the malibu may have the slightest of edges in speed, but according to the handling tests ive seen the cobalt wins across the board. i like the malibu though.

 

Thats because I was basing the weight of the balt from a 2 door not sedan

 

My fault, should have been more clear.
Comparing the automatic trans, 4 door versions of all vehicles.

 

If you're considering the Malibu because it's roomier, consider the 303hp Impala SS.
Sure it's a little more money, but in my opinion is a much nicer car.

It deliveres virtually identical epa mileage numbers to the Malibu SS. The v8 Impala actually delivers 1mpg higher highway mpg than the v6 Malibu.

Not only will it run circles around the Malibu, but you get much more space for the family.

 

Have you driven them both back to back? The Impala feels a lot heavier, and if you think you know anything about torque steer, the Impala will teach you the true meaning of it. Hit the gas at low speeds and it changes lanes for you. Its cool, but not in traffic

The malibu feels stiffer and better handling, more along the lines of comparing an SS/SC cobalt to a regular SS. Just drive them both before making a decision based solely on the specs. Remember, 323 lb of torque should not be put down through the front wheels.

 

The age old question, why is RWD better then FWD???

 

is the Impala SS RWD or FWD? I thought it was rear?

 

FWD buddy. It sucks ***** in such a powerful car to not be able to use it. Open Diff, really shitty traction control that can't be totally disabled unless you are in L, and a foot activated e-brake. They really did thier best to make the Impala/Monte Carlo SS not fun to drive. Its quick and powerful, but nowhere near as much fun as the Malibu SS, which i probably .05% as fun as an SS/SC.

Ok, maybe that last line is a litte biased

Weight balance, traction, turning, there is quite a list. The SS Impala fails in all these categories. Its the same 5.3 V8 out of the trucks, but stuffed sideways between the front wheels. If they really wanted to do that, they shoulda used the northstar engine, similar HP with a much more FWD friendly torque curve.

FYI, they redesigned the drivetrain in the 2007 Impala/Monte SS, adding "equal stiffness" axles to help combat the torque steer. Yet they won't address the wheel-hop in the Cobalt. Does that give you an idea of how bad it is? GM also changed the composition of the motor mounts and the design of the cradle slightly I think, but don't quote me on that part.

 

I voted for the Malibu SS. they look pretty nice IMO. and have alot of nice features that the SS cobalts do not have. but, they are more expensive.

 

Yeah, fully loaded an SS Malibu is around 27K, the Impala around 30-31K. The malibu is availible with rear-seat DVD, which is pretty cool though.

 

I looked pretty hard at a black Malibu Maxx SS they had in the showroom when I went to get my SS/SC... they were close to the same price. The Malibu isn't gonna have any aftermarket support though... and they aren't that fast.