QUOTE(dev/numb @ Jun 28 2023, 08:50 PM)
I numbered and bolded the bits I will be replying to. Apologies, as Iâm currently touch-typing on the iPad and itâs a bit troublesome to manually cut-paste and add quote tags for individual bits.
1. I apologize for not being clear earlier. I meant that
the difference in degree of body roll between the GR and Hybrid is negligible. You can still notice the left-right tilt on both models, just that the GR has less of it and feels slightly tighter. Granted, it was still just a short test drive. The SA did let me push it a bit, but time and roads were limited.
2. Same for me. Honda is actually my favourite Japanese automaker (because of their 2/4-wheel motorsport pedigree) but their CKD quality has gone downhill over the years. Aside from the issues you stated, what put me off the HR-V was the poor cabin insulation, particularly from road noise. Insulation materials used seem like theyâre supposed to be in a RM40k car, not a RM140k car. I also sit in a colleagueâs HR-V Turbo when we head out for lunch some days, and my impressions havenât changed. Even the roof lining during rainy days sounds cheapskate.
3. HR-V Turbo has better acceleration for starters. CVT also feels like it shifts faster, although both Cross and HR-V gearboxes can probably get confused if you drive expecting them to develop a ârev-matching memoryâ to your style. That simply wonât ever happen for this segment of cars. Steering input/immediacy is around the same for the HR-V Turbo and Cross GR (a bit quicker than Cross Hybrid) but both are numb as heck. GR steering has a bit more feel than the HR-V, but itâs more like torque kickback rather than actual road surface feel. But if itâs a very bad surface, the Cross will somewhat try to let you know that youâre putting undesired stress on the steering rack (which I find useful, given our craptastic roads) whereas the HR-Vs steering will remain numb until the day you realize the rack is gone. Suspension-wise, honestly hard to A/B as the test roads around Honda and Toyota SCs were different. I would say the GR shaves it slightly. Neither of them âfloatâ over undulations. Chassis-wise, the Cross (all models) feels like it has less flex than the HR-V, but that might just be down to the poor noise insulation of the Honda clouding my judgement. Canât say for certain. Both are still FWD SUVs at the end of the day, and even in that segment I doubt either will be as driver-focused as something like a Mazda (my assumption only, havenât tried any current Mazda, because Bermaz).
Please note that Iâm what /k would call an âoldfagâ and when test driving cars these days, in this country, the feedback I tend to look for is more reliability-centered (how much can the car tell me about its overall health) rather than handling/performance-centered (I still look at fundamental characteristics, just probably not at a nuanced level as an enthusiast). I tend to treat cars as appliances (I drive a Harrier, Cross Hybrid is for my mother - basically zero character in my garage) nowadays, so best to take my input with a grain of salt.
Similarly I'm typing on my phone so may have some errors which I need to correct. Response appreciated. Most of my concerns are addressed so there is nothing much to add. I'll make it short.
Yes, the design of Honda vehicles is good but the poor CKD quality drags it down. All Honda cars I've sat in throughout the years, my colleagues as well as business partners all showed higher than normal rattling sound inside the cabin. As a matter of fact, even my previous Proton Preve Turbo didn't show as much rattling sound. My colleagues who upgraded from Honda City to something more upmarket always had bad things to say about the Honda. I recalled sitting in a Honda Accord 2.4 as a front passenger about 12 years ago from KL to Johor, and when we exit the highway to the small roads to reach the small towns, the car rattled like crazy when going over rough or bad roads. It's like sitting in an old beat up lorry or cow truck. In defense, the car is not exactly new and has few years on it but the level of rattling noises and NVH is just unacceptable to me. For this reason Honda vehicles are dropped
I would expect Toyota midrange vehicles Corolla and upwards to show better quality control with respect to assembly and better NVH with minimal rattling sound in the cabin.
Power, handling and performance used to be top priorities to me 15 years ago but now they are not important anymore. It's fine if the Corolla Cross doesn't handle too well but hopefully it's not too shabby. My benchmark is Ford Focus but the Corolla Cross will be mainly used by my dad, occasionally by me. My dad won't care how the car drives anyway and the decision or selection of vehicle will mainly be made by me.
Jun 28 2023, 12:11 PM, updated 2y ago
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