Overview & Reviews

Like, um, seedless watermelon, the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx was the end result of selective, consumer-friendly design. Seedless watermelon was created because consumers love watermelon but hate spitting out seeds. Launched in model-year 2004, the midsize Malibu Maxx was created because many consumers like the utility of wagons but want the cooler look and style offered by sedans.

Most Recent Chevrolet Malibu Maxx

Hoping to avoid any potential stigma, Chevrolet describes the Malibu Maxx as a "five-door extended sedan." Built on a lengthened version of GM's Epsilon platform, the Maxx has a hatch-type rear door and a glass roof over the rear seat. And unlike the sedan that offers both four- and six-cylinder engines, the Maxx comes with V6 power only.

Its hatchback design makes loading the Chevy Malibu Maxx effortless. The rear cargo area has 22.8 cubic feet of space available (about 8 more than the average midsize sedan's trunk) and folding down the rear seats opens up 41 cubic feet. Further versatility is gained by rear seats that slide forward and back -- either side of the 60/40 setup will slide independently with a 7-inch range of adjustment. Other strengths include an agreeable ride and outstanding crash test scores.

All in all, the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx is a great choice if you're seeking utility at an affordable price -- provided you don't take issue with its drab looks and unremarkable handling. Those seeking brisker performance can choose the SS trim (launched in 2006), which comes with a more powerful engine.

Alas, the Malibu Maxx has not been a particularly popular offering for Chevy, and it was announced that the car would be discontinued after the 2007 model year. More information about the Malibu can be found here.

User Reviews:

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  Salesman Swears Off Minivans - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By hiramT - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Delighted with this solid, feature- packed, versatile car. Nice pickup; great room for 4 adults; switches to office or hauler. Build quality 97% of wifes Accord, but lots more features for the money. This is the best domestic in its class, and may be a better buy for anyone looking at an import. Everyones surprised at the comfort, ride, and handling.

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  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Ed - June 25 - 9:10 pm

  I have owned the car new since Feb. 2004. Have very few mechanical issues and have loved everything about it. Very comfortable road car and great power for a 6 cyl. MPG has been great, take it on road trips often and the AVG. MPG is almost 31 in and out of town (I dont reset the avg very often. Actually tried buying another new one two years ago but for some reason GM doesnt build them any more. Great family vehicle for the kids, and with the hatch and fold down seats (front and rear) turns into a "truck" when I need one. Only issue I have had is with the electronic steering (Saab) and have had it repaired.

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  76,000 Miles and Sweet Malibu Maxx - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By dbadcraig - June 8 - 2:30 pm

  This is a car I did not care for much at first, but we needed another car and the price was right. Well, the car has really grown on me and I now love it. I am incredulous of the odometer reading, this car drives more like a car with 7,600 miles on it (not 76,000). The engine and transmission are wonderful, delivering a good +33 mpg on the highway. Not a drop of oil used. The ride/handling compromise is perfect for everyday use. The electric steering is different, but easy to get used to. Negatives: 1. noise (a "clunk") in the front end in low speed turns that appears to be a common characteristic of the electric steering, 2. the cars heater is slow to warm up the car on cold days.

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  12 yrs and still going strong - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Paul - May 18 - 3:30 pm

  We bought this Mailibu Maxx in August of 2005 and the only issues have been with the steering and one tierod joint. GM made good on the steering issue and beyond that it has been a rock solid vehicle. The gas mileage is always around 24-26 MPG. The V-6 engine gives this car the power to really get up to speed fast and is smooth and quiet. The hatch back design makes for a real hauler of just about everything you can imagine and with the rear seat down we used it as our ski car for years. It has great traction in snow and ice. We now have about 85,000 miles and the only thing besides the steering issue that was taken care of by GM is we replaced the battery. Not bad for 10 years of service. My only complaint is the amount of road noise when on the freeway. They could have done a better job of noise isolation. My only regret is they dont make this car anymore. I would like to find something like this other than a Cadillac CT-S that has all the features and functions of this wonderful car. We found this car to be a real value when we bought it and looking at the prices of used Maxxs they have held up over time. The 3500 V6 is a lot of power in a car this size. You cant help but be impressed. Also, it handles the curves and hills quite well. I hope GM will eventually bring this car back we have tried newer cars like the Subaru Outback and found it lacking in power and acceleration we are used to with our Chevy Maxx. update 2-23-2017: We have now had our Maxx for nearly 12 years and over 100k miles. I just put my second set of tires, replaced the brakes, spark plugs and wires, and drained and replace transmission filter (scheduled maintenance items). This car gets garaged every day and washed regularly with that said the paint, a metallic champagne green still looks like new. We have had no mechanical surprises with this car. It gets great mileage at around 24-26 mpg on a regular basis. My wife loves this car with its hatchback for all the things she transports for her church. She also has to child protective seats installed in the rear seat as she babysits our grand kids 3 days each week. We really like the power of the V-6 engine and would not consider a new Malibu unless it has the V-6 option. Mpg is one thing but under-powered is not something I would consider. All in all, we are still very happy with the decision to buy this car. update: August 2017... The CD changer quit working a couple of weeks ago. Found a factory new radio on ebay delivered to my door for $118. Now all I have to do is either install it myself or hire it done. The whole dash has to come apart in order to change out the radio. I t appears to be pretty straight forward but will take some time. Other than the radio issue the car remains rock solid.

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  Love our Max! - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Paulmary - May 16 - 6:46 pm

  We had a Volkswagen Jetta, but with two boys over 6 feet, there was no leg room! Lots in the Max, I like sunroof and heated seats.

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  Best Buy - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Kent - April 28 - 3:30 pm

  I purchased my Malibu Maxx in Dec of 2005 and already have 50,000 miles of trouble free, economical and handy driving. I say handy because the interior layout of the Maxx accomodates a 8 foot ladder with room to spare. I have averaged over 38 mpg several times driving I95 in Florida. I have rented a Dodge Caliber while traveling and find that it is no comparison to the Maxx. The Caliber is noisy and the interior is not nearly as nice as the Maxx. With the deals out there I highly recommend the Maxx. An excellent value that is underappreciated by most buyers.

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  My Mad Maxx - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By tigerteacher - April 24 - 12:20 am

  Bought my Malibu Maxx as a replacement for a much larger car that was totaled in an accident. Went to purchase an SUV, but when I drove the Maxx, it was sold. Great room; lots of cargo capacity; great mpg; easy to get my toddler in and out; inexpensive maintenance. My family has owned many Chevys and several Hondas and Nissans. So far we are very pleased overall with this purchase. It was a CPO with extended warranty and I got a GREAT price. I have a 60 mile commute each day and my Maxx handles it with ease.

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  Awesome car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Scortch - April 21 - 5:26 am

  I fell in love with this car when I saw it and drove it. I had been doing research on the net and narrowed it down to a few cars but the Maxx was my choice. Nice car to drive, has the power and comfort. Some have problems with the steering but I thought the steering was just fine. No worst to me than any other.

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  Good alpine driver - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By eljon - April 15 - 5:00 pm

  Drives well on hiways and brakes very well at high speeds. Lots of passing power. Nice ride.

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  Life in Maxx - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Cobalt ss - March 31 - 1:23 am

  Excellent car with a lot of space, a good look and good performance for the price. A lot of persons said to me that they will consider a Maxx for their next car. No problem except traveling computer, but it was fixed now. I changed the tires for 4 Michelin Hydroedge and the car became more sporty to drive.