More Malibu Spy Photos

[regfootball]

this car won't have a stick, and its not for sport per se.....no reason for a handbrake. E brake would make the most sense on this car.

[Robert Hall]

this car won't have a stick, and its not for sport per se.....no reason for a handbrake. E brake would make the most sense on this car.

Remember, this is a world car...outside the US, it will no doubt have a manual, as buyers in other markets know how to drive manuals. Would probably be cost prohibitive to have two different parking brake configurations.

[ocnblu]

Moltie is tellin' you the truth. A diesel manual Epica will prolly match the Passat TDI in fuel economy nombres.

[hyperv6]

this car won't have a stick, and its not for sport per se.....no reason for a handbrake. E brake would make the most sense on this car.

Remember, this is a world car...outside the US, it will no doubt have a manual, as buyers in other markets know how to drive manuals. Would probably be cost prohibitive to have two different parking brake configurations.

That is it. One basic car and tweeked for the markets it is in. It really matters little if it has a handle or pedal.

Heck the one we are looking at could be for Brazil or Germany for all we know. Just because it is a Chevy and testing here it may not be the version for this market. That is something we need to consider with the new cars. Anyone remember the Camaro with the Dumbo ear mirrors.

Edited March 17, 2011 by hyperv6

[Potluck]

manual handbrakes should go the way of the manual crank window in everything but sports cars

[balthazar]

^ Agreed- there's quite enough for people to occupy their hands with now- for 95% of driver's the left foot is doing absolutely nothing. Cleans up the console area, too.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'd go a step further and have the shifter removed and replaced with push buttons.... but I've been that for a while

[hyperv6]

GM is damned if they do and damned if they don't when it comes to things like brake handles etc.

1/3 will give them hell for having it in the Malibu 1/3 will give them hell if they take it out and 1/3 will say parking what?

My take if sports car should have it and the rest what ever as does it really matter?

What works for me is if it has a handle I am more incline to us it more and keep the rear disc adjusted up. In the GTP I tend to forget about the pedal and seldom use it.

In the big picture this is such a small thing to really worry about on this car. So few people in the real world will even notice.

Edited March 17, 2011 by hyperv6

[Chris_Doane]

Heck the one we are looking at could be for Brazil or Germany for all we know. Just because it is a Chevy and testing here it may not be the version for this market. That is something we need to consider with the new cars.

There won't be significant design changes between our Malibu and the export models.

[regfootball]

this car won't have a stick, and its not for sport per se.....no reason for a handbrake. E brake would make the most sense on this car.

Remember, this is a world car...outside the US, it will no doubt have a manual, as buyers in other markets know how to drive manuals. Would probably be cost prohibitive to have two different parking brake configurations.

i doubt the current malibu is sold much outside the US.

even so, the handbrake in the photo looks like a gerry rigged unit made for the test mule. i lacks integration for clean design. No way chevy puts out the vehicle with a handbrake so badly integrated.

the cruze, the handbrake is done nicely.

[ocnblu]

The boot is missing. This is not a finished, production-schpec vehicle, Reggie san. I kind of like it myself.

[Paolino]

I'm just not sure why we're not doing the electric parking brake here. I get it that a hand brake makes the car appear slightly sportier, but why can't we start moving past "illusions" and if the car is supposed to be sportier, put the sportiness it where it counts, powertrain and its handling.

[stillen]

Is the new Malibu going to be shown at the New York auto show in a month.

[Robert Hall]

I'm just not sure why we're not doing the electric parking brake here. I get it that a hand brake makes the car appear slightly sportier, but why can't we start moving past "illusions" and if the car is supposed to be sportier, put the sportiness it where it counts, powertrain and its handling.

I'm not sure what an electric parking brake is, but I assume they would use a hand brake because it's cheap.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm just not sure why we're not doing the electric parking brake here. I get it that a hand brake makes the car appear slightly sportier, but why can't we start moving past "illusions" and if the car is supposed to be sportier, put the sportiness it where it counts, powertrain and its handling.

I'm not sure what an electric parking brake is, but I assume they would use a hand brake because it's cheap.

On GM's upper models like the Lacrosse and CTS, instead of a hand or foot parking brake, there is a toggle switch on the center console that will set the rear brakes electronically.

It's rather convenient AND space saving.

[Robert Hall]

On GM's upper models like the Lacrosse and CTS, instead of a hand or foot parking brake, there is a toggle switch on the center console that will set the rear brakes electronically.

It's rather convenient AND space saving.

Interesting..

[SAmadei]

On GM's upper models like the Lacrosse and CTS, instead of a hand or foot parking brake, there is a toggle switch on the center console that will set the rear brakes electronically.

It's rather convenient AND space saving.

I assume it still has a normal parking brake pedal, then. All the electric is doing is automating a manual device.

I ask, as I'm wondering how a completely electric parking brake would work... the fail-safe, essentially... you don't want the car rolling down a hill if the battery is disconnected.

[Drew Dowdell]

On GM's upper models like the Lacrosse and CTS, instead of a hand or foot parking brake, there is a toggle switch on the center console that will set the rear brakes electronically.

It's rather convenient AND space saving.

I assume it still has a normal parking brake pedal, then. All the electric is doing is automating a manual device.

I ask, as I'm wondering how a completely electric parking brake would work... the fail-safe, essentially... you don't want the car rolling down a hill if the battery is disconnected.

Nope. No pedal.

[SAmadei]

Nope. No pedal.

I can imagine it being able to lock if the power is removed while it is engaged, but not having a parking brake that will engage without a power source would seem to me to run afoul of some state laws. And how would it be disengaged if power is not present?

[Robert Hall]

Nope. No pedal.

I can imagine it being able to lock if the power is removed while it is engaged, but not having a parking brake that will engage without a power source would seem to me to run afoul of some state laws. And how would it be disengaged if power is not present?

A parking brake should be a purely mechanical device, functional whether the engine is running or not. Making it electronic seems pointless..are other automakers doing such nonsense also? What's wrong w/ a foot- or hand- operated parking/emergency brake? Those have worked well for decades...

[Drew Dowdell]

Nope. No pedal.

I can imagine it being able to lock if the power is removed while it is engaged, but not having a parking brake that will engage without a power source would seem to me to run afoul of some state laws. And how would it be disengaged if power is not present?

A parking brake should be a purely mechanical device, functional whether the engine is running or not. Making it electronic seems pointless..are other automakers doing such nonsense also? What's wrong w/ a foot- or hand- operated parking/emergency brake? Those have worked well for decades...

AFAIK, Ford started the trend with the Lincoln LS in 2001, but recently, GM has put it into more widespread use.

[Satty]

I wonder how many Malibu buyers know where Malibu is.

[Robert Hall]

I wonder how many Malibu buyers know where Malibu is.

LoL... I've driven a Malibu in Malibu before..

[ocnblu]

Duh, Malibu is a car, not a place. Silly.

[hyperv6]

I wonder how many with a Malibu know where the E brake is?

I bet most have low pedals since the rear pads are not adjusted up.

[Croc]

I wonder how many Malibu buyers know where Malibu is.

LoL... I've driven a Malibu in Malibu before..

Why were you in The Bu? It's so far from civilization, and there's very little to do...and that drive!!

[67impss]

Maybe he was looking for Charlies place

[Chris_Doane]

Is the new Malibu going to be shown at the New York auto show in a month.

Possibly. Chevy has a press conference scheduled the first day.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I wonder how many Passat drivers know where Passat is?

And yes, as far as I've heard, the Malibu will debut at new York. It's going to be sold around the world before it's sold here. GM has to be sure and only give us the outdated stuff.

Edited March 26, 2011 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[Paolino]

I wonder how many Passat drivers know where Passat is?

And yes, as far as I've heard, the Malibu will debut at new York. It's going to be sold around the world before it's sold here. GM has to be sure and only give us the outdated stuff.

Since it's the 2012 Malibu, one would hope it's sold around the world less than a year before it hits here. I thought the time frame for us getting it was late 2011/early 2012?

[Robert Hall]

I wonder how many Malibu buyers know where Malibu is.

LoL... I've driven a Malibu in Malibu before..

Why were you in The Bu? It's so far from civilization, and there's very little to do...and that drive!!

Was there a few years ago when I was in Santa Monica for a long weekend..took a drive up the coast. And the car was from Alamo. Last trip to the Southland I had a Taurus. Not sure what I'll have next month when I go over for the Long Beach Grand Prix.

[hyperv6]

Any one know where 911 is? that is what I drove in Malibu.

I too heard the Bu would peek out at NY. I just saw it posted somewhere but it was not from GM.

I see no issue with the cars being released some place a year before NA. If they ment for this or not the first year cars released ovrseas have been safe to buy here in the first year.

Too often the public cry has always been "Don't buy the first year of a GM car". The Cruze release has gone pretty well unlike cars like the first C4,the first F body and others. Even the 04 GTP was an issues. The early built cars has a lot of little dumb problems. Mine was built near the end of the model year and had many of the panned 05 fixes in place. I still had to wait for the TSB to fix the bouncing headlamps.

The delay here may just get me back to buying a first year car on the NA market again.

[SAmadei]

Any one know where 911 is? that is what I drove in Malibu.

Its in orbit near Jupiter.

Too often the public cry has always been "Don't buy the first year of a GM car". The Cruze release has gone pretty well unlike cars like the first C4,the first F body

You must mean the first 4th gen F-body. The first F-body was perfectly fine for its time.

and others. Even the 04 GTP was an issues. The early built cars has a lot of little dumb problems. Mine was built near the end of the model year and had many of the panned 05 fixes in place. I still had to wait for the TSB to fix the bouncing headlamps.

Ours is a earlier one. So I've done most of the fixes myself. That reminds me, I still have to dig the parts out of the garage and fix the bouncing headlights.

[hyperv6]

Any one know where 911 is? that is what I drove in Malibu.

Its in orbit near Jupiter.

Too often the public cry has always been "Don't buy the first year of a GM car". The Cruze release has gone pretty well unlike cars like the first C4,the first F body

You must mean the first 4th gen F-body. The first F-body was perfectly fine for its time.

and others. Even the 04 GTP was an issues. The early built cars has a lot of little dumb problems. Mine was built near the end of the model year and had many of the panned 05 fixes in place. I still had to wait for the TSB to fix the bouncing headlamps.

Ours is a earlier one. So I've done most of the fixes myself. That reminds me, I still have to dig the parts out of the garage and fix the bouncing headlights.

Jupiter, I like that.

3rd gen too. I know many with the crossfire engines and other things that plagued the car. I have a buddy with a very clean Z that seldom drives it as you never know if it is going to start. I guess if it won't run it will never wear out.

Did you get the softer back seat. I saw a guy on the GP forum that had a buddy take a later 04 for a test drive and made the swap when his dealer would not replace the seat for the later softer one.

Mine missed the year and date mix up as it was just built after New Years.

FYI if you have not fixed the lights how do you stand the crazy headlight reflections? They drove me nuts right after be bought the car. The fix helps but it still has some bounce left.

[SAmadei]

3rd gen too. I know many with the crossfire engines and other things that plagued the car. I have a buddy with a very clean Z that seldom drives it as you never know if it is going to start. I guess if it won't run it will never wear out.

Oh, yeah. definitely the 3rd gens, as well. They are a poster child for the "don't buy a first year GM". I just figured you were sticking to the last 20 years, not 30. And, of course, I have to defend my beloved 1st gens.

Did you get the softer back seat. I saw a guy on the GP forum that had a buddy take a later 04 for a test drive and made the swap when his dealer would not replace the seat for the later softer one.

No. But normally any drives that require people using the back seat were done in the Bonneville. I can attest the seat is hard as a rock. Perhaps it will get a later, softer one when these start turning up in the junkyards... as the seat got some newsprint transferred to it. :-(

FYI if you have not fixed the lights how do you stand the crazy headlight reflections? They drove me nuts right after be bought the car. The fix helps but it still has some bounce left.

I don't. Predominately, my mother drives it. Remember, I barely fit in it enough to drive it. Sure, it can be fun to drive, but I really can't cope with it, as the Bonne is SOO much more comfortable. Even the '99 GP GPX is much more comfortable than the '04. But, hey, my mother loves the car.

Part of the reason I didn't do the headlight TSB immediately was that the car was in heavy usage and I read that the TSB doesn't eliminate the bounce completely.

Same reason I haven't fixed the spring on the HUD.

Maybe when the Bonne is mobile again, I'll catch up on the GP's quirks.

[Croc]

I wonder how many Passat drivers know where Passat is?

And yes, as far as I've heard, the Malibu will debut at new York. It's going to be sold around the world before it's sold here. GM has to be sure and only give us the outdated stuff.

Since it's the 2012 Malibu, one would hope it's sold around the world less than a year before it hits here. I thought the time frame for us getting it was late 2011/early 2012?

Correct. Let the rest of the world work the teething problems out first.