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  1. Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    3,299
    #1
    Jakarta, Indonesia

    Finallly, I had my opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive around Indonesia! And, I got my hands on a Toyota Harrier and and the Avanza.

    Believe it or not, driving around Indonesia (especially Jakarta) is much like driving around the streets in Metro Manila: there is practically no order. To make it much harder (for me anyways), they drive on the wrong side of the road.

    Driving around Central Java and Jogjakarta was a...fun experience. The roads are very good. There's practically no traffic (compared to Jakarta). But as a person who is not used to theri style of driving, there were hairy moments. Grabeng makapina ang mga drivers 'dun: ang ninipis. Motorcycles are everywhere and and most of them just zip around like flies. Most especially the mini-buses My Indon friend was laughing at me all the time because I was not removing my left foot from the brake pedal. However, after about 2-30mins, I was driving like a native.

    We went to all sorts of places. The places I would most rember ar Borobodor and Prambanan. Borobodor is the world's largets Buddhist temple that was built in the 8th century. Prambanan is a Hindu temple complex that was built in the 9th century. For me, going to these two places was....surreal. Whatever calming energy that those places had during their heyday, it's still present up to this day: it has been so long since I felt the kind of calm I felt when I went to those places.

    As for driving the Harrier, it was an...okay experience. Great performace at high speeds but at low revs, the acceleration is only so-so. It is a gas guzzler (3.0 V6 DOHC) but damn, that car does look ***y (for my tastes at least).

    I posted some of my pics but I ain't a good photogrpaher so pardon if I'm not a good shot.

    Next stop: Sumatra.

  2. Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    1,058
    #2
    thanks for sharing...

  3. Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    3,362
    #3
    No pics of the cars? This is a car site, isn't it? Hehe

    So does the Harrier perform VTOL?

    Joke lang.

  4. Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    6,685
    #4
    very interesting. pics of the harrier and avanza pls:D

  5. Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    3,299
    #5
    Ah, the pics of the car. Well, actually I did not take one of any pics of the cars because the Toyota Harrier is the Lexus RX300, of which I have seen a couple of Metro Manila. Anyways, if it's any consolation, the Harrier looks like this:



    Well, driving the Harrier was quite a unique experience in itself. It has plush interiors: wood grains, and well-built body ensures a soft, smooth and "no-noise" ride. At high revs the car performs quite well and you can hit 180kph without the car even batting an eyelash. However, for low-revs, the acceleration is quite moderate: not what you can expect from a 3.0L V6 DOHC automobile. It has 220-230 horses under the hood at around 300-320nm of tourqe. Acceleration from 0-100 is between 7-9 seconds. Undo the 4WD function on tarmac roads, then 0-100 would be between 5-7 seconds. Even though the Harrier I drove is 4WD, I don't think it is a proper off-roader in the truest sense (like the Pajero, the Prado or the Land Cruiser). The suspension is kinda soft and the drivetrain might not be able to take the punishment that a true off-roader can. The Harrier is more suitable to urban driving. The Harrier has a built-in GPS system and has a wicked sound system. The instrumentation panel is quite clean and clear. At night, the instrumentation panel is easy to read and is not stressful to the eyes.

    As for the Avanza, well, it's like the Kijang (Inova dyan sa atin). The interiors are the same but the shapes of the tail lights are very different. Driving is quite smooth and the fuel economy is outstanding: the engine is only 1.3 liters but has decent acceleration. The avanza is GOA certified by Toyota. As for the engine, it's VVT-i. Quite a good amount of tourqe at low speeds. I believe hat the performance of the 1.3 engine is at par with the 1.5 class. Seating is comfortable for 6 people (the inside of the Avanza is quite spacious). The interiors are the usual combination of vinyl and plastic but has a more modern look to it compared to the Inova that we have there. The instrumentation panel is quite clean and clear.

    The Avanza looks like this:



    Tomorrow, if I get the chance, I'd be motoring around a Harley Davidson. Wish me luck!

  6. #6
    Nice Review :D

Driving around Central Java, Jogjakarta and Jakarta