2006 Chevrolet Malibu

I own a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu LT V6. This is a nice mid-sized car for anyone, especially someone on a budget. You can find them used for a decent price and they are pretty well equipped even for the mid-level trim. Mine came with power windows, power locks, remote start, steering wheel audio controls, and many other nice features.

I like the design of this car. The 2006 model year Malibu got a face lift, which took away the ugly chrome bar from the two previous model years (04-05). The headlights and taillights are designed well but I wish it came with fog lights also. Fog lights are available on LTZ and SS trim levels. One downside to the headlights though is that they seem to vibrate when driving over bumps and 'shake' the light.

The interior is okay..., I guess. The fabric on the seats seems to be very cheap. It seems very thin and by looking at it you wouldn't think the seats are comfortable. They are decently comfortable though and some trim levels have power seats which can raise or lower the seat to the height you desire. The drivers seat also has a lumbar support. Another plus for some people is that the passenger seat back can be folded forward all the way creating a table like surface. I also wonder why General Motors doesn't put dark colored interiors in cars, especially cars that families with kids would buy. The instrument panel is kind of small but it lights up nicely. There are two nice cup holders in the center of the console by the shifter. The radio is decent although sound quality is so-so. An upside is that the radio is also a source of information such as Oil Life, Average Speed, Fuel Economy, Outside Temperature, etc. It also reads a CDs information and displays the artist and title of the song.

Engine performance is decent with the V6 engine. It seems like a 4 cylinder at times though. The power steering is very soft and makes the car easy to maneuver unlike the previous generation of Malibus.

A few things have gone wrong with the car. I bought it used and the first week I had it the rack and pinion steering had to be replaced due to a clunk in the front end. I also had to replace the battery. Now, there is a crack in the exhaust somewhere but I think it makes the engine sound better, like it has more power. Since it is an American made car, parts and labor are usually inexpensive.

I would recommend this car to really anyone looking for a decent car at a decent price. It is small enough for anyone to be comfortable driving it, yet had a large car feel to it. This is a step up from the smaller Chevrolet Cobalt and offers a lot more features. Compared to other mid-size cars I think it is a better value than foreign competitors like Honda and Toyota because it is cheaper to fix and is just as reliable.