Ok, started off in an Insight. Clarkson was right - too smug. Like a tamogachi on wheels - constantly reminds you what a tree-hugging nice eco-chap you are being. Or a planet-wrecking dolt. (Guess which I got most of?)
Then, almost as if the gods loved me, I got an Opel Astra 1.6 turbo. WOOT! 5am, clear roads, and have fun!
Today was out driving the new Honda. Called a Ballade here. Hire firms will love it. Nice enough, honest, but no soul.
reviews next week.
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How dare you have fun on a clear road at that time !
According to some that is irresponsible and you are an idiot.
OK by me though.
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Well the 'some' can get knotted!
Empty dual carriageways FTW!
Journey time at 4-5am: 20 mins
Same journey anytime between 6:45 and 9? Try 90 minutes.
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Fun!? That's taxable just as soon as they find a way of measuring it.
John
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well, John, they tried introducing toll roads in the Jo'burg area, and the locals are so up in arms about it, that it has been now sent back to gubberment for 'review'.
In this seaside town, there's very little congestion off the main routes, so some brilliant driving roads.
Myself and friends often meet up for sunday morning 'tours' of 200-300kms, involving some 'interesting' mountain passes and stop-offs.
Motoring as she should be!
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Just makes sure you lock up the gates of your kraal behind you while you are out having fun.
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Ballade:
2011 sees the return of a familiar name to these shores, with the latest model from Honda picking up the Ballade moniker.
As the car is named the City overseas, management chose to revive the old Ballade name to avoid confusion with another locally-available vehicle, and the new Ballade certainly continues where its previous incarnations left off – it is a well-specced, unpretentious five seater, which immediately gives one a sense of solid build quality, comfort and reliability. In short, it is an honest and down-to-earth car, which should fill its role admirably.
Available in two models, the Ballade is well priced at R184 900 (R196 900 auto) for the ‘Comfort’ and R193 900 (R205 900 auto) for the ‘Elegance’.
Powered by an 88kW VTec engine, driven through either a 5 speed manual or automatic box, the Ballade is certainly no slouch if pushed, but in day-to-day driving I see no reason why it couldn’t get close to the 6.3l/100km (6.6l/100km on the auto version) which Honda claims.
We deliberately sought out some rough roads, to test both the comfort, and the ‘rattle-factor’ of the Ballade, and it passed both tests with flying colours.
The styling is recognisably Honda, and though the front may seem complicated as a first impression, it certainly grows on you. Visibility from the drivers’ seat is good all round, with few fancy details to provide distractions.
Interior space – both front and back - is very good for a vehicle of this size, and the 506 litre boot can easily swallow a lot of luggage – and this in addition to having a full-size spare in there as well! Smart-thinking, Honda… South Africans hate those Marie biscuits!
Safety-wise, the Ballade features the standard package of ABS, EBD, EBA and VSA, as well as six airbags, which earned it a five-star rating in Australian tests.
The Thai-built Ballade supplements Honda’s current range, fitting below the Civic and above the Jazz in the line-up.
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Insight:
Honda insight
Save the planet… or your sanity!
I don’t like constant reminders. Especially in a car. But the Honda insight hybrid seems to be designed to inform at every opportunity that it is … different.
Firstly, the styling is, to be polite, controversial. The sloping glass hatch, with a transom-cum-window, wins no prizes in my book.
It is unusual styling and declares this to be a somewhat unusual car.
Get into the drivers’ seat, and curiosity continues.
The Insight uses an electric motor mounted between the petrol-burning engine and the transmission to act as a starter, engine balancer, and ‘assist traction’ motor. Well and good. But the dashboard, which has far too many dials for my liking, spends its whole time giving updates about what is happening in the system, and being a bit of an electronic finger-wagger if you get out of the perceived zone for greenism.
For example, the cowl on the digital speedometer features a halo which glows as you drive – blue if you are being a bit brisk, green if you are saving the planet.
Then there’s a swinging meter which shows you what the technology is doing – charging the battery, or leeching from it. Then the centre display has a range of options – all geared towards telling you what is happening in the powertrain and whether it is electricity, petrol or both at work, or charging, or leeching, or static.
TOO MUCH INFORMATION, for goodness sake!
And by far the worst, at the end of each journey you make, the display gives you a scoreboard, of some laurel-branch type thing, with leaves awarded or confiscated according to how well you did – in a green sense – on that trip.
Great technology. But you want to shout “stop being so condescending, let me drive!”
Because in essence, we all want to be as good as we can be on the road, yet the possibility exists that your attention will become so diverted by trying to get a hi-score on the car that you’ll be driving like a complete muppet, and endangering yourself, and other road users. My friend summed it up perfectly – and automotive tamagotchi, demanding constant attention.
Oh, and the other novel, but infuriating, technology in this car is the auto-stop control. If the engine is idling – for example if one is slowing down or stopped - it turns off. Only to turn on again when your foot comes off the brake. Brilliant. But unpredictable. Sometimes it kicks in, sometimes it doesn’t. It is infuriating in stop-start crawling traffic. It only works with the footbrake, so if you are queueing on a hill, you have the choice – handbrake on, and the engine keeps running, or foot on brake, annoying the chap behind as the brakelights burn his eyeballs.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 4 Mar 11 at 01:30
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I tried an Insight a couple of weeks ago. Apart from the above my comments are:
A. I felt I had been in a tumble dryer when I finished the test. Shook me about even on a relatively smooth road.
B. I love smooth driving. I could not bring it to a halt smoothly. Maybe it couldn't decide whether to regeneratively brake or friction brake and was switching between the two?
C. I could never get used to minimal central rear-view. As well as a shallow depth so you can't see anything close, the rear screen is tinted and through it it always looks like night.
D. I need a spare wheel!
The salesman made a virtue out of the fact that you don't have to plug it in to re-charge the Li-Ion battery. I would say it was a failing not to be able to plug it in.
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"a halo which glows as you drive – blue if you are being a bit brisk, green if you are saving the planet." I reckon if I were driving such a sanctimonious car I'd have to strap on a pair of horns and AIM FOR RED!
John
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Honda Insight II - My motoring week. - MrTee43
