Restaurant blacklist alert, Tsim Tung & Sum Wong. July 20, 2008

These days I think I’ve mellowed down quite a bit. I am more likely to just let things pass rather than confront or do much about it on condition it isn’t anything too serious. Used to be that on the slightest infringement I’d make sure the full force of retribution gets applied. But these days on condition one doesn’t cross the line I just let it pass. I mean you can’t really expect much these days.

Anyway Sum Wong @ Jaya One PJ, when I first discovered that place, I was rather delighted. I mean this is the branch of Tsim Tung we used to go to all the way in Pandan area of KL. Food quality was good, service was good too, but that turned out was for just a month or so. After that it just went downhill. First to go was actually the environment…. damn it, you already know the place is full of mosquitoes outside yet you keep the doors open… then when you tell them to close the door, it will close yeah…. but not for long before it is opened again and you get treated to the drain smells of outside.

Then all of a sudden around a month or so, the quality of the food started going…… burnt food comes to the table… portions some day is big…. someday it is huge…… just imagine you are on your first date and you decide to be a lil cheeky and you tell your date let’s share a pork sandwich….. you had come the previous time and you know it is sufficient for 2 to share…… but this time round on your date it is a small pathetic burnt sandwich.. Wouldn’t that be an embarrassment to you?

Then while you are eating your sandwich together with your date…. and it is close to their closing time (which again can be as variable as the weather) the workers start dragging the chairs from one end to another, then they start mopping the floor with their anti-septic…..hey if I wanted to eat a meal in a hospital or a toilet, I’d go to one. Then you get the manageress shouting and screaming at the workers… speaking of that manageress, she is a rude one as well. OK I know it is a long day, hey it’s a long day for me too, but if you want someone to settle the bill shouldn’t the correct thing to say “Excuse me sir/maam, we need to close the accounts for the day, could I please get you to settle the bill first?” Instead what you get is a sour faced lady throwing a pad with a bill in it and telling you in a rough ugly voice “Pay your bill” Damn it, even if you go to a mamak stall or a regular chinese kopitiam you never get such shit, no matter how late or close to closing time it is.

After that incident, I swore never to go back again.

Decided even though the branch of that place was almost 20km away… it is better to go back there. Sometimes for the convenience that it is open later into the night, plus the food is somewhat decent though it is often again a hit and miss thing…some days it is alright, some days it seemed as if the cook was not in a good mood.

But been going there on a fairly regular basis for around 4 years already. Usually if you see a sign that a place accepts Visa or Mastercard, you would assume that it is an accepted form of payment. Anyway so you have your meal there…… then when it comes to paying the bill…. so you give them your Visa and the waiter takes it to the cashier. Then all of a sudden the manager comes back to tell you your bill is too low. I look at the bill, hark ptuiiii it is merely RM0.35 under. I know for sure that I’ve paid even less than that before using a CC. Then another of their supervisors insist that it could never have been possible, oh well…. is fine I suppose if you wanna call me a liar, I understand it as it is difficult to please a manager and a regular customer……….what a pity all this for a mere RM0.35
Anyway it is actually not that I am against it…..but if you want to have such conditions, it should be clearly stated from the very beginning….. not when it is time to pay the bill. Oh well, I guess the only thing I could do is choose not to go back again…. which is exactly what I will be doing.. no more going back there again, ever. Which is not difficult I suppose as there are these days plentiful other places which I could go to.

Horrid day :( June 29, 2008

Early in the day started out clearing the kitchen, thankfully the trays I bought from IKEA actually worked with some cutting, thanks to my angle-grinder. Fit just perfectly though looking a lil messy.

Then put away most of the stuff where they should go and voila looks like am making headway……

But something had to go wrong, decided to take a breather from the kitchen and do something different, tried to install a new light fitting for the dining area, upon drilling just a mere 1cm my drill bit managed to drill through a pipe. How bloody frustrating, water leaked down as if there was a leaky tap above my dining table. Not good.

Thankfully managed to shut off the mains to the neighbour’s house and the leaks stopped.

Now gotta wait till the contractor comes to fix it, more hacking again.

Then decided to get out of the house, went for a quick Thai meal and gosh big mistake, was somewhat empty stomach and now the toilet seems to be my best friend……… oooops need to go there again.

General Election of Malaysia….. a new dawn of a nation. May 15, 2008

The general election came and went. Many were expecting big changes and in a way quite a lot of big changes has indeed happened. Good or bad only time can tell.

 One of the biggest change that will happen is the current government no longer holds a 2/3 majority in Parliament. What this basically mean is the Constitution can no longer be amended at the whims and fancies of the government which has been happening in previous years so much so that the Constitution no longer looks like what it once did during the founding years of the nation.

When everyone was hoping to deny the BN government a 2/3 majority most failed to realize it is a simple majority that is required to pass most bills within the Parliament. Also it is unlikely a motion of no confidence would ever pass.

5 of the 13 states are now having an opposition controlled state government against the previous just 1. Now in the north Kedah and Kelantan are controlled by PAS which is the islamist party. Then there is Penang which is now in control under the chinese dominated DAP. One of the more surprising ones are Perak and Selangor which are now jointly governed by 3 opposition parties.

Another interesting thing that happened is most people would classify that while Perlis and Terenganu are under BN control…… the reality of the matter is BN lost there too as they could not install their preferred executives to manage those states.

There is all the talk now that there shall be party hopping and all that, my take is best to get on with life and wait till things settle down.

In any case the next thing to watch is the UMNO General Assembly, could we possibly be seeing another tsunami in the making? Perhaps we could see for the first time a President being voted out? Time will tell again.

Not blogged for a while. May 15, 2008

Lately not been having much inspiration to blog on just about anything. I reckon most people are finding blogs to be something of yesteryears very soon, seems like everyone is into Facebook these days. Won’t be surprising me if someday even Facebook becomes passe, just like ICQ, AOL IM and the rest that fell with the passage of time.

Anyways there shall be some retrospective postings coming up.

My most recent car hunting trips. March 6, 2008

Looks like I would be needing a new car. Since car sharing is no longer a viable option anylonger decided it was time to get one. Oh all the headaches.

Cars are very personal things,some people like a certain brand, to some people a car is just that. Myself cars aren’t just transport it is in a way an expression of yourself. Obviously the car we drive must also be something we enjoy using.

I was looking at a brand new car initially and the craze right now seems to be the newly launched Proton Saga 1.3 Sedan. Personally speaking I do not really like small sedans, they just feel oh so 3rd world. The other thing I do not like is the Proton brand itself. My impression of poor quality craps which rival things like Yugos have stuck. Call me old fashion if you must but you know they say once you get a perception of something due to experience it just tends to stick. Well years of seeing Protons in the house has definitely made me think twice.

The other car is also one of the national makes, it is the Perodua which have improved leaps and bounds. But their pricing have gone rather steep lately. They have the MyVi which is basically a Daihatsu Sirion rebadged. It is not a bad car, but I just find it to be too damn common. Also I don’t really like it and it is somewhat over budget for what I want to spend on a car. The other choice is the smaller Viva, which again isn’t what I want. But hey it is a brand new car. I test drove it a couple of times and finally it too got the axe as I just didn’t think it was worth the money.

Finally I decided to look for a used car. Somehow or rather straight away my choice of a car was an Alfa Romeo. Really into having a 145 2.0 Twin Spark. However those cars are starting to age and as I would not be the only one driving the car sadly I had to let this one pass……….sadly. These are such fun cars to drive and not to mention powerful. They aren’t expensive to buy either… just around RM18k you can get a fairly good condition one that is around 8 years old. But they are full of electronics and also their weather strips tend to age. Therefore cheap to buy but expensive to maintain.

Then I got the idea to look for a Citroen C3, these cars were rather expensive when new. But you get a lot for such a small car (including some headaches) The only version imported into this country happens to be the 1.6l Sensodrive version, meaning it has an electro-hydraulic clutch system similar to the Alfa Romeo’s Selespeed gearbox. I test drove 2 of them. The first one was at a dealer which was mechanically very sound but errrr electronics were giving troubles and it was in need of a very good clean. I did not like the feel of the gearbox which was just a pain to get used to and rather jerky. The second one I took a peek at was in better condition as in cleaner, but the gearbox was in need of work. Owned by a French woman as well who obviously did take good care of the car, but it was approaching the mileage where things start to go wrong and in this case the actuators in the gearbox needed replacement. Decided it was best to let these 2 cars pass.

Then decided perhaps should look for a used MyVi instead, surprisingly being such a popular car there aren’t that many on the market. One that had a manual gearbox was even rarer. Saw a few, finally decided against them due to the price factor and also the fact that the seats just aren’t comfortable.

Finally on one of my usual trips around town happened to pass by Taman Desa where there was a  Fiat dealership. I’ve always liked Italian cars, especially an Alfa Romeo. Somehow or rather something about them tend to stir me and I suppose it is somewhat representative of me… I like extremes of it being really good or really crappy. Weird huh?

Anyway I saw this Apple Green Fiat Panda and gosh I think I would love to have it very much. But you know some things are nice to see but not really nice to own. They say there is the usual about high cost of maintaining and there is a certain high cost of ownership when it is time to sell it on later. But in my opinion cars are bought to be driven and enjoyed. They are an investment, just not the kind that brings direct monetary returns.

So 3 days later after seeking for succession of MyVis which brought about nothing due to the price I decided to take a look again at that Panda. Test drive wasn’t too bad….. car seemed like it was in good condition and well taken care off with a full dealer service history.

Well I will write more on this later when and if I finally get myself to buy this.

Suzuki Swift 1.5 VVT Review. October 1, 2007

Lately my blog has been nothing but about cars I have been test driving.

Some may be wondering whether I really have nothing better to do or what.

Actually, it is something I quite enjoy doing. Especially if it is a nice car to drive.

Anyhow, we will talk more about this some other time. Right now am more interested to talk about this Suzuki Swift.

I test drove this car way back in 2005, just briefly when it was first launched in Malaysia. I again test drove one in Australia when I was looking for cars there. But this year, test drove it far more as a pre-purchase evaluation.

 This time the test driving was more because someone really wanted to buy one. I always tell people who are buying cars that they must test drive the car several times, not just once around the block. It should be at least 10-15 minutes minimum and on a variety of road conditions. Anyways Dana wanted to buy a new car to replace that ageing dinosaur she used to drive.

It was a good time as well as just recently, the Swift went on a local assembly program which made this car somewhat cheaper due to the lack of taxes.

OK, to the car. Initial impressions had been this car is no longer that flimsy tin can cars Suzuki was well known to have made. Long ago (I mean really long ago) I used to have a gf who drove a Suzuki Swift (sold as a Geo Metro) that car used to be a piece of shit, only 3 cylinder engined and no air conditioning and the audio system only played AM/FM. But it was a reliable car and did good MPGs (you can guess where it was) and it brought us from point A to point B.

 10 years on, the progress this car has made is nothing short of examplary. Doors closed with a nice solid thunk (though not as solid as a European car), engine is refined and smooth, fit and finish doesn’t scream econobox car either.

The model sold here comes with a 4 speed autobox, ABS, EBD and MP3/integrated audio system and a 1.5l VVT 100PS  engine. The rest are mostly cosmetics though notably it does come equipped with decent amount of kit.

 Suspension setup is somewhat continental in feel, meaning it can handle fairly well and still absorbs the bumps moderately well but certainly not best in class.

Anyways, test drove this car several times and in the end Dana did buy one. My advice if you want to buy one is to go test drive this car at the Bangsar showroom as Jalan Maarof has sufficient hills and corners to do an appropriate evaluation as to whether this car character will suit you, then obviously bring it up to Kiara and U turn and get back to the showroom. (Note that I did not say to buy it from this branch, as for buying it, you gotta shop around and see who gives you the best deal especially if you have a trade-in)

Anyways, getting into this car is somewhat interesting. A little bit like my former Jetta, where the keyless entry system (which is built onto the ignition key) and if you press it just once, it will only unlock the driver door, a dual press and all doors are opened.

Sitting in, you will immediately notice that headroom is actually impressive for a car in this class. Seat backs are high enough to my liking and is way better than that of a MyVi and the head restraints go up high enough too. Seats are quite comfortable, supportive and well contoured. But what I don’t like about the seats is the pattern on it, but it is okay as it is something I sit on, not look at. Moving the seat as far back as possible gives me a comfortable driving position and for the most part a safe one too, however this does mean that those at the back will have little to no legroom. But it is okay, smaller cars rarely have legroom as a strongpoint.

Starting up, little fuss here, this car comes with EPS which stands for electric power steering which means there isn’t a drive belt pulley system which activates the hydraulics for the power steering racks like most cars conventionally do. As you step on the brake to shift the gear, the doors will lock. Yay saves me from spending to fix that brake lock.

The drive, most will find that this car is somewhat sluggish on the take off, much like a VW Polo 1.4FSI. Engine isn’t really anything special, but it is sufficient for a car of this nature. It will keep up with traffic and pull off safely from junctions. What it would not do is win and multi-traffic light duels. But once on the go, it will not lag in motorway traffic and certainly it has enough get up and go to do an overtaking move.

However, what does let down this car’s performance is the automatic gearbox, most of the power issues would be solved with a manual gearbox. The 1st gear is somewhat too tall for this engine’s characteristics (however it is still way better than say a Gen2 or a Persona) and in addition in the interest in delivering the targeted fuel economy figures, this car tends to upshift a little too quickly. The J gate gear level system however is a good one, just that I sometimes found myself kicking it to the ‘3′ position instead of ‘D’ when I decide to get a lil comfy. I wish they would have a sport shift program on this car but it does not, therefore if I am in the need for some spirited driving, I would shift it progressively on a manual basis. It got it’s first test when going up Genting (a highland resort) car did quite well on condition that you know how to drive the car properly. Kept up with a 109ps Toyota Vios which was trying to be the king of the road. We also took this car to Kota Bharu which is more than 8 hours by car on some twisty and hilly roads. Car did remarkably well, though I must say it did well in high speeds. Low speeds and hilly roads is a bit of problem though so it is just slow rather than outright difficult.

Cornering ability will definitely be this car’s strong point. Body roll is minimal even when doing slightly sharp corners at higher speeds. Tyres are good ones (though I am sure they will be expensive come time to replace) and do offer fairly good all round performance especially in the wet. Since this car does best at high speeds you can bet that it’s cornering ability has to have been uprated a fair bit to take on corners at higher speeds. It does well, even better than a Satria Neo or Yaris. Took several corners at well over 80km/h and car did not throw or even lose grip. Was impressive. Comfortable too as there isn’t the G-force going all over. The steering is good for an EPS unit, offering fairly good feel of the road and also fairly light to control. Turning circle is also good, especially when doing those illegal u-turns.

Fit and finish is decent, and I found little evidence that those assembled elsewhere were better than other places (though not sure if those from India or China are as good) however, there does seem to be a rattle coming from the airconditioning vents and front suspension and steering rod does tend to make some noise over bumpy roads. Other than that really no complains. But it is by no means perfect.

 A few things that I did not like is the performance of the headlamps, generally not good, each time you refill the car with fuel the cabin stinks of petrol fumes and finally the thing I don’t like about this car is the wing mirrors which ain’t that great either.

Overall for a car at this price, I thought it offered excellent value for money so long as you don’t equate space=value=quality. Resale value does not seem to be too bad either being a Japanese car.  You gotta think of it that small is beautiful and you are getting lots of technology and enjoyment from this car. However, the Fiat Grande Punto/VW Polo/Skoda Fabia. and the Mini Cooper is still the one to beat, though considering the price shouldn’t they? 

Personally, it is a decent car for one but for me I would be saving up the sens, pennies and cents for that Fiat or VW for those are still my ideal small car.

Honda City Vtec review. October 1, 2007

The mom finally decided to get rid of that gas guzzling Hyundai Matrix, seriously this is one heck of a gas guzzler and like most cheaper cars they are cheap to buy but expensive to maintain.

We been looking at cars quite a bit, most notably were cars like the Kia Spectra5 and various other cars. Budget wise it had to be under RM85k and in reality that does not really give much choices.

What’s there to do then? Well there was the Toyota Vios, but somehow or rather it looks a bit like a Dugong (No insults to the dugongs) and having seen a few that were Thai and Singapore registered I noticed that their interiors weren’t exactly best in class. But am not really fans of Toyotas and eventally they become awfully popular and common. I tend to have a distaste for things which become too mainstream.

The other choice of course was to go back for the usual local made cars, namely the Persona which was just recently launched. But eeeeeeeek somehow I just don’t think of it as cars worth putting money to.

Finally the mom who was getting tired of all the car shopping decided enough was enough and just get on with it. Stopped by at first at one Honda showroom, realized that the City had just recently underwent a face lift. But they still had one of the old ones in stock and were willing to give a good discount on it. But errr somehow or rather I got turned off by the salesman’s attitude.

Decided to give this one at Bangsar a try instead, this one is run by Kah Motor, one of the early distributors of Honda vehicles in the country. Actually I have a distaste for them in general, my memory is fresh with things they used to do when they were the main importers for Honda. But oh well I don’t mind it if they are willing to give a good price.

They did give a good price for both the trade in and car price. But no free tinting were offerred, no big deal I suppose could do it myself later.

Really wanted the Alabaster Silver version, but the car they could deliver the quickest was actually the Satelite Silver………ok it is anything but silver and certainly does not look like a colour a satelite would be.

The car came 1 week later… no defects on the paintwork though I was surprised that the brake discs were already a bit rusty.

Picked up the car, straight away pumped up the fuel, swallowed RM75 worth of fuel @ RM1.92 per litre. Then it was correcting the tyre pressure. Over 60PSI in the tyre when all was needed was 32.

Overall impression is the car isn’t bad, quite comfortable and for the most part does what it needs to. The gearbox is a CVT which is smooth though can sound a bit like a jumbo jet. One thing that is driving me nuts about this car is the rattles which are coming from the steering column. Also the power windows doesn’t seem to be working all that well on the passenger side.

Fuel consumption certainly isn’t 26.5km/l like they claimed Only getting around 12km/l in urban driving.

Comfort wise it is decent, but still can’t beat a European make.

Will update more later.

Another visit to Cameron Highlands. September 20, 2007

Been feeling the need to get away lately, so over the weekend decided to head for the highlands for some cool weather and hibernate a lil.

After lunch decided to set out, lunch decided to have Iranian at Sri Petaling. It is quite an interesting cuisine a mix of north Indian and Mediterranean.

Then it was the usual drive. Road constructions are still going on along the highways and congestions were all over as were damn american drivers who hog the right lane or some who overtakes from the left.

Decided to use the old route from Tapah this time as the drive is not exactly near if we go through Simpang Pulai and also the scenery ain’t that great.

We decided to stop at the waterfall, for once it was totally deserted and still with some light.. Picture taking opportunities were curtailed quite soon with the arrival of the rain.

So onwards we went off, at Ringlet we noticed the lake had almost totally dried up and all that remains is some terribly muddy looking swamp. Gosh what the heck happened, in April when I was there it did not seem this bad.

We arrived at our usual place we like to stay at called Cameronian Inn, it is nothing special just a cozy place to spend the night with minimal fuss.

We went up the road towards those new shop lots where there was a new chinese restaurant for dinner, had chicken, mushrooms, vegetables and a tofu for a mere RM31 including the tea. Quite a good price considering the location. Taste was good too.

The mamak facing the main road seems to be going downhill again. Doubt I will return anytime soon.

Next day started out late as usual, had chicken rice at Brinchang and went on to have a strawberry puff at this place called Strawberry Delight, it is alright just loads of flies and expensive.  RM9 for a milkshake is a bit more than I am willing to pay.

Then decided to just chill out at the Boh Plantation at Sg. Pallas. Place seems to be crowded everytime. No idea why.

It is my first time being up here when it is somewhat rainy, the scenery is really nice actually.  Very rugged.

The next stop was the food stalls near the bus station, ramadhan bazaars. Food stuff ain’t that good though.

Hibernated again and only woke up at around 9 and it was time to hunt for food again.

Did not really have anything special, just stopped at the Orange Cafe.

After dinner decided to take a drive past Kampung Raja and also took a peak around the Lojing Highlands area. Very strong winds here. Mostly agriculture land here though in the day there must be some interesting peaks to see.

Sunday came too fast, had lunch at the same place I had dinner the night before.

Then it was to the KHM Strawberry farm where I had my dose of smoothies.

The rain then came in amazing ferocity, time to hit the road it is.

Therein ended the trip.

Doubt I will go back again for awhile.

Of mooncakes and their general standards these days. September 20, 2007

Sometimes I think I must sound like a horrid broken record.  Always something to complain about, always high in expectation.

Well you can’t really blame me now could you for being that way. The rate things are going down the drain these days makes me wonder is this the price one has to pay for modernity and living in today’s world.

What ever happened to the good old days.

Maybe I am getting a little conservative these days, afterall 10 years ago if you asked me who I would vote for, it would be without a doubt 101% the democrats, socialist (lefts) and the labours. Today, I am 1000% Republican and Conservative. OK not far-right (though sometimes I am told I do have some far-right tendencies, oh well who doesn’t…. it is a question of whether you want to admit to it or not) While every now and then I do admire a Pia Kjaersgaard and Joerg Haider it is not an admission of anything.

Anyways before I get carried away, we are supposed to be talking about mooncakes. Those who are familiar with this will know that it is eaten in conjunction with the Autumn festival, and it is a traditional Chinese holiday.

Long ago, the major producers of good mooncakes were places like Yook Woo Hing, Kam Lun Tai, Overseas, Angel Cake House and various other established Chinese restaurants and bakeries.

Today getting a good mooncake is no longer as straight forward as just going there to buy one.

The first thing is you need to have fairly deep pockets. Before I left for USA in 1996 a mooncake made from white lotus and a single yolk would cost around RM3-4 each.  (At that time I used to remember how my late grandfather would say mooncakes are so expensive and last time it was only 50sen) Now they cost close to RM10 each and can cost up to RM35 if you are silly enough to pay that much. Few things have doubled as much in such a short period of time.

In reality it is a fact of life that prices of goods and services will rise, in fact I wouldn’t even be sore about it. But I am because essentially mooncakes have gone down in quality.

Plenty of mooncakes these days are no longer made as they were traditionally, recipes now call for an abundance of sugar unlike in yesteryears.  Therefore one of my biggest gripes with mooncakes of today is they are  horrendously sweet.

The next is the fact that most mooncakes today are ‘halal’ (meaning they are safe for consumption by muslims as no pork based products were used and meat based stuff were slaughtered in accordance) However, as pork lard is substituted for vegetable based oil, some taste has been sacrificed. Generally due to this substitution, mooncakes tend to taste a little less smooth. I can understand the need for it to be halal, but I can’t understand the need for so many of them to be halal when generally few muslims would consume them despite the halal  labels.

My final gripe with them is those new contemporary flavours. Too many of them just plain suck and I am under the impression that they are that way because it is crap and there is a need to mask the crapiness of it with strong flavourings.  Say what you want or like about this matter, but for me mooncakes must always be white lotus and a single or dual yolk.

However gripes aside, there still are a few fringe makers of good mooncakes. One such outfit is Tong Kei in Pudu. Their mooncakes still taste like how it did in yesteryears and generally  pricing is decent. I highly recommend their snow-skinned mooncakes for the sole reason that it is still the one to beat.

Another interesting mooncake that I would recommend is this one made in Batu Arang by this place called Fai Fong Bakery. This bakery was established in 1948 and they were gracious enough to set up a small stand at the Kuchai Food Court. This is the place to get the mooncakes that are the least sweet. Textures of the filling is extremely smooth and even better is the fact that the pastry is nice too. Sadly you have to make a trip all the way to Batu Arang if you want to buy their snow skinned mooncakes. Interestingly despite my bitchin and griping about those  contemporary hybrid mooncakes they do have one hybrid that I did enjoy. It is called a Chocolate mooncake, when I first tried it, immediately I knew this would be my top favourite. The texture is nice, not overly sweet, there is hint of chocolate but you can tell that the chocolate is added to it for an extra zest rather than as an enhancer to mask a bad mooncake.  Pricing is not bad, not cheap but I don’t mind paying for it as it is a good product.  Now if only I could con someone into driving to Batu Arang with me.

Anyhow, long ago mooncake festival used to be one of my favourite festivals and for the 7 odd years I spent in USA it was one of the most missed festivals especially the growing up years when we would all play with lanterns and have a perfect excuse to play with fire (which interestingly was one of my most favourite past times when young), these days in urban areas hardly anyone plays them anymore due to parents preferring their kids to play with a Xbox or PlayStation instead.

Personally while I am sad to see traditions and festivals slowly become more and more commercialized for it usually means it is the beginning of an end as we move towards a 1 world society devoid of different cultures and traditions.

Skoda Octavia 2.0FSI Test drive. September 14, 2007

Was in PJ area recently and decided to go for a test drive of a Skoda Octavia.

Generally speaking it differs very little mechanically from it’s fellow stablemate the VW Jetta.

Cosmetically however, it is a world of difference.

 The experience.

I must say the experience is super. The attention to detail of this car is near number 1. The car is sturdy and solidly built like one would expect a continental car to be. Doors open and close with a good noise much like an expensive Mercs or BMW would.

Getting in, this car has the typical VW style key, nothing much to shout about on this, you either love it or you hate it.

A flick of the key brings the 2.0l VW FSi engine to life. This is one sweet and smooth engine. Rather free revving as well.

Sadly this car could not be equipped with a manual gearbox, but came with an auto with tiptronic function. The switchgear, initially seems nothing special, somewhat reminiscent of the one in a Cadillac Catera.

Sitting at the driver seat, immediately you will notice that this car despite the eastern european brand, you will not see cheap low rent plastics or trims.

The dashboard is not plastic like most cars in it’s class, it is covered with a leather like material which is matte in finish. Interestingly, the glove box can be cooled when the engine is running (supposedly good enough to keep your beer chilled)

A quick drive around the block is certainly not enough, in order to appreciate this car, you will need to bring it on a variety of situations especially on a freeway.

Equippment levels are in reality not that impressive, but most things that you would need in a car is already present. I was a bit disappointed that at RM165k you only got an 06 model and without side airbags or Bi-Xenon lamps. If it is something you can overlook, then you are in for a treat.

The audio system is integrated into the dash and there is a nice digital display of everything. You also get climate control.

Cruise control, automatic lighting, rain sensing wipers and and most importantly most of the passive safety devices are pressent, namely ASR (another word for Electronic Stability Program)

 The drive, went to Sec 16 to Mt Kiara.

This car is a steady cruiser, it is well weighted and definitely for the most part a well tuned vehicle from factory.

Torque, now this is addictive, it has a nice good amount to pull away on nearly every part of the engine rev. You will find yourself doing 120km/h extremely easily on an uphill gradient.

Ride and handling, on the terrible Malaysian roads, it does a good job at soaking up the bumps and will be comfortable for most situations (I reckon it is a very comfortable car to shag in as well)

Cornering ability, this car definitely gives you some confidence in that department, you can easily get into a roundabout doing 70km/h and still step on it to around 80-90 and you will continue doing it. While the tyres will sequel, the car still remains sure footed and agile all throughout. Generally few cars I would dare be in doing that unless it was a BMW.

This car, in order to be the type who would appreciate it, you got to think past the figures. You need to be the type who see a car for more than just a tool to bring you from point A to point B. If you are that typical chinaman whom the first thing you think of is resale value and how expensive parts are , then firstly you are a fool for parts are no longer as expensive as what they used to be (largely due to the fact that Jap car parts have also caught up in price), also for the most part continental cars tend to be better built these days with parts that generally last longer, if you are still that stubborn chinaman perhaps you should then just go stick with that vanilla Camry or Accord.  

Would I buy one, hmmmm……… I am not 100% sure, I love it for what it can do. But wished it had side airbags and bi-xenons. The brand, I am well familiar with it due to my previous residence in UK. However it is establishing itself here and it is doing a good job at it. Perhaps a longer warranty would instill more confidence in more buyers.

However, short of a BMW and a Mercedes, this car would rank as one of the best cars I have driven here.