Many thanks, I had no idea before!
If the body says âDLCâ on its tab, it is.
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KSAC 1: A MULE FOR MOM
PART 2A:Eliminations
With the fire crackling in the fireplace, Annika browsed through the brochure for the SEONGU GRAN KANDO 1.2GLX (AndiD)
âI canât say that this gives me a feeling of being the car that I wantâŚâ, she sighed. âŚbut it might as well be the one that we need."
And maybe she had a point there, the Gran Kando promised a low fuel consumption, a huge amount of space and versatility, all for a low price point of $18600 AMU. The service costs were low and it included a decent amount of standard equipment for the price. No all wheel drive, though. And absolutely not a car that seemed to offer performance or excitement at all. This was an appliance. Meanwhile, Roland was opening the car review website to see an overview of the vehicle.
âWell, it seems like your impressions are about right, but I guess we could always take a look at what some of the owners seems to say about itâŚâ, he sighed, knowing very well that this not-as-exciting option wasnât one that should be overlooked.
âEconomical, but a bit low on powerâŚâ
âBest vehicle that I have ever owned, despite some hard bashing it survives whatever you throws at itâŚâ
âRoom for anything you need to carry.â
âHumâŚâ, Annika said. âYes, the only rational argument against it seems to be the safety rating then, but on the other hand I guess that all cars today are pretty safeâŚâ
âSafe enough to not be a good enough reason to overlook this at least.â, Roland said.
The Seongu WILL BE CONSIDERED.
The next brochure she was browsing through was for the Branson Pioneer SE (Vero94773) .
âIf I could dreamâŚâ, she said. âThis vehicle is so much me, and at the same time so much not. It looks pretty rugged but at the same time it also is almost a bit too fancy. You know that I am not exactly the one that chases for prestige at the school runâŚâ
âYeah, but it sure is a looker and absolutely feels more exciting than the Seongu.â, Roland said.
âFeels. But the question is if you really get a better car. Is this what you want to throw dirty dogs or sacks of manure or the kids bikes intoâŚI really donât know.â
Looking at the car review website, this was what appeared.
âYeah, I can see what you mean here.â, Roland said and read through some of the owners reviews.
âBelieve it or not, it drives like a car. For the better and the worse. It is superbly fast and comfortable, and actually both easy and fun to drive, for what it is. Unfortunately the offroad performance is way more car-like than the looks suggests too.â
âYou get what you pay for. Refined car with great build quality, so the high purchase price and running costs feels like they are worth it.â
âNot as practical and rugged as it looks like, and I had some surface rust fixed by the warranty on some of the non-aluminium panels, but overall a great experienceâ.
âI am not totally convincedâ, Annika said. âSeems like a great car, absolutely, but can we afford it? And already rusting seems a bit scary.â
âWell, every car has its monday examples I guessâ, Roland answered. âIâm with you on this one, itâs a car that you probably will want more than you need. But on the other hand, we might regret if we donât check out if it is worth itâŚâ, he continued.
The Branson WILL BE CONSIDERED.
When looking through the WALDERSEE SCHAEFER V23K (Texaslav) brochure Annika was smirking a bit. âWell, appears like this is very fast for what it is, so I know who will want this oneâŚâ
âIf he got what he wanted, we would have a monstertruck Ferrari with jet powerâ, Roland said with a bit of salt in his tone.
"True that. Well, I must say that it is an overall appealing package, it seems to be practical but I also like how it looks, spare for the rear that is a bit emptyâŚ
Browsing a bit through the pages she was a little bit let down though.
âBut on the other hand, the service costs, they areâŚnastyâ.
The car review site had the following thing to say as an overview of the Waldersee.
âWell, German premium in a boxâ, Roland said. âLiterally in a box.â
The reviews were maybe a little more mixedâŚ
âFast autobahn cruiser for being an MPV, but the CVT transmission eats too much into the driving experience.â
âAll wheel drive in this case is absolutely for increasing grip on somewhat decent roads. I have had FWD vehicles beating this when it comes to performance on bad roads.â
âGerman premium for the better and the worse. Relaxing, effortless driving, and honestly speaking no major things that went wrong, but it has been to the dealer for more minor faults than I would have wished for.â
âI donât knowâŚâ, Annika said. âI feel like my emotions will still take the Branson over this, and my common sense will still take the Seongu. This might be the good middle ground, but I am not sure I will be satisfied with a middle ground.â
âWell, as much as I am tempted to try this outâŚâ, Roland said, âI think it is in some kind of vacuum that isnât all that justifiedâŚâ
(After a fair while of thinking) the Waldersee WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
After just looking at the folder of the brochure, Annika put down the one for the CAPABLE DELVER 06 CT P (Vento)
âI refuse to drive something like thisâ, Annika said. âHenrik would call child security services on us!â
Taking a deep breath she looked through the brochure again.
âAAAAARGHHHH MY EYES!â, she said when looking at one of the interior pics, showing the extremely glossy orange and black upholstery. âWho thought this was a good idea?â
âI guess we can see what the reviews says, just for laughsâ, Roland said.
âOh crap, it actually seems like a decent car, do we still need to consider it?â, he asked.
âNO!â, Annika said in a sharp tone.
It was another mixed bag when looking at the owner reviews.
âMaybe the best softroader you can buy for offroad use. Surprisingly capable (haha) and who cares if you get dings on this one? The interior can easily be hosed off.â
âWas in a head on crash with a truck. Walked out without a scratch. Insurance company wanted to give me another one. I refused.â
âPlease, Capable, throw this noisy, coarse, slow old lump of an engine to the wolves and stop torturing innocent people with it. Oh wait. What have the wolves done to us to deserve that?â.
âWell, it was good for laughs I guessâ, Annika saidâŚ
The Capable WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Annika calmed down a bit when she saw the brochure for a car that was actually rather good looking, the CONSTELLATION N315S (Oldmanbuick)
âI could actually imagine myself driving around in thisâ, she said. âIt looks proper and elegant, and affordable too⌠And for a regular station wagon, it seems to have a fair amount of space.â
âWell, I think I have heard some less pleasant things about it tooâŚâ, Roland said, ââŚbut letâs see what the reviews says.â
âYeah, a bit underpowered even if weâre not looking for a sports car, I guessâŚâ, he said and looked a bit more into the owner reviews.
âCheap. Does its job. Looks modern but feels 15 years old already as new.â
âAffordable, but not much more. Does what it promises but nothing more. The potato of station wagons.â
âIt wonât fail on you, it never does. But itâs a questionable driving experience, slow, boring, uncomfortable. Basic transportation in a fancy shell.â
Annika became a bit hesitant. âWell, it feels like weâre only getting another Lada, in a sort of fancier suit here.â
âYupâ, Roland said. âA little bit more than this could after all be expected.â
The Constellation WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
She looked a bit impressed while browsing through the brochure for the VORSTENTELG ENVIRO CX4 (Marv666)
âWow, look at all that space!â, she said. âBut how come it is so expensive?â
âLots of new technology in this oneâ, Roland said. âAnd I am not sure if it is justified.â
Looking at the overview at the review site, it seems like they were on the right track.
âThis might be a gambleâ, Roland said. âA gamble at a high price. But we can always take a look at the owner reviewsâŚâ
âAvoid at all costs, it has been more at the dealership than I have been driving it. Shame since it is a rather decent car otherwiseâŚâ
âNice concept, not the best execution. Cavernous and with good fuel economy, but not worth its high purchase price if you ask meâŚâ
âDealers will ruin you, and you will be there often. Being an early adopter of tech comes at a price.â
âNah, not this oneâŚâ, Annika said. âA good looking car that seems to be practical, but no way we can afford something that needs constant repairs at high prices, especially not after warranty has ended. The question is if we even can afford to buy it?â
âNot a car without its good points, but I guess weâre not ready to take that hitâŚâ, Roland answered.
The Vorstentelg WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Annika looked a bit puzzled when looking at the brochure for the SAGUARO PUTNIK CITY (MrdjaNikolen)
âI didnât know they made them in blue with left hand drive?â, she said.
âI can see what you mean, but might be worth considering, it is after all a practical and rugged car at a decent priceâŚâ, Roland said and looked at the car review site.
(Sorry, wrong picture) 
âHmm, well, thatâs what you can expect, I guessâ, Roland said. âCan the owner reviews convince me of this one?â
âDid those come pre-rusted from the factory? At least I think that mine did.â
âI donât want to crash in this thing, but with driving being kind of a struggle I guess I will do sooner or laterâŚâ
âForget everything about driving excitement, comfort or performance. But it is rugged, practical and has a very capable AWD system leaving some way more tough looking cars in the dust.â
âHm, yeahâ, Roland said. âA good car for what it is and for the buyer looking for something like this, but I guess we want to climb a bit higher on the ladder than thisâŚâ
âYeah it is a bit too primitiveâ, Annika said. âIâll let the mailman keep his, thanks a lot.â
The Saguaro WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
OOC SUMMARY
@AndiD - More or less what I could expect from you, a no frills car with styling that is a bit bland and boring, giving lots for the money with some drawbacks like performance, safety and sportiness. Scores well in lots of the key areas, though.
@vero94773 - Top notch styling, even if it is maybe not so original with its obvious Land Rover influence. Good scores for performance, sportiness, comfort, driveability and reliability (OK, maybe not so Land Rover influenced at all). Not as good when it comes to things like practicality (as an Automation stat), weather resistance (relatively, most cars scored rather well there) or anything that has to do with economy. Underpowered front brakes are a surprise coming from you, I must say.
@Texaslav - Not a bad entry at all. Fact is, good enough to be hard to write a believable rejection for. It is what I would expect from a Waldersee as a whole, but service costs are the worst out of all the cars, and the CVT eats too much into the sportiness for its performance image to be believable. Also, worst offroad stats despite AWD. Mediocre safety and fuel economy (relatively speaking). Great comfort, driveability and performance.
@Vento - This is why making a car is not only about green numbers going up. Actually the stats are surprisingly good, but the car looks slapped together, you should have put more energy in making the car look good than to slap a totally unnecessary spare wheel on the roof rack with straps and so on. The engineâŚan all iron 2.5 litre i4 8V SOHC lump in 2006. With totally unnecessary VVL and a lot of parts that are way more for performance use than is justified. It is like if the engine from a 90s Ford Ranger mated with one from a boyracer tuned Honda Civic. Also, the interiorâŚyes, you canât score negatively by having one in my challenges when they are not needed, but OMG, I was close in this case. Have you ever been in a car? If so, what was the upholstery made of? I guess it wasnât some high gloss plastics like here, right? To that, add engineering decisions like 20 inch steel wheels (with a design looking like if they were from the 70s) and this car is the definition of a messâŚ
@oldmanbuick - Probably the nicest styling I have seen from you ever, you are improving fast there! The car was, however, a bit too underwhelming. Canât complain for the price, but raising the budget a little bit would probably have helped, since except for weather resistance and reliability, this car scores rather poor in all the non economy related areas. If it had competed against only cars at the same price point, the story could have been different, I guess.
@Marv666 - Such a technologically advanced car was maybe bit of a gamble, and it didnât pay off. High purchase and service costs along with low reliability killed it. But exceptional practicality, weather resistance and fuel economy are things on the positive side. Nice styling that feels period correct. Rather average in other areas which means that the price could not be totally justified I guess.
@MrdjaNikolen - It was fun to see someone daring to go for the concept of a MPV based on a small panel van. For such a car it is rather accurate I guess, but it scores low in most areas, except for having the lowest purchase price, low service costs and great offroad performance. Decently practical and reliable too. But like in the case of Oldmanbuickâs entry, almost a too low price point not giving enough of a car to be considered.
TO BE CONTINUED
19 Likes
Thanks for the thoughtful review and the compliment on the styling! I have been trying to work on that, so glad to have someone else notice some progress.
This is also an absolutely unsurprising result. This was quite a speed run of a build, and I realized when it was done that it probably needed to be a higher trim level with a more powerful engine. But I absolutely did not have the time to make those changes. Glad at least to see that the Constellation delivered where it was supposed to with reliability and weather resistance; I always appreciate an opportunity for the brand identity of overbuilding things to actually be useful instead of an inefficient allocation of resources.
3 Likes
KSAC 1: A MULE FOR MOM
PART 2B:Eliminations
There was still a bunch of brochures to go through. Like the one for the AYATSUJI DELPHINUM GS+. (Nvisionluminous)
âI donât really knowâŚâ, Annika said. âThere doesnât look like there is much wrong to it on paper, but⌠Itâs one of those cars that looks OK at a first glance but that you start to dislike more and more, the more you look at itâŚâ, she sighed. âIn the long run I might grow tired of the design. It seems reasonably practical and economical thoughâŚâ
âYeahâŚâ, Roland said. "I can see what you mean, not very inspiring, like the Seongu, letâs see if we can pass on this one or if it really should be consideredâŚ
âNot totally convincing, no. Letâs see what the owner reviews have to sayâŚâ
âA no-nonsense car that has been working well for what it did cost, but is rather mediocre otherwiseâŚâ
âNothing really went wrong with this. Not an exciting car, but you wonât get unpleasant surprises from it eitherâŚâ
âPleasant to maneuvre on tight but flat city streets. Less pleasant for bad roads due to mediocre comfort and the fact that you will get stuck rather easilyâŚâ
Annika wasnât convinced, neither was Roland. There were more tempting alternatives out there.
The Ayatsuji WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Maybe more tempting was the LESAULT 103 PLUS (Vouge) .
"This costs just a tad bit moreâŚ, she said. âŚprobably can do everything the Ayatsuji can, looks more pleasant, seems to be slower but are we really in a hurryâŚ
âIf you ask Henrik, we are.â, Roland answered a bit cynically and looked further on the car review site.
âYeah, I can see this one being temptingâ, he said. "A car doing its job and worth its money, while appearing decent overall. So, do the owners like it, is the question?
âIt has been comfortable and reliable. Fuel economy comes at the price of performance, though.â
âNothing really went wrong, except for some surface rust that had to be fixed under warranty unfortunately.â
âThey say you get what you pay for, but in this case, I wonder if I actually might have gotten even more than that. Itâs a very decent MPV at a budget price.â
Annika seemed even more convinced, so did Roland. Both were just nodding, this could be the vehicle that had hit the right sweet spot maybe.
The Lesault WILL BE CONSIDERED.
Going from a bunch of MPV brochures to a wagon one again when the one for the KVT Kitsunebi RW (IJN_Yamato) appeared in the pile, Annika looked rather cold and indifferent.
âI donât know about this oneâŚâ, she said. âWe could absolutely go for a station wagon again, butâŚthis one? I am not too sure. Bland looks, nothing really convinces me otherwise except for rather cheap servicing, but you canât buy a car on that aloneâŚâ
âEspecially not a rather expensive one. Yes. I can see what you mean.â, Roland said.
âThe general opinion seems to be the same, more or less.â, Roland said, looking about as cold and indifferent as Annika. âSo what does the owners think of it?â
âFor an automatic wagon it has rather exciting driving dynamics, one must say. But I can see if this car isnât everyoneâs cup of teaâŚâ
âDecent performance, but I feel that a better suited gearing would have made more use out of the 172 hp it hasâŚâ
âI had expected more for what I paid, honestlyâŚâ
As much as they agreed on the Lesault, Roland and Annika seemed to agree on this one. There were really no reason to waste time on a test drive of this one. It didnât have much to offer that was of interest.
The KVT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
From Hexe came something in the borderline between SUV and Wagon. Could the HEXE LYNDSAY ALL TERRAIN be something? (Isabella)
âIt looks like it is staring at me, while the body seems to be bent like a banana. This feels just weird.â, she said.
âWell, it has an aluminium construction, meaning that it wonât rust, and it is quick, but it still seems a bit of an oddball choice to meâ, Roland said. âI am not too convinced eitherâ, he continued while opening the review page for the Hexe.
âOddball was the name, I guessâŚâ, Roland grumbled.
The reviews from the owners were leading in the same direction.
âHaving fun costs money, in this case by high service costsâŚâ
âMore sports than utility. Not that much of a loadspace in the small body, and only mediocre offroad performance.â
âDisappointing actually, it has been a lot at the dealership to sort out the bugs, and it can be a mouthful to handle sometimes. But it is quick when it worksâŚâ
âWHEN it works?â, Annika asked. âWell, I donât even use those words regarding the Lada. Nah, forget it. I donât need a fragile space rocket, I need something that works.â
âI think youâre overreacting a bitâ, Roland said, âBut wellâŚYes. I can agree, honestly.â
The Hexe WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
A more interesting offering was the one found in the next brochure, the MITSUMI URBAN X28 (Asdren)
âYou know, spare for the front end, I actually think this looks very freshâ, Annika said. âIt seems to be decently roomy, though it costs a little, but still inside whatâs acceptable, as long as it is worth itâŚâ
âYeahâ, Roland said. âI have gotten the impression that they are rather good cars, but we can always check out what is said about itâŚâ
âThereâs not too much bad said about it, at least not here.â, Roland said. âA tempting alternative indeed, so what does the owners think?â
âIt has not been trouble free, but that does not mean that disasters have happened. Mostly small, but annoying things.â
âPerforms as well on the road as off the road. I am loving every minute of it.â
âThey said a good underbody protection and some aluminium panels would protect it against rust, but I am somewhat doubtfulâŚâ
âOKâ, Annika said. âReliability and rust issues turns me a bit hesitant but it seems to be a wonderful car otherwiseâŚâ
âYeah, and you will always hear more from the people that has issues than from the ones having a trouble free ownershipâ, Roland said and agreed. âIt might be worth looking atâŚâ
The Mitsumi WILL BE CONSIDERED.
The next brochure in the pile was for the AXXUS MP5 TOURING (Ducethetruth100)
âIt almost looks a bit too futuristic.â, Annika said. âBut maybe Iâll get used to it?â
âI looked a bit at that brochureâ, Roland said. âIt did not feel 100% convincing though. I think ownership could be costlyâŚâ
âThey donât seem to convinced eitherâ, Roland said. While looking at the owners opinions there was not much more that convinced him there.
âIt has not been free from reliability issuesâŚâ
âLess practical than its shape suggestsâŚâ
âPurchasing. Filling up the tank. Service. Everything will be expensive with this oneâŚâ
âNah.â, Roland said. âI think we skip on this oneâŚâ
âAgree, I donât see much that interests me hereâŚâ
The Axxus WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
From an MPV to a SUV with the next brochure, the YOSHIOKA TRAILEX ECV (Mcoupe)
âThis really isnât to my tasteâ, Annika said. âThe front looks busy and the rest looks almost too simple, yet clumsy. Also, I canât believe it will be any economical.â
âI can see what you mean, I guess it loves fuel.â, Roland said. âThis performance in a large SUV doesnât form out of thin airâŚâ, he said, with the review page loadingâŚ
"You knowâŚ, Roland said, ââŚfor the one that needs one it might be a great car, I doubt that we need this though. Letâs see if any owner has anything objective to sayâŚâ
âFast in a straight line, but if it corners itâs obviously a SUVâŚâ
âJust minor issues with this one, but as a whole it has been reliableâŚâ
âIt has been one of the least economical cars I have ownedâŚâ
Annika and Roland could agree. The Yoshioka was not the car for them.
âIt feels like another alternative for getting status at the school run, but unlike the Branson a rather unrefined one. Nothing for me.â, Annika said.
The Yoshioka WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
OOC SUMMARY
@nvisionluminous - This could be another example of an entry that would have scored better in a little more budget focused challenge. I am not overly keen about the styling, though, itâs not the best I have seen from you, and looks does not cost in this game⌠It scores very well in all the economy stats, as well as in driveability. Reliability is good and so is actually sportiness too. Safety, comfort and offroad stats are more hampered. Overall, one of the eliminations that was close to making it, just like the Waldersee even if the qualities could not have been more different.
@vouge - Styling is well done, the major gripes I have from it comes from Automation lighting making some stuff look weird, which is not your fault. Economy stats are very good. Driveability and comfort surprisingly high. It is not free from drawbacks, though, relatively speaking the performance and weather resistance could have been better. Some impressive stats for the price, though.
@IJN_Yamato - Styling looks a bit empty, and more 90s than 00s. Sportiness is relatively high and service costs surprisingly low, but other than that it does not have much speaking in its favour. Mediocre safety and practicality ratings, low comfort and offroad score, mediocre weather resistance. Now, donât believe it does horribly bad - it doesnât do that at anything actually. Itâs just that it hardly shines at anything either, and the stats are generally at the low side of mid, for a rather high purchase price.
@Isabella - The performance blows away even the Waldersee. Excellent weather resistance and high sportiness. But thatâs where the positivity ends more or less. Mediocre practicality, driveability, reliability, safety, combined with high service costs and disappointing fuel economy. Not that expensive to purchase, though. But generally, another car with most stats at the lower side of mid, and the somewhat strange styling does not do it for me at least.
@asdren - In general I like the styling, that has some BMW vibes to it. Maybe more late than mid 00s, but nothing that couldnât pass for a forward thinking model from the era. Unfortunately, it seems like your imagination was a bit tired when it came to the front end that is weaker than the rest. Safety, comfort, performance and sportiness all very good, and also it features a decent interior. Scores a bit low on weather resistance, reliability and the economy related stats, though. But an overall decent package made it go further.
@DuceTheTruth100 - Another entry feeling a bit more late 00s/early 10s to me maybe. Not a terribly bad looking car overall though. Safety and sportiness are very high. Nothing really disappoints except for the service costs, but on the other hand practicality, reliability, fuel economy, comfort, offroad and weather resistance were on the low side. This car not scoring all that well shows that the entries generally were of high quality, though. Thereâs not much overly wrong with it, just that the rest generally was a bit sharper - and often managed to be at a lower purchase price too.
@mcoupe - Not 100% the car that did fulfill the challenge brief the best. Offroad score is great, and so is performance, but that comes at the cost of high fuel consumption, high service costs, high purchase price and low driveability. Practicality is also among the worst of all the entries, and the styling feels a bit uninspiring. Maybe could have scored better in a challenge more for performance oriented SUVs?
TO BE CONTINUED
9 Likes
KSAC 1: A MULE FOR MOM
PART 2C:Eliminations
Annika was starting to yawn, the night was getting late, but she saw with some relief that there were only six brochures left on the coffee table. The first one was for the SAYOKO CHEER 1.5 AWD. (Hilbert)
âOn paper it looks somewhat promisingâŚâ, she said. âSeems to be economical, practical, while not looking all that awkward, for a tempting price. Not the fastest but as I said, as long as itâs not dangerously slow, who cares?â
âWell, I have heard some rumours that you get what you pay for when you get the SayokoâŚâ, Roland said, ââŚmaybe not a disappointment for its price, but a bit lackluster overall, but letâs see what they say.â
âYeah, I guess it proves that cars are more than surface deepâŚâ, Annika said.
And the owner reviews gave a view of it that maybe wasnât all that different.
âAn economical and modern MPV but absolutely nothing more than thatâŚâ
âTotally uninspiring to drive, even in this class you could have expected some moreâŚâ
âI had some issues with surface rust, has been working fine otherwise, but wasnât the bargain it looked like at the dealershipâŚâ
Yup, the picture of this car seemed quite clear. Not a disaster, sold for a sane price, but for even more sane prices you could get MPVs that promised more than just ânot being a disasterâ.
The Sayoko WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
The next brochure was for a crossover-esque lifted Archanan station wagon, the OTARI ZEUS ATW (Ch_Flash) .
"It looks weird around the headlight area somehowâŚ, she said. âŚbut I think I can get used to it, as well as the car looking a bit futuristic otherwise. I guess you will learn to like it."
âMyself I donât feel all that convincedâ, Roland said while opening the page for the Otari on the car review site.
âI mean, we could make use for what we have budgeted for, but it better has to be worth it then. What does the owners have to say?â, Roland said, with some curiousity in his voice after all.
âSurprisingly economical on fuel, but service costs are eating into thatâŚâ
âI had expected more than mediocrity at this price pointâŚâ
âOnly minor issues, but paint and sheetmetal quality seems to leave a bit to be desired still.â
âNah, youâre rightâ, Annika said. âWe already have some more tempting alternatives.â
The Otari WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Speaking of tempting alternatives, it seems like the ONI AIKUCHI SUPER AERO AWD EXPLORER (Riley) wasnât one of them.
âOH, MY, GOD! Why did you even bring this brochure home?â
âWell, wasnât sure if you could be interested in an alternative that was a little more out of this world.â, Roland laughed.
âDid you think you were funny? I am not going to drive around in something looking like if a fish bowl mated with a tourist bus. And what happens in a crash when it does not have anything in front of you? And will it even take a corner without flipping over?â
"Calm down. We donât have to get one if you donât want to. I have just heard that they are better than most people thinkâŚ
âSee here?â, Roland said.
âYes, and I am not convinced.â
âEh, maybe I am not either. But we can always see what the owners thinks of itâŚâ
âI was warned that the strange engineering could lead to high service costs, but they have been lowâŚâ
âBetter driving dynamics than you think, but you canât be in a hurryâŚâ
âI have been running a couple as taxis for a while, they are only racking up miles but never breaks down. The drivers complains about the comfort, thoughâŚâ
Since Annika just gave him an evil eye, he understood that it wasnât anything that would be appreciated, though.
The Oni WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Could there be more luck with the next brochure? That one showed the LVC LB2 AWD 2.4 ESTATE. (abg7)
âWell, it looks decent. It just looks a little bit like any car on the road. Lacks personality.â, Annika said, âBut it is a roomy wagon with tempting price and decent economy overall, that seems sensible.â
âIâm with you there. It seems to have lots of rational arguments speaking in its favour, just not the most soulful choice, but ehâŚâ, Roland continued. âIf it is good enough, itâs some soul in itself I guessâ, he said while opening the page about the LVC on the car review site.
âSeems promising as a wholeâ, Roland said, ââŚso do the owners have any opinions?â
âImpresses me by being so easy to handle regardless of the weather and road conditionsâŚâ
âNothing has gone wrong with it, just regular service, that is cheapâŚâ
"It keeps going on bad roads where more rough looking cars have gotten stuckâŚ
"Very promising indeedâŚ, Annika said, ââŚand a test drive will reveal if the comfort is still good enough I guess.â
The LVC WILL BE CONSIDERED.
At the bottom of the brochure pile, a quirky looking thing appeared. The BILLANCOURT SPACIEUSE X4 III (the-chowi)
âOh la laâŚâ, Annika said. ââŚyes, it looks weird, but it looks weird in a way I think I can appreciate. It stands out from the crowd, in a good way, and somehow fits my personality.â"
âWell. I guess Hanna will think that it is cute, Henrik will give her a slap for thatâŚeither that or he will love it himself too, I am not sureâŚâ, Roland grumbled. âBut anyway, I have heard that they are objectively rather good carsâŚâ
âIndeed they areâŚso what does the owners say?â
âYou donât expect a car looking like this to be this fast and fun to driveâŚâ
âWho said you need a SUV for good offroad performance? This one wonât get stuckâŚâ
âPracticality isnât sacrificed for looks here, but of course it is not cavernous due to its sizeâŚâ
"Not much speaking against it, indeedâŚ, Annika said. âNice to see that it seems to not be only about looks then.â
The Billancourt WILL BE CONSIDERED.
The final brochure was showing a chinese SUV, the FANTISEA VAMOS RESERVE ALLTRAK (Discord user)
âItâs not all about looks when buying a car, I knowâŚâ", Annika said. ââŚbut this one is a bit like a fancy front end grafted on some oddball SUV that already looks old.â
âYes, thatâs how the chinese works, I guessâŚâ, Roland said. ââŚand if it wasnât for this one actually being said to be surprisingly decent for a chinese car, I would not even have considered it, but I have heard some positive things about it. Like thisâŚâ
âHmmm, yeah, I am not sureâŚâ, Annika said. ââŚmaybe we need something larger after all.â
âWe can always see what the owners say, at least for funâŚâ, Roland answered.
âItâs not the roomiest, and it has caused some small troubles, even paint related ones. Other than that I am satisfiedâŚâ
âGenerally a car worth its money, but donât expect the Chinese to be the real budget alternatives anymoreâŚâ
âSparse on fuel, yet comfy, fast and with decent offroad performance. It hit the right sweet spot for me.â
âFor him maybeâ, Annika said. âBut for us? With six cars to test already, I doubt this can give us anything that not any of them canâŚâ
âHm, you may be rightâ, Roland said. âWe may have made our choices by nowâŚâ
The Fantisea WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
OOC SUMMARY
@Hilbert - Almost adorable styling, lol, also nice interior work. A car that is trapped in an unfortunate position. It is about as good as some of the cheapest cars in the challenge, that generally didnât offer enough to make it far. The problem is that this also costs a notch more, as much as some cars that could offer a bit more. Still, it does great when it comes to all the economy stats, as well as driveability. It falls a bit short when it comes to comfort, performance, weather resistance and sportiness, and has the worst safety of all the cars. So overall, it could not offer enough to go further.
@Ch_Flash - Another car on the futuristic side styling wise, but as usual you donât make ugly cars. Decent fuel economy, as well as sportiness. Falls a bit more short when it comes to service costs, offroad stats, comfort and weather resistance. Not much better than average otherwise, which isnât enough to be considered for this relatively high price.
@Riley - Right car, wrong challenge. I felt bad for bashing the styling, but the average MPV buyer didnât want a cargo van based brick in 2006. Something like CSR 163 or some of the cool wall challenges feels like its right element. Also, it shows why this game is a bit limited. Getting top notch safety scores on that body without a crumple zone would not work well in IRL, neither would driveability be great with that COG in relation to the rather narrow track. Stats wise, it had the best driveability and reliability, great safety rating and low service costs. Comfort, offroad, performance, weather resistance and sportiness suffers a bit more. Also, things like extreme downforce on a van like this, basic interior and very high body quality, feels like a minmax cheesefest when combined to each other.
No hard feelings, but I think you know that you took your chances with a meme car, and that it didnât work well this time. Some nice work on it, though.
@abg7 - A very strong allrounder with high driveability, reliability, safety and sportiness, scores good for service costs and purchase price, best in round offroad, all for a tempting price. The most practical out of the wagons. Major drawbacks are a little bit bland styling and low comfort, but other than that it is hard to find anything negative to say.
@the-chowi - High score for both interior and exterior styling. Mediocre safety and a bit on the expensive side, but other than that a strong contender with great driveability, fuel economy, offroad, performance and sportiness. A worthy finalist indeed since it is a solid entry from the inside and out, that has lots of its own personality.
Discord user - They had very different qualities, but there were three cars that could have been finalists (but maybe not winners) if they just had been a little notch sharper. The Waldersee, the Ayatsuji, and your car. Styling was a bit weird (but interior was great, also I know what you were going for with the styling, and as such, it worked), also it is a little bit smaller car than was expected maybe. Mediocre reliability and weather resistance too. But sportiness, performance, fuel economy and driveability all were good. So, it was close this time.
Going to the finals are @abg7 , @AndiD , @asdren, @the-chowi , @vero94773 and @vouge , congratulations!
TO BE CONTINUED
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In hindsight, itâs not hard to see why:
All in all, Iâm surprised my head-over-heart choice made it to the finals.
Indeed risks were taken, I knew it would be outdated compared to modern equivalents, itâs body shape just isnât really suited for a modern mpv, like you say it has no crumple zones. Still, I did my best with the stats and I think it showed well. Maybe it would have done better in a less economically developed country.
2 Likes
As I said, right car but wrong challenge⌠
This is not dead, I have just had annoying things coming in the way from having time to give the finals a proper writeup. As you know, you can usually trust me when it comes to challenges. Life has just been a bit annoying, and no, itâs not even horror stories about me getting fired from my house and then having my job burned down. Itâs just annoying stuff coming in the way.
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I hope things get better sooner than later for you chief.
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KSAC 1: A MULE FOR MOM
PART 3: FINALS!
The first test drive was of the Seongu Gran Kando. Not a favourite if you asked Henrik, complaining that it looked âdorkyâ. The rest of the family was a little bit indifferent. Sure, it was far from a beauty, and it wasnât a beauty from afar either, but the design still was holding together. It didnât stand out in some extremely bad way, nothing was sticking out like a sore thumb. But fun? No.
At least it was designed with practicality in mind. Large doors, an upright shape that did offer lots of room for both passengers and cargo. Stepping in, it was clearly spacious for a vehicle only 4.2 metres of length. Spacious - and still with something of an aura of a nice car. Interior looked modern, seemed to be built to relatively high standards, had a decent choice of materials and equipment. It was by no means exciting - but built with care.
It offered a decently comfortable ride. Sure, it was going to beat a Lada 2104 and even an aging truck no matter what, but it was still a positive surprise, albeit maybe a little bit wallowy in the turns - but this was not going to be a sports car anyway. Which was also reflecting in the behaviour. It didnât offer any little extra amount of excitement at all, the handling was safe and predictable - not inspiring. At least there was no massive amounts of understeer, Seongu could apparently make a FWD chassis that was somewhat well balanced. The engine also proved that a little 1.2 litre 3 cylinder didnât have to make a car into a torture chamber - but that was also it, it was relatively gutless and not as smooth as one could wish from a new car. The 5 speed automatic seemed to work well, and made the driving even more effortless.
What was also a bit questionable was how the car would behave under the worst possible circumstances. It didnât inspire all that much confidence on the worst backroads, due to things like the tire equipment and not all that impressive ground clearance. Not that AWD was a must-have, but it surely could have been a decent help.
A mixed bag, boring if you asked Henrik, which got a lecture that if this turned out to be the best car, this was it, no matter how boring he thought it was.
A totally different animal was the Branson Pioneer SE. Way more cool if you asked the little car expert in the family at least, while Roland questioned the sanity in all the car based wannabe offroaders that was starting to arrive. It should be said though - the boxy shape allowed for a huge loadspace, even if a little more back-breaking to load with the taller SUV-shape of the car. For the passengers, the Branson was a little more cramped than the smaller Seongu, though. Interior was, however, at least as nice as in the Seongu (well, for the price you should maybe have expected a bit more than âat least as niceâ), and it offered some fancy things like navigation.
The driving experience was a marginally more exciting affair, too. Some of it might have been placebo, but at least the smooth, quiet, powerful 220 hp V6 was something completely different than the Seonguâs little thing at one third the size, with half of the cylinders - that naturally gave some better performance too. It also felt a little more firm in the corners, but despite that, the ride felt heavenly, compared to the Seongu. This was absolutely a totally different animal of a car, which also came at a price, not only at the purchase. It absolutely spoke more to the feelings than the rational side, even if it was by no means a totally impractical choice - it actually made sense in many ways, more doubtful if it actually was worth it⌠Especially considering that it did not impress on bad roads despite the AWD. Surprising was also that the front brakes seemed to lack some bite.
At the LVC dealership, a LB2 AWD estate was waiting for them. A modern looking, but rather unremarkable design, like the Seongu had been, but this time as a crossover styled station wagon, the kind that seemed to become more and more fashionable. Loadspace was decent, even if not great, for the small and nimble size of the car, but it was obvious that this belonged in the C segment when looking at the interior space. This was simply not a very roomy car for passengers.
The 2.4 litre inline four did its job as it should, modern and with a decent power output of 160 hp. About as unremarkable was the six speed auto. It did its job, and well enough. The interior wasnât as nice as in the cars tested previously, though. Material choices and build quality seemed to be at a somewhat lesser level, it missed some gizmos, and even if the design was up to date, it really wasnât anything special. The handling did not impress on the better parts of the road, it was secure, for sure, but the car didnât like to be pushed too hard. On the other hand, it impressed a little bit more when it came to handling worse roads, this was a car that probably could be trusted if conditions got a bit harsh. The stiffer suspension, simpler interior and cramped passenger space meant that it was a bit worse comfort wise than the cars tested earlier, though.
A âgood enoughâ car on the whole. But good enough to succeed?
The family had a little mixed opinions on the Mitsumi Urban styling, good looking car that was a little bland up front. As the âsoftroaderâ style MPV it was, it seemed like the right type of car for them, though, on a whole. And for people, it was spacious, but the appearance could easily fool you into thinking the loadspace was a bit bigger than it really was. The interior had a nice appearance, with an appealing styling, for sure, but didnât feel as well built as in the Seongu or Branson. The sound system offered the latest in technology and felt state of the art, though.
An almost 2.8 litre 4 cylinder was an odd choice, and sure, it felt a bit coarse, though you could live with it, thanks to the balance shaft technology. It was quicker than even the Branson, though, and the 6 speed auto was smooth, almost hard to notice the shifting. Both handling- and comfort wise, this was a really pleasant car. Maybe the brakes were a bit on the grabby side, but otherwise it was hard to complain. It also inspired a lot of confidence on the bad roads, the all wheel drive wasnât just for bragging rights this time, and overall this was a car where it was hard to find any weak spots - at least when it came to the driving experience.
Maybe Roland thought that the Billancourt Spacieuse was a bit much when he saw it. The rest of the family really liked its styling, though. The short tail meant that there werenât all that much of luggage space, though, and its tall stance that there could maybe be some struggle with loading it sometimes. On the inside, it oozed of quality and care, though, the styling was as futuristic as on the outside, it wasnât the roomiest of the tested cars when it came to passenger space, however, not cramped either. Also, it had a fancy navigation system.
It felt a little bit more fun and exciting to drive than the other cars had been. Yet, it didnât lack the security and confidence, it felt stable, predictable, yet nimble, and the all wheel drive surely helped when the roads got worse. If one should complain, there was more body roll than expected, but maybe not the most important factor in a car like this. 151 hp was not a bad number from the 1.8 litre 4 cylinder - even if not all that impressive compared to, for example, the Branson, it actually gave the Billancourt frisky performance that almost could reach Mitsumi levels. VVL being used for driveability and economy rather than performance meant that the engine had lots of useable torque all over the range. Maybe the spacing on the 6 speed manual was a bit wide, but once again, did that really matter on a car like this?
The downside was maybe the comfort. It was by no means a terrible ride, just that with the exception of the LVC, all the other tested cars had been better.
A car speaking to the feelings, that also could fulfill many of the rational desires indeed.
The car for the final test drive was the Lesault 103 plus. An MPV not as offroad-esque as the Billancourt or Mitsumi - it should also be said that like the Seongu, this was only front wheel drive. The family could agree that the styling was more pleasant than the Seonguâs, though. And with the MPV shape, it was more or less practical by default, indeed. It was very spacious for the passengers, while the luggage compartment was adequate, albeit not much more than that. The interior felt a bit mediocre, on par with the LVC, but surprisingly enough offered a satnav system.
Performance was indeed a bit sluggish, albeit not as bad as in the Seongu, and a 1.6 litre 4-cylinder meant that the engine could be taken a little more seriously. It had more grunt, went smoother. 120 hp, and a VVL system that was a bit like the Billancourtâs, meaning that torque and economy was offered for the everyday drive. It had a six speed automatic, maybe a bit jerky with huge steps between the gears, but it worked.
Not much bad could be said about the handling and behaviour on the road, it was by no means a sports car, but worked as it was expected to do. Ride wasnât on par with the Branson or Mitsumi, but an uncomfortable car was something the Lesault could not be accused of being. Despite the lack of AWD, there was a feeling that it could handle the worst roads good enough. So all in all, a capable allrounder, but was that enough in this competition?
RESULTS:
The first car to go was the LVG. While not being terribly bad at anything, it could not provide enough value for the money. Simply put, a relatively small wagon, with usual small car drawbacks, for a little more than small car money, without being able to provide anything that justifies it. Also, even though this was mainly about a car speaking to the common sense, it failed a bit too much to provide something for the soul.
The second car that had to go was the Mitsumi. Indeed a very pleasant car, but it has a big drawback in its lack of reliability, and that paired with high purchase price and service costs means that it could not be a justified purchase here.
Sadly enough, the next car to be eliminated is the Billancourt. A really interesting approach that speaks to the heart and soul. But safety and comfort is a bit lacking, many other stats only average and that means that the many good sides that it still has canât justify the relatively high price for what you get.
The Branson is the next car to be eliminated. A very GOOD car, but it also comes at a cost, not only at the dealership, but also for fuel and servicing. It is simply too expensive to both purchase and own overall to be justified here.
The Seongu is so good when it comes to most âhardâ values (spare for safety and performance) that it is hard to look past it, especially at the price it is sold at. But it is really a car (or technically âan carâ) where it is either black or white. Where it succeeds, it does it really well. Where it fails to meet the expectations, it really fails. Also, like the LVG it feels a bit âdeadâ and soulless. So, that didnât really reach all the way this time.
Instead, the winner is the Lesault. For just a little bit more money than the Seongu, it gives a so much better value. It is by no means the most exciting car, but it is hard to find any major flaws. Sure, the performance is a bit sluggish, but it still beats the Seongu that is just slightly cheaper. Once again, it proves that the one capable to make the best allrounder succeeds the best. Congratulations, vouge, to the challenge win!
FINAL RANKINGS
Yes, this took way too long, I can agree on that, life happened, and then when life allowed for a little more freedom, I wanted some time to enjoy things and charge the batteries instead of working too hard on this (even if there has been steady progress), but better late than never, and I hope the next challenge I host, whenever that may be, wonât be affected in this way.
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