The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

Despite its bubbly name, the Chevrolet Malibu practically means ”rental car.”

It’s ordinary demeanor lacks the glamor its name suggests. The Malibu Maxx is the workhorse of the Chevrolet Malibu line, styled with all the elan of a good work shoe. It’s not glamourous, but it works.

For 2006 the Maxx (and it’s slightly shorter wheelbase cousin, the Malibu sedan,) gets a new front end whose presence is much more refined than the cartoony chrome bar that has marred the front of Chevys the last few seasons. Now the Malibu line resembles the larger, rebodied Impala.

More importantly, Malibus come in a sporty SS model, with performance enhancements meant to give this frumpy lineup some zing.

Of course, putting the SS moniker on the Maxx might seem like dressing a spinster in a mini-skirt, but strangely enough, it seems to work. This Maxx actually had a dash of sportiness to it.

Chrome exhaust tips, monochromatic trim, 18-inch wheels, sport-tuned suspension and special sports seats add that dash. The enhancements, not to mention the electric-blue paint, seldom failed to attract favorable nods.

Under the hood resides GM’s new 3.9-liter overhead-valve V6 with variable-valve timing. It pumps out 240 horsepower while earning an EPA rating of 18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway.

The only transmission is a four-speed automatic, which shows you that sportiness only goes so far here.

Still, it’s one of the first GM automatics that’s designed to be shifted manually with a toggle button on the side of the transmission lever. It’s a terrible design although it actually does work.

But the engine does give this vehicle good power. The Maxx pulls with authority in all situations. The flip side is fuel consumption of 18.8 in mixed driving. The Malibu uses regular unleaded gasoline.

The Maxx felt agile, but not sporty. The suspension had a clunky sound to it, and there still seemed to be too much body motion during relatively minor maneuvers.

Of course, this is a family hauler, so handling seems class-competitive.

The steering has some weight and feels progressive, but with little feel.

The car stayed well-planted through the twisties, although mashing the throttle can bring out torque-steer, where the car wants to pull to one side.

This is a common problem in high-horsepower front-wheel-drive cars. Body motions are well-controlled and the handling seems class-competitive.

The Maxx earns its stars with its utility, including a rear seat that can slide nearly seven inches rearward, resulting in limo-like legroom.

The rear seats also get standard rear skylights, a novel touch that brightened the interior.

For 2006, Chevrolet revised the interior, with a new steering wheel and chrome trim on the center console.

Certainly interior plastics are better, although the map pockets on the door panels seemed poorly finished. It would also help if there was a light for the rear cargo compartment.

The sport seats seemed supportive over long distances. Power driver’s seat, power adjustable foot pedals and a tilt-telescopic steering wheel meant that a comfy driving position was easy to find. Rear seats were deep and comfortable.

Chevrolet offers safety options throughout the Malibu line. On SS models, anti-lock brakes with traction control are standard, as are dual front airbags. Side-impact airbags are standard on the SS model as well.

The Maxx SS has the utility of a small SUV or wagon in a compact platform and comes fully equipped at $24,065. The only option was XM satellite radio for $325. Bottom line was just over 25 grand.

Overall, the SS package brings a bit of sport to a rather pedestrian part of the market.

While handling won’t win many sports car converts, it does provide a bit of fun above and beyond that of your standard sedan.

lprintz@mcall.com

610-820-6713