Getting back and forth to the various stores, plus a trip to and from the airport and a dozen or so meetings that I attended
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| The get-up-and-go the Maxx's 200-hp 3.5-liter V6 delivers is more than adequate. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
throughout my test week were made enjoyable in the Maxx for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it really goes when you step on the throttle. A reaction to input from the right foot is paramount for any car to consider itself performance oriented, and the get-up-and-go the Maxx's 3.5-liter V6 delivers is more than adequate. Altogether, 200 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque motivate the front wheels. If you're used to the sophisticated sound of a dual-overhead cam, multivalve engine, you might be disappointed though, as the Chevy mill packs only twelve overhead valves. Still, what may be considered old-tech in today's high-revving world, translates into decent fuel economy at 11.2 L/100 km (21 mpg) in the city and 8.1 L/100 km (29 mpg) on the highway, just the same. Again, the 4-speed electronic transmission that connects to it isn't quite as up to date as some of its competitors' latest five and even six-speed automatic gearboxes, which are now starting to become almost commonplace in the midsize class, but don't discount the autobox at first glance just because it's missing that extra cog. GM has a great reputation for building smooth, reliable
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| The Malibu's 4-speed automatic transmission isn't quite as up to date as some of its competitors' latest five and even six-speed gearboxes. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
automatic transmissions, and the unique Malibu unit deserves recognition for its direct, purposeful shifts. What's so unique about it? At the thumb position it features a back and forth toggle switch to row it up and down the gears, probably the smartest placement of such driver-actuated shifters other than those located on the steering wheel. As great as it was to use, it only worked if the shifter was pulled back into 3rd gear. So, you can shift it all you want up to 3rd gear, but then you'll need to push the entire gear lever forward to engage the "D" or final drive position. How odd? After querying a GM engineer on this strange setup he assured me it was being modified to work from the Drive position for 2005 models as we spoke. That's good.
