I agree, there are plenty of happy Accord, Camry owners who will not even cross shop, and just run out and buy another newer model of what they are driving now. But if a car has enough buzz around it, I am sure it could also turn a few loyalists to another company. I am just wishing that GM can have a car that creates enough buzz and not just fit in the middle somewhere. I am not sure this Malibu will generate enough hype.... meaning I think GM could have been more aggressive styling wise. It does have some cool things going for it drivetrain wise, especially the 6-speed!!

I really like the Aura, but the lack of 4 cyl 6-speed would keep me from actually buying one. I am the perfect target market for these cars since I want a family hauler but with the best fuel economy. These days you can get a 4 door family car moving well with the 4cyls, unlike some years ago when they would be considered unsafe trying to merge onto highways

basically I need/want a bigger car than the Cobalt/Civic/Corolla but also want the fuel economy since I have to drive in beltway traffic every day. A nice 4 cyl 6-speed would be perfect. I wish the Aura had that option, since i like the styling much better so far than this Malibu to me. I am sure I will take a better look when they come out.

 

That's what all the hype was about?

 

yup.

 

I have not read the C@D article yet but someone told me the N/A 4 cyl Altima with a CVT transmission (which some here say is a terd that can't get a car moving) beat the 6 cyl Aura in some of the acceleration tests?? This would be crazy! Of course also much better fuel economy to boot.

 

Well, C+D has put the Accord on their Top Ten list for like 25 years in a row. What's so wrong about a car magazine being biased towards consistently good cars?

I understand there's a lot of GM Guys here, but it's been like 10 years since GM made their last real effort in this segment and there's a tons of mediocre GM product driving on the roads right now. Realistically, it's just going to take years of putting out a solid competitor before content Honda/Toyota customers even start to look in their direction.

(Disclaimer: I'm one of those Accord Snobs who honestly probably would never cross-shop a Malibu. The Accord comes with a stickshifter )

 

Really nice interior IMO, though I hate tan interiors, the black ones are more what I'm talking about. The outside looks very cleanly styled, and should do well. I'll have to see one on the street, to really judge how it looks.

 

You may not remember this but the Olds Intrigue actually beat the Camry and Accord in many road tests when it first came out. Manual trannys account for what 3% of new car sales and in the mainstream midsize volume sedan market probably about 1%. A stickshift won't sway to many people. The money for that is better spent elsewhere, like in the 2.4 I4 6 speed auto combo on the Malibu LTZ or the 3.6 HF V6 6 speed combo as the only V6. No pushrods at all in the 2008+ Malibus!

 

That's what I was thinking -- 1998 Intrigue was 10 years ago, which is a long time.

As long as someone keep making sticks, I'll keep buying them

Actually Honda has expanded their manual lineup in recent years -- you can now get the top of the line Accord EX V6 with a manual 6.

I can understand why Chevy won't sell a stickshift, but somewhere in their international product portfolio they must have one that could fit, so it would be nice to see one in a Aura or a G6.

Wow!

 

G6 has a 6sd. both 4dr and 2dr.

 

Thanks. They need to fix their website, because I couldn't figure that out.

 

Yes , but they took the 6 spd away from the top model . The 6 speed manual is ONLY avail with the sport package on the GT coupe and GT sedan with the 3.9 v6 .

Im not one to say ...but the Aura , Malibu and G6's powertrain offerings should go like this . With the freedon to select either trans without having to get a option package .

2.4 with 6-speed man or 6 speed auto
3.6 with 6-speed man or 6 speed auto.

 

Well it's about time people stopped buying their publications... maybe then they'll get a drift of what they print might not make any sense at all.

 

Interior looks nice, extremely nice. Cocoa/Cashmere combo is different and I bet it looks sweet in person. Side profile looks good. Front end is weird from straight on, and the rear end is weird from straight on. Not exactly bad weird, it will just take a while to get used to seeing it. I see GS350 in the rear, or something of that nature.

 

Believe me, from my experience with the F40, they are much better off NOT offering it on the Malibu. It's noisey, jerky, and almost impossible to downshift when it's cold outside.

I have one in the G6. It needs more refinement though.

 

According to the Chicago Tribune the 3.6 is going to get 26 mpg hwy, presumably under the new standards.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classi...7840260.column