"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg)
08/08/2016 at 17:03 • Filed to: None
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"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg)
08/08/2016 at 17:03 • Filed to: None | 0
| 3 |
Last week I was in Mississippi for a ship check, and had the pleasure of driving a 2016 Malibu for a few days. I can tell you right now I’m a bad Oppo because I didn’t even pop the hood. I assumed it was using the corporate 2.5L Ecotec 4 cylinder. Much to my surprise they don’t offer that engine in the Malibu. In fact, the only powertrain options (outside of the hybrid) are a 1.5L Turbo with a 6 speed auto and a 2.0L Turbo with an 8 speed auto. I’m forced to guess it had the 1.5L Turbo and 6 speed auto combo because it sure as heck didn’t feel like 250 HP. Still, this surprises me because it sure as heck didn’t feel like a turbo, and I mean that in the best way, power delivery was always smooth and linear. It also delivered respectable fuel economy in the high 20s/low 30s.
Engine aside, it was a pleasant car to drive. It took me a while to get the seat setup in a comfortable position, but once I did it wasn’t bad. And the suspension was a good balance of handling and ride comfort. Brakes were okay but not stellar, that would be one of my gripes. The other is the stupid auto start/stop thing. I know it’s an emissions thing, but I found it to be quite annoying and sometimes the car would hesitate/shudder coming from a stop. I figured out I could disable it by shifting to L from D as I came to a stop, but still, I shouldn’t have to worry about that.
I also think the car looks great, I’m a big fan of the exterior, I think it’s the best looking Malibu since they resurrected the name back in 1997. I think the interior lacks a little bit, the materials are nice but something about the layout and design just didn’t feel right to me. It wasn’t a deal breaker but I think there’s room for improvement.
So my final verdict is that it’s a nice car and would be a strong contender if you were looking for generic personal transportation against say an Accord or a Camary. I would really like to drive the 2.0T model and see how it runs.
HammerheadFistpunch
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
08/08/2016 at 17:12 |
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New Malibu is not the worst thing in the world.
Scott
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/08/2016 at 17:30 |
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GM's in general (excluding anything with a GEO badge... or the name Cruze)have not been the worst things in the world... but sadly they are equally rarely the best thing in the world.
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/08/2016 at 20:28 |
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Yeah, I was overall quite pleased with it.