Quicky Tyre Upgrade – Yokohama C.Drive 2 195/60 R15

Here’s a quicky upgrade for those who, like me, are never satisfied with ridiculously small tyres. Relative to the wheel well, your rims could be ok, but your tyre width and height are just wrong, or even comical.

Instead of getting rid of your perfectly good, factory fitted rims, just upgrade the width and height of your tyres. The difference can be quite remarkable.

Not only would your car look better, it would also handle better as well.

Don’t overdo it, though. If you’re not looking to make your car look like an SUV, then you don’t want to put in donuts for tyres. Besides, too big a tyre would just result in scraping of the wheel well or fender.

At the same time, too big a tyre would result in a significant reduction in fuel economy as well as greater wear and tear on the auto-shift and brakes.

For instance, if your factory fitted tyres are 185/55 R15 and there is still a huge gap between your tyre and fender, then going up to 195/60 R15 is just about right. 205/60 would be too fat and too heavy.

And this exercise doesn’t have to be too expensive – women’s shoes like TODs can easily cost RM1000+, whereas four Yokohama C.Drive 2 195/60 R15 costs less than RM700 if you trade in your smaller factory fitted tyres.

Don't Waste Your Time & Money on the Madza 3

A few years back, I contemplated getting the old Mazda 3 (A) 1.6L sedan, which was going for RM115,000. After checking out the Ford Focus S2.0, I decided against the Mazda 3.
Over priced and under powered, the Mazda 3 just didn't cut it.
Two years later, the new Mazda 3 arrives on Malaysia shores. And guess what? It's still over priced (at RM108,000) and under powered.
Ironically, the 1.6L version also comes with the 'S' badge. Well, who is Mazda kidding?
At only 103 brake horse power (Bhp), the 125Bhp Waja CPS would leave the Mazda 3 S in its exhaust wake and in the dust. Imagine what the 145Bhp Focus S would do to the Mazda 3?
No, as usual, Mazda gets it wrong with the 3 series. Not only does the car under perform, Mazda seems to think that it can trump the Toyotas and Hondas that dominate the Malaysian market with the silly Mazda 3 - that silly smile of the new Mazda 3 seems to suggest as much as well.
Yes, the Mazda 3 (A) 2.0L performs much better than the 1.6L version, but compared to other cars in its class, the 2.0L version is still over priced and still under performs.
So, don't waste your time and money on the Mazda 3.