Used 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
Buying Guide for the Chevrolet Malibu:
The Chevrolet Malibu is designed to make you feel as though
you’re at the beach all the time—why else would it be so named?
Spacious and comfortable, it glides over the road with ease,
rather than jerking you around bends and up steep hills. Not
overly powerful yet no slouch either, the Malibu keeps things
at a nice, even keel.
The 2004 Malibu sedan will also be the first car in its class
to offer an optional factory-installed remote vehicle starter
system. This allows the driver to start the car's interior
heating and cooling systems from a range of about 200 feet.
When you get inside, the car is nice and pleasant—just like
you would feel lying on the beach.
Under the Hood
Two engines are chosen to represent the front-wheel drive
Malibu line. Base models receive a 2.2-liter Ecotec inline
4-cylinder engine with 145 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 155
lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm.
Uplevel LS and LT models feature a stronger 3.5-liter V6
with 200 horsepower at 5400 rpm and 220 lb-ft of torque at
3200 rpm. This engine is optional with the base model.
4-speed automatic transmission is standard. For added handling
and safety, LS and LT models have standard antilock 4-wheel
disc brakes and traction control.
Standard Features, Options Packages and Style
The Malibu and the new Malibu Maxx (covered in a separate
review) are the first North American models to use GM’s Epsilon
architecture, providing even more stability than ever before.
The 2004 Malibu is also quieter than ever. Its noise-elimination
features include a cast foam-rubber barrier covering the dash
panel, a modular noise-dampening plate in the dash panel,
a compression-molded fiberglass-composite hood insulator and
front and rear "glove-fit" carpet floor modules.
The interior of the Malibu is spacious, seating five passengers
and offering 17.3 cubic feet of trunk space. Rear-seat passengers
have an enhanced heating/air conditioning system to make rides
pleasant. In addition to airflow to the feet, two vents on
the center of the dash are designed to pour generous amounts
of heated or cooled air directly into the back seat.
Some of the options available for 2004 include heated front
seats, the remote vehicle starter system, XM satellite radio
and curtain side airbags.
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