car hunting is fun yet frustrating. over the days of my car hunting journey i've developed an unwavering hatred towards the motor vehicle dealer profession. i've had my swift contract cancelled and reinstated, almost bought a corolla ascent and test drive many more cars ranging from focus to golf V. i had to admit that of all the cars i've driven, Golf V tdi is my favorite. the quality and sheer torque of that car is enough to justify the 30k plus outlay. focus fell short of the expectation due to its uneasy and stiff steering and wacky interior design. colours and textures just don't seem right and thoughtfully designed in the focus, which is a big disappointment. the price of 25000 is also a concern. and i don't like that fat slow talking dealer old dude. so much for ford then. corolla is bland and functional. i'm never a corolla fan just because the huge portion of the population that drives corolla. what it represent is a total lack of devotion to car selection and non-existence of taste. it's more like: "hey i need a car. everybody drives corolla so it's gotta be good and reliable, so i'll buy it too". i hate that mentality. typical corolla drivers are female soccer mums driving with both hands at 10-2 o'clock position. and to have extras on bare bone corolla ascents are a pain. they do provide depth of negotiation space tho, with abs fitted it only cost a bit over 22000 mark, which is quite good i thought. i can totally understand the choice of going for a corolla from a conservative point of view. it's a car that every car buyer can safely fall back on when everything else fails. the new AH astra is heaps better than i originally expected. the engine is a bit of let-down after driving the spirited golf V tdi, but otherwise it's nonetheless excellent all around and well-built. 4 airbags, abs with ebd, remote controlled electric window with finger protection, and 7 speaker mp3 compatible cd player. it doens't get better than this in this. it's cheap also, a lightly hail damaged one only 21000. the only problem from me was the engine's age, but upon investigation it seems it's well on-par with corolla's.
