Chevy’s Malibu Maxx has a longer wheelbase and bigger back seat

The Malibu Maxx is more than a standard Malibu with 6 inches grafted onto its wheelbase. It is a new concept in family sedans.

The front-wheel-drive Maxx now rides on a 112.3-inch wheelbase, yet its overall length is not greater than the regular sedan. A rear hatchback gives the Maxx a lot of cargo carrying capability and a unique profile.

What Chevrolet has done is rethink how families might use a car and then tailored the Maxx to those needs. The result is an interior that is very large considering the vehicle’s overall size.

The back seat has 7 inches of fore and aft adjustment, and each side can be adjusted independently. With the seat all the way back, legroom is good. Most of the adjustment is forward, which can be handy if you need extra cargo space. It is also good because it is easier to reach a youngster in a child seat. The back doors are four inches wider than the regular Malibu to facilitate entry as well as loading cargo.

A glass skylight is built into the roof over the back seat, and that creates a feeling of spaciousness.

The storage shelf that covers the cargo area can be placed at two different heights, or it can be configured to function as a picnic table. Take out the shelf, fold the back seat and you have a cargo hold that is as big as in most station wagons.

The Maxx comes in LS and LT trim levels. Prices start at $21,600 for the LS and $24,100 for the LT. The test car, an LS, was equipped with a rear-seat DVD player, satellite radio, OnStar and remote vehicle start system. Its sticker price was a very appealing $25,165. Malibu is assembled at GM’s Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kan.

The 2004 Malibu is targeted at competitors such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Passat. None of these, however, offer anything like the Maxx.

The Malibu rides on GM’s new Epsilon platform that is also used for the Saab 9-3 and Opel Vectra as well as the next Pontiac Grand Am. The Malibu’s chassis structure is stiff and solid. The fully independent suspension has McPherson struts in front and a four-link design in back. Chevy says the suspension is tuned for a “European”ride. The suspension is reasonably firm, yet sharp bumps resonated through the steering wheel as if the ride lacked suppleness.

Noise reduction efforts include a cast foam-rubber barrier that covers the dash panel, a noise-dampening plate in the dash panel, a fiberglass-composite hood insulator and “glove-fit” carpet modules like those in luxury cars.

The Malibu’s interior is not quite as nicely finished as some other cars in its segment. Surface textures on the instrument panel and the cloth upholstery material were a bit underwhelming. It’s nice to have the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel instead of the turn signal stalk.

Side-curtain airbags are available as an option on some models and standard on the LT. Other features include adjustable pedals, tilt wheel and a remote vehicle-start system that allows the driver to start the car from inside the house on cold winter mornings.

A small plastic clip on the windshield is handy for holding parking passes.

GM’s 3.5-liter V-6 that cranks out 200 horsepower is the only engine available in the Maxx. This engine has good midrange throttle response, and while it is not the quietest unit around, goes about its job with jeomanly manners. Fuel economy is rated at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 on the highway, which is quite good for a car this size.

The shift lever for the automatic transmission can be confusing. The button on the side is not for releasing the shift lever as it is in most cars, but for shifting the transmission manually when the selector is in low gear. Releasing the shift lever is done with a flat button on the front of the lever. In time, I came to be comfortable with this arrangement, but I would prefer to have the release button on the side of the handle.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive sedan that has as much back-seat flexibility as an SUV, the Malibu Maxx may just be it.