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Nothing Stops my Chevy Malibu
I was driving home yesterday evening when I got caught in a terrific rainstorm. I was driving straight into it, and there was nothing I could do about it. Cars slowed down to a crawl. We couldn’t see more than 50 feet in front of us. The rain crashed down on our stretch of highway with a deafening cacophony of noise. It was so loud that I thought that it might be hailing (and, oh, how I prayed that insurance covered the hail damage, if there was any). Cars jammed themselves under the overpass trying to wait out the storm, which made traffic bad for the people that were trying to continue down the highway. It was chaos.
Amidst the chaos, I felt safe. I know about the Chevy Malibu Traction Control Feature which protects against loss of friction during acceleration. When I drove over a section of the highway that was flooded, I could feel the car start to slide (hydroplane) for a split second before TC took over, and then I sailed smoothly through the diluvian mess. At first, I was anxious because it felt like I was driving straight into a tornado/hurricane combo that would smash me to smithereens. Then, I remembered that I was in my Chevy Malibu and I felt safe again. I made it home without a hitch or dent in the car.
I highly recommend that you test drive a Chevy Malibu to see for yourself. This car will impress you, as it has impressed me and every passenger that has ridden in it with me. If you test drive a Chevy Malibu at an Oklahoma area Chevy dealer, you will receive a $50 gift card to Nonna’s in Bricktown, NSA. It’s a win/win situation.
Check out more of the great giveaways happening right now at Gotta Love Chevy OK, and Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
FTC Disclosure: The Gotta Love Chevy Blogger Promotion is being sponsored by the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers. Three women bloggers (including me) have been provided a Chevy Malibu vehicle to test drive for four weeks. The program includes weekly fun activities or projects for us to complete. Bloggers been provided gift cards in which to complete these assignments.
Manual vs Automatic Transmission
Since picking up the Malibu, I’ve been opting to be the driver as much as possible so that my friends can get a little time in the car. The response has been overwhelmingly positive from everyone, from the quality of the car in general to features like the bluetooth, remote start, etc.
All bells and whistles aside, I’m a manual transmission girl, so it’s been a little difficult adjusting to the automatic. Don’t get me wrong, I drive an auto just fine, but my brain keeps wanting me to shift. The funny thing is, only two of the cars I’ve owned have been manual.
This week, however, I’m counting my lucky stars that the Malibu is an automatic. I’m in the middle of a really bad knee injury (I’m seeing a specialist tomorrow), and I don’t know how I’d make it around right now if I had to be using a clutch.
I’d never thought of this scenario before, so I’m starting to change my preference based on the fact that I wouldn’t be able to drive right now if I was in a manual transmission, and I need to keep these things in mind because I’m a very clumsy girl.
If you weren’t already aware, I recently sent my Saturn to an early grave when my engine threw a rod. I’ve been putting off test driving cars due to the nice weather and my love for bike riding (and I have access to other vehicles in the meantime). But, it’s looking like my knee problem may put me off a bike for a while, and I think I’ll now be shifting my test driving gears (I’m so sorry for saying that, really) to automatics. Just in case.
And, just in case you’re curious, I made a break down of all the cars I’ve owned since I started driving. Pretend I didn’t admit to being in my 30s.
16-18 Chevy S10
18-20 BMW 318i
20-24 Ford F150 XLT
24-27 Lincoln Town Car
27-27 Ford F150
27-31 Saturn SL2
31… ?
The Gotta Love Chevy OK campaign is sponsored by the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers. The bloggers, including myself, have been given a Chevy Malibu to drive for one month. The campaign includes weekly activities for the bloggers, and we have been provided with gift cards to complete these assignments.
Taking the Chevy Malibu to OKC’s 1492, The Paseo
Here’s the latest video I shot and edited as part of my Chevy Malibu blogging adventure. It features 1492, a Latin restaurant, and the Paseo Arts District, both in Oklahoma City, along with me murdering Prince’s I Would Die For You.
I really am enjoying this car very much. It’s amazing how much driving a different vehicle can give you a different perspective on things. This car has totally spoiled all of us. We’re going to cry when we have to give it back.
I am now addicted to The Village on XM radio. Robert’s enjoying the Bluegrass channel. The little ones like the Disney channel and Juliette has discovered the Outlaw channel in the Country category. And, this says nothing of the fact that I was able to comfortably sit in the middle of the backseat this morning on the way to church. We did remove Sully’s carseat as he’s tall enough to ride without one now, but it wasn’t uncomfortable riding in the back with it.
Robert’s favorite thing about the car is the remote start. Every time he uses it, he erupts in laughter.
This car has reminded me that little things, especially creature comforts, can mean a lot and even go a long way in improving one’s quality of life. And, I have yet to try the iPod jack. That will be my next adventure in the Malibu.
More posts about the Malibu:
Rolling out to Renaissance Spa
My mission this week was to use SpaFinder to book an appointment at a local spa. I was given gift certificates to put toward the cost of the services. SpaFinder.com is a nifty website because, instead of buying someone a gift certificate to a certain salon or spa in the area, you can buy a Spa Finder gift card instead and it’s good toward ALL participating local salons and spas. I booked an appointment for Spa Manicures at Renaissance Salon and Spa (10440 Broadway Extension). Renaissance is located in a cozy two-story cottage. Walking in makes on instantly feel at home. While they are currently remodeling due to the heavy damage inflicted by the recent hailstorm, it is still a luxurious little spot.
Dolores and Margo were our nail techs. Patrice and I had a fabulous time talking to them and getting to know them. I got my nails painted a gorgeous baby blue color (I tend to stay away from traditional nail colors like red or purple), and I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out.
Here is a little video I did of Patrice and I on our spa day. We had a wonderful time going, and we feel totally pampered. Thanks, Chevy!
http://www.vimeo.com/14507346
OnStar: Give them correct information
I live in a highly urban part of Oklahoma City, and rarely venture far from our ‘hood. We eat, shop, work and play all within a two-mile radius of our home. The kids’ school is a mile or so away and church is six blocks up the street.
The other day, however, I had to drive up to MacArthur Boulevard in Oklahoma City. I had some business to conduct at Creative Photo and Video. I thought I knew where I was going, but as it turns out, I got completely lost. I was so glad I had access to OnStar, a security system available on the Chevy Malibu that provides 24/7 access to emergency assistance and assistance with things like directions.
So, I called OnStar and told them I was lost, but they could immediately locate the address. After waiting a few minutes, I called directory assistance and they were able to give me the address.
I think there are two reasons OnStar had trouble helping me. First of all, I told them the name of the business was Creative Video instead of Creative Photo and Video. Secondly, when I got to my appointment, the woman at Creative Photo and Video told me their address had recently changed from Oklahoma City to Warr Acres. At any rate, directory assistance was intuitive and was able to help me locate the address before OnStar.
I did have one helpful experience with OnStar prior to this. I recently had to attend a funeral. I wanted to confirm directions and called OnStar. They gave me my exact location and directions to an area of town with which I am unfamiliar.
I would still rely on OnStar anytime I was lost. I think my experience was a fluke – not to mention me providing the OnStar operator wrong information.
Here is a video I shot of me calling OnStar when I was stressing out over being lost and late for an appointment.
http://www.vimeo.com/14512298
Grace gets behind the wheel of an even nicer Chevy!
Thursday, the dealership put me in a new Chevy to give me a chance to drive the top-of-the-line model. I didn’t think the car could get much nicer, but it did. I am now driving the 2011 Chevy Malibu LTZ model and I am in love. The seats are even more comfortable, the driver’s side is roomier, and the temperature gauges are even more precise. It has even smoother acceleration and it shifts gears without any hiccups, so this car really gets up and goes. I’ve decided to name the car Little Zippy. Check out a few pictures of my new baby:
Read more about the 2011 Chevy Malibu HERE. If you have any interest in this car, this is a great time to take it for a test drive. Why? Oklahoma City area Chevy dealers are offering a no-strings-attached $50 gift certificate to Nonna’s in Bricktown just for test driving. So, get over to one of your local dealers and try one out today.
If you follow me on the site, or friend Gotta Love Chevy OK on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter, you’ll see that there are some really amazing giveaways to enter. So please, visit those links and become a friend/follower.
FTC Disclosure: The Gotta Love Chevy Blogger Promotion is being sponsored by the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers. Three women bloggers (including me) have been provided a Chevy Malibu vehicle to test drive for four weeks. The program includes weekly fun activities or projects for us to complete. Bloggers been provided gift cards in which to complete these assignments.
In The Beginning
I was recently asked by Chevy to drive a new Chevy Malibu for a month and blog/vlog about my experiences. I usually turn things like this down because I’m always so busy and don’t want to fuss with anymore irons in the fire, but, as it turns out, I’m currently in the market for a car. My Saturn went to the little junkyard in the sky a few weeks ago, and, although I have access to vehicles and am not necessarily stranded, I’m going to have to buy something in the near future. This gives me a good opportunity to check out the Malibu and Chevy in general. My first car (well, truck) was a Chevy S10, but that was many moons ago.
Unfortunately, I started to feel a little under the weather the day after I picked up the Malibu, and I ended up not feeling very good for well over a week, so you’ll have to forgive my late start on the blogging. As it turns out, I was just sick; I’m not allergic to the car. Hooray!
Watch me pick up the Malibu:
I’ve been mostly driving the Malibu to work when it’s too hot to ride my bike, but it’s also been on a few mini adventures so far, including multiple shopping trips and hauling my camera gear out into the middle of nowhere to shoot Perseid meteors. I had no luck this year, if you’re wondering, and may be divorcing the Perseids for the Leonids, which haven’t been a let down in our relationship thus far.
The trunk space, as you may have heard from the other bloggers, is nice and roomy. I went grocery shopping with two friends, and we managed to get everything in the trunk with no problems. It’s also capable of carrying a whole lot of furniture from Target (I’ll go more into shopping experiences, complete with photos and video, in a later post). I’ll be finding out this weekend if it will fit a bike. Or two.
So far, I’m delighted with the remote start and XM radio, although the latter serves to perpetually remind you that you’re older than you think: “Oh, I love this song. I remember when it came out a few years ago. Let me just hit the info button because I can’t remember the artist’s name. Oh, this came out in 1984.”
I’m a web designer/developer and photographer and am in constant need of power, so I’m making good use of the USB port in the dash and the electrical outlet, which was only discovered a few days ago by a friend riding in the backseat. Meanwhile, I’d been charging camera batteries via an inverter that plugs into the lighter. Go me. The bluetooth is also handy if you get a lot of phone calls and don’t like to hold your phone to your ear while you’re driving. Granted, it does worry other drivers at stop lights if you’re telling a grand story, complete with wild hand gestures, to your best friend because all the other drivers see is you flailing about and laughing in an empty car. So, bonus points for entertainment.
The cup holders and I, however, are at odds. They just won’t hold two large coffee cups next to each other. The door cup holders are too small for the tall cups, too, so someone always ends up holding their drink, which I can see ending badly. I think that, for the duration of my extended test drive, I’ll be opting for smaller cups to better accommodate the holders.
I’ll have a few more blogs and videos for you this weekend and many more to follow, so stick around and see what sort of trouble I can get into over the next couple of weeks.
By the way, If you’re not already following Gotta Love Chevy OK on Facebook or twitter, you should start right now. There are daily giveaways for gift certificates to spas, restaurants, etc. Don’t miss out!
The Gotta Love Chevy OK campaign is sponsored by the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers. The bloggers, including myself, have been given a Chevy Malibu to drive for one month. The campaign includes weekly activities for the bloggers, and we have been provided with gift cards to complete these assignments.
3 things my kids like about the Malibu
I’ve been driving the Chevy Malibu for more than a week now, and it continues to be a great experience. I had to drive my 10-year-old car the other day, and I was having Malibu withdrawal the entire time. Giving this car back to the dealership in three weeks will not be fun, but for now, we’re enjoying it. The kids seem to especially like the adventure.
Since they’ve been such a big part of this experience I decided to ask them what they liked best about the Malibu. My five-year-old son had three things to say about what he likes about it. Here they are:
“I like the air in this car.”
The air is very cool, which has been great because we’ve been having triple-digit heat in Oklahoma this month.
“This is a really fast car.”
I promise, I’m driving the speed limit, Chevy.
And, finally, “Daddy can drive backwards in it.”
My husband backs the car up our narrow driveway.
Three features I really like about the car so far include:
Remote Start – It has been so hot in Oklahoma this month. Robert and I both love this feature. The car is already cooled off once we get in it. It’s great!
OnStar – I will be writing more about this feature, soon, but I have already used OnStar twice – once when I needed directions to a funeral and once when I got lost. I really didn’t think I would ever use OnStar, so this was a very pleasant surprise. I could become very spoiled by OnStar.
The Trunk – With three kids and a husband, I am always donating old toys and clothes to charity; taking clothes to the dry cleaners and grocery shopping. I am also a PR consultant and when I travel to meet clients I am always carrying a laptop; large camera bag; purse and sometimes a fourth bag. I don’t need some mamby-pamby trunk, and the Malibu really does have great cargo space. I could get very spoiled with it and the extended space provided by the fold-down seats is terrific.
In summary, I didn’t think I could become so attached to a car in such a short amount of time. The only drawback so far is the backseat in relation to my three kids. The three- and five-year old are still in car seats. The 12-year-old has to sit in the middle if the five of us have to go somewhere. It’s not ideal. Someone’s hair always gets pulled. Sometimes mine! Of course, with my brood, this might happen in any car, no matter the size of the backseat. =)
http://www.vimeo.com/14333121
6 women in Springsteen songs and the Malibu’s XM radio
Last Thursday, I picked up a brand new Chevy Malibu from an Oklahoma Chevy dealer. I’ll be driving it for a month and blogging about my experience. Here is a video of my adventure, which I made using a Flip Camera provided to me by Chevy. (See full disclosure below.)
http://www.vimeo.com/14382403One of the things I’m really enjoying about the Malibu is the XM radio, specifically the E-Street Radio channel. I know that Springsteen first hit it big in the 70s and can hardly be called an 80s sensation, but his music was still a big part of my youth. In case you’re not familiar with Springsteen, E-Street was the name of his band.
The summer after I graduated high school I listened to Born in the U.S.A. every day. It provided some much needed preparation for all the Vietnam Veterans for whom I would one day work with. (I mean that in all sincerity.) Anyway, this is the album that features the song, Bobby Jean, which I am lip syncing to in this video.
On Friday night, I stepped out to get some burritos for the family. While sitting in the drive-thru at Taco-Mayo-me-baby, I heard the little-known Springsteen song, Book of Dreams on the Malibu’s XM Radio. This song came out in the 1990s, when I was still pretty entry-level in my career and had no children. I suddenly recalled how much I secretly wanted to be the girl in this song. Then I realized for the first time, I’ve wanted to be the girl in practically every Springsteen song I’ve ever heard.
I wanted to be Mary in Thunder Road, blowing past losers and skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolet’s – on dusty beach roads no less. I wanted to be the woman Springsteen called a friend in Better Days. I think I was the single mom with the lonely ribbon in the 1980 Little Girl I Wanna Marry You. And I wanted to be Wendy in Born to Run. Somedays, I still want to be Wendy.
Finally, I wanted to be the nameless girl in Out in the Street. She was the one who met the guy down on the docks on Friday night, ready to dance when the whistle blew.
Alas, I have rarely been the girl in a Springsteen song, and maybe it’s a good thing. All those lyrics conjure up images of Paula Pokrifki.
So, on Friday night I didn’t dance Out in the Street. I went and got burritos for my starving, screaming, can-we-stop-and-get-a-donut-on-Friday-night kids who sang Crisscross Apple Sauce all through dinner. It was really fun.
No, really.
On the drive home from getting fast food dinner, Springsteen’s My Hometown came on the Malibu’s XM Radio. I thought of an article I read yesterday that said our country is bankrupt. I wondered how on earth it’s all going to work out for Generation X? And Y. And Z.
In 1984, Springsteen released these lyrics:
Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there ain’t nobody wants to come down here no more
They’re closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain’t coming back to your
hometown
Your hometown
In 1983, the GM plant in Fremont, California shut down. My husband’s dad worked at that plant. Robert was just 16. He’d spent his entire life in California, and was forced to move to Oklahoma where he finished his senior year. His dad finished out his career at the GM plant in Oklahoma City. That plant closed a few years back.
After we all scarfed down our cheap burritos, I cleared the table and sat down at my computer and typed the following string into my favorite search engine: where is the Malibu made. This is the answer I got back:
The 2010 Chevrolet Malibu is made in Kansas City, Kan., and Orion Township, Mich. In our most recent American-Made Index, the 2009 Malibu ranked third in our list of the top 10 most American-made new models.
This is one of the reasons I agreed to participate as a blogger for the Gotta Love Chevy OK campaign. I know some foreign automobile manufacturers have major assembly plants in the U.S. that employ Americans, but still.
But, still.
The people who built the Chevy Malibu I’m test driving probably live in and around Kansas City or Orion Township, Michigan. I’d like to thank them for making such a great car!
I’d also like to point out an article published in the New York Times on Friday, Detroit Goes from Gloom to Economic Bright Spot. Anything is possible, and God love Detroit.
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Please become a friend of Gotta Love Chevy OK on Facebook. When you do, you’ll have a chance to win cool prizes daily!
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Disclosure: The Girls On The Go campaign is sponsored by southern Chevy dealers who give selected bloggers a new Chevy Malibu to test drive for one month and ask them to blog about the experience using the vehicle. Girlfriend Getaway will give me some fun projects to do and will provide me with gift cards to allow me to do them.
Malibu and Me
I am the proud new (temporary) owner of a 2011 Chevy Malibu! How did this come to be? Well, it’s kind of a long story, but I’ll give you the essentials. A blogger who had participated in a promotional event for the Houston Area Chevy Dealers contacted me after she stumbled across my blog. Apparently, Oklahoma Area Chevy Dealers were looking for bloggers to participate in their Gotta Love Chevy event. What this meant for me: I’d get to drive a brand new 2011 Chevy Malibu for one month and I would blog about it and make videos (is this called “vlogging”? What a horrible word).
It should have been a foregone conclusion that my answer to their question (“would you like to participate?”) would be a resounding, “Heck yes!” See, I’m the odd duck in this region of bloggers participating in the Gotta Love Chevy event. Why? Because, I don’t have a car! My beloved Mercedes Benz (Benzy, R.I.P.) died on me back in March and I have been a pathetic bummer-of-rides ever since. I have been saving up for a new car, but I’ve managed pretty well without one – even though the fact that I don’t have a car makes me feel like a 20-something year old loser.
So, when I got the opportunity to drive a car, a brand new one at that, I jumped at the chance. That means, for the next month you’ll see the occasional post from me talking about this awesome vehicle, and about the “missions” that Chevy has sent me on. Before you mistake my participation for an act of desperation, let me assure you: I really do like this car and think it’s an amazing vehicle. I stand behind my opinions. Simple opportunism, this is not.
Now, I’m supposed to be blogging twice a week, so there may be two posts about the Malibu this weekend because I ran into some technical difficulties and could not post earlier this week.
What a beaut:
What’s in it for you:
If you follow me on the site, or friend Gotta Love Chevy OK on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter, you’ll see that there are some really amazing giveaways to enter. So please, visit those links and become a friend/follower.
Let me just tell you a little about this car:
PROS
- It has a remote start feature that allows you to start your car remotely (like from inside your house!). The doors must be locked first, and the car will run for 10 minutes before automatically shutting off. This is a great feature in the hot summer or frigid winter, as the car can adjust temperatures to either cool off or heat up while you wait. I am in love with this feature and use it constantly to impress friends and confuse people standing near my car in parking lots.
- It gets 33 mpg on the highway.
- The version I have has tires that are filled with nitrogen (random, I know, but still awesome!).
- It has the biggest trunk I’ve ever seen on a sedan.
- It is quiet and fast and smooth to drive.
- It came equipped with Onstar, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and Bluetooth (I’m so spoiled by these features already).
- It is an affordable family car that feels like (in my humble opinion) a sports car/luxury car hybrid.
CONS
- The cupholders are a little wonky. You can really only fit one large cup inside of them. The salesman at the dealership was trying to show me how to pull the tray up to give it more room, but neither of us figured it out very well. This could simply be a case of User Error, though.
- I am nearly 6 feet tall, and I have to say the driver’s side is a little cramped. The passenger seat and the backseat are ginormous and roomy. However, I am still in the process of finding my optimal comfort level when it comes to seat/steering wheel adjustments, so this CON may change to a PRO once I get the hang of it. However, I have been messing with it all week and still feel a little cramped.
That’s all for now. I’ll be posting my grocery shopping mission later, so check back to see how it went!
FTC Disclosure: The Gotta Love Chevy Blogger Promotion is being sponsored by the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers. Three women bloggers (including me) have been provided a Chevy Malibu vehicle to test drive for four weeks. The program includes weekly fun activities or projects for us to complete. Bloggers have been provided gift cards in which to complete these assignments.
About Us
Just a few Chevrolet dealers who believe in our product.
So much so that we’re letting people all over Oklahoma take some Chevy's for a real test drive, putting them through the tests of real life.
We like good music, college sports (especially football) and some good home cooking! Nothing is better though then meeting new people in our area! So check out this blog, read the stories and catch all the videos because there will be plenty of fun sweepstakes and surprises in store for you!
Also make sure to check out any of your Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers today – we’d love to introduce you to the new Equinox, Traverse, Malibu or Silverado. Enjoy!
