Originally Posted By: DaRider34
get rid of it. i had an 04 malibu ls with all sorts of random problems with only 62k miles on it before i traded it in at carmax since the dealer gave such a lowball number. Ended gettin around KBB value for it and put it towards a turbo sonata.
Stopped by a dealer, they appraised it at exactly $2k. I said I think I could do better elsewhere. Maybe I'll let Carmax take a look at it. Downside to that is it can't be applied to the purchase to bring the tax down.
Do you remember what the dealer offered you compared to Carmax? I know what you mean about a lot of small random problems. One cold morning a few years back the center display showed problem messages about airbags and power steering. Another time even after the car was off for several hours the clock never turned off.
Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
Originally Posted By: RoGuE
[ It has no side airbags, only side curtain.
Unfortunately all those new car air bags should be called money bags.
If they go off in any quantity the replacement cost can exceed the value of a otherwise repairable vehicle. Thus, the car gets totaled by the insurance co. which then turns around and low balls the market value on the car.
That said, nothing wrong with trading up if you can afford it, you got your moneys worth out of that Mailbu. But I would take my time and bargain hard. Used car prices are falling and will continue to fall for the next few years.
Yeah, but in the end if I'm in an accident severe enough to trigger all of the airbags, I probably wouldn't want them to fix it.
I feel like I can hold out for a good deal. As long as I have a working car I'm perfectly fine walking away from a car if I'm not happy with the price.
Originally Posted By: 555
Sell the Malibu or trade it in. I know the dealer will give you next to nothing on a trade-in but unless you know someone who knows someone who needs a car, having strangers show up to drive your car can be a harrowing experience. See if you can sell to a used car lot. Any money you put into the Malibu should be because you plan on running it to the bitter end. Otherwise you're just adding value for the next buyer.
If a Charger makes you really happy just get the V8 and start enjoying.
Exactly why I rather suddenly decided to start looking at something else. I didn't want to sink money in repairs for something I don't plan on keeping forever.
Hey, interested in a 2007 Malibu, low miles?
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: RoGuE
Sure, I could fix it but it doesn't change the fact that I want something newer that isn't a stripped down basic economy car.
Probably should not have mentioned anything about your current car in the original post then, as it just distracts people from answering the real question about what new car to get.
If you want and can afford a new car and like the Charger, go for it. I would get the R/T at a minimum. I'm actually eying an SRT myself. I drove a Charger V6 rental last month, and while the power was adequate, I would not call it fun by any means. I couldn't see myself holding onto something like this long term. I am also hoping the V8 transmission programming is better sorted out than this V6 one was - it was rather anemic to respond to shift requests, and I did not see a sport mode that could be engaged. Maybe I missed it.
Was the V6 really that bad? I test drove each one twice, and while the V6 doesn't push you back in your seat like the V8 it still gets up to speed really quick and can be had for around $4000 less with all other options being equal. Also, I hate the tacky spoiler across the back. As for the sport mode, only the R/T and up has it.
Originally Posted By: Cujet
V8 Charger. Period, end of story. I rent them occasionally, and always appreciate them. Big, comfortable, capable and plenty of mid range grunt. What's not to love?
Well, here are some things I've researched about the V8 that would go in to the "not to love" category: The 16 spark plugs, tight fit in the engine bay making repairs difficult, recommended 89 octane, and 30k miles copper spark plug replacement (I'm not sure about this one, supposedly it has been changed to 100k platinums.)
