I just purchased a new 3LT a week ago and I didn't test drive it before I bought it (test drove 1lt) but I am not really impressed with the ride quality. I seem to feel a lot of bumps and at high way speeds i feel way to much road in the front end of the car and gas pedal. I took it to the dealer and reported vibration in gas pedal which they felt as well and they replaced the tires that helped a little for vibration but ride quality is poor but I don't know if this ride quality is normal. It has 18" tires.
Anyone with a 3LT chime in?
What air pressure front/rear? What does the label on the car say?
Did you used to drive a car or truck?
There are a lot of folks on here who comment how much they like the ride quality, and one in particular bought the '13 'Bu over a '13 Honda Accord due to the better ride.
If yours is actually not up to par then yours may have an issue that needs attention. But first check on what you can do, such as tire pressures. On my Gen7 (2011) and on my former Gen7 (2009) the label said 30 psi but that was too splashy (to use a term from "The Bourne Identity" - thanks Jason!) and tended to wander too much. I experimented a little and run 36 front/34 rear when I check them. I also keep an eye on the DIC to see how the weather changes affect the cold pressures.
Hopefully it's just a tire inflation solution. If not, let us know what the dealer does to fix it or if they can't/won't and you choose to live with it. At any rate, please don't just get it fixed and then never return, okay?
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'11 LTZ, born Aug 2010, Fairfax, KS
V6/A6, Red Jewel Tintcoat / Cocoa-Cashmere, Sunroof
Cool Mods: Drop-in K&N air filter; 20% tint, DRLs on turn signals,
Painted grilles, 1-wipe washer, WeatherTech mats, CHMSL Pulser
I have a '13 with the 19 inch wheels. I think it strikes a great balance between handling and ride quality. Only on certain concrete surfaces do I get excessive road noise. On blacktop it is super smooth with no hint of vibration.
On a side note, my brother and I took a road trip this week. He thought I was crazy to buy a $35k Chevrolet. 500 mi with the Malibu changed his mind. He absolutely loved the car and is considering the purchase of one. This is a guy that has driven Accords for 25 yrs.
I have a 13 2LTZ with the 19" wheels, traded in a 13 Malibu ECO. Initially I noticed a difference in the ride quality. I have roughly 1500 miles on the LTZ now and I can honestly say that ride quality is a non issue now.
When I was in the market to Trade the ECO, I also looked at the 13 Accord V6 ex-l and was not impressed, nor was I impressed with the 13 Fusion.
@love3lt, I’m sorry to read about your disappointment with your new 2013 Malibu. Please, feel free to see if the dealership has another 2013 Malibu in the same trim level that you can test drive to compare your vehicle to.
@love3lt, I’m sorry to read about your disappointment with your new 2013 Malibu. Please, feel free to see if the dealership has another 2013 Malibu in the same trim level that you can test drive to compare your vehicle to.
Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service
Sorry but I think my dealer is tired of dealing with me they already replaced the tires and I just want to know if it's normal to feel a lot of road at highway speeds of 70-75? I can feel most of it through the gas pedal or by putting my foot on the floor of the car. the front feels truck like at high ways speeds i call it vibrations but maybe its just a hard suspension and yes its on smooth pavement as far as i know.
I don't have time to test drive another car and my last car was Saturn Aura which was a smoother ride and it had 18" tires as well.
What air pressure front/rear? What does the label on the car say?
Did you used to drive a car or truck?
There are a lot of folks on here who comment how much they like the ride quality, and one in particular bought the '13 'Bu over a '13 Honda Accord due to the better ride.
If yours is actually not up to par then yours may have an issue that needs attention. But first check on what you can do, such as tire pressures. On my Gen7 (2011) and on my former Gen7 (2009) the label said 30 psi but that was too splashy (to use a term from "The Bourne Identity" - thanks Jason!) and tended to wander too much. I experimented a little and run 36 front/34 rear when I check them. I also keep an eye on the DIC to see how the weather changes affect the cold pressures.
Hopefully it's just a tire inflation solution. If not, let us know what the dealer does to fix it or if they can't/won't and you choose to live with it. At any rate, please don't just get it fixed and then never return, okay?
When I had my 2010 Malibu, all the tires were filled at 30 PSI from the factory. I found that the ride quality was good, but I felt the alignment was slightly off. I brought it into the dealership and they said 30 PSI was not enough. They added 5 PSI to each tire to 35 PSI. I now have a Cruze and it was filled at the factory with 35 PSI.
I just purchased a new 3LT a week ago and I didn't test drive it before I bought it (test drove 1lt) but I am not really impressed with the ride quality. I seem to feel a lot of bumps and at high way speeds i feel way to much road in the front end of the car and gas pedal. I took it to the dealer and reported vibration in gas pedal which they felt as well and they replaced the tires that helped a little for vibration but ride quality is poor but I don't know if this ride quality is normal. It has 18" tires.
Anyone with a 3LT chime in?
I'm not sure about this, but sometimes the higher models have a sports suspension. I currently have a Cruze and the 2LT and LTZ come standard with a sports suspension. It may be the same with the Malibu. You will definitely feel more bumps with a sports suspension. The 1LT that you test drove probably does not have the sports suspension, so you will get a better ride. I have a 1LT with the Cruze and it doesn't have the sports suspension.
I remember I had a 2004 Maxima and the standard model had the sports suspension. It drove like a brick. Very jarring ride. But it had larger (18 in) tires and nicer rims. The higher model did not have the sports suspension, but it had 17 in wheels and the rims were not as nice.
Definitely not a fan of the sports suspension. I know the handling is better, but I prefer a softer ride.
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rough ride new 2013 3LT
2011 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ
Mods: Drop-in K&N air filter; 20% tint, DRLs on turn signals,
Linear Mode
