Raise the Flag, Everyone, Regarldless of Your Political Leanings

Have you noticed how fewer and fewer flags are adorning cars in the month of August each year? While these cheap plastic flags are still found in abundance, people have not taken to them like they used to back in the 1990s.

I'm sure everyone who doesn't do it has his or her reasons. My reason is that my car travels at such high speeds that the flags can't withstand the wind that flows over the car, often blowing them off altogether.

Nonetheless, I suspect that for many people, the reason why they don't do it is because the flag has been politicised by certain political factions against rival factions. As a result, many people who are loathed to such politics no longer put flags on their cars.

Well, whatever your political leanings, this country belongs to all of us. For a day in year, we celebrate our country regardless of our political beliefs.

So, on Merdeka day, let us put aside our political differences and raise the flag as one nation.

Raise the flag, people of Malaysia. Raise the flag.

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Addendum: The picture above features a patriotic cabbie who has decorated his cab so marvellously that he deserves a big pat on the back - several in fact.

(see NST Online, 31 Aug 2010 at http://www.nst.com.my/#)

Let Down by AdSense

I must have infringed some kind of weird rule because my AdSense account has been disabled even though I didn't do anything to cheat the system, at least nothing that I know of or comprehend. After all, no reason was given other than that I've done something wrong.

Oh, well. I wasn't really planning on making money out of this blog site. I was simply curious to see how it would work.

If I really wanted to make money, I would have laid out a proper Return on Investments plan - something I'm not quite ready to do because I don't have the time or energy to spare.

For now, I'm just contented with blogging. Maybe someday I'll find a proper way of making money out of this endeavour - just not today.

Big Ass Honda Accord vs Kia Forte

If you are into pissing competitions on the road, here's a bit of advice. Don't buy a big-ass heavy Honda Accord that costs more than RM172,800+.

Why? Because when you meet up with a car like the Kia Forte 2.0SX, you're bound to feel really inadequate.

At slightly more than half the price of the Honda Accord 2.4L, the light-weight Forte 2.0SX has more than enough brake horsepower (BHp) and torque to out-accelerate the Accord 2.4L without really trying so hard.

And how would I know? This morning, on the way to work, an idiot in an Accord 2.4L felt compelled to test his car against my Forte 2.0SX (for whatever reason). Not content with hogging the fast lane, he felt it necessary to cut me off each time I tried to overtake.

"It's ok," I said to myself. "When we reach the toll houses, I'll leave you behind."

As both our cars got through the TAG toll gate, I accelerated my Forte and was overtaking the idiot's Accord. Despite having more BHp under the hood, his Accord was having trouble picking up enough speed to keep my Forte from overtaking.

So, what did the idiot Accord driver do to save his pride, he swerved into my lane and cut me off yet again.

I kept my cool - it's Ramadan or the fasting month after all. And so, I continued to drive at my usual brisk pace, while the idiot Accord driver was doing his level best at zipping in and out of lanes just to keep me from getting ahead.

But you see, when you're driving a big ass Honda Accord 2.4L with inferior acceleration, you're bound to be caught up in traffic. And that's what happened to the idiot in his Accord.

By chance, the lane I was in was relatively clearer than his. And so, I overtook him, finally.

Not content with just letting things be, the idiot did whatever he could to catch up. By then, I was already indicating to get into a via-duct, which clearly meant that the pissing competition was over and that the idiot in his Accord had lost.

Guess what the LOSER did? He blared his honk as he passed, probably out of frustration.

Disgraceful.

And I wasn't even trying so hard in my Forte 2.0SX.

When Not Enough Attention is Paid to Public Transport - 9 Day Jam

The ultimate in traffic congestion ridiculousness can be found in China where there is such a thing as a 9-day jam. According to an AFP report, thousands of vehicles were bogged down yesterday in a more than 100-kilometre (62-mile) traffic jam leading to Beijing. But the jam began 9 days ealier, resulting in many being stuck in the crawl, presumably, for days.

I can't imagine this happening in Malaysia, but the reality is that it could. So many roads have been built to connect KL to the suburbs and beyond. Yet very little attention is paid to improving public transport run by different private operators using different ticketing systems.

Already the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) is turning out to be not so smart because of the terrible congestion inside it during rush hour.

The same goes for the not-so-smart-for- someone-to-use-during-rush-hour MEX linking Kesas highway to KLCC.

If something doesn't happen to discourage people from driving to and from work, no matter how good the tunnels or highways are, they're going to be congested to the brim. And one day, people would get stuck for more than several hours.

The solution lies in removing fuel subsidies for private transport. When people feel the fuel pinch, they'll turn to public transport. When public transport companies make good money, they'll improve their service, provided there is a unified body that looks into the matter - not different government agencies for different aspects of public transport.

Ultimately, the idea is so that we can all increase national productivity - when you spend less time on the road, your employer stands to make more money with you being in the office and in a good state of mind. And you, as a person, would have better life-work balance.

(see http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100823/sc_afp/chinaroadtraffic).

Be Careful Which Car You Buy Next - Oil Price Set to Go Past USD147

Nice car this BMW, yes? If you could afford to buy one, would you get it without a second thought? Well, unless you're super-duper rich, you'd better have second thoughts.

Why? Because of high fuel prices.

If you think you're rich enough to afford high fuel prices, well, wait till the price of oil skyrockets to pre-2008 downturn highs and beyond. Unless you're super-duper rich, you'd likely regret feeling comfortable about current fuel prices.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is forecasting that world oil demand will set a new record next year when is smashes through 2008’s pre-recession high of about USD147 per barrel, warning that the “era of cheap oil is over.”

Basically, the argument is that, although market volatility may well bring about episodic price collapses, demand for oil will continue to grow each time the world puts in measures to stave off economic collapse. And since the output of non-OPEC countries cannot be increased fast enough to meet this rising demand - deepwater and oil sands cannot be relied on to pick up the slack, despite the media hoopla - the world would have to rely even more heavily on OPEC's spare capacity. If this begins to dwindle by 2013, as the IEA suggests – which OPEC denies – then the world should expect a period of extreme market volatility, soaring prices and, most likely, a marked downturn in the rather fragile global economic recovery.

So, would it be wise for you to invest in fuel guzzling, high-performance cars like BMWs, Mercedeses, Audis, etc or, worse, big and heavy premium SUVs and MPVs? Apparently not. That is to say, no one in his or her right mind should simply want to buy cars without really thinking about what the oil prices would be like in the future.

Yes, you could be rich, but even the rich worry about children's education, retirement, hospital bills, etc. This is why we can see a lot of BMW drivers driving more slowly on highways, obviously to conserve the RON 97 fuel in their tanks - BMWs don't do so well with the cheaper RON 95 fuel and RON 97 is a lot more expensive these days.

For that matter, those who have become rich by working hard for their money should be even more sensitive about the fact that cars give the least amount of returns on investment, due to their high depreciation rate.

So, for most people, this means buying the most fuel efficient car you can afford and, I suspect, they would exclude cars like BMWs, Mercedeses, Audis and the like.

And this is why I don't bother reviewing such cars on my blogsite. Rather, I prefer to concentrate on, to borrow somewhat ironically from BMW's tag-line, "the future of the automobile", which are low-to-mid-range cars that give you far more kilometres per litre than high-range performance cars.

And hey, if you want to experience high performance cars by proxy, you can always turn to motoring shows like Top Gear and Fifth Gear.

Simply put, if you're dreaming of that BMW or VW GTI but feel rather reluctant about sinking your hard earned savings into one, then consider yourself wise. Harder times are coming and the smarter thing to do is to put your money in something that helps you save fuel and maintenance cost.

Ban on Mobile Phones in School a Downright Silly Policy

We want our kids to become savvy in the ways of the 21st century. So, our schools have computer labs that teach them how to source for information on the fly, compile research data and write reports based on that data.

But then, the schools have a ban on - of all things - the mobile phone!

I don't know whose silly idea it was and, with all due respect, it's a downright silly idea.

Mobile phones these days are more than just for voice communications. They are extensions of the laptop or desktop computer.

And a nation that's behind in the use of such technology is a nation that does not want to encourage innovation in the use of such technology. Yet, we all know that for Malaysia to break out of its "middle income nation" trap, it needs innovations.

This means the up and coming younger generation of Malaysians need to have mindsets that are open to innovation.

So, why the hell are mobile phones banned in school? Among the reasons given is that it's a distraction, which is a disciplinary issue. Another reason is that it can be used to as a means for covert bullying - through text messaging.

Yet another reason is that it would divide the haves from the have-nots.

As the world progresses, these and similar others reasons hold less and less water, to the point where they become downright silly.

Take the distraction excuse. It's a disciplinary issue. Well, are the teachers in school so inept that they cannot stop the kids in their classes from distracting themselves with the mobile phone? If so, it's not the kids who should be punished but the teachers.

As for covert bullying, bullies are very creative. Stop them from using one means, they'll resort to another. It's something all kids have to deal with in one way or another. Banning mobile phones in school won't stop bullies from bullying. Bullying is stopped through proper enforcement of school regulations or disciplinary action, or parental or even police intervention.

As for dividing the haves from the have-nots, when I was growing up, my parents couldn't afford electronic gadgets or computers till I was nearly 17 years old. So, was I ostracised by my friends who did? No. I made friends with those who were happy to share and I learned the value of working hard so that I could own my own gadgets and computers (I now own several at once).

It's time for the silly mobile phone ban to be lifted from school. Children should be taught the responsibility of owning and using mobile phones because they are becoming more integral in children's lives now and in the future. At the very least, during emergencies, parents would be able to contact their children directly. And with mobile phones, our children would learn what it means to be creative or innovative, what with the future of our nation in their hands.

New Saga is the Best Selling Malaysian Small Car - But Not by Much

Based on the data on car sales published by the Malaysian Automotive Association for June 2010, Proton's New Saga is the best selling Malaysian car. Among the reasons why this is so is Proton's smart pricing placement, beginning with the slightly under RM40,000 baseline New Saga models.

This, in a way, justifies Proton's decision to not bother putting in additional safety features into the New Saga, like anti-brake locking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and curtain air-bags.

Also, time and again, data shows that motorists tend to prefer sedans over hatchbacks, most likely because of the extra boot space sedans provide. For June 2010, as many as 6,649 New Sagas were sold, whereas only 6,495 Perodua MyVis were sold for the same period.

However, the fact that the New Saga managed to outsell the MyVi by only 154 units goes to show that smartly pricing a sedan like the New Saga cannot be relied on too heavily. It could be that many car buyers still consider MyVis as offering better quality and come with better after-sale service. If this were true, then it shows Proton as continuing to suffer from the problem of poor quality image (imagined or otherwise).

This could be the reason why Perodua's Alza outsold Proton's Exora by 721 units for June 2010, which is far more than the figure for the New Saga outselling the MyVi - the Alza is smaller than the Exora but cheaper.

There is really nothing more Proton can do about its poor quality image problem other than to continue producing good cars and providing good after-sale services. What it can do to make the New Saga sell even better, apart from introducing the SE variant, is to introduce New Saga variants that come with ABS with EBD, and even those that come with curtain airbags. This would help Proton expand the New Saga's market share in the small car segment for Malaysia, which is currently dominated by Perodua.

Yes, Malaysians in general don't mind going without ABS or EBD, as the June 2010 figures show. But now that Proton's New Saga is leading in that segment of the small car market, Proton should really look into getting a chunk out of the small-car-equipped-with-ABS segment where MyVis and Vivas dominate.

Suzuki Alto - Surprisingly Good and Refreshing

For a thing that comes from India, you'd expect it to be quirky in design like a Mahindra Scorpio or basic-utilitarian like Tata's pickups. But the Suzuki Alto isn't anything like that.

It's a future-proof car designed by Suzuki, incorporating European styling preferences, money-saving features and environmental considerations.

Slightly smaller than the ever popular Perodua Myvi but lighter, the Alto looks refreshingly stylish and promises to get you from point A to point B in safety and comfort while saving on fuel.

Say what you may about an eco-friendly, fuel saving car, but if looks butt-ugly, no one's going to want to buy it unless he or she really doesn't care about looking silly in a butt-ugly car. So, for a car to sell, it needs to be stylish and eye-catching.

As style preferences go, European style preferences tend to help cars sell better than those that adopt other style preferences. Hence, it is smart of Suzuki to adopt contemporary design elements found in popular European small cars epitomised by the Fiat 500.

More than that, the Alto has a very low drag coefficient of 0.30 and its body is strong enough to earn a 4-star Euro NCAP rating (according to Suzuki). At the same time, the body uses a lot of high-tensile steel, resulting in a good weight-to-power ratio, which makes the Alto feel nippy and sip (instead of guzzle) fuel.

Most important of all, the Alto comes with airbags (including curtain airbags for side-impact) as well as anti-brake lock system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and brake assist - these are crucial for you to avoid accidents.

All this and more for about RM51,000+, which is about RM6,000 more than the smaller Viva Elite of comparable specifications and about RM5,000 cheaper than the Myvi of similar specifications.

Personally, if I were in the market for a small new car, the Alto is probably what I'd go for.

Saman Ekor, a Double Edge Sword

Almost every motorist in Malaysia has been caught. The reasons vary from reckless disregard, to emergency, to simple practicality.

Whatever the reason, Malaysians have been given a reprieve to settle their speeding summons or "saman ekor" by the end of February 2011, thus allowing Malaysians to renew their driving licences, insurances and road taxes.

The reprieve was given as a result of a public outcry over the injustice of saman ekor as well as its sheer inconvenience. It could also signal the doing away of saman ekor almost entirely if there were enough popular pressure.

Among the reasons given by the Federal Government that saman ekor is preferable to on-the-spot interaction between traffic police and traffic offenders is that it reduces the incidence of bribery.

On the flip-side, the sheer inconvenience of appearing in court to defend oneself means that one would be more inclined to simply settle a saman ekor despite the fact that one had a reasonable excuse for speeding.

So, the fact of the matter is, there needs to be balance between saman ekor and the actual pulling over of traffic offenders by the traffic police.

Avoidance of bribery should not be an excuse to not allow traffic offenders to plead their case with traffic police officers, simply because people may have a valid reason for going over the speed limit, such as emergencies and pressing matters related to their jobs, e.g. journalism and broadcasting.

Also, if the Government does not want the police to be tempted to accept bribes, it should not merely try to limit the public's interaction with traffic police personnel, but instead pay those police officers well enough, such that they would not be easily tempted to take bribes.

At the same time, one can appreciate saman ekor as a disciplining tool that helps to reduce traffic accidents, especially during festive seasons. It would be simply impractical to pull over traffic offenders by the hundreds during balik kampung season.

Whatever the case, the Government must not appear to be opportunistically increasing its income through the collection of saman ekor payments. This cannot be the objective of saman ekor to begin with because it would be a form of indirect tax applied randomly to tax payers, which goes against the principles of natural justice.

In that regard, speed limits on highways and byways must be realistically set according to scientific research on the relationship between speed and road accidents on particular types of roads. As it is, there appears to be too many roads in Malaysia with unrealistic speed limits, e.g. 80 Kph on 4-lane highways that are mostly straights or 60 Kph on well-constructed byways that gently meanders.

In short, it's time to revisit the proper uses of saman ekor as well as the proper speed limits of highways and byways. As the recent outcry against saman ekor shows, the current system is broken and it won't help the Federal Government win votes.

Sick & Tired of Jams in KL

I hate jams. I know everyone does, but I think I'm especially hateful of jams, particularly those in KL. That's because they ruin my ability to cruise at high speeds.

As a result, I find myself leaving my home early to work and going home late most of the time, just so I'd be able to avoid jams.

Unfortunately, these days, leaving home early and going home late doesn't quite cut it. It would seem that many people have wised up to the benefits of doing what I'm doing and causing the roads to be, well, congested early in the mornings and late in the evenings too!

So, really, a solution must be found so that our lives don't involve spending close to 5 hrs on commuting to work from home and back, five days a week, every week.

What might it be? Believe it or not, it involves increasing fuel prices. That's right. The best way to get rid of productivity reducing road congestion is to increase fuel prices.

You see, when former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi increased fuel prices drastically, the number of cars plying the roads fell drastically as well. This made commuting more efficient.

More than that, more people began using public transport. Yes, Malaysia's public transport system is generally in a sorry state. But with more people using public transport, the revenue generated by companies that run public transport would rise, allowing them to provide better buses, trains and cabs, as well as services.

So, while I know that my income would take a hit as a result of fuel price hikes, I'm actually looking forward to the day when Malaysia's roads are less congested and public transport is better and more efficient. While I may be one of those who would be forced to take public transport most of the time, I would have the option to take the car and cruise at high speeds when I need to.

Nissan X-Trail - Putting the Rear Lights at the Front

Nissan makes good cars. Don't believe me? Check out the Nissan GTR, which is one of the best super cars in the world.

So, it really boggles the mind when Nissan comes out with funny cars that don't quite cut it like how the Nissan GTR does. One of them is the Nissan X-Trail.

Boxy and retro looking, the X-Trail is probably one of the weirdest looking sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in existence, next to the Suzuki Jimny. And it just got weirder, in that the latest variant comes with headlights that look like they should have been in the rear.

It's almost as if Nissan's designers loved how some of their tail-light designs looked so much that they just couldn't resist putting one of them on the new X-Trail. And since the design wouldn't fit in the rear, they thought, "Hey! Lets put them in the front!"

So, now, not only does the X-Trail look terribly boxy, it looks butt-ugly at the front, too.

Note that the new X-Trail being sold in Malaysia is the 2-wheel drive version. Hence, its tyres are more suited for highways and byways, and not for off-roading or for sandy/muddy terrain.

So, why the heck are the wheel wells so damn big? They look like they're meant for accommodating super-sized tyres that are used for off-roading.

Sigh!

To be fair, the new X-Trail has some extras thrown in to keep it contemporary, such as key-less entry and start-up, MP3 player, rear air-con ventilation and drinks cooler, as well as six-speed auto-transmission.

Still, with all of the new X-Trail's design oversights and a whopping price of RM149,000+ on the road, it would be one of the last things I would consider buying if ever I were in the market for a new SUV, especially when there are newer and far more interesting alternatives around like the contemporary looking Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

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Addendum: Not many car manufacturers can carry through boxy designs with real style. Rover is one and Kia is another (see the Kia Soul). Looking at the X-Trail, Nissan in not among those that can.

Also, with great looking competition around to trump the X-Trail in terms of design, you really would do better to consider such alternatives.

A good example is the new Hyundai Tucson. Check out the chic curves and slanted lines. At about RM140,000 for its high-spec version, it looks to be a much better buy than the boxy-ass, butt-face X-Trail.

Cheeky Little Mazda 2 Hatchback

Cruising along the highway at about 140 Kph, I saw something bright green come up the rear. Curious, I let it catch up.

As I thought, it was a new Mazda 2 hatchback with an enthusiastic driver behind the wheel.

Easily, I could have outrun the green thing, but I moved over to let it pass. "Ooh! Not bad," I thought, as it zoomed pass.

And then the chase was on.

It wasn't my intention to race with it. I just wanted to know how quickly it could go.

As I suspected, the Mazda 2 hatchback wasn't all that quick, because it only has a 1.5L engine under the hood. I could have left it behind in my exhaust trail, but I chose not too.

Instead, I found myself admiring the cheeky little thing.

I consider it cheeky because it has all the 'blings' of a sports car - low profile tyres on 16-inch sport rims, sporty colour (bright green) and highly contemporary looks, as well as irresistible "smile" of an intake grill at the front.

Yes, it's pricey for a little thing like that. For about RM85,000+ on the road price, the Mazda 2 hatchback is not for your average Joe or Jane. Still, if you're in the market for something other than a Toyota Vios, a Honda City or even Kia Forte, then the Mazda 2 is really worth considering.

So what if it's not really a sports car?

The cheeky little Mazda 2 I trailed pushed all the way to 160 Kmh before I overtook it at 170 Kmh.

No, I wasn't showing off... oh, well, maybe just a little. But I really enjoyed looking at the Mazda 2 while trailing it.

And if I had the money, I wouldn't mind owning one either.

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Addendum: The inside of the Mazda 2 hatchback is a little cramp, but that simply adds to its charm. When in it, I don't feel like I'm in a Proton or some other common car. Rather, I feel like I'm in a Mazda quality car that's light and spirited.

The Mazda 2 hatchback doesn't have the kind of accessories you'd find in a Kia Forte, such as push button start and keyless entry (which are standard for the Forte). Still, if you know how reliable and sturdy Mazda cars are, you wouldn't mind going without a few of such accessories.

Monkey See, Monkey Do, the New Sonata a Camry, Too

The new Hyundai Sonata is here in Malaysia. At first glance, its flowing lines make it look cool and contemporary.

Then, after a while, I started seeing the Toyota Camry underneath the new Sonata. All of a sudden, the new Sonata resembled a Camry-made-ugly.

Maybe it's just me. I tend to prefer cars that are curvaceous but more slanted with angular lines.Maybe it's because I've seen the precursor to the new Sonata, code-named the YF, and I prefer the YF.

Maybe it's a combination of both.

Whatever it is, Hyundai is not shy to compare the new Sonata to the Camry. Obviously, it's the executive saloon market that Hyundai is targeting with its new Sonata, a market segment in which Toyota's Camry is the current leader.

So, monkey see, monkey do. What works for the Camry should also work for the new Sonata with a few extra bells and whistles thrown in, like moon roof, larger-than-Camry interior and bold (and somewhat over-the-top) styling.

I suppose the deliberate intent to make the new Sonata like the Camry has tampered the bold "flow" styling, such that it looks a little too much. Also, the need to retain aspects of other Hyundai cars, like those of the X20, also limits the "flow" styling.

Bottom line, people like me would not be too impressed with the new Sonata. But if the new Sonata is at least as good as the Camry, I suspect many among those who like the Camry and are looking for a little more "boldness" would probably like the new Sonata enough to buy one for themselves.

For more details, see http://www.hyundaiusa.com/sonata/exterior.aspx

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Addendum: The following are pics of the Sonata YF, which I think is so much better looking than the new Sonata (2011).

Goodbye darling, hello baby!

Sometimes you get things wrong to get things right. That's just the way it is.

After deciding to upgrade from my Proton Waja, I scouted around for a worthy replacement and found the Ford Focus S2.0.

The fun lasted for a while, until the car started to act up, requiring thousands upon thousand of ringgit in repairs.

So, I sold the Focus and bought the Kia Forte 2.0 SX. After driving the Forte for more than two weeks, I've come to realise that this is what I should have bought right after selling the Waja.

Of course, the Forte would not have been around about 3 years ago. Still, looking back, I can't help compare my old Waja to the Forte and conclude that the Forte is what the Waja should have been.

Let me explain.

You see, the Proton Waja was the first "performance" car that I owned. Yes, do laugh out loud, because we all know that, as far as performance goes, the Waja can't come close to being called that, at least not without heavy modifications.

And heavily modified was what my Waja was. From custom made extractor, to soft turbo, to spark plug enhancers, to adjustable coil springs and shocks, to stabiliser bar, etc, the Waja was quicker at standing start and around corners than most other cars on the road.

But then, it had two basic flaws. The first was its under-powered engine, which needed several thousand ringgit more to boost, and second, it didn't come with anti-brake lock/electronic brake distribution system (ABS/EBD).

Now, the Kia Forte 2.0 SX is not a performance car either, but it's what I aspired my Waja to be. With a 2.0 litre engine, the Forte 2.0 SX can outpace most cars on standing start without going all the way to 5,500 RPM (revolutions per minute) and it takes corners without tilting a lot (almost flat) or without swerving, thanks to its stiff chassis and traction control system (TCS).

Granted that the springs and shocks are a little soft, at least they allow the Forte 2.0 SX to perform well around corners, whilst providing a comfortable ride on bumpy straights - not like the Waja's adjustable shocks and absorbers that tended to bounce the car quite a bit.

As for overtaking, the Forte 2.0 SX is surprisingly eager to rev, such that I have to be careful when pressing down the throttle to shift automatically to a lower gear before passing other cars.

Once, I kept up with a Camry 2.4L that tried to outrun my Forte 2.0 SX for the fun of it. The Camry didn't manage to outrun my Forte 2.0 SX.

More interestingly, when I looked down at my speedometer and my rev metre, I saw that my Forte was doing 170 Kmh at 3rd gear and still accelerating.

"Okay, time to throttle back", I said out loud. "This is not why I bought this car," I added, reminding myself loudly that I didn't buy my Forte 2.0 SX for racing about.

Interior wise, my Forte 2.0 SX reminded me a lot of my old Waja. The central column cup holders are where they were in my Waja and the handbrake is on the right side (which is the correct side) of the cup holders instead of to the left. The seats are firm, yet comfy. And the cabin space is sufficiently spacious.

Plus, unlike my old Waja, my Forte 2.0 SX has most of the "bells and whistles" you'd expect in the latest generation of high-end cars, such as push-button start, keyless entry and locking, lighted-speedometer, 6-CD MP3/WMA player with bass-boost settings, auto-dim rear view mirror, etc.

All for the price of RM94,000++.
Again, I say, this is what my old Waja should have been like. In one word, the Forte 2.0 SX is "perfect".

That is to say, you don't need to tweak its performance and you certainly don't have to try very hard to do up its looks - I just added wider and slightly larger tyres because I like how larger tyres look on a car and I swapped out the honker for something more macho sounding.

The original honker sounded like a Kancil's honker. Not so perfect, huh? Well, swap that out and the car will be :)

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Addendum: Notice that I didn't compare my Forte 2.0 SX to my old Focus S2.0. Well, that's because the Forte 2.0 SX doesn't pretend to be a performance car like the Focus S2.0.