Budget Issue

Like before, I had to take a look at this Subaru Impreza WRX STI when I chance upon it on the Internet. When I arrived, I was immediately captivated by its condition. In my opinion, a well-maintained paint job is the only way to preserve an aged car and maintain its beauty beyond time. The photos I took could not express how exciting I feel. It is a really clean car without exaggerating body kits or excessive canards or huge GT spoilers or covered in decals. Even the rims are stock and when I was inside, I like what I saw too. Everything is original and again, very clean but there are also some enhancements. The center console is dipped in carbon print and above the aircond vents are 3 performance meters. Near the A-pillar, there is a boost meter. This is definitely how I picture the inside of my Impreza to look like if I ever buy one. Surprisingly, the most unexpected part would be the engine bay that shows no sign of any modification whatsoever. It truly seems to be a rare find indeed but after I started the engine, I realized the exhaust is sort of loud and found out the exhaust muffler is not STI but of Greddy/Trust.

Although I have the wish and intention to purchase an Impreza WRX STI but I do not have the finance needed. Nevertheless, I went to have a talk with the salesperson regarding loans and because it is such an old car, I worry that it would be difficult. So I had him break down what are the requirement and loan structure would be. I was told that I need 30% downpayment instead of the usual 10% and the loan period is only 6 years maximum because of its age. If I have to fork out that huge amount, I could have gone for a car that is newer and with a higher price. The reason why I considered a car of such an age is that it has finally dropped to a price that I could afford. This is when I think I would rather buy a much older car with a lower price using cash money but it would take a longer time to save up the amount needed. One year has passed but the situation that I am in did not change one bit. It might take a few more years but I am determined to get an STI in the future. 

Test Drive: Honda HR-V

After much persuasion from my friend, who recently quit her job as a Nissan sales person and joined Honda, I went to visit her. Since I was around her sales office and had some free time, I went to take a look. I was looking around at the models on display and making small talks with my friend. The showroom looks large at sight but there were only a few models on display. I told my friend that I would love to look at the Honda HR-V but it is not on display. She then point out that they have a test unit instead and I thought to myself, a test drive sounds good to me. Once I entered the car she told me to go nuts with the car and test it in any way I wanted without much restriction. I was near my university and I decided to bring it over there to test it the only way I know how: a winding road full of s-turns test. I was anticipating a good run.

The first thing I notice after entering the car was the seat because it feels absolutely like sitting on a semi bucket seat like the one I used to have in my Celica. The side cushion is very large and gives me great support, barely 1 cm of space to my sides. Not suitable for people with bigger body frame though but I like it and another thing I like about the seats is the sides are leather and the center part is fabric (normally people prefer full leather that is more luxurious). Moving to the dashboard, I notice the cluster meter has a center ambient meter that changes color. According to the brochure, there are 7 colors to choose from but I only saw orange when I was driving roughly and quick, and green when it's cruising which should be indicating I am driving efficiently. Another thing that I was looking into is the special compartment space under the gear shifter where all the connectivity ports such as USD and AUX are located. I heard that although Honda say it is more convenient, I realized that only when your seat is at the lowest position and with short hands and legs, you could access it easily. Also, the armrest storage area is hard to access due to the large cushions on the side of your seat and the armrest is located quite farther to the rear.

After fidgeting around to get the right driving postition, I tested the electronic parking brake that everyone is "so" fascinated about. The electronic parking brake button is located conveniently below the gear shifter and you pressed it to engage the brake. You pull the button up to release the parking brake but the interesting feature is if you forgot to release the brake, just step on the accelerator and it releases itself. However, problem is the parking brake light only comes up on your meter after 2 seconds and like all things electronic and new, there will be some disadvantage similar to the laggy electronic throttle. People will accept it after a while and although it sounds very high tech but for someone like me, I prefer the mechanical one where you imagine drifting every time you pull at it at a corner. So, off I went for my test drive and once I reached the intentional test area, I released the beast within. Since it was a winding road, my goal was to test the stability and stiffness of the suspension and I was surprised that I could not feel any body roll or any understeer. The HR-V is a B-segment crossover SUV that looks like a SUV but sits low and drives like its cousin the Honda City and Honda Jazz. Thus, the lack of body roll that you would usually get from a SUV. It was surprising that I could maneuver with speed up to 110 km/h.

Modern Interior. Basic but Full with Necessity 

Next on the test agenda: power and acceleration on a straight line. The first thing that was in my mind is to test for V-TEC effect. You know, the increase acceleration from around 5500 rpm all the way to the red line or perhaps you are more familiar with the phrase, "V-TEC just kick in, yo!" and its meme. Sadly, all you can get is just a slight change in the engine's tune (from volume level 3 to 4) and there will be no needle jump on your rpm meter like what you would get from a Type R engine but I guess that is the standard for its general passenger models. As disappointing as it is, the acceleration from this 1.8 liter SOHC engine is very smooth and it definitely delivers. I was taken aback because you would have heard many complaints why would Honda replace most of its DOHC engine with SOHC engines. There are many haters that say Honda sacrificed power for fuel efficiency and it is a step backward. Although only with 172 Nm of torque, 0-100 feels quick and does not seem to run out of breath, contrary to public opinions. The brakes can definitely handle its speed during my winding drive and drag test but could bite too much and slow down the car during the winding section but it does its job well. On my way back to the showroom, I enjoy the HR-V with a slow drive in midst of traffic. After all, it is a passenger car that is made to transport people comfortably on a daily basis.

Ambient meter: Orange = Harsh Driving, Green = Efficient Driving

The slow drive lets me notice some other features of the HR-V such as its aircond system. Not only does it have a one of its kind, touch screen aircond control (which is kind of cool but not too sure of its practicality) and the 3 vents on the passenger side. The passenger vents gets me thinkning that the passenger would surely freeze and its hard for the rear passengers to feel cold. The interior does look cheap with its hard plastic but there are small bits that is soft plastic too (quite up class). I also notice the buttons on the steering wheel are similar to my Mazda 6 with left buttons for entertainment and right buttons for cruise control. I think Honda is very generous by equipping a car like the HR-V with cruise control at such a price. The sound proofing in this car is not bad even during my quick driving but I am not sure whether is it because the engine itself does not roar. When I reached the showroom, I went to the back and was surprise with the leg room it provides even with my driving position that accommodates my longer legs. However, the rear seat and headrest is too low for someone my height. Lastly, I check its boot and could see that it has a decent storage area but I find it too low to reach the floor. I like the low stance of the HR-V but I am definitely too tall to use its boot comfortably and I am only 175 cm tall.

Touch Screen with Navi and Entertainment and Touch Auto Aircond  controls

Overall, the CVT gearbox does well for city drive without much but when you try to drive it fast, it always downshift. I think a paddle shift with virtual gear might be the solution. In the end, I was satisfied with smiles by the test drive and my verdict would be the Honda HR-V is a good buy but you have to get the highest, V spec which I tested to get all the good stuffs. Luckily, the price of the V spec is not that high. I remember 3 years ago, when my brother was looking to buy a new car there were not many choices for SUVs and he likes SUVs. If this was available back then, I would definitely ask my brother to consider the HR-V. However, you still can not compare this with its big brother, the CR-V or the Mazda CX-5 but at this price and the way it drives, the HR-V is absolutely one to consider. Its closest competitor from Japan would be the Mitsubishi ASX and I test driven the ASX before but not intensively. I can say I am not at all impressed other than its low stance. Do take note that I am not paid to advertise for Honda and the HR-V. It is just a good car in my humble opinion.

1.8L SOHC i-VTEC engine with 142 PS and 172 Nm