2005 Toyota Altis 1.8VVTI
Summary:
Altis is a lot of frills, but its heart is just not in it
Faults:
The car has not let me down, but it is one of the most uncomfortable cars I have driven.
The accelerator pedal position is so awkward that my foot is always at an an acute angle, which has given me a constant sprain in the ankle.
I am comparing the pedal position with my previous car, Honda Civic, which was a dream to drive.
The Civic's seat position vis-a-vis the steering and the foot pedals was perfect, which cannot be said for Toyota. If I push back the seat to make my legs comfortable I end up having to stretch to reach the steering.
While coasting downhill at 70 kmph, a touch on the brake pedal suddenly drops the revs by 1,000 units, the car jerks to a lower gear and takes an interminably long time to move back up into higher gear before the ride smoothens.
General Comments:
Altis also falls short in the fuel consumption department when compared to Civic, both in city and highway driving. I used to get about 14 kilometers to a liter on highways on the Civic, but only 11 or maximum 12 with Altis. City consumption is far higher -- 10 kmpl on Civic and barely 9 kmpl in city.
The interior is extremely noisy, allowing street sounds to filter in. At above 100 kmph, the tyres (Goodyear) make an awful racket.
The MP3 sound system is excellent though.
Finally, the 1.8 liter engine is nowhere near the power of Civic's 1.7 VTEC engine.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 5th January, 2006
13th Feb 2006, 04:19
This great forum had unfortunately become a battle ground for UMW-Toyota sales persons vs Honda Malaysia sales persons. Come on! How can any of these be a dream to drive? They are just a cheaper alternative for the poor Malaysians being exploited by their Government for the benefits of the dwarfed and handicapped Proton.
I am being very honest with you guys, if I have the money, I would definitely not look at any of these Japanese cars. I would only drive Continental or American cars. My old Peugeot though not a dream to drive, it certainly drives much better than my siblings' new Honda or Toyota. It's just that it is getting old... the money-sucker and corrupted government...