2008 Chevrolet Malibu breaks cover

[Timothy (in VA)]

I really rather like the look of the interior (of course, this being GM, the quality likely stinks), but as far as the exterior goes, GM is going to have to do a lot better than that.

[NSXType-R]

Yes, that rear end really is ugly. I never really liked Chevys (or American cars for that matter) and this is a big reason why.

[cmcpokey]

i think that all around this is not horrible. i would even venture to say its one of the better chevy sedans of recent history

[baddabang]

Compared to the current Malibu this one is gorgeous.

lets hope the interior is as good as it looks in the picture.

[Matt]

I really rather like the look of the interior (of course, this being GM, the quality likely stinks)

Maybe they do just share platforms(IIRC the Vectra was on the Zeta). GM is a big fan of that... unfortunately

Please dont tell us this hideous banger comes to Europe too in 2008

Whats up with the stupid (probably) fake wood in the interior?

None of you have seen this car, let alone ride or drive it. The only reason you have anything negative to say about it is because of the country it comes from. Do you not all understand stupid that is? Do you not give anyone or anything the chance to improve? Has it never happened? Give things a chance, wait until you actually know something and stop making ignorant comments.

[LandQuail]

I'll give Chevy the benefit of the doubt when they quit making front-wheel-drive sedans without even a sporting pretense. They threatened the world with a V-8 in the new Impala, until we found out even this was front-wheel drive and nobody bought one.

Dodge, excuse me, DaimlerChrysler, has proven America still, miraculously after such a long automotive coma, remembers what an American car should be: RWD, V8, and bloody huge. Who cares if Dodge cars are assembled from Mercedes' tablescraps.

GM has had plenty of time to figure out their current midsize sedan formula isn't worth a ****, and they've had at least one American company show them how to do it right. If they're still making FWD cars that are boring to look at, drive, ride in, or even write about, I can't imagine the market being any kinder to them than I am, which it isn't.

Which is a shame. Chevrolet did used to be a fantastic manufacturer.

[Matt]

I'll give Chevy the benefit of the doubt when they quit making front-wheel-drive sedans without even a sporting pretense. They threatened the world with a V-8 in the new Impala, until we found out even this was front-wheel drive and nobody bought one.

Dodge, excuse me, DaimlerChrysler, has proven America still, miraculously after such a long automotive coma, remembers what an American car should be: RWD, V8, and bloody huge. Who cares if Dodge cars are assembled from Mercedes' tablescraps.

GM has had plenty of time to figure out their current midsize sedan formula isn't worth a ****, and they've had at least one American company show them how to do it right. If they're still making FWD cars that are boring to look at, drive, ride in, or even write about, I can't imagine the market being any kinder to them than I am, which it isn't.

Which is a shame. Chevrolet did used to be a fantastic manufacturer.

There are a lot of people who have no need or desire for a sporting car. Nearly every mainstream company makes cars that have no sporting intentions. I don't think the non-sportiness of a car has anything to do with its success. I think build quality, style, heritage and public opinion of a company/model has much more to do with it than any kind of sporting intentions.

[thatdbeme]

None of you have seen this car, let alone ride or drive it. The only reason you have anything negative to say about it is because of the country it comes from. Do you not all understand stupid that is? Do you not give anyone or anything the chance to improve? Has it never happened? Give things a chance, wait until you actually know something and stop making ignorant comments.

GM have to prove themselves before people stop saying negative things about them.

[mattmacklind]

Well, it does look like a strong improvement over the current Malibu. First off, I hated that they brought back the Malibu name. The old Malibu was kind of cool in a kischy way. Should have left it alone.

The Malibu Maxx was a good idea. A four seat hatch, kind of like and americanized Saab. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite so nice. I just drove in a rental that was I think one year old. Now, granted, rentals often take abuse, but after one year the litle screens that cover the backseat overhead "moonroofs" wouldn't close anyore and instead just hung there nto the passengers face, not to mentin the incredible cheapness of all interior materials. It just looked really bad, and these cars aren't exactly the bottom of the budget barrel. Anyway, after my encounter with a Malibu I must say I was sorely disappointed, hopefully things might improve with the new design.

[LandQuail]

I've also driven a current Malibu. It feels better than a Cavalier, but I use the term "better" in the same spirit I'd say Cathy Bates is more do-able than Nancy Reagan.

It's light years behind Honda's Accord or Toyota's Camry, and much worse than Hyundai's better-equipped, cheaper mini-luxury-barge who's alphabet soup name escapes me.

Anyway, Matt, you're from Kansas (properly pronounced Kan-saw), which makes you almost as American as me. (kidding) I do love me some Chevies, as I'm sure you do, but I would never, never give any company a pat on the back sticking with the same basic formula they've used since 19-****ing-84 with the soulless, tasteless, K-cars.

That formula is: front wheel drive, transverse I-4 or V-6, bland styling, (and from here on I'm taking educated guesses, I admit) numb steering, understeer aplenty, and if GM doesn't let the new Malibu roll off the showroom floor with plastic wheel covers, I'll eat my hat.

GM doesn't have a reputation for midsized cars anymore. Tell me how the Chevy Lumina was noticably better or worse than the current Malibu, or current Impala? How was a 2003 Cavalier better than a 1985 Cavalier?

Admittedly, the Cobalt is a breath of fresh air, but that makes one-in-a-row for GM. That isn't the sign of in impending winning streak, in this quail's book.

Again, I'd ask you to look at the success DaimlerChrysler has had with their cars. They've even won contracts to put the Charger into police cruiser service. People look at a car with dynamic, bold styling; powerful engines (including a line of V-8's, which is what drives so many Americans to purchase SUV's, I think) rear-wheel-drive, and, well, character.

Who ever drove a Malibu and felt like they had any special connection to it? Yes, the heftier women and the elderly seem to like them, but that's about it. The Malibu seems to have been concieved as a monument to mediocrity. I personally find it to be trite, top-heavy, and pedestrian. And overly pedantic.

Sorry. I just hate those cars. I hope Holden's fiddling can do for GM what Mercedes did for Chrysler (which used to make cars even worse than GM), but I haven't seen it yet, though GM threatens to bring the Commodore to America.

Anyway, cheers.

[Matt]

Anyway, Matt, you're from Kansas (properly pronounced Kan-saw), which makes you almost as American as me. (kidding) I do love me some Chevies, as I'm sure you do, but I would never, never give any company a pat on the back sticking with the same basic formula they've used since 19-****ing-84 with the soulless, tasteless, K-cars.

I'm not in any way defending the past American cars. I have as much disdain for what the domestic makers have been building up until the last couple years as everyone else. But, to completely dismiss the major advances made by Chrysler, Cadillac and even Lincoln is not fair. The LS was a HUGE leap forward for Lincoln. The CTS was even bigger for Cadillac. Obviously we don't even need to debate the success Chrysler has had with the 300. If these three companies can make such vast improvements within a single product cycle, why not give each successive product cycle the same benefit of the doubt?

I'm not saying that the Malibu is for sure as much of an improvement as I hope it is, but not a single one of us has driven it yet. Not a single one of us has read a review of it yet. And most of the opinions in this thread are bashing it already. It's simply ignorant and illogical.

[LandQuail]

Yeah, you've got me there. I guess I'm still sore over the new Impala scare. They had commercials on TV for a while nearly a year ago for the new impala. They never showed much of the car; just the profile, the words V-8, and some horsepower figure hovering near 300.

I remember thinking 'chevy's got it right, finally.'

Little did anybody know we were in for a car more akin to the V8 Taurus SHO than a 300C.

Chevy took that mystery V8, probably a Northstar stripped of its badging, and crammed in sideways into the hood of a car that looked utterly, utterly bland and scoots itself along with its front wheels.

I've never seen one on the road, though I seriously might not even notice it.


Sure, sure. The new Malibu might be much better, on par with the Japanese and Korean competition, even, but I wish GM would remember what an American car is after forgetting long enough to discontinue even the Camaro.

Yep, Matt, we're on the same side here, we're just seeing that old halfway full or empty glass different. Let's stop now, before we start writing hip-hop songs about each other.

Cheers.

[Slicks]

Chevy took that mystery V8, probably a Northstar stripped of its badging, and crammed in sideways into the hood of a car that looked utterly, utterly bland and scoots itself along with its front wheels.

Mystery V8? Its an LS4, a destroked LSx engine with DOD. Nothing mysterious about it.
And BTW, they are supposed to be going RWD with the next gen Impala, and other 4 door sedans.

[LandQuail]

Can't happen soon enough.

[Gtek-i]

I've uploaded a few images. For a complete gallery, head to: http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/12/...ibu/#more-4594

This must be a pretty important entry into the midsize market for Chevy. The front/ interior are magic. The rear, IMO, is terrible.

So, is this a Camry killer?

I'd rather die in a Smart Car...the exterior looks like a bad imitation of a European car and the interior is a mustang