Last Sunday I had the opportunity to stretch the legs of my Impreza TS as I had a ‘kenduri’ to attend in Muar. The car performed well, on the highway I managed to push its puny 1.6liter engine to 205km/h, which translate to a mean maximum of 200km/h as it always is around 5km/h slower than the speedometer reading when I look at the speedtrap notice board when you hit the first and second bends on the Kerinci Link from the Federal Highway. Quite amazing when you have a heavy, power sapping All Wheel Drive train and passengers. It felt solid as a rock at high speeds and only the engine turns pretty high at 5500rpm partly due to the gearing. That’s why big cc’s are very important and 1.6liters are limited to cruising at slower speeds (Unless you happen to have a couple of thousand Ringgit to do it up). Aside from that, it was pretty good and was even better after the Tangkak Toll, where the highway exits to a trunk road. This is where the Impreza shines. It’s not about the grip, but also the handling. The Impreza TS is one of those cars that let the average family man enjoy things abit. Note that there are not many of these kinds of vehicles in Malaysia. But let’s go back to Sundays.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
The Joys of Not Hiking Up Mount Kinabalu
It has been a slow start to this current week in a life of a petrolhead. The need to just stay at home comes to mind with lots of bread and hot tea to wash it all down in between long stretches of GT4 on the PS2 and an overdose of Top Gear reruns in stead of being at the office and doing lots of paperwork and endless office banter. Actually, I happen to be at an office where I can actually have bread and hot tea, but no PS2. So I am now deciding on whether to write about the joys of hiking aimlessly up Mount Kinabalu or driving a car through the windy roads around Genting Highlands.
But honestly, I don’t think I can write about anything pertaining to Mount Kinabalu due to the fact that I haven’t been there, much less climb it. The highest peak that I have manually climbed was the Maxwell Hill in Perak. This hilltop resort is Malaysia’s oldest and smallest hill resort. It is 1,035m above sea level and accessible only by government-owned four-wheel-drive vehicles, the road up twists and turns through tropical virgin jungle with the fresh green fragrance and cool air greeting you as you ascend. Now amazingly, I have hiked up this hill and all that I can remember is that it was not that tiring, as I was only 15 years of age. However, I’m now 34, overweight and had discovered the joys of motoring at 18. So, if anyone asked me to climb that hill again I’d take the Land Rover. If you haven’t experienced extremely tight turns and ridiculous inclines while being driven up, you’ve got to experience this. The drivers are bloody marvellous at negotiating the bends at speeds that’ll scare most average drivers.
I might enjoy walking through a forest trail in Cameron Highlands as much as I’d enjoy driving up to the Highlands in the first place; but if anyone asks me to hike up Mount Kinabalu right now I’d pass. They say that it’s a challenge, but I’d ask what are my benefits? Pain and suffering. A certificate showing me that I’ve done so? Since the certificate won’t get me a career raise, its worthless and you must remember, you’re not the first person on that peak, so what’s the point? Because its there? KLCC has stairs and I am not using it to get to the 88th floor. It has lifts to get us there quickly. Because your friend can do it and you can’t? I can’t be bothered. Maybe I’ll walk the first 1km and then decide to hire a helicopter to take me to the peak. I’ll have tea and cupcakes up there before you even make it to the middle. Hiking on an incline for more than a day does not do wonders to happy fat men. Which brings me back to Maxwell Hill. It’s a much better climb because you can use Land Rovers to do so. Of course, Then again, you’d have fun going up Genting, Cameron Highlands, Fraser’s, etc in your finely tuned automobile. If you get my drift. This is what technology is there for. For God’s sake, if you want exercise, that’s what the neighbourhood gym, is there for my good man.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Certain Events in the World of Motoring
The Malaysian Transport Minister is a spoilsport.
There. I've Said it. That's all that has to be said about his decision to bring up to the cabinet the Royal Malaysian Police's decision to give a discount on traffic summonses sometime last week and get them to decide otherwise.
Schumacher Quits Formula 1
Sigh. It's bound to happen. Reason was that he partly didn't want to have equal standing with Kimmi Raikonnen. Whatever. We shall all miss his performances, antics etc. When I say "we" means all of us. If you don't fancy Schumi, you're still gonna miss his performances.
I.T.I.S.
Integrated Traffic Information System -ITIS or whatever its called always goes on a holiday every Monday morning in Kuala Lumpur. I wonder how much we as taxpayers pay for a system that's hardly useful when we need it to be. Not to mention it tells me something I already know. The signboards aren't a real help, as they are usually situated where the jam is, and not before the jam. The problem with Kuala Lumpur traffic is, you may as well have that signboard at your office car park as most roads are jammed packed at rush hour. This means that its usefullness is limited. We need a better system, or better roads. We actually need the Transport Minister to push through projects pertaining to public transport faster instead of him complaining about the Police giving discounts.
There. I've Said it. That's all that has to be said about his decision to bring up to the cabinet the Royal Malaysian Police's decision to give a discount on traffic summonses sometime last week and get them to decide otherwise.
Schumacher Quits Formula 1
Sigh. It's bound to happen. Reason was that he partly didn't want to have equal standing with Kimmi Raikonnen. Whatever. We shall all miss his performances, antics etc. When I say "we" means all of us. If you don't fancy Schumi, you're still gonna miss his performances.
I.T.I.S.
Integrated Traffic Information System -ITIS or whatever its called always goes on a holiday every Monday morning in Kuala Lumpur. I wonder how much we as taxpayers pay for a system that's hardly useful when we need it to be. Not to mention it tells me something I already know. The signboards aren't a real help, as they are usually situated where the jam is, and not before the jam. The problem with Kuala Lumpur traffic is, you may as well have that signboard at your office car park as most roads are jammed packed at rush hour. This means that its usefullness is limited. We need a better system, or better roads. We actually need the Transport Minister to push through projects pertaining to public transport faster instead of him complaining about the Police giving discounts.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The real reason Datuk K managed to bag Siti Nurhaliza
He drives a Mercedes Benz CLS. Enuff said.
Which brings me to my list of 5 cool cars to own in Malaysia under a few years of age aside from owning any Ferrari or Bentley that is.
Just happened to see one while walking pass Damansara Uptown. Normal 911 Turbos are like soft toys compared to this one when it comes to looks. Massive double winged whale tail spoiler, massive rims, massive front splitter, massive turbo arches, leather everything, recaro seats, and a name that your auntie in the kampung would think “why would someone name a car after a cow or goat herder in Bahasa Malaysia?”
Not because I own one, but because everyday I drive from Petaling Jaya to Ampang and I seldom see another one. It is cool to have a car that not many people have and it’s Japanese and therefore pretty reliable. Not to mention that its a car designed by a 7year old, it has scoops, arches, spoilers everywhere! Which is good.
But, that said, do not go and buy a Skoda Fabia (European of not, you DON’T want to tell people you own a car that Starts with an ‘S’ and has a ‘K’ following it – try saying SKUBARU, or SKUZUKI), a Made in China Alado A160 or a Chery QQ because it’s rare. Those Made in China cars aren’t different, they’re just silly putty. Driving or owning them would mean that you have the taste of tap water.
3. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 –
Same reason as above, but much much faster due to electronics. But if you do want a Lancer 1.6 instead, make sure you buy one with a bodykit as standard. If you get the stock one, remind yourself that you are only allowed to live once, then you die and you need to tell yourself that you deserve one better than a stock Lancer 1.6. The difference between buying a 1.6 Lancer and a Lancer EVO is a whole lot. That is why it isn’t cool buying a stock Lancer compared to a 1.6 Impreza which is basically the same car minus rims and a bonnet scoop. On the Lancer, you need new body panels and painting and cutting etc. You’d do that to your brand new car with 7 years left on the loan wouldn’t you?
2. Mercedes Benz CLS –
Any version will do as all versions look swoopy and out of this world. You may be able to bag something better than Siti Nurhaliza if you’re younger than Datuk K. If you’re 35 and below, you may get to bag a Hannah Tan Look-a-like (or if you’re plain lucky, Hannah Tan), which is better than any Siti Nurhaliza by a mile.
1. Maserati Quattroporte –
Its simply beautiful to look at. Recently saw the Sultan Of Kelantan’s entourage driving by along Bukit Bintang. His official car was a Quattroporte. It was beautiful, elegant yet if you push the right buttons, goes all brutal. Somehow Italians make the word ‘4-doors’ so glamorous. I think it has something to do with the language having rhythm when you speak it in an italian accent. Q-U-A-T-T-R-O-P-O-R-T-E. Try saying E-M-P-A-T-P-I-N-T-U using an italian accent, you will see my point, although it does not sound as nice as quattroporte. Empat pintu to those who aren’t versed in Malay is Four Doors. However, if you say Four Doors in English, even in an Italian accent, it sounds like what it sounds. FOURDOORS.
Now this list isn’t comprehensive and if I’ve left out any other cool cars, too bad, and this blog isn’t a democracy, furthermore I may decide otherwise tomorrow.
Friday, September 01, 2006
RM10,000.00 FOR A '95 REG SATRIA...CAR PRICES ARE DROPPING FAST!
It is possible to buy a decent car for RM10,000.00 these days. Two days ago a close friend of mine, who also happens to be my mechanic, mentioned to me that he was purchasing a car from a mutual acquaintance for RM10,000.00. It was a 1995 reg Proton Satria 1.6xli automatic with a sound body and chassis. Now, going by normal Malaysian standards, a satria is a decent ride. You get Power steering, power windows, 16-valve fuel injected engine, a 4 speed slushbox, multi link suspension and something that is more comfortable than a Honda EX-5 motorcycle.
This is a relevation for Malaysians. Cheap motoring for everyone. Mat-rempits will be throwing away their kapcais for cars like these. Just imagine Proton Sagas going for RM5,000.00, which actually they are! However, it again shows you that the local automotive industry is bleeding like crazy. But we’ll see realistic second hand prices from now on. We may soon see RM2,500.00 Sagas on the second hand market.
Also feel that it is a good thing to buy if you are interested in modifying cars cheaply. You spend 10k on a car, and you have another 5k to mod it.
Full Coilover shocks and springs – RM2,500.00
Exhaust system and a performance air filter – RM1,000.00
Port and Polishing/some skimming to the head –RM1,000.00
Strut bars front and rear –RM350.00
Good engine oil –RM125.00
And you have change for a meal. RM25.00.
Let me see, if you buy a Saga, you’d can have all this for RM10,000.00 for the car and parts. But a Saga actually sucks to drive. You will never learn proper car control because it never actually does what its supposed to do in corners. It’ll understeer or oversteer anytime it feels like it and drives like a dog that has an itch on its butt. So buy a car with a more sophisticated suspension, like the Proton Satria/Wira series. That extra 5K makes a whole world of difference. But, if you are a person who just needs a car to take him to the dentist and back, buy the Saga.
You would think this package would be better to promote to Mat Rempits that it is better than riding a kapcai. But why are they still riding kapcais? Or would we want the Mat Rempits to start trying to wheelie proton satrias and sagas? Maybe we should just let them die and keep all this to ourselves. I think that would be a better option. After all, a dead Rempit is a good Rempit.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Merdeka Eve....Stay Home...Merdeka Morning's much more like it!
As most of you who’ve read my blog will notice, there are no pictures in here. Unlike some other blogs that have pictures, diagrams and so on, mine is the basic, no frills blog space as I am actually too darn lazy and cheap to pay for a domain name or take pictures. I mean, if I write about a Mazda 6, you can find a photograph of it on the Mazda website or from some automotive related website somewhere on the web. I’m just here to tell you my point of view.
Right, on another note, tonight is Merdeka Eve and the roads of Kuala Lumpur will be jam packed with motorists of various sorts. We’re going to also see the emergency room in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital be jam packed with Mat Rempit related accident cases and also the usual alcohol related stuffs also. So, if you intend to celebrate the Malaysian Indepence Day, try going out to the neighbourhood mamak stall, pub, restaurant or a bistro in the suburbs. You may survive the outing and live another day. Furthermore, what’s the fun in driving your car through jam packed KL? You’ve suffered with jams the whole week and you actually want to face more jams at night?
So have you noticed that if you’ve actually gone out Merdeka year after year, and you’re around 30-40 years of age, you’d have noticed that you’ll never achieve the fun you had celebrating Merdeka when you were around 18-24years of age. This is the period when you and your friends just got your licence and were still in some college or university. You’d notice that as you get older, none of your friends got drunk so often, crashed their cars into the nearest monsoon drain or managed to bonk a girlfriend of two on Merdeka Eve. You’d also notice that you’ll be sitting in the pub chair or mamak chair reminiscing about old times and trying to act all cool and all with your as old as you are mates. Notice that the situation I’m describing is actually pretty boring. Like you’re about to get ready to retire or something like that.
Essentially, that’s just not the case; you must remember that at this age, you’re already either married, divorced, or single but, you have more money in your pocket than you have ever had compared to when you were 20, driving your mum’s hand-me down Honda Civic and trying to act cool. Actually that’s describing me, but you get the point. At 30 something, what is a Merdeka Eve holiday when you can afford to just spend obscene amounts of money (if you converted your Ringgit to Rupiah its an obscene figure) and go for a nice long drive, with or without your family in tow to some windy road on Merdeka Day itself. If you’re a car nut like me, that’s what I’d be doing. I’d go to bed at the usual time you’d sleep everyday, forget about watching fireworks, wake up, take the car I’d enjoy the most, go for a morning drive tomorrow and feel, “Boy, I am a lucky bastard!” Isn’t that just great? Isn’t that sort of freedom a more fulfilling vision of Independence than being stuck in a jam on Merdeka Eve? You tell me.
Right, on another note, tonight is Merdeka Eve and the roads of Kuala Lumpur will be jam packed with motorists of various sorts. We’re going to also see the emergency room in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital be jam packed with Mat Rempit related accident cases and also the usual alcohol related stuffs also. So, if you intend to celebrate the Malaysian Indepence Day, try going out to the neighbourhood mamak stall, pub, restaurant or a bistro in the suburbs. You may survive the outing and live another day. Furthermore, what’s the fun in driving your car through jam packed KL? You’ve suffered with jams the whole week and you actually want to face more jams at night?
So have you noticed that if you’ve actually gone out Merdeka year after year, and you’re around 30-40 years of age, you’d have noticed that you’ll never achieve the fun you had celebrating Merdeka when you were around 18-24years of age. This is the period when you and your friends just got your licence and were still in some college or university. You’d notice that as you get older, none of your friends got drunk so often, crashed their cars into the nearest monsoon drain or managed to bonk a girlfriend of two on Merdeka Eve. You’d also notice that you’ll be sitting in the pub chair or mamak chair reminiscing about old times and trying to act all cool and all with your as old as you are mates. Notice that the situation I’m describing is actually pretty boring. Like you’re about to get ready to retire or something like that.
Essentially, that’s just not the case; you must remember that at this age, you’re already either married, divorced, or single but, you have more money in your pocket than you have ever had compared to when you were 20, driving your mum’s hand-me down Honda Civic and trying to act cool. Actually that’s describing me, but you get the point. At 30 something, what is a Merdeka Eve holiday when you can afford to just spend obscene amounts of money (if you converted your Ringgit to Rupiah its an obscene figure) and go for a nice long drive, with or without your family in tow to some windy road on Merdeka Day itself. If you’re a car nut like me, that’s what I’d be doing. I’d go to bed at the usual time you’d sleep everyday, forget about watching fireworks, wake up, take the car I’d enjoy the most, go for a morning drive tomorrow and feel, “Boy, I am a lucky bastard!” Isn’t that just great? Isn’t that sort of freedom a more fulfilling vision of Independence than being stuck in a jam on Merdeka Eve? You tell me.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
THIS MONTH A SKODA FOR ALL....NEXT MONTH WE DO MAHINDRAS COZ WE'RE JOURNALISTS!
Ever notice how the same car makes its rounds through all the Malaysian Car magazines? Buy one magazine this month and also see the same car being tested by three other car magazines. The next month, see the same car being tested by another three local magazines. You’re better off just choosing one local magazine every two months or so. Look, its not like they’re testing the Ferrari 599gtb or anything like that. This month, they’re testing the Skoda Fabia. It’s a SKODA for Godsakes. There are a million things more interesting than a Skoda. It also shows you how sad and pathetic the local car industry is. Where every test drive is done with relish. I think one day there should be journalists who would say to certain car importers or manufacturers “No thanks, your car looks like a turnip. I’d pass.”
“But you get to stay in a hotel in Cherating? With lots of food and a belly dancer thrown in!”
“No, I’m not interested. Your car looks like a bag of potatos.”
“Oh okay. I’ll not invite your magazine ever to any of our new car launches!”
“That’s okay, I don’t like belly dancers anyway.”
See? Won’t Malaysia be a better place if some people just say No? This goes to same to all occasions. Politics, Social Functions and even University Inductions. Everyone should just say “NO” if they don’t like something. I mean, just because everyone’s doing it, you shouldn’t be doing it also.
“But you get to stay in a hotel in Cherating? With lots of food and a belly dancer thrown in!”
“No, I’m not interested. Your car looks like a bag of potatos.”
“Oh okay. I’ll not invite your magazine ever to any of our new car launches!”
“That’s okay, I don’t like belly dancers anyway.”
See? Won’t Malaysia be a better place if some people just say No? This goes to same to all occasions. Politics, Social Functions and even University Inductions. Everyone should just say “NO” if they don’t like something. I mean, just because everyone’s doing it, you shouldn’t be doing it also.
So, if you suddenly decide to stop by a Skoda dealer thinking its a decent car like all the reviewers state in this next few months, DON’T LISTEN TO THEM. They are happy because they got free booze from somewhere, belly dancers, and a free car to trash. Of course they’d need to write nice things about it or even if the car is rubbish, they’d be politically correct as they WANT to get invited to the next free drinking session at a resort somewhere. If they tell you what I’m writing is not true, as they're committed journalists and are not in it for the money or perks then they should stop reviewing Skodas, Mahindras, Funny Chinese cars, trucks and busses. Would you review a car branded as Cherry? It's as bad as branding your car Strawberry or Raspberry or calling the car Nangka or Cempedak. You'd drive a Cempedak Type R wouldn't you? For a trip to Sheraton Langkawi, free booze and food, you'd try the Rambutan Electra Glide R-Type Continental, wouldn't you?
Monday, August 28, 2006
CAR NEWS TODAY
News flash.
Recently heard from a notable source that you can get a whopping RM7,000.00 discount off the price of the Toyota Vios and a huge Godzilla sized RM15,000.00 discount off the Toyota Camry at most of the Toyota dealers in town.
This discount is probably due to the fact that the passenger car market is on a downturn, which has affected both the new and used car markets. However, great deals can be made pretty soon, as we’re going to see another used car market recession like in 1997-1999 period. Hard times are ahead and its a buyer’s market with sellers suffering like crazy. We may see some other great deals soon.
Mugen Civic
I also heard that Honda Malaysia may launch a Mugen specified Civic 2.0 soon. It’ll be a manual with lots of goodies such as body kit, suspension etc. However, it’ll be a limited edition vehicle of 90 units with a higher than usual price. It may be something nice, but I’m worried about pricing which may be too high for most to buy and that of image, as hey, stop at a traffic light somewhere in Kuala Lumpur, there’s bound to be a Civic either in front of you or beside you. (Aside from Protons that is). Somehow, while the new Civic looks good with its futuristic cab forward design, it’s becoming too common for its own good. I don’t know whether it’s a bad thing or a good thing.
Kia Spectra
My friend’s wife has one and he tells her that its the best car in the world for around RM70,000.00. The only reason that its the best car in the world for RM70,000.00 is that when they test drove the car together it felt fine, supposedly better than the average Proton but it all went downhill after the purchase. He still tells his wife that the car is fantastic but tells everyone else that it is awful. Love is stronger than the truth. Don’t buy a Kia, you’d end up telling your wife, kids, parents, aunts that its a nice car, a powerful car, a superb car. Think of how many people you may have to lie to just to justify your ownership of that car. My friend is lucky, he only needs to tell his wife that lie.
Recently heard from a notable source that you can get a whopping RM7,000.00 discount off the price of the Toyota Vios and a huge Godzilla sized RM15,000.00 discount off the Toyota Camry at most of the Toyota dealers in town.
This discount is probably due to the fact that the passenger car market is on a downturn, which has affected both the new and used car markets. However, great deals can be made pretty soon, as we’re going to see another used car market recession like in 1997-1999 period. Hard times are ahead and its a buyer’s market with sellers suffering like crazy. We may see some other great deals soon.
Mugen Civic
I also heard that Honda Malaysia may launch a Mugen specified Civic 2.0 soon. It’ll be a manual with lots of goodies such as body kit, suspension etc. However, it’ll be a limited edition vehicle of 90 units with a higher than usual price. It may be something nice, but I’m worried about pricing which may be too high for most to buy and that of image, as hey, stop at a traffic light somewhere in Kuala Lumpur, there’s bound to be a Civic either in front of you or beside you. (Aside from Protons that is). Somehow, while the new Civic looks good with its futuristic cab forward design, it’s becoming too common for its own good. I don’t know whether it’s a bad thing or a good thing.
Kia Spectra
My friend’s wife has one and he tells her that its the best car in the world for around RM70,000.00. The only reason that its the best car in the world for RM70,000.00 is that when they test drove the car together it felt fine, supposedly better than the average Proton but it all went downhill after the purchase. He still tells his wife that the car is fantastic but tells everyone else that it is awful. Love is stronger than the truth. Don’t buy a Kia, you’d end up telling your wife, kids, parents, aunts that its a nice car, a powerful car, a superb car. Think of how many people you may have to lie to just to justify your ownership of that car. My friend is lucky, he only needs to tell his wife that lie.
Friday, August 25, 2006
MPVs everywhere and not a child in the 3rd row!
It occurred to me the other day as I was driving along Jalan Duta that most mornings, people in MPVs carried no one other than the driver himself (or herself). This is exactly the same as what I’m doing in my own reasonably sized 4-door saloon. Driving to work, feeling shitty, thinking how good is it to be on some tropical island sipping a nice cola or some funny named fruit punch with an umbrella stuck to it. However, the biggest difference is that I don’t take up the space of 3 Perodua Kancils. Even my car does not use up so much steel until the price of steel plate rises by 1 decimal point. It’s pretty pointless when you try to convince yourself that you’ve bought it because you’re married and have 2 kids and a maid to transport around. I mean, since when do you take your maid on an outing with the kids? The only time you’d do so is for the Aidilfitri celebrations or for the Chinese New Year when you have long breaks. I suppose you have tons of luggage to lug around also. But not all MPVs carry luggage if you were to load it up with seven people.
So, aside from those 2 occasions and maybe going home to your kampung because some relative passed away you hardly use the seats in the third row of your huge MPV. And that is why I see you driving all by your lonesome self in a barge most of the time around 8.30am to 9.30 am in the mornings, around lunchtime when you do go for lunch and the evening rush hour when you want to get home. This statement is quite true as I once counted 10 MPVs on my almost daily trip from Petaling Jaya to Ampang, of which only one MPV had more than one person in the vehicle.
It also tells me that you are about as cool as being dead. And putting that large TRD sticker on your Avanza does not mean that it can breathe fire. It only means that you actually want a 2 door AE86 but all you can own is a dumpy looking MPV.
Its not that I hate MPVs (I despise them actually). But how can you love anything that has 90% of the time no purpose to their existence? They are too big most of the time, too fuel hungry and most importantly, too empty most of the time. I think that if people those days managed fine having three kids, a wife and himself all nicely cosy in their Fiat 131s, their Ford Escorts, their pre-1990s Proton Saga, what is your problem of not buying a decent 4 door car?
Nowadays, I believe the thinking of some Malaysian is that if you are ABOUT to get married, you have to run and buy a Naza Ria. If your wife is expecting a child, you have to buy a Naza Ria. Those statements are absolute rubbish. Why do you need to go round in a curvy barn when a smaller MPV can do just about the same thing? If you wanted some style, although buying a stylish MPV that seats seven is impossible, you should at least be driving a Honda Stream or a Toyota Wish. (Which seats 6 fairly comfortably). I think why some Naza Ria (nee Kia Carnival) drivers drive like hooligans is that deep down inside, they yearn for a proper, decent car.
However if it were me, if God forbid, I needed an MPV, it’d be the Toyota Caldina GT4, as it looks pretty good, goes pretty fast but I think it only carries 5. Then again, it goes to show that I don’t need an MPV. No one needs an MPV.
So, aside from those 2 occasions and maybe going home to your kampung because some relative passed away you hardly use the seats in the third row of your huge MPV. And that is why I see you driving all by your lonesome self in a barge most of the time around 8.30am to 9.30 am in the mornings, around lunchtime when you do go for lunch and the evening rush hour when you want to get home. This statement is quite true as I once counted 10 MPVs on my almost daily trip from Petaling Jaya to Ampang, of which only one MPV had more than one person in the vehicle.
It also tells me that you are about as cool as being dead. And putting that large TRD sticker on your Avanza does not mean that it can breathe fire. It only means that you actually want a 2 door AE86 but all you can own is a dumpy looking MPV.
Its not that I hate MPVs (I despise them actually). But how can you love anything that has 90% of the time no purpose to their existence? They are too big most of the time, too fuel hungry and most importantly, too empty most of the time. I think that if people those days managed fine having three kids, a wife and himself all nicely cosy in their Fiat 131s, their Ford Escorts, their pre-1990s Proton Saga, what is your problem of not buying a decent 4 door car?
Nowadays, I believe the thinking of some Malaysian is that if you are ABOUT to get married, you have to run and buy a Naza Ria. If your wife is expecting a child, you have to buy a Naza Ria. Those statements are absolute rubbish. Why do you need to go round in a curvy barn when a smaller MPV can do just about the same thing? If you wanted some style, although buying a stylish MPV that seats seven is impossible, you should at least be driving a Honda Stream or a Toyota Wish. (Which seats 6 fairly comfortably). I think why some Naza Ria (nee Kia Carnival) drivers drive like hooligans is that deep down inside, they yearn for a proper, decent car.
However if it were me, if God forbid, I needed an MPV, it’d be the Toyota Caldina GT4, as it looks pretty good, goes pretty fast but I think it only carries 5. Then again, it goes to show that I don’t need an MPV. No one needs an MPV.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
The latest Protons don't fit me PROPERLY
Now Proton has been around since 1985. Started out basically assembling Mitsubishi Lancers throughout the 80s and the 90s. By 2001 the proudly Malaysian designed Waja came out and Proton proudly called it an "Asian BMW". Far from it actually, but an average, not a wastefull effort nonetheless. Ergonomic flaws abound, such as having a bit of plastic holding up the meter hood on the dash; which looked like a coin holder but couldn't hold anything shaped like a coin if it's existence depended on it. Of course the little piece of plastic was just there to hold up the meter hood on the dashboard as without it, the hood may drop off after a week's use. A design flaw in the dash that's still not corrected to this day. I wonder how the designer of the Waja's interior can sleep at night. However, at least the Waja had decent performance, albeit somewhat draggy in the automatic form, and had loads of space. But it looked as dull as a dishwasher.
Then came the Gen2, which didn't look as dull as a dishwasher. In fact it looked pretty good from the outside. Curves here, there everywhere. It looked great. Great enough for most people to have a go in it. Unfortunately when this happened, you found out that the driving position took you back to the days of Alfa Romeo in the 1970s. You sit low and outstretched with a steering wheel that it also too low to get comfortable with. Upon exiting the car, you'd find that the steering rake adjuster kept getting in the way of your left knee on the way out. One day, after 3 years of ownership, you'd realise that your left knee may have a large callous or that you'd decide to hammer that piece straight into the steering collumn after suffering from a soccer like knee injury caused by your good looking GEN2. Of course the GEN2 handled great. But you couldn't drive as fast as you wanted due to the ridiculous driving position and seats that gave you no support whatsoever. But it looked good, and that was enough for some Malaysians to come out and purchase this car.
The Savy however has a decent driving position, handles great but where ever did Proton find so much cheap plastic to build this car? There is no tactile feel to it at all. It just feels like hard plastic. And that isn't good.
However the Satria Neo did it in for me. It's a nice 3 door warm (not hot as there's no Satria GTI version yet) hatch that looks Ford Focus like from certain angles. You'd find it hard not to like the nicely haunched shape that tells you that it is something quite special. Something like the Gen2, it warrnats you to have a go at it. I wanted to have a go at it. So upon launching I walked down to the nearest Proton dealer (I was in Malacca at the time and the Proton showroom was within walking distance from the hotel I was staying) to have a look.
I couldn't fit in it properly. For some unknown reason Proton made it for hobbits and dwarves. The seat was perched high, the steering low, the door sill too close to the side. Then when I went again to the Proton Edar showroom in Mutiara Damansara for another look, to give it another feel of the car, I experienced the same.. The seat was perched high, the steering too low and the door sill too low. I even hit my head on the door sill comming out too fast from the Satria Neo. Note that no one in history has hit their head exiting the earlier Satria.
Let's list the flaws of the Satria Neo and the excuses given to date as stated in a local daily.
The Seat is too high.
According to the Motoring section of the New Straits Times on Sunday about three weeks back, Proton said that the earlier management wanted to keep the low roof. Yes, of course you can blame someone else, but the current management launched it. The blame is also theirs.
According to the Motoring section of the New Straits Times on Last Sunday, The Satria Neo's ECU is located under the driver's seat making it impossible to lower the seats. Now how big is the Neo's ECU? The size of an IBM SERVER? Could it be so large as to fill the entire cavity under the Neo's seat? As far as anyone knows, a vehicle's ECU is about the size of a personal computer's CD ROM drive and its not huge. Excuses are so unbecomming.
Note that when I sat in the Neo, I could'nt see anything when I put down the sun visor. I was perched too high up for it to actually help block out the sun. It actually helped block everything. I also note that if you went to your friendly heighbourhood accessory shop and ask them to put that strip of tinting on the front of the Neo you'd be looking through that strip before you see anything else. And some people put stickers there. He'd be bending down after putting it.
You also see above the top of the wiper sweep due to the high seats. That would help you get through a Malaysian thunderstorm. Not.
The list goes on and on. The plastics are at best, cheap , the steering like the Gen2 NEEDS to be shot and burnt, the air condition vents need some real tactile feel in them and the glove box is obscenely small. Yes, the argument is that at least it has one compared to the Gen2. Maybe Proton should move the ECU there instead of under the seat.
Now I heard that the Satria Neo is a stonkingly good drive. But how am I to drive it if it doesn't fit me properly? I already got turned off by the ridiculous driving position. The only time i'd drive it was if a friend bought it and I had to steal it from him to save him from the misery. Just imaging owning that car for 9 years and having to put up with the appaling driving position for so long. (9years is the maximum loan amount available to Malaysian buyers and some may own a car for that period of time). However, there is a disclaimer here. People under 5ft 6in may not suffer any of the pain described above. Hence the statement that the Neo is for dwarves and hobbits. I think the designer for this car is frodo baggins.
Its not that I don't like Protons. I just don't like badly designed cars. Period.
Then came the Gen2, which didn't look as dull as a dishwasher. In fact it looked pretty good from the outside. Curves here, there everywhere. It looked great. Great enough for most people to have a go in it. Unfortunately when this happened, you found out that the driving position took you back to the days of Alfa Romeo in the 1970s. You sit low and outstretched with a steering wheel that it also too low to get comfortable with. Upon exiting the car, you'd find that the steering rake adjuster kept getting in the way of your left knee on the way out. One day, after 3 years of ownership, you'd realise that your left knee may have a large callous or that you'd decide to hammer that piece straight into the steering collumn after suffering from a soccer like knee injury caused by your good looking GEN2. Of course the GEN2 handled great. But you couldn't drive as fast as you wanted due to the ridiculous driving position and seats that gave you no support whatsoever. But it looked good, and that was enough for some Malaysians to come out and purchase this car.
The Savy however has a decent driving position, handles great but where ever did Proton find so much cheap plastic to build this car? There is no tactile feel to it at all. It just feels like hard plastic. And that isn't good.
However the Satria Neo did it in for me. It's a nice 3 door warm (not hot as there's no Satria GTI version yet) hatch that looks Ford Focus like from certain angles. You'd find it hard not to like the nicely haunched shape that tells you that it is something quite special. Something like the Gen2, it warrnats you to have a go at it. I wanted to have a go at it. So upon launching I walked down to the nearest Proton dealer (I was in Malacca at the time and the Proton showroom was within walking distance from the hotel I was staying) to have a look.
I couldn't fit in it properly. For some unknown reason Proton made it for hobbits and dwarves. The seat was perched high, the steering low, the door sill too close to the side. Then when I went again to the Proton Edar showroom in Mutiara Damansara for another look, to give it another feel of the car, I experienced the same.. The seat was perched high, the steering too low and the door sill too low. I even hit my head on the door sill comming out too fast from the Satria Neo. Note that no one in history has hit their head exiting the earlier Satria.
Let's list the flaws of the Satria Neo and the excuses given to date as stated in a local daily.
The Seat is too high.
According to the Motoring section of the New Straits Times on Sunday about three weeks back, Proton said that the earlier management wanted to keep the low roof. Yes, of course you can blame someone else, but the current management launched it. The blame is also theirs.
According to the Motoring section of the New Straits Times on Last Sunday, The Satria Neo's ECU is located under the driver's seat making it impossible to lower the seats. Now how big is the Neo's ECU? The size of an IBM SERVER? Could it be so large as to fill the entire cavity under the Neo's seat? As far as anyone knows, a vehicle's ECU is about the size of a personal computer's CD ROM drive and its not huge. Excuses are so unbecomming.
Note that when I sat in the Neo, I could'nt see anything when I put down the sun visor. I was perched too high up for it to actually help block out the sun. It actually helped block everything. I also note that if you went to your friendly heighbourhood accessory shop and ask them to put that strip of tinting on the front of the Neo you'd be looking through that strip before you see anything else. And some people put stickers there. He'd be bending down after putting it.
You also see above the top of the wiper sweep due to the high seats. That would help you get through a Malaysian thunderstorm. Not.
The list goes on and on. The plastics are at best, cheap , the steering like the Gen2 NEEDS to be shot and burnt, the air condition vents need some real tactile feel in them and the glove box is obscenely small. Yes, the argument is that at least it has one compared to the Gen2. Maybe Proton should move the ECU there instead of under the seat.
Now I heard that the Satria Neo is a stonkingly good drive. But how am I to drive it if it doesn't fit me properly? I already got turned off by the ridiculous driving position. The only time i'd drive it was if a friend bought it and I had to steal it from him to save him from the misery. Just imaging owning that car for 9 years and having to put up with the appaling driving position for so long. (9years is the maximum loan amount available to Malaysian buyers and some may own a car for that period of time). However, there is a disclaimer here. People under 5ft 6in may not suffer any of the pain described above. Hence the statement that the Neo is for dwarves and hobbits. I think the designer for this car is frodo baggins.
Its not that I don't like Protons. I just don't like badly designed cars. Period.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
This site was made because I was bored.
There. I've said it. The actual reason for this blog is that I'm utterly bored, and blogging about one's favourite pastime is the best thing to actually do other than the favourite pastime itself.
That being said, this site will be updated regularly (if I feel like it) and will contain thoughts and reviews about motoring in Malaysia, with a slightly performance related bias to it. Why? I like driving cars fast and enjoy outstation jaunts in my automobiles.
Speaking of automobiles, I have 3 vehicles registered under my name. A 1982reg Honda Civic, a 1998reg Proton Wira 1.6xli and a 2005reg Subaru Impreza 1.6ts which I am paying through my nose as its Malaysia, and no sensibly designed car is cheap. We shall get to that in my later postings.
I also enjoy playing only one game on the PS2 and that game is Gran Turismo 4.
I collect watches. But I won't describe anything about them yet.
That being said, this site will be updated regularly (if I feel like it) and will contain thoughts and reviews about motoring in Malaysia, with a slightly performance related bias to it. Why? I like driving cars fast and enjoy outstation jaunts in my automobiles.
Speaking of automobiles, I have 3 vehicles registered under my name. A 1982reg Honda Civic, a 1998reg Proton Wira 1.6xli and a 2005reg Subaru Impreza 1.6ts which I am paying through my nose as its Malaysia, and no sensibly designed car is cheap. We shall get to that in my later postings.
I also enjoy playing only one game on the PS2 and that game is Gran Turismo 4.
I collect watches. But I won't describe anything about them yet.
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