Long-term test drive; '07 Chevy Malibu

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

While my Saturn Ion is being repaired from my Oct. 4 collision, my insurance company got me into a rental car, a '07 Chevy Malibu (2.2L Ecotec four, 4 speed sludgebox transmission)

I’ve had the rental for two weeks now, so I can give it a fairly accurate “long test drive review”

a quick capsule review can be summed up with one word…

Meh…

the Malibu is simply THE most mediocre, mundane, and BORING car I have ever driven, everything about it is just plain, well, plain…

It does ride nice, a soft, mundane, squishy ride, what many would consider a comfortable ride, I’d call it vague, there’s no connection with the road, the steering is numb, and signifigant body roll in tight cornering, under hard cornering, the entire car drifts sideways, no under or oversteer, it just slides

Fine, it’s not meant to be a sporty car, just an average family car, but I just can’t get past the vagueness and isolation of the handling, it feels like I’m driving a couch, for Og’s sake

the engine (2.2L Ecotec four cylinder) has it’s work cut out for it, it has to haul around a big, bloated body (and the car’s pretty heavy too :wink: ) it tries hard, it pulls acceptably well when under power, but acceleration from a dead stop is largely nonexistent

even when I drop the sludebox trans. into it’s “manumatic” mode and shift manually, the combination of large, heavy body, wasteful, inefficient, power-robbing automatic transmission, and underpowered engine are just too much for the Ecotec to handle, my Ion has the same 2.2L Ecotec underhood, but it’s much peppier, it has great acceleration in all situations, but then again, the Saturn is a much lighter car, AND the 5 speed manual is much more efficient (and much more fun to boot), so it’s not exactly a fair comparison

fuel economy is laughable, the abovementioned combo of heavy chassis, sludgebox transmission, and underpowered 4 cyl. powerplant net me an average city fuel economy of 23-26 MPG

there are a few cool features in the Malibu though, gadgets, really, the radio can display your fuel mileage, oil life, remaining oil life, total distance per tankful, and has two resettable tripmeters, and you can switch the gauge cluster between MPH and KM/H, but lets be honest, these are just gadgets

Mediocrity, thy name is Malibu

I really miss my zippy little Saturn, oh well, only a week more to go with the MediocreMobile…

2

After an accident in my Corolla earlier this month, I called the rental company to ask for a car similar in size. I get there to pick it up and find an '07 Chevy Impala waiting.

That thing was so big, my voice carried. I’d swear there was an echo going on.
Driving a boat like that was scary…all tiny corners and miniscule parking spots.
But the V8 engine was pretty sweet to have.

I hope you get your Saturn back soon!

3

So what do you really think about automatic transmissions? :smiley:

By your description of likening the Malibu to driving a couch, it makes my mongo-huge pickup truck sound absolutely nimble. Driving the truck is like driving a house, but it’s nonetheless connected to the road and for lack of a better term, planted, with no wanderlust or numbness. (Unlike my old Taurus that felt like the steering box was filled with marshmallows.)

4

I signed out a state car for a business trip a couple of months ago, and when I went to pick it up, I was very surprised to see that my car was not a Ford Taurus (THE most boring car in the universe), but a 2007 Chevy Malibu. If you have any doubt that the Malibu is every bit as boring and mundane as MacTech describes, the fact that it’s being used as a government fleet car should be the clincher.

5

I’ve also driven the Malibu and it’s hard to argue against it being anything less than pitiful. GM has known for some time that the Malibu has suffered from mundanity and has never been high on the lists of midsize shoppers. The new 2008 Malibu is set to address the shortcomings that have kept the model from being a legitimate midsize player. It’s bigger, better built, more powerful, and a hell of a lot more stylish …

2008 Chevy Malibu
Edmunds article

I think the new model is going to do very well. It’s based on the same platform as the Saturn Aura and like its corporate cousin, it’s recognizable and has stylistic presence. The exterior style is far more pronounced than Toyota or Honda vehicles. Interior quality has moved forward considerably, and I know because I’ve sat in the Aura and it’s up to par with Toyota and Honda as far as fit, finish, and material quality are concerned, although the ergonomic layout is a pretty subjective thing. I’ve followed the development of the car for some time and I’m absolutely in love with the solid, understated exterior design. The new split grille on the front is tasteful and classy, and the proportions give it the look of a fullsize sedan. GM is really kicking into gear with some nice new product. Between this, the Aura, and the new Cadillac CTS, the improvements in design and quality are pretty noticeable, and quite remarkable. Previously, I’d have never considered the Malibu if I were shopping for a midsize, but now I think the new one would be at the top of my list if I were.

6

That’s IT the perfect description of the mediocrity that is Malibu, it’s almost like it’s “The car designed by a committee/focus group”

7

I had my truck in the body shop last week. For 3 days I was treated to the Chevy Cobalt - must be the poor man’s Malibu. It was everything that you said and less. Although for a tiny engine, it did have a bit of get up and go to it. Underwhelming, in a word.

And I’m not even biased against Chevrolet. I drive a GMC truck that I’m very happy with.

I don’t understand how there’s a market for the Cobalt and Malibu type cars. Because even if you’re not a autophile (that’s not a dirty word), these cars are not what you would sit in and test drive and excitedly say to the sales person “That’s the car for me!” Who buys these things?

8

People that don’t want to be whelmed.
People who like squishy-cushy.
People like my 72 year old mother, who just wants to get from home to church and the grocery store.

9

I think my biggest problem with the Malibu is the “winning” combination of small 4 cylinder engine and power-leeching sludgebox, if it had a manual, I’d probably enjoy it a tad more, but a chassis the size of the Malibu really does need a bigger engine to pull it around

the vast expanses of cheap plastic on the dash don’t bother me one bit, the Saturn Ion has a similar plasticky dash, doesn’t bother me, I’m a Form-Follows Function kind of guy, functionality appeals to me…

If the components in question don’t improve the car’s handling/ride/acceleration or other performance factors, they have no place on my car

So, lets see, the Malibu has;

Flaws;
a power-robbing sludgebox transmission that adds weight, mechanical complexity, and inefficiency
a small, underpowered engine, reducing off-the-line acceleration
cruise-control (lets take even more control away from the driver)
traction-control, with no off switch (lets reduce driver control over acceleration and power delivery)
A heavy, boxy body, increasing aerodynamic drag
poor fuel economy
lots of body roll
vague, isolated handling (the Marshmallow-filled steering box is a very apt analogy here)

Benefits;
a fancy, gadget-laden stereo
remote keyless entry

lets put it this way, if money was no object, I’d be driving either an Ariel Atom or Dodge Viper, simple, basic vehicles, basically four wheels and an engine

the '07 Malibu is not a car for someone who enjoys driving, it’s clearly for someone who wants a basic means of getting from Point A to Point B, who sees the car as an appliance, not something to have fun in and enjoy driving

the whole “car as an appliance” mindset I will never understand, cars are supposed to be FUN for Og’s sake!

10

Thanks, MacTech. You’ve said more about the first generation Epsilon platform in the last two days than the entire automotive press has in the last five years. Surely somewhere there’s a professional acknowledgment to be had for restating the obvious about outdated automotive platforms. Jeremy Clarkson really never touched upon the finer points of the Epsilon when he reviewed the Vauxhall Vectra, and I’ve been waiting for a more comprehensive take on it.

The world really needs more casual reviews of outdated platforms on mundane cars.

11

The Cobalt’s considerably better than its predecessor. With the five-speed manual in the coupe, it’s got a much sportier look and feel than the ones you’d get in a rental fleet. It’s even big enough inside to fit my 6’5" all-leg frame. Naturally you wouldn’t find its base model 140ish HP engine comparable to the V8 you’ve got in your truck, but it’s very good for what it is: a cheap car, with decent gas mileage, and a bit of fun. (In this case, for my girlfriend, who had just got out of college at the time. She loves it.)

The only thing I don’t like about the car is its tiny rear window. But I see so many cars with that these days due to the aerodynamic shape the rear of the car has, that it doesn’t really count.

Of course, you can always get the supercharged 200+ HP version. Test that and see if you can come back and call them underwhelming.