Ok, guess it'* time I chimed in. I am on my second Epsilon chassis w/ the 3500. Yes it has a really good balance on almost everything. Stock exhaust on the Malibu is very restrictive, and for good reason I assume since it is torque managed quite a bit. Honestly, I lost some lowend torque when I did the full exhaust on it, but I gained quite a bit of midrange pull too. Mileage around the town, stop and go...is about 22 overall. On the highway it is entirely possible to get over 30. Now, before you say those numbers are kinda low, keep in mind the Maxx weighs about the same as a Bonneville and the hp/torque numbers are between the L27 and L32.

If you can afford one, get the SS. The 3900 is a larger 3500 and has the '60 behind it and should be pretty good on long-term reliablity as well. As a bonus, the Malibu Maxx was rated one of the safest American made cars in its class, and as such was rated one of the least expensive vehicles to insure.

The 3900 is based on the 3600. Both of these engines are the "premium" engines that have a lot more features in them and are made in the US.

I believe the 3.5 is the "cheap" v6 gm offers now, and is made in china.

Not entirely true. Yes there are 3500'* made in China, but those are found in the SUVs (Vue, Equinox, etc.) and minivans. The Impala/Monte Carlo and Malibu/G6 (and the new Saturn Aura) use home-grown motors.

Yes, the current 3500 is a redesigned 3400. After owning an '01 Monte with the 3.4, I can say that there is a world of difference between the two.

Sorry..MIA yesterday. My buddy is a mechanic and a dealership sold the job as a bad motor. Without tearing into it...he believes it'* a bad intake gasket.

Hmmm...after racking up 2000 miles on Kim'* new Pontiac Torrent...Drive-By-Wire sucks.

The took the one component on the car that never breaks and had to dick around with it.

That I will have to agree with. And in doing this, GM made them MORE torque managed. Meaning no more neutral drops since the computer will back off the throttle when it senses such a condition. I think for longevity DBW is a good idea since the computer has jurisdiction over alot of functions now, but....I suppose now is the time for the negatives:

1) The Epsilon bodies now use electronic steering. Meaning there is NO direct link between the driver and the road. I have been told that when power is lost, magnets take over and *couple* the wheel with the steering rack. I myself have felt such forces at work, but still makes me uneasy. This is yet another reason why to get the Malibu SS as they use conventional hydraulic steering (supposedly for more road feel, which it does give).

2) To me, the DBW actuator on the throttle body seems to be a higher-speed version of, say, our airmix actuators. Sooner or later, it will break...and could break at idle setting, or somewhere in the middle...and in ANY case will render the vehicle unsafe and undriveable. This could very well be why GM extended their warranty as alot of vehicles are going to this system.

This does not mean the Malibu is a bad car. It is WORLDS better than the previous Grand Am/Malibu chassis, and from the looks of things, the aftermarket is starting to catch on. My last 'bu drove to Tennessee and back and was a comfortable ride, and got me to Orlando and back from Daytona for 6 months and not once did I have trouble with it.