STAR picks 2008

By Manny N. De Los Reyes, James Deakin, Lester Dizon, Andy Leuterio and Dong Magsajo Updated December 31, 2008

It’s that time of year again. On the last Wednesday of every year, we the Business Motoring Section staff, come up with our respective lists of the best releases of the year. We keep it down to 10 choices each, just to make the list manageable, then compile them all in one huge article. The process is simple. Each picks his 10 favorites – without restrictions (i.e. – pricing, specifications, etc.). We then justify our choices in a few sentences. The model (or models) with the most number of votes is declared the Star Pick of the Year. But while the process may be simple, the sheer volume of vehicles that made it to Philippine shores this year is quite staggering (well, considering the kind of variety we’re used to). As such, it literally became a headache picking out the models each deemed worthy.

Still, there are some cars that make such convincing cases that they got all five very diverse contributors to the list to give their nod. Ladies and gentlemen, here are our favorites for 2008. We had a blast discovering, driving, scrutinizing and eventually picking them. Read on and find out if our favorites agree with yours…

Manny’s Picks

1. Ford Focus TDCi Powershift: Ford missed a golden opportunity when it launched the sleek-looking Focus TDCi two years ago with only a stickshift. They hit a homerun in 2008, however, when they unveiled an even better looking Focus TDCi, still powered by that mighty 340-Nm common-rail diesel engine but equipped with no less than a 6-speed automatic with a neat Powershift manumatic feature. Sharp looks, European-car ride and build quality, 5-door practicality, mega levels of torque – and now with an automatic. What more can you ask for?

2. Honda Jazz: The most versatile hatchback makes an all-new debut this year and it’s better than ever. Sleeker, roomier, with more features, and still so wonderfully fuel efficient, the Jazz continues to redefine compact car packaging that even large car designers are left scratching their heads. That the Jazz is such a ball to drive is the icing on the cake.

3. Hyundai i30: For the few remaining holdouts who think Korean cars are still inferior, crawl out from under that rock! The i30 is a Euro-style 5-door sport wagon about the size of a Mazda3 but with some BMW 1-series styling cues thrown in. It comes with a 1.6-liter gas engine but I’d make a beeline for the 1.6-liter CRDi engine. This variant is stylish, practical, fuel-efficient, and makes a whopping 40% more torque than the already powerful Civic 2.0 (and just 18% less than the Impreza WRX!).

4. Kia Carens: Kia’s well-designed and well-engineered Carens is a handsome crossover/MPV with a comfortable ride, lots of space, an abundance of features, and a superb CRDi engine. Pound for pound (or more specifically, peso for peso), it is easily the best 7-seater in the world. It’s no wonder you see them all over the place.

5. Mazda6: Mazda’s “zoom-zoom” tagline is no mere advertising gimmick. The Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord are magnificent and supremely comfortable mid-sized sedans. They’re also impressively fast. But one drive in the svelte and ***y Mazda6 and you’ll feel like you just lost 10 or even 20 years. It’s incredibly light on its feet, zooming to 100 kph and past with stunning alacrity. The interior is not as luxurious as the Camry’s or Accord’s, but its energetic 2.5-liter four won’t penalize you at the gas pumps unlike those cars’ big V6s.

6. Mitsubishi Lancer: Mitsubishi morphs the previous ho-hum Lancer into a spectacular World Rally Championship-inspired head-turner. But it’s not just all looks. The new Lancer has solid sports sedan driving credentials, thanks to its Lancer Evo-derived (minus the turbo) MIVEC variable valve timing 2-liter engine, a choice between a 5-speed stick and a CVT automatic with 6-speed paddle shifters, big four-wheel disc brakes, and of course, that rally-bred chassis. Lots of state-of-the-art features including a kick-butt Rockford-Fosgate audio system make it the quintessential poor man’s BMW.

7. Mitsubishi Montero Sport: I’ve never been a big fan of large SUVs, but when I drove the Montero Sport on a test track last July, I became a convert. Slightly smaller than the Fortuner (and much shorter than the Isuzu Alterra and Ford Everest) but with the same 7-seat capacity, the Montero Sport won me over with its more supple ride, strong common-rail diesel engine, smooth-shifting automatic with manumatic function, and smooth understated looks. I love cars that drive smaller than they look, and the nimble-for-its-size Montero Sport is one of them.

8. Subaru Impreza WRX: Want to enjoy Porsche Boxster acceleration for the price of Toyota Camry? Then you need only walk into a Subaru dealer and drive off in an Impreza WRX. You get a hairy 227-hp 2.5-liter turbo-intercooled motor and rally-proven all-wheel-drive traction for a 5.8-second 0-100 kph run (and a 220-kph top speed). You also get seating for five, surprisingly supple riding comfort, and 5-door hatchback versatility. There’s also the 300-hp 255-kph Impreza STi, but the P600,000 premium over the WRX for a 1-second 0-100 kph sprint advantage doesn’t give it that much better bang for the buck.

9. Toyota Innova: This is a no-brainer. If we reverted to a post WWII communist rule and had to have just one car for everyone, the Innova would be the prefect choice. It looks good, has lots of space for 7 or 8, is impressively fuel-efficient (especially with the CRDi motors), and has that legendary Toyota reliability. The flagship V variant even has a full-leather interior, middle row captain’s chairs, and woodtrim. The 2008 facelift gives the Innova a Mercedes-like chrome grille and a new front bumper with a sporty air intake – which makes me like it even more.

10. Toyota Vios Sport: The limited edition Toyota Vios Sports take off where the immortal Honda Civic SiR left off ten years ago. It may not make more power than the standard 1.5-liter Vios, but the fire engine red paint and the ***y aerodynamic body kit of the Sport give the already zippy little car that much more visual oomph. It’s one of those rare cars that look fast even when standing still. The base car, of course, already has lots of winning attributes – as thousands of happy owners already know.


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