2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Exterior Review
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Exterior Review
Exterior - 6.3 (Mediocre)
Reactions to the Maxx's styling are largely a reaction to its hatchback design. Car and Driver asserts, "To American eyes, the body is a somewhat runty-looking cross between a family sedan and an ice chest, but it speaks to the Continental preference for hatchbacks." Edmunds says it "looks more like a five-door than a true wagon."
The Auto Channel reports, "All angles, with large, bright headlights and a massive chrome crossbar grille with the gold bowtie logo in its center, Chevy's Malibu Maxx is identical to the sedan ahead of the middle of the passenger compartment, but is stretched six inches in wheelbase while being half an inch shorter. It's not quite a wagon, as the backlight is sloped and there is a vestigial rear deck." Many reviewers cite functionality as the design's primary appeal. "The Malibu Maxx is the workhorse of the Chevrolet Malibu line, styled with all the elan of a good work shoe," writes Cars.com. It's not glamorous, but it works." The Washington Post points out that a fringe benefit of an exterior that's "not showy" is that it's "less vulnerable to traffic citations and other irritations."
Exterior Trims
The SS trim differs in small ways from that of the LT and LTZ. Even if the idea "might seem like dressing a spinster in a mini-skirt," says Cars.com, the SS "actually had a dash of sportiness to it," thanks to "chrome exhaust tips, monochromatic trim, 18-inch wheels, sport-tuned suspension and special sports seats add that dash. The enhancements, not to mention the electric-blue paint, seldom failed to attract favorable nods."
