2000 Chevrolet Malibu

I bought a 2000 Chevy Malibu LS (V6 engine) with 68,000 miles in 2004 right after I started college. I still own the car today and it has almost 111,000 miles on it. I plan on keeping this car until it dies which may take a while since I have heard of Malibu’s still running even with 200,000+ miles. I really take care of my cars so it hasn't had a lot of problems. Sometimes I like to push the limits with it but it has been good to me. I deliver pizza in it and it hasn't let me down yet.

Some of the things I really like about the car is its looks...I upgraded to larger chrome wheels... but even when the car was completely stock it looked good. Mine came stock with five star style alloy wheels....IMO Malibu's look cheap when they have hub-caps. The interior is very nice with dark ebony seats which are rare on this car. I know this is weird but I like the way the center console opens to the right rather than up and back between the seats. It is much easier to get to stuff. The power from the V6 is enough for me. There isn't really anything I dislike about the car.

I have had a few problems with the car but every car has a few issues. When I first got the car the A/C condenser motor was making noise. This was fixed under warranty. A few months later the intake gaskets were leaking (common problem with this engine) and were also fixed under warranty. They started leaking again about 3 years after the first repair so I had them replaced again. The fuel pump also went out around this time. Other than that I haven't had any major issues... just oil changes, brakes, and a new battery. I change the brakes in this car myself and it is very easy. I even went 30,000+ miles without even having the car aligned and it didn’t even need one that badly when I actually had it done. In some areas of the car it is starting to rust but the car is almost 10 years old and is driven in rain and snow. Mine isn’t too bad but I have seen some Malibu’s with bad rusting, especially around by the gas door.

This car is also very strong structurally. Last winter this guy stopped on a hill and I was behind him. Well I ran right into him probably going about 10mph and there was hardly any damage. Just some cracked paint on the bumper which I actually didn’t notice until the summer. Newer cars would never stand up like that.

This car would be good for really anyone but might be better for younger drivers since its not too small but not too big. The car rides like a big car but is easy to maneuver since it is actually pretty small. Similar cars I would recommend include Oldsmobile Alero, Pontiac Grand Am, G6, Grand Prix, and other mid-size vehicles.