Review on 33 5049 Replacement Air Filter by Nate Jenkins

The filter we had on the Malibu was basically a sheet of plastic with a small rectangular filter section in the middle. This small section of filter sat on top of a piece of plastic in the airbox and further restricted airflow. This K&N filter completely filters the entire surface of the filter. Airflow is a big deal on turbocharged cars and we ran into some specific performance issues, as well as the air conditioning issue where it never cooled properly. After I installed this filter the air conditioning was noticeably colder as the engine could now easily rev up as needed to keep the compressor running and propel the car forward. I find that any paper filter that covers the entire filter area of this size is almost as good. But it's hard to go wrong with a K&N filter. I've never had the MAF oil problems that everyone always warns about.