As i've worked in as a 2nd hand car-dealer b4,
i would have driven numerous car-types.
2 of e car types (01' Sunny & 03' Peoguet206) i've rented &
tested.
Here're my views of few of em:
91' Starlet XL 1litre:
One of my fav mini-hatchback. Cheap, simple with good ride quality.
Although bland interior, it's a petrol saver. After 100kmh, car
becomes less stable due to lightweight. A very practical budget
car.
92' Suzuki Swift SF413GL 1.3litre:
One of e best hatchback cars i've driven. Good pickup & speed
for a small budget car like this. 1/2 tank can last 1 week if
driven properly. Short gear-range from 1st-3rd gear. Low resale/
scrap value.
92' Suzuki Swift GTi 1.3litre:
Considered one of e most powerful sports-hatch of its time. Very
powerful for a 1.3litre with 3cylinders. Magnificient pickup, but
hard to come by one in good condition. Lower resale/ scrap value,
considering its status as a performance hatch.
93' Toyota Corolla XLI 1.3litre:
Quite roomy but bland interior, but fuel consumption is slightly
more than other 1.3litres. Stiff handling. One of e more common
budget COE cars around.
04-05' Hyundai Getz 5dr 1.3litre:
Fuel consumption relatively ok, but noisy engine.Stiff and scary on
tight cornering 80kmh & above. Cant get over 120 without a
jerky ride. Overall good budget PARF car.
03' Peoguet 206 1.4litre:
Rented this car. Went rounding with it, & was a
petrol-saver.$20 95-octane for 1 whole night, & plenty
remaining e next morning. Relatively good pickup & stable
cornering, probably due to its short gear-ratio. However, car
becomes unstable over 100kmh, & around 130 seems to be e limit
of this lightweight car. 120 on uneven ground already e car lifted
off-ground. Any faster would send tis car flying. Tested its speed
in an unintentional race with a 92' Colt on e TPE months back,
which i lost.
03-04' Honda Jazz 1.4litre:
Considered e most popular mini-hatch, & best fuel consumption
of its category - over 20km/l. Performs as a Honda should.
Responsive handling. Relative high resale/ export value. Great
value for money.
03' Mitsubishi Colt 1.5litre:
Comparable to Honda Jazz in terms of ride quality. Stylish
interior. Petrol consumption not bad. One of e most common min-MPVs
around next to e Jazz. Relatively high resale/ export value. A very
practical daily car tat delivers performance.
04-05' Hyundai Accent 1.5litre:
Relatively budget car, but cheap interior & noisy engine. Good
small-size sedan for short-term ride. Fuel consumption ok. Engine
problems might start to kick-in after 2yrs. Low resale/ export
value.
91' Honda Civic GL 1.6litre:
Old & "squarish" family car. Can't run fast. Didn't work for
me. Water-tank overheats easily. Petrol drinker with no
performance. An "uncle" car.
91-93' Nissan Presea 1.6litre:
Very powerful & responsive engine with low-ride. Good pickup,
but fuel sucker. Stiff handling. I like its exterior styling.
Potential to modd into R32 lookalike.
01' Nissan Sunny EX 1.6litre:
Rented this car. Good pickup & stability over 100kmh. Engine
becomes slightly noisy at higher speeds, & is quite a petrol
sucker. Did abit of "carpark rally" on my own, & performed not
too bad despite its FF layout. "Drifted" quite well. Went rounding
with a friend in Orchard, & beat a 360Modena right to its ass
in tight cornerings.
However, felt its turning radius not as wide as expected. Very
pratical for daily use.
96' Honda Civic SIR 1.6litre:
Smooth ride & reliable engine. Fuel consumption not bad. Looks
better with bodykits. Stable at relatively high speeds above 100kmh
despite its lightweight.
93' Honda Civic ESI 1.6litre:
Alike the SIR, reliable engine & good consumption. Looks nicer
in stock.
93' Honda Civic VTi 1.6litre:
Great & responsive VTEC engine. Spacious interior & one of
e best Jap sedans of its time. One of e better performance COE
sedans around. Responsive handling.
92' Mitsubishi Colt GLXi 1.6litre:
Relatively powerful engine with good soundtrack. Great potential
for mods of engine & bodykit. Good-looking 3dr hatchback.Might
consider gettin this as my 1st car. Starlet GT & Swift GTi's
old rival.
04-05' Hyundai Getz 3dr 1.6litre:
Alike e 1.3 version, noisy engine, petrol sucker too. However, one
of e better 3dr hatchbacks in e supermini section with responsive
handling. Max speed electronically-limited to around 140kmh, but
chasis can take punishment till only around 130.
03' Subaru Imprezza 1.6litre:
One of e most stable rides i've got on a 1.6 sedan. Only AWD
performance for its sedan pricetag. Very strong accl & able to
rev. Very responsive ride & stable during tight cornering at
high speed 60kmh & above. Money for value. Great potential for
modd to STi look-alike. Fuel consumption not too bad.
02-03' Honda Stream 1.7litre:
Great MPV with 1.7 Vtec. Efficient & reliable engine. One of e
better MPVs for sub-2litre range. Fuel consumption comparable to
other 2.0litre models.
03' Nissan Praire 2.0litre:
Quite a petrol drinker with stiff handling. Stylish sliding
side-doors. Roomy interior. One of e more common Nissan MPVs
around.
03' Mazda Premacy 2.0litre:
Powerful engine & very comfortable ride. Preferred to other 2.0
MPVs at its pricetag. Not very common on road nowadays, as most hav
been exported overseas & replaced by newer models. Fuel
consumption abit high, though.
02-03' Mitsubishi Galant GDI 2.0litre:
A powerful sedan with MIVEC engine. Spacious & comfy interior,
with well-balanced performance on-road. Great exterior styling.
High resale/export value. Fuel consumption not a problem.
03' Hyundai Tuscani FX 2.0litre:
Low ride coupe at relatively cheap price. Slower pickup compared to
other 2litre performance coupes & sedans. Petrol sucker, but
responsive handling. Ferrari look-alike in Red, so who cares when
u're driving an Italian poser at a Korean pricetag? Driven hard,
& chasis begin destablise at around 180kmh, which seemingly is
also its electronically-limited speed.
04' Nissan Cefiro 230JDM 2.3litre:
Powerful & quiet V6 engine. Innovative keyless entry. Performs
as a JDM luxury sedan would, but fuel consumption slightly higher
compared to its 2.3 sector. Superior interior built-quality
compared to its 2.4 Accord counterpart. High resale/ export
value.
04' Toyota Camry 2.4litre:
Powerful & quiet engine. Keyless entry. Ride feels e same as
Cefiro, but interior more lusious than e 2.3 luxury sedan. High
resale/ export value. BMW 3-series performance at JDM price. Quite
worth e bite.
04-05' Honda Odyssey 2.4litre:
The best Jap MPV for its money-for-value. Although a 2.4litre at
its pricetag, it has great market resale value/ export value &
is a low fuel consumer for its engine displacement. Very quiet
engine & comfortable with cruise-control. Very responsive
handling. Very high resale/ export value.
04' Mitsubishi Grandis 2.4litre:
One of e longest MPVs i've driven, next to e Odyssey. Powerful and
loud 2.4 MIVEC engine. Can be heard from afar- noisest MPV i've
driven, but reliable engine & cosy interior. Petrol drinker,
compared to other 2.4 MPVs
.......Still many others, but no time to type.
All are my personal notes & opinions on e diff models &
their performances.
Next time will share more
