2009 Chevrolet Malibu LS 2.4 litre Ecotech from North America

Summary:

A serious threat to Japanese car manufacturers

Faults:

In the second week of ownership, a rattle started in what appeared to be the dash on the passenger side. An inspection turned up that the dealer had failed to properly secure the air filter cover.

The trailing edge of the vinyl on the center dash storage bin lifts slightly when the material is cold, but lays flat when warm.

The trunk opening is a little narrow, and it takes some maneuvering to put large items in.

The electrically assisted power steering is very good, but I do not find it to be quite as precise as hydraulic power steering.

General Comments:

Aside from the second item mentioned above, the overall fit and finish of the car is as good or better than any of the Japanese cars I have owned or driven.

In a month of driving, combined highway/city mileage is averaging between 7.3 and 7.8 liters/100 km. This is better than my wife's 2005 4 cylinder Altima SL.

Seating front and back provides good support and ample room. The grey and cream interior with silver highlights is reminiscent of Chev interiors from the 60's, and looks classy.

All driver controls are well laid out and easily accessible.

I live in a mountainous region, and the Ecotech engine with 4 speed automatic has no trouble handling the grades.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th September, 2011

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LT from North America

Summary:

Nice car, but beware!

Faults:

The windows have stopped working 3 times. The first time the dealer changed the fuse. The second time was 2 weeks later (during a week we had heavy rain!); I was getting back to work from lunch when it happened, so I had to take time off work to take the car in. The dealer again said it was a blown fuse. I refused to take it back, since it was the 2nd time in 2 weeks. The service guy went out to test it and they failed again. They replaced the motors, and said when I rolled up 2 windows at once, it was using too much power, causing a blown fuse. It worked for about 2 months, and they just stopped working when I was out shopping this last weekend. This time they said a wire came outside the harness, which caused there to be no ground. They re-routed the harness to avoid it from happening again. Hopefully! I looked into lemon laws, but since I bought it used, it doesn't apply! So hopefully it will get fixed for good!

General Comments:

Although it's been a headache, I do still love the car. It is really comfortable. I'm a big guy, and there is plenty of room for me, and passengers in the back seat have a lot of room. The ride is smooth, the controls are convenient, and it has a big trunk.

In the snow, it's a trooper. I was going uphill on some streets while trucks were sliding off near me :). But when the traction control is on and you need to gain speed quickly, there is a bit of delay in the acceleration. I read that the traction control works by limiting the power to the wheels, so I usually turn it off when driving home during rush hour traffic, when you need to change lanes and gain speed quickly.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 19th January, 2011

2009 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ 2.4 Ecotec from North America

Summary:

Excellent choice!!

Faults:

After almost 25000km, nothing mechanical has broken yet.

The only issues I've had so far have been very minor, and were easily a quickly adjusted at the dealership. The first was a window rattle, and also the sunroof had a rattle when we first received the car.

General Comments:

So far this has been the best car purchase that I've made so far. It has been problem free and is extremely comfortable on long trips. There is virtually almost no road noise in the cabin even when traveling at high speeds. It handles well compared to other cars in its class, and the 2.4 ecotec has a good balance between fuel economy and power. The only improvement I'd like to see is the addition of direct injection to the 2.4 like they started to put on the new Equinox.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th December, 2009