For the 2004 model year, the Chevrolet Malibu nameplate was migrated over to the midsize GM Epsilon platform, which had debuted as the '02 Opel Vectra. This made it a cousin under the skin to an array of cars running from the Fiat Croma through the Pontiac G6 to the Saab 9-3.
The four-door sedan was joined by this funky five-door wagon, called the Malibu Maxx. It had a glass moonroof over the rear seating area like an old Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. While the sedan had a four-cylinder as the base motor in the value-leader LS model, the Maxx came in LT and LTZ trim with the GM High Value LX9 3500 V6, a pushrod motor displacing (as you might guess) 3.5 liters, and rated at 201bhp. There was even an SS version with a 240 horse 3.9L V-6.
For a dull rental car looking transportation module, the Maxx was reasonably quick. Car and Driver's test car in the June, 2004 issue, an LT made the dash to sixty in 7.8 seconds and ran the quarter in 16.1 at 86 mph. Price as tested in LT trim was
This Medium Gray Metallic example has the styling of the '06 mid-cycle refresh. It is starting to show nibbles from the rust monster around the rear wheel arches, and the driver's side fender looks a bit rumpled, but it's overall pretty straight. They only made the Maxx for four years, discontinuing it after the 2007 model year.
This Medium Gray Metallic example has the styling of the '06 mid-cycle refresh. It is starting to show nibbles from the rust monster around the rear wheel arches, and the driver's side fender looks a bit rumpled, but it's overall pretty straight. They only made the Maxx for four years, discontinuing it after the 2007 model year.
This one was snapped with a Nikon 1 J1 and the 1 Nikkor 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 VR zoom lens in December of 2023.
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