Car of the Year Philippines, 2010

[niky]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...48472055165040

(photo by Ardie of AutoExtreme)

Very happy to be participating in this event again after a year's hiatus.

In PCOTY, cars are judged on both quality and performance. This isn't a popularity contest, a la FHM's 100 ***iest Women. This is a straight up Miss Universe beauty pageant, complete with swimsuit competition, talent segment and question and answer portion.

PCOTY is judged by automotive journalists from various publications. It's a joint effort which we pour our time and love into to come up with the best results possible.

This year's class of all-new entries includes nearly sixty vehicles, and we tested all of them at Clark Raceway in just two days. This included acceleration tests, braking tests and handling tests. In other words, our performance testing is not only about speed, but also how well a car can deal with emergency situations on the road... something which consumers should be able to appreciate.

Time to place your bets. Lots of great new cars came out this year.

[ghosthunter]

Can I place my bet?

And if I win, do I keep the car?

[tidus1203]

Is their a category for it or talagang one pick lang regardless of car class?

[mazingerZ]

My bet goes to the Mitsu Lancer ralliart spec. Why? The evo's too hardcore, impreza sti medyo old na, focus TDCI old rin. I think the lancer ralliart spec fits the judges' criteria. And believe you me I do not own a mitsu (nor am I a rabid fanboi)

[mazingerZ]

Is their a category for it or talagang one pick lang regardless of car class?

All encompassing format - as what they did in the previous years IMHO

[isa1023]

AFAI remember, Subaru got the last two grand awards for 2008 and 2009.

Now I wonder if it's Subaru again.

Legacy GT as COYP 2009 when I rarely see it even on progressive cities' streets?

Anyway, I'm guessing it'll be the Tucson this time for the People's Choice.

[Starex_Gold]

I think the winner would be the Kia Sorento Kidding!

May laban talaga yung Lancer Ralli Art. Pero hindi ko makita yung Lancer sa pic.

Pwede rin Ford Fiesta S hatch or Mitsubishi ASX. Hindi natin masasabi..

[niky]

AFAI remember, Subaru got the last two grand awards for 2008 and 2009.

Now I wonder if it's Subaru again.

Legacy GT as COYP 2009 when I rarely see it even on progressive cities' streets?

Anyway, I'm guessing it'll be the Tucson this time for the People's Choice.

Like I said, it's not a popularity vote like FHM's 100 ***iest. It's a straight-up contest where a panel of judges scores the cars based on set criteria.

Doesn't matter if the winner is not a popular car... the winner is a car that presents the best blend of performance, comfort and value-for-money. That's why Subarus and Volvos often get wins... because they give you a premium experience for mainstream money. ;)

That's the good thing about PCOTY... it lets people know there are excellent cars out there that they wouldn't normally think of.

I think the winner would be the Kia Sorento Kidding!

May laban talaga yung Lancer Ralli Art. Pero hindi ko makita yung Lancer sa pic.

Pwede rin Ford Fiesta S hatch or Mitsubishi ASX. Hindi natin masasabi..

That pic is only from the second day of track testing. The Ralliart is in the running in the Sportscar/Sports Sedan category. Honestly, I was surprised by the car. There's lots to like about it, even in comparison to the 300+ hp competition it faces. In fact, the big equalizer for the Ralliart is the incredible dual clutch system, which gives it performance above and beyond its stated power levels. Only question is: is the rest of the package that much better than a Lancer EX GTA?

All the contestants in the sports category this year are turbocharged AWD four-door sedans (except for the Impreza WRX STi hatch). We've got the Subaru S60 T6, the Lancer Ralliart, the STI hatch (automatic) and the STI sedan. A pretty good set of cars... and surprisingly, performance numbers are all very close in this group.

All encompassing format - as what they did in the previous years IMHO

Yup. There is one overall winner, but the class winners are equally important.

Can I place my bet?

And if I win, do I keep the car?

What color do you want?

-

I'd hate to pick a winner this year. So many new and deserving cars... the ASX, the Ralliart, the Tucson, the Fiesta and Mazda2, the Sorento... heck... it might even be a Volvo or Subaru again, for all we know...

[GTi]

Where do I get to see the list of contestants? Are they all top of the line variants?

[isa1023]

Ah I see ...

I have high hopes for the Mazda6 this time.

[jimnyeatworld]

i vote for the Santa Fe

[ghosthunter]

Is their a category for it or talagang one pick lang regardless of car class?

There is one per class (subcompact, compact, mini suv, sportscar, etc) then another one for overall.

[ghosthunter]

What color do you want?

maybe in golden orange.

[foresterx]

Sorry to lancer RA fans, but i don't like it mainly because of the price. it's just to damn expensive for the price you can buy an STi konti na lang dagdag mo or a second hand evo which would run circles around it or a legacy which has more features and also give it a run for it's money on the track and might even defeat it.

my vote would go to the tucson also since it's the hot car right now, but i want the fiesta to win since it is a real bang for the buck. is there a complete list of which cars are on the list?

*nicky: we're you able to drive the STi A-line? how was it? a lot of subaru guys are saying it is noticeably slower than the STi hatch and the transmission doesn't respond that well.

[ghosthunter]

*nicky: we're you able to drive the STi A-line? how was it? a lot of subaru guys are saying it is noticeably slower than the STi hatch and the transmission doesn't respond that well.

Hard to say, the units we got already had an abused tranny which gives a "clunk" when steering on hard angles.

One thing I noticed is the STi sedan version was more easier to slide the rear end in a corner than the hatch. The hatch felt very well planted but that could be because the hatch was 5A/T while the sedan had 6M/T.

[foresterx]

Hard to say, the units we got already had an abused tranny which gives a "clunk" when steering on hard angles.

One thing I noticed is the STi sedan version was more easier to slide the rear end in a corner than the hatch. The hatch felt very well planted but that could be because the hatch was 5A/T while the sedan had 6M/T.

:bwahaha: so true, it's hard to find a test unit that wasn't abused.

i noticed that the sedan was easier to let the rear end slide compared to the previous hatch STi also, but of course there has been a lot of suspension tweeks on the sedan compared to the older STi hatch. anyway thanks for that info, can't wait to get my hands on one but since the a-line isn't available in the states i probably would never be able to drive one. unless i find some one in the philippines who'll let me abuse their a-line.

[niky]

Where do I get to see the list of contestants? Are they all top of the line variants?

I don't know who's authorized to release it... but if it's okay, I can post a list this weekend.

Sorry to lancer RA fans, but i don't like it mainly because of the price. it's just to damn expensive for the price you can buy an STi konti na lang dagdag mo or a second hand evo which would run circles around it or a legacy which has more features and also give it a run for it's money on the track and might even defeat it.

my vote would go to the tucson also since it's the hot car right now, but i want the fiesta to win since it is a real bang for the buck. is there a complete list of which cars are on the list?

*nicky: we're you able to drive the STi A-line? how was it? a lot of subaru guys are saying it is noticeably slower than the STi hatch and the transmission doesn't respond that well.

You'd be surprised. The Lancer is noticeably less powerful than the Subaru, but an automatic Ralliart is actually quicker down the road than an automatic STi... at least until you get well past triple digit speeds. This is because the dual clutch transmission is amazingly responsive, as are the paddle-shifts. I think the big problem with the STI's AT is that it's a 5-AT with long gears, and there's a noticeable lack of punch in the engine below 3000 rpm. The Ralliart has even less low-end torque, but in "Sport" mode, it downshifts very, very early... it downshifts and blips the throttle as you brake into a corner, so it maximizes corner exit speed. The paddle-shifts give you absolute control... unlike other similar systems.

The one big problem with the Ralliart speed-wise is the handling. It has Lancer EX GTA rubber, GTA brakes and a similar suspension. Doesn't handle or brake any better than the stock car except on corner exit, where the mechanical LSDs convert slight understeer to neutral-steer.

The STi sedan is a damn hoot to drive, but for everyday use, the Ralliart has a better interior, is more refined and has the best transmission I've ever driven... full-stop. Give it a boost tweak (EVO X turbines are available on the market secondhand now), some ECU-tuning and better brake pads and rubber, and it'll be perfect.

[foresterx]

wow didn't know the a-line was that bad, i guess that's what they got for making fan boys around the world mad for making an A/T STi. did you put it in sport sharp mode?

anyway the RA sure is a good car but the problem for me is it's price, it's just too damn expensive. if i want a fun daily driver for that price i'd get the legacy which is a better daily driver than the RA and has more features, and if i want a fast car i'd get the STi or a 2nd hand evo which would be much faster than the RA. if mitsubishi lowers the price to match the wrx and gc price then that car would convince people like me to consider one. since the wrx is a choice for raw performance while the gc is a choice for a fun daily driver with great features and the RA is a combination of both.

btw is there a website or magazine where we can read the whole story on this? this would surely be a great read regardless of who wins.

[misslancer]

wow didn't know the a-line was that bad, i guess that's what they got for making fan boys around the world mad for making an A/T STi. did you put it in sport sharp mode?

anyway the RA sure is a good car but the problem for me is it's price, it's just too damn expensive. if i want a fun daily driver for that price i'd get the legacy which is a better daily driver than the RA and has more features, and if i want a fast car i'd get the STi or a 2nd hand evo which would be much faster than the RA. if mitsubishi lowers the price to match the wrx and gc price then that car would convince people like me to consider one. since the wrx is a choice for raw performance while the gc is a choice for a fun daily driver with great features and the RA is a combination of both.

btw is there a website or magazine where we can read the whole story on this? this would surely be a great read regardless of who wins.

Topgear UK's Review
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4CfWdoSOTk"]YouTube - Mitsubishi Evo vs. Subaru Impreza - Top Gear - BBC[/ame]

[foresterx]

Topgear UK's Review
YouTube - Mitsubishi Evo vs. Subaru Impreza - Top Gear - BBC

what does that have to do with the RA? also for me top gear is just entertainment, most of the time their reviews are biased. and i don't think jeremy clarkson is the god of cars like most magazine racers do.