Footballers' Drives: The Top Ten Premier League runabouts

From Times Online (UK): Supplement: Life and Style.

August 10, 2007

Footballers' Drives: The Top Ten Premier League runabouts

Despite the almost limitless choice, the wealthy young men of the football world keep choosing the same cars: We round up the soccer elite's 10 most popular drives

by Michael Moran

Second only perhaps to our great captains of industry, Premier League footballers are some of the most handsomely-remunerated people in the UK. Unlike those besuited behemoths of the boardroom however, soccer stars tend to have a great deal of leisure time in which they have little to do except spend their money on the most expensive things they can find. You can only live in one mock-tudor mansion though, which is why these elite sportsmen tend to focus much of their spending power on luxury motor vehicles. We’ve taken a look around the car parks at some of the top grounds and identified ten of the most popular choices.

1: BMW X5 (£47,525) The archetypal school run tank is an unexpectedly popular purchase, with soccer luminaries like Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Cristiano Ronaldo, and even old-timer Paul Gascoigne falling for its callypygian charms. The questionable handling has tripped up more than one driver though, with both Gascoigne and Rooney requiring the sevices of a panel-beater after having dented the sturdy Bavarian bodywork.

2: Range Rover Sport (£57,495) Another popular 4x4, and equally unlikely to find its way off-road except by accident. Chelsea's pocket dynamo Michael Essien was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of drink driving in his Range Rover, and Jermain Defoe is another modestly-proportioned driver who appreciates the extra room. Other Range Rover Sport fans have included Ashley Cole, John Terry, and Xabi Alonso. Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher pranged his new £63,000 Range Rover HST Sport near the club’s Carrington training ground just months after passing his driving test, prompting an expensive repair bill. Genuinely determined overspenders can always go for the Overfinch Range Rover SuperSport, which Jeremy Clarkson memorably described as: "Very possibly the least cool car that money can buy"

3: Mercedes McLaren SLR (£313,465) Looking a little more like a soccer star's car should look, the sleek if slightly overdesigned convertible is markedly lighter, faster and therefore more dangerous than the bulky 4x4s above. Despite the objections of responsible team coaches and anxious insurers its air of Gallic irresponsibility has still managed to lure Claude Makélélé and William Gallas. It's a vehicle that can't legally be used to its fullest potential on any public road, which is why we've found this clip of the SLR taking on its arch-rival, the Bugatti Veyron, on a track.

4: Aston Martin Vanquish (£166,000) The last of the old school Astons, the Vanquish took more than 396 man hours to build. Each car underwent around 2,000 stages of construction and used eight complete cow hides for the interior trim. Launched to mixed reactions in 2001, it's the car that tempted James Bond back from BMW with an endearingly silly role in 'Die Another Day' (Trailer here).Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard and Welsh Wizard Ryan Giggs have all been spotted behind the wheel of a Vanquish, suggesting that perhaps it's not so invisible after all.

5: Aston Martin DB9 (£103,000) A modern classic, the DB9 is a prized possession of notorious short range strike specialist Frank Lampard as well as his Chelsea stablemate Glen Johnson. Despite being able to miss the net when he's standing inside it there's clearly nothing wrong with Frank's eyesight when it comes to spotting a good car. He's in good company: When Jeremy Clarkson reviewed a 2004 DB9 for us he signed off with the words "If you want a perfect car, you simply have to have a DB9". The Aston's timelessly elegant lines were described by another Sunday Times car expert, Andrew Frankel, as 'achingly beautiful'. Of all the cars on our list, this is the one that harks back most vividly to those halcyon days when footballers drove an E-type and dated Miss World because that's what looked best.

6: Bentley Continental (£110,000) The majestic Continental is part of the Premier League footballer's starter kit, along with free entry to Chinawhite, a niggling injury, and a cheap nylon shirt with a number on the back. Ledley King, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Kieron Dyer, Gary Neville, Jackie McNamara, John Terry and fiercely competitive Man City left back Michael Ball have all pushed this particular whip at some point in their careers, and it would be no surprise if talented youngsters practising in front of video cameras all over Britain have a toy one already installed in their trophy cabinet.

7: Aston Martin DB7 (£104,500) Combining his initials with his original Man U shirt number, it's hard to see how David Beckham could have chosen any other car - although he obviously did. The CEO of Brand Beckham has also been spotted in, among others, the Premiership standard Bentley Continental GT, the ever popular BMW X5, a Chrysler Grand Voyager (£32,000), a Ferrari 550 Maranello (£157,867), a Ford F-150 pickup (on sale last month through a dealer in Cobham for £18,995), the California classic Hummer H2 (£62,000), a nippy little Porsche 911 (993) Turbo (around £30,000) , a TVR Cerbera (around £23,000),a Mercedes G55 AMG (around £77,000) and several other cars and bikes including a petrol-bingeing Lincoln Navigator (from about £18,000 if you can find one). Imagine how much he spends on maps and boiled sweets for all those glove compartments alone!

8: Porsche 911 (GT3 £72,750) The ubiquitous German sports car, in one or other of its innumerable variants, has found its way into many a mock-tudor garage. Thierry Henry has one, as do Louis Saha, Robbie Keane,and Lee Bowyer - The 911's deceptive placidity at high speeds lulled poor Lee into overstepping the limit in 2006, driving at speeds between 99 and 132 mph along a 70mph stretch of road in Morpeth.

9: Ferrari 360 (Around £80,000) It's surprising that so few footballers seem to have plumped for the pedigree Italian supercar. Kieron Dyer certainly has one of the low-slung thoroughbreds, as does Arsenal star turned national treasure Ian Wright. Perhaps the astroturf glitterati are buying them and just garaging them as an investment against the day when a younger, hungrier player replaces them in the team. After all, they can't all get picked for the Chicken Tonight advert.

10: Ford Ka (Around £4,425) Easily the most affordable entry on our list, and wisely selected by the young and eminently sensible Wayne Rooney. Along with a BMW X5, of course.

Lost my Job. Here's a Poem for it...

I was forced to resign from my Job in Quasar Carriage (Selling Skoda and Mercedes Vito cars). Why? At LEAST 3 reasons, one of it is due to ME NO SALES @ 4th month working. 2nd reason is because I "Accidentally" grabbed my Colleague's Customer @ roadshow. Earlier this customer went to Showroom to check out the Vito and almost commit, THEN @ 9.30pm, he turned up @ the Ikano Roadshow to see the Premium spec. I didn't know it's Al's (colleague) customer... Pandai2 gave Discount somemore (something Al didn't give earlier).

What happened next? LOTS of Twist and turns, getting more and more complicated until they decided that I have to leave the company...

3rd reason... (PRIVATE). How do I feel? Really missed the job (One of the HIGHEST paying Commission job in the Industry, 1 Skoda = 6 MYVI OR 1 Mercedes Vito = 4 BMW E90 320i), the colleagues, the FLEXIBLE Wkg hrs.

My Future? In a "Crossroad". Anyway, here's a POEM about "CROSSROAD" AND to sort of "COMFORTING Myself".

CROSSROADS: A Poem

Many a times
We are left stranded
At the crossroads of life.

Many a times,
We feel abandoned,
In this journey of life.

Several questions crop up,
Remain unanswered for days.
Anxieties build up,
Leaving us in dismay.

It makes us wonder,
Why can't things remain the same.
Everything was fine,
Everything was going smoothly.

And standing there at the crossroads,
Tomorrow seems a blur.
With paths leading us in different ways,
Which one to opt for, we are unsure.

At such times, as always,
Just hold on and follow your heart.
That route will unveil itself,
That route that is just right.

Slowly but surely, clouds moved away,
Happy days are back.
The storm passed away,
The journey is back on track.

But only a few care to look back in retrospect,
At the purpose of such crossroads.
And fewer still care to learn,
The lessons that these crossroads hold.

It's only when we have twist and turns,
The journey becomes an adventure.
Its only when the going gets tough,
The tough gets tougher.

Ps. BON VOYAGE Quasar Carriage. My BLOG will be BACK TO NORMAL. OTOREVIEW, Reviewing Used cars or NEW car more than 3 yrs in the Market (ie. NEW car with 2nd hand market (eg. Honda Jazz)...

12 reasons to buy a SKODA...

12 reasons to buy a Skoda

1 Reveal yourself as a person of uncommon judgment — thanks to Volkswagen’s ownership, Skoda now builds first-rate cars.

2 Pay less but get exactly the same quality as any other VW Group car

3 Enjoy a little inverted snobbery. Some may laugh but you know the truth

4 Drive the ultimate stealth car — the 200bhp Octavia vRS is seriously quick

5 Tell bad Skoda jokes with genuine irony — these cars are now as well-built and durable as VW’s own Golf

6 Some say the Octavia even handles better than a Golf

7 Bragging rights — the designer who worked on Octavia also did the new Bentley Continental

8 A company with form. Skoda has been around for 100 years. 3rd oldest car manufacturer.

9 Any company confident enough to call its top-of-the-range car the "Superb" has to be all right

10) FAstest growing car manufacturer in the World. China closed 2 out of 6 VW Factories to Assemble Skodas. Best selling Executive Car in India. SPONSOR OF 2008 BEIJING Olympics.

11 SKODA = AWARD WINNING CARS. Octavia => Car of the year in 6 European countries, GOLDEN STEERING WHEEL AWARD Germany 2005 Winner, Also, won 60+ other Awards worldwide (between Fabia and Octavia from 2000 to 2007).

12) BBC Top Gear UK No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction Survey in 2006 and 2007 with 92% voted "Will buy again". ALSO, JD Power Customer satisfaction Survey 2007, Skoda again ranked No.1 Ahead of LEXUS, Honda, Mazda.

Jeremy Clarkson on Skoda Roomster...

From The Sunday Times (UK)
September 9, 2007

Skoda Roomster

Don’t call it ugly, call it quite brilliant

by Jeremy Clarkson


I daresay we all remember the bad old days when you came back from the shops with a new and exciting electrical appliance. And found it had been sold without a plug.

Nowadays, though, thanks to the exciting Plugs and Sockets (Safety) Regulations 1994 (No 1768) any domestic appliance with a flexible cable must be fitted with a plug and the plug must be fitted with a fuse link that conforms to BS 1362.

As a result, you now come back from the shops to find that your shiny new toy has a plug. But that, unfortunately, the product itself hasn’t actually been built.

Last weekend I bought some outdoor lights for the garden. Except I didn’t. What I actually bought was a box full of pieces that could be turned into some outdoor lights for the garden. By anyone with a simple degree in mechanical and electrical engineering.

Of course, there were some poor-quality instructions which explained that all you needed to assemble your quality product was fingers like cocktail sticks and six and a half thousand tools that you do not own.

It was truly and genuinely extraordinary to find how little had been done at the factory. And this is not a one off. These days we see exactly the same thing with furniture and all children’s toys. The outdoor garden heater I bought back in May, to annoy George Monbiot, is still in its box in six bits because I simply cannot fathom how they all go together.

Of course I commend any company that can maximise its profits and quench the thirst of its shareholders. This is all excellent and makes the world go round, but implying on the box that the customer is buying a garden heater when in fact he’s buying a box of pieces: that’s flirting with fraud.

How long will it be before the box contains nothing but some iron ore, a piece of the Russian gas fields and 6,000 miles of pipeline? How long before Ikea sells you a tree in Finland and a saw? And as we edge slowly towards the meat of this morning’s missive, how long before car makers catch on to the idea that people are idiots.

At present it costs the car makers a fortune to assemble a car. The parts are made elsewhere and then nailed together by billion-dollar robots at the plant. So how long will it be before Ford notices what’s going on in the garden lamp industry and simply ships the components directly to your home. Along with a scrappy instruction book, saying, in French, that all you need to put everything together is some oxyacetylene, basic arc welding skills, and a robot.

This isn’t as far fetched as you might imagine, because already almost all the cars we buy are made in kit form. The Aston Martin DB9 is a case in point. It was specifically designed so that the basic structure could be clothed in a different body and sold as something else. The V8 Vantage, for example.

Then there’s the Rolls-Royce Phantom. It is built in the British factory like an Airfix kit, using parts that come in boxes from the BMW plant in Germany. Great. But think how much cheaper it would be to deliver those boxes straight to your door. Along, perhaps, with some walnut and 14 cows that you’ll need to skin and turn into seats. All you need is a large potato peeler and a sewing machine.

The ultimate kit car, though, is the Volkswagen Golf. Its underpinnings are used to make lots of other Volkswagens, like the Beetle, as well as by Audi, Seat and Skoda.

Sometimes I wonder why anyone actually buys the Daddy because it’s possible to buy what’s essentially an identical car. Usually for a lot less.

But then when I look at those identical cars I stop wondering. I mean, it’s all very well imagining that your new Seat is made from Golf parts but it was assembled by Spaniards. And that’s like buying a garden lamp that has been assembled by me. Yes, it’s cheap, but every time you turn it on you will be electrocuted.

Skoda, however, is different. As we know from all the excellent new houses that are being built in Britain these days, the eastern Europeans are fine engineers. It is in their culture, somehow.

So a collection of German parts made by Petr Cech: that should be pretty good. The only problem is that Skoda has never actually made something brilliant enough to overcome the Primark badge on the back. Until now . . . Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for the Roomster.

Ordinarily, there is nothing on God’s earth quite as depressing as a mini-MPV. Whether it’s a Renault Scénic or a Citroën Picasso or that truly terrible Toyota Yaris van, we know that you are biding your time until you are unlocked from the shackles of life by the blissful relief of death.

We know that your life has turned out to be nowhere near as successful or as happy as you’d hoped. We know that you have no imagination. And we know that you have no sense either, because a mini-MPV offers exactly the same number of seats as a normal car.

We can deduce from this that you’ve spent more money on something which comes with a bit more headroom. And what’s the point of that, unless your children are actually giraffes. And if they are giraffes, then you are plainly way too interesting to waste your life in a bloody MPV.

The only exceptions to this rule, thus far, have been the Ford S-Max and the Citroën Berlingo: two genuinely clever and appealing cars. But the Roomster is better still.

First of all there’s the price. It’s just £13,500. And for that you get – yes – a Skoda badge. But you also get alloy wheels, antilock brakes, a full-length glass roof, rear parking sensors, an alarm, cruise control, curtain and side airbags, electric windows and door mirrors, a front arm rest, an immobiliser, a stereo capable of handling an MP3 player, a delightful leather steering wheel, a trip computer and an astonishing array of potential seating positions in the back.

The rear seats, in fact, are so flexible that I managed to get three kids on them. And a full-sized trampoline in the boot.

Eventually, of course, we arrive at the styling. In the same way that you can discuss the merits of Gérard Depardieu for hours but at some point you have to discuss his nose.

Yes. It’s odd. I’ll grant you that. It looks like a cut and shut car. A mangled up blend of Postman Pat’s van, a Wendy house and a Lancia Stratos. But here’s the thing. I loved it. I thought it was unusual without being sweet. Striking without being daft.

I should also explain at this point that while most car makers offer only four colours – silver, silvery grey, greyish silver and grey – the Skoda brochure looks like it comes from Dulux. There’s a choice of five blues, two reds and two greens. Mine was olive metallic and it was great.

I’m procrastinating. And that’s because the Roomster (was it named after Marc Bolan’s lounge?) has a bit of an Achilles heel. It’s, um, not very nice to drive.

It should be fine. The front end is essentially from a VW Polo and the back from a Mark 4 Golf. But the steering is far too quick. You ease the wheel a nad and whoa, the whole thing darts left in a scuffle of tyre squeal and body roll. I liked the car so much I wanted to get used to it. But I never did.

And then there’s the engine. It’s a 1.6 litre VW unit but not one of their best. It’s rough, unwilling to rev and not that powerful. Perhaps the diesel would be better. I hope so because mechanically the only really good bit in my test car was the automatic Tiptronic gearbox.

Ordinarily this would be enough to render the whole car worthless. But sometimes the driving experience must play second fiddle to the whole ownership package.

That’s certainly the case with the Volvo XC90 diesel. It’s a dreadful car to drive, really, but it’s so clever and so well thought out we’re on our second. And about to buy a third.

The Roomster falls into this category. Yes, it’s wobbly and rough, but it’s extremely clever, well equipped and best of all it brought a great deal more light into my life than my new garden lamps. Which, incidentally, are now on eBay.

Vital statistics

Model Skoda Roomster Level 3, 1.6
Engine 1598cc, four cylinders
Power 105bhp @ 5700rpm
Torque 114 lb ft @ 3500rpm
Transmission Six-speed Tiptronic
Fuel 36.7mpg
CO2 185g/km
Acceleration 0-62mph: 12.1sec
Top speed 114mph
Price £13,585
Rating 4/5 stars
Verdict It shouldn’t be brilliant but it is

FABIA write-up 2: Nice little car - but not as an automatic

by r_welfare - written on 15.12.04 - Rating: (4 of 5 possible stars)

http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/cars/skoda-fabia-comfort-1-4-16v-5dr/


Picture above: Fabia Combi Wagon

Advantages Well-priced
Disadvantages Light steering

I thought I'd report on my time with a 2004 Skoda Fabia 1.4 16v Comfort automatic recently. I had the car for just over a week and in that time travelled over 750 miles.

Let me firstly say that the jokes about Skoda are now well and truly over. They began to die out around 15 years ago when the Favorit was released - here was a modern(ish) front-wheel drive hatchback from the purveyors of the funny air-cooled cars with the engine in the back. While that first Favorit lacked a bit of polish (it was plagued with typical Eastern-European fit and finish), Skoda attracted the attention of VW who injected large amounts of cash. To begin with there wasn't much to show for it (although the build quality of the Favorit did improve over its' six year life), then in '96 they gave us the Felicia - fundamentally the same car but with rounder edges, and a half-decent interior.

Then, in '98, the masterstroke - the Octavia. Based on the current Golf, here was a Skoda that owed very little to the old school, except for competitive pricing. Quality-wise, styling-wise, engineering-wise it was on a par with the other VW group products. VW obviously had faith in Skoda, because when it was time to launch the Mk4 Polo, they chose to release the oily bits first in a new Skoda - the Fabia.

So we all know the Fabia is fundamentally the same as a Polo - and it's none the worse for that. Upon first impression, the car looks solid and quite classy (although mine was a rental and had no wheeltrims, so this was diminished somewhat). It's big for a supermini, being some 12' long, and quite high. Personally, I find the all-in-one colour bumpers a bit heavy-handed (not to say how much they would cost to replace in a bump, given they have no rubbing strips on this model), but it's generally very modern and inoffensive.

Inside is where the surprises start. I mean, the dashboard is VW-quality, and therefore up there with the best, with soft-feel plastics abounding. A million miles away from the Estelle and Favorit of yore. It's all very similar to the Polo or even the MK4 Golf (although it misses out on the neat touches of that car, like the dampened action of the grab handles). It's easy to get a good driving position as the seat height can be adjusted on a ratchet mechanism, and the steering wheel adjusts for rake and reach. Instruments are clear and concise. The only things I didn't like were the fact that the clutchfoot rest wasn't quite long enough for my size 11s, and the heater controls were too far down the dashboard - to change temperature with a passenger would get raised eyebrows as they thought you were trying to grope their knee! Between the stereo (more anon) and the heater was a cubbyhole for bits and pieces about 3 inches deep - why not move the heater controls up here instead?

Rear seat space seemed pretty good to me, although I didn't spend any time there, and the chairs themselves were quite comfortable. The boot was of a reasonable size - you could get a good few shopping bags in there or a set of golf clubs easily enough, it was much bigger than (for example) the old Metro but obviously not as big as the Accord I'm used to, where you could live in the boot. Full marks for the grab handle on the inside to shut the boot without getting your hands dirty, but I'd have liked to be able to open the boot from the driver's seat - you only have the fuel flap release there.

Another surprise is the equipment level. OK, ignoring the fact that only a few years ago Skoda put out real bargain basement machines, this is more indicative of supermini specs improving beyond all recognition in the past 10 years anyway, but even with a mid-range model like this there was air conditioning, electric heated mirrors, electric front windows, ABS, front foglights, power steering, remote central locking, CD stereo, and my personal favourite, the trip computer. Remember the Golf GTI Mk2 had a trip computer in the digital clock that you activated the functions using the column stalk? Well, it's alive and well in the Fabia. I had great fun with this, especially the 'current MPG' feature (apologies to everyone stuck behind me as I treated the accelerator like an eggshell). The only thing I couldn't fathom out was the stereo, it only had 10 buttons but I still couldn't get it to stop putting the Traffic Report on. Maybe at 27 I'm past it? (Lord knows what the average Skoda owner at 50+ makes of it)

What was it like to drive? Well, the ride and handling were pretty impressive if you remember Eastern European cars of old. This one is right up there with the competition, if not quite as compliant as the French rivals in the suspension department. My only gripe was the steering - the power-assistance was very high, and there was less 'feel' than in my Honda Accord, which was surprising (Japanese manufacturers are famous for building power steering systems with no road feel y'see). However, when parking (coupled with the large areas of glass) there was no problem placing the car at all.

The only real downside to the car was the engine/gearbox combination. Given that it said '1.4 16v' on the back I assumed that it was the 100bhp unit used to great effect in the hot Lupo, but according to Skoda you only get this unit with the 5-speed manual. This unit is detuned to 75bhp when coupled with the 4-speed auto, and according to Skoda's website will do 0-62mph in 17 seconds. It never felt that slow to me (and that IS slow), but it makes a lot of strange noises when accelerating which sometimes put me in mind of a diesel - very thrashy. The gearbox is OK, but hunts around a bit on hilly sections and doesn't do a lot for the economy - according to the computer I was seeing around 38mpg overall, and that included a lot of motorway cruising. It does rev quite a bit (3500rpm) at 70mph though. I will give praise for the gear selector on the instrument panel, although I can't help feel that electronics are beginning to go a bit far in new cars. This one made lots of bing-bong noises - when it was running out of fuel, when the outside temperature dropped below 4C, when the radio couldn't find the Traffic Report. I'm just a luddite at heart.

So would I buy one with my hard-earned? Not this combination of engine and transmission to be honest (although it does seem good value at a shade under £10,000), I would either go for the basic 1.2 6v 3-cylinder (which still has air conditioning, ABS, power steering, twin airbags and a CD player) for £6,995 or the hot new vRS diesel if I was feeling flush. The cars are attractively-priced, well-built (from what I can make out) and Skoda dealers still tend to be small family-run affairs in my area, so you should get good service. The joke is finally over - the Fabia is a good little car in it's own right.

UPDATE: In October last year I put my money where my mouth is, and my girlfriend and I purchased a Fabia 1.4 16v Comfort manual. 3 months and 9,000 miles on, it's exceeding all our expectations and returning between 46 and 51 miles to the gallon. It's a great car!
Summary: I liked it so much...I went out and bought one!

FABIA write-up 1: Would you buy a Skoda?

Would YOU Buy A Skoda?
(source www.dooyoo.co.uk)
by kenjohn - written on 23.01.02 - Rating: (3 of 5 possible stars)

Advantages see opinion
Disadvantages see opinion

~ ~ Forget all the old jokes that used to do the rounds a few years back about Skoda. In the bad old days, these Czechoslovakian cars were without question one of the worst on the road, with “sewing machine” engines, and the build quality of a small boy’s go kart.

But since they became part of the Volkswagen group, they have improved beyond recognition, and today they must rank in the top half dozen of European car manufacturers.

I wrote a review a good while back about the Octavia, their top of the range car in the large car bracket, which is proving to be a very popular choice with taxi drivers here in Dublin. (Not to mention the general public!) But today I’m taking a look at their small car, the Skoda Fabia, which is also making waves in the marketplace, and becoming increasingly popular as a “budget buy” for the cost conscious motorist.

~ ~ The current model Fabia is available in three versions.
You can have a five-door hatchback, a four-door saloon, or a four-door estate.
I would have preferred to have test driven the hatchback, which is the most popular model in the range, but as the dealer had just sold his last one, I had to content myself with the saloon version.

My car had a very lively 1.4-litre, 16 valve, petrol engine, with a five speed manual gearbox. If this engine doesn’t take your fancy, then you could also go for the two alternatives. There’s a lower powered version of the 1.4-litre petrol engine, (which obviously costs less of your hard earned cash) or if you fancy real economy (but at a higher price) then you could opt for the 1.9-litre diesel version.

~ ~ But whatever engine choice takes your fancy, you can rest assured that the Fabia offers a very spacious four door saloon, with ample room for four adults (five at a squeeze), and a luggage capacity in the large boot that rivals anything in its class, and even beats many cars in the medium to large car segme nt of the market.
And if you fold down the 60/40 split level rear seat, then you have the equivalent of a small van, and there’s very few loads that you wouldn’t be able to cart around with relative ease.

~ ~ The 1.4-litre that I drove could (with a stretch of the imagination) be described as the performance engine of the range. And it must be said that it was indeed lively enough through the gears, even if you’d never be entering it for a saloon car race at Brand’s Hatch.


Off course, like its Spanish cousin the Seat, the engines and running gear are all German made from its parent company Volkswagen, so you can be assured of both reliability and longevity, and easily affordable and obtainable spare parts.
And with service intervals of 10,000 miles, then a visit to the garage once a year or so would be the norm for most motorists. I did think the one-year unlimited mileage warranty was a bit cheeky though, especially in these days of 3-year warranties being commonplace.

Manufacturer’s these days (at least here in Ireland) seem to be quoting performance figures in “kilometres” rather than miles. The quoted time for the Fabia from a standing start to 100kph (62mph) is 14.1 seconds, and it will carry you onto a top speed of 168kph. (104mph) Not too bad for a car of this size!
And the fuel economy figures are fairly impressive as well. You’ll get about the 30mpg mark driving around town in the traffic, rising to an impressive 54mpg on a long run. So if your driving is a mixture of both, then on average you’ll get about 42mpg.


The ride was firm but comfortable enough, and the suspension coped adequately with the innumerable “speed bumps” that seem to be a feature of town driving today. And on the open road, the ride was quiet and refined, with no excessive cabin or wind noise up to 80mph. (which is as hard as I pushed it)
It cornered well, if not in the rally class , and the body roll from the firm suspension was not appreciable. And the servo-assisted disc brakes stopped you quickly and assuredly enough.


One criticism I would have would be with the power steering, which I found extremely light, with poor driver feedback, but I suppose that you could get used to it given time.


An immobiliser is also fitted as standard, so you don’t have to worry too much about it being removed illegally from your front drive, although I still think a stout chain and padlock round the steering column is the best deterrent going for a car thief.

~ ~ The interior of the car is spacious and bright, with comfortable seats.
And the colour scheme doesn’t grab you by the throat and try to throttle you either, with a subdued décor (beige on the test car), and matching plastic trim. (that doesn’t “look” like plastic, if you follow my drift)

Interior storage space is adequate, with a medium sized glove compartment, and storage pockets in both front doors. One nice touch is the small shaped holders for placing your plastic cup full of tea or coffee in the inside lid of the glove box.
A wide opening boot gives easy access, and there are electric windows fitted at the front, with central locking and child safety locks as standard. The toolkit is neatly stored away in its own little box inside the spare wheel well, so that it wont rattle around in everyday use.


There are two trim specifications “Classic” and “Comfort”, the only difference as far as I can make out being the height and reach adjustment on the steering wheel, and the height adjustment on the driver’s seat. Both are very handy, by the way, especially if you happen to be an “awkward” size. (i.e. larger or smaller than the accepted norm.)

Oh, and you only get the driver’s airbag as standard on the “Classic”, while with the “Comfort” your passenger gets one a s well.
There are rear seat belts fitted as well, but the middle passenger in the back has to make do with only a lap belt, which I don’t like, although they are still the accepted standard on most cars. (I think they’re damned dangerous!)
The instruments were all easily to hand, with nothing awkward to get at, and a nice touch was the adjustable lighting level for the instrument panel. (Great if you do a lot of night driving)

The car also has a very sophisticated trip “computer”, which if you like that sort of thing, will tell you everything you would ever want to know about mileage rates, fuel capacity, length of time to your next fuel stop, and so on ad infinitum. I was never too taken with these gadgets, but I could see how it could possibly appeal to the more technically minded motorist.

The radio/cassette was better than average, with no less than 8 speakers front and rear, although it had a generic badge, so it was impossible to tell the manufacturer. (although I suspect it was a Blaupunkt or Bosche)

~ ~ Costwise?
Well, there are a lot of different specification models available, so if you are truly interested in this car then you would be as well to visit a good website like “autotrader” or “Top Gear”.


So the little Skoda Fabia gets a three (and a half) star rating out of five from this reviewer. Personally, it wouldn’t be my own particular choice of car in this bracket. (see my review of the Seat Ibiza, or the Alfa 147)
But if it’s an inexpensive, good quality, and high specification small family car you are looking for, it’s well worth having a look at.
One thing is for SURE! The days of all the Skoda jokes are long gone.

Happy 50th Birthday Malaysia...

MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! Happy 50th birthday Malaysia. Going to Nilai for a break. Be back on 2/9/07, then only I will tell you how I feel about merdeka AND ABOUT Princess Diana Death Anniversary (Also on 31 August). Watch this space...

Skoda Superb's ANON owner's review

Picture above: Top of the range Superb 2.8i V6 30v engine bay...

Article A) Hi all.

I own a skoda superb 1.8T and just travel about 2000 km. The car is superb for me as i was driving a proton last time. Compare to Proton perdana, it is much much better in terms of comfort in driving, built quality, features, space and handling.

It comes with 4 cyl 1.8 20 valve turbo engine(aluminium made) with is equavalent to power of Camry 2.4. The engine is very torquey and responsive. However i tend to drive more slowly and cruising at legal speed as it is very relaxing when u driving it.

Fuel consumption is very economical as 5 speed tiptronic gear is used (2000 rpm @ 110km/hr) so on highway i can get roughly 10-12 L/100km.

In terms of size, it is huge. You cannot see from the outside as the car is evenly dimensioned in terms of length, height and width. But when u open the real door, u are sure to be surprised on how spacious the rear seat area is. I am a tall person (6 ft),and i usually push my front seat backward. And even that, the rear cabin is still very spacious. My wife is the most happiest one as she can cross her leg reading newspaper while balik kampung last week.


In terms of features, it is so many at yet the advertisement by AP don't capture all:
1) Fully electric Front driver seat c/w 3 memory setting (so far i have mine and my wife's setting. Just press 1 button, the seat will automatically adjust for you + side mirror)
2) Fully electric passanger seats as well
3) Onboard computer display (many type of display can be set..)
4) Auto angle adjust right side mirror when u put to "R" so that assist u to see car's tyre when do revese parking
5) Rain sensor euro wiper
6) Xenon head light (adjustable brightness)
7) Anti glare real view mirror
8) Climate control air cond system
9) Rear air cond (4 outlets)
10) Chilled center compartment
11) Chilled glove compartment
12) Auto cruise control (can be set by using stick or button on handwheel
13) wheel button control for audio channel and volume
14) Tiptronic c/w 5 speed automatic gear box
15) Fuzzy loggic gear system - automatically set for sport/economical driving, and also auto gear change locking
16) Front and real foglight
17) Immobilizer system
18) ABS + EBD
19) 4 air bags
20) Nighttime u can see all the adjustable button, handle illuminated
21) Auto headlight on for 30 sec during nightime when arrive home
22) Wetcase umbrella at the rear door
23) A spare type (I heard some expensive car don't have this)
24) Plus many more...

And i enjoy surprise by friends and neighbor, they kept on asking" What car? China made one kah?" and i keep on saying to them " Yes this car is so-so, made by previous communist country, no money buy expensive car so buy this one..., aiya i mistake already to buy this car..., engine no good..., etc. etc."

For i want to keep low profile and every day i sleep with a smile because i know i own one of the best car around which some RM250K model can't compete.



I bought my superb from PJ. Actually initially i was attracted by octavia so i went there last september just for a look. But the SA has asked me to wait for this superb.

Just to share my buying experience. The SA i met has certainly one of the factor in assisting me making the purchase. This guy is quite friendly and really follow through with customer satisfaction. I am quite satisfy with his help from optaining car loan until delivery of the car.

He has inform me some customer may experience bad experience when talking to SA due to Quasar's poor sales incentive system. Each SA is competing with each other. Therefore if SA no 1 know u are SA no2's customer, he will no bother to u.



END OF (A)




Article B) HI all, long time no post. It is very interesting to see this skoda thread is still keep going on.

Just want to clarify one thing there, for those non skoda driver especially.

My advice is that don't buy any skoda car if second hand value is your major consideration. Definitely, its second value will be lowered compared to other cars. As far as what I know, for a 2003 Octy, the current offer price is around 78K (original is around 106K if i am not mistaken)

Japanese or national cars offer higher resell value. so they are the best choice definitely.

If your buying priority is brand and prestige, skoda is also not your taste. Skoda is no brand in malaysia and most part of the world

if your buying consideration is lower maintenance cost, skoda is also not the one, as most of the parts are from Audi and Volkswagen (see picture)


But if lets say, value for money is your main consideration, I will recommend skoda to you - driving a much higher spec car at much lower price. Very close to volkswagen/Audi quality but at Japanese car price.



END OF B)

After spending quite some time looking at the thread, I can't actually find any review. Let me share with you on how a review can be written, to show how comfortable the driving experience is.

Here is my driving experience on a trip from KL down to North:

3:30 pm:
With the car still in alarm mode, I press the "boot release" button on remote control and the boot "thud" opened through "gas piston". My wife and maid were then packed 4 big bags inside the boot and hook 2 bags on the special design hook in the boot. The boot closed.

3:45 pm:
My 2 monkeys get dressed and rushed out to open the doors. Well, they can't.

3:50 pm:
Everybody was ok and we locked the house. I was then pressed the "door open" button on remote, and "thud" the doors were unlocked. My 2 monkeys immediately rushed into the car...Goosph..

3:51 pm:
I open the driver door, pressed the memory setting button No 1, and instantly the driver seat, left mirrors and right mirrors moved automatically. At the same time, my elder son who sat in front was playing with the front electrical driven passenger seat. I was then close the door and it sound “thud”.

3:52 pm:
I sat in driver seat. Put the unfolding key into ignition. Waited for 5 times of beeping sound while the CANBUS system checked all the engine condition. Then, I started the engine....vroooommmm...

3:53pm:
Put the gear to reverse mode, released the handbrake. The left door mirror automatically lowered and adjusted to help reversing easier. Now as the car moved forward, the doors were automatically locked.

3:54pm:
We were on the way to the destination. With the unbelievable large cabin size especially the rear cabin, my wife who sat behind, crossed her legs comfortably and enjoying her favourite magazine. My smaller monkey just running across from left to right in the rear and my elder son was
sitting in front enjoying scenery passed by.

3.55pm:
I pressed the automatic air conditioner on. Set at 20 degree C, The cold air flowed from 4 vents in the front , 2 vents at the back of the center console and 2 vents beneath the front seats towards rear passengers.

3.56pm:
I switched on the radio. The RDS information was then shown in both radio display and information display at the RPM meter area. I pressed on the “volume control” on steering and then press the “search” button looking for best radio station. It was “Light and Easy….”. I suddenly increase speed to overtake a vehicle in front and the sound of radio increased proportionally according the speed. At this point I was cruising at 100km/hr and the cabin is so quiet filled with beautiful music.

4:30 pm:
In the middle of highway with less traffic. I pushed the “set” button on the steering and the car was cruised automatically at 110km/hr. After a while, I pressed the (-) button on the steering and reduced the cruising speed to 90km/hr as there was a slow moving car in front. Then I overtook the car and reset back to normal cruising speed afterwards.

5.00 pm:
There was a sudden rain. The front wiper automatically wiped and the wiping speed was according to the heaviness of the rain fall. Then I noticed there was a little mist on the left wing mirror. I quickly switch to heater mode and the mist gone.


6.00 pm:
My elder son felt thirsty. I immediately open the chilled box at the front console and gave him the chilled 100+. I was then open the chilled glove compartment and handed over another 2 cans of chilled cokes to my wife and maid.

7:00 pm:
Stop at rest corner. Finding a parking space is difficult as the car is large. It was raining heavily. My wife then took out the umbrella from the Umbrella holder in the left rear door area and we went for dinner.

7:30 pm:
After stop over at rest area. It started to get darker. I switched on the HID headlight and all the detailed area lighted such as all the door handles, central console area, all the air cond vents area, foot well and etc. so that I can locate these at ease in dark.

7:35 pm:
My wife switched on her own reading light at the back and started reading again and my maid switched on the other reading light preparing drinks for my sons.

7:34 pm:
There was a car from behind came fast with high-beam on. Immediate the rear view mirror automatically reduce the flare and protect my eyes.


8:00 p.m: It was a bit late in schedule, so I decided to give a little push to 150-160 km/hr. The turbo kicked in and the car was cruised effortlessly and comfortably. After passing through tunnel, the speed was maintained at 130-140km/hr eventhough the road is windy, as the car is very stable and in control.

8:23 p.m.: Passing through the uphill and downhill area, I switched into Tiptronic gear mode and drive the car manually…Everything was so quiet as all have droop off.

9:00 pm:
We reach the destination. As it was dark, I stopped the car and engine and switched to “Coming Home” mode, the headlight and room lights automatically on for about 2 minutes allowing time for us to get out easily.


9:05 pm:
Well come to HOME SWEET HOME.
;
;
;
Well, it is not a BMW, it is not a Mercedes, it is not an Audi either…….
…………………..It is just THE BLOODY HELL SKODA SUPERB 1.8 TURBO.
Cheers!

(Source: http://www.autoworld.com.my/forum (under VW Group)



END OF ARTICLE C/REVIEW.



GENERAL OPINION: Want to know more about the "Superb"? Come to our showroom to test drive. We also have the Value for money Fabia, Fabia Combi.

Also check out the State of the art Skoda, Octavia / Octavia Combi wagon. Why? Coz it has 6 speed Tiptronic Auto by Audi, Latest 150hp and 200Nm of torque @ 3500rpm, 2.0 FSI Engine (identical to current Jetta @ RM185,000), 0-100km/h in 9.8secs, Top speed 210km/h. The Octavia is priced @ RM165,000 only (RM171,000 for Combi wagon), NOW with 0% Interest for 4 yrs (OR CASH REBATE). INDEED EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY and BUILT QUALITY @ Japanese price.

That's all folks... Thanks for reading...

Hijacking this blog. NEW JOB Selling...

New Job selling Skoda cars and Mercedes Benz Vans (Vito, Sprinter) from 9/7/07 onwards. Well, I managed to survived 1 week. How do I feel? What's my routine? Here's some journal over the past 6 days...

Monday (9/7/07): Just introduction to the job, colleagues, briefings on the Code of conduct etc... and familiarize with the cars. Nothing much to do, left the showroom @ 2.30pm.

Tuesday (10/7/07): FULL DAY PRODUCT TRAINING. 9.30am till 6pm. Morning session conducted by Datuk Amir himself (Managing Director of Quasar Carriage), then product Test drive session. I test driven 1) Skoda Octavia 2.0FSI, 2) Mercedes Vito MPV (More on the test drive experience later). Our flagship, Skoda Superb's Not available for test drive. Then, it's Lunch break.

After lunch, there product training on Skoda cars conducted by Sales Manager Mr. Lawrence, followed by Mercedes Vito and Sprinter product training by our Senior Manager.

Wed (11/7/07). Nothing much to do. Morning meeting. Each of us were assigned with a partner. Did some roleplay and product familiarisation. Got to know more about my colleagues, chatting with them. Left @ 4pm.

Thurs (12/7/07): AM: Technical Training about Octavia FSI by Mr.Yap, chief foreman. Lunch with one of my Colleague. Otherwise, nothing significant to highlight.

Fri (13/7/07): Duty roster came out. I was on duty 3 times in the month of July with my partner, Ghazali. On duty means I have to stay at the showroom from 10am to 7pm. Otherwise, I just have to punch card @ 9am then I will be free to do whatever I want. Though the main idea is to enable to find Prospective customers. Lunch @ 6 to 10 grill and Nasi Lemak with 2 other colleagues. Had Fish and Chips + Drink = RM12.00 poorer.

Sat 14/7/07: WHOLE DAY Skoda ROADSHOW @ Berjaya Times Square 10am till 6pm. Was mentally sabotaged @ 11am, 1st guy approached me. That idiot kept on Saying how good Accord is VS Skoda WITHOUT CHECKING out the OCTAVIA (He just hesitated). He refused to accept that Octavia = (similar to) VW Jetta. He TAUGHT SKODA IS FROM RUSSIA. I wanted to say to him (So dumb, Skoda also dunno where from). But I refrained.

Lunch tapau from McD (5th floor), Approached a Korean, showed him the car, forgotten that you need to remove the rod before closing the bonnet as I taught it's like Skoda Superb. "Krak", the base of the rod which is plastic plated broke. Kena lectured by Kelvin, Quasar Carriage KL, Sales Manager. After that, very Jittery, Tense up, got some inferior complex against certain kind of people. MOST PEOPLE REFUSED to EVEN take the Brochure let alone looking at it. Few of them said "Skoda Ar! Sucks!" No thanks. One of them said "Spare parts hard to get and maintenance AND expensive". CONCLUSION: Most Malaysian have bad Perception on Skoda brands.

Around 4pm, I approached a 16 yrs old Boy. He's very reserved, Showed him the Fabia, he's quite keen. Said "will talk to dad and get back to you". After that, my confidence reached to a new high. At about 5pm, my colleague "BO FENG" approached Small tour bus driver, talked to them and response quite positive. So I get his idea and approached a Mercedes MB140 Bas Persiaran and briefed the driver the new Mercedes Sprinter (thank God I brought 3 copies). Response, Very KEEN. Left the place @ 6pm sharp, took Monorail => KL Sentral => Putra LRT back to Taman Jaya where Dad fetched me home.

THis roadshow was Very tiring, gotta stand WHOLE DAY. Thank goodness we were sheltered from the Rain.

Sunday 15/7/07: Day 2 of the roadshow but I choose not to go. Went to Church Instead. Came back from Church straight went to sleep. Woke up, dinner, then typing this.

CONCLUSION: Eye opening Job, learned a LOT from ALL of the Colleagues, 10 of them in Sales Division including me (ALL but 1 of them were friendly), product training, my Manager (Mr. Lawrence). Looking forward for SALES, SALES and MORE SALES Especially on Mercedes Vans. Will put little hope on Skoda judging by the Poor Brand Perception among Kiasu Malaysians.

Oh! From next thread onwards, I will hijack this purportedly "USED CAR REVIEW Blog". I will instead post AT LEAST 5 blogs on SKODAs and Vitos, Few on Skoda Owner's review as well as some of my Experience as a Salesperson.

REVIEW: Honda Jazz @ Fit 1.5 iDSI/VTEC

In this review, the spotlight is on Honda Jazz. Honda Jazz is a World car (Ie. On sale in all corners of the world). It’s called HONDA FIT in Japan and America. FINALLY, I have a car to “test” and I can come up with my OWN REVIEW for a mere 15 minutes only though…

In addition, I'd also like to invite another 2 Honda jazz/Fit owners in Malaysia to write about the experience of Owning Honda Jazz.



REFERENCES:
1) http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/cars/honda-jazz-1-4/reviews/ (England Owner's review)

2) www.whatcar.co.uk (for some car Specifications)
3) http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/reviews.aspx?year=2007&make=Honda&model=Fit&trimid=-1 (USA Owner's review)
8) http://www.carsurvey.org/review_74011.html
9) Thanks to Dr. Melchi S.J. Phuah for letting me assess his car.

MY REVIEW: (only 15 minutes with the car)

My Church friend, Dr Melchi S.J Phuah allowed me to check out his car. It’s 6 mts old Jazz 1.5VTEC 7 speed CVT instead of IDSI. It is a Facelift model. His car’s fitted with 15’ rims, bodykit, Leather seats (see picture) and V-Kool (RM2400 and RM2050 extra respectively).

INTERIOR:


The main advantage of the Jazz though, is its interior room. The 1st thing I did was to check out the split rear “ULTRA-seats”. This is made possible by having fuel tank under the front seats instead of under rear seats in “Typical cars”.
There's plenty of room for four people and the boot is a very good size. It really is a “MINIVAN”.

Folding the seats down reveals a van-like flat floor and folding them up enables you to put a lot of stuff in the middle of the car. It takes seconds, and makes for a very versatile small family car. See picture below. It can carry 2 seater sofa when seats fold down. The rear legroom’s spacious, it’s as good as a Proton Wira. The Jazz had quite poor all round visibility with thick A pillar @ front and big "square shaped" rear headrests which causes blind spots (especially seeing bikes, cyclists).






The Aircond switches is 3 non-digital knob-turn type, fairly easily reach from both driver and passenger seats (see photo above). The In Car Entertainment’s cool for a Standard unit. It’s 2-DIN KENWOOD CD-player with USB Port (on the bottom right) and Media controls. See photo below. Oh! It has 4 speakers.

The driving position is quite good with adjustable steering and upright seating (as the fuel tank is located under the front seats) with quite high roofline (MPV Style). The front driver seat also has lumbar adjustable. Cushion is on the hard side, with optional leather. According to the owner (Dr Phuah), the interior build quality is good let down by squeaking sound at back seats at times - especially with passangers (like something loose). He also added that the soundproofing is quite poor but that can be fixed by installing DYNAMAT Soundproofing @ KKLAU (will tell him).

EXTERIOR: The Jazz’s a 2 BOX styling, mini MPV style. Design’s quite good looking (see Picture below) and as a Honda means Virtually Endless Modification options if you have the money. The rear hatch opens high and loading/unloading’s quite easy. The car dimensions can be found in “Specifications” at the end of this review.



RIDE and Handling: The car is quite powerful, there’s a word for this. Ah! Nippy. It goes from 0-100km/h in around 10 seconds (VTEC). Can be considered the most powerful Acceleration in its class. The feeling of effortless power is the result of clever seamless CVT gearing, however, and the Jazz quickly becomes harsher if you need swift uphill pull or uphill overtaking power -- the engine then sounds a bit coarse and a bit hesitate to move.

The Jazz’s also very quiet at idle, you’ll hardly notice that the engine’s on. The car is also doodle to park and steering type is “ELECTRIC POWER STEERING” ie. speed sensitive version.

The suspension is quite hard at uneven surfaces. Is it due to its low profile rims/tyres (15’, 55 series)? Handling is quite good for a Mini MPV, but a bit of bodyroll still there at high speed cornering. Oh! There’s slight wind noise above 120km/h. The brakes were EXCELLENT thanks to ABS+EBD and 4 disc brakes as a VTEC model (rear drums for IDSI model). My friend did LAST Minute breaking, 60km/h to REST around 100 feet...

OWNING IT: The car is very reliable (as agreed by ALL 6 owner reviews in various part of the world). FUEL CONSUMPTION is super. Fuel tank - 42 litres can go 800km, highway, 380km urban and 500km averaged. This is VTEC model. IDSI model’s EVEN more economical around 50 to 80kms more. According to Dr. Phuah, the owner, from Petaling Jaya to JB (around 380km) = slightly above half tank only. As a Comparison, my Ford Telstar consumed 1 FULL TANK. In Malaysia, a new Jazz IDSI costs RM94,000 and JAZZ VTEC costs around 103,000, Imported from Thailand. It came with 3 yrs warranty and 2 years free maintenance (don’t know whether still on now). AS This is a USED car review blog, will cover how much can you buy when used at the end of this blog.


USA Average Owner’s RATINGS:
MSN Auto (USA) Owner’s Reviews
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.2 Overall Rating
9.2 Styling
8.9 Performance
9.0 Interior
9.5 Quality
9.2 Recommendation


OWNER REVIEW 1: Honda Jazz 1.4IDSI 5 speed Manual
Jazz up your Motoring
by sandrabarber Rating: (5 of 5 possible stars)

Advantages spacious and flexible, superb fuel economy, comfortable and stylish
Disadvantages none for me

The time was right for a new car. And I wanted brand new, in the hope that I would be guaranteed a few years trouble-free motoring (and hopefully no sudden expenses) with a good warranty and some peace of mind.

In my new car, I wanted the following criteria:

Light and easy to drive
Comfortable seating and leg room in the back
Fuel economy
A good sounding stereo
Affordable insurance
Quiet and reasonably powerful engine
Safety
Good looks
Flexibility (i.e. can take large packages/suitcases etc when necessary)
A make with a strong reputation for reliability
Extra gizmos
Under (preferably considerably under) £10,000

A lot to ask? Yes, but then along came the Honda Jazz?

Criteria 1: Light and easy to drive

My Honda Jazz drives like a dream. It's classed as a 'supermini MPV', meaning that I get to sit quite high up which gives me a great view of the road, adding to ease of driving. The power-steering is light as a feather and I swear could be done one-fingered. All controls are easy to reach and easy to use. Visibility is very good, especially through the enormous front windscreen. Brakes are very effective without being jolting, the clutch is sensitive without sudden shocks, suspension is superb, cornering is a doddle, and overall the ride is smooth with a soft and comfortable bounce over those pesky road-ramps.
Rating: 9/10

Criteria 2: Comfortable seating and leg room in the back

As mentioned, the front seats are high, giving driver and passenger and excellent view. The seats are also comfortable under the bum, and easy to adjust. The back seats are, I'm told, equally pleasant. I'm also told that back seat passengers have ample room for their pins as long as the front seats aren't pushed right back. Oh yes, and it's 5 door, so back seat sitters don't have to contort themselves to get in and out.
Rating: 10/10

Criteria 3: Fuel economy

My Jazz has a 1.4 engine that delivers the economy of many 1 litre cars. I've had it a month now and I'm regularly getting a wonderful 50 to the gallon approx. My Escort (previous car) with the same size engine gave about 33 on a good day.
Rating: 10/10

Criteria 4: A good sounding stereo

My Jazz S, which is the basic model, comes with a built-in Radio/Cassette. The two higher spec models come with CD, although a 6 CD can be put in my boot and easily fixed. I planned to get the 6 CD changer but the sound of my radio/cassette is so crystal clear and rich that I'm not going to bother.
Rating: 8/10 (because the radio/cassette is excellent)

Criteria 5: Affordable insurance
My Jazz is in insurance group 3E which is superb.

Criteria 6: Quiet and reasonably powerful engine. The Jazz is very quiet indeed when sitting in traffic. In fact, it's easy to think that you've stalled. Noise levels do obviously rise the faster you go, but on the motorway it's still a hell of a lot more silent than my old Escort and you can easily have a conversation at normal voice level. Power-wise, again it gives much more than my same-engine-size Escort. I would often have to floor the accelerator in the Escort to get uphill or overtake on the motorway, but the Jazz requires none of that. Acceleration is fast and responsive.

For those who are interested, it does 0-60 in 11.9 seconds (for comparison, 1.4 Clio does it in 13 seconds, and 1.4 Peugeot 205 in 15.2 seconds)
Rating: 9/10

Criteria 7: Safety

The Jazz S has some impressive safety features, including a proper seat belt for the back seat passenger who sits in the middle, side-impact bars and driver and side airbags. It achieved a 4 star in EURO NCAP crash test.
Rating: 9/10

Criteria 8: Good looks
The best word to describe the Honda Jazz is CUTE. Despite being an MPV it's not too tall (front seats are high because the petrol tank sits underneath them) and it has a gorgeous snub nose.
It comes in a variety of colours, mostly metallic. Mine is 'clover green', a very dark metallic green. I think it looks wonderful in bright red, pearlescent white and a gorgeous metallic ice blue.
Rating: 9/10

Criteria 9: Flexibility

Here is where the Jazz is absolutely unbeatable. It is remarkably roomy inside and incredibly interchangeable. The back seats fold down completely flat for that flat-pack furniture, or the seat part of them folds up flat, giving you a lovely tall space for plants etc. (see picture above). Add to this the fact that the boot is a good size and quite deep, and you've got even more space to play around with. You've got the car that is everything - a comfy long-distance ride and a flexible transporter for large and small items.
Rating: 10/10


Criteria 10: A make with a strong reputation for reliability
Since buying my Honda, many people have said to me, 'Oh, you'll run a Honda for years and years.' Time will tell how true this is, but those remarks demonstrate Honda's reputation for building quality, reliable motors.
9/10
Criteria 11: Extra gizmos
Buying the basic model means that you don't expect a lot of these, but what you have got is nice. Heated mirrors come as standard, as does a height adjustable steering column, and the cup holders are actually the right shape and size. Electric front windows and central locking are also standard on the basic model, as are immobiliser and locking fuel cap.
Rating: 8/10

Criteria 12: Under (preferably way under) £10,000
The Honda Jazz S is £9000 if you want it in red, or £9249 in all other colours.
However, I managed to get hold of one that had been pre-registered 3 weeks earlier and had 3 delivery miles on the clock. The only drawback for me was the colour, but that paled into insignificance when I found I could have it for £7699.
8/10 normally, 10/10 in this instance

Services are at 12 month or 10000 mile intervals. 3 years warranty.
5 doors, petrol, 1399 cc, 5 speed gearbox, CO2 134 g/km, vent disc front brakes, drum rear brakes. Official fuel consumption figures: urban 40.9 mpg, extra urban 57.6 mpg, combined 49.6 mpg.

Overall:
I'm absolutely in love with my Jazz. I've taken it on short journeys, long journeys, smooth roads, rough roads, straight roads, winding roads, slow trips and fast-lane motorway dashes. It has delighted me on every occasion and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a comfy, flexible, fun, quality car that's always economical, quiet around town and speedy on the motorway.


OWNER’s REVIEW 2 from USA:
"Fantastic Commuting Car!"
2007 Honda Fit Sport 1.5 7-Spd AT
By: An MSN Autos Consumer
Owned: Less than 1 year
Review ID: #504380

10.0 Overall Rating
10 Styling
10 Performance
10 Interior
10 Quality
10 Recommendation

Pros:
Great acceleration, braking, and handling, very intuitive interior layout, tons of space, and great mileage. Easy to handle in heavy-duty urban traffic and a cinch to park in tight spaces.
Cons:
Minor things that most people have already mentioned: lack of a center armrest and doors don't lock automatically; nothing important.
Overall Review:
Love it! It's easy and inexpensive to drive and maintain and wonderful for city driving and parking. It's also got a great personality and the Honda dealer/service people I have dealt with thus far have been so friendly and polite! I went from driving a gas-guzzling Corvette (I love it with all my heart but not with my wallet) to an 07 Fit and I love the Fit's practicality.

SPECIFICATIONS: Honda Jazz @ Honda Fit 1.5 IDSI CVT (1.5 VTEC in Bracket)

Engine: Petrol, Code: L15A 4 Cyl in line, SOHC 1-dsi, Twin spark plugs 1497cc 8 valve (L15A 4 cyl in line, SOHC VTEC 1497cc 16 valve Normal Spark plugs), PGM-Fuel injection with Compression ratio: 10.5:1 (10.1:1), Bore x stroke: 73x89.4mm.

Max power: 65kw [88hp] @5500rpm (81kw[110hp]@6000rpm)
Max torque: 131Nm@2700rpm (143Nm@4800rpm)

BRAKES: Front ventilated discs, rear drums ABS+EBD [Electronic brake force distribution]. (Front ventilated discs, rear solid discs, ABS+EBD)

DIMENSIONS: Length: 3830mm, Width: 1675mm, Height: 1525mm, Wheelbase: 2450mm, Tracks: ff/rr: 1460/1445mm. Ground clearance 150mm. Kerb weight: 1050kg (1080kg).

FUEL TANK CAPACITY & Fuel consumption: 42 litres. Extra urban: 12km/litre, 20km/litre (Highway). Average: 15km/litre. (VTEC: 10.8km/L, 19km/L, 12km/L)

STEERING: Electronically Assisted power steering (VTEC Same)
. Lock to lock turns: 3.53

SUSPENSION:
Front: Independent McPherson struts, springs & dampers, stabiliser bar. (VTEC same)
Rear: Torsion beam axle, springs and dampers (VTEC Same)

TRANSMISSION: Front wheel drive. Electronically controlled CVT (Continuously variable transmission). RATIOS: -NA-

TYRES/RIMS: 175/65R14 (185/55R15)/5.5JJx14” alloy

PERFORMANCE:
Top speed: 180km/h (190km/h VTEC)
Acceleration 0-100km/h: Below 12 secs IDSI. (9.8 secs VTEC, tested)

PRICE:
NEW: RM94,000 1.5 IDSI, 103,000 1.5 VTEC.
USED:
2003 1.4IDSI CVT: 66,000,
2004: 1.5 IDSI 72,000, (FIT 1.5 VTEC: 70,000)
2005: 1.5 IDSI 78,000, VTEC: 83,000
2006 1.5 IDSI: 86,000, VTEC: 90,000

(Honda Fit resale value is about RM2,000 +/- than above, depending on Equipments and type of AP).

AS YOU CAN SEE, the Resale value depreciated about 13% in the 1st year, then subsequent years depreciate about 9%. THREE years retained value is about 72%, which is THE BEST RESALE VALUE VOLUME SELLING CAR IN MALAYSIA (tied with Toyota VIOS). Actually is 2nd BEST OVERALL but MINI is Not a volume seller (ie. Sell few units only) so not really counted (Another similar Example of NON volume seller is Porsche).

Buy one, NEW or USED Honda Jazz/Fit TODAY and the car will depreciate THE LEAST amount of money every year compared with any car in Malaysia. On the 5th year of ownership, the Jazz will still retained about 60% of its Value which is VERY IMPRESSIVE indeed. As a comparison, Kia Spectra 1.6 retained 60% in 1st YEAR OF OWNERSHIP ITSELF.

What to look out for in a Used Honda Jazz? This car is still new (introduced to the Malaysians @ 2003. It’s extremely reliable worldwide (from owner’s review). The precaution is buying a unit abused by Fresh “P” Drivers AND Accident repair unit – make sure body surface & paintwork is smooth & even (can only be checked at daylight, under the sun, so AVOID viewing the car @ evening (Ie. 5pm onwards). AND beware of JOINED units. For PEACE of Mind, send the car to PUSPAKOM before you commit. GOOD LUCK in finding a right Jazz!!!

FINAL CASE STUDY by "Hamster " on Perodua Myvi.

SOURCE: RICHARD HAMMOND'S CORNER: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/motoring/hammond/tm_method=full%26objectid=17707140%26siteid=89520-name_page.html

A MYVI FOR NOT A LOT OF LOLLY

Good-looking, versatile - and it's so cheap too

Richard Hammond 08/09/2006

"HERE'S how to gauge a car's desirability. Imagine you are in a fashionable bar. The jazzy mood music dips and the barman shouts: "Will the owner of the green such-and-such a car move it because it's blocking the cellar doors."
If the car is yours and you leap up to claim it, then it's passed the test. If you hide under your stool hoping the thing will be taken away on a lowloader and crushed, it's failed.

Aston Martin, Maserati, Alfa Romeo - these are makes that pass this test. Some people jump up even when they don't own them.


Perodua is not one of those. Many people have never even heard of them. It doesn't help that no-one is ever sure how to say it. When I try, it sounds like I'm sneezing. Well, it is a Malaysian company and they make really cheap cars.
The Perodua Kelisa currently retails at about 4.5 pence and uses so little fuel I can't see why they bothered fitting a filler cap.

The Perodua Myvi - again, how do you say the name? - is their flagship vehicle. And it looks it.

No jokes, this is a good-looking car. But if it looks familiar, that's because this is a Daihatsu Sirion in all but name. You see it costs billions to develop a new car - you design them on computers then build lots of them to crash into walls. So Perodua let someone else do it and spent their money sticking a new badge on it.
But they kept a bit back to spend on styling. Which is why, even though it shares bits and pieces with the Sirion, the Myvi is better looking.


Inside, there's a ton of space. It's versatile too - the rear seats fold to make a huge loadspace. The 1.3-litre engine means 0-60mph takes 13 seconds - hardly sports car territory, but it handles so well you can just get it up to speed and keep it there with ease.

The Daihatsu Sirion, on which the Myvi is based, is itself partly based on the Toyota Yaris - still one of the best small cars. It has air-con, electric windows, and remote central locking and when it goes on sale soon will cost £7,799 - around £300 cheaper than a Sirion.

But I've heard that Perodua will also give £1,000 cashback for the first few weeks to get us in the mood.

So under seven grand for a good-looking car, built in a factory shared with Toyota, which handles as well as a Yaris, does nearly 50mpg with a three-year warranty - yes please.


I just wish I could say the name.

THE RIVALS

Daihatsu Sirion
Similar car, different price. Is the badge worth paying extra for? £8,000

Suzuki Wagon R
Not pretty and starting to look dated. Reasonably well built. £7,999

Chevrolet Matiz
Cheap to buy and run, managing 50.4mpg. Proven reliability. £6,595

THE FACTS

Perodua Myvi

Five-door hatchback
Price:
£7,799 with £1,000 cashback
Engine: 1.3-litre, four cylinder, 86bhp
0 - 60mph: 11.3 seconds
Fuel consumption: 48.7mpg


LOSERS PAY


For the price of a new Myvi you can drive off many old bargains

Richard Hammond

"WHEN I was growing up, a new car was an incredible rarity. There was certainly never one on our street.

But today, cars like the Perodua Myvi - tested on the previous pages - mean that many more of us can have the pleasure of driving out of the showroom in a brand new motor.
But it also means many more of us will be hit with the mighty hammer of depreciation. The moment you leave the showroom, your new car's value is falling. Many people are happy to pay this price in return for the security and confidence of a new car with a manufacturer's warranty - but not everyone.

Why buy new when you can get more for your money if you buy secondhand? Of course, the older you go, the more you get, but the bigger the risks. So, here's a guide to how to win in the depreciation stakes. Just how much car can you get for the price of a new Myvi and is it worth the risk?

ONE YEAR OLD: RENAULT CLIO


IT doesn't have the space or versatility of the Myvi, but it's a chic and cool little French supermini with a great image. Renaults are not as fragile as French cars used to be and for this money, it should represent a safe buy. You'll even have some of the original manufacturer's warranty left to run.
CLASSIFIEDS: 1.4 DYNAMIQUE, 5,000 MILES, £7K

3 YEARS OLD: VAUXHALL ZAFIRA



NOW we're into MPV territory, albeit mini-MPV.

The Zafira, with its clever and super-versatile flat-folding rear seats, was king of the mini-MPV pile for a while and still makes for an excellent family car.
It may not be dripping with school-gate cred, but the kids will love being that bit higher up and the extra space will mean holidays and shopping trips can be coped with easily.
CLASSIFIEDS: 1.8 CLUB, 23,000 MILES, £7K

5 YEARS OLD: VW SHARAN



GET that bit older and you get that bit more. In comparison with the little Myvi, the full-size Sharan MPV is huge. You get seven seats and enough luggage space to live in it. It's not a bad thing to drive either, despite the size, and diesel versions, while not too quick, should return reasonable fuel economy if not in the same league as the frugal little Myvi. Remember, there are other costs in running a car, not just depreciation and if you're going to do high mileages, fuel economy is a big consideration.
CLASSIFIEDS: TDI SE, 64,000 MILES, £7,495


8 YEARS OLD: MERCEDES E-CLASS


CARRY the family in style. If you're happy to drive something a bit older, then there's no reason why it can't have a three-pointed star on the bonnet. Leather seats, air conditioning, you'll get the lot on a Merc, but you won't enjoy paying if things go wrong. By now, an E-Class will have shed a huge chunk of its value, which means not only do you get a bargain when you buy it, but it shouldn't lose a fortune when you sell it on. Insurance, fuel and servicing costs will be higher though, but when the man in the pub asks the owner of the Mercedes to move it, you won't feel embarrassed.
CLASSIFIEDS: E220 CDi, 92,000 MILES, £7,250"

END OF ARTICLE. What do you think of this article? Is it BETTER than Clarkson? Right to the point AND Less crapping right? Do give comments on this article.

CASE STUDY 4: Clarkson on Audi R8, "One of the all-time greats".

Check out this Clarkson's article about the New Audi R8. Again, he spend almost half of his article talking crap. But read it word by word, this time, the crapping is HILARIOUS... This is one of the RARE article of his, Over the board praises over the car he's reviewing... SUPER RARE WORDS such as "One of the all-time greats" AND "One of the best surprises of my motoring life.". Also, for this review, I've including READER's Opinion on his article...


From The Sunday Times (UK)

June 3, 2007

Audi R8




It’s so comfortable you can run over anything up to a medium-sized fox and not even notice

by Jeremy Clarkson

"We all know what businessmen’s hotels are like. There’s a priority check-in section where you wait behind some rope, on a bit of carpet. There are staff in shiny suits who say things like “If there’s anything else at all for yourself at all”. And you are given a credit card key that makes lots of whirring noises when you put it in the lock but will not, no matter what you do, open the door.


After you’ve kicked it down, you have the room. There’s no obvious button to turn off the fan, which sounds like a Foxbat jet. The light switch by the bed turns all the lights off, except one. Which can only be extinguished by hitting the bulb with your shoe. The plug you need to charge your mobile is always behind the mini bar, and the “tea and coffee making facilities” are designed to ensure you can’t make either.
No, really: the kettle lead is never more than a foot long and the brown powder they put in the sachets is way closer on the periodic table to radium F than it is to coffee.


The restaurant, furnished in beige, is overseen by a woman who says: “Can I get any bread items for yourself at all, sir?” and then hands you over to a 14-year-old Latvian girl who arrived in Britain that morning on the underside of a Eurostar train. Beer is not a word she’s familiar with, which is annoying because it’s what you want most of all in the world.


Your fellow diners are chomping their way through their suppers, some reading books, some newspapers, and there’s always one whose reading the hotel’s smoking policy leaflet over and over again. Just killing time till they can go to their room and watch pornography.


Businessmen’s hotels, I think, are the most miserable, soul destroying, soulless, energy sapping, embarrassing, badly run and badly organised edifices in the entire world. I’d rather stay in an igloo. And that’s before we get to the food.
The menus are always written in a massively squiggly, curly-whirly typeface. And there’s much talk of jus and things being drizzled onto other things. But you know the chef is not from Paris or Rome. He’s from Darlington and he hasn’t a clue what he’s doing.


As a general rule, I order items that even I couldn’t mess up, which is why, at a businessmen’s hotel next to Manchester airport last week, I went for a lamb chump with mashed potato and cabbage. “No, lamb. Lamb,” I said to the Latvian teenager. “A baby baa baa black sheep . . .”


I was expecting something irradiated, something the colour of a camel’s dingleberry and with the texture of a cedar tree. But you know what? It was absolutely brilliant. Historic, as Michael Winner would bark.


I thought it would be impossible to be so pleasantly surprised ever again. But then, as the next day dawned, I found I had to drive back to London in a new Range Rover . . . wait for it . . . diesel.


The Range Rover is a car so ideally suited to a V8 that putting a diesel in the mix completely spoils the point. It’d be like putting diesel on your supper instead of gravy. The worst thing about a diesel is the noise it makes when you start it up. A Range Rover is elegant, dignified, luxurious. And a diesel’s rattle and clatter just don’t go with the look at all. It’s like ringing a sex chat line and being put through to the Duke of Marlborough.

Strangely, however, the Range Rover made almost no noise when I started it, and even less on the move. What’s more, the fuel gauge stayed pretty much where it was on the entire three-hour schlep back to England. That was an even bigger surprise than the hotel’s chump.

But it was nothing to the car that was waiting for me in London. The Audi R8.

I had seen pictures of this mid-engined supercar and they left me underwhelmed. I thought it looked a bit boring, like a slightly bigger version of the TT. And it wasn’t going to be a real supercar, was it? Not when you remember Audi owns Lamborghini. I mean, why make a car to compete with your own brand? That’d be stupid.


This view is reinforced when you climb inside. There are very few supercar extravagances. There’s no panic handle. No stitching made from yellowhammer feathers. No titanium machinegun triggers. It’s very grey, very Audi, very normal. And that’s fine, actually, because there are very few traditional supercar drawbacks either.
You can see out, there’s room for your head, even if you have truly enormous hair, and there’s space for briefcases and whatnot on a shelf behind the seats. It’s big in there; much bigger than you’d believe.

Then you set off and there are no histrionics. The exhaust makes a deep, meaningful rumble, but as is the way in Jaguar’s XK you can’t really hear it when you’re inside.


So it’s spookily quiet, and that’s just the start of it. Because it is also spectacularly comfortable. I don’t mean comfortable . . . for a sports car. I mean it’s so comfortable you can run over anything up to a medium-sized fox and not even notice. Couple this to the usual array of Audi in-car entertainment – sat nav, a hi-fi from Bang & Olufsen no less – and you have a car that, like the Porsche 911, you really could live with every day.


You needn’t even worry about the engine. It’s not a W16 with eight turbos and plugs that foul themselves at every set of lights. It doesn’t run on fertiliser and grated tiger chippings. Instead, it’s the 414bhp 4.2 V8 from the RS 4. I’ve described this as one of the best engines made today and a drive in the R8 has not changed my mind. It does everything, brilliantly.

Of course, you cannot really expect a quiet, comfortable car with the engine from a saloon to perform well on a track. The suspension would be too soft. The power not quite grunty enough. The track is Lambo land. The Audi belongs in a city, soothing the fevered brow of the man with the midlife crisis, while massaging his ego, all at the same time. Wrong. Very, very wrong. In fact the Audi is outstanding when there’s nothing coming the other way. It’s not blisteringly fast. From rest to 120, it goes at almost exactly the same rate as the Porsche 911 Carrera S. And flat out it’ll be out of steam before it gets to 190. But to dismiss it for this is to miss the point.


The four-wheel-drive system affords a huge level of grip, but because it’s been tuned so no more than 30% of the power is ever sent to the front wheels you don’t get the dreary understeer that’s plagued all quattro cars in the past.


You turn in, feel the grip, add power, the rear starts to slide, you apply some opposite lock, balance the throttle and then . . . and then . . . you start to realise you are driving one of the all-time greats. It’s not a hefty car. You don’t manhandle it through the bends. It flows, delicately and precisely.


I don’t think I’ve ever driven a car that works so well on both the road and the track. Even if you remove my natural prejudice against the Porsche 911, I believe the Audi has it licked on all counts. Except perhaps one . . .


The Audi is listed at just under £77,000 and that looks good, but if you want any equipment at all, that shoots up fast. The car I drove, which had a manual gearbox rather than flappy paddles, and normal brakes rather than ceramic discs, still cost a whopping £92,000. Even the leather interior was an optional extra.


But look at it this way. The R8 shares some parts and infrastructure with the Lamborghini Gallardo. And that’s £125,000. Anyone who’s just bought a baby Lambo – me – must be feeling as sick as a dog right now. Because in so many ways the R8 is better. Yes, the Lambo is more exciting, louder and harder. But on the other 363 days of the year, when you just want a nice car . . .


The only problem is that Audi cannot build the R8 fast enough. There are difficulties with making the carbon fibre panels, and as a result it can manage just 20 a day. That’s nowhere near enough to satisfy demand, especially when a more powerful V10 comes on stream next year.


In the meantime I can safely say the R8 is one of the best surprises of my motoring life. It is one of the truly great cars and the only hesitation I have in giving it five stars is that, ideally, I’d like to give it six."


Vital statistics

Model Audi R8
Engine 4163cc, eight cylinders
Power 414bhp @ 7800rpm
Torque 317 lb ft @ 4500rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Fuel 19.3mpg (combined cycle)
CO2 349g/km
Acceleration 0-62mph: 4.6sec
Top speed 187mph
Price £76,825
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Verdict Better than my Lambo


Reader review 1:

"Once in a lifetime you read something and thing Spot On! I agree entirely, they are my thoughts - symbiotic.

Oh that wasn't Mr Clarksons review, it was four years ago when I read a jouno's brief drive of an Audi Le Mans as the R8 was called then. I put a deposit down in February 2003 for the car I was so taken by it. It has been a LONG time coming, but it is due August 2007 and I cannot wait.

I drive it's competitor the Porsche 911 4S, at present and some might say it is liveable with everyday. I would have to say if you do a few miles and they include some quiet Welsh roads, then OK, but for decent mileage, you always arrive shaken, stirred and half deaf.

I cannot wait to drive this newest addition to supercars.
Look out - who will be the next mainstream manufacturer to bravely go where Audi's gone?"
Ken Murray, Manchester, UK

Reader review 2 (an American):
"14-year-old Latvian girl who arrived in Britain that morning on the underside of a Eurostar train"

"As usual, I fall over laughing at these sorts of lines.
The R8 looks wonderful, I hope it comes out in a convertible version (when in Southern California...)"

Gus, Los Angeles, USA / CA

Reader review 3:

"I have to say Mr Clarkson has hit the nail on the head once more. I had the privelidge of drving the R8 around the Boxberg proving grounds in Germany & I agree 100% this is a phenominal piece of engineering genius & by far the best car I have ever had the pleasure to experience. Not only that the build quality & fit & finish is that of large Luxury saloon not the bare bones & wabbly switch gear you'd find in many of the more exotic offerings on the market, it's just a shame I can't afford one, let's see what the V10 is like !!!"

Darren Bodilly, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

Reader review 4 (An American:

"Still haven't decided what I want to think about the car. One the one hand, its one of the best-looking cars I've seen in person, looking like it just drove off the turntable and out onto the streets. Similarly, its a cheap option to the so-so Gallardo, that frankly makes more sense, but there is still two huge problems in my book:

The Porsche 911 and the Chevrolet Corvette. They are the defacto sports cars of choice in the US, both cost less than the Audi, and depending on what spec you opt for, faster as well. I mean, call me crazy, but I think the $110K asking price (USD) is a bit steep for what you get, Lamborghini techno doo-dads and all.

...But lets face it: When the Z06 is available for $70K, and you can get a pretty nice Carrera S for a little more than $80K, I think I'd take the two cheaper cars. Audi goodness or not.

But what do I know? I'm just some crazy American..."
Brad Y, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Michigan, USA

Last reader:

"Clarkson for King, I say. Or Prime Minister at least. Please..."

Ian Oliver, Singapore, Singapore (COUGH! COUGH!!! PUHLEEESSSEEE!!! - Jeff Lim)