2006 Malibu

Has Chevy done anything to improve the reliability on the new Malibu? I had the recurring issues with the resistor and intake manifold on my 98 Malibu. I am in the market for a new car and the only reason I am interested in the '06 Malibu is because I am getting a great deal on the price (about $3k below invoice, thanks to some GM dollars). If not a Malibu, are there any other recommmendations for other GM sedans (due to the GM dollars)? If it wasn't for the price I would even consider the Malibu.

Go for it, have a 04 Malibu, not the Classic and we love it, it's loaded remote start, OnStar, side air bags, 6 CD player with 16K miles.

my dad managed to score a brand new '04 malibu in august '04 for only $9000 and yes it is an AMAZING car. have you test driven one yet? you sooo should. for a v6, that thing has balls. the only thing that bothers me is when you floor it or almost all the way the car starts to move to the side some. i forgot what that's called but it's no big deal, you regain complete control the second u let off the gas. it gets great fuel economy too, averaging around 29 mpg for me. the stock stereo system is very impressive as well and the car itself is very comfortable to ride in, even during long trips. i say go for it.

I also had a '98 Malibu (LS) for 6 years, with all its attendant problems. I was about to buy an '04 Accord EX when GM announced a $4,000 Owner Loyalty rebate, so they snagged me again ('04 Maxx LS).

I've had issues related to mine being the first year of production, but otherwise, it's a huge step up from the '98. And this time, GM seems to care (unlike with the '98).

2 things I'd recommend you avoid: 1) the 3900. It's having first-year issues. 2) The '06 Impala. It's also having first-year issues, regardless of the engine.

The Malibu/Maxx with the 3500 is plenty powerful and gets mileage usually exceeding the EPA estimates.

However, be sure to get the extended warranty if you plan on keeping it past the 3/36 warranty.

Good luck. Report back.

Thanks to all for the feedback. I'll let you know how it turns out.

get the ss