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August 11, 2004

Review: 2004 Ford Escape 2.3L


It’s a fact that ninety-five percent of SUV owners haven’t even thought of going off-road.  They probably avoid the smallest of potholes and slow down to take the highway metal joint.  That said, the discussion of whether to have this or that all-wheel drive system is as important as what color of socks you should wear for the day.

Review: 2004 Mazda3 1.6 and 2.0


A long, long time ago in the Kingdom of the Philippines lived Mazda 323.  It lived simply, toiling around the busy city streets, bringing its occupants and luggage wherever the driver pleased.  It was reliable and complacent, never even once raising its voice in anger, as long as it was fed with premium unleaded.

April 9, 2004

Review: 2004 Peugeot 206 1.4


Once upon a time there was a man who loved driving cars.  He wanted a car that was just right for city driving, that didn't eat up too much fuel or the big part of his monthly salary.  That usually meant buying a sedan from the land called Nippon.  Now the small Nipponese sedans that he saw on the road were innovative and pleasant to look at and drive.  There was one he liked called the City, which had a clever CVT and safety features usually found only in more expensive cars.

March 10, 2004

Review: 2004 Nissan Sentra 180GT and GS


The last time a Nissan Sentra set foot on the Subic International Raceway was when the dollar exchanged for 26 pesos and the president still totted a cigar.  During this time, I was literally wearing shorts and learning about girls for the first time.  This clean-slate attitude probably makes me the most qualified in writing about the 2004 Nissan Sentra.

Review: 2004 BMW 530d


Every Terminator movie has a scene where Arnold Schwarzenegger gets hit with everything the enemy has.  His skin and human attachments rip off, revealing the glowering, gleaming metal underneath.  Imagine that happening to a car, and that's how the new BMW 5 series looks like—as if the attractively beady-eyed countenance of the old 5 gets blown off and out comes The Cyborg.  The angry eyebrows of the front headlamp clusters lead to a pronounced nose section and sharply creased flanks.  The shutlines are all trapezoids and the rear continues the bulky, angular theme.

February 29, 2004

Review: 2004 Isuzu Trooper Skyroof Edition


Imagine you’ve been working for a multi-national company, and after sweating it out for a couple of years, you’re about to get promoted.  Great.  Of course, with the additional benefits and cash at hand, there’s no better way to show off than a new set of wheels.  Riding around in your sensible Japanese sedan is fine, but it just doesn’t that x-factor anymore.  Opting for a German sedan is still out of your budget, and the running costs of those gigantic American SUVs still sting the pocket.  So, without sacrificing image, is there a vehicle that could provide everyday practicality, exceptional performance and good comfort?  Luckily for you, there’s the Isuzu Trooper.

February 10, 2004

First Drive: 2004 Civic 2.0 i-VTEC


Japanese sedans used to be simple: three sizes with three different strengths: mild (1.3), regular (1.6), and extra strength (2.0).  You could only get the stronger flavor if you ordered the bigger cup.  German brew was much more interesting; they were not averse to serving heady 40-proof in a shot glass.  (Think C43 AMG.)

January 21, 2004

Review: 2004 Ford Escape V6


There are several ways of waking up in the morning, from the unpleasant blare of an alarm clock to the stimulating aroma of breakfast cooking in the kitchen.  A leisurely breakfast is all fine for the weekend, but for rush-hour workdays, a quicker solution is warranted.  That's where coffee usually comes in: one gulp and when the caffeine warms up the veins, so too does the brain.  Now what of us who are not partial to hot Java?  We discovered something just as effective: seeing a bright yellow compact SUV parked in our garage did the trick.