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Review 1 of 1
Price Paid:
$18880.00
from Flemington Chevrolet Year / Model Reviewed:
2005 Maxx Summary:
Couldn't argue with the price. The dealership was having a huge sale. The MSRP was close to 24K yet the various discounts, which required no haggling on my part, brough the price below $19000. It's pretty obvious that the build quality, handling predictability, and fit and finish of American cars doesn't quite measure up to their Japanese counterparts, but you get a lot for your money with the Malibu. We bought the Maxx (hatchback version) for the fairly large cargo area and the adjustable pedals, as my wife and I have a pretty notable height differential. The interior is huge, considering the size of the car, and there are plenty of cupholders and storage area. Also, I like the dimming lights, 6 speaker audio, 200 HP, and all the features that you usually don't get in a car under 20K. Passing power on the highway is excellent too.
The biggest drawback is the steering and handling. The car feels loose and buttery around turns and, in general, has very soft handling. You could steer with one pinky and not put much effort in, and there's oversteer when going around sharp turns. Oddly, though, the steering becomes horribly stiff in the cold weather until the car warms up. Now the intermediate steering shaft section is making clunking noises and needs to be replaced.
The rear visibility is poor, but that is the case with a lot of cars these days, given those bulky C-pillars. We've had to replace the remote batteries multiple times.One more minor quibble is that the driver's door armrest is really hard and uncomfortable on a long trip.
one more thing: The breaks wear down pretty quickly. This car is pretty heavy, so maybe that has something to do with it. Still, I didn't expect pads and rotors at 45K
Gas milage is low 20s, which is normal for a 200 HP family car. Strengths:
> great features for the money
> roomy for it's class
> Pretty good acceleration and passing power Weaknesses:
> Sloppy, loose steering in warm weather and stiff, wobbly steering in cold
> poor visibility when backing up Similar Products Used:
I've mostly had smaller cars
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