2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx

Chevy promised great things from its new-for-2005 Chevrolet Malibu. The premise was that GM needed a car that could legitimately take on Camry and Accord, which long ago assumed the roles of America's best-loved and best-selling midsize family sedans. The aptly named Maxx sportwagon variant--something the others don't offer--is intended to help eke out some extra volume. The appeal is more rear legroom and cargo space than in a conventional sedan, without it being a crossover or conventional sport/utility. Our well-equipped example cost $27,045 all in and included other rear cabin accoutrements such as a glass roof panel and DVD system.


The Chevrolet Malibu Maxx's interior is awash in plastics of just-average quality, but they withstood our abuse well--except for a broken seatback. The leather/fake-suede seating surfaces are comfortable and grippy. Most everyone liked the simple radio and climate-control knobs and buttons, although resetting the trip odometer (done through the radio, of all places) was a hassle. One parental staffer gave the LATCH car seatbelt mounts double thumbs up for ease of use.


The Sigma platform architecture and "high-value" V-6 powertrain didn't rock our world, but got the job done. "The Mr. Roboto styling isn't my favorite design trend," commented one editor, "and the 3.5-liter V-6 has all the aural charm of a jigsaw." But there are Chevrolet Malibu characteristics we have warmed to. The structure is as solid as some BMWs or Mercedes, and, as a result, the modest tire-wearing Chevrolet Malibu slices through urban/suburban territory with its head held high, managing a decent ride in the process.

2007 Chevrolet Silverado

The ladder frame of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck features an independent, control-arm coil-over-shock front suspension. The versatile spring rates and rack-and-pinion steering combine to provide the smoothest road feel and most confident turn-in of any full-size pickup. With harsh and soft steering inputs, the results are balanced and evenly progressive, and snap-back to center is predictable and firm. Likewise, mounting the rack to a crossmember (the steering box was previously mounted to the driver-side frame rail for 4x4 models) allows steering engineers to use bushing and torque specs to minimize (if not eliminate) play or slop in the system. Solid and easy to control are apt descriptors.


The remaining two-thirds of the fully boxed frame accommodates the specific needs of a pickup bed, and the Chevrolet Silverado uses a live rear axle. Engineers put considerable effort into tuning the three-leaf pack to run smoothly when empty and carry maximum payloads for long stretches. The rear monotube shocks are staggered (one behind the axle, one in front) and canted to control wheel hop and manage up and down forces and hard cornering. Combine this with the fact that, rather than a raised butt (like some other manufacturers use) with overly arched leafs, the Chevrolet Silverado has longer rear springs with a thickened overload spring to keep the looking level when empty or loaded. With the lower center of gravity, front and rear suspensions work more closely together during easy and aggressive cornering--the truck takes a set as flat as any modified tuner truck we've driven. And for those who want more street performance, Chevrolet is offering all sorts of choices from 17-, 18-, and 20-inch rims to several road-course-biased tire treads, as well as a mud-loving 31-inch-tall tire.


It'll be a while before all the engines in the lineup will be available, but the smallest will be the redesigned 4.3-liter V-6 (only for stripper regular-cab models), then the 4.8-liter V-8, then two versions of the 5.3-liter V-8 (one cast-iron block, the other all aluminum--eventually, they'll all be aluminum for weight savings), and finally Chevy's largest available V-8, the 367-horsepower all-aluminum OHV 6.0-liter. We drove several Chevrolet Silverados with the popular 5.3-liter V-8 that'll offer the fuel-saving system known as Active Fuel Management. The system can shut off four cylinders, depending on how you drive, to provide up to a 20-percent fuel-economy advantage over non-AFM-equipped system. The 5.3-liter V-8 is rated at 315 horsepower and 338 pound-feet of torque and has recorded an EPA fuel-economy mark at 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway (2WD). Impressive that a 300-plus-horsepower engine can get over 20 mpg on the highway.

2005 Chevrolet Venture

For 2005 the Chevrolet Venture and Montana are offered only in extended length models as they make way for their new replacements the Chevrolet Uplander and Pontiac Montana SV6. For the Chevrolet Venture two trim levels are offered as well as a LS Sport Touring Package which adds 16-inch chromed wheels on touring tires and a slightly firmer suspension. Automatic leveling suspension control is included and an on-board inflator kit for inflating various types of recreational equipment. Both of these vans offer power sliding rear doors. Both have easily removable rear seats, and both offer the option of a DVD-based video system for passengers in the middle and third rows. Both vans share the same 185-hp, 3.4-liter pushrod V-6 engine and four-speed automatic—a combo we rate as just adequate. The Montana is the sportiest of the two, with a firmer ride and grippier tires. The changes for 2005 for the Montana are limited, just two new colors are added, Sedona Beige Metallic and Dark Blue Metallic.

2007 Chevrolet Corvette

In its sixth generation, the Corvette retains strong ties to the five generations of star-spangled sports cars that preceded it. Power still comes from a V-8 equipped with pushrods and two valves per cylinder, just like the original 1955 small-block Chevy V-8. Modern technology extracts copious power and excellent fuel economy while reducing the original V-8’s light weight and tidy size.



The Corvette’s composite body also hearkens back to the seminal 1953 model. But here again, newer materials, such as the balsa-core composite panels used in the floor panels, combine with a sophisticated structure to yield one of the few cars that haven’t grown heavier over time, despite the pound-packing pressures of stricter safety standards, higher power, bigger brakes, and grippier tires.


This combination of heritage and sophistication gives the Corvette a uniquely American blend of performance, swagger, and everyday livability — characteristics that are all amplified in the 505-hp Z06 version. And in one final bow to tradition, the Corvette delivers this virtue at a price vastly lower than any of its competitors’.

2007 Chevy Silverado Specs

2007 Chevrolet Silverado Configurations

• Regular, Extended, Crew Cab

• 5' 8" short bed, 6' 6" standard bed, 8' long bed

• Trim levels: WT, LT, LTZ

• 2WD or 4WD

Chevrolet Silverado Engines

• 4.3L V-6, rated 195 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. Standard on WT regular cab and 2WD extended cab trucks.

• 4.8L V-8, rated 295 hp and 305 lb.-ft. of torque. Standard on WT 4WD extended cab, LT regular cab and extended cab trucks, and WT and LT crew cab trucks.

• Two different 5.3L FlexFuel V-8, E85-capable, rated 315 hp and 338 lb.-ft. of torque. Available on all trucks.

• 5.3L V-8, aluminum block, rated 315 hp and 338 lb.-ft. of torque. Available on crew cab 4WD trucks.

• 5.3L V-8, iron block, rated 315 hp and 338 lb.-ft. of torque. Standard on LT and LTZ trucks; available on all other trucks.

• 6.0L V-8, rated 367 hp and 375 lb.-ft. of torque. Available on LT and LTZ extended and crew cabs--part of the maximum trailering package.