2005 Toyota Altis 1.8G review from Philippines

Lately, none has gone wrong with this car.

The Altis 1.8G is probably the best car I've ever had.

It's engine is very powerful and potent for a 1.8-liter:

Output: 145hp/6,000rpm

Input: 188Nm/4,200rpm

It accelerates very quickly, reaching 100km/h in around 8.5 seconds (When the ECT is set to power mode).

It also wins numerous stoplight races, outrunning almost all cars to the other side of the intersection.

Its bump absorption is very good- the car is stable throughout any surface of road, and doesn't get nervous.

Steering is no problem; it has decent feedback.

The 4-speed Automatic with Super ECT is so sublime and par excellence. Whenever it detects an uphill climb, it downshifts so that the car will have no problem going over it, while in some cars, the gearbox upshifts and downshifts back and fourth, trying to compensate for loss of power.

And when in 'Power' mode, this is where I'll feel the full fury of the Altis. Acceleration is seriously quick, with it is a slight (but almost unnoticeable) forward surge, and the gearbox behaves like a car with a manual gearbox, but the problem is that the fuel mileage becomes lower.

The top speed of my Altis 1.8G is around 220km/h. I tested it in a clear open stretch of road.

Fuel mileage:

Mostly city: 8km/L

Mixed city-highway (average) -9.5km/L

Mostly highway: 11km/L

Gas tank: 50 liters.

Inside, the Altis is very comfortable, but rather boring due to the gray-beige interior. The driving position is good, and the seats have great support. Space in the front passenger is enormous, but the rear is a little cramped. Nonetheless, the seats have great support, good for long distance travel.

The controls are logically placed in this car, and is very easy to use, with the exception of the radio and the air-con. These 2 are button overkill, and you need to take your eyes off the road and push those buttons just to make the air-con cooler or switch stations to avoid Eminem's music full of bad and taboo words.

The rear sun shade also adds a bit of class, and keeps the car at room temperature in hell-hot temperatures outside.

And that sums add the Altis-

Fast, spacious, solid, refined and painless, but it ultimately feels quite boring, despite the ECT power mode in the Automatic gearbox and the potent engine.

For those people out there that want something that's exciting, energetic and make fruity engine noises, then choose any of the following: Mazda3, Civic, or Lynx.