(first posted 2/12/2016) There is currently no “sporty” trim level of the Chevrolet Malibu. There wasn’t one in the 1978-83 Malibu lineup, nor the 1997-2003 lineup. But between 2006 and 2007, Chevrolet dusted off the SS nameplate for both the Malibu sedan and this, the Malibu Maxx hatchback/wagon (or as Chevrolet called it, a “five-door extended sedan”). Just a few thousand Malibu Maxx SS models were made so when I saw this one, I knew I had to take a photo quickly as it was unlikely I would see one again.
Chevrolet’s proliferation of the SS nameplate in the mid-2000s was criticized by many, but the SS name always meant a little bit of extra performance added to an ordinary Chevrolet. The Malibu SS and Malibu Maxx SS followed that formula: a larger 3.9 V6 with 240 hp and 240 ft-lbs, a considerable bump in power from the regular 3.5, as well as a firmer sport suspension, bigger wheels, hydraulic instead of electric power steering, and a manual-shift mode for the four-speed automatic. Together, these pieces made the SS much more satisfying to drive. Where Chevrolet arguably went wrong was with the engine. The 3.9, a pushrod unit but featuring variable valve timing, was an acceptably powerful and well-rounded engine. However, the mid-size horsepower wars were in full swing and it was still outgunned by the standard V6 in the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry. The SS nameplate arguably suggested class-leading power when in reality, the Malibu SS was mid-pack at best.
The Malibu Maxx SS wasn’t the fastest or most fuel-efficient intermediate, but it was the rest of the package that made this quirkily-styled hatchback/wagon worthy of buyers’ consideration. The interior was a fairly standard GM interior of the mid-2000s: they had figured out how to make an interior look fairly good once again but hadn’t quite figured out how to make it feel good. They had, however, crafted a fairly versatile cabin with rear seats that reclined and folded flat but were also on tracks, meaning you could push them as far back as possible and enjoy impressive rear legroom; the Maxx also had a wheelbase 6 inches longer than the sedan. A fixed rear skylight made the cabin a more airy and pleasant place to sit in.
Whatever market research led Chevrolet (and Opel, with its related Signum) to develop this “five-door extended sedan” was arguably not very reliable. The Malibu Maxx didn’t create a new niche and it lasted only a generation. It seems unlikely the concept will ever be repeated, at least not by Chevrolet. For all its flaws, one must still praise GM for developing something so delightfully quirky, especially in SS trim.
Wow is that rare – never seen one in person and it is actually nice looking!
I see one pretty regularly on my afternoon commute here in San Diego. It’s in that blue color that you see in all the press photos. Every time I see it, it pegs my “wierd, quirky” meter and I think one day (after winning the lottery) I’ll have one in my odd-ball car collection.
I really wish that GM had just extended the roof another 8″ and had a proper wagon instead of this in-betweener hatch/wagon profile. A proper wagon I think would have sold a lot more.
Exactly – not quite a full-fledged wagon, sedan or hatchback….just a weird enough setup that it made it not sell as well as it could have.
+1
Sigh…and yet people complain that cars are not unique enough today, lament the demise of Saab, etc….
Drove a rental regular Malibu of this generation once and it was dreadful. But I keep looking sidelong at buying a used Maxx. Because the package is so charming.
I had a rental Maxx once and really enjoyed it for the week I had it – I thought the space utilization was great, though the drivetrain wasn’t anything to write home about. If I could find a good one I’d be sorely tempted.
I too had no interest in the regular Malibu but a more than passing interest in the Maxx because of the unique versatility of its packaging. I thought of the Maxx as a sort of pint-sized Avalanche, in a good way.
I am with JG. We had a rental Maxx for several days around 2007 or so. I have just never liked the way that these (W body?) GM fwd cars of this era drove. I wanted to like it, and maybe a higher/sportier trim version would have helped. I am normally on friendly terms with wagon-ish/hatchback-ish cars, but the execution on these was just lacking.
FWIW, Mrs. JPC simply despised the thing and could not wait to turn it in. Our two cars at that time were an 07 Honda Fit and a 94 Club Wagon, and she liked both of those quite a bit.
If memory serves, this generation of Malibu was GMNA’s first use of the global Epsilon platform.
Like others here, my primary exposure to the Maxx came through a variety of rentals in 2007-2008. Interesting packaging, but the driving dynamics were underwhelming.
We rented a regular Maxx about ten years ago during a family wedding, and as much as I wanted to hate on it for its awful styling, I actually ended up respecting it. It seemed to have pep, was quiet, had a ton of rear legroom, and seemed reasonably well-appointed. Such a shame about that styling. Maybe the Dennises just got one of the “good” ones from the rental counter!
I looked at one of these on a dealer lot in 2006, but the retail price was stupid high and the dealer wasn’t budging. I think it was the first car I ever saw with a built in video screen for the rear passengers.
I think the Malibu SS was far and away the best of three SS packaged cars that were being marketed at the time (Cobalt, Malibu, Impala). For just a bit more money, buyers were offered supportive seats, the 3.9 which could really scoot, and a better sorted suspension with hydraulic power steering that was quite communicative. While none of these changes did anything to alleviate the basic Malibu’s more blatant shortcomings, (narrowness, atrocious interior…) at least with the SS, the driving experience was bumped up to around Accord levels.
I think the Cobalt was waaay better-it was an actual performance car that was competitive (at least in performance) with the likes of the Civic Si, Sentra SE-R, GTI, and even WRX
A customer of ours has a blue 2006 SS just like in the pics. Not sure where those 15/22 MPG figures came from but I guess it was when 2008 came along and everything dropped several MPG. His window sticker says 19/26 and his car averages 22-23 in normal 50/50 mix driving and has reached 28 on the highway. That 3900 really moves this car helped by the 3.69 gearing. My 2008 Impala 2LT with the 3900 and AFM often saw over 30 on the open road as did my friend’s 2006 LTZ with the same engine sans AFM. These were good engines and a nice smoother quieter update to the old heavier 3800.
Edmunds had different figures to the EPA website, which showed a much more palatable 16/24 that lines up with the G6 3.9. I’ve amended the text.
The Opel/ Vauxhall Signum was an odd one and never really caught on. It looked like a big Astra but if you wanted to lug loads there was an estate/wagon version of the related Vectra and if not then there was the Vectra hatchback. It seemed to fill a non-existant niche.
Always had mixed feelings on these. The Maxx body style looked far better/sportier than the frumpy sedan as well as offering FAR more utility …which is usually the case. Its the application of the SS trim to everyday fwd V6 midsize sedans with only slight bumps in performance that irks me. Im no Chevy fan but always respected their performance. SS used to mean something, and that boiled down to a worthy competitor. Its pretty sad when your performance entry is ‘outgunned’ by the likes of a camry. They couldnt put the Ecotec turbo 4 from the Cobalt/HHR SS under the hood?!??
IMO this was one of those cars where the “top of the line” package should have just been the regular package.
Bingo!
Definitely. The SS steering and suspension were so vastly superior, it makes you wonder what the engineers were thinking when they signed off on the standard setup.
Agreed. I like the versatility of the Maxx (and find it better-looking than the rather boring sedan version of this generation) but in my opinion it shouldn’t have carried the SS badge. Give the top-line LTZ trim the 3.9, the better seats, suspension tuning, and those attractive 5-spoke wheels and call it done.
I wouldn’t have applied the 3.9 across the board though. The base engine in this class needs to be a 4-cylinder to satisfy price and fuel economy shoppers.
CC effect – saw one of these no more than two days ago here in Columbus Ohio.
Had a regular Malibu Max as a rental for a week in the spring of 2005. Was working on a project in Eastern Virginia and it did pretty good in all respects. I don’t remember it as having a rear skylight, though. Maybe that was an SS only thing?
CC effect here as well, just saw one here in the work parking lot near Portland, Maine. White Maxx wearing steelies/snow tires, possibly a ‘winter beater’ as it had some rust around the wheelwells.
The one I saw was a regular Max in either white or silver.
I see these (the regular ones) constantly in New York’s Hudson Valley…pretty much every time I drive anywhere I see one or more. I don’t know why they are so popular here but I’ve always thought it to be a nice looking car–except for a little clumsiness around the headlights/front fenders.
Knew someone who had one of these back in the day and drove in it fairly regularly. It was a great package for what it was (Five Door Episilon) – comfortable and excellent use of the interior space it had. It was probably the most attractive pass car GM offered at that time in terms of a total package of value, performance and practicality.
Unfortunately mid-size hatchbacks are poison in the US market.
Mid-size hatchbacks are “poison” in other markets too. Up to compacts (Golf, Focus, and others) and then it stops. Except the two I mentioned further down.
That’s probably why you don’t see these offered often; I just wish that I was in the market for the brief periods of time these seem to be offered, they are my cup of tea.
Starting in 1986, I was interested in an Accord hatch (to be fair, these were offered more than a decade from 1976-1989, but I was a poor student some of that time and couldn’t afford to indulge. In ’86, I was in the market and wanted to buy one, but I also wanted it to have fuel injection, which in ’86 meant you had to buy the LXi which came with power windows/locks…which are virtually standard on cars now, but in ’86 I didn’t want them, so instead I bought an ’86 GTi (smaller than midsized, but OK). Also looked at 626 hatch which is no longer offered, nor the Accord Hatch (well, they did off the Crosstour briefly, which is kind of like an Accord Hatch with 5 doors, but it isn’t on the market anymore.
Seems you are directed to buy a crossover/SUV if you want midsized hatch…almost no hatches are still available new. I just want to replace the car I have at the time I’m looking to buy, and don’t really want anything but a car, they ride nicely which I appreciate as I get older.
The Maxx was similar; in 2004-2007 I wasn’t in the market either, but was interested in these too…Likewise the more recent Buick Sportback (though I wasn’t wild about the turbo, would have preferred the 6 cyl in the Maxx, and prefer to run regular rather than premium).
Seems as I get older, I’m not the target market…for just about anything…guess I’m pretty picky about what I like (and seems to just get worse as I get older).
Whatever market research led Chevrolet (and Opel, with its related Signum) to develop this “five-door extended sedan” was arguably not very reliable.
Whaaa? Get out of here! This is from the same GM era that brought us the Aztek, cancelled the Camaro because it was deemed unprofitable in a soon to be dead niche anyway, then released the hugely successful SSR, Imported GTO and Pontiac Solstice? How dare you question their excellent – nay, Brilliant Market research! 😀
As far as the Camaro…I’d read that union issues at the St. Therese, Quebec plant led to its – and Firebird’s demise.
Sales were dropping like a rock, probably due to both having a “mullet on wheels” reputation by that point and IIRC, GM had a deal with the Canadian government that as long as those nameplates continued to exist they HAD to be built at St. Therese.
I’m guessing there was a loophole or cool-off period once the plant closed allowing for the current Camaro.
Sales were dropping on the Camaro AND the Stang because they were both aging and dated designs. Problem with sporty cars is you have to work a LOT harder to keep people interested. Sedans are easy. There, youre just filling a need. Theyre a commodity, like toilet paper. Thats probably why the Maxx didnt sell near as well as the sedan. People in this segment actually are looking for boring and bland. Anything that gets you noticed will be shunned.
With muscle cars…coupes especially, you have to make people WANT it. That takes a lot more effort both in the actual product and on the marketing side.
The problem with the Camaro was that it was the same age as the Mustang, actually had more power, and yet the Mustang outsold it by a considerable margin.
Supposedly, that is why the 5th Gen Camaro was built in Oshawa. — the CAW ‘owned’ the nameplate. Although the new one is being made in Lansing, so the agreement must have expired.
As for the Malibu Maxx, I was quite surprised when one my neighbors in San Francisco bought one right when they came out. I guess it had some sex-appeal, because you don’t see too many domestic midsizers here without barcodes on the windows. Mostly Fusion Hybrids nowdays.
The DS5 (formerly known as Citroën DS5) and the Skoda Superb are currently the only hatchbacks I can think of in this segment.
What Bernard Taylor says above, if you wanted a big and roomy Opel you bought the contemporary Vectra wagon. The Opel Signum was a rare bird, let alone this 275 hp Irmscher Opel Signum iS3.
Ooooohhh… Irmscher Signum… I wish I could have done that with my Maxx…
The (Citroën) DS5 follows the same concept as the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx and Opel Signum;
a hatchback/wagon-hybrid. The Skoda Superb is a hatch-/liftback that looks like a 4-door sedan.
Yes, I’ve seen pictures of the DS5. I’m admiring them from afar…
I find them fussy and unresolved in styling and their interiors aren’t especially nice to look at, either. The DS3 is fairly cute, the DS4 is vaguely interesting, but the DS5 is the most pointless of the DS range. A shame, as I generally love largeish hatchbacks.
If I were buying PSA, I would much, much rather a Peugeot 508 sedan or wagon.
My wife’s cousin owns an ’06 Maxx. Not an SS but I’d had a chance to drive it about five years ago.
It felt like almost every other GM FWD from 1979 until just a few years ago…like it was going to fall apart under your seat while you were driving.
Wasn’t impressed, but my wife’s cousin absolutely loves it.
Just acquired a 2005 in LS trim with the 3.5L LX9 engine as a work car and so far it seems to be a nice little car, feels solid, moves right along, handles ok. The surprising thing about this car is no rust at all, and it has been through 10 Cleveland Ohio winters, almost all sloppy, salty affairs.
Of the 2004-07 gen. Malibu, I’d say two Maxxes were sold
per every Malibu sedan.
Don’t you mean 2 Malibus were sold for every Maxx?
Kerr:
Nope. I saw what I saw on roads where I live, in CT.
Your perceptions do not equal reality. The regular Malibu sedan outsold the Maxx by a large margin.
Maybe nation-wide, Paul.
My “little” brother had a regular Malibu of this generation, a top of the line model with everything but leather. It was a fairly decent car (WAS, because it was “totalled” after a collision with a deer) but I always thought the interior was ho-hum. His car was maroon with a grey interior, and EVERY square inch of that interior was grey.
I found a non SS Malibu Maxx on the local CarMax lot a few years ago. 1 reason why I didn’t buy it was the negative reviews owners left on Edmunds.com. LOTS of complaints about the electric steering.
Of the SS cars and trucks offered for that short period in the middle of 2005-2008ish, I can’t say I’ve seen a Malibu Maxx, but wasn’t the Malibu sedan also built as an SS?
Howard Kerr wrote: “LOTS of complaints about the electric steering.”
My 2005 Malibu LS sedan put a permanent bad
taste in my mouth and disdain in my mind
for electric power steering. You(GM,
Toyota, etc.) DON’T MESS with my
steering!
IMO from overapplying the SS designation in the mid-00s, Chevy’s gone too far in the other direction. They have a BIG market gap between the Sonic RS at $20k and the $45k Holden-based SS without an overtly sporting four-door.
Aren’t these type of cars known as a “crossover”? Not a SUV, not a station wagon and not a hatchback sedan. And then you have some people who wouldn’t be caught dead driving a station wagon. Hence a hybrid of a sort.
Most SUVs I saw has the third row seat which I don’t need and they were more truck-Iike. Very few manufacturers make station wagons nowadays. Probably would have bought a Malibu Maxx but at the time my Camry wasn’t ready to give up. When it was time to replace the Camry in 2009, the Maxx was discontinued and then I saw the Toyota Venza, which sort of reminds me of a Maxx.
Not quite. A crossover would be higher off the ground and have a taller body. But your Venza analogy is quite apt–we test drove a Venza while looking for a nicer replacement for the Kia Sportage and thought it more of a Camry hatchback than a true CUV.
I fool around with recumbent bicycles some, and, on the recumbent bogs, the Maxx developed a bit of a following among the more reclined peddlers. It seems that, when all the seats are down, a seven foot long LWB recumbent bike will fit inside and you only need to take the front wheel off. Generally, it takes at least a minivan to carry these unwieldy things inside.
So, most of the buyers may have been nerdy, middle-aged, bearded guys with funny bicycles. (I can say that, as a member of the tribe.)
Did not know that; very interesting.
Saw one last week in North Houston. Thought what I always think about them. A station wagon with a little butt surgery. Like it but won’t buy one. I think that the issues that I last had with GM would come back to haunt again.
I had a regular Maxx from 2006 to 2009. I wanted to make a deal on an SS model, but the price was too high and even with my supplier family discount, it was still more than I wanted to pay. We got the Maxx right after the disastrous 2nd Pontiac Aztek Rally, which ate more parts than my equally disastrous 1983 Trans Am (which is saying something). For whatever reason, as much as I loved Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs, any Chevys I’ve owned have been rock solid. The others were not so stable.
I still had kids at the house at the time, and we were heavily involved in all of the normal things, Scouts, travel soccer, church functions. The hatchback design and a convertible cargo cover (it became a picnic table when folded out the right way) was incredibly handy at soccer games, the 112″ wheelbase and moving rear seats had plenty of room for all sizes and shapes of people. I traveled back home to Northeast Ohio a lot back then, and I usually got about 29 to 32 MPG if I behaved. (I rarely behave on these rides)
But, I had a secret desire for a Pontiac G6 GT. So when the lease was up on the Maxx, we swapped out for a G6 Sport Sedan (think G6 GT with an Ecotec instead, 2008 put the fear of high fuel prices in me). Back to the old Pontiac haphazard assembly and minor annoying issues. While the Maxx wasn’t totally flawless, it gave us three years of excellent service with no major issues (with the exception of the infamous GM intermediate steering shaft issue, covered by warranty).
A few years ago, when my Sunfire GT died, I was looking at a Maxx SS, but I couldn’t come to a price agreement with the dealer. I ended up with another Aztek Rally (which was totally solid until I hit the deer last fall) instead. The Maxx SS is still fairly popular around here (Western Michigan), but due to their relative obscurity, are hard to find. And once you find one, they don’t go cheap.
Count me in as one of the people who want one. Again.
Wasn’t the Maxx a derivative of the 9-3 body they got from Saab? or was it the other way ’round (er, does that make sense?).
In any case, the regular Maxx had some wicked strong torque steer the one week I drove one (again it was a rental). Can’t think what the larger engine would’ve done: You try to step on the gas just to find yourself swerving into middle of a plate glass window across the sidewalk?
If anyone is still reading:
I actually found 2 Malibu Maxx SSs at CarMax, but both had over 90K on them and very stiff pricing. For better money, they had a few more non-SS Maxxs and I got the answer to my Malibu SS question….CarMax had 1 or 2 of the SS sedans.
And no, I’m affiliated with CM.
Strange CC effect…just saw 2, yes two Maxx’s in a funeral procession…a black SS and a plain-vanilla one in white, but it had deep tinted windows which helped the look a little.
I looked at these when they came out. Good concept with more versatility than a standard sedan, without the bulk of a minivan. But: hideously plasticky interior, very very cheap looking and feeling. Drove plasticky as well. The magnum was a better idea although it also had a hideous interior.
I thought of buying one back in 2007 but was turned off by the “cheap” looking seats. The Maxx reminds me of a more modern Hornet Sportabout…..which I think was one of the cleanest “sports” wagon made.
THEEE hands-down-bar-none most
HIDEOUS Epsilon body everrrr!
Swedish flag at half mast, on the
double!
Thing looks like the same team that
designed the Nissan JUKE got their
grubby hands all over it! And to
have the guts to put the SAAB name
on this atrocity – they should be
bloomin’ ashamed of themselves..
Relax. It’s good-looking sedan. If it’s not your cup of tea, look the other way. No need to get so worked up.
I actually find it very handsome, inside and out, and it even has some visual links to past Saabs…
With all due respect, I’m very conservative
with regards to automotive aesthetics.
This just took the 9-series in a direction
it needn’t have gone. Show me a 1983
three or five-door 9-series any day.
A “9-series” would be what, every Saab ever built except the 600 and Sonnet?
I LOATHE that word. I was actually
in a humorous mood when I posted
that Juke comparison. 🙂
The Maxx seemed to me like a good idea in search of a market. I can see the versatility though, and I actually had never noticed the wheelbase stretch. 6″ is quite a bit on a car this size. Until now I’d never actually noticed you could get the SS in Maxx flavor, though a co-worker had an SS sedan in that signature bright blue. Seemed to me to be sharp details and a good color on a bland basic shape.
The only driving experience I have with this generation Malibu would be a 2004 4cyl I had as a rental for 2 days. There were no glaring defects, and it was pleasant enough I guess, but rather forgettable. A competent platform and a definite advance from the previous N-body car, but nothing to write home about. And I wasn’t quite sure what to think about the ’04-’05 fascia with its truck-inspired grille. At least it was more distinctive than the vanilla ’06-’07 nose.
Well, judging by the overwhelming majority
of Maxxes I saw here in CT, it certain seemed
to have found a market here. I, personally,
was a fan of the sedan Malibu. But then,
I’m in the minority on a lot of things!
I always liked the look of the Max, but never was able to look inside the back. Doesn’t look like it has a lot of room back there.
Yes, that was why I didn’t get one. The slant seriously compromises luggage space, but it does keep the tailgate from hitting you in the breadbasket when it rises. You could have a lot of luggage space or a roomy backseat, but not both at the same time.
I eventually bought a 3 y.o. Deville for a lot less money, thanks to the Northstar’s bad rep. It had a big trunk without sliding or folding the seat forward.
The one I test drove had comfy perforated ultraseude seats in a soft yellow.
From reading the comments above, there were lots of these in rental fleets.
I thought them innovative, but I remember reading at the time that people were turned off by their offbeat ad campaign. They had some guy with a French accent speak the name of the car in a heavy French accent, and then say a few words in French for dramatic flair. It might have been, “Ze Malibu Maxx, c’est magnifique!…” or something weird like that. Someone will remember.
If there were a lot in rental fleets, that could have been evidence of poor retail sales, forcing GM to get rid of them somehow.
I liked the concept. But it just wasn’t my time to buy a car.
Me too, liked the concept, but didn’t need a car at the time (I keep my cars for a long time) and was leery of the GM reputation for early expensive trouble. A bit more wagon-esque, maybe like the Hornet Sportabout, would’ve been even better. Never hated the GM vanilla V-6 engines (aside from the gasket problems) and 4 speed transmission, gobs of torque off idle, quiet at speed. I now have a Cruze hatchback (went against my old biases; car had features I liked). Would rather not have the complexity and associated problems of the tiny displacement DI/turbo.
Chevrolet did try this twice, this was actually the second attempt.
Speaking here only for the Maxx body, not the SS option.
As a dyed in the wool GM hater, I’d actually found the previous generation Malibu, sedan at least, pleasant to look at. Then they came out with this abomination, either the Maxx were the only ones I saw or the others were just generic car, but the odd hatchback is the only one I remember. And I always thought #1 it was coyote ugly, #2 reminded me of another debacle, albeit from across the ocean , the Austin Maxi, which I thought hideously ugly when it was current. What a car to copy the styling on, the Austin Maxi.
Never understood why they didn’t pull the greenhouse all the way back and make a real wagon out of it.
The “Maxx” reminded me of the old Renault 16, a quirky car of another century. For some reason I liked the 16, but the Maxx was,alas, a dead end.
As I alluded to before, here in Connecticut, folks bought more Max Malibus than Sedans.
I have owned 3 Malibu Maxx’s, my present is a 2006 LTZ in Burgundy with black leather interiour. I now have 140,000 miles on it. Change engine oil every 2,000 miles and trans fluid every 35,000 miles. Only issue was the electric steering. This Maxx is an awesome car and I just love it. I just bought a Turtle Wax kit to renew the headlights, they now look brand new. The CD player works great and the sound system is the best. Super car that many didn’t care for, I love it.