior size, with its smaller front/rear overhangs, lower stance, tapered hoodline, larger wheels, and low, humpback-whale roofline. The interior room (minus a sunroof), considering the smaller exterior size, is not bad, except for rear-seat headroom....more on that later.

OK, so much for the Malibu-Aura body comparison. Let's talk about the exterior quality itself. First, the sheet metal seems generally well-done. It is not VW/Audi-solid but not flimsy either. The paint job with the extra-cost Black Granite was superb....much better than the bread-and-butter colors. It would come close to passing for a Lexus paint job. I haven't seen paint like this on any other GM-designed car except a few colors on the Cadillac STS and the new CTS. The color had both depth and a silver-metalflake effect in the black itself.....a combination hard to achieve. It was smooth, even, virtually free of orange peel and overspray, and glossy....well worth the $95 extra, even though black is generally not my cup of tea. The exterior hardware was generally of high-quality and well-attached....though $150, IMO, is a little steep for the 4 factory-installed vinyl body-color side guards. You can buy aftermarket vinyl guards in several different colors for probably $20 at auto-parts stores and simply stick them on yourself....I know; I've done it myself, several times, both for my own car and for other people. Trim-brite and Trim-Guard are two good brands that stick and last.

Like I said, the exterior hardware and trim was generally well-done, but I can't comment on the two outside mirrors...I absent-mindedly forgot, like I usually do, to check to see how smoothly they swiveled, locked into place, what kind of material they were made of, and how solidly they were attached ......this is often a weak point with American-designed vehicles. Sorry, guys, I'm not perfect....once in a while I forget something. In all likelihood, though, they are pretty much the same outside mirrors as on the Saturn Aura, which I've already reviewed.

Open the nice, strut-supported hood (some cars in this price range still have annoying prop-rods) and the 2.4L, transversely-mounted ECOTEC four fits
in pretty nicely. This engine/transmission combination, of course, is shared with a number of smaller GM-designed vehicles, and it fits in well in spite of the smaller, more down-slanted hoodline and hood compartment compared to the old Malibu. There is the usual, annoying, plastic engine cover, but it doesn't block as many engine components as it does on some vehicles. There is room to still reach some engine components to the side of and underneath the cover....and, if more access is needed, the cover unbolts with a few screws. Dipsticks and filler caps are generally easy to reach, but the gas-engine battery is completely hidden under.........yep, you got it........another plastic cover. (Hybrid Malibus, of course, like most gas-electric hybrid vehicles, have the large, auxiliary battery pack in the trunk).

Get inside, and this car is a world apart from the former Malibu......and, like the new Cadillac CTS, light-years ahead of the old GM interior plastic junk that was in use for so many years. GM strongman Bob Lutz, like other smooth-talking automotive chiefs, has made a lot of promises, in public, about what his company was going to do, especially with new, better-quality interiors. Unlike some of his rivals, he is actually delivering on some of those promises. The New Malibu's interior fit/finish and material quality not only outdoes its own brother Saturn Aura (though some of the parts are similiar), but roundly trumps the new Camry and its own domestic arch-rival Ford Fusion in that department. First, you close the reasonably solid-feeling/sounding doors and settle back into nice, comfortable seats upholstered with a well-made, durable-feeling cloth. Though they are not as sharply contoured as sports-car seats, they have enough bolstering to hold you in for almost anything short of Formula 1 antics on public streets. And, since I've lost so much weight recently, I find that my own torso and legs are not as cramped in many seats either, as before. The drivers' seat has a multi-power-adjusted lower cushion, but you adjust the top rake the old-fashioned way.....with a hand lever. The power-ajustable pedals, of course, part of the optional Power Package, help with footroom, legroom, and seating position. The steering column, in front, has ultra-smooth, damped, slick-operating turn-signal levers, manual tilt/telescope functions, and a nice three-spoke design for the wheel itself (once again, to sound like a broken phonograph record, the same steering wheel as the Saturn Aura), and, on V6 models only, small buttons just above the spokes for transmission shifts. The primary and secondary gauges, set in small tunnels in front of the driver, have the same pleasant, back-lit white light, markings and light aqua-blue outlines that you find in some of in the most expensive Buicks and the new Cadillac CTS....I very much liked the design and effect. This, in contrast to the Saturn Aura's Nissan/Infiniti-style yellow/orange lighting, which I never liked. The transmission shifter has to be felt to be believed...slick, smooth, durable-feeling; it clicks and slides fore-and-aft from gear to gear (none of that annoying zig-zag crap) with Swiss-Watch precision, and is shaped just perfectly for the palm of your hand. I couldn't believe this was a mainstream Chevy interior.

There's more treats inside, though. All the interior hardware has a nice feel and is of relatively high quality. The stereo is high-quality, pleasant-sounding, though, in one of my oft-repeated review phrases, not quite up to Lexus Mark Levinson stereos. All the sound-system controls were well-designed, had a pleasant look and feel, and were relatively easy to use and operate. Ditto for the climate buttons and *****, which, like the stereo *****, had the increasingly common GM chrome rings around them and fluidness of operation. The mid-dash, upper-console, and dash vents were adorned in VERY well-done metallic aluminum trim (wood on some trim models).....gone, indeed, is the old, ubiquitous GM flimso-plastic trim that makes you want to throw up just looking at it.

In the back, of course, is the same high quality cloth on the rear seats, and there is a reasonable amount of legroom, though the smaller dimensions of the new Malibu, as opposed to the old one, do make their presence felt. Legroom and kneeroom, though, are greatly helped by clever scallops carved out of the back of the front seatbacks.........you hear a lot about this in the ads for some cars, but usually they don't make much of a difference; in this car they DO.


Is the interior perfect? No. Like with any car, there are a few goofs. First, and far and away the most serious, is the lack of rear headroom (by sedan standards) or tall people. The low, humpback-whale roofline, just like on the Saturn Aura, drops down sharply in back, and not only cuts significantly into the rear ceiling space, even on this relatively low-line model with no interior sunroof, but also compromises the size of rear trunk-lid opening as well. Designers, on many new sedans, seem to be willing to give up more and more interior headroom to low, egg-shaped roofs. So don't try, at least on this car, to fit NBA guys in back. Second on the interior goof list is the dull, cheap-feeling plastic panels on the lower doors, just about the only interior pieces that somehow escaped Mr. Lutz's crackdown on flimsiness. Third is the omission of a manual-shift gate for the four-speed shifter that otherwise approaches perfection....you have to get the V6 and the six-speed to get it, and even then it is only buttons on the steering wheel. But, that's about it.....overall, a superbly-done interior that GM and Chevy can both be proud of.

In the trunk, I've already mentioned the small opening forced by the tapered roofline, but otherwise there are no problems. The trunk is generally well-carpeted and well-finished, has a fair-to-good amount of room for the exterior size of the car. It comes with a temporary spare, of course, but I'm not going to complain about that like I did in the Infiniti M45. A dummy spare tire and wheel in a $20,000 car is one thing.....in a $60,000 car it is quite another matter.


OK.....time to drive, and here is where you will find both similarities and big changes from the old Malibu. Like the old Malibu, with the Remote Start Key fob, you don't even have to be in the car itself to start it....you can start it, in many cases, depending on distance, from inside the house so that the engine oil will have warmed up a little by the time you get outside, or the A/C gets canking in hot weather. It keeps the doors locked till you get there, so no one can run off with the car while it's idling. Or you can start it the old-fashioned way with the key (there's no engine-start button in the Malibu yet). Once running, the ECOTEC four settles into a smooth, quiet idle, but take off and build some RPM's, and the basic unrefinement of this engine pops up all too well with noise and vibration, even with the big engine cover and insulation pad under the hood (this engine, in various GM products, has never been known for Toyota/Honda four-cylinder smoothness). Though obviously not a powerhouse, with only 169 HP and 160 ft-lbs. of torque, the engine has adequate power for everyday driving in more level-surfaced areas as long as you don't push it too hard or overload the car it on, say, steep hills. While it will get out of its own way, don't try to be a wise guy with Mustang GTs or Pontiac GTOs. The transmission, on the test car I had, tended, especially when cold, to hold first gear a little longer than usual and then slightly bump-shift up into second...not a real lurch, but noticeable, and that, of course, gave the unrefined engine some more RPM's to make noise and vibration with. Otherwise the drivetrain was smooth, quiet, and had no other problems....the 1-2 shift smoothed out a little after warmup but still allowed some RPM's even under light throttle.

The chassis, suspension, and tires, on this car, like the interior, are worlds apart from the old Malibu, perhaps too much so for my tastes. Gone is the old car's relatively smooth ride.....the stiffer, Euro-suspension and low-profile tires on this car transmit every road irregularity and bump right up through the seats and steering wheel, although I wouldn't call it harsh or sports-car stiff by any means (my car had the standard 17" 50-series Touring tires on alloy wheels). Handling, though, is nice....the car responds quickly and predictably, with very little body lean, but the nose-heavy FWD set-up, of course, allows some understeer.....this car is not a Miata or a BMW M3. Still, by FWD family-sedan standards, the handling is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. I though, tend to prefer comfort over sharp handling.....I generally don't run around doing Formula-1 antics, and even with the old Malibu's Granny/Rental-car image, I still liked its relatively smooth ride. But on the other hand, before you guys laugh and call me Grandpa, I dislike an excessively flabby car as much as an excessively stiffly-riding one, too...I remember the 1969 Lincoln and 1976 Thunderbird, probably the two most softly-sprung, battleship-like cars I ever drove. Heavenly rides, both of them, but almost completely helpless in anything but a straight line.

Anyhow, enough nostalgia.....back to the new Malibu. Noise control, especially with wind and road noise, is very well done in this car, even with the Touring tires. Chevy and Buick have both made a lot in their advertising recently about their "Quiet Tuning"....and for the most part, it works. The ride, though a little stiff for my tastes, was pleasantly quiet, with only the relatively unrefined engine making any significant noise....and then only when RPM's built up. Credit much of this to good frame/chassis design, effective window seals, multi-pane glass, underhood noise control (without it the engine would be even more raucous), and insulation panels inside the wheel-wells.

Now to one of my favorite features of the new Malibu....the steering. Even as a junkie for smooth rides and soft suspensions, I've always liked a firm, BMW-like feel to the power steering......few things in a car turn me off more than overboosted, limp-pasta power steering. Even some cars with variable-ratio and variable-effort power steering still don't get it right. Fortunately the new Malibu, like the new Honda Accord Coupe, got it right....by FWD family-sedan standards, the steering, IMO, on this car is hard to beat. In some ways, it is like the steering on its brother, Saturn Aura, but the Aura I drove had steering effort that may have been TOO stiff....a rarity that I almost, for my tastes, never come across. The 1LT Malibu I drove had a delightful feel to the steering, firm but not too firm, just the right amount of heaviness and resistance to motion. Like the new Accord Coupe, it almost had a BMW-feeling to the steering, with one exception, besides the FWD set-up as opposed to BMW's RWD/AWD. The electric power-steering in the new Malibu, unlike the BMW, seemed to have the nice, firm effort programmed in artificially, where the BMW's seemed much more natural. Great new power-steering system, Chevy, but BMW is still the King.........nobody outdoes them (yet) in that department.

Brakes were fine...no problems. My big size-15 clown-shoes had no problems hanging up on the underside of either the brake or gas pedal going from one to the other, like in some vehicles. The pedal was reasonably firm and sponge-free, but not quite to German sport-sedan standards. Reponse was relatively quick, smooth, and evenly-modulated, and deceleration fairly brisk, but of course, don't expect Porsche 911 braking distances from a FWD, nose-heavy, mid-sized sedan.





The Verdict?

This car, despite its relatively few faults, is, like the new Cadillac CTS, real-world evidence that Bob Lutz means at least some of what he says about GM's commitment to get away from some of the junk that it built in the past. Some of GM's recent offerings have shown hints of that promise...this car delivers it in spades, especially inside. The interior fit/finish, attractiveness, and material quality now trump a number of its competitiors, though the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata also have high-quality interiors as well. Handling and steering response have been markedly improved as well, although at the cost of a ride that is now a little stiff for my tastes. Power-steering feel is about as nice as you'll get, short of a BMW. Noise isolation is now in borderline Lexus territory, though the raucous four-cylinder engine spoils some of that with its unrefinement.....that, of course, will not be a problem with the V6. And there are some excellent paint jobs (albeit it at extra cost) to move up to from the regular ho-hum colors and paint quality.

Yes, a few things still need improvement. The lower-door panels don't have the same material quality and feel as the rest of the interior. As mentioned, this car could use a new four-cylinder engine.....the ECOTEC is just too unrefined. The roofline emphasizes too much aero-style at the cost of rear-sat headroom and a small trunk opening. The Hybrid models need a REAL hybrid system.....not just a fuel-cutoff at idle. And the Power-Convience package with its useful features should be available, as an option, on the base LS model.

But still the car, IMO, is a bargain, especialy in 1LT trim, if you don't need or want the V6's power. Not only is it affordably priced, but the Remote Start system is avalable on few cars at ANY price. The new car's potential reliability, however, remains to be seen....previous Malibus ranged from average to worse-than average. And, for performance buffs, a new Malibu SS is reportedly on the way, though I'd look for a more powerful V6. The underhood space seems too small for a V8, and, like with the Impala SS, V8 torque-steer might be an issue as well.

mmarshall

Next planned review, when they arrive in my area: Smart for Two.
I've seen one or two of them running around my area locally, but they are not officially released yet.

I also have the BMW 1-series on the review list. Both sedan and convertible versions are coming to the U.S. market next year.

flipside909

Well this car is definitely a big step up from my 2007 Chevy Malibu company car. Kudos to Chevy on this one. The 2nd generation 04-07 didn't last too long.

habitat

Wow man. If I'm ever in the market for a 08 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT I will for sure read this detailed review. Until then good luck to you.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

So, Mike, how do you compare this to it's main competitors: the Camry, Accord, Sonata, and even the Aura?

I believe you've reviewed all these cars before, right?

If it was Fifth to First Place line-up, how would you go and rank them? In what categories do each excel/fail in?

tuan92129

I still wouldn't buy one
Can't wait to compare all the cars..accord/camry/fusion/malibu at the San Diego Auto show coming in a couple of weeks

mmarshall

I'm sure you got to see a couple of new Malibus for yourself at the L.A. Auto Show, didn't you? Of course, you can't test-drive them there....or in some cases even sit, in them, if they are up on turntables.

And I pretty much agree with your assessment of the last-gen Malibu......"company car" is a pretty good description. I did like its ride comfort, however....at least the non-SS models.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Many people.....and maybe companies.....WILL be in the market for it. I think it is going to be a popular car. It will probably help convert some formerly hard-core anti-GM people......just like the new Cadillac CTS.

(Don't know about me, though.....I've become, more or less, a Subiephile. I like the way Subaru does AWD).

mmarshall

Part of that, I've explained in the review, but I'll expand a little here.

The Sonata is easily the best bargain of the five, money-wise, has the best
warranty, and has general interior and exterior quality to rival or beat any
of the others, including the Malibu, but is not quite as flashy-looking in
the dash trim. It is not a drivers' car, though....the steering is rather slow
and unresponsive, and the suspension and tires set up more for cruising than
cornering. And rear suspension/tire noise is sometimes noticeable.

The Accord, like the Sonata, offers precision, Swiss-Watch assembly, the best general reliability record in the FWD mid-size family sedan class. It has steering and handling that, in the new Accord Coupe, especially, feels more or less like a FWD BMW would. It is one of those rare cars that manages to do almost everything at least fairly well or better......which is one reason why it was on Car and Driver's 10 Best list for so long.

The new Camry, IMO, though not a piece of junk by any means, is disappointing. The paint job, of course, is the usual Toyota/Lexus perfection. Though there have been some well-publicized issues with the V6's automatic transmission, in general the drivetrain is well-done, with the usual Toyota refinement in engine and transmission smoothness. The ride, handling, and steering feel vary noticeably by model and trim, ranging from soft and quiet in the entry-level models to noticeably firmer in the SE and XLE with the uplevel suspensions and tires. But the interior, both in design and material quality, is a major failing. The dash is poorly designed for tall people, which seem to
bump their legs against it no matter how you adjust the seat (at least I did). The interior materialquality is distressingly cheap, especially in the dash, steering wheel, and buttons, and shows signs of major cost-cutting and maybe poor assembly. The radio and climate *****, for instance, on the non-Nav cars, wobble in your hands as you rotate them.

The Aura, in many ways, is much the same car as the Malibu. The trim is slightly different, the dash lights are a different color (orange-yellow) instead of blue-white. It has the same cramped rear headroom with the same Humpty-Dumpty roof. Interior trim and material quality, IMO, is OK but not quite at the Malibu's level. Ride, like the Malibu, is a little on the firm side, and the one I drove had very heavy steering...even more so than the Malibu's noticeably firm feel. Noise level was even quieter than the 4-cylinder Malibu (the Aura I drove had the V6) but that same V6 engine, of course, can also be had in the Malibu. Long-term reliability, of course, is still a question mark....as it is with the new Malibu.

As far as rating them, it would depend on your perspective, what your driving needs are, and what you personally would prefer. I am not, by nature, a hard or aggressive driver, though I test acceleration, handling, and braking hard enough during reviews to get a good idea of the car's capabilities....you have to, or else you don't get an accurate review.


So, if it was my own money, going to a daily driver, I would probably get the Sonata first, then the Accord, then the Malibu, then the Camry, then the Aura. I like the Camry's overall refinement, but the interior is just too cheap for me, and I find the overall styling awkward.

You also didn't mention the Ford Fusion. That is another good contender....it, and its Mercury and Lincoln siblings, have been well above average in reliability, and offer AWD to boot. The Ford/Mercury interiors, however, don't quite compare with the Malibu/Sonata/Accord level of fit/finish (the Lincoln's does), and they have the same problem with rear headroom as the GM twins.

tzu911

Think you gonna fit into the Smart? Great review as usual Mmarshall.

mmarshall

Thanks.

After shoehorning myself into THIS (trust me) the Smart will be a piece of cake.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ew+lotus+elise

flipside909

Yes I did. They were on the floor and people were allowed to sit in them. I gotta say, they made a huge improvement on interior style and exterior especially.

I actually had a chance to follow behind one near my home (Chevy dealer is only mile from my house), and onto the freeway. I gotta tell ya, the V6 is pretty quick, but my GS350 easily reeled him in. It's definitely faster than my 07 Malibu company car that's for sure.

IS350jet

You said "Well, the first impression, as you walk up to this car, is two things. First, of course, is the strong, almost identical similiarity to the Saturn Aura, which I have already spoken about above, so I won't re-hash that again here. Second, compared to the old Malibu, is its substantially smaller exterior size, with its smaller front/rear overhangs, lower stance, tapered hoodline, larger wheels, and low, humpback-whale roofline."

I'm curious because the new Malibu is actually larger than the previous one. Even seeing one on the road it is clearly larger. Did you mean to say larger and not smaller?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Mike, you have to start taking pics of you in your reviewed cars. Model for us...

mmarshall

The new Malibu SS, though, is on the way...it will probably be more of a match for your 350.

I had already sampled that V6 in the Satura Aura I drove earlier, so I didn't bother with it this time. Besides, Chevy marketers project 70% of 2008 Malibu production to be non-hybrid fours.