jbowman1993

When I watched the Lost Season I special features, the show creator mentioned that the original concept of the show had a 5 season storyline arch, that was mapped out before the show ever started filming.

Looks like you'll have several years to get all the loose ends tied.

I change my oil every 5,000 km. People say you can let it go longer, others say every 5k. I don't know which is right, but its so cheap to do it, I figure better safe than sorry.

Air filter once a year. (its too dusty here to let it go longer than that)

IMO, you are all nuts.

G- go handle your business and stop bitching over the internet

K - If you don't have anything nice to say, shut up

Stop cluttering up this great subforum with your petty ridiculousness.

Ripping your current employer is not the best way to attract new potential employers.

Looks like someone hit one too many branches when they fell off the stupid tree.

I have to disagree with Golden's being worthless are guard dogs. My golden is very friendly and inviting to any person who walks by, when I am there.

When I am not there, it is a different story. He will bark and growl with the best of them (reports from the village security guards).

Peace

Also, don't expect the students to respect you.

Oh I don't know. My students all straighten up and "Wai" me like crazy. But then, I was always taught that respect is not just given, it has to be earned.

I have placed about 10 Amazon orders over the past year, and they all have been delivered no problem.

I have always used there "Standard International Shipping". It is mailed through the USPS, and they charge by weight. It takes about 7-10 business days, and I've never had a problem with it. If you are a Nervous Nelly, you could go with the DHL option, but it costs a good deal more.

On 8 of the 10 deliveries, there was not customs charge, even thought the items and value were clearly printed on the outside of the box. On the other two, I had to go to the post office to claim the box, and had to pay a duty on the items (Both cases they were DVD's).

After those two instances, I have taken to shipping to my wife's business address, using her name, and have never had another duty applied.

Lastest order was a batch of baby books (paperback, to save weight). They were quite heavy, anyway (DR. Spock was 900 pages).

Book total was US $25, and shipping was US$ 20.

Peace

Bangkok Post

Friday, February 24th, 2006

THE BEST SAFETY IS YOU

Despite all the advances in automotive safety technology, even one of the safest car makers in the world still says it's up to you _ the driver

ABS, EDB, BAS, ESP, SRS, ASR, DSC, WHIPS, RSC _ none of these acronyms for safety equipment you see in car catalogues mean anything if the driver does not drive safely and responsibly.

So how do we find out how safe is a driver?

In a perfect world, there should be a standardised system that have require every motorist to take a driving test on a regular basis to rate how safe he or she is. The safer the driver is rated, the faster the car he is allowed to drive and the mediocre drivers would be limited to base-spec MPV's and family estates only _ no matter how much money they have in the bank.

However, we live in an imperfect world where skilled drivers share the road with newbies and drunk drivers. Many automotive engineering advances have been made to make up for human shortcomings and help make cars technically safer.

It is no surprise that Mercedes-Benz is also a pioneer in car safety technology. ABS, EBD and airbags are just few of the safety equipment that Mercedes-Benz co-developed with its suppliers. But even Mercedes know fully well that the most important element in road safety is nothing they can develop in any laboratory or workshop: the driver. The best form of safety is the avoidance of danger and the most crucial element in achieving that is the driver.

Since 1972, Mercedes-Benz has been developing safety driving programmes to enhance the skills of the German law enforcement. Since the 1990's, the programmes have been adapted and offered to Mercedes-driving civilians too.

In the intervening years, Mercedes trained hundreds of thousands of motorists to become safer drivers, devising courses to suit different types of drivers with the aim to develop their driving skills.

I recently had the privilege to take part in the latest such programme designed to enhance defensive driving skills. Yawn? If it helps me and my significant others live longer I would learn it.

The whole idea of the training course was to subject participants to simulated life threatening situations in a test-track environment but safe to practice on.

Braking. This action sounds simple, right? Then take this into consideration: on average, a sober driver in a car with good visibility (no rain or such) would take one second to react in order to press the brake pedal.

So for instance, if you're driving at a speed of 50kph, that's 14 metres gone by. The actual braking distance in a good car can be 12 metres _ that's 26 metres total. So what?

Michael Waykopf, my group instructor, imparted some of his knowledge: a simple equation is that the actual braking distance multiplies by four times when a speed is doubled.

So, at 100kph, the braking distance needed is 12x4 = 48 metres. And don't forget that one second response time adding another 28 metres _ altogether that's 76 metres or a football field.

When was the last time you drove at that distance from the car in front on a highway? Chances are, you don't and neither do I (at least not on a Bangkok expressway). Could you or I smash into a broken down car with a baby on board? Ummm.

This helped me recall a rule of thumb of highway driving: leave a gap of three seconds between yourself and the car in front.

The training course comprised three braking exercises. First was to illustrate how we could rearend another car by driving too close. Second, full braking and steering away from an obstacle at the same time.

This is not really possible in cars without ABS and EBD. You probably hear about it, but unless you try it out you never would have known how you could stomp on the brake and steer at the same time.

The third exercise involved braking in a tight turn when three of the outside wheels are on a slippery surface which provoked a spin.

Not only do you have to brake (let's say otherwise you might fall off a cliff or something) but you have to countersteer (turn the wheels in the direction of the spin to keep the car sliding that way) to keep the car pointing in the right direction.

Sudden lane change. Again, something you probably do every day, but don't just hope you can make it safely every time by counting on luck or karma. Now I learned why they do the slaloms _ it's to simulate evasive manoeuvres when you need to go around obstacles. After completing the slalom, I felt like doing a high-speed lane change and back into my own lane.

In this exercise, the Electronic Stability Program installed with every new Mercedes cars showed its merit by lessening those slides trying to maintain the car in the right direction. So, to master this manoeuvre we had to turn the ESP off.

However, it must be noted that even with ESP off, the Mercedes still maintained a lesser level of electronic stability control (hey, this is supposed to be a safe car) and once you brake the ESP comes back on.

Mastering six exercises took one full day and it was one of the most valuable training I ever had in my life. Do road users have to thank me for being one less road hazard?

No, don't count on that. Earning a degree from college doesn't guarantee you success in life and neither does the certificate I earned that day warrant safety.

Safety is a state of mind and possessing the right skills. Like in sports, there is no substitute for practice, so learn and keep driving, safely.

I've always found that its amazing what a little, soap, water, and elbow grease will do.

Don't warm it up

Bangkok Post

Friday, February 17, 2006

A close friend called me up one day and asked about the pros and cons of the morning ritual of engine warm-up.

After a shoddy explanation, he proceeded on to ask me whether I had ever written on this subject, and if I did, requested a photocopy asap so that he could mail it to his next-door neighbours who never failed to warm up their automobiles _ 10 minutes every morning _ so that my friend and his family could smell the awful exhaust.

Warming up the engine is what we call running the engine without subjecting it to a load. During this phase, the engine is cold as long as the operating temperature of the coolants are below 90-98 degrees Celsius. Normal operating temperatures can reach 110 degrees during steep terrain.

During the cold period of the engine which is about 25-30 degrees (as in Thailand) there exists a host of phenomenon, so to speak, that will already contribute to the deterioration of the engine in general.

Engine oil that hasn't reached its operating temperature will be sticky and will be a tad hard to be transformed into spray particles as it is fed into the cylinder walls.

Meanwhile the fuel spray being injected from the injectors meet with air that isn't hot enough resulting in incomplete vapourisation. The residue that does not vapourise remains and gets in the way of the intake valves and cylinder walls.

And the fuel spray that was vapourised and mixed with air that comes in contact with cold cylinder walls will result in condensation. End result is that the blob will collect on the piston rings and cylinder walls after mixing with the lubricants. Lubricating capacity is lost by a great deal.

The only reason why the engine operates normally is that the engineer has already thought of this problem. A special programme has been incorporated to distribute additional fuel. However, there is no programme to make up for the deterioration experienced while the engine is not ''warm'' enough.

The primary issue here is that engines that run without load or what is conventionally called as idling take a very long time to warm up.

Terefore, warming up the engine for over 10 minutes will still not be enough for it to reach operating temperature. Engines running with a load usually take about 3-4 minutes to warm up properly.

Most engines running on the streets today have a life of about 300,000-400,000 kilometres based on the average deterioration or engine wear with ''cold'' and ''normal'' operating modes.

If an engine is used continuously without subjecting it to cold-starts at all, you could prolong the engine's lifecycle by 2-3 times the expected lifecycle of the engine.

I'd like to wrap things up by saying that you don't have to warm up the engine at all. Start the ignition, buckle up, check your fuel level, adjust seating position _ which should take about 15 seconds _ and drive off.

The stereotype on engine warm-up was born from the carburettor era a few decades ago. If you didn't warm up your engine, chances are it could stall after start.

Of course, the engine isn't a human athlete. These are the extreme ends of the spectrum and are very different. Of course, before competitions it is necessary to warm up the engine.

But you'd still be required to warm it up at intervals in order to achieve a virtual load and not rely on warming it up at idle as many people still do.

Jessada Tandhasettee is former department head of automotive engineering studies at Rangsit University and is currently a technical consultant. He holds a master's degree in automotive engineering from Technical University, Berlin, Germany.

Thanks for all the replys great Info !!, I was intrested in jbowman1993 comment ......

I went with the blue. If you do that, they make you pay 30k "earnest" money, since they don't sell many. But on the plus side, you will probably get it quick, since they don't make many of them. (the wait list is very short)

......................................

may be i am a bit slow on the up take, but if the vheciles color is not that good a seller, then would you not expect that there would be a " reduction " in price just to get the color moving onto the streets,and into the buying publics attention ... ? to increase sales ...?

just a thought .

Thanks to all ............. Razor

To answer that question correctly requires a lot of time ...and has been well covered before .. suffice it to say in Thailand low sales of a product does not always mean a price reduction or discount..the philosophy is different ..when you fully understand it please tell us !!!but for now the market logic that applies in Uk etc does not always apply in LOL . Go with the flow you will do your head in trying to work it out .

Sorry, I should have been more clear. The 30k I paid was not an extra charge. It was part of the down payment, but I had to pay it several weeks before the car was delivered. My understanding is that they do it to make sure that you are serious, because if they produce the vehicle, and you say you don't want it, they will have a hard time selling it, since its not a popular color in LOS.

So, since I intended to 140k down, I paid the 30k a few weeks in advance, and then the remaining 110k when i took delivery of the truck.

After all this, I decided this was not for me..... if this is any indication of what being with a THAI man is all about, then its ByE - ByE & not for me.

You're words, not mine

Yeah, i was gonna lay into her for making sweeping generalizations, which have no place in modern society.

Dating one Thai guy, and using that experience to label all Thai men is stupid, plain and simple.

Maybe you just have bad taste in men?

Whatever floats your boat, i suppose

*********************

I have been looking at buying my first " new" vehicle here in Thailand, and like the look of the Toyota Hilux Vigo pick up Double cab 3.0 lt auto 4x4 , The toyota dealership in Korat offered the following ...

Pick up price ..................... 871.000

Government Insurance ...........753

registration & road tax ........ 8.000

First class insurance ...........22.000

red number plate ................... 3.000 ( refundable )

The vehicle comes with the following " free" options.

1. Rear liner

2. Window tint

3. Rubber floor mats

4. Under body protection spray

5. Window wind deflectors

6. Body paint protection spray

7. 10Lt of fuel

I am thinking of having the following options fitted....

1. Wooden style dash board & door arm rest covers ....... 3,330

2 .Door wing mirrors with indicator flashers .........................6,045

3.Door sill scratch preventers ..................................................1,070

The Pick up comes with a 3 year or 100,000Km warranty

A 5,000 Baht deposit is required when placing an order

As this would be the first new vehicle I have purchased here in Thailand

can some one please answer the following points,

A. Does the above list of " free" options look standard, or should I ask for more, if so what..?

B. What's the best way to Pay for the Vehicle, I have the cash but feel going around with it in my pocket

to the dealership could produce a problem..?

C. The colors available are ..metallic Silver, & gold which seem to be popular,

Metallic blue , which you don't see very often, and last Metallic Black, this looks great, but ive seen a few that need washing and they then seem to look old..? comments from forum members who have a Black vehicle welcome, So I am still not sure which color to go for .

D. in the past ive only had old second hand vechicles,with low risk type insurance ( third party )

can some one outline just what should be included in the " first Class" insurance the dealership are offering...?

E. As the pick I am looking at is a Auto 4X4 , and never having a 4X4 in the past, could some one outline for me what to do to use the 4X4 option...? , also what does .. On the fly ... mean when talking about 4X4 ..?

A. I got all those options, plus, gear shift lock, spare tire lock, emergency road kit, alarm/keyless entry, and english owners manuel. Squeeze em for a bit more! I also paid 3k and got reversing sensors installed. Makes me feel more confident when Im backing up.

B. If you have the cash, pay cash. Take a friend with you, if you feel uncomfortable going by yourself with that much cash. I financed mine, 3 years, put 140k down. Interest rate was 3 %. Not bad.

C. I thougght about black, but them i thought about the washing, as you said, and the fact that this is thailand , and its a.s.s. hot here. I went with the blue. If you do that, they make you pay 30k "earnest" money, since they don't sell many. But on the plus side, you will probably get it quick, since they don't make many of them. (the wait list is very short)

D. I got the dealer insurance. It covers everything (collision, liability personal injury, etc), plus has roadside assistance thrown in. Covers anyone driving the vehicle. (Dealer insurance was mandatory, since we financed). If you pay cash, you could use a different company if you wanted.

E. The 4 wheelers can answer this better than me. I bought a prerunner. There is 4wd low and high. Low is not to be used at over 20 kph. Its for rugged terrain, getting out of the mud, etc. 4wd high is for normal driving speeds, when you want better traction when its wet, etc..

Peace

Don't read too much into it. All I can conclude from this article is that they are pretty much equal, despite the bold healdine. The differences aren't that big and not worth crying over. Oh, Jazz's brakes are not so good, oh, Yaris has less boot space, or Jazz is not so agile for city driving and so on.

I agree with that, but I'd never buy a Yaris, the moment I saw them mount the instruments over the center console, I was dead set against it. Who came up with that stupid idea? I would go crazy, having to glance to the left everytime i wanted to check my speed.

Stupid stupid stupid

Bangkok Post

Friday, February 10, 2006

SUB-COMPACT HATCHBACKS

Jazz is JAZZIER

Toyota has joined the hatch bandwagon with its trendy Yaris, but faces the tough presence of the more rounded Honda Jazz

Honda and Toyota, the country's top-selling car brands, are now fiercely competing in the sub-compact (B-segment) car sector with each player having two cards to play with: a four-door saloon and five-door hatchback.

Late last year, we pitted the City ZX against the Soluna Vios and concluded that the Honda sedan was, once and for all, the better choice.

Despite its gawky proportions and less-inspiring drive, the City had better levels of practicality, comfort, refinement and value.

Could such a verdict be reflective of this week's comparison, when you consider that the Jazz and Yaris share the same engine, transmission and floorplan as their saloon siblings?

To a certain degree, the answer might be yes. Of course, you could weigh in the styling factor here, since hatchbacks have also become trendy statements among city dwellers.

However, hatchbacks must still be practical and agile to drive around town. And since many first-time car buyers and budget-conscious people will be attracted to their prices starting at some 600,000 baht, the Jazz and Yaris should also offer good value and economy.

Toyota offers six versions of the Yaris, while Honda only has three variants on its platter. Since the Yaris gets dual airbags and various braking electronics standard across the range, there is only one model of the Jazz that can size up here: 1.5 VTEC (AS) priced at 690,000 baht. The closest match for this Jazz would have to be the Yaris 1.5 G costing just 9,000 baht more.

Exterior appeal

Trendy styling is one of the major selling points Toyota is using to promote the Yaris among the new generation of car buyers.

The appearance of the Yaris definitely feels modern and attractive, especially in red livery as seen here. Moreover, the short overhangs and long wheelbase make the car look compact and purposeful.

When the Jazz first hit the Thai market three years ago, it had a similar reception. But today, it is starting to look a tad dull and is beginning to look more like a minivan rather than a stylish hatchback.

Go into detail and such impressions remain. The lights, grille, bumpers and other design elements of the Jazz feel less accentuated than those found in the Yaris. This also explains why a mid-life facelift for the Jazz is due in a matter of weeks.

But it isn't that bad at all in the Jazz. Honda's approach of employing short overhangs still makes the Jazz a well-proportioned hatchback and, in fact, is still a decent-looking car.

Interior appeal

As with so many other types of bodystyles, good-looking design themes usually backfire on practicality. And this applies to the Yaris.

Of course, interior space for occupants inside the Yaris isn't a problem. In fact, it's remarkably spacious inside in terms of legroom, thanks to a wheelbase measuring nearly that of the Jazz.

The setback is the boot. As the exterior appearance suggest, the Yaris has small luggage room only good for handbags. Small cubby holes under the boot floor only help to a small extent.

At least, the rear seats can be pushed forward to increase the boot. But that eats away into legroom for rear passengers. Or you just might as well just fold down the backrests if you're traveling only two up.

This is where the Jazz trounces the Yaris. It has an equally adequate legroom space for all passengers, but with better headroom behind.

More importantly, the Jazz can take more and bigger luggage than in the Yaris. From the outside of the car, you can already note the amount of space between the C- and D-pillars that the Jazz doesn't compromise in terms of interior practicality.

In addition, the Jazz's rear seats can fold flat down, unlike the slightly angled surface in the Yaris. But the headrests in the Jazz must be removed first, in contrast to the Yaris's practical ones that can sink into the seats.

Another unique feature in the Jazz is the ability of the chairs in the rear to fold up to make way for tall objects.

Both cars have countless spaces to store small items, bottles, cans and so forth - thoughtfully designed cabins, in short.

In terms of cabin appearance, the Jazz and Yaris are clearly different. The Yaris has a centrally mounted panel dials, a tapered console housing the air-con controls and two flowing contours on the door panels.

The Jazz, on the contrary, uses a conventional layout as you would find in most other cars. Despite the variation, both have good levels of ergonomics and it would simply just be a matter of taste.

Where the Jazz seems to excel again is in the choice of interior trimmings. The quality of the plastics feels better in the Jazz. The same goes for details like the steering that is both good to look at and hold.

The Yaris attempts to use plastics with grain-like surface as in the Jazz, but has a hollow and cheaper feel. As well, build quality in the Yaris is not as solid as in the Jazz.

In this aspect, the Jazz wins by a substantial margin by gaining on a more spacious and practical cabin, plus a well-built cabin.

Driving appeal

The Jazz and Yaris use the same technologies as found in their respective saloon siblings. Both models use a conventional suspension set-up: front strut and rear torsion beam.

The Yaris gets the Soluna's 109hp 1.5-litre VVTi engine and four-speed automatic transmission, whereas the Jazz uses the City's 110hp 1.5-litre VTEC engine coupled to a more advanced seven-speed CVT with manual-shifters on the steering wheel.

The Yaris stands out here as the better car to drive around in the city. Low-end punch is remarkable even to the point that there is torque steer under hard acceleration. As well, the steering is light and direct making up for a truly agile drive.

You don't feel the bulk of the boot in the Yaris like in the Soluna. The Yaris's compact dimensions make it a doddle to handle in tight back streets and during parking.

Similarly, the Jazz offers sufficient low-end performance, but not as splendidly as in the Yaris.

At least, the Jazz's shove doesn't overcome the chassis's potential.

But what really corrupts when driving the Jazz around town is the steering. Although the electric assistance is just as light as in the similarly-equipped Yaris's, the Jazz's rack is too slow, that is, it requires too much steering input.

At higher speeds, the Jazz displays better driving and road manners. Although there is more tyre rumble than in the Yaris, the Jazz has a more quiet cabin on the overall.

The VTEC engine is more refined than its VVTi counterpart when dragged to high engine speeds. Better is the suppression of road noise in the Jazz when cruising on the highway.

The good part of the Jazz's CVT gearbox is shifting-smoothness and the generous number of forward ratios that makes mid-range punch more responsive and performance more linear.

You only get four cogs in the Yaris, so kickdown doesn't come instantly. Worse is that punch is not readily available in the mid-ranges, meaning that you have to go into kickdown and rev the engine higher up where it becomes punchy again, but dreadfully noisy.

Both cars offer a reasonable amount of grip at high speeds. But go hard into corners and the Jazz feels more balanced. But since such cars are subject to more town-driving, the Yaris's easy and agile driving characteristics help compensate for that shortcoming.

Despite the Jazz (VTEC only) using all-round disc brakes, pedal feel is wooden. And when you crave for more stopping power from high speeds, anti-lock intrudes too early.

The Yaris (with the exception of the four-disc S Limited) uses front discs and rear drums, yet manages to get its act better together with a more progressive action and more bite. On the overall, the Yaris is a fine performer given its sub-compact nature. But in the presence of the more refined and mature Jazz, the Yaris's flaws become even more pronounced. The same goes for the Jazz's blemished steering and brakes.

Monetary appeal

The models tested here are basically 700,000 baht in price and come with the same level of safety features: dual frontal airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution and brake assist.

You really have to go into detail to spot the differences which, however, would be too petty to mention all of them here (see sidebar).

Where the Jazz gains here is fuel economy. We drove two rounds of the 50km inner ring road in Bangkok with both cars at the same time using 95 unleaded. The Yaris recorded a commendable 16kpl, but the Jazz did a fancier 19kpl

Despite the bumper-to-bumper traffic on some portions, conditions were generally light although the speed was usually under 90kph. That meant the figures were quite optimistic, although you can see where the difference roughly lies.

Our verdict

Without doubt, the Yaris is a new, fresh and attractive choice in this segment. This is surely something that you would hear from the sales people at Toyota showrooms.

Despite being an agile car to drive in the city, whilst attracting people with no families, it has some shortcomings immediately spotted by its archrival.

The Jazz has a more spacious and practical cabin to easily double itself as both a daily and family car. You should be hearing this at Honda outlets. And couple this with a more advanced powertrain, the Jazz is better value.

As said in the beginning, a sub-compact hatchback can't only be about fun and style.

Such vehicles are also under the radar screen of people who are fed up with paying so much for cars in Thailand.

That said, a sub-compact must offer completeness and all-round ability. And it's the Jazz that has them in execution - just like how the City does over the Soluna.

Scanning for the right model

It gets a little tricky if you glance through the complete range of the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris. There are more variations at both the bottom and top end of the line-ups in terms of price, equipment and performance. Here are some key pointers.

There are six versions of the 109hp Yaris and three of the 110hp Jazz VTEC. Not tested here due to performance reasons is the 88hp Jazz i-DSI coming in six forms. This does not include special versions of the Jazz like Safety, Plus and Cool that feature after-market add-ons and unnecessarily up prices.

Models with manual gearbox are the cheapest in each range: Yaris B599,000, Jazz VTEC B622,000 and Jazz i-DSI B513,000. But it's only the Yaris that gets the full safety kit that is standard across the range.

Models with automatic gearbox, but with basic specification include Yaris E (B634,000), Jazz VTEC E (B587,000), Jazz i-DSI S (B548,000).

The top-range Yaris is the most expensive in the sub-compact hatchback segment in S Limited form (B749,000) that highlights xenon lights and 16-inch wheels. The G Limited at B739,000 is still more expensive than any Jazz, but boasts keyless go and leather seats.

Aero parts are standard fitments in all Jazz VTEC models. Only the Yaris S Limited has these racey parts, giving buyers - who find such parts impractical on Thai roads - a good reason to look at the other five models.

Those who don't need VTEC performance for the Jazz can save nearly 100,000 baht for a top-spec, equally-specified i-DSI.

And for those who have already made up their mind for a (any) Jazz, a facelift is due in less than a month.

I always get confused when people start talking about "what a degree is worth" in another country.

I recieved 3 degrees in the US, and I teach at a Thai univeristy (Mahidol). Several of my undergraduate students have gone abroard to recieve Master's degrees, and have never had any problem being accepted.

As long as a student can meet the entrance requirements, they are on their own to prove "what their degree is worth". Some will succeed, some will fail, based on their own merits.

Can anyone explain?

At Mahidol, several advanced degree programs are taught in English, others in Thai. At my College, all of our Master's students thesis papers must be written in English. That is a university wide requirement, I believe.

Happy happy happy

My ride has finally arrived! My wife and I picked it up this afternoon. Isn't it a beaut?

My Toyota Hilux Vigo Prerunner.

Failing that if you really really want to have a bottle they have it on the menu at Limoncello on Suk Soi 11

You could always go in there for a beer and then ask the manager where he/she gets theirs from, you never know they might tell you

Topps at Central Pinklao is always stocked with it!

Is Yaris the new Vios then? Should we expect new Vios based on this Yaris, or will they scrap sedan shape altogether.

The new sedan version of the Yaris is called 'Belta' in other markets.

Ambitious urban-mover

The much-awaited sub-compact from the country's best-selling brand may not offer outright value, but it shines as a practical, agile and economical choice for city-dwellersby Richard Leu

Bangkok Post

Friday, February 3, 2006

Cabin trimmings okay, but build quality iffy in some areas. Rear seat space is excellent; seats can slide to increase boot.

Dash like in Soluna, but more stylish. Boot space is not that big, but can be increased by pushing rear seats forward or by simply folding down the backrests in an almost flat manner.

Although not the dearest Yaris, the G Limited is the only version to feature keyless entry and start/stop button _ all yours at 739,000 baht.

It surely took some time for Toyota to make a comeback with hatchbacks. Ever since archrival Honda introduced the Jazz three years ago, the five-door sub-compact has enjoyed tremendous sales by winning the hearts of urban denizens.

In fact, it wasn't purely for the Jazz's practical package that made it a runaway success. A large number of buyers were bored with sedans and wanted something different - or trendy to be more precise.

So here it is: the Yaris whose first-generation model appeared in Europe, and in Japan as the Vitz, but not in Thailand. But the formula is the same with this second-generation version highlighting driving agility and compact, yet spacious, packaging.

15-inch wheels yield sufficient dynamics.

You can consider the Yaris as the hatchback variant of the Soluna Vios four-door saloon, except that they have many design variations inside and out.

Both share the same basic architecture: front strut and rear torsion beam suspension systems. The drivetrain is also identical: 109hp 1.5-litre petrol engine coupled with a conventional four-speed automatic transmission.

Because the Yaris has a relatively light body, performance isn't an issue especially when you consider that the Soluna already moves effortlessly below the legal speed limit.

You can feel extra oomph in the Yaris, like when rolling off from the lights which is also due to the light and responsive throttle.

We haven't conducted a fuel economy test yet. But our past experience with the Soluna means that the Yaris should comfortably achieve more than 13kpl in city-driving.

Making up for an effortless performance in town-driving is a light and direct steering. It's totally void of feel due to the electric assistance which, however, technically compensates with less moving parts and easier maintenance.

Clearly, the Yaris lacks the fun factor of the Soluna which still uses a hydraulic system. But in pure agility terms, the Yaris shines. Toyota claims a turning radius of 4.7m which can be easily felt when making tight U-turns.

Low-speed ride is slightly on the firm side, yet taut and adequately comfortable. The range-topping Yaris rides on 16-inch wheels which we think is unnecessary even if you're a keen driver. The other versions like the G tested here comes with 15-inch ones.

Don't treat the Yaris as a car strictly used for city-driving. Out on the highways, the Yaris manages to display road manners that should sufficiently convince drivers who understand that sub-compacts aren't designed as high-speed express.

There's a decent level of grip in the Yaris, despite the conventional suspension matrix. However, some testers complained about the brakes being a tad weak when decelerating hard from high speeds.

The G version comes with discs up front and drums at the rear, unlike the S range-topper that comes with all-round discs. In fact, Toyota should have made all-round discs standard across the range, since the power output is already 109hp.

In corners, the Yaris's driving manners are easy rather than enthusiastic. The harder you attack a curve, the more the steering loses its precision.

But in all fairness, Toyota's objectives are clear here with the Yaris: easy and agile driving characteristics, plus a fluid performance for daily use in the city.

Internally, the message is just as simple: spacious and practical, yet in a compact package. As the exterior appearance suggests, the ability of stretching the front and rear axles as far as possible from each other helps yield a generous wheelbase length.

Six footers won't find legroom a problem, either up front or in the rear. However, headroom can be slightly restricted when sitting in the back.

Such a spacious cabin has come at the expense of a tight boot. You can increase cargo space by sliding the thoughtfully-designed rear seats. But that eats away into rear legroom. As an outright cargo-hauler, the rear backrests can fold down nearly flat.

The dashboard design has the same basic theme of the Soluna's, that is, centrally-mounted dials. The centre console housing various controls in the Yaris has a more distinctive look, however. As well, the Yaris has more practical holes and compartments.

As a sub-compact, the Yaris uses decent plastics and materials that are good to look at, except for that awful, glossy plastic wrapping the handbrake. Our test car had numerous panel gaps, while some casings aren't bolted that well. A Toyota source says that quality should be improved in the later batch of cars.

Which brings us to the most crucial area of the Yaris: pricing. With prices ranging from 599,000-741,000 baht, the Yaris is more expensive than the Soluna. That's because Toyota has made the specification more comprehensive.

Safety features like dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, brake force distribution and brake assist come as standard across the range. It also appears that Toyota wants to assure buyers in Thailand that small cars aren't unsafe.

There are six versions to choose from depending on convenience items like split foldable rear seats, leather upholstery, anti-theft system, immobiliser, aerodynamic add-ons, xenon lights and 16-inch alloys.

A notable highlight here - if unnecessarily lavish to a certain degree - is the "easy go" system in the G Limited version. Drivers don't need a key to enter the car and trigger the ignition. Instead, there are buttons on the door lever and dash.

Is the Yaris the ultimate hatchback at the moment, particularly in the presence of its Jazz competitor? We'll give a definite answer when we pit the two cars together in our later issues. But on paper, the Jazz arguably offers better value in terms of cabin space and powertrain technology.

The Yaris is an ideal choice for buyers needing an agile, economical and practical car for daily use, while also craving for good levels of safety. If its prices are too steep for you, then the Soluna seems as the viable option - but with a compromised specification.