28th Sep 2008, 06:08

I am pleased you love the Chevrolet Kalos, and hate Hyundai, Skoda and other brands. Keep on buying them - someone has to!!

In the meantime, the well informed buying public will make their own informed choices based on actual fact.

Hyundai and Skoda - two brands you hate so much have certainly surpassed Chevrolet in the last five years, and if you believe differently, you are simply ignoring fact. Their crash tests, emissions, customer satisfaction and reliability are now leagues ahead of Chevrolet. Not my opinion, just plain fact - for example:

Relating to the would you buy same car again? question on this site - see top left of pages, look at the facts:

Chevrolet Kalos 20% yes only twenty; 20%

Hyundai Getz 72%

Perodua Myvi 63%

Skoda Fabia 68%

And the newly released Hyundai I30 a full 100% - this shows the direction they are heading - all 8 reviewers gave it the yellow happy smile.

Need we go on further with this??!! I have no intention of causing an argument, just stating the facts of the matter.

28th Sep 2008, 10:43

If we look at the figures you quoted, it is evident that the only negative review on the Kalos... is yours! And given the fact that you appear to drive a Perodua and Hyundai - well I think the general public can make their own decision on that.

Incidentally it would appear that the public do appear to be taking a shine to Chevrolet... as Chevrolets continually increasing sales figures year on year, serve to testify.

At the end of the day, it is global sales figures that matter and undoubtedly Chevrolet is leagues ahead of all the other manufacturers you mentioned, and no doubt so is Chevrolets/GM's R&D budget. The Chevrolet Volt of course being the main example that exemplifies this.

So again... if you can stick to your Hyundai/Kia/Perodua and leave the rest of us to our Chevrolets, I think that would be the best thing all round.

29th Sep 2008, 09:36

We are talking about the Kalos here: as I said in earlier comments, other Chevrolets look OK. The Volt looks exciting.

In context, as I said, the Kalos is old Daewoo technology, rehashed as a newer car and it is of poor quality. Compared to better cars in the bracket like the Skoda Fabia and Hyundai Getz, the old tech of the Kalos is very apparent.

I am not a dealer, I just love cars and do a high mileage. I have owned may cars in this bracket, and driven all of the others, and in my opinion the Kalos is the worst of the lot.

You cannot argue with the Kalos figures I posted -particularly the NCAP rating and satisfaction ratings. Maybe Chevrolet will have the same quality increase as Hyundai has had over the last five years, in the next five years. Hopefully the Volt will be the start of this. Let's hope the Kalos is the last of their poor, old tech cars.

29th Sep 2008, 11:51

Can I also ask the person who runs the site: Why allow reviews from people who do not actually OWN the car (and indeed own rival cars)... I myself have had a Chevrolet Kalos as a courtesy car, but I do not feel sufficiently informed to place a review on the car. So why post other people's review based on a short hire car experience??

When the public come to view this site they wish to review what OWNERS of these cars have to say. People wish to know the LONG TERM outlook and ownership experience of the cars. Such information cannot be gathered if people who drive cars as a hire car then see fit to place a full review of the car. It is misleading and counter-intuitive to the site.

29th Sep 2008, 12:45

Hi again! To respond, I can see your point. I have the same thought about car reviewers who drive a car for only a few hours and then give it a rating. A case in point being when I went out road testing the new Evo X/STi/S3 with Auto Express and they raved about the Suzuki Swift they drove for a day. See my report below...!! Again, I enjoy the site for the interesting insight into cars, and would only post if I have studied the car in minute detail.

I am being fair with my comments (with some cheek thrown in!), and appreciate the banter back!! I have owned 76 cars and 20 motorbikes and have driven thousands of cars so when I review or comment on a car, it is after obsessive inspection and driving along a set route used every time for fairness. The point of the site is to pass information which may be useful to others, and I am not anti Chevrolet-for proof see some of my other reviews and the associated comments:

2005 Suzuki Ignis "Surprisingly horrendous..."

2005 Daihatsu Copen "Brilliantly..."

2006 Suzuki Swift DDIS "Sylish and..."

2006 Suzuki Jimny "Lethal..."

2007 Hyundai Getz 1.1 GSi "Class leading.."

2007 Perodua Myvi 1.3SXI "So far, so..."

2007 Fiat Panda Mulijet "Astonishingly good..."

2007 Fiat Doblo Multijet "Dated, but proven..."

2008 Daihatsu Sirion "Easily the best..."

You'll see that I have no loyalty and just report on my own personal views...!!

Every gets a brand allegience from their experiences, and grow prejudice against other brands. I try not to, but I thought the Kalos was poor in comparison to the others (apart from the Swift!!!)

All the best.

29th Sep 2008, 17:23

I have this same car in Australia where it is badged as the Holden Barina. Mine is the Australian trim with the 1.6 petrol engine and I can honestly say it is a fantastic little car for the price. I know it's not the class leader, but it is sgnificantly cheaper than its rivals here in Aus, there is more standard equipment, it has the backing of one of the biggest car companies in the world (GM) and I feel that it is in no way a bad car. I have covered over 60000 kms, much of it across Australia in the searing heat with the a/c on for hours on end without ANY problems. I am very pleased with my little car, good work GM, Holden and GMDAT.

30th Sep 2008, 06:38

It would certainly be better without the lame 1.2 engine we get in the UK!! Along with the 1.6 engine, the Holden gets a better dashboard, stereo and seat fabrics too, so not a direct comparison to the lower UK spec.

If you compare against cheaper cars it begins to make sense - you could buy a 1.2 Kalos for £4500 new against £6500 new for the better Hyundai Getz, so you can then perhaps live with its foibles. I just find it funny when some vehemently state that the Kalos is better than Skoda, Hyundai, Kia etc etc, when it is not - it is a budget car which buyers can justify on low price if bought cheap enough, ie a lot cheaper than a Hyundai.

Glad you are enjoying yours - a good deal is key to happiness!

Interesting to see you have not had any faults-reliability is important to me and I suffered with other brands until finding Daihatsu. I would be interested to see a Barina and how it compares to the UK Kalos, which seems to be badged as a variety of different cars-perhaps the UK ones get the worst bits in GM's global parts bin-like the old 1.2 engine!