Going head on with the ideal choice for a Christmas car
10 Dec 2012|23,351 views
Manoeuvrability with space and pace
There's really more to the Lexus RX350 than just its new 'spindle' grille and sharpened on-road dynamics. Sure, the pricing has been raised due to COE prices - you can have other German choices rather than just a Japanese car - but no big news there. But this time round, the real story here isn't so much about the price of the Lexus SUV.
It's crystal clear that Lexus knows that it has a good thing going with the RX. I mean pioneering products often fall out of people's favour and get pushed aside as newer and better things come onto the scene. The RX was a pioneer at one time but it was eventually slowed down as more innovative and newer cars flooded its segment. But despite this torrent of competition, the hot-selling car has been constantly kept fresh and updated without compromising on its luxurious cabin and everyday utility.
It is what it is. The RX350 is a well-made, spacious, comfort-filled SUV that fulfils its mission to perfection. And a reputation for reliability and a devoted customer base certainly helps in this regard.
But more relevantly to what I'm getting at, thanks to its generous dimensions and engineering mastery, the SUV boasts up to 446 litres of boot space with the rear seats up and a whopping 825 litres with them stowed. Hence, when it comes to holiday seasons like, say, Christmas, and you need the ample room for hauling your tree and ornaments around, the car doesn't disappoint.
No doubt a stationwagon or an MPV will get the job done but can those types of cars do it as luxurious and stylish as the RX? Manoeuvrability with grace is what I'd like to call it - even if you look like Santa behind the wheel with a huge tree in the boot. You see, the Lexus RX will devour just about anything (you’ll get what I mean when you see the pictures) with its spacious cargo and it's one of the two simple reasons why we had to include it in this Christmas tree set up.
Of course the other main reason is the fact that the Lexus is an inevitably classy, sassy and user-friendly SUV. There are, of course, other choices from Volvo, Audi, BMW and even Volkswagen but the Lexus RX continues to maintain its top-tier status, even if it's no longer a pioneer.
This is the story of the Lexus RX.
The best out of nothing at all
Christmas - the season where all things look better in white, red or green - a time when people could hardly break a reason not to gather. Joyous as it seems, all the shopping will be a bigger chore on the commuting, or the absence of it.
Unlike how Julian and Regan will weld the best worth in the car of their choice, I am going to start by putting perspectives against mine. It is not hard to see how the Astra is dimensionally shadowed by the Volkswagen Sharan and Lexus RX. Likewise underneath the bonnet, its 1.4-litre seems barely adequate against the 2.0-litre in the Sharan, not to mention the RX with the 350 moniker hinting at its sizeable powerplant.
But if this feature is about sizing up the intimidation or playing the launch figures, it would have been the end. But gladly, it isn't.
The Astra may be slightly lacking in terms of space and pace, but that does not put it in a spot any inferior than the others. Foremost, the sedan-like profile guarantees better handling characteristics. Mention tight parking lots, and the Astra charms with its effortless manoeuvrability. Besides, the Astra packs a characterful presence that is the better, if not the best looking of the trio. This facelifted version for instance, sports smoked headlamps and a reworked daytime-running light cluster.
In addition, considering the finances involved, the Astra is also the most economical choice among all. That also means that you are left more allowances to spend on gifts for your loved ones, or a more grand Christmas party. Talk about celebrating.
Without having to sacrifice utility - a quick look at the pictures tells a thousand words - all three contenders will happily swallow the Christmas shopping without a hinge of complain. This boils down to one point - unless your daily lugging involves something as big as a Christmas tree, there is certainly no need for anything larger than the Astra Sports Tourer. And for the occasional festive loads, the Astra's added versatility will put it to shine above the bread and butter sedans.
Tis' the season to be jolly - not folly. The Astra Sports Tourer aces with its good looks and versatility, without the big chump off your wallet. Now that's the smart choice.
Carrier of kings
It always excites me when I flip my desk calendar to the month of December. Because it means that Christmas is approaching. Christmas is the season of giving and receiving, but more importantly, that's when the Christmas sales start too (or so I was told).
Christmas is also the time when families get together to celebrate this joyous occasion. Prior to Christmas of course, families would prepare to set up Christmas trees and go shopping for presents as well as a nice Christmas feast.
Ferrying the family around with a truckload of shopping bags and even a Christmas tree may prove to be a little difficult, even with say, a stationwagon or an SUV. But with the space an MPV, such as a Volkswagen Sharan, can offer, it literally becomes hassle-free. And as the name implies, creating more space with the EasyFold rear seats is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Don't worry about your kids in the car as the Sharan is extremely child-friendly. The automatic sliding doors feature pinch protection where even a slight touch on the door strip (you know how kids get careless) stops the door from closing. Intelligent technology doesn't end here. Kids are inquisitive by nature and they love to poke their heads in little gaps and corners including out of the car window. But it's nothing to worry though, considering that the Sharan's sliding door automatically detects an open window and, will thus, not open fully.
But more relevantly to what I'm trying to get across, lugging your Christmas shopping home in a lethargic and cramped vehicle can be a pain. But not with the Sharan. Under its bonnet, the Sharan is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI engine. This powerplant gives an impressive amount of go, especially for a car of its size. More impressively, the Sharan gets from 0-100km/h in only 8.3 seconds, leaving other drivers wondering if it was an MPV that zoomed past them.
Problems with loading and unloading stuff in our common Multi-Storey Car Parks are also minimised with the Sharan, as its tailgate can be set to your favourite height and angle, making the job a lot easier. A stationwagon may have the space but it lacks convenience. An SUV, well, it's bulging size will probably start giving you problems the moment you enter a shaded car park.
Space, technology, economy and convenience make the Sharan a worthy carrier that's fit for royalties. And with the festive season around the corner, you would not make a mistake with this car. Oh how I wish that on the first day of Christmas, my true love would give me a Sharan.
Manoeuvrability with space and pace
There's really more to the Lexus RX350 than just its new 'spindle' grille and sharpened on-road dynamics. Sure, the pricing has been raised due to COE prices - you can have other German choices rather than just a Japanese car - but no big news there. But this time round, the real story here isn't so much about the price of the Lexus SUV.
It's crystal clear that Lexus knows that it has a good thing going with the RX. I mean pioneering products often fall out of people's favour and get pushed aside as newer and better things come onto the scene. The RX was a pioneer at one time but it was eventually slowed down as more innovative and newer cars flooded its segment. But despite this torrent of competition, the hot-selling car has been constantly kept fresh and updated without compromising on its luxurious cabin and everyday utility.
It is what it is. The RX350 is a well-made, spacious, comfort-filled SUV that fulfils its mission to perfection. And a reputation for reliability and a devoted customer base certainly helps in this regard.
But more relevantly to what I'm getting at, thanks to its generous dimensions and engineering mastery, the SUV boasts up to 446 litres of boot space with the rear seats up and a whopping 825 litres with them stowed. Hence, when it comes to holiday seasons like, say, Christmas, and you need the ample room for hauling your tree and ornaments around, the car doesn't disappoint.
No doubt a stationwagon or an MPV will get the job done but can those types of cars do it as luxurious and stylish as the RX? Manoeuvrability with grace is what I'd like to call it - even if you look like Santa behind the wheel with a huge tree in the boot. You see, the Lexus RX will devour just about anything (you’ll get what I mean when you see the pictures) with its spacious cargo and it's one of the two simple reasons why we had to include it in this Christmas tree set up.
Of course the other main reason is the fact that the Lexus is an inevitably classy, sassy and user-friendly SUV. There are, of course, other choices from Volvo, Audi, BMW and even Volkswagen but the Lexus RX continues to maintain its top-tier status, even if it's no longer a pioneer.
This is the story of the Lexus RX.
The best out of nothing at all
Christmas - the season where all things look better in white, red or green - a time when people could hardly break a reason not to gather. Joyous as it seems, all the shopping will be a bigger chore on the commuting, or the absence of it.
Unlike how Julian and Regan will weld the best worth in the car of their choice, I am going to start by putting perspectives against mine. It is not hard to see how the Astra is dimensionally shadowed by the Volkswagen Sharan and Lexus RX. Likewise underneath the bonnet, its 1.4-litre seems barely adequate against the 2.0-litre in the Sharan, not to mention the RX with the 350 moniker hinting at its sizeable powerplant.
But if this feature is about sizing up the intimidation or playing the launch figures, it would have been the end. But gladly, it isn't.
The Astra may be slightly lacking in terms of space and pace, but that does not put it in a spot any inferior than the others. Foremost, the sedan-like profile guarantees better handling characteristics. Mention tight parking lots, and the Astra charms with its effortless manoeuvrability. Besides, the Astra packs a characterful presence that is the better, if not the best looking of the trio. This facelifted version for instance, sports smoked headlamps and a reworked daytime-running light cluster.
In addition, considering the finances involved, the Astra is also the most economical choice among all. That also means that you are left more allowances to spend on gifts for your loved ones, or a more grand Christmas party. Talk about celebrating.
Without having to sacrifice utility - a quick look at the pictures tells a thousand words - all three contenders will happily swallow the Christmas shopping without a hinge of complain. This boils down to one point - unless your daily lugging involves something as big as a Christmas tree, there is certainly no need for anything larger than the Astra Sports Tourer. And for the occasional festive loads, the Astra's added versatility will put it to shine above the bread and butter sedans.
Tis' the season to be jolly - not folly. The Astra Sports Tourer aces with its good looks and versatility, without the big chump off your wallet. Now that's the smart choice.
Carrier of kings
It always excites me when I flip my desk calendar to the month of December. Because it means that Christmas is approaching. Christmas is the season of giving and receiving, but more importantly, that's when the Christmas sales start too (or so I was told).
Christmas is also the time when families get together to celebrate this joyous occasion. Prior to Christmas of course, families would prepare to set up Christmas trees and go shopping for presents as well as a nice Christmas feast.
Ferrying the family around with a truckload of shopping bags and even a Christmas tree may prove to be a little difficult, even with say, a stationwagon or an SUV. But with the space an MPV, such as a Volkswagen Sharan, can offer, it literally becomes hassle-free. And as the name implies, creating more space with the EasyFold rear seats is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Don't worry about your kids in the car as the Sharan is extremely child-friendly. The automatic sliding doors feature pinch protection where even a slight touch on the door strip (you know how kids get careless) stops the door from closing. Intelligent technology doesn't end here. Kids are inquisitive by nature and they love to poke their heads in little gaps and corners including out of the car window. But it's nothing to worry though, considering that the Sharan's sliding door automatically detects an open window and, will thus, not open fully.
But more relevantly to what I'm trying to get across, lugging your Christmas shopping home in a lethargic and cramped vehicle can be a pain. But not with the Sharan. Under its bonnet, the Sharan is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI engine. This powerplant gives an impressive amount of go, especially for a car of its size. More impressively, the Sharan gets from 0-100km/h in only 8.3 seconds, leaving other drivers wondering if it was an MPV that zoomed past them.
Problems with loading and unloading stuff in our common Multi-Storey Car Parks are also minimised with the Sharan, as its tailgate can be set to your favourite height and angle, making the job a lot easier. A stationwagon may have the space but it lacks convenience. An SUV, well, it's bulging size will probably start giving you problems the moment you enter a shaded car park.
Space, technology, economy and convenience make the Sharan a worthy carrier that's fit for royalties. And with the festive season around the corner, you would not make a mistake with this car. Oh how I wish that on the first day of Christmas, my true love would give me a Sharan.
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