Philippine Car of the Year

Last weekend was fun, but tiring. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, I've got to miss one whole double-header of a weekend. Rats. That's over 30 cars. Oh well... I get to go pick up the Ford from the shop, do the groceries and finally buy new SD cards for all my toys. But the guys left on secretary duty (of which I was supposed to do 1/2) are sore at me. C'est la vie.

Link takes you to the cover article on Kotse.com. What isn't on my cover article is how enthusiastic I am about the new Lancer. Obvious, huh? Sure, the Lancer's interior isn't any richer than the horrible rent-a-car interiors of Evos of years past... but it looks good. And who has time to fondle dashboard plastic when they're having this much fun? Many North American reviews have really hammered on the Lancer... somewhat unfairly, I think... but they get really wimpy trim levels saddled with tiny wheel fitment and tires that don't do the chassis justice. With the large 18" wheels (which, by the way, feel perfectly controlled by the suspension), our local Lancer kicks butt. Oh, and it's huge inside, too. This is one compact that feels categorically better than the Lynx/Protege in all ways. (The Mazda3 is too soft, the Focus too heavy, and the Civic too inert in the rear suspension). Okay, so the steering's electric. So's almost everything else on the market except for the trucks and the penalty-box Alto. Good bet for class winner, and possible contender overall.

The Focus TDCi... now here's an interesting car. As compared to the Lancer and the Subaru Impreza on hand, it's not the grippiest car here, but the same basic Focus goodness is there, the keen balance, the predictable handling... now matched to a Dual Sequential Gearbox (DSG) that gives incredibly snappy and seamless shifts. Selling this car on Goodyear Eagly NCT5s makes about as much sense as selling an Everest with 15" steelies shod in the same tires. C'mon, Ford, give this car some real tires.

Another contender for the overall crown is the Honda Accord. Too bad it's saddled with Michelin Energy Eco-tires. Terrible. This car deserves Conti-Sport Contacts, at the very least... the Michelins don't have the ability to control a car this fast, and a bout of hard driving may end in tears for some hapless owner. Oh, and the suspension is soft, too, but underneath that softness is excellent body-control and suspension geometry... An Accord Sport would be terrific, but as it is, the Mazda6 and Subaru Legacy are much sportier handlers, if quite a bit slower in a straight line than the mighty 3.5 V6 Accord.

Oh, and not mentioned in the article is the absolute love I have for the Kia Picanto. It's borderline psychotic, really. I haven't adored a small car this much since the original Beetle... and the Beetle wasn't nearly this much fun to drive, or this useful.