Ownership Update #2

Odometer: 1124 miles
On the last tank of gas I averaged 27.2 mpg. Average speed was 29mph.
On my last trip from parent’s house to my apartment, I went 14 miles (8 on surface streets and 6 on the highway). On this trip I averaged 33.1 mpg. (No avg. speed reading since I did not reset it for this particular trip.) This data could be moot, if my speedometer and odometer is out of whack which it could be. I will be taking it into be reset tomorrow. This morning was the coldest it had been since getting the car, and I definitely noticed the engine sounding a little louder on the first couple of miles. I guess that is to be expected. Have resisted washing the car, but it has been very spotty since it encountered a light rain 2 weeks ago. Black cars shows dirt spots very clearly if you didn't know.

2008 Malibu Actin' More Like Its Namesake

The exterior of the previous incarnation of the Chevy Malibu was one ugly car. It was boxy, it had weird proportions and at best it was dull. It had a versatile interior, but (call me shallow), I would not have bought one even if they discounted it down to the price of the Accent. The 2008 Malibu dumps the 70's geekiness for a GQ-sleek sedan that reminds me of a Lexus GS or 2008 Accord from the side. You can get chromed wheels (up to 18"). What is really cool is the interior. The info cluster is kind of old school sporty. You also have a choice of several delicious seat upholstery designs including a two tone option called Cocoa Casmere leather (shown is the Ebony/Brick leather). It's fun and upscale. Sort of like the ritzy beach town where it gets its name from.
One thing puzzling is that it offers a hybrid model that gets not even 3mpg more than the normal 4-cyclinder (24/32 vs 22/30 according to fueleconomy.gov). Is Chevy and Malibu also ditzy like a stereotypical blonde from a beach town?

Hyundai should get into the beach car name thing...the Hyundai Hollister...gnarly, huh?

Ownership Upate #1

Had the car 5 weeks.
Odometer: 730 miles


Just filled my tank for the second time(third tank of gas overall, since dealership gave me a full tank to start). According to the trip meter, the average gas mileage on this second tank was 27.2mpg, which to my relief is a lot better than the 23.9(or so) from the first tank. This car is supposed to get 26/36! And the mpg from that first tank was making we wonder if I should've sprung for a Prius!

When I got gas I just let the pump auto-stop. It made a disconcertingly loud sound at shut-off. I hope it is OK. I've heard on one Elantra owner who's gas pump interface malfunctioned. I've had a Mustang rental that did this. We thought we would run out of gas because, the interface refused to engage the pump. Eventually we found a trick to let us get some gas in it.

Tonight on an 8 mile stretch of highway I averaged 38.5 mpg at the end of the stretch, so that was pretty impressive. So I guess the engine/transmission is breaking in OK. (No I wasn't going 55)

Today I found a crack on the foot rest (area for your left foot to rest). The foot rest is made of gray plastic, but I didn't expect it to crack. The foot rest on my Geo had a rubber layer like the gas pedal. I wore out the rubber, but never broke it. I am definitely going bring this up to the dealer to see if the bumper-to-bumper warranty covers this. I don't remember accidentally putting excessive weight here or kicking it. Even so this area should be engineered to withstand long-term use. It is not a big deal. I can still rest my foot on it, but Hyundai should redesign this.