We’ve been looking at cars I know a lot of you dislike this week, but today we’re going to change gears (metaphorically; they’re both still automatics) and look at two cars you probably don’t have any opinion about at all. And that can be advantageous, in some cases. Keeping a nice low profile can keep you out of a lot of trouble.
Yesterday’s old-people cars would have been practically invisible once upon a time, but nowadays they’re both so rare that they stand out. Show up to any place that anyone cares about cars in either one of them, and you’ll draw attention to yourself. And you’ll probably hear a lot of stories about a car someone’s family or friend or ex used to drive that was just like it. The vote was close, but the Chrysler LeBaron finished slightly ahead, despite being more expensive.
I have experience with both of these; I owned a ’92 Tempo coupe for a couple of years, and I’ve had a number of K-cars and derivatives. The Tempo wasn’t a bad car, and it did fine on weekend freeway trips (I was living just outside Chicago and dating a girl in Milwaukee at the time), but it felt tired and used-up by the time it hit 100,000 miles. K-cars seem to hold up better over the long haul. So I feel like the LeBaron is the right choice here.
There might be no less noticeable vehicle in the US than a twenty-year-old mid-sized General Motors sedan, especially in rural areas. Cars like these are everywhere, and nobody pays them any attention at all. And I kind of love them for that. Why would anyone want to be so invisible, you ask? Are they up to no good? Not necessarily; maybe they’re just introverted. Or don’t think it’s anybody’s damn business where they go or what they do. Or, maybe they’ve just entered the witness protection program. Whatever the reason, these cars will give you more anonymity for fifteen hundred bucks than a whole Q Branch’s worth of gadgets. Need to disappear? Pull into the parking lot of any Wal-Mart or large apartment complex, and poof – you’re gone. Let’s take a look at them. No, not those; these ones over here. There ya go.
2003 Buick Century – $1,500
Engine/drivetrain: 3.1-liter OHV V6, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Medford, OR
Odometer reading: 230,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Believe it or not, the original Buick Century back in 1936 was a performance car. The name “Century” was chosen because it could cruise at 100 miles an hour, quite an achievement in those days. I’m guessing that this one could do a hundred as well, but so can pretty much anything. This sixth-generation Century is based on GM’s venerable W platform, like its sibling the Regal, but the Century was set up with softer suspension and more traditional trim.
The engine in this Century was GM’s go-to powerplant for a quarter of a century: the 60-degree V6 first introduced in 1980. By 2003, it had been blessed with sequential fuel injection, and put out 170 horsepower. This one has been around the block a few hundred thousand times, but it still runs great, according to the seller. That’s about all the seller has to say, though. If you want to know more, you’ll have to go look at it in person.
The Century featured a split bench seat and a column-mounted shifter, instead of the Regal’s bucket seats and center console. It was an anachronism even in 2003, but some older buyers still preferred that layout. This one seems to be holding up remarkably well for the mileage, but there’s no word on how many of the interior gadgets still work.
It looks pretty good outside too, neither too clean and shiny nor obviously damaged, perfect for clandestine use. And it’s silver, like half the old Buicks on the road. Being a southern Oregon car, it should be more or less rust-free, too, so it can hide in plain sight for a good long while yet.
2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic – $1,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter DOHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: West Jordan, UT
Odometer reading: 149,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great, but burns some oil
Chevy brought back the Malibu nameplate in 1997 after a fourteen-year hiatus for this car, a replacement for the Corsica sedan. It’s based on the N platform, along with the Pontiac Grand Am and Oldsmobile Alero. This car was more or less replaced by an all-new design for the 2004 model year, but Chevy kept this design in production for a couple more years as the Malibu Classic. I’m not sure how much of a classic anyone thought it was, but it was cheap and practical, and it looks like at least one person bought one.
The only drivetrain available in the Classic was a 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder and a 4T40-E automatic transmission. This one has been showered with more love than any Malibu I’ve ever seen: the seller includes a long list of recent repairs and service, including a new timing chain kit, transmission fluid and filter, tires, battery, and more. I’m sure there’s more than $1,500 worth of parts and labor there, making this a great deal. It runs and drives well, but it does go through a quart of oil between fill-ups, with no sign of where it’s going. Often, when this happens, it’s the fault of the PCV system. Unfortunately, this engine doesn’t have an easily replaceable PCV valve; it’s just a little orifice inside the intake manifold. Pulling the manifold and cleaning it out is a chore, but it might be worth it, so you don’t have to keep adding oil.
This one looks all right inside as well; these two are laying to rest the notion that mid-2000s GM interiors don’t hold up. It doesn’t even look dirty. It has an aftermarket stereo and speakers, and everything works, including the air conditioning. It’s not the most exciting interior ever put in a car, but comfy seats and good strong HVAC go a long way.
It’s a little rougher outside than the Buick; it has a little rust, the windshield is cracked, and the paint isn’t the best. But in some places, that actually adds to its camouflage. You might want to take a peek underneath and make sure the rust isn’t too advanced, though.
Hopefully, you never have a need to travel incognito. But if you did, you could do a lot worse than a twenty-year-old General Motors sedan. But nobody should spend much money on such a contrivance, which makes these two a good deal at $1,500 each. So which form of invisibility would you take?
I almost died in the pre-Classic version of that Malibu (ie, same design, different designation) and the interior gave me a visceral PTSD experience.
Aside from that, it’s also just a bad car. I would take yesterday’s Topaz over that thing. Buick all the way. That one would be better with a 3800, but eh.
Also I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little nostalgic for the split bench. Making out in a car lost a certain appeal once consoles became the norm in sedans.
Basically the same car except the Buick has a V-6 and a bench. No-Brainer
I’d much rather find a LeSabre for roughly the same price, but I’ll take the century. Always hated those rental grade Malibus
That Buick is shiny as a new copper penny, and the Malibu’s cracked windshield and failed paint will garner unwanted police attention, depending on location and skin tone. I’ll take the penny Century and name it Beatriz.
Those GM 60 degree V6’s will keep on running for about forever. Not sure if the 3.1 is as slappy as the 3.4. Regardless, it’ll keep slapping its way to far higher mileage. Nestled into a clean W-body with parts availability everywhere, that’s a solid beater.
My first car was a 1984 Buick Century with the Iron Duke and defective power steering that my parents never got fixed. This Century is not riding on the A-Body, does not have an Iron Duke, and probably steers just fine.
I had a 2008 Pontiac G6, which shared the Epsilon platform with the Malibu that replaced this Malibu. Like my Century, this Malibu shares nothing with my G6.
Based purely on nostalgia, memories of my cars that are semi-related to these options, and my knowledge of GM history, I’m going with the Century because it will outlast and outrun that Malibu, and have a much nicer ride.
Um, I guess the Buick that has the 6 and doesn’t need immediate work to make an oil problem go away. But geez, we’ve been at 10 of 10 on the Boring scale for much of this week. At least yesterday’s LeBaron had some gaudy chrome on it.
The Buick Century will outlast the heat death of the universe. The long list of repairs on the Malibu show that its a needy car. While the 2.2 is a great engine, its everything else that will fall apart
In spite of the higher mileage, the Century seems to be in better overall condition. So it gets my vote.
A 3.1 buick with 230k on the clock is more likely to outlast a Malibu with the 2.2 and half the miles. The Malibu also came with that 3.1 but unfortunately this one doesn’t have it. I still see the Centuries and Regals on the regular but can’t tell you the last time I saw a Malibu of the era. The Malibus do seem to fall apart much more quickly.
Century for sure. Malibu of that era now you are going to get looks as a problematic person plus the 2.2 is no match for the 3100
seeing as I have no crime planned and don’t need to vanish this badly…hard pass on both. I remember driving the Malibu as a fleet car back in 2000. What a pile.
If that century hadn’t already sold, I’d recommend someone buy it as a beater. Terrific cheap car for that amount of money. Kick the rusty chevy to the curb.
I love the old 3100 and have recommended so many people get a car just like this one, the mileage isn’t the greatest, but I still trust the 3100 over the 2.2 every day of the week.
Blah! I guess same price slightly better condition mechanically and exterior, I’ll go Buick. With either one of these cars, I would want to disappear and never return. Zzzzzzzzzz…
Not that I would know, but I heard a guy we’ll call, “Bruce” got into the program. He was hoping to get into Canada, but the current administration killed.
Rumor has it that he ended up in Iowa because it’s the same as being dead and no one bothers looking there.
It’s also rumored that because of budget cut he ended up with a Malibu almost exactly like that one so if you see one tooling around in the state don’t bother to wave.
Oh, and Bruce, if your friend is reading this, tell him that stew is still simmering in the pot.
One vote for the Malibu
GM W-body over an N-body all day, every day, regardless of miles.
That Buick is a sweetheart, and the 3.1 MPFI V6 is a solid workhorse – one of my favorite engine platforms. As long as the right kind of coolant has always been put in it, it shouldn’t have manifold gasket problems, but honestly at 200xxx+ miles if it was going to happen it has happened already and the new and improved manifold gaskets are almost certainly in there already.
Column shift, cloth split bench seat, that Buick boulevard ride, all wrapped up in the most attractive styling ever wrapped around a W-platform car… sign me up.
With revenge and doubt
tonight we smoked them out
You are ahead by a century
Since the game is “disappearing”, I don’t think the Malibu is a great choice. I can’t speak for everyone, but considering how prolific they once were, they’re kind of disappearing where I live (PA). Dare I say it, but I think I’m more likely to see a Ciera rolling around than a Malibu. Buick Centuries? Jeez, there’s still a bunch on the prowl. Guessing there’s more than a few reasons for that.
Good God, a engine that burns oil or an engine that leaks anti-freeze. This is literally a coin toss and hope for the best I guess.
Our local newspaper (Milwaukee) car reviewer awarded that gen Malibu the car of the year when it came out. I had a ’91 Cutlass with the 3.1, and it was a good car, but 230k is a lot. I still picked the Buick.
About a decade ago I bought a cheap Century as a winter beater. Did the job well, always started, heat worked great and comfortable enough to drive around in. So today I’m voting for it again as long as the intake gaskets have been taken care of. At this age and mileage they should have been so its an easy vote.
The Centuries of this era are disappointing cars to be in. They’re just not as nice as you expect a Buick to be. Whereas the Malibus of this era are exactly what you expect them to be. At this price though, condition is everything, and the Buick is in much better shape, so Buick it is.
Stickshifts and safetybelts
Bucket seats have all got to go
When we’re driving in the car
It makes my baby seem so far
I need you here with me
Not way over in a bucket seat
I need you to be here with me
Not way over in a bucket seat
But when we’re driving in my
MalibuCenturyIt’s easy to get right next to you
I say, “Baby, scoot over, please”
And then she’s right there next to me