Tag: reviews

Ferrari 458 Italia sitting calmly

If we were to rate the most beautiful sports car born in 2009, we will definitely vote for the Ferrari 458 Italia, the successor to the Ferrari F430. The Ferrari 458 Italia in automobile world is like Angelina Jolie to entertainment world, sexy, powerful, and beautiful. We have shouted a BIG “WOW!” during its first debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Today, we shouted twice “WOW and WOW!” while we spotted a sexy red 458 Italia sitting silently and calmly in Pavilion. We were given the chance to take a few shots of this super exotic sports car and good things should be shared.

The 458 Italia features a direct-injected 4.5 L V8 engine that delivers 562 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque at 9,000 rpm. At 9,000 rpm, it is unquestionably will make the driver scream and shout non-stop in the car. 80% of the torque is available at 3,250 rpm. What about the speed from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph)? It takes only 3.4 seconds. Most people are unable to wear a pant in that amount of time.

It was sitting there without a sound, but it attracted a bit crowd to look at it, capture its picture, and enjoy looking at it. How many people actually know it is capable of reaching 325km/h when it starts to talk?

The black winglet you can see from the picture above can be deformed at high speeds to create more downforce and also to direct more air towards the air intake. The faster the car goes the more air it gets. Together with the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the fuel consumption of the car is recorded at 17.1 mpg (7.3 km/l). Again, this is a Ferrari!

Look at that muffler, it fits nicely to the car.

Ferrari 458 Italia’s competitor or similar cars: Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Nissan GT-R, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, BMW 1-Series M, Ford Mustang BOSS 302, Porsche 911 GT3, Audi R8 GT, Lexus LFA, Lotus Evora S, and Porsche Cayman R.

Who else were spotted to have an affair with this car? Akon is no longer “lonely” with his white Ferrari 458 Italia; Football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Gordon Ramsay, Gucci Mane, and Lapo Elkann’s customized military theme 458 Italia.

Click on the image to enlarge it

February 27, 2012

2010 Honda City Review

The Honda City is a subcompact car that we see on the road everyday. One of the Honda City owners contacted us to review her car. Thanks to Vivian who had given us the opportunity to test drive her beloved 2010 Honda City Grade S. It is the fifth generation that was first introduced in Siam Paragon, Bangkok on 10 September 2008. Vivian purchased the car at RM85,480 in 2010. She traded in her Renault Kangoo for RM40K and the balance she settled with cash.

Vivian told us she goes for the Grade S because it shares the same engine with Grade E and Grade SE. All of them use the same four-cylinder 16 valve SOHC i-VTEC engine that delivers 120 hp @ 6,600 rpm and has a maximum torque of 145 Nm@4,800 rpm. She prefers not to pay RM92,980 for extra accessories including fog light, door mirror with turn light, exhaust pipe finisher, 16” alloy wheels, Modulo body kit, Nanotechnology solar control film, paddle shift, steering wheel audio control, leather steering wheel, leather gear knob, rear armrest with cup holder, and rear foldable seats. Grade S comes with 15” alloy wheels which is good enough for her. Grade E and SE have adjustable seat but Grade S has no such feature, this does not bother her at all.

When the car was first launched in 2008, our first impression was the front view of the car looked exactly like the Kamen Rider Black (Masked Rider Black), a superhero for most of us when we were kids. The design of the car looks cyber and it is a big jump from the previous generation.

Road Test

This time, we are told not to rev the car over 140 km/h and with this speed it is good enough to test the car. We brought the car to North-South Expressway and try it till 130+ km/h. The car ran steady and did not wobble. Driver’s heart will definitely pump faster especially those who are not used to high speed driving. When we reved the car, the response was fast compared to some other vehicles in the same category. The handling was good and we could slightly feel the taste of the fourth generation City. The steering wheel is light and it will be a good car for beginners or first time car owners.

Honda City maintenance cost

The car has 32,000km on the odometer at the time we reviewed the car. According to Honda service center, these are the preventive maintenance rates and costs for a Honda City up till 35,000km.

x1,000 km**	1	5	10	15	20	25	30	35
Month**	1	3	6	9	12	15	18	21
Labour* (RM)	27.56	62.01	110.24	62.01	124.02	62.01	110.24	62.01
Parts (RM)	Nil	85.22	115.90	85.22	221.75	85.22	200.34	85.22
Total Cost (RM)	27.55	147.25	226.15	147.25	345.75	147.25	310.60	147.25

Vivian sent her car to Honda service center seven times during her ownership. She sends the car to Honda according to the maintenance table above. All in all, she has spent RM1499.05 (~US$500) in one and a half years.

Fuel Consumption

Combined 42 mpg or 18 km/liter. (This we have not yet tested)

What is good about the car?

The 506 liter boot capacity is very practical for anyone who needs a subcompact with big boot. You can put in two large luggage without any problems. The interior is also beautifully crafted with a hidden CD player. On the dashboard, there is a digital fuel consumption gauge to inform the driver how many km the car still can go. If it indicates less than 10 km, it is advisable to drive to the nearest petrol station. In the middle of the dashboard, there is a very useful USB port for today’s living. A USB can be used to charge most of the smartphones with USB connector. You can also load thousands of songs into a pen-drive and play the songs through the car stereo. Beside the USB port, there is an auxiliary port. You can play songs from iPhone or iPod on the car stereo by connecting them to the auxiliary port.

What is not so good about the car?

The car could run better with a wider tire size.
It will be better and more comfortable if the rear headset can be adjusted.

Honda City’s competitor or other similar cars: Toyota Vios, Ford Fiesta, Proton Gen-2, Suzuki Swift, and Mazda Mazda3.

Over the years, Honda has put in a lot of effort to research and develop the City which has gone through improvement after improvement. In conclusion, the name “Honda City” has established itself in the automobile world.

February 24, 2012

Honda Jazz or Honda Fit: It doesn’t really matter

Some called it Honda Jazz, some called it Honda Fit; it does not matter because it refers to the five-door subcompact car that has been one of the best selling small Honda cars on earth. The Jazz was a big hit when it was first introduced in 2001. This is because it looks small but it is not small. The outlook is small, the wheelbase is short, the engine is small, but the passenger cargo is spacious and the power is big.

What we are going to review today is a used Honda Jazz manufactured in 2007. It was own by a young girl,Phoenix, who purchased the car when she was 18 years old. Phoenix’s car model is the 1.5 i-DSI where she bought it for RM94,800 in 2007. With RM20k down payment, she pays roughly RM1400 per month for a five-year loan at 2.88% APR. It is not surprising that lots of Asian is paying over 1k a month for car installment because of the car price. In the U.S., the same model could have just cost less than half of what Phoenix paid in Malaysia. (more…)

February 23, 2012
Perodua Myvi
Thanks to Madam Teoh who invited our used car review team to check on her 2009 Perodua Myvi. Teoh purchased her car on 27th June 2009 when the Perodua Myvi entered its fourth best selling year inMalaysia. Teoh decided to purchase the 1.3L EZi automatic “Premium” edition among 1.3L SX, 1.3L EZ, and 1.3L SXi because it has extra options including ABS, alloy rims, and front fog lamps. The door armrests and door pull handles are also painted, unlike the SX and EZ that remains unpainted and looks unmatched with the body color. The EZi is the most expensive version for 1.3 model and Teoh purchased it for RM50,412.15. With RM10,000 down payment, Teoh pays roughly RM800 per month for a five-year loan with 3.88% APR (Annual Percentage Rate).

Overview

Perodua Myvi was introduced inMalaysiain 2005. The car is based on the Toyota Passo and Daihatsu Sirion (also known as Daihatsu Boon). From far away, the car looks very round. It is cute and it is loved by many subcompact buyers. Teoh chose the car because it looks good compared to some other cars that are in the similar price range with the Myvi.

Basic Myvi model was made available in 1.3L SX (5 speed manual), 1.3L EZ (4 speed auto), 1.3L SXi (5 speed manual), and 1.3L EZi (4 speed auto and also full option model). It also has an upgrade version which features leather seats, cooling protection, custom made floor mats, and also a built-in GPS and multimedia system. For people who love the look but require more power, there are two more variations: Myvi SE 1.5 and Myvi Extreme 1.5.

Perodua Myvi Extreme 1.5

Car Maintenance and Car Care for the Myvi

Teoh is a 42-year-old lady who uses this car to work daily. She drives about 60 KM a day and once awhile she travels to other provinces in the country. When we checked on the car, the mileage was 61,480 km. According to Teoh, this is roughly what cost her to own this car over two and a half years:
- 1,000 km: Service free atPeroduaServiceCenter
- 5,000 km: Spent RM93.10 for 4L Petronas semi-synthetic engine oil, oil filter, and drain plug gasket. The labour charge is free.
- 10,000 km: Spent RM116.80 for engine oil, oil filter, drain plug gasket, and brake service. According to Teoh, the brake fluid did not change and Perodua charged him RM20 for “Check & Service Brake” in the bill. The labour charge is free for the third time.
- 15,000 km: Spend RM252.85 for engine oil, oil filter, drain plug gasket, spark plug, automatic fluid, and coolant.
- 20,000 km: At 20,000 km, Perodua recommended Teoh to service several things and it is estimated to cost RM322. Teoh decided to send the car to another workshop to change basic things such as engine oil, oil filter, and drain plug gasket for RM120. Teoh uses 10w-30 engine oil and it needs to be replaced every 10,000 km. It is cheaper for Teoh. Since then, Teoh spent less than RM200 dollars for 30,000 km, 40,000 km, 50,000 km, and the most recent 60,000 km respectively. Over the years, she also spent RM340 for two NS40 batteries and RM480 for tire-replacement.
In total, Teoh spend about RM2,300 to maintain the car over two years. On average, it cost about RM1100 per year for the maintenance to own a Myvi. There are some problems with the Myvi which Teoh could not figure out why. She changed the remote control battery every year and she feels this is too much compared to the Honda she owned previously. When we were testing the car, we noticed that the engine mounting was giving problem and replacement is needed. Other than that, the car runs smooth.

Fuel Economy

51 mpg or 13.5 km/liter; it will cost RM0.14 for a km.

What is good about the car?
- It is a good-looking car.
- The interior is spacious and able to accommodate up to five persons comfortably.
- It is cheap to purchase and cheap to maintain. The spare parts are available almost everywhere.
- Many aftermarket parts and Daihatsu parts are compatible with the car, for example, bodykit, rear lamp, and headlamp. It is easy to modify and customize.
What is not so good about the car?
- The warranty period for the car is limited to 2 years or 50,000 km, whichever occurs first. Power window of Teoh’s Myvi started giving problem when the car reaches 54,000 km. The window on the passenger side is unable to pull up or down.
- The boot/trunk is extremely small. It is not able to fit-in a large-size luggage.
- The engine is noisy; many people can recognize Myvi’s engine sound from far away.
- Interior quality is bad especially dashboard. It was made of cheap plastic.
- It is cheap for basic 1.3L model but it is expensive for 1.5L.
- It is not comfortable to drive for long journey trips.
- White color button at the dashboard turned yellow after some time.
- The brake system is not good. There are many other cars with better braking system than the Myvi.
- You may recognize the wrong car because there are too much Myvi on the road.
Price of new Myvi
- 1.3L SX (5 speed manual): RM44,412.15
- 1.3L EZ (4 speed auto): RM47,412.15
- 1.3L SXi Premium (5 speed manual): RM47,412.15
- 1.3L EZi Premium (5 speed automatic): RM50,412.15
- Myvi Elegance (5 speed manual): RM54,412.15
- Myvi SE 1.5L (manual): RM51,413.50
- Myvi SE 1.5L (automatic): RM56,513.50
- Myvi Extreme 1.5L (manual): RM58,713.50
- Myvi Extreme 1.5L (automatic): RM61,713.50
Perodua Myvi’s competitor or similar car: Daihatsu Sirion, Daihatsu Boon, Toyota Passo, Proton Saga, Honda Brio, Toyota Yaris, Honda Jazz/Honda Fit, Mazda2, and Ford Fiesta hatchback.

Conclusion

Daihatsu and Toyota spent billions of dollars to build a new car and have them tested many times before the car was launched. Perodua made a smart choice by putting a new badge on it. There are reasons why the Myvi was the best selling cars inMalaysiafrom 2006 to 2010 for five consecutive years. In 2011, Perodua launched the new Myvi with the tagline “Lagi Best” (“Even Better” in English). Let’s see how it goes. If you have something to say, please leave your comment here. Any comments on Perodua Myvi are welcome.

Video

[cvg-video videoId=’3′ width=’500′ height=’300′ mode=’playlist’ /]
February 22, 2012
Honda Civic: 100K km does no harm
We have finally formed our used car review team and we named it “Carsut UCR”. A BIG thanks to Isabella who had allowed us to review and test drive her 2008 Honda Civic. Not to mentioned she is also our first “customer”. Isabella bought her car on June 2008. It is the eighth generation model that was introduced in 2006. It is also known as FD2, FA1, FG1, FG2, FA5, FK or FN. Isabella’s model is the 1.8S-L version that she bought for RM119,995.30.

With RM30K down payment, Isabella pays roughly RM1,715 a month for a five-year loan. One reason she invited us to check on her car is because she is deciding to trade-in the car for a new one as it just touches 100,500 KM. With the owner’s permission, we are allowed to “rape” the car. We drove it to the highway and tested the car up to 165 km/h. Without a surprise, the car was running steady and stable up to about 160 km/h. We felt the car start to wobble slightly when the speed reached above 165 km/h.

Overview

It is a handsome ride that most of the people will love when they see it. It looks young and energetic with various powertrains. It has a real nice interior that looks smooth like silk. The four-cylinder 16 valve chain-driven SOHC and DOHC i-VTEC is giving sufficient power to the car. The 1.8-liter engine made 140 hp and maximum torque at 174Nm@4,300 rpm. As for the 2.0-liter engine, it made 155 hp and maximum torque at 188Nm@4,500 rpm. The 1.8-liter engine (Isabella’s model) is enough to bring the car up hill nicely although there are rumors that it is underpowered. However, you can go anytime for the super hot Type R version if you need more power.

Car Maintenance and Car Care

Well, never underestimate girl’s car. Isabella followed strictly the maintenance schedule written in the Honda Civic owner’s manual. She sends the car to Honda for oil change, oil filter change, and engine clean up every 5,000 km. Generally, she uses 10W-30 engine oil for the car but once awhile she will try on 5W-20 or 5W-30 from Mobil 1.

The car we were viewing appeared to be clean and shining. It is apparent that the owner takes good care of the car. According to Isabella, she sends the car to car wash once a week and detailing the car once a month. Isabella owns the car for almost four years and these are the major things that she spent to maintain the car over the hundred thousand km.
- Engine oil, oil filter, air filter and labour charges: RM3,000 for about 15 times of services.
- Tires replacement: RM1,500 for four Goodyear tires.
- Car alignment and balancing: RM60 x 4 times.
- Spark plug: RM80. She only changed once the spark plug in four years.
- Transmission fluid: RM80 once for 40,000 KM.
- AC gas refilling: RM50
- Other Problems: Nothing much happened over the years and Isabella did not spend much to maintain the car. During the fourth year, the AC compressor pulley started to give problem. The air-condition blows hot air during traffic jam and that cost Isabella RM950 to replace a new one from Honda. She has to pay from her own pocket because the warranty for the car was only three years. This is the biggest amount money she spent throughout the ownership.
Fuel Economy

27 city/38 highway mpg; 11 km/liter for city drive and 16 km/liter for highway drive. As of 2012, RON95 petrol is RM1.90 a liter, it will take RM0.17 for a km.

What is good about the car?

There are a lot of good things about the Civic. Fuel economy is in fact the biggest attraction. Leather seats are comfortable. Handling is great especially negotiating corners and on wet road. As you can see from what Isabella has spent over the years, Honda Civic parts are relatively cheap too.

From front to back, the boot/trunk is huge enough for three to four mid-size luggages. The interior is spacious and it fits five big-size adults adequately. Although the built-in stereo in the car is factory made, the quality of the sound is good.

What is not so good about the car?

When we looked through the interior carefully, the plastic material is not good as we can see some cracks on the logo. The original carpet is not of good quality. The one we were viewing had been replaced after four years.

Price
- Malaysia: Honda Civic comes in three different versions: the simple and basic 1.8S model (RM114,995.30), the model with leather seat 1.8S-L (RM119,995.30), and the hotter 2.0S (RM130,995.30).
- United States: Honda Civic Hybrid MSRP from $24,050; Honda Civic Natural Gas MSRP from $26,155; Honda CivicSedan MSRP from $15,805; Honda Civic Si Coupe MSRP from $22,205; Honda Civic Si Sedan MSRP from $22,405.
- United Kingdom: Honda Civic EX 1.8 i-VTEC inUK would have cost £23,130 OTR.
Honda Civic’s competitor or similar cars

Toyota Corolla (They have been enemies for many years), Kia Forte, Mitsubishi Lancer, Ford Focus, Volkswagen Polo, Chevrolet Cruze, Mazda3, Peugeot 308, and Nissan Sylphy.

Conclusion

A 100,000 km on a Honda Civic does no harm to the car if the car is maintained well according to maintenance schedule. It is worth to purchase and can be used for few more years. Honda, The Power of Dreams.
February 22, 2012