Take The Challenge: Is The New Malibu a Camry Killer?

No...the real question is does Toyota have the balls to go along with a simlar marketing strategy

No one said it has to be a new camry. Besides 10,000 new camry's isn't going to hurt GM. Another convinced 20,000-30,000 buyers will put them on the map against the altima. Gotta start somewhere.

Actually they are renting them to avoid paying Toyota.

But I have to admit this is a bold move, really putting their money where their mouth is.

Oh, that's a much better idea. Unless each dealership is getting some kind of fleet rental rate, renting a basic Camry for even $20/day would be silly.

If they purchase each Camry, after a year or so they'll just go to their Used Car inventory and be resold.

That's not the new Malibu, 009.

Oh and, interesting sales plan! That's definitely more "bold" than anything Ford has done recently!

Actually, it IS the new Malibu's interior.

S4 was right the original pic was wrong...

This sounds like a killer plan so long as there is a difference. The Malibu doesn't have to be better just different, in a way that most consumers might appreciate.

It's really a moot point because GM can't get anybody to come into their showrooms in the first place.

For the few that do come in, having the Camry there will probably only hurt the situation.

Anybody shopping for a Camry might want to check their local Chevy dealer in a few months after they abandon the plan and have to sell their Camry at a loss.

if that was the problem im sure gm wouldnt be selling any cars at all, and not just that they wouldnt be the only american company on a turn around. ive never owned a gm product but ill give it to GM they are really trying and its obvious look at saturn, the new cts, and other cars. if gm is putting a camry beside a new malibu it has to be good because gm has admitted that the quality of its cars werent there by comparison so if they are willing to take that big of a risk, its gotta be good

Ditto...

thats the same thing people were saying about korean cars, look at how well hyundai and kia are doing. also for nissan, and infiniti and they have really turned around from where they were. the nissan altima is one of the best selling cars on the road, and the g35 is one of the best selling cars in its class, just a few years ago nissan couldnt say this as neither of these cars predecessors were competitive or even really sold for that matter. if people are walking away from toyota and honda, to buy the saturn aura, i have no doubt that the malibu will be a big seller, it may not outsell the accord and camry, but it will be a success for gm.nowadays consumers realize that there are a lot of good cars from many brands, and that it is smart to shop around, that is why gm is turning around because people see that. they also are the only american company really improving and fixing the issues that made american cars inferior. i say good job gm, and they will continue to prove they can produce world class vehicles, and not just inferior or also rans.

When was the last time you were in a newly designed GM product?

You may want to drop by a GM dealership and look at the new models. They have changed since 1980.

GM has made great strides since 1980, but they sure aren't the market leader in build quality or materials use yet.

Again, have you been in it yet? You seem like a prime candidate to go and compare it to the Camry.

How old are you houstoncutie2000, 24, at the most? I'm guessing you graduated in 2000. You've had how many new cars since you've been a walking talking adult who can actually judge things for themselves? Probably none. Just because your parent drink the Toyota kool-aid doesn't mean you have to.

This is a bold move. Yet if it back fires it will look really bad. The Camry is a good sedan and to beat it GM really has to come out with a quality product. The engines in the Camry are the best and so is the interior design. To beat it GM needs to put out a near luxury product (with identical features, build quality, etc) with a lower price. I see a problem here, is GM going to make profit on such a vehicle, considering that it will offer huge discounts to attract customers while undercutting Camry prices to begin with?

One more thing to consider, when magazine reviews are added to the scenario then it can be seen that in many reviews and comparisons the Camry has not been the best sedan. Based on these reviews people can say that the Camry is not the best sedan in the market, yet it still sells the most. This is what GM has to steal from the Camry, buyers who just like it for the boring aspect that the Camry provides. It can be called a special thing, so in the end GM cannot really build the best sedan, (those have not taken away Toyota sales) but it has to build the right sedan.

I figure it this way. If they think it is good enough to be compared directly to Camry's at their dealers, it gonna sell better than the current Malibu, period. Will it outsell the Camry out the gate, doubtful. BUT, give it a few years, a mid cycle refresh, and plenty of public appearances.

The new Malibu is far better than what that picture above shows:

http://www.chevrolet.com/malibu/prelaunch/

Might not beat Camry, but at least it might be a worthy competitor.

The new Malibu is definitly a big step from its past. But for it to beat or even compete with the Camry/Accort, it needs to show quality and reliability aspects. As far as the design, its not bad at all for a GM product, from the side its a copy of the Acura TL, but that's ok now days all cars look alike, but it all winds down to the quality and reliability.

But I wonder if the GM dealers will compare the well equiped XLE Camry to there Malibu, or just get a basic Camry model and dump it in their show rooms and compare against their top of the line Malibu. The other thing, how much would the Malibu cost? I bet you it will cost the same or even more than the Camry.

The Malibu is no Camry/Accord or even Sonata competitor in terms of quality, value, style and especially interior quality.

Yeah. Obviously haven't been in a newly designed GM car lately. Obviously!!

Are we seeing the same thing?

http://a904.g.akamai.net/7/904/506/v0011/www.autobytel.com/images/carPics/TestDrv/Lyons/500/Malibu_interior1.jpg

The steering wheel alone is a tragedy. It may look good to you from a layout perspective, doesn't to me personally, but the materials are subpar the competition, and everyone knows it.

Clearly people smash GM quality and haven't seen or been in the car. The new CTS is getting rave reviews, The saturn Aura and outlook are favoaable and so is the new buick enclave. I'm a honda fan, but I welcome their enthusiasm to not roll over and play dead to Toyota, nissan, and honda.

Will, you're being ignorant here...

"... quality, value, style and especially interior quality."

Quality. Hmm. Well, I'd consider the fact that neither you nor I nor Consumer Reports has sat in this car yet. THEN I'd talk, but not now, not when it's not even on the streets.

Value? Are you kidding? The Camry is the most expensive car in this class! In a way, in a modest, subtle way, they really do charge "prestige pricing!" The Malibu is going to be the one with VALUE!

Style. Since when was the Camry a stylish automobile? The new Chevy looks better. So does the Accord, the Mazda6, the Passat...

Again, a moot point- interior quality. You're just assuming this, because you haven't sat in this car, and probably not the Aura, either. Well, read the reviews: the Saturn has perfectly good "interior quality." I'd be surprised if the Malibu wasn't as good or better.

You've got some nerve calling me ignorant when you're the one desperately bringing up the Camry just to pick a fight with me. The Malibu will not cost drastically less than a comparably-equipped Camry. Anyone in the market for any of these cars can afford any of them, they ALL have value, but the Camry and Accord have proven to have more over the years. High QUALITY and RELIABILITY, two words you just absolutely despise for whatever reason(s), are what has garnered them their reputable names.

It's so easy to come on here and claim that all of GM is back up to par based off of a few good models such as the new CTS and SUVs, but there is still the Cobalt, the mileage of the SUVs, the interior of the Corvette, the Pontiac Torrent, and so many other vehicles that just still are not cutting it. Don't think that I automatically wish for GM to die or something, that's NOT what I want to see happen to America's largest automobile corporation.

"The Malibu is no Camry/Accord or even Sonata competitor..."

Oh, really? I brought up the Camry? Hmm.

And Will, just to let it sink in, you ARE being ignorant. You are doing what you hate- you are the one who is always coming to Lexus's defense when someone judges a new Lexus car before it's actually on the market. In this case, you're the one judging the new car, and I'm defending it, and you're still calling me igorant. Neither of us know ANYTHING about this new car for sure, except the way it looks. But I'd bet my house that it's going to be a helluva lot less money than the Camry, especially with GM's customary rebates.

It will be hard trying to steal Japanese car owner, because once you're hook, you're hook. The only they can steal Japanese customer's they have to offer something far better for a much cheaper price. Even if they do that, and sales many cars, but will have less profit for the company.

This new Malibu, is no where near the new Toyota Camry V6 XLE/SE. Go ahead and look at the V6 Camry XLE/SE, it just luxury. And to add to finishing touch, it has one of the best quality and reliability in the business.

And if you want to play the recalling games, GM is the king of recall for 2006. Don't belief me do a search on this website for "The King of 2006 Recall list". You will see GM recall almost all of the vechicles they have sales in 2006.

you must like that nasty wood grain peel on in the xle camry

It is always harder to get back someone you lost.

The Camry is not luxurious nor does it claim it is a luxury car. The only Toyota badged car that is anywhere near luxury is the Avalon in my opinion. I hate Toyota's tacky looking wood grain inserts.

Anyways the Chevy interior looks well appointed and looks very plush. Whatever the interior is for it looks great and good job GM for doing so.

As for Camry killer I think it will be a hard task to do and probably will not win. However if they are going to compare a Camry with a Malibu in their own dealerships they will better have Malibu's quality, ride quality, noise control, and every aspect up to par or else there will not be any chance at all.

BOLD move but it may kick them in the behind afterwards. We shall see.

This is a brilliant marketing move on the part of GM. Currently their cars are on par with reliability with Toyota given increased reliability from GM and problems with Toyota. The problem is Toyota marketing is awesome and sells the vehicles. If GM can show people the difference and show that their cars can stand up to Toyota, they could win some customers back and make life really hard for Toyota. We will see how long Toyota is able to stay number one given that they have recently let slip the very foundation that made them what they are.

Finally, recall does not equal reliability. It is a good indicator in many respects, but a lot of recalls does not mean that the car is defective or would stop running/break down, but only that the company is fixing potential problems before they affect too many customers. I'm not defending recalls, simply pointing out that they do not equate with reliability necessarily.

If I were running Toyota, I can play that game too. When GM starting to put the old Camry in their Chevy showrooms, Toyota can start advertising the new refresh Camry with more standard equipment and priced them all $2,000 less than last year models. Toyota can afford to lose some profits, just to embarrass GM.

All I can say is good thing you aren't running Toyota.

LOL :).................

If the Malibu is competing with the Camry then what is the Impala competing with?

The Ford Five Hundred?

The Impala is a POS.

LMAO. That'd be so funny if you walked into a GMC dealership, test drove a Malibu and a Camry and left to buy a Camry. I think this is kind of gutsy because - no offense to GMC - Toyota is not as easily defeated (when in competition to GMC) as they might think. I like the redesign of the Malibu, but "most market experience" with American products typically come up with such words as "unreliable, gas guzzling (even smaller vehicles), etc." and I think it'll be probably the 2nd or 3rd year of Malibu before they see the kind of sales they want. But, for the first year all they might do is sell Camry's.

This is Chevrolet, not GMC. GMC, while it is an acronym for "General Motors Cars," is actually a truck subsidiary of GM.

After renting renting a Camry and having it break down in 100 degree heat last summer on I85 in Georgia, I think I will take my chances in the Malibu. I can honestly say that I have never had a GM vehicle quit on me like the Camry did! You guys can have the Camry.

Wow. The photo is certainly a nice looking interior! Well done, GM. Very nicely done.

Personally, I'd love it if GM started making world-class cars, and gave the likes of Toyota a hard time. Go GM. Make this a reality!

Where's the Nav in that Malibu?....does it pop up?

Anyway, the new Malibu will be a smash hit!

GM, you AT LAST did something smart AND resonable

The Malibu is SEXY!

GM only loses buyer to Camry. Japanese car buyers won't go into a GM dealership.

The new Malibu looks streets better than the Camry.

Don't believe me? Check out this photo:

http://www.rpmdaily.com/images/malibu_gray.jpg

HMMm...

It has the same ant-eater nose that the Camry has, and sides that vaguely resemble a BMW, just like the Camry.

But Will, you before implied that the Camry was a stylish vehicle; do you like the "ant-eater" nose or not?

And is it not hard to see that even if this does have a vague resemblance in front, the Camry is much less attractive, and will age quickly?

The new Malibu, by the way, does not "resemble a BMW," as it does not have a Hoffmeister kink. It more closely looks like the Acura TL.

The "ant-eater" look is apparently in style right now, whether I like it or not.

There is no automobile company whose products' designs age any faster than GM.

Pointing out the details, yes, the Malibu more closely resembles an Acura,moreso an Audi to me. The point was that both the Camry and Malibu both share strong design characteristics with Euro sedans, and while some may find the Malibu more attractive, others may feel the opposite way.

The funny thing about this post...is same was said about the Saturn Aura when it 1st came out, great car and all, but plagued with quality issues. And people are not really buying into them. Saturn claims they have greatly improved their sales, well if you think about it anything better than last year, then of coarse, but compare to other brands...no where close. Will the Mailibu be any different? This New Malibu is well thought inside & out, but continuing to use the same generic components of the Saturn Aura and other GM brands, at the end of the day interior(somewhat) and exterior styling is what really separates the two(Saturn & Malibu). So for what they have said about why Saturn Aura is better than a Camary, well so far the targets goals of sales of the Saturn Aura have been somewhat "so-so"...that is why GM has drastically dropped their leasing and finance rates big time. B/c they are now finding that more Auras are starting to sit much longer in dealerships. A car that cliams to be N/A car of the year with slow sales. And Toyota Camary selling hot with interest rates offered at almost triple!!!!....GM here is your 2nd chance in this segment, quit talking and let the numbers speak for themselves, b/c so far Saturn has not made the big impact they claim against the Camary. And it would be interesting to see how the consumer reacts to the New Malibu, since they share pretty much everything except styling...GM should really worry about companies such as Hyundai, they should try to surpass their quality/ sales figures first, because after all the turn around will not happend overnight and it will not be an easy one either. I may sound harsh about all this, realize boys that GM has been in the game for over 100 years, as there is really no excuse for their actions as to why they are in the a more worse position today compared to before. To start the New Mailibu will hurt the Saturn Aura sales, a section they obviously did not take into account....GM is a CANNIBAL in its' own game.

I would agree with you if you only had thought about what your saying. Saturn is a SMALL car company, that's why they haven't dethroned the Camry. The current Malibu outsells the Aura, so what do you think an all new product will do? Chevy is by far the largest and most powerfull horse in GM's stables. An all new product based on one of the best platforms GM has will be a god seller without question. As for your comments on a GM parts bin, they use just as much as all high mighty Toyota does with the Camry. The new Malibu shares NOTHING visible with the Aura. It's not even the same size as the aura. The Malibu stretches the platform like the G6 did. There aren't parts bin swatches, it's a comletely new interior with only similar seats and the corporate stearing wheel as it's only vices. They even have a different engine planned to start the vehicle off along with a planned 2 mode hybrid. Aura will have these eventually, but not at launch. The bottom line is that GM kept everything good and well recieved about the aura, an award winner already, and fixed everything people had problems with, redesigned the look inside and out, and are making a new vehicle that will give the market a run for it's money.

Only if its reliability is on par with Camry. Otherwise, you'll see many of them as rental cars.

The new Malibu looks way better than the camry inside & out. If GM gets the reliability right, this would be the hands down better chioce IMO.

This reminds me of my first new car purchase on my own. In 1988, Hyundai was trying to get buyers. The Hyundai dealer in Hartford had no Hyundais in his showroom, only competitors. They made such a circus out of it, including a completely negative pitch: Look at what crap these other cars are, instead of look at how great our car is. I walked out, disgusted, went to the Lincoln-Mercury-VW-Toyota-BMW dealer in the small town where I lived and never again considered Hyundai. In the long run, I don't think negativity in marketing ever works to anyone's advantage. If built properly, this Malibu will serve its mission well.

This is a point I've heard a lot and make myself. I have a 96 Mercury Cougar that I bought new. I drive it every day, and its my only car. The only problems I've had in 12 years are a shorted radiator fan and blown radiator, and the servos went out in my windows. And this was only in the last 3 years.
As for 06GS300, I wouldn't trust anyone who thinks a GS is an ultimate vehicle of any kind. Couldn't you at least have popped for the V-8?? Then I might have respect for your choice. Instead you've got what all automotive journalsts describe as a dull lifeless soul-less vehicle that impedes on it's driver with too much computer control. And you don't even have a powerfull engine! ;-)

This is the kind of car GM should have been producing 3-4 years ago...but I still think it is an excellent competitor to the camry since the camry has lost some of its appeal.

GM needs to stick to making Silverados,Tahoes,Suburbans, and the iconic Vette. Please give up the car segment...Malibus, Impalas, Monte Carlos, and Aveos (what the hell is that?)
The new Malibu is as good as compared to the 5 gen Camry. All the domestics (Ford cars, Dodge cars, etc.) are about 2 gen behind the Camrys, Accords, and even Altimas.
The best GM can do is hopefully win back those disenchanted Malibu buyers who went to buy the Camrys.

Heh....rooight!

Hey komododave, have you ever been to a Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu product seminar? So far I have been invited to 4 seminars by the GM head office themselves, 2 in the U.S. and 2 in Canada, and let me tell you they have promised so many things for the Aura that you will never hear, and did they talk big!!! Ohhh for sure!!! Here is an example, one Gm rep stated "From Nov. 2006 to April 2007, we will sell 75,000 to 85,000 Saturn Auras for all of U.S. and Canada combine!!!" Well they barely sold 18,000 units. So for you to say they are a small company, well of coarse they are, so like you said maybe GM should have put better thought into what they have said in those product seminars, especially about the Camary and Accord. End result they were no where close based on what they mentioned in the product seminars. And did not have a successful execution based on their game plan. That is why they had to drop the Finance and Leasing rates drastically. Due to the fact that too many Auras are sitting on dealership lots everywhere. Believe me, they are pissed!!!! And when I mean pissed!!! I mean Pissed-Off!!! So for sure I did put thought for what I said previously, based on simple facts being said, on what I learned, by actually being there by seeing and touching the products and hearing about the products all from GM top reps. The funny thing is all these seminars I have attended actually had a Honda Accord, and Toyota Camary in the conference hall for comparison(in a base equip of coarse) and there were whispers in the air, with others who were invited to these seminars saying either... "I still like the Honda Accord" or "The Camary is still a better car"...and one more thing to add the Ledgendary Auto guru known as BoB Lutz(VP of GM), a man known to have a very open mouth on anything, said this..."We have invested 3 Billion into the Saturn division, if this does not fly and don't reach our target goals...then we have run out of ideas for this subsidary"...3 Billion just to rebadge Opel vehicles?!?!? Quite the quick fix with no heart....

Just becuase I drive a car that has treated me well for 12 years and spend my money on things that are more important than trying to one up the Joneses next door with some fake sports sedan with no guts is nothing to be ashamed of. I'd like to see where your GS is in 12 years.

Komododave- you needn't bother replying to the many showmen on this site. If more drivers took care of their cars the way you clearly do, we wouldn't have junk heaps a mile high in every 100 square-mile patch of the USA. If anything, a person who cares for his cars- keeps them in top running condition is the TRUE ENTHUSIAST- not the ones who go out running to buy the newest sedan on the block and then send their kids to the worst school district in the area.