I don’t mind a little bit of a wait. Life happens.
Quality takes time. Looking forward to the reviews!
Update
I’m done writing for the day, since I’m trying to get my sleep schedule ready for university. 9 out of 15 cars are done, the rest will be done tomorrow, hopefully.
inb4 last.
Hey everyone, here are the reviews. Sorry for the sloppier work after the half of the field, I simply wasn’t on my best writing day, which isn’t a good thing, especially considering that I’m not really a good writer even on the best of them. And sorry for the wall of text, I ended up writing twice as much as I had planned. Enjoy!
12:30, on a Thursday.
The sun was shining brightly, and despite it being autumn, it was uncomfortably hot. Ahead of me laid one hour of sitting around, either engaging on meaningless small talk, or alone in a corner, glazing at my phone. After that, a further two hours on the 1950s classroom, complete with 1950s furnishings. The ebony chairs and desks reeked of old wax that had been applied on by someone who clearly didn’t give a fuck. Not caring seemed like a theme on these environments. The creaking sound from the 60-year-old chair indicates that someone has picked their phone from their pocket. Or it could be someone arriving late. Not that I would be bothered to look up, on the warm, moist and oxygen-deprived room, where all will and desire was gone. Ventilation was mostly provided by the broken glass, while the rest of the windows could barely open to let any air through. The ceiling fans moved very little air around and only contributed to the cacophony of noises. Going through all of that to sit in a stupid linear algebra class. Didn’t seem like a nice way to spend an afternoon to me either.
Adding to all those inconveniences, my head was elsewhere. Only the prior Monday, my car had jump-leads attached to it. Upon arriving late to university, I forgot to switch the radio off. 8 hours later, the result was obvious. However, that was the last straw for my father. The car was already facing a big suspension bill, and an issue on the engine was coming back. I should look for a new car, and bored with the afternoon ahead of me, that’s exactly what I did.
Thankfully, in my city, there is one avenue that houses all of the available brands, and it’s close to my campus, so looking for new car options would be easy. Roughly knowing my budget and my desires, I set off.
The first dealership was** Atarashi**’s. Their new Kaishi model looked interesting, and it had a wide range, that went from almost premium versions, all the way to simpler, less powerful versions, that would suit my budget. Entering the showroom, there was a parked 1.0 HX model, with the 14” steel wheels and no fog lights. The car was certainly attractive, with a sharp headlight and interesting lower bumper. The rear had blacked out tail lamps, somewhat reminiscent of an early 2000s tuner car, but still with decent taste. Entering the cabin, I noticed the standard air-conditioning, power windows, locks and steering and the AM/FM radio with an auxiliary input. On the lower part of the dashboard, switches to toggle the traction control system, ESP and rear window heater. Looking down there, I couldn’t help but notice that some of the plastics were a bit shoddy and scratchy, a theme that carried over the entire cabin. To off-set that, there were various useful cubby spaces and cup holders.
Under the bonnet lied an all-aluminium, double-overhead cam, four cylinder. It seemed like a very modern engine, with variable valve lift systems and direct injection. However, this entry-level model had a whiff of cost cutting about it, making do without the variable valve timing fitted to higher end cars. The specialised magazines had mentioned that all cast internals and lower quality heads, exhaust and fuel injection had been used too. In spite of that, the engine gives out a healthy 82 hp, at can rev all the way to 7500 rpm, with the VVL system giving a wide torque band. All with the promise of Japanese reliability, however, that came at high bills for the programmed maintenance, mostly due to the complex injection system. The claimed figures were pleasing, with 17.77 km/l combined economy, 176 km/h top speed and 0-100 in 12.7 seconds. 80-120 km/h acceleration was on the slow side and breaking performance was average for the class. With the promise of Japanese reliability, 3-year warranty and a final price of $15,390, the Kaishi seemed like a good buy. Certainly one that I’ll do a test drive in later.
Across the street lied a** Solo** dealership, which I knew had a faster proposition for the price, which even featured a V6 engine. As soon as I entered, the welcoming saleswoman directed me to the Rio SM. First impressions were good, it was a much larger car than the Atarashi, which meant a bigger and more spacious interior. Looks wise, the Solo had a nice bumper, but the front headlights are slightly goofy, probably due to the bubbles on the headlight cover. The rear was a different matter, good looking and purposeful with the roof spoiler and twin exhausts, this car was telling me it should be quite fast. Which it is, due to its 140 hp, 1.7 SOHC 24-valve V6 engine and lightweight aluminium body. 0-100 in 8.5s and a 217 km/h top speed are warm-hatchback fast, for the price of a small supermini. Of course a compromise was made somewhere, and as soon as I stepped in, it was evident that the interior hadn’t had as much love as the engine. No storage spaces, exposed metal on the door-tops, coarse seat cloth, no electric rear windows, and a cheap feeling dashboard left me slightly disappointed, but the radio had a USB socket in addition to the auxiliary and AM/FM.
One of the main issues with V engines in general is maintenance, and the Rio, despite featuring a simpler MPFI injection system, had even higher service costs than the Kaishi. From the leaflets, it was also clear that the engine wasn’t properly tuned, with the rev limiter set right at the point of maximum power, thus limiting the potential of the 140 hp. Knowing about the Solo’s reputation for rust problems, I asked to go around the back to the servicing garage and see the car from underneath. And the rumours were true, all the underside of the car had exposed steel, with a mediocre, almost see through paint, which looked quite weak, something that combined with the lack of safety equipment, with only one airbag, against the atarachi’s six. While underneath the car, I also noticed that the exhaust system looked very puny too, with old-fashioned baffled mufflers, and the rear suspension looked a lot like the semi-trailing arm set-up fitted to the E30 BMW, famous for sudden bursts of oversteer. All that cost-cutting, the 12.8 km/l fuel economy, and the high $17,150 price meant that I wouldn’t go back to the solo dealership, regardless of how good the handling was promised to be.
Onwards to the next car. The Armada dealership was right beside, and right at the entry, there was a Fore. Having been sold for over 25 years, the Armada Fore developed a reputation for being a good hot hatch, supported by very mediocre lower end trims. Sadly, I couldn’t afford the sportier car, so I was wondering if Armada finally managed to come up with a decent entry-level car. My first impression upon seeing the Fore Entry was very pleasant, because of its sharp, yet cute nose, with LED front lights and a full width rear light. When I entered the car, first impressions were really good. The upper dash was covered in soft-touch plastics, and even the low down plastics didn’t feel as cheap as those from the other two. The stereo was also a step up, featuring 2 little tweeters, Bluetooth connection and a very intuitive interface, a clear hand-me down feature.
The engine was a 1.0 four-cylinder 16-valve SOHC, this time made out of cast iron. But the Fore has a turbo, meaning it can produce 105 hp, with a very flat power band at the top. However, there were a few complaints around talking about turbo lag, saying that the car only actually goes after 3000 rpm. Which hurts fuel economy, a pretty bad 11.6 km/l combined, and ease of driving, since the car needs a lot of clutch work to actually go. Another problem with turbos are the service costs, which are on par with the much larger engined Rio. The 10.1s 0-100 sprint and 7.6s 80-120 times were good for the class, as is the $15,280 price. However, the latest gen Fore has been on the market since 2011, and since then has never scored well in driver satisfaction surveys, with complaints about safety and ease to drive. Coupled with the high fuel consumption, I had my doubts about the Fore, therefore I’m not sure if I’m coming back for a test drive. Let’s see what’s in the next store.
What came next was the Storm dealership. The only car that suited my budget was the** Swift**. I’m not going to beat around the bush, as soon as I laid my eyes on it, a little bit of sick came into my mouth. Sure, retro is in vogue these days and people are buying those cars in massive numbers. But, usually, the cars are made bigger and better looking that the originals, only keeping the proportions and styling cues. This one went farther. It was roughly the same size as a 1949 Morris Minor. Which means, it was about as roomy as a tuna can. I squeezed my 1.90m (6’3”) tall body in the car and it was simply impossible to stand there, with the steering touching my knees, my column bent in order to not hit the ceiling and my shoulders using up 2/3s of the interior width. No matter how good the car is on paper, if I can’t fit, there is hardly a point. Moving on then.
Next up,** Revera**. I wanted to see their** EC 180** sport model. With a 1.8 engine, direct-injection, 180 hp, 8.5s to 100, 220 km/h top speed, and decent economy, the ads had made me excited about this car. Showroom impressions were also pretty good, this car was the best looking car I had seen so far, and the perfect mental bleach I needed after seeing the Storm monstrosity. The elegant and purposed lines, going from the front to the rear, it just reeked of attention to detail. When I stepped inside, the news wasn’t so good, but it wasn’t bad either. The car had a full hard plastic dashboard, but with less cheap looking plastics than the Atarashi and it looked to be more carefully put together as well. Basic equipment was similar to the Japanese car, but with a better stereo, like the Fore, it came with a more modern unit, with 6-speakers and Bluetooth, only this one wasn’t quite so easy to fathom.
Under the bonnet, lied the 1.8 engine, however, the ad didn’t mention that the car is turbocharged, nor the cast iron block. As with the Armada, it had a very flat power curve at the top end, but this time the turbo spooled up earlier, delivering 95% of the torque at 2500 rpm. The high-tech direct injection certainly helped there, as it also helped the car achieve its decent fuel economy. The price for all of that is…the price. Scheduled maintenance is 30% dearer than on the other three cars and the sticker price is a whopping $17,390, a full $1300 more than my initial, and already stretched, budget. Maybe, if I looked behind the couch or something, I could find some extra pennies, but it was a steep price nevertheless. With my heart broken, I went to the next dealership.
Blue façade, exclusively French racing blue cars, it could only be** Bogliq.** I always found that name funny, speaking it as Rowan Atkinson would. Upon arrival, I was presented to the Slyde Rio. First impressions were good, the notchback style was sharp and there were a few sporty touches, including a couple of lip spoilers and a big wing on the trailing edge of the roof, however those didn’t quite suit the 17” steel wheels, and also wrote a check that the Bogliq attempts at top level racing couldn’t quite cash, with their numerous mediocre touring cars.
Inside, there was a lot of exposed steel and a notable lack of storage space. The seats were also unsupportive and were fitted with some kind of rubberised fake-leather, that I had last seen in my mom’s 1994 Fiat Uno. The radio didn’t have Bluetooth connectivity or a USB plug, as some of the cars did, but was decent enough. The engine was a turbo-charged 999cc inline 4, with twin cams and 16 valves, producing 96 hp. Which combined with the 1300 kg weight meant the car could only reach 100 km/h in 11.6s and had a slow 168 km/h top speed. Fuel economy is okay, at 13.4 km/l combined. However, the Bogliq disappointed on the safety systems, lacking ESP and traction control, and only featuring front air-bags, despite that the car was engineered to withstand great impacts, considering the high NCAP scores. Service costs were on par with most of the cars seen so far and the $15,515 price was acceptable. Sadly, for Bogliq at least, the specialised media had said that the car can’t quite match the Revera in ease to drive, nor in handling, which coupled with the cheap interior and goofy front end meant that it was out of the running.
Going from dealership to dealership is quite a big deal, so I decided to call it a day and go back on Saturday.
Now this is more like it, cloudy, some wind and not hot nor cold, a proper autumn day. Today, first on the list was the** Kirk Vernier.** This car looked very promising on paper, with the high specific output, 147 hp/l, and 1000cc tax-friendly capacity, which means a, you guessed it, 147 hp output, travelling through the front wheels. However, there were a few concerns, firstly, the automatic gearbox, which could work well in the city traffic, in expense of driving involvement, and secondly, the high 1439 kg weight. When visiting the dealership, the car looked decent, if a bit boring, but with nice details around the rear exhaust. Inside, it was very pleasant, with a nice dashboard and a good stereo system. However, side and curtain airbags were missing, as was the traction control system that some of the rivals had.
The direct-injected inline 4 developed peak power from 5000 rpm all the way to the 6800 rpm limit, however, despite a VVL system, the little engine couldn’t provide enough air to spool the massive turbo before 3700 rpm, meaning the car should behave almost like a 1980s Ferrari F40. Another problem with that was the fuel economy, a terrible 8.6 km/l claim on the combined cycle, and the service costs, which were 15% over the average, and with shorter service intervals. Due to the weight and the slushbox, the car could only do the 0-100 sprint in 10.7s and reach just under 200 km/h, numbers below par when compared to similarly powerful rivals. I was disappointed and not even tried to haggle on the $15,730 price before leaving.
Next, the** ABR Anaconda.** Purple, 5 metres long, 2.0 turbo engine, and, to top it off, shooting brake body style. This car does have a special appeal, but it is far from the most elegant design, with a chunky rear end and a blunt, but sporty looking, nose. That sportiness didn’t carry on to the spec sheet, since the engine only produced a miserable, for a 24-valve 2.0 turbo, 171 hp, which would need to power 1547 kg. Despite the weight handicap, the RWD wagon still manages 0-100 in 7.9s and can do 236 km/h. The interior was a let-down, however. Even on the showroom floor the car had terrible interior quality, with mismatched plastics from one corner to the other. The radio was a 6-year-old relic, with old graphics, adding to the unfinished ambience. The safety systems were below par too, with only two airbags and a not-so-good score on crash tests. Funnily enough, the car had a launch control system. Costing as much as the Revera, I expected the car to be just as good, but sadly, it wasn’t.
It really does say it on the tin. Presented in an oh-my-god-my-retinas-are-burning green, the Vert STR couldn’t really be painted in another colour. Once I was regained my ability to focus, I was drawn to the fact that the paint scheme is the only exciting thing on the exterior of this car. It looks like a car designed on the late 90s, with some tracing paper and some 90s Mercedes images underneath. The rear had funny looking circular lights, which didn’t quite match the austere front and sides. Under the bonnet of this Corolla-sized sedan was a 91 hp, direct injected, turbocharged, DOHC 1.0 engine. With the 1333 kg, the car limped from 0-100 in 13.3s, onto a top speed of 187 km/h, presumably reached after a very long straight. Inside, the car felt great, with a well-screwed, good-looking dashboard, and a nice stereo, albeit without USB and Bluetooth connectivity. Safety-wise the car featured ESP, but no TC, and 6 airbags. Service costs weren’t too high, considering it’s a turbo DI car, and the combined economy was very impressive, with 21.53 km/l. The great efficiency of the drivetrain could be explained by the use of a 6-speed robotised manual gearbox, which, in a clear attempt to save costs, to a $15,950 sticker price, only has a single-clutch, something that could prove uncomfortable on the test drive.
Next car on the list was the** Quantumn Waze QeN,** which was advertised with the most creative of slogans: “Some Price, and stuffs.”. In the metal, the car looked fresh, if not exciting, with a conservative front end and some early 2000s tuner-like rear lights being the only attention-grabbing detail from the rear. The profile was nice, being the first proper wagon, a favourite body style of mine, so far. When I climbed on-board, I was disappointed. The cabin was full of exposed metal, with some really terrible plastics around the place. The stereo was a simple, but decent, unit. I noticed that the car only had two airbags too, and, according to the dealer-provided summary, it didn’t even have ABS. That right there was a deal breaker, due to the merits that ABS has in avoiding accidents and the comfort of mind it provides. After being told that the car didn’t have the system even as an option, I left the dealership angry at Quantumn, for selling a 190 hp, hot-version, for a whopping $18,355, and skimping on such a basic and life-saving device.
On my way to see the Logica, there was a** Rado** shop, with a bold advertisement for their Van, firstly introduced in 1986. Sure it was in budget, but I would never buy a 30-year-old van. I couldn’t help but laugh at their terrible marketing strategies, and was instantly reminded of their famous 1966 car for the British Racing Championship. Back then, some idiot at Rado decided it was a good idea to send a 73 hp ecobox to battle against 250 km/h monsters. Obviously the results were catastrophically bad, with the car more often than not completing fewer laps than cars that had broken down way earlier in the race. As fit for purpose goes, the van suited me just as well as the commie car did back then. At least it served to cheer me up to see the Logica.
First impressions were mixed, the car looked goofy, with the smiley front end and separate projectors for front and rear lights, all in a small minivan body, which wasn’t the most dynamic of shapes to start with. The engine didn’t scream dynamism either, with only 1.2 litres of capacity. However, a fancy variable valve lifting system and high-end forged internals meant a screaming 9000 rpm redline and 120 hp, while still returning 16.07 km/l combined and having the lowest annual service costs so far. To be able to sell a car with such a modern engine for $17,150, costs were cut inside, with badly put together plastics, only two airbags, and a simple radio. Traction control wasn’t present either, but it could be argued that it is hardly necessary in a 120 hp car, even if, like this one, it is RWD. Anyhow, I was intrigued by the little thing, so I decided I would come back later to do a test drive.
I proceeded to the** Luther Toloero BHB.** 2.3 inline 4, 171 hp, RWD, independent suspension all around, this car was a headline grabber. Looked pretty sharp from the front, if not a bit dull, and had a bulbous rear. This could be a brilliant car for me, until I caught a glimpse of the price, $18,640, probably due to the stupidly high tax on engines above 2.0 litres. Sadly, that was far too much, almost 20% more than my already over-blown budget. I simply couldn’t afford this car.
The** MicroDesigns Astro B** followed. A very modern looking car, all in white, with aggressive nose and rear end, if not a bit too finicky, with too many details, for my taste. The 1.9 16-valve engine had 119 hp and is capable of pushing the car to 100 km/h in 10.1s and onto a 200 km/h top speed, while achieving 13.6 km/l combined. Decent numbers, if not stellar. Inside, there was a properly made dashboard, with good materials, a complete stereo system and 6 airbags, despite which the car wasn’t able to get a very high score on the crash tests. But for $18,350, the Astro was simply too expensive, again.
Finally, I reached the end of the dealership littered street, with the last dealer being Smooth. Funny name that one, I must say. Their car was the** BBtB edition Brazil**, which probably explains the garish bright green paint job. The well-made boxy styling was not dynamic, yet it was strangely attractive to me, probably due to the suicide rear doors. The shape also meant that the small footprint was very well used, giving this car a cavernous boot and very spacious interior, which was lined in good-quality plastics and featured a 6-speaker, Bluetooth stereo. Passive safety wasn’t this car forte, with only 2 airbags, but it still managed results as good as the Astro, and the ESP was missing to give this car more dynamic safety, which would come in handy due to the tall body.
Under the bonnet was a 1.0 turbocharged engine, providing 106 hp, which were fed to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. Performance, hampered by the bad aero and high-ish weight, wasn’t brilliant, with a 11.7s 0-100 time and 172 km/h top speed. The aero and weight also compromised fuel economy, giving the car a 11.95 km/l combined consumption. The average repair costs and $15,620 price set the tone for the very average car.
After that I went back home, to round up the cons and pros from the cars that caught my eye. They were, in the order I checked them, the Atarashi Kaishi, the Armada Fore, the Revera EC 180, the Vert STR, the Logica and the Smooth BBtB. Judging the price, economy and service costs alone, the Fore, Smooth and Revera were cut out, leaving me with the Kaishi 1.0 HX, the Vert STR and the Logica to test drive the next day.
First off, I went to drive the Vert. The car was really smooth and comfortable, with a good, consistent power delivery, from the very low pressure turbo, and hardly any road noise inside the cabin. It wasn’t the easiest thing to run around in, and its 4.53m would make it quite hard to park in some of the more crowded parts of the city. The gearbox was, as expected, a bit of a let-down too, being too jerky when changing up and down, with the single clutch usual head banging motion on upshits, and weird behaviour in traffic. The Vert really is a very accomplished car, sadly it was not for me.
Then I went to check out the Logica again. The car was really easy to drive and to park, and felt really agile on the corners, with lots of feedback. The car took its toll on the comfort side, however, being quite bumpy and not ever really settling down on a badly paved road, of which there are plenty here.
At last, I went to Atarashi. The Kaishi wasn’t the fastest of cars, not by a long way, however it just felt right. It was the right size for the crowded city I live in, and it would comfortably sit in my garage. The car was dead easy to drive, with very light controls. The suspension was more supple than the Logica, while still being noisier than the Vert. The fuel economy sat between the other two cars, as did the safety scores. However, the Kaishi, despite the lack of power, was quite fun to drive, cheaper than pretty much all other cars, and, crucially, looked pretty good while doing so. Mine was ordered in Steel Blue.
Thanks so much! I can’t express how much gratitude I have 
. Great writing, fabulous presentation, everything is just right!
…Like the Kaishi. 
Congratulations!
Yeah, I suppose I kinda forgot the height problem, but at the same time, I didn’t want to use a hatchback.
Nice job! This contest is going well.
Comments about the Armada car are very fair: Armada has never been very good at making the entry level trims. They’re still very much the revhead’s friend.
titleguy I believe the floor is now yours!
It’s a shame, Leo, that you didn’t take the Slyde for a drive as the car was built for driving, not posing! 
As for Bogliq’s racing record, we’ve achieved mid-pack in the 1966 BRC which is epically better than the wooden spoon efforts of the previous two decades… We here at Bogliq live by the ethos;
“We race, we learn, YOU win!” 
Enough reminiscing, bring on the next challenge Mr (or Miss, Ms etc.) Titleguy!!! 
Great reviews. Shame I couldn’t make my car any cheaper (or rather shame that I couldn’t be assed to do so 
).
MicroDesigns will be back and better than ever.
Great read!
Maybe next time…
Sorry if anyone found my comments too acid or aggressive, I tried to make the writing fun for the readers and for me. Comments about the racing history of bogliq and rado were there just for entertainment value,but also to reflect how a buyer could actually think in a showroom. For example, I don’t think that the group b metro brought any new clients to rover.
hooooo sooo close.
being the only one that’s not-sub 1L, pretty highly over priced (almost forgot about the VAT) yet, one of the finalist.
that’s enough to satisfy me 
congrats to titleguy, waiting for your challenge next
I did quite well this round actually, I never really expect to do very well here.
Alright guys and gals, it’s my turn.
[size=200]The Commute[/size]
Welcome to round 6 of the TCSR! I plan for this to be the must cut-throat, crazy, mind-numbing challenge of them all. And surprisingly not (with me behind the wheel), it’s something extraordinary. Something extremely difficult to make. It’s very, very hard to win, and if you’re not winning, you’re losing. Oh, you wonder, what car are we making? Is it crazy? Modern? Sporty? Boring? A 4-wheeled definition of insanity? Well, these cars possess a bit of all of those qualities. It’s the dreaded, the one and the only…
[size=200]MID[/size]SIZE [size=200]SEDAN[/size]
“But titleguy” you may ask, “didn’t you just do a competition like this?” To that I answer… Yes. I have. However, I need a new car. Fast. I had a Volkswagen Passat B5 with a 1.8L I4 Turbo. Somehow, it lasted 17 years. But as of now, it’s really got to go. Problems with the quality and mechanical really made me realize that sometimes, you got to change. And that’s where you guys come in. I hate buying new cars and going into dealerships, but I’ll do it since the Passat is seriously deteriorating.
The rules are posted below.
[quote][size=200]-----Rules and Recommendations-----[/size]
- Trim year 2014, 2015, or 2016. Model year can be older to simulate realism.
- Body style must be a sedan. Don’t bet on a wagon or hatchback, as they are terrible sellers in America.
- Wheelbase must be ≥ 105 inches.
- I’m not the richest person which means I will want a base model. Price is highly recommended to be around $23,000 after a 5% price increase.
- Again, I’m not rich, so cars below the price point without much compromise will stand out.
- Even as a “24”-year-old, I am a true car enthusiast. I’ll enjoy a nice engine and good handling, but comfort and amenities are also important.
- Choose wisely. RWD cars, while very fun, could be impractical. I’m daily driving this car, so practicality and comfort are very important.
- Not really a regulation, but I like my cars stylish and sophisticated. I also like realism. If all your cars look the same and this one looks different, well, something’s up.
- I value my life. Safety above 50 and high drivability are appreciated.
- I live in America. Acceleration numbers, while not a top priority, are fairly important.
- Regular fuel is highly recommended, but I’ll allow Premium with a penalty.
- My last and final rule of every one of my challenges: BE REALISTIC!
[/quote]
Good luck and have fun to all!
1 Like
Just do it!
Whoever made that model hasn’t put in the tags for categories, so it falls into all of them. That also leads to a glitch in the stats page, bringing up a .lua error with no values visible.
Looking for a large car to replace your old, tired Euro? Tired of established companies that paint their cars other than blue?
Well you’re in luck because the Bogliq Ambassador 30X is everything you’re looking for and it’s cheap too!
Buy better. Buy Bogliq!!!
Just wondering, what’s your views on manual and automatic transmissions? Automatics dominate the US market, but for an enthusiast the preference is typically manual.