May the best car win

I would like to start off with a most commonly used modern day phrase - 'Perception is reality'. Even though this is far from being right on a factual basis, it sure makes a lot of sense in today's society where one needs to interact and relate to others for success and ultimate survival.

As we all know, the general perception about the US car makers (The Big Three) has not been the best and we don’t need extensive studies to prove this. The performance and longevity were two most important factors that these car makers could not prove to the buyers. Layers of bureaucracy and old school methods made it extremely difficult for these companies to adapt to a rapidly changing industry. It was so bad that these companies could not even retain some of the staunch believers of home made cars. General Motors being the largest of these had much more at risk than the other two. Fortunately or unfortunately, they have been bailed out by the Federal Government to save them from a cataclysmic disaster. Is it right for the Fed to get involved? – I’ll save this discussion for another day.

The focus of my discussion is more towards General Motors, their cars and recent developments. As you all know, I’m no auto-expert to comment on the overall auto industry trends and strategies. However, I do want to express some of my personal experiences that are changing my perception and would like to see more of such change with the people around me.

General Motors is a leaner company now and they are starting to implement certain fundamental changes that will help them in the long run. Most of the current fleet of cars produced by them are extremely competitive, fuel efficient and are true ‘performers’. Granted that I live in the Motor City where I see more models than I would see elsewhere, I still see a paradigm shift in the design and approach on these new cars. Cadillac’s were always exceptional but I’m especially impressed with the new versions on the Chevy fleet.

As a matter of fact, I drove one during my recent vacation trips. It was the Chevy Malibu – I was not too crazy with the design aspect of it on the outside but it certainly beat my expectations as soon as I started driving it. I didn’t necessarily pay attention to how it looked from the outside as I was not buying it nor did I really care as my perception drove my behavior. Soon it changed as I started experiencing the drive. It was quite smooth, the performance was incredible. Even though it had more than 25,000 miles on it and being a rental car I can only imagine how it was treated by other drivers but it certainly was a ‘nice ride’. I was most impressed with its pick up and torque for that size of a vehicle. I would certainly recommend any new car buyers, it is a good buy and the price tag is very affordable. Most importantly, I love their new ad campaigns – “May the best car win”- It is certainly bold and aggressive. It is great to see them adapt to the new Open World.

Would I buy one? – I’m not entirely sure yet but I’ll definitely consider (when need arises). For now, I love German cars and I’ll stick with one.

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