Everything is subjective. At this very moment most of my friends and I would recommend those who can afford a full sized sedan, also known as the D segment car over any other category for best bang for buck if you have around RM130,000- RM200,000 to spend. This is as you get a helluva lot of car for your Malaysian Ringgit. At this price range you can get close to the quietness, refinement as well as the (slightly) effortless power delivery of a car with at least a 2.0liter -2.5liter engine inside it. This means fatigue-less cruising over long distances and a better image to boot.



It does get a bit blurry when you cross this threshold. A Mercedes Benz C-class will be smaller than a Lexus ES250 but costs as much. A ES250 is as large or larger than a BMW 5 Series but costs so much less. But this is the problem of luxury cars over the executive D segment cars these days. You have to pick and choose whether you want silence over sportiness (the ES 250 or the IS250). And that is a tough choice sometimes as the IS250 is cramped and the ES250 is huge.

But the actual point of this article is the fact that an ES 250 in dark grey was actually right beside me during one of those traffic jams and I didn't even take notice of it. I thought is was either a Toyota Camry or another plain looking Japanese Full Sized sedan. Like the 2014 Honda Accord. But then again I think the Honda looks good for its price and actually looks more athletic and more hunkered down compared to the conservative looks of the ES250. Now both cars actually look pretty similar, but somehow Honda has managed to pull off a stronger looking design with a few styling cues.

The 2.4liter VTI-L can be yours for around RM172,817.10 (which I think can be negotiated so that you don't have to pay the RM17.10 or more). The Lexus ES250 "basic spec" is yours for RM259,800 before insurance. What I think you'd get in the Lexus is the badge and a whole lot of ride comfort (and is very slightly larger than the Honda). What you'll get in the Accord is a better looking car that drives and handles well coupled with a respectable, if not prestigious status symbol like the Lexus. NVH at low speeds in the Accord is similar to the Lexus but with a firmer ride. But if you think about how much money you can save if you just bought the Accord then you will actually question whether the Lexus is worth that extra over the similar sized but cheaper full sized sedan.

But you decide from the side views of both cars. Do they look similar or what? In terms of styling things are too close these days if you play it safe. I know I'm just babbling here on a Sunday evening, but look at the photos again. Note that they are around the same size folks. Oh, the darker car is the Honda to those who can't tell the difference between the two.

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Today I do not feel like writing something long winded. Malaysian car enthusiasts are a passionate lot but sometimes seriously misguided, weird or simply unfathomable. Take this Seventh Generation Honda Accord for example, it has been in my photo archives for a while but I believe it is time to showcase such bizarre antics to the world so that no one would ever, ever, ever think of doing such a thing again.

The owner had invested a serious amount into the bodykit and chassis strengthening....




....but he must have finished it all on the bodykit and chassis braces as when he found out that he needed to extend the rear muffler out from under the rear valance. His ingenuity took over and this is where the horror starts. The DIY tailpipe is basically a piece of aluminium foil that doesn't even wrap fully round the original tailpipe. The owner must have thought that such an addition was perfectly acceptable. Why? Oh, the horror.


Personally I would rather wait for next month's paycheck to get it done properly. As properly as he had spent on the chassis mods. Wouldn't you?

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