- sedan 97,957
- 6,995 overpriced
- Oak Harbor, OH
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- autoshopper.com
- sedan 97,957 red automatic
2006 chevrolet malibu review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Driving personality in a midsize sedan or maxx. introductionthe chevrolet malibu was launched to compete with mid-size imports such as the honda accord and toyota camry. We were surprised by the acceleration performance from the v6 and delighted by the crispness of handling on winding roads. It feels firmer than the camry, but softer than the accord, a good balance, in other words. malibu's solid structure is based on gm's newly developed epsilon platform used by a couple of highly successful european sedans. Along with its compliant suspension, this gives the malibu a smooth, comfortable ride, yet allows for spirited driving. This is no mush-mobile. The seats are comfortable and the controls are logical and easy to use. No question, this is a highly competent sedan that's practical and easy to live with. the malibu has something the imports don't: the maxx. The maxx is a long-wheelbase variant, whose extended roofline and rear cargo hatch suggest a sporty wagon. While malibu seems destined to disappear into a crowd, maxx looks just as determined to stand out and be noticed. for 2006, the malibu ss models receive a new, 240-hp, 3. 9-liter v6 coupled to a sport-shift automatic. The ltz comes with a 3. 5-liter overhead-valve v6, which is optional in the lt 1560). The ss comes with a new, 3. 9-liter overhead-valve v6. Xm satellite radio and the six-disc, in-dash cd changer are optional. So is a power sunroof 800). ss upgrades with leather-appointed sport seats; six-way power driver's seat; leather-wrapped shift knob; leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls; power-adjustable pedals; p225/50r18 all-season tires on machined, ultra-bright, aluminum alloy wheels; and fog lamps. Optional on the ss are xm radio, in-dash cd changer, sunroof. Summer performance tires 150) and onstar with a one-year pre-paid subscription 695) are also optional. maxx is built in three trim levels: lt 21,025), ltz 24,755), and ss 24,065). The maxx lt is better equipped than its sedan counterpart, and comes with cruise control; p215/60r16, all-season tires on silver-painted, steel wheels; power hatch release; fore-and-aft adjustable rear seat; and other highline features. Similar options packages are available for the maxx as for the sedan. Maxx exclusives include a rear-seat audio system with two wireless headphones and auxiliary jacks 175 on the lt, standard on the ltz and ss) and a dvd/cd rear-seat entertainment center with wireless headphones, remote control and a monitor that flips up from the front console 995). safety features on all models include dual-stage frontal airbags; three-point seatbelts for all occupants; adjustable head restraints for all outboard seating positions and child safety seat anchors (latch). Front seat-mounted, chest-protecting side-imp. walkaroundwhere the malibu needs work is in the appearance department. Introduced as an all-new model for 2004, the malibu is better looking than the plain-looking previous model, but it's no raving beauty. That silver band across the front is designed to clearly identify this as a chevy, but it won't go down in history as a great design. the chevrolet malibu certainly looked more contemporary than its predecessor when it first appeared in 2003, with more character and class. It also looked more substantial, giving the impression it's a more expensive car than it is. The sedan's freshness has faded, however, increasingly looking like a collection of styling cues and surface planes gathered from here and there but not all that well integrated. Meanwhile, the honda accord, toyota camry and hyundai sonata have been replaced with new models. the maxx has held up better, with its longer wheelbase and chopped off, rather stubby, but somehow sporty back end that, perhaps thankfully, none of the others has felt compelled to emulate. equally thankfully, the front end of the malibu has been relieved of the chrome bar spanning the full-width of the car. The chrome bar on the sedan was originally intended to establish a chevrolet styling trademark to be carried across the brand, from the smallest aveo to the lumbering suburban. (it's not included on the new, 2007 suburban, an indication of the extent to which it flopped.) both the sedan and the maxx now wear an understated, monochromatic, single-piece fascia with almost generic lower air intake and grille, in which is centered the proper trademark, the chevy bowtie. Angular headlights perch in the top corners of the fenders. Fog lamps, when present, occupy small, polished cutouts in the lower corners. the rear of the sedan resembles the upright rears of european cars more than any of the asian-branded competition. And indeed, the malibu shares its structure with the highly successful german opel vectra and the swedish saab 9-3, which provides a solid platform with the vital added benefit of good economies of scale. from the center post of its roof forward, the maxx is identical to the sedan, including the updated front end. From there back, however, it's a different and more innovative vehicle, no larger than the sedan, but proportioned much differently. while the sedan is built on a 106-inch wheelbase, the maxx rides on a wheelbase that's six inches longer, stretching to 112 inches. Yet in overall length the maxx is a half-inch shorter than the sedan. Maxx is also a half-inch taller than the sedan. Its roof is longer, its trunk shorter, increasing space for rear-seat passengers. Again, more european than asian, or even u. S., in roots. interiorthe malibu looks as substantial inside as out. With 101 cubic feet of interior space, the sedan is extremely roomy front and rear. The seats are comfortable, although they could use a deeper seat bottom cushion with more thigh support. The front passenger seat cleverly folds flat in all but the ss models for carrying long objects such as skis. The rear seat splits and folds 60/40 for versatility when mixing cargo and passengers. the interior, the visual and tactile elements of which are shared with the maxx, is conservatively styled. There's an off switch for the daytime running lights, useful when parked with the engine running. Controls on the center dash are conveniently backlit for night driving. Heating and air conditioning controls are quite logical. The stereo and information system are a little less so, but still more readily understood than many others. We thought the wipers were a little loud. And the triangularly shaped outside mirrors are small, limiting rearward vision more than we liked. otherwise, it's a convenient interior. Lots of nooks and crannies are available for storag. Climate Control✔ Power Windows✔ Cruise Control✔ CD Changer✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Air Conditioning✔ Alloy Wheels
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