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Which is the better family sedan?

JEREMY CATO

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:04 PM EST 16/04/08

Chevy Malibu takes on the perennial favourite Honda Accord. Both have been redesigned for 2008, and with its six-speed automatic transmission, Malibu may be the first domestic vehicle to outdo an import in the tranny department. ...Read the full article

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  1. r alexander from Canada writes: $4000 off the V6 Accord, $2000 off the 4 cylinder. That's what a friend was immediately offered last month at a Honda dealer in Georgetown. So, there are definitely deals to be had on the Honda.
  2. Luc Lafrance from Ottawa, Canada writes: The best value is clearly the 4-cyl 2LT Malibu, for around $27. It has an interior unique to that model, and I find it just as attrictive as the two-tone scheme of the LTZ. The '08 Malibu model year will have been very short as the '09's will be launched in a few weeks. The biggest news there is the availability of the 4-cyl/6-speed auto combination on all Malibu's (except the base LS), not just the LTZ featured in the article.
  3. George From the centre of the universe ;-) from Canada writes: Is it just me, or does the Accord look like the old Saturn L300. Honda seems to have lost its way in the styling department. They used to have the best looking cars on the road but today they seem to be outclassed by most including the perennial copier of design Hyndai.
  4. Mike L. from Canada writes: One thing to be wary of with GMs, is resale value. Malibus tend to be the quintessential rental fleet car, and that drives down resale value big-time, while Hondas have always enjoyed above-average resale value. This can translate into higher lease payments due to lower residuals, and into lower resale value if you purchase. However, that also means that in a year from now, there will be some great deals on slightly used Malibus, and if you plan on running the car into the ground, resale isn't much of an issue. I think the new Malibu looks more attractive than the latest Accord, which I find dreary. The Malibu also has more European genes (ex-Opel), and I much prefer European to Asian handling.
  5. Dan Bleichman from Ottawa, Canada writes: How about offering a wagon version, I had seen some Accord wagons in EU and they look pretty good. Personally I will go with the HHR (though don't like the styling).
    The old Malibu was actually quite reliable so I would expect the new one to perform well in this respect. Funny that so far among the domestic brands only GM is managing to address Detroit's quality issues.Also in EU Opel managed lately to address it's serious quality deficiancies and recently the Opel Astra (sold here as Saturn) came on top of the competition.
  6. Luc Lafrance from Ottawa, Canada writes: I dug up more details on the upcoming '09 Malibu and it looks like the 2LT is inheriting a lot of little goodies from the LTZ: heated seats, rear reading lights, compass mirror. In response to those who still perceive the Malibu as a rental fleet car (which it certainly has been), I read somewhere that the average transaction price on the '08 Malibu is $5K higher than on its predecessor. Not a rental fleet q
  7. Luc Lafrance from Ottawa, Canada writes: Not a rental fleet queen anymore. (Hit by mistake). ;-)
  8. A A from Canada writes: George made an astute observation. The only difference is that this looks more refined than the L300.

    I like the styling on the front of the Malibu but for some reason I hate the tail end of the Malibu.

    I just hope the dealer experience at Chevy will be as good as Honda. I have had both GM and Honda and I've always preferred Honda.
  9. Tony . from Waterloo, Canada writes:
    My first car was a '92 Accord and I absolutely LOVED it.

    I wouldn't touch a new Accord with a 10-foot crankshaft.

    Why? Because the new Accord has gotten WAY too chunky. Honda has the worst case of 'size creep' of any car manufacturer out there. The 2008 Civic is roughly the same size as my '92 Accord was and the 2009 Honda Fit is very comparable to the 1979 Accord. In just 3 decades Honda vehicles have grown two full model sizes. This new Accord reminds me more of a Buick then the fuel efficient, reasonably priced but still fun to drive sedan it once was.

    Also, a 268hp engine on a family sedan?! Ok, I'm sure some people will love it, but really, gas prices may well hit $1.50/litre this summer.
  10. S H from Windsor, Canada writes: Tony.... they are only building what North Americans want...larger cars! Toyota is guilty too. Look at the Corolla and Camry...much larger! So are the big 3 for that matter. Back in the 1980's all cars were 4 or 6 cyl's, I owned a 85 Omni GLH turbo, an 85 LeBaron GTS turbo and a 87 Daytona turbo...alot smaller than what they build today! Suv's really didn't exist until the early 90's, so don't blame the manufacturers. Remember the first Honda minivan? Very small and did not sell! People today criticize the auto manufacturers for lack of smallness but they will only build what sells. They are after all in the business of making money. If gas prices keep rising, you will definitely see the return of the small sh*t boxes!
  11. andy c from Canada writes: Tony; there a strong argument to be made that Nissan is the worse offender in terms of "size creep" when the altima first came out it was the size of a corolla. today it's as big as the new accord. SH: the return of the "small boxes" is in full swing. looks like families woke up and realized that they dont need 2 suv's to do all of life's little things.
  12. George L. from Canada writes: Buy the new Malibu in the U.S. $6000 - $7000 cheaper!
  13. George Bishop from Fergus, Ontario, Canada writes: What everyone has to consider is the reliability factor in any GM Vehicle, in the latest issue of Consumer Reports Canada, General Motors was almost at the bottom of the scale Page 17 in reliability! One has to only look at the huge Class Action Suit against GM Canada with regard to all there Gasket Failures on various V6 engines, it has not been settled yet in Canada but has been settled in the USA.
    Now Honda has been around for a long time and on the same report on Consumer Reports Canada there reliability is right at the Top with 100 percent reliability, so go figure what will your Trade in be with a GM vehicle down the road?
  14. Murray Dinning from O-Kville, Canada writes: I owned Hondas and GM products and I have to tell you, despite what the marketing department says, the GM products where no where close to being in the same class as a Honda...from any perspective. Honda had variable valve timing in '92 and only recently has GM offered it. Most GM engines have single cams and push rods just like 1956.

    GMs only hope for a turn around is to focus on engineering, design and quality. It reliance on marketing has resulted in the mess they are in. And to be honest I don't think their corporate culture will allow it.
  15. Hydro Glen from United States writes: Edmunds.com specs indicate that the Accord has a whopping 3.6 inches more hip room in the front seat and 2.5 inches more hip room in the back seat. Otherwise, the interior room in each car is identical. Is this really a big difference? The Accord has less trunk space than any of it's mid size competition (Fusion, Altima, Camry) and certainly less than the full size competition. The USEPA fueleconomy.gov website indicates that the Chevy gets better mileage, city and average and has a smaller carbon footprint than the Accord. Future reviews would benefit by referencing the publicly available vehicle specs to back otherwise subjective assertions.
  16. Peter Flemming from Guelph, Canada writes: RH from Windsor talks about bit cars. I owned a 1967 Plymount Valiant that was just as big as today's Malibu and the Valiant was considered a compact; there were 2 more sizes in the Plymouth, a mid-size and a full-size, including the Fury.
    The Malibu is not reliable, period! I would rather have reliable wheels ,good customer service and one that holds it's value.

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