NST’s Life and Times has put a twist on the whole car of the year award thing, with the Life & Times-Shell Malaysia Readers choice contest. The contest had been on-going for quite some time – basically readers send in their choices for the car of the year with their opinion on why the car should be car of the year, and the results will be tabulated.
For one, it was a chance to win free petrol sponsored by Shell Malaysia, and secondly, it was a chance to see if the general public agree with our local motoring journalists: the 2006 Honda Civic had won Autocar Asean’s Car of The Year as well as NST-CBT’s Malaysian Car of The Year.
The top three results…
Honda Civic: 45%
Toyota Camry: 20%
Proton Satria Neo: 8%
Source: NST Life & Times
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no surprises there with the civic….
Apart from a very stylish and ergonomic dashboard, a neat engine,good interior space – WHICH EVERY MANUFACTURER COULD DO.
What had the new Civic given us? I like that car, and i seriously do, but merely because there aren't better competitions here in Malaysia, the Altis is already more than 5 years old, the Sentra needs carbon dating to determine it's actualy age.
But as a car itself, is it that mesmerizing? The lacking of side airbags, whiplash protective head rest, curtain airbags really makes me wonder whether we Asians deserves such bilateral treatments.
Despite heavy taxes, European manufacturers had included more safety and innovative features that saves lifes, check out Alfa Romeo 147, it came with 10 air bags and a sunroof despite the heavy tax structure, this makes me think "Hell ya, buy the New Camry and become solid proof of Japs con to let you die helplessly in a side impact accident."
Well, i shouldn't blame the Japs, because it's our local distributors, those that assess the market needs, profitability and consumer needs (hence intelligence) that determined the New Civic will still sell, at a hefty RM110,000+ with a mere 2 airbags which is on-par with a Sutera.
Check out Citroen C4 and you'll know what's bang for buck. (okok, expensive maintenance and all that possible bullshit that you heard from perhaps your grandpa or my grandma. )
Well, it doesn't mean the new Civic doesn't deserve the praise thou, I wouldn't really praise a soldier winning a battle with a 3000rpm gattling gun against warriors with keris and daun pisang.
In the Malaysian eyes, the new Honda Civic looks great and has decent interior space. Built quality also ok. Regarding its safety, well most people think that our roads are filled with Sagas & Kancils and therefore cars like these are definitely safe enough when compared to the old tech junks.
I agree with inglostadt that 2 air-bags are just not enough but is a trend with most cars marketed here. Ofcourse cars that cost above RM150k would have more airbags. IMHO, it should have been a norm to have more that the two standards front airbags for cars above RM80k. Another car that lost two airbags was the Chevrolet Nabira. When it was the Opel Zafira, it has side airbags but subsequently lost it when it had a name change.
Anyway, congratulation to Honda for releasing the new Civic that so desireable hence winning the title.
Heck, I own a 10 year old VW Golf Mk III, and that lil bugger has 4 airbags, AND ABS. 10 year old car still can beat Civic, and still running without problems.
@ingolstadt
You've summed up well on what I want to say abt the Honda Civic. It is just too over-rated, just becuz it had twin-stage dashboard with digital speedo, wow……it looks like Star Trek's Enterprise………and then there's the Honda brand, wow……..it's a Jap, so it must be reliable and cheap to maintain……..
all Ah Beng rush to modify the Honda into Fast and Furious.
Thing is though, I've found a better alternative to Civic, that is the Ford Focus mk2. Oh sure, it has a very dull look, but I don't think the Civic's a beauty either. And if you think it's cramped because it's a hatchback (the 2.0S), you're quite wrong then. It is, in fact, verys pacious and comfortable, and you get a big boot too. It may not be as big as the Civic, but it's not as small as the ridiculous 1-series. Then, you have the 'German engineering', as it was designed at Ford's studio in Germany. But what's German about this car is its looks, which is rather dull, unfortunately, but it has much higher grade plastic, which gives you a luxurious feel, and everything – the buttons and the signal – feels chunky and it feels like it won't break after a month or two, unlike the flimsy flappy-paddle gearbox in Civic which Paul Tan himself noticed in his test drive reviews.
There's a lot more actually, but I think it's sufficient to say that Focus>Civic anytime, anyday. However, here's where the car starts to go horribly wrong. Firstly, it's a Ford, which many Malaysians always regard as being unreliable, lousy after-sales service, blablabla. Secondly, there's hardly any effort by Ford Malaysia to spread the Focus love to all Malaysians, which the majority have no idea what is Focus. Honda Civic, otoh, needs no extravagant effort to convince Msians it's good, becuz it has been around for awhile, and ppl hv trust in Honda. But last year, Ford won JD Power survey to become the best after-sales service, defeating the near-impossible both Toyota and Honda!!! I was so shocked, and thought "this is a great opportunity for Ford Msia to win Msian's heart that they're good, I wonder why they never bother to advertise this achievement?"
The oni thing I see Ford Msia did is the "RMXXX/month offer"….err, I forgot, but it's quite low actually. What were they thinking? Selling goreng pisang? Puh-leez lah, they've over-estimated our market. They think selling cars with cheap monthly payment will do? No way, they hv to tell blur Msian car buyers why Focus pwnzzor, make their advertisements with interesting facts like "Did you know the Focus is the best-selling car in the world in 2001 and 2002?", "We made the superb Focus, the world's 1st car to win BOTH American and European CotY" then oni ppl will know Focus is very good, and tempt ppl to steer away from the Civic.In terms of reliability, I happen to read wiki that said it defeated the Japs and even German cars in 1-3 years old cars category in 2002. Sure, all these achievements are mk1, but what's wrong then? It's not like anyone would sue Ford for lying, and even if they do, they're in a big disadvantage in the sense that the mk2 is much, much, more improved than the mk1. The only thing that's sadly not going up is its plain, generic car look. But do Msians care abt looks? If the ugly Bangle-ed BMW can sell well, then what makes Focus cannot sell due to its looks?
Now there's VW Golf, I wonder when will they bring in the 1.6 version? The only one they hv is the GTi (My dream car!!!!), which is great, but it needs to be accompanied by its little brothers too, IMO.
Ah, I forgot to mention one thing. Paul, you didn't mention abt next week's Civic 2.0 vs Focus 2.0S vs Mazda 3?
Dun worry though, I know who's gonna win. Using your 'brain', it's the Civic. Using your 'heart', it's the Focus. And if you're vain and looks-conscious, get the Mazda3. Sheesh…….too predictable.
Tokmoh says “But last year, Ford won JD Power survey to become the best after-sales service, defeating the near-impossible both Toyota and Honda!!! I was so shocked, and thought “this is a great opportunity for Ford Msia to win Malaysian’s heart that they’re good, I wonder why they never bother to advertise this achievement?â€
They did advertise. Full page on mainstream newspapers some more. But since a Focus advocate like you fails to notice it, I guess the advert fails big time.
The only reasons why Focus don’t sell is the Malaysian mentality. When buying a car, among the most important concern is “got resale value kah?†Cannot really blame us right. After all, we are already paying inflated prize for the car. Unless Ford can create a second hand market for its car, there will be no way for Ford to beat the Japanese. Telling me how many awards Ford win means nothing if I cannot derive any relative monetary advantages by purchasing the car compared to another make.
The step up installment is for clearing old 2005 stocks and is actually a death trap for some takers. Unless you can afford the normal installments in the first place, by the second and third year, you will be in deep trouble. I am a sucker for Ghia, but my shallow pockets says otherwise.
Considering there aren’t that many mass market car introduced last year, the choices is actually kind of limited to the Civic, Camry and Neo.
ingolstadt, well said. I've always said that our Asian lives are cheaper than them Europeans/Americans. Sad but true.
The Civic is nice, but I personally like the Mazda offerings.
wow, tokmoh, you really know all about cars, huh?
too bad you don't know much about logic. which is that if it's predictable, it's because there is solid evidence to back those claims. and it's up to journalists to present you that evidence. if you already know all about it, you don't have to read it, but then, there are others who aren't tok gurus like you. maybe you ought to start tokmoh.org: tok's yawns and snores on automotive journalists.
but it's good that you liked the focus, variety is nice. just too bad not enough people voted for it.
jus curious paul y r u puting the satria neo pic??
because satria neo came in third? i felt the photos for the other cars were overused, i prefer using my photos, and i took that photo myself :)
Nice thing to see Neo up there
@eantautjk
Yeah, indeed, its very sad that Msians hv that kinda mentality. As Evo magazine summed up on Civic (use ur brain) and Focus (use ur heart), it's plain obvious Msians buy cars with their brain. The fun of driving is among the last on the list when it comes to buying cars……
Well, yeah, but I thought it's ok to give it a try. It might fail, but if it works, bingo then. Although, I did hv a feeling it might not work cuz there aren't many Msians who are as petrolhead as I am.
In the end, as you hv said, the traditional choice will stay there forever. I yearn for the day when Msian drivers start to break the cycle…..
@soporific
Not all lah, but quite a lot I'd say.
Logic? The thing is though, local journalist here tend to play safe in their reviews. I don't know why Chery QQ can be good, Sutera, Kia Rio, Hyundai something……is there no bad cars at all? Why can't they say avoid buying some cars becuz bad resale value, if that's how Msian buyers evaluate a car? Why can't they sound much, much, more expressive and opinionated like the Top Gear's three stooges?
Thing is though, I've always looked at cars more than just a machine to go from point A to B, they've to feel special and almost as if it has a "soul". If they're not, too bad. I'll admit that I'm biased sometimes, esp with the Focus. I remember back in 2002, I was walking with my friends otw to the cinemas, when I saw the Focus mk1 parked in one house. It looks odd, unlike any cars that I've seen mostly through my life (I'm used to seeing Proton, Perodua, Toyota and Honda, and at that time, I never had the interest to read car mags yet). But all of a sudden, I loved it!!! And before I know it, my frens were shouting at me to hurry up, cuz I just stood there and spaced off!! Focus is rare here, sadly, but whenever I see them, my head just turns. Just maybe, I love cars (esp hatchback) mainly becuz of that fateful day.
My choice is definitely different than the predicted ones I've put on that post, but obviously, the predicted ones will be correct. Or should I say…..everyone's a winner and everyone's a good car?
I'm involved with other forums, so I'm too lazy to write my own blog. Maybe, when my college exam's over, and when the long hols begin, I'll consider writing my own blog and start reporting all the cars I've test drived by then.
err tokmoh… VW Malaysia already selling the Golf 1.6 la… its about rm168k i think… can buy mazda6… *sigh*… but yea i agree Focus is a better car than Civic… sum argue Civic better handling but thts wrong..
standard Civic is pretty soft, as most Civic owner complains (thts why must bikin)… Focus handling wins hands down, though i cant verify tht… but go read overseas comparos, u'll knw tht Focus is more favoured
Paul, ur comparing Civic, 3 & Focus?? If yes, Cool! lookin forward to it!
ingoldstadt:
The problem is not the car companies, it's the local regulation. Europe has far more stringent safety regulations and there are bodies who work to increase awareness of safety ratings and so forth – we have nothing of the sort in Malaysia. But we do have far stricter taxation acting on new car prices. So combine the two – high taxation and low safety regulations…what do you think a savvy car company is going to do? And which are the most savvy car companies when it comes to making money? The Japanese, by and large. So the Japanese set up localised production for local markets, and tailor cars to maximise their margins based on all sorts of local factors. The Europeans, on the other hand, either have no clue how to increase profitability in this way (PSA, VW and GM brands fall into this category, generally) or they have a luxury image to maintain which means that it's more profit-positive to preserve the quality of their cars to a single standard worldwide (think Audi brands, BMW and DC). The reason why European cars sold in Malaysia have such high safety standards is either because it's part of a luxury image, or because the companies just aren't efficient enough to tailor their cars for the specific market. In the latter case, trust me – if they could, they would. So this is not really an issue for the car companies to address – our government needs to start thinking about bringing down the hammer of safety issues.
tokmoh:
This post has nothing to do with auto journos lah. This result was based on votes from the reading public.
the culprit:
I wouldn't be surprised if the Focus turned out to be the better handler, since it's famed for having a sophisticated suspension system. But when you mention 'overseas comparos', are you talking about European ones? Those might not give an accurate impression, since the Euro Civic has a torsion beam rear suspension setup while the one we get in Malaysia has an independent setup.
yea actually you're right holy_cow, their setup is different…
personally, apart from its dull looks, focus seems like a better deal. the 1.8 is so well equipped. the civic 1.8 is not so. and the focus is CBU!
I originally wanted the Ford Focus! But my wife 'veto'ed me and and we end up with (yet another japs) Honda Accord. Until this day, I am still pretty sad when I saw a focus drive by. But since I am getting a divorce soon, I will grab my very own Focus! :)
The general perception of the Msian motorist abt conti cars is 1) No resale value, 2) Spare parts hard to get, 3) Not every tom,dick and harry could repair or service it, thus exorbitant price to pay when they have the cars serviced at the dealers.
It is with this few elements that players like BMW have skillfully mastered, with the evidence of a typhoonic publicities and mass investments. The actions taken is an eye raiser everytime BMW does something.
It have made the general public wanting to know more abt the brand, and the affordability of acquiring it and maintaining it.
Jappie cars on the hand is well know plenty of plus points in the above 3 elements. So, naturally it would top the high achievers categories..
well said ingoldstadt, bravo! For me, its sad to see that we perceive the Japanese as more superior in value as compared to the European makes. The current civic only wins on exterior looks and interior space. What about the chassis, drivetrain, engine, suspension, electronics gadgets & safety? This is something that most Malaysian don't see visually when they choose to buy or vote cars. European family cars are ahead of japanese when it comes to those technology and they set the automotive standards. Drive the phased-out 206/Clio and you can find that its driving dynamic is better than the new civic. Its too bad that our hostile tax structure restricts them to in making way inshore.
Well, conti cars should be bought to be kept for a looong time as to satisfy the amount of money forked out. Its a satisfaction as long as the car is not a lemon. I'm not sure if the continentals have reached the same level of reliability of the Japs.
well easy way to find out which is more reliable and which has better resale value… ask Paul to buy both, drive for 5 years, give report on service etc, then sell see how much can get.
good idea Paul? *grin*
All and all…. u have your comments about front and passenger air bags… but did you all really did a comparison for the 1.8 and 2.0?? there is some difference of additional airbags, i saw in an ad by Honda…
neo at 3rd?
yea not sure if many ppl realise, but civic 2.0 got side airbags…
Thanks for remind me, civic 2.0 got side airbag….:)
@the culprit
Ah crap, I missed it?!?!?!?!? Well, probably becuz recently VW showed a few models at Subang Parade recently, and the only Golf they displayed was the GTi, so I didn't know abt there's the 1.6 version, heheh. Sorry, my bad.
After the NAP, the Focus is still cheaper than the Civic. Plus with the fact that it's CBU, failure would not be an option. That means, Ford Msia hv too bear full responsibility for letting themselves down, n dun blame "Msians dun like Focus cuz ppl prefer the Japs", or cuz gamen dun favor them, they made it so that they favor more to the Japs, blablablabla…..
Wah…..buy both kah? Isn't it easier if Paul just go to both car's showroom and ask them to ask any early Focus and Civic buyers abt their experience with their cars so far? Dam sad lah like that…..Paul cannot even buy a Jap (he's driving a Perdana atm, right?)
@holy_cow
Yeah, the thing is local motor journalist do play a role in influencing the ppl's opinion abt cars. In terms of the car alone (which means, put aside abt resale value and after-sale service cost, blablabla), Focus deserves much more than its current situation. It's funny to me that, in Europe, the King of hatchback is a nobody in our local arena. And the old-ppl's-car in Europe became the most brilliant and over-rated car here.
@cire
I just happen to hv a thought……..I wonder if the public even knows if Focus is a European car? They see the Ford label, and they'll start thinking "It's American, it'll depreciate fast and it's unreliable, avoid it", that's what I fear most…….
As I said earlier, Focus mk1 beat the Germans and Japs in terms of reliability for 1-3 years old car category in a German survey sometime in 2002. Even Jeremy Clarkson once acknowledged Focus' solid build quality, as he owned one himself. Even after 5 years (including this year, I'm not sure……I think 7 years?), that car still can never go wrong, making it the most reliable car he had ever owned!!! How abt this to convince ppl of its quality and reliability?
@ergo_etc
I'm sorry to hear your case…..and I'd like to wish you all the best in becoming a happy and proud buy-with-your-heart Focus owner :)!!!
@everyone
To know a car's safety, isn't it easier to display their achievement in Euro NCAP crash test? Focus mk2 scored the highest in its class if I'm not mistaken, defeating Renault Megane and Vauxhall Astra. How's that for safety? Civic………no need to show how safe it is also ppl will still buy it. So long got airbag and ABS, blur blur Msians will think "Wah…..very safe aaa. Very good lah then!!!"
For Focus, too bad. It has to do much, much more work becuz building awareness requires a lot of effort. If they keep doing as much as right now, which is like selling goreng pisang, sorry lah……….forever oso Msians won't buy Focus. It'll stay as "some car with good handling" in the public's opinion. Gosh….I feel like crying edi………