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2009 Malibu LT1 Snow Handling

21K views 44 replies 14 participants last post by  repairman54 
#1 · (Edited)
I have a 2009 LT1 Malibu with the Sun and Wheel package. This package added a moon roof, bluetooth, as well as 18" wheels and tires. I bought it new, and since the first winter (or even rain), the car has handled poorly. The car will spin the tires easily off the line in the rain, even with TC always on.

In the winter, the car acts like it is on glare ice, getting stuck or tires spinning (and the TC clicking while it keeps engaging). Cars will pass me like I am standing still.

We also have a 2006 Impala LTZ, and that car WHISKS through the same conditions as if it is a Jeep. It's amazing.

So is this an issue with my car in general (well, Malibus in general), or is it the tire and wheel package that Chevrolet put on it?

Here is the tire and wheel:



I am ready to trade this in out of frustration. But if it is something as simple as different tires, I can deal with that. The tires are Goodyear, so I know they are a decent brand, but maybe they are not all season?

Any thoughts on this?
 
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#2 ·
Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires are junk.

Get something like Michelin MXM4 or Pilot Sport 2 tires. Heard good stuff on here about the MXMs and considering getting the PS2s next year. I already got rid of the LS2s over 20K miles ago but I made the mistake of thinking that the Hankook Optimo H727 tires were quite a bit better. They're only marginally better but not worth the price of a complete set of tires.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Thanks DD. I am a total car guy, but I don't know ANYTHING about tires. That is a help, that is for sure. My tires have just been so bad, probably the worst tires I have ever had on a car, if that is indeed the case...being the tires are crap.

I will look into the Michelin tires then. Going to research that now, thank you. I just assumed that Goodyear Eagle, brand name, meant that these were some of the best out there.
 
#5 ·
I just put a set of studded Hankooks on the front of my car.
I gave up on Goodyears a long time ago, not worth the money IMO.
First winter with this car so we'll see. There is no substitute for snow tires in the snow, all season is useless in over a inch.
Summer performance tires are useless in snow, even those with a M&S rating.
Last car I rotated non studded winter tires to the rear for the summer as it had alloys, bought a set of steels wheels for this car and hence now it's studded snow take offs.
 
#6 ·
We just had 10+ inches of snow and a whole lot of slush. The Malibu was great.

I ditched the all seasons that were on the car for a set of el cheapo snow trakkers.

Tires make a world of difference, don't blame the car.

If I ever get into an accident, my deductible is the cost of a set of winter tires..
 
#7 · (Edited)
Plus tire companies and tire dealers say that if you are only gonna use 2 winter tires it is safer to put them on the back, and here's the point that doesn't seem to make sense until it makes sense: Even on FWD (front wheel drive) cars like our Malibu, if all you use is 2 winter tires, put them on the back.

At first I thought, "What dope thought that up?" Then I watched and learned. If you can't get moving that's not an issue except to you, but if you lose control that's an issue to everyone in your way. The mostly likely cause of losing control in the winter is the back end coming around on you. If the back has winter tires they'll keep the back where it belongs and you'll have the greatest chance of maintaining control of your car.

But if the winters are on the front and the only thing on the rears is M&S or AS or, pray it ain't so, summer tires, the front will be able to do what it's got to do but the back end is gonna whip around on you and you won't be able to control who or what it hits, or where that "tail" takes that dog of a car you're in!

Don't believe me yet? I didn't either. Here, try reading this from Discount Tire Direct's own website:

Video help for winter tires

Click here to get smarter about winter tires :)

Here is some more information worth checking out:

http://cars.about.com/od/adviceforowners/a/snowtires.htm

http://www.ajforeignauto.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=155

For this one from Michelin, look at the video on the bottom right of the page. It specifically speaks about Front vs. Back Tires:
http://winter101.michelinman.com/class-winter-tires-workshop.html
 
#9 ·
Everyone saying the Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires are to blame are 100% correct. They are some of the worst rated tires you can buy. I would even call them borderline hazardous just in the rain.

I'm a new owner of a set of Michelin Primacy MXM4s and they are night and day different. These tires, and I'm not exaggerating, handle almost as well in soaking rain as the Goodyears do in DRY conditions. It is utterly mind blowing how much better they perform.

For your car, though, the MXM4s are a bit pricey and more suited to the performance nature of the V6 model.

I would recommend Michelin Hydroedge tires, as they are on clearance and you can get a good deal. I've driven with them in the rain on my dad's Monte Carlo and they also provide excellent foul weather grip, far better than my Malibu on the Goodyears.

Other Michelin options are MXV4 (cheaper and lower rolling resistance than MXM4s) or the new Defender tires. You also can't go wrong with Continental ProContact tires, which are rated only slightly lower than the MXM4s.
 
#10 ·
My 2009 Malibu came from the factory shod with the Hankook Optima H725 tires. It was very nearly as good in the wet and in the snow as the premium Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires that I had on my BMW! They actually lasted 70,000 miles, so I put a new set on the car.

BTW, Michelin Pilot Sport 2 (a.k.a. PS2) tires are NOT an all-season tire, they are a ONE season tire for track days and truly high-performance street driving on dry pavement. The Pilot Sport A/S are a truly brilliant tire, ones I'd buy again in a flash if I had the $220+ per tire that they cost.

With the Hankook Optima H725 on the car, it is very nearly as good as snow tires in most situations, though true snow tires are always going to be the best choice for snow. Period. Me, I prefer Nokian Hakkapeliitta, and only as a full 4-tire set. I will never again run anything but 4-tire matched sets. I insist upon equal traction at all for cormers for safety and performance. YMMV
 
#11 ·
It's good to see that Hankook's 725's are good tires but it makes me wonder why the 727's that I bought to replace the GY LS2's are still so slippery.

Case in point: In my V6 I can be doing 20 mph on flat, dry pavement and floor it, and the tires will break loose up past 30 and nearly to 40! On a slight upgrade they spin so badly that the TC kicks in. In rain they're just as dangerous and scary as the LS2's, ergo the reason I'm looking into new tires next year.

Thanks for the input on the PS2's - I was actually considering them but will see about the AS version instead, or the MXM4's.
 
#13 ·
It's good to see that Hankook's 725's are good tires but it makes me wonder why the 727's that I bought to replace the GY LS2's are still so slippery.

Case in point: In my V6 I can be doing 20 mph on flat, dry pavement and floor it, and the tires will break loose up past 30 and nearly to 40! On a slight upgrade they spin so badly that the TC kicks in. In rain they're just as dangerous and scary as the LS2's, ergo the reason I'm looking into new tires next year.

Thanks for the input on the PS2's - I was actually considering them but will see about the AS version instead, or the MXM4's.
The BOLD is exactly what my LS2's do :(
 
#14 ·
I got rid of my LS2's for that reason and I'm still plagued with almost the same issues. At least the groovy pavement is better, though. The LS2's would make my whole car wag like an excited dog but now it just feel a slight movement.

Wet or dry these 727's are almost exactly the same. What a freakin' let-down! :(
 
#15 · (Edited)
Well now I worry about the Hankook 725's. They must be similar with such a close model number. In fact, 725 doesn't even exist on the tirerack.com website. Maybe the 727 is the replacement.

TireRack is so frustrating in reading the reviews. You could have one person in Madison Wisconsin with a Cobalt, and a second person with the exact same car, and one says the tires are the best ever in snow and rain, and yet the other says avoid these tires at all costs in snow and rain.

GREAT!
 
#32 ·
The user reviews should be taken into context and considered as an average. Typically, take out the top and bottom, average the remainder.

I don't know the specifics, but the differences between a Hankook H725A and H727A are usually far more than "2". It's a completely different tread pattern, therefore a different mold. The compound put into the mold could also be different. Sometimes a company stops making a product because it's "too good" for the price point. That may be the case with H725A.

BobX2, I'm sure you have plenty of experience 'doing it the way I have for X number of years.' I had always felt confident in my abilities too, and only once in over 30 years of winter driving did I ever get stuck. That was the Blizzard of '78, and I was pretty green then.

My whole point is that even an old dog can learn a new trick. I sure did. My experience in "drinking the Kool Aid" and going to a set of 4 match snow tires was revolutionary. Just like those videos, that's EXACTLY how much better control of the car got. Do I drive any faster in the snow now? No, but I know I have a a lot more grip in reserve should I encounter someone without control.
 
#16 ·
Drove my car in light snow last night, studded Hankook snows gripped just fine.
I've had Hankooks on prev. cars so I know how they perform, studs are the way to go with FWD's lousy winter traction.
In a higher hp or torque vehicles no tire is gonna grip when you hammer it. Even my little 4 banger will twist'em loose in the wet rolling in the right conditions.
In the wet my Mustang spins any brand tire with ease, V6 'bu with lousy FWD will spin ANY tire in the wet also. And being FWD your out of control easier unlike RWD where you can go honking down the road sideways in control aka ''drifting''. This applies in rain or snow conditions, FWD is way less forgiving and twice as prone to hydroplaning.
 
#17 ·
That is so true! I'd much rather have RWD for most situations.

Your comment only refers to wet and it is 100% accurate. I can break mine loose on dry pavement, but like you mention, the higher torque of the V6 is why it's so powerful, but the lousy grip from my tires is why they break loose.

I used to own a '75 Box Nova with a 350 cid and 4 barrel carb. The normal 75-serirs tires would break loose unless I used very light pedal pressure until I got moving, and it was worse when making a turn from a stop. I got tired of that so I put 60-series tires on it and added 210 lbs (3 bags) of water softener salt in the trunk. Much better launches for sure!

So, my plan is to replace the tires on my 'Bu for something like Michelin MXM4 or Pilot Sport (A/S or maybe PS2) that grip better and reduce or eliminate the grip slip.
 
#18 ·
Just an update on my tires. I went in to get new tires, and there happened to be someone there getting their tires rotated on a 2009 Malibu with 18" wheels. He was in the lobby, so I talked to him. He is running P225/50 R18 on BF Goodrich Advantage T/A's, with 75k warranty. Lives in the same city as me. He said his tires have been phenomenal in the snow and were a huge improvement over the Good Year Eagle LS2's that he had on. Said it was night and day in the snow and rain. The price was $138 a tire, with all fees.

So I did a bit more research and found some other Malibu owners that also had them and were very happy with them, and were also from Wisconsin. So I have an appointment for tomorrow morning to have those tires put on.

Thank you for all your help. You all were able to help me realize that it's not my Malibu that is the bad winter car, it was the tires.

Thank you again!
 
#19 ·
My 2012 LT has the "manual mode" for the 6-speed auto tranny (Do all of the '12s have that?). If you put it in manual mode while stopped, you can start from 2nd or 3rd gear to lessen the horsepower/torque that makes the front wheels spin during bad weather starts. I don't know if paddle shifters work the same way.

This is what my owner's manual says.

I'll try it in a couple of hours when I leave work as I will drive it in a few inches of snow for the first time.
 
#21 ·
All of the 6-speed automatics have the ability to manually shift. Up through 2009 or 2010 the shifters were paddles on the steering wheel, but in either 2010 or 2011 (I forget, sorry) they removed the paddles and went with a single switch on the shifter itself. I like the steering wheel without the shifters on long trips, but it sure is convenient at other times. Actually I'd like to see paddle shifters mounted to the steering column instead of the wheel so they don't keep moving around. Oh well, a guy can dream, eh?
 
#22 ·
I don't buy into Discounts whole deal about not putting snow tires on only the front of a front wheel drive car. I think that is a total fraud to sell four tires instead of two. They try to sell it as a safety issue, but say it is okay to have them just on the rear. Huh? The majority of your weight, 100% of your steering and 60% of your braking is on the two front tires. With no power to the rear wheels and with antilock braking, it is almost impossible to get the rear end to come around. If you do, it's too late, nothing is going to save you. I have lived in Colorado all my life and have driven all different vehicles in the snow. I've had 2 wheel and four wheel drive cars and trucks. From diesels to suburbans, Subarus to Corvettes, I've had them all. Rear wheel drive is by far the worst and most dangerous on snowy and icy roads when trying to keep them driving straight or cornering. All wheel drive is not much better when it comes to cornering, as you can still get the rear to come around on you. Front wheel drive, I can't get the rear to come around. You should have snow tires on the front of a front wheel drive car but, in the rear it makes very little difference. It's just a waste of your money. Slow down and pay attention and the rear will take care of itself.
I do agree, the Goodyears are the worst tire I have ever driven on in the snow. Total junk.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Interesting theory but did you actually see the Michelin video? To me (I'm no novice driver) it is new info and an opportunity to learn something new.

Michelin and the other tire distributors put out information like that to assist drivers, not necessarily to sell tires. While that may be an outcome it only stands to reason that what they say is accurate. Or didn't you notice that it's okay (not the best, just okay) to use only 2 winter tires?

In snowy or icy conditions, once the rear starts to slide no amount of ABS or turning into the slide will stop the inertia in the rear because it takes traction for the rear wheels to get back in line. Without enough traction on the rear axle, the front will be able to stop but the rear will just keep on coming around.

To me it makes sense and the Michelin video simply substantiates it. Since you've been bold enough to say that all those folks are wrong I think you ought to post videos and/or other forms of proof (not just rhetoric) to support your opinion. If you'd like to offer a different opinion that's one thing, but calling them (or any member on here) names or showing them disrespect is the first step that an arrogant person uses to curry support for an erroneous belief.

To further assist all readers here is some more info (notice that it's mostly sponsored by a government source):

From www.dot.gov.nt.ca
http://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/_live/pages/wpPages/WinterTireSafety.aspx

Link #1 from above site - to Tire Rack video


Link #2 from above site
Link #2 from above site

Link #3 from above site - to You Tube video by Transport Canada, the Automobile Protection Agency, and the Rubber Association of Canada


Link #4 from above site - to You Tube video and same group
 
#30 · (Edited)
To me it makes sense and the Michelin video simply substantiates it. Since you've been bold enough to say that all those folks are wrong I think you ought to post videos and/or other forms of proof (not just rhetoric) to support your opinion. If you'd like to offer a different opinion that's one thing, but calling them (or any member on here) names or showing them disrespect is the first step that an arrogant person uses to curry support for an erroneous belief.
I think I'm bold enough to state my opinions and share my experiences, and don't need any tire manufacturers to tell me what I do or don't need on my vehicles. I grew up driving snowy, icy mountain roads and I know what works in those conditions. As for video's for your so called proof, I don't have any, and if I did they would be awfully boring video since I have never spun out of control or slid off the road while driving in poor conditions. That is all the proof I need. If you or anyone else wants to drink the tire business Kool-Aid, that's okay with me. It's your money. They are in the business of selling tires, and anything they can do to increase sales is money in their pockets. If you believe any different, then they have done their job.

Maybe I shouldn't have singled out Discount, but that is where I run into this issue when buying snow tires. I do all my business there and have always been treated fairly at my local store. I know it's not their fault big brother is shoving this down their throats. There are still places you can buy what you want and have it installed where you want. However, calling me arrogant and my beliefs erroneous is somewhat out of line on your part. Just because you might not agree does not make me wrong or arrogant. It just means that we don't agree. It is possible that I may know what I'm talking about.
 
#25 ·
Clearly winter tires for winter are the best choice. I have driven in Wisconsin winters for 24 years, and I have no issues driving and I have never had winter tires. I am content just driving slower and safer with a good set of all season tires so that I don't have two sets of tires and have to mount and balance each year, or bother with a second set of rims.

But those videos are awesome...that BMW video really hit home.
 
#27 ·
I'm 53 years old and have been driving New England winters since I was 16. In that span of time I've run the range of different configurations. Old American iron (cars) were rear drive, with a heavy front weight bias. Snow tires were fitted to the rear, studs were common as was "posi-traction". We got around, slowly, usually by throwing sandbags in the trunk to get weight distribution more even. Cars swapped ends regularly.

Front drive came around and everyone got on board that train with all-season tires. The cars got around a lot better. While they didn't swap ends so easily, people still went off road a lot because you were told to "steeer into the skid". Let's see, I'm skidding into a tree so I need to point the car at that tree. Worked perfect...for auto body shops.

Now we see so many all wheel drive cars, SUV's and trucks. Those seem to be the ones I pass by the most, off into the roadside ditches. When I first got my 2004 GTO that had a good 52/48 weight distribution, limited slip differential and traction control, I rediscovered just how good rear drive can be. I went through one nasty winter with it, on the stock BF Goodrich g-Force T/A KDWS all-season tires. They were wide, but worked. I drove it through a raging blazzard (total 18" of snow) the 350 miles from central MA to Rochester NY, and went past a great many 4WD and AWD vehicle off the road.

For the next winter I got first BMW and discovered what overall balance and engineering did. That car had the limited slip diff, and with FOUR studless snow tires there was no place that car wouldn't go. I had gotten a set of nice aluminum wheels for the summer tires, and ran the Nokian snows on the stock wheels. The difference in going to snow tires over ANY all season tire was so remarkable that I plan on soon having a set of snows on stock steel wheels for the wife's car.

Say what you want about buying only pairs of tires or not buying snows at all, but I've seen the light and my wife's safety far outweighs the minor one-time cost of getting the car sert up right. It's all snow tires on four for me. While I prefer Nokian's technology, the Bridgestone Blizzaks are a strong contender too.
 
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