CarGuide.PH | Philippine Car News, Car Reviews, Car Prices

February 14, 2006

Review: 2006 Mercedes-Benz S 350 LWB

Just last weekend, I was checking the classified ads looking for how much a new house might cost these days. After a few flips, I found an interesting middle-class real-estate project with prices that start at P8 million. The units have no furnishings—just painted concrete shells with metal tin roofs. This took place just a few minutes before I got to drive the similarly priced Mercedes-Benz S350. And after spending the better part of the day in the flagship Merc, all I can say is that the house will definitely have to wait.

The moment you set your sights at the Hyundai Matrix, you immediately think: that doesn’t look right. I don’t blame you. The rest of humanity doesn’t blame you either. Whether it’s red or silver or any other color for that matter, the Matrix stands out. And that’s not a good thing. It steers clear of everything that’s considered beautiful in automotive design and comes out as something rather, err… unique. Ah, so the Koreans have done it again—a product that’s literally a design joke, probably penned by blind men in a windowless design studio. Not quite. For instance, on the c-pillar reads “disegno Pininfarina”. Still, having an Italian design studio isn’t any guarantee of beauty or desirability. In the case of the Matrix though, it relies less on its design studio origin but more on function and get this, performance.

Review: 2006 Mitsubishi L200 Strada GLX

I’ve got this soft spot when it comes to Mitsubishi off-roaders. Call them crude, but there’s something—either with their stance or look that simply makes them ruggedly beautiful. This is especially true with the likes of the first L200 and Pajero that became Filipino favorites. Even today, the amount of L200 that you still see plying the roads is a testament to their excellent durability. As the years past through, these modern day workhorses soon became overfed and overweight. Soon, the Strada (as what the 4WD model is now called), the L200 gained all sorts of fender extensions, needless interior knickknacks and other hefty accessories that simply penalized performance (if the 2.5-liter 4D56 engine wasn’t already being pushed to its limits).

Review: 2005 Mazda6 2.3

The engine closes up to 7,000 rpm and the muted sonorous note fills the cabin. Just before the rev limiter hit, you signal the sequential shifter up a notch. It responds quickly, almost transparently, pushing the speed even further. A corner approaches, and without a second thought, you twist the fat three-spoke steering wheel into the direction of the curve. The car obeys, telepathically taking the line you want. Your pulse quickens, your breath deepens, and you feel alive once more behind the wheel of the Mazda6.

Review: 2005 Jaguar XJ8

Jaguar’s XJ-series is the epitome of luxury and performance for the British car maker. And even with Ford money, and the subsequent introduction of new models such as the XK-series, X-Type, and S-Type series models, the XJ-series has remained the company’s all-encompassing product. The XJ-series, especially in XJ8 form, proves that the British do stand a great chance in toppling the Germans in the ultra-luxury car game.

Pluck any car enthusiast from the last 40 years, and there is only one car that he will be sure to identify from a hundred paces away. The upright fenders and windshield, triangular greenhouse profile, and sharply sloping rear can only belong to the Porsche 911.

Review: 2005 Chevrolet Optra 1.8 LT

Enter a showroom, any kind of showroom, and you’ll immediately get whiffs of lies and deceit. And it’s not the plastered smiles on the receptionists or even the sales personnel. It goes much deeper than that. I’m talking about the sales pitch—the kind of talk that promises you a whole new experience. Cars can promise you performance numbers that rival Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari or deodorants that make girls go ga-ga over you. But, do they ever happen? Did the last juicer you purchased give you houses of pulping fun? Did the last 15-peso burger meal really look like a pound big like it did on the store poster? I didn’t think so. This is the sort of harsh reality that faces consumers everyday, and the sort that ultimately leads to a dismayed buying public.

Review: 2005 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer

Elvis Presley, James Dean, Clint Eastwood—men with very different backgrounds, and yet, all have become at least during a part of their lives, the epitome of American cool. Despite their varied styles of performing, they’ve managed to engrave themselves into the hearts and minds of one of the world’s finickiest markets: the United States. Even more remarkable is how their topics of rebellion, realization and self-preservation translate so well even to the Filipino setting.

Review: 2005 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G

Five to ten years ago, the choice for a first car was as diverse as the colors on a Charlie Chaplin flick: it was either the Toyota Corolla or the Honda Civic. Sure enough, sales figures and market shares simply swung back and forth, while the rest were just content with whatever table scrap that’s left. Fast forward to today, and things couldn’t have been more different. Aside from a resurgence from the likes of Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan; these two Japanese automotive giants are facing competition from the Americans, namely Ford and Chevrolet. Add the fact that there are now excellently built sub-compacts, microscopic SUVs and a zillion other choices all catered to making every buyer happy. Now, the question beckons: can the Toyota Corolla keep up with the changing market place?

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February 14, 2006

Review: 2006 Mercedes-Benz S 350 LWB

Review: 2006 Hyundai Matrix CRDi

January 31, 2006

Review: 2006 Mitsubishi L200 Strada GLX

September 11, 2005

Review: 2005 Mazda6 2.3

March 19, 2005

Review: 2005 Jaguar XJ8

First Drive: 2005 Porsche 911

March 7, 2005

Review: 2005 Chevrolet Optra 1.8 LT

February 13, 2005

Review: 2005 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer

February 2, 2005

Review: 2005 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G