The car was banned from the road yesterday because of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) aka number coding. Since I was attending my grand aunt’s funeral, I figured I’ll ride with James. But he turned out to be sick and couldn’t attend. So I had to borrow and drive his car which is a stick. It’s not that I don’t drive stick but it’s been quite long time since I have driven one. Interestingly, I’ve driven a whole bunch of other cars and they’re ALL sticks. The only auto I’ve ever driven was my car. But fortunately, it seems I haven’t forgotten the basics and I was able to drive around albeit with some jerkiness and quite a few engine stalls. At the end of the day, though my left leg was aching, I was glad I can still do manual mode.
Collision
Last night, I was driving home from work when I got into a collision. I was on the access road from the office, on the 3rd lane turning right towards the main street. I was already in the middle of the main street and halfway through my turn when I had to stop because of the congestion. Then out of nowhere, a red Toyota Vios came zooming along the street and clipped my left front corner.
The damage on my car were: damaged left fender, damaged bumper, broken left turn light, and others that I might not have noticed. The damage on the Vios were: damaged right fender, damaged bumper, a stuck right front door, and others that I might not have noticed.
It seemed obvious to me that she was the one moving since her fender was pushed back towards the door causing it to stick. Also my left turn light was pulled outward. I can only hope the investigator will agree with me.
Vioses always scare me. They’re usually driven by newbie female drivers. Double whammy! Next time I see a Vios, I’ll make sure to stay clear.
UPDATE: The investigator didn’t agree with me. Not that he really investigated in the real sense. He just took pictures and took down our narrative of events :(
Motolite Express Delivery
Your car out of battery? Thankfully, this usually happens in the parking and not in the middle of the road. This is exactly what happened to me this afternoon. Good thing there’s Motolite Express Delivery. Just dial 370-6686 and you can have a new battery delivered and installed in about an hour. I was able to pay by credit card, and even got a P300 credit for the trade-in value of the old battery. Running out of battery is inconvenient but less so with Motolite Express Delivery!
Lancer EX GT-A vs Impreza 2.0R Sport
Since I’ve been thinking of a new car, I thought I’d compare them. They have to have a 2.0L engine just because it’s a nice balance between fuel economy and power. Plus it’s 2.0 is a nice round number compared to 1.8, 1.6, and 1.5. They also has to be reasonably priced.
That still leaves quite a few options: the Ford Focus, the Mitsubishi Lancer EX, the Subaru Impreza, the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Altis. The list needs to be trimmed down to two (nice round number).
The Ford Focus, the Mitsubishi Lancer EX, and the Subaru Impreza are interesting to me because they’re domesticated versions of monster rallying cars. They’re the poor man’s rally machines. The Honda Civic and the Toyota Altis don’t have such heritage and are just too dime-a-dozen to boot so they’re out.
The top-of-the-line Ford Focus has an awesome 2.0L diesel engine and a PowerShift dual-clutch transmission. However, even with the face lift, the current look just doesn’t appeal to me at all. The 2011 model does look good but it’s still not here or even out. Plus, it’s a bit bare in terms of features.
It therefore boils down to The Mitsubishi Lancer EX GT-A and the Subaru Impreza 2.0R Sport. The tale of the tape:
| Mitsubishi Lancer EX GT-A | Subaru Impreza 2.0R Sport |
|
| Mitsubishi | Manufacturer | Subaru |
| Philippines | Country Manufactured | Japan |
| 2.0L DOHC Inline 4 | Engine | 2.0L DOHC Boxer 4 |
| 155hp | HP | 148hp |
| 199Nm | Torque | 196Nm |
| FWD | Drive Layout | AWD |
| INVECS-III CVT 6-speed Sportronic | Transmission | ProDrive SportShift E-4AT |
| Vented disc/solid disc | Brakes (front/rear) | Vented disc/solid disc |
| Ind. MacPherson/Ind. Double Wishbone | Suspension (front/rear) | Ind. MacPherson/Ind. Double Wishbone |
| 18” | Wheels | 16” |
| 215/45/R18 | Tires | 205/55/R16 |
| Yes | Paddle Shifters | No |
| Yes | Keyless Entry | Yes |
| Yes | Start Button | No |
| 5 | Seats | 5 |
| Fabric | Seat Material | Fabric |
| Projector HID | Headlights | Projector HID |
| No | Headlight Washer | Yes |
| Yes | Adaptive Headlights | No |
| Yes | Auto Lighting | No |
| Yes | Auto Wiper | No |
| 7 | Airbags | 6 |
It seems that, based on the specifications, the clear winner is the Lancer EX GT-A. But how do these two drive? Unfortunately, I haven’t’ drove them. Is it time for a test drive? Hmmmm.
Steering Pump Problem
The car’s power steering pump has been making groaning sounds for a few months already. Also the steering wheel would occasionally become harder to turn. Both were signs that the power steering pump was about to give up. And last Tuesday, night, as Michelle was parking the car, it started making a clatter. Steering was still functioning but the noise was unnerving so I decided to drive the car to Fusion R the next day.
Once I got there, we popped the hood, and the mechanic confirmed that the power steering pump was making the noise and must be replaced. Since the car was in for repairs anyway, I requested for a host of other things : change oil, change oil filter, change spark plug oil seals, change valve cover seal, change crankshaft oil seal, throttle body cleaning, idle motor cleaning, and tightening of belts.
It took till the next day because they had to remove the power steering pump and use it as a sample for matching with an appropriate replacement. It was a hit-and-miss affair: the first candidate had a faulty pulley and the second candidate wasn’t an exact fit. But, as they say, third time’s a charm, and they finally got it right.
When I got the car back, there was no more noise, steering was working perfectly, and there were no rpm dropping problems. Fusion R has worked their magic again!
(Car repairs by Fusion R, E. Rodriguez, Q.C. Call them at +632-724-3921 or +63922-853-2700 and ask for Jona)