Dual CVVT Corolla Altis for Toyota Lovers Who Hate being Out-Gunned

I don't know why, but a lot of Toyota Vios drivers appear to have dreams of grandeur. They would do up their under-powered cars and tail-gate my Kia Forte 2.0SX so closely, as though they're racer-boys to be reckoned with.

It's not like I can't get out of the way or that I can't speed up. Traffic up-front won't allow me to go any faster.

So, as soon as I can, I speed off, leaving the Toyota Vios driver behind in my exhaust fumes.

"Come on, catch up then," I would say out loud. But by then, the Vios would be far behind, struggling to close the distance.

Why do these Toyota Vios drivers even bother? Perhaps they don't know that my Forte is the 2.0L, 155Bhp variant and not the underpowered 1.6L variant. Certainly, there are no markings on my car to indicate as such.

Perhaps it's just the way they are. Having spent so much on a Toyota, they can't help but feel the need to push their cars as hard as they can.

I suppose this is why Toyota came up with the Dual CVVT Toyota Corolla Altis, which is mainly for those Toyota racer boys who want a little more power, so that they don't get left behind in other people's exhaust fumes.

But really, even with the improved torque of 187nm at 3,600 RPM, the Dual CVVT Corolla Altis is largely pointless. With only about 145Bhp, the Dual CVVT Altis would still be out-gunned by the Kia Forte 2.0SX and the Honda Civic 2.0, which are among its major rivals.

Worse still, the Dual CVVT Altis is about RM40,000 more expensive than the Forte 2.0SX.

If you really have about RM132,000 to blow on a car, you're better off with a Honda Civic 2.0. Otherwise, save your RM40,000 and settle for a Kia Forte 2.0SX.

What's more, with so many exciting new options to choose from, including hybrid cars, something like the Dual CVVT Altis is so passe - it simply does not give enough bang for your buck.

I won't go into detail on the Dual CVVT Altis' looks, simply because the matter is relative (although if you ask me, the design is not very exciting and somewhat pointless).

On the balance, the Dual CVVT Altis is like a passing blip on the 'new car' radar - unremarkable and forgettable.

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Addendum: Toyota Priuses are being recalled the world over - about 650,000 of them. The problem? faulty water pump that causes bubbles to build up, preventing proper flow of the radiator coolent, which could result in engine overheating.

Hmm... so much for Toyota's vaunted "quality and reliability" image held high by Toyota fans.

Toyota Altis - An Ugly Car that's Turned Cute

My colleague who would be retiring in a few years time bought the new Toyota Altis 1.8L. This was despite the fact that she initially said it was ugly.

I thought I had convinced her to buy the Honda Civic 1.8L, which is a much better looking car than the silly looking Altis. But no.

She said, her mechanic said that Altis is the best car in the mid-range segment. It has good resale value and 'good handling'.

Well, it has been said that if you put the Toyota badge on just about anything, people would think that it's a good thing because it's Toyota.

As for 'good handling', it has been said that the Altis feels like a 'sampan' or little rowboat.

But I suppose, for a soon-to-retire person, the Altis is good because it's soft and floaty - fit for an old person. And in case she needs to sell it, it would be able to fetch a better-than-average resale price.

Last but not least, she now thinks that the Altis looks OK and by that I think she means it looks cute, which is ugly in a nice way.

Oh, well....