A Confession (and a Rant)

"Aloha Milkyway" (alohamilkyway) 02/17/2014 at 03:21 • Filed to: None

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A confession. I rather like the Chevrolet Malibu. Yes, it's a parity product of the white bread class of cars (in the US at least) and probably has no exceptional USP. Yes, the Accord and the Mazda 6 will be better cars than this. Those two will also drive better and break down less in the long run.

So, why do I like it? It's not the Camaro (sic) tail lights or the hidden storage behind the Nav system. No, I like it because I'm sick of seeing Camrys where I live. I want to see a change of scenery. I don't like my morning drives to be surrounded by Toyotas all the time. I want to see something different. At the same time, it's one of those cars you just find nice enough to cross your radar. It's odd. Most people will call me weird for even mentioning this car. Perhaps I can say it's a difference of culture. American Jalops would be sick of seeing this whereas us Filipinos will take second glaces at it. It's the same reaction we do when we see tourists here. It's odd, really.

Another reason why I want this car to succeed is to get Ford enough confidence to bring in the Fusion. The last mid sized Ford sold here was the tragic Telstar and perhaps the reason why Ford doesn't want to bring back a mid-sized sedan here. Also, Toyota is making a killing out of this market, so much that they pretty much drove out the competitiveness of other makers here.

And here comes the rant part. I'm tired of people sticking with the usual Toyota as their instant suggestion. The day I got my 523i, people almost immediately started saying "why didn't you get a Camry?". Simple, it's a better car. Of course, most will still be hard headed and say Toyotas are the best because it won't break down. Sadly, I (and the most of us) aren't like everyone else. We know that there will always be better cars than a Yaris, Corolla or Camry. Yes, not all people are enthusiasts but if there was healthy competition here, it would force local manufacturers here to raise the bar in terms of service. Now with the current state of the market here, people will continue to put up with stealerships and shoddy backjobs (ever driven a Corolla with its wheel about 60 degrees out of alignment?). This mentality has to stop. It's driving away the competition and killing the market.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Aloha Milkyway 02/17/2014 at 03:43

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I don't know anything about that market, but commend you on a very Opporific post!

promoted by the color red > Aloha Milkyway 02/17/2014 at 04:59

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It's the official car of Major League Baseball, so you know it's good.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Aloha Milkyway 02/17/2014 at 12:14

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I agree on the looks side. The Malibu is IMHO a damn fine looking automobile