2011 Malibu

[IveBeenRued]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: IveBeenRued
I had a friend get rid of his 2009 Malibu and bought a 2012 Camry. He was unhappy with his Malibu because of the need to remove the front bumper to change a simple bulb and the rate at which it went through pads and rotors. He has been much happier with his Camry.
He might just be hard on brakes. My stepmom has a 2010 Pontiac G6 2.4L (Mechanically the same as a Malibu) and she has a good amount of city driving over the 67,000 miles on her car with original brakes, still has tons of pad left. The car has been flawless except for 1 brake light bulb, 1 battery, and the computer reprogrammed for the transmission shift points. All been oil changes. Even has the original wipers and its non-garaged in AZ.


He had only put on 85K miles onto his Malibu over 2.5-3 years. He has already put on 110K onto his Camry and he hasn't had any of the issues that he was having with his Chevy. His commute and driving style hasn't changed so it just seems that the Toyota seems better built/engineered.

 

[zach1900]

I's much rather have a Camry, much more competent .

 

[kkreit01]

Originally Posted By: zach1900
I's much rather have a Camry, much more competent .


Problem is, in order to get a Camry at $13K, it would have to be 3+ years older, or 2-3X the mileage.

OP could also look at a Fusion or Mazda 6 in that price range. $13K won't buy you much in a Camry or Accord.

 

[DriveHard]

I say go for it. We had one for about 3 years of nearly the same vintage. It was also the 4 cylinder, LTZ.

Pro's
My wife and I both liked the way it looked
handled well (snow as well when fitted with snow tires)
reliable** - under our ownership I only had to replace the blower motor resistor pack
quiet ride

Con's
Poor fuel economy - never got rated mileage, even on long trips
smallish on the inside for a midsized car
Auto HVAC never quite got it right - always too hot or too cold

**We did get stuck by lightening in this car, so several of the computers had to be replaced. The blower motor resistor pack was more than likely just another casualty of this incident.

 

[dishdude]

I like this vintage Malibu. OP didn't say if he was looking at the 2.4 or 3.6, but the 2.4 would be great for a DIYer that wants to keep it long term. There is a ton of room under the hood, and it is very reliable. There are only 2 belt driven accessories - A/C and alternator, no DI (if that's a concern for you) EPS eliminates any possible PS leaks or fluid changes. The cartridge oil filter makes oil changes a breeze from above. No timing belt.

Overall the car just has a solid feel of quality. I always enjoy riding in one.

 

[javacontour]

Originally Posted By: Corollaman
I was looking at a 2011 Chevy Malibu LTZ with the 4 cyl. It has 37,000 miles, one owner...

Thanks


Originally Posted By: dishdude
I like this vintage Malibu. OP didn't say if he was looking at the 2.4 or 3.6, but the 2.4 would be great for a DIYer that wants to keep it long term. There is a ton of room under the hood, and it is very reliable. There are only 2 belt driven accessories - A/C and alternator, no DI (if that's a concern for you) EPS eliminates any possible PS leaks or fluid changes. The cartridge oil filter makes oil changes a breeze from above. No timing belt.

Overall the car just has a solid feel of quality. I always enjoy riding in one.


OP did mention the engine in the 2nd sentence.

 

[dishdude]

Well I failed that reading comprehension test

. In all fairness I did read the OP several days ago and have just been coming back to read the replies since.

 

[javacontour]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Well I failed that reading comprehension test

. In all fairness I did read the OP several days ago and have just been coming back to read the replies since.


And I failed sentence counting

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
I like this vintage Malibu. OP didn't say if he was looking at the 2.4 or 3.6, but the 2.4 would be great for a DIYer that wants to keep it long term. There is a ton of room under the hood, and it is very reliable. There are only 2 belt driven accessories - A/C and alternator, no DI (if that's a concern for you) EPS eliminates any possible PS leaks or fluid changes. The cartridge oil filter makes oil changes a breeze from above. No timing belt.

Overall the car just has a solid feel of quality. I always enjoy riding in one.

EPS saves money only if the system functions correctly. My father has a 2007 Pontiac G6, and his system was repaired twice.
The first time it failed, it was the electric motor. Luckily it had warranty, EPS motors are very expensive.
The second time it failed, the BCM failed, and he had to pay $500 to fix it.

That in mind, hydraulic P/S racks aren't cheap or easy to replace.

 

[Hokiefyd]

This generation Malibu is a competent car. It's the closest analog that an American-branded marque has to a Camry. The Malibu is quiet, it rides smooth, it has no sporting ambitions to it, and chassis response is generally pretty mushy. The engine is a real gem (the '12 we have at work has the 2.4L Ecotec), but like many GMs and Chryslers, its engine is really let down by poor transmission programming. Its 6-speed transmission should be enjoyable, but shift speed is pretty slow and response from the +/- buttons is like it has to transmit the request to corporate through the OnStar system to get permission before it will react. I give interior quality a 7/10...it's fine, but it's no different in my opinion from most of its competition. Maybe a slight step up from a same-year Camry, but there is still a lot of hard plastic with mold lines that haven't been abraded smooth.

It's a fine car, and makes for a much less expensive Camry.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
This generation Malibu is a competent car. It's the closest analog that an American-branded marque has to a Camry. The Malibu is quiet, it rides smooth, it has no sporting ambitions to it, and chassis response is generally pretty mushy. The engine is a real gem (the '12 we have at work has the 2.4L Ecotec), but like many GMs and Chryslers, its engine is really let down by poor transmission programming. Its 6-speed transmission should be enjoyable, but shift speed is pretty slow and response from the +/- buttons is like it has to transmit the request to corporate through the OnStar system to get permission before it will react. I give interior quality a 7/10...it's fine, but it's no different in my opinion from most of its competition. Maybe a slight step up from a same-year Camry, but there is still a lot of hard plastic with mold lines that haven't been abraded smooth.

It's a fine car, and makes for a much less expensive Camry.


+1

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
This generation Malibu is a competent car. It's the closest analog that an American-branded marque has to a Camry. The Malibu is quiet, it rides smooth, it has no sporting ambitions to it, and chassis response is generally pretty mushy. The engine is a real gem (the '12 we have at work has the 2.4L Ecotec), but like many GMs and Chryslers, its engine is really let down by poor transmission programming. Its 6-speed transmission should be enjoyable, but shift speed is pretty slow and response from the +/- buttons is like it has to transmit the request to corporate through the OnStar system to get permission before it will react. I give interior quality a 7/10...it's fine, but it's no different in my opinion from most of its competition. Maybe a slight step up from a same-year Camry, but there is still a lot of hard plastic with mold lines that haven't been abraded smooth.

It's a fine car, and makes for a much less expensive Camry.


+1


+2.

That's on the mark.

I would add that the EPS is - well, I don't know what they were going for when they programmed the assist levels. It's certainly low effort.

Pre-owned they are generally good buys. The 200, Gilette grilled Fusions, and Malibus are surprisingly affordable. What kind of Camry do you get for $13K? A 2010 LE with $75,000 miles?

 

[SteveSRT8]

Hokiefyd hit it. Despite the anecdotes, overall the malibu is just fine at its intended usage, a commuter car.

I have rented several, they are boring pedestrian transport. One of the smoothest 4 bangers around, plenty of power, trans programming designed for economy. Don't forget 100k mile warranty either.

IMO no different from many other competitive autos. And depreciation is the used car buyers friend...

 

[Mazda3LA]

I bought mine last year with 26000 miles for $13500. Was a previous rental. So far I've put in 11000 miles with no issues. I would highly recommend this car.