Chevy Malibu

[chicalyx]

Any of you car folks have any thoughts on the malibu??

Looking for a second car (only gota truck now, for toting the four legged friends) that's solid n dependable. Doesn't need to do much except run smooth and put up with nasty winters and hot summers.

Have heard good things about the malibu. Don't know much bout the autos myslef, so looking for as much input as possible. I'd probably be looking to get a 06/07 w/minimal mileage.

Spose if the piggies use em, that says something to their quality.

 

[drtask]

have to understand cop cars have a lot of suspension work done on them, then they're super chipped. the drivetrain is pretty much solid all the way around. a friend has a malibu, i believe an 06, and that thing gets it. put that peddle on the floor and you're moving. i like them. very comfortable cars, and agreed, if cops use them, it says something about the car itself.

 

[Smokin' Chopper]

I have to admit when I hear "Chevy Malibu" I picture a late '60s early '70s rod with great potential. But then again aside from custom bikes, hot rods, muscle cars and dragsters are my roots of life.

However, from an autobody background I can offer a 'professional' opinion on the '06/'07 Malibu. Here's a quick breakdown for you:

1. Don't dent it because its expensive to replace panels... sorry modern body shops don't know how to pull dents, they hire uneducated high-school drop outs these days that are only capable of learning how to replace rather than rebuild.... this is also in part to the fact the quality of American steel has diminished greatly over the last 20 years... but I digress.........

2. Your fuel economy will be very efficient providing you keep on top of it. Don't be a penny pincher all the time, spoil your ride with fuel injector cleaner once every two months at least, and keep up on your regular oil changes. Every 5000-6000 miles should be sufficient with most base models.

3. These handle great.... until you experience ice. If you wish to drive this in winter in snow/ice conditions you'd be a fool not to invest in studded snow tires. Their handling in slippery conditions is less than acceptible in my humble opinion. Its a great car aside from this.


But these are only my views, I don't own one, but I have a family member that does. I've also had the 'luxury' of repairing some panels and repainting one, so that's a perfect opportunity to see how well something is built. Just my


SC

 

[chicalyx]

Thanks guys..some helpful replies there.

Smokin'..not worried bout the dents, but the winter thing is giving me pause. You think they're worse than comparable models? Chicago winters are NASTY, but aside from crown vics, the piggies other main vehicle are malibus. Like drtask said, they 'soup' em up a bit, but wouldn't think anything that would improve winter handling.


thinkin malibu+upgraded tires is gonna be the ticket.

 

[Smokin' Chopper]

I would probably recommend a strut tower brace, (commonly used on metric street race cars), because they will assist in improving traction to the road. That plus good tires. I heard there are some all-wheel drive models available, but I haven't confirmed this myself.

If you go to auctions sometimes you can find former government or police vehicles there and if you look at the engines they're typically worked over a little bit to improve performance. It wouldn't surprise me that some of their cars might have beefed up suspension and traction control components too. Might be a consideration for your future purchase if its available in your area. Good luck and take care.


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[Stoner4Life]

if you think you're going to get the same Malibu the police drive you're wrong unless you intend to buy an SS model (discontinued) or a retired police vehicle.

Buying a police cruiser can be tricky, if you get a chance to bid on or make an offer on one try to find a detectives, lieutenants, or captains car. These will have nicer options and perhaps only a single respectful driver for its lifetime.

If you really want a police cruiser and rear wheel drive is OK then go w/the P71 Ford Crown Victoria, P71 is Fords designation for police car. The P71 is set up w/the hi horsepower chip and a dynamite handling package, we used them exclusively in our taxi fleet back in NY. They held up 3 or 4 times better/longer than the Chevy's did. Fuel economy difference between the SS & P71 is 1mpg city, 1mpg hiway advantage Chevy.

 

[GrassRoots]

Isn't it the Impala that police use, not the Malibu? Anyhow, I can't offer an opinion on the Chevy, I've never owned one but I can make another recommendation that falls within the same price range. Mitsubishi Galant. Great car that in my case has needed nothing more than scheduled maintenance and I'm over 140k miles on it. Does as good as any other FWD in the winter, that's without studded tires (and in your general area). I'm speaking specifically of the 2.4L four banger. I've never owned the six cylinder model, so I can't comment on the reliability and longevity of that engine/tranny combo. The newer models carry the same 2.4L that mine has, it's been so good to me that I'm planning on getting another one when mine dies even though I don't like the looks of the newer models. You should be able to pick up an '07 somewhere in the 12-13k range. So now you've heard some good things about the galant as well.

 

[Stoner4Life]

Isn't it the Impala that police use, not the Malibu?

they use them both, but only as inner city cars, hiway patrol won't use either though as they're both too small, it's Crown Vics or the big Chryslers for state patrols.

 

[flubnutz]

got a friend that picked up a new malibu a few months back. i was pretty impressed by the fit and finish, and the thing hauls ass pretty good too. i told my bud it looks like they finally got it right, i didn't think it was a great beauty but it looked very much quality.