It’s a Maine Thing - Hezzy’s Sidewalk Talk

Chevrolet has at last looked beyond the Michigan shores for inspiration with the newly designed Malibu.

It’s new tailored look with its fluid design flow is a sharp contrast to the monotonous, standardized design of the all-American Malibu design of the past 15 years. The new generation of this American icon resounds the same central car building design inspirations and mechanical changes that Chevy brought with the introduction of the stellar and hip Cadillac CTS  4 years ago. Great design, awesome mechanics and head-turning looks makes the Malibu a true contender against the lineup. It’s a battle-line perfect match to the top of the line Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Five Hundred and Chrysler 300.

And it’s great value when matched up against many European cars in this class. Chevrolet has done their homework with the re-introduction of this American classic. Gone are the retrograde styling and less than average mechanics of the Malibu that Chevy has been building over the past 15 years. This is a hip, edgy and sporty car that could put Chevrolet back on the map. 

At first glance the new Malibu profile looks like an Audi, VW Jetta or even the Volvo S class. However, closer examination reveals that it is the redesigned all-American icon, Chevy Malibu. The reduced panel tolerances, smaller wheel openings, sporty wheels,  redesigned front grill and European halogene lighting are thoughtful details by the designers that make this new look definitively more attractive than the outgoing model. We predict that the striking road presence of the new Malibu will have great appeal to a new generation of young car buyers who need a roomy car and want to make a domestic car purchase. Chevy has done a great job marketing the new Cadillacs to a younger generation of buyers. We think they can do the same with the new Malibu.

We recently headed over to Ellsworth, Maine’s Morrison’s Chevrolet and took a top of the line Malibu LTZ out for a spin. The 3.6-liter V-6 Malibu that we drove lists for just under $27,000 and comes with all the standard gear. From the sporty interior detailing to the road performance on Maine’s back roads we found this to be all that Chevrolet claimed it would be. The 252-hp engine had a lot of vroom on the first start and offered great passing power on demand. It handled corners well, was a smooth ride and was quiet inside. Simply a great driving machine.

We loved the striking edgy interior very rarely found in new American car models, but a theme that was widely used in American cars back in the 60’s and 70’s. The leather ebony/brick, two-toned seats are well-tailored in both the front and back with piping and horse stitching. Power-adjusted pedals are changed at the press of a button on the dash. The 6 speed automatic transmission can be easily switched over to manual operation when using the features conveniently placed TapShift paddle shifters that are on the steering column. The Malibu is equipped with the trademark StabiliTrak stability control system, traction control and anti-lock brakes.

The dash board, with contrasting leather detailing, has a design flow to it that is reminiscent of the dash set-ups on the Corvettes of the fifties and is enhanced with the blue ambient lighting that is easy on the eyes. The steering wheel is covered with soft leather and the arm rest on the door is nice and long which can accommodate most postures on long trips. The adjustable arm rest on the console, which also doubles as a cup holder, is a nice detail that is like the one found in our Audi wagon. As in most high-end Chevy products the driver and front passenger seats are hands down some of the most comfortable out there with the plush interior foam that comfortably curves around your backside. The electric seat controls are within easy reach. The backseat has plenty of room for 3 normal size adults with the 60/40 seat system, each seat complete with a headrest which opens into a spacious 16 cubic foot trunk that holds a lot of cargo. The cargo hold is not an excuse for a trunk. There’s enough space to take a family or group of adults on a comfortable weekend jaunt. A nice add-on is the heavy-duty plastic backing on the seats when they fold down and the extra piece of carpet that lines the trunk…both easy to clean and keep looking sharp so the trunk doesn’t turn into a grunge fest. There are mini-storing compartments galore throughout the car, as well as offering both 12 volt and a 110-volt household outlet, just in case you need to plug the blender in to whip up a smoothie. The remote, keyless starter is great for winters in Maine. During the winter months when the car starts using this feature it automatically sets the heat and defroster. The mirrors, trunk latch and side mirror controls are conveniently placed in the driver’s cockpit, all a reflection of well-thought out design. There is a moon-roof that offers a number of opening variance options and the windows are fabricated with an extra layer of insulation that really does cut out external noise as we discovered on our test drive.

The other models offered are the LS, LT with optional V-4 and V-6 engines or as a Hybrid model. The Malibu car has won tons of kudos within the car industry and consumer groups which are all well-deserved.

There is very little missing from the Chevy Malibu. However, cars like people are not perfect, so we did discover a few deficiencies that won’t break the deal, but there are buyers who will use as a consideration when looking at this car. The car comes with the Onstar communication system that is found in many Chevy and GMC products. Because of this option the Malibu does not offer a navigational system, as the logic is that you’d rather speak with an Onstar person for directions instead of the soothing, automated voice from a navigation system. The jury is still out on this, but many drivers have become conditioned to a programmable nav system so the helpful real person on the other end through Onstar may not fit well with many consumers. The radio and 6 compartment CD player are easy to use, but the sound coming from the speakers is only adequate. It’s not clear if the car can accommodate a roof rack, which cuts out a piece of the outdoorsy, sportif market. And those Chevy anti-lock brakes…just never as good as the grab that Ford products offer. However, these are details that focus more on personal taste and in no way would break the deal for us. The gas mileage in the V-6 should be better than the 17/26 it delivers, but a hybrid and smaller engine models are available. We know that Chevrolet could be doing a better job in the engineering department with mileage standards and hope that they jump into gear sooner than later with more fuel efficient equipment.

Chevy claims that the new, reengineered Malibu is “An American Revolution” and Ward’s Autoworld states “The Chevy brand is on the ascendancy, with Malibu to lead the renaissance.” Having spent only an hour with the new Malibu, we agree with these accolades. Although the new Malibu is not the hot, surfer (re: the name Malibu) of the 60’s and 70’s, this new generation is a great car that reflects the needs and desires of many an American car owner as well as being great value. It should be seriously considered by anyone looking at a 4 door, mid-sized sedan who can’t quite make the payments on a Bentley or the BMW 7 series that they really desire. Plus, think of the buckeroos you’ll save. Not too shabby.