Honda CR-Z vs Honda Insight - Impractical vs Boring

When I first saw the pictures of the brand new Honda CR-Z hybrid, my heart skipped a beat. This beauty of a hybrid car combined eco-friendly technology with a racing pedigree.

And I was all set to get one, until I realised that the two rear seats were not really seats at all but stowage space for the laptop or knapsack. It may fit two small children but won't do so comfortably - and my children are already in their teens.

So, if I'm going to get the CR-Z, it would have to be at the expense of two rear passenger seats, and for someone with a family, this is a big issue.

The alternative to the CR-Z would be Honda's Insight, a boring, ho-hum, albeit practical hybrid. Although it is better looking and far more popular than the Toyota Prius hybrid, the Insight's looks are rather staid.

As Honda's CR-Z looks show, hybrids don't have to be boring looking. Yet, the only two practical and affordable hybrids at the moment are the Insight and even more boring and prissy looking Toyota Prius.

Then there's the issue of possible long term costs. Sure, you get to save on petrol and loan interest (Maybank is offering lower loan interest rate for hybrid cars; see http://cbt.com.my/111126/maybank-to-offer-special-rates-for-hybrids), but in the long run, you may end up paying more if you need to replace your hybrid's batteries, which could cost anything between RM40k to RM60k.

In short, if you're looking for a practical hybrid that's darn good looking and are willing to take the risk of having to fork out RM40k - RM60k five years from now, you should probably wait a while longer for other car manufacturers to bring in theirs into the country.

But hey, if you think the Honda Insight is darn good looking, then God-bless. Now is a good time as any to get it. At around RM100k, the Insight's a real steal.

And if you don't mind not having two rear seats for adults, then the Honda CR-Z is an even better bet and a real steal at RM115k.

Kia Forte - Last of the Straight-Up "People's Choice" Cars

At the recently held 'Car of the Year Carnival' by Cars, Bikes & Trucks (CBT), the Kia Forte was voted as the "People's Choice" by visitors. This was probably due to the Forte's design appeal and affordability.

A close second was the Hyundai Sonata, which missed winning the award by a small but substantial margin, according to CBT.

I predict that, next year, the "People's Choice" would be a hybrid car.

Why? This is because, in Malaysia, hybrid cars are beginning to be priced at the mid-range car level, if not less.

Yes, the cost of replacement batteries for a hybrid car is a factor to be reckoned with, especially when their replacement price could be about the same as that of replacing an automatic transmission (brand new). Nonetheless, with petrol and diesel prices steadily going up, the ability to cut back on the use of transportation fuel would result in tremendous savings - the hybrid car driver would pay far less for fuel, resulting from driving in the city and suburbs in full-electric mode.

And since the Malaysian Government won't have to dish out higher fuel subsidies (in total) due to reduced fuel consumption, the hybrid car driver enjoys substantial tax breaks, thereby making the hybrid car a value-for-money proposition.

That is to say, as a result of tax breaks given by the Malaysian Government, a hybrid car would cost about as much as its non-hybrid equivalent, if not less.

For example, the Honda Civic Hybrid, which reportedly performs like a Honda Civic 1.8L, is being sold for about RM109,000, which is cheaper than the Honda Civic 1.8L, thanks to the tax breaks provided by the Malaysian Government.

What's more, with the launching of the new Honda Insight Hybrid, prices of hybrid cars could go down even more.

Then there's the Proton Exora Extended Range Electric Vehicle, which is expected to go into production soon. When it does, it might be even cheaper than hybrid cars or cheaper than mid-range cars.

These are exciting times for Malaysian motorists. While the steady increase in oil prices is continuing to put pressure on the cost of living, the standard of living of many Malaysians who rely heavily on private transport can be sustained thanks to the timely affordability of hybrid and electric cars.