Driving a point

Whenever I meet someone for the first time, the first question they usually ask after they find out what it is I do for a quid is, "So, what kind of car should I buy? As flattering as it may be, and as much as I appreciate the weight they seem to place on my opinion, it is sort of like asking someone who you should marry. And even though I know that in most cases they have already made up their minds and are only shopping around for an endorsement, I actually do believe that cars can — and should be — purchased in much the same way as you would select a lifetime partner — and in some cases, the reverse can be applied. Bear with me, I have a point here somewhere.

I know I’ve covered this topic a number of times before, but considering how often I get asked this question, I’ll tackle it again just for the sake of clarity. And to fulfill my — ahem — noble duty to the consumer. And also because Manny De Los Reyes needed to swap the back seat this week because of prior commitments and didn’t leave me much time to prepare anything else.

Buying a car can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences there is on these twisty cambered roads of life. But it can end up like a nightmare on Elm Street, too. It is the second biggest investment most people will ever make in their lifetime and getting stuck with a lemon can be as disturbing as that scene in the movie, The Crying Game. You know the one.

But there are some ways to avoid the grief.

BMW put it well when they said, "Sometimes brand is more important than new" Insert ad here. While technology transfer and part sharing has reduced the quality gap between most different brands, and cars have become a lot more reliable, the same can’t be said about the corporate culture of some of those that peddle them. It is one thing to have the latest and greatest model around, at an absolute steal of a price, but without the proper backing and infrastructure behind you, what good is it? It would be sort of like being the only guy in the world with a fax machine. Whoopie doo! Go fax yourself.

I’ve often said, "When you marry the girl you marry the family, the same should be applied to manufacturers." Well... I’ve said it again. Go for a brand that you know will be here tomorrow. If you can’t pronounce they’re name, buy from someone else. Why invest in someone that doesn’t invest in themselves. Once that new car smell subsides, the bitterness of those monthly payments linger on like a festering wound that just won’t heal. And you’ll want to be reassured that you have someone responsible backing your purchase and protecting that investment for you.

Let me give you another example. When I was house hunting a couple of years ago, I spent 40 days and 40 nights trying to carve out the best deal I could. Even though I would only be renting, I knew I had to live with this place for the next few years at least. I was terribly thorough and pedantic about certain things and was extremely patient. I eventually found a house I loved, in a quiet street, close enough to my work, but far enough away for some peace and quiet, at a price I could realistically afford. It was perfect. Problem was, as I only found out later of course, that I had the landlord from hell. Honestly, I think even Lucifer himself may actually be one of her tenants.

It all started out okay, as these things always do, but once the first sign of problems kicked in, everything changed. After she got her post-dated checks, cashed in her six months in advance and her whopping deposit, she disappeared faster than Garci. She refused to fix anything, including faulty wiring, leaky pipes inside the walls and structural defects that caused major leaks in the roof. Needless to say, these things only showed up after we signed a long term lease. You could take all of her sincerity, place it in the navel of a mosquito, and still have enough room for a couple of poppy seeds and her stone cold heart. Think of her as a bad manufacturer. Or car dealer.

Now, buying a new car can be somewhat similar because even the best of cars can have problems. No reasonable person will judge a manufacturer on what happened to their car, but more so on what happened about it. When shopping around, try and think five years down the track. Everything will always be rosy at the showroom level. Obviously. It is only once things go wrong that you can divide the manufacturers up into three categories — the good, the bad and the cowardly. When it comes time to get their help, some will make good, some will make trouble while some will just make excuses. Which one does yours belong to?

Which brings me to a more serious point. While there are still some local manufacturers that have yet to pull up their socks and match the standards of, say, Toyota or Honda, I’d like to segue to a far more pressing issue. The local automotive industry is still being choked by used imports that seem to just sail freely through our porous borders like Cebu and Subic. Last week, during a trip down south, I was appalled to see the amount of surplus, unwanted Japanese imports that were still floating around. This practice is incredibly short sighted and damaging and will eventually kill off an entire industry if it remains un-addressed. We’ve tried lobbying the government, which ended up as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle, so now we appeal to you. Again.

As the auto industry creeps up to that magical and psychological "100,000 legitimate new car sold" barrier, they need your support now more than ever. Because you have more choices now than ever before, it also means you have more power. There’s nothing stopping us from becoming what Thailand has become. In fact, with our literacy and command of the English language, we should surpass them. If you want the kind of choices and benefits that they get, all you have to do is do your bit. Reward your patronage only to those that have invested in the industry and those that have lifted the bar for you by offering you extended consumer protection and rock solid warranties.

Currently, because of the tempting price tags, the import channel is outselling the legitimate circles. Makes you wonder how long it will be before the big players like Toyota, Ford, Mitsubishi, etc. throw the towel in? And, if the unthinkable happens, then what? You think the prices will remain the same? Forget it. It becomes a cartel, and you will be at the mercy of supply and demand — all of which will be controlled by a handful of very fat businessmen and a gaggle of corrupt government officials. You’ll look back on the good ‘ol days of gleaming showrooms, honored warranties and consumer protection and wince at the thought of how we let it get this bad and ended up shooting ourselves in the foot.

So, what car should you get? That’s up to you still. But I can tell which ones you shouldn’t. The buck stops here with you. Yes, you. You have the power to stop this from growing into an epidemic. Just remember, if you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem. There’s a long and exciting road ahead, but remember, its a two way street. So when choosing a vehicle, think about what message you want to drive home, too.

Keep ’em pouring! Backseat Driver comments from last week ranged from the argumentative to the frustrated to the quizzical to the supportive to the demanding! Here are some of them…

Seething with anger against those unruly bikers? Think of them as your brothers or sons and you’ll never look at them the same way again. — 09202664571

The buses along EDSA are the main reason of traffic. The proposed 15-year-old phase out should be implemented. — 09167660911

The LTO should not renew cars’ registration with unreadable and dirty plates especially cargo delivery trucks and buses. — 09214513886

Mr. Leuterio failed to mention the gas consumption of the Vios and the City. We want to know which one is more fuel-efficient. — Franz Lagman, San Pedro Laguna

Why do the MMDA and TMG allow "padyak" tricycles to ply major Metro Manila roads? — 09214513886 (Sorry, can’t answer that one. Maybe they can. Paging the MMDA and TMG media relations people!)

Kudos to Dong Magsajo for having the guts to tell corruption on our streets for what it is! We are the ones who bribe our corrupt law enforcers and we all suffer the results. — 09167491434 (Okay, I have successfully reached out to at least one other Backseat Driver. Thank you for your affirmation.)

My car got scratches on bumper, thought of buying spray paint to do it myself. What should I use to sand the area first? What would be the procedures? — 09196377017 (Our advice is that you go to a paint repair shop now and have your car’s scratches done there first. Watch what they do first then do it yourself the next time something similar happens. There is such a big margin of error for first time do-it-yourself procedures that you might not want to do it on something as expensive as your car without first seeing how it’s actually done.)

I recently drove through the NLEX at night and to my horror they allow vehicles with one or no headlights to enter. — 09202817387

I am a happy owner of a 1999 Honda Civic SiR. Will Honda Philippines also come up with the 2006 Civic Si that won the Motor Trend Car of the Year? — 09173483696 (We’ll give you the exact specs of the new Honda Civic on April 5, when the car has been officially launched to the public. Watch out for it.)

We plan to buy a car. The Isuzu Alterra was my choice but my wife wants a Toyota Fortuner. We end up arguing. By the way, she’s a real backseat driver. Help, please. — 09192636383 (Both those vehicles have their good and bad points. However, if the missus is used to getting what she wants, I don’t see where the dilemma is. Do you actually hope to win this thing? Maybe you ought to just prepare for a six-month wait for your new Fortuner. Take it from a guy who also has a pretty stern backseat driver for a wife.)

I agree with Butch Gamboa’s column regarding the jeepneys turning off their headlamps. The licenses of such drivers should be suspended and they should be fined. — 09178531454

Speak out, be heard and keep those text messages coming in. To say your piece and become a "Backseat Driver", text PHILSTAR<space>FB<space> MOTORING<space>YOUR MESSAGE and send to 2840 if you’re a Globe or Touch Mobile subscriber or 334 if you’re a Smart or Talk ’n Text subscriber or 2840 if you’re a Sun Cellular subscriber. Please keep your messages down to a manageable 160 characters. You may send a series of comments using the same parameters.