http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:46:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en By Andre Palma Philippine Daily Inquirer IT is easy to fall prey to preconceived notions, biases if you will. Even the world of cars and motoring is not free of arbitrary, foregone conclusions. Rain always brings horrendous traffic. Station wagon owners have large, hairy dogs. Traffic cops like doughnuts. Ask yourselves, ladies and ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/06/25/the-hyundai-santa-fe-are-we-there-yet/ By Andre Palma Philippine Daily Inquirer FIRST, congratulations on your status as a respected leader in the international automobile industry. No, strike that. Rock star seems a title more appropriate. Turning around the worldwide operations of Nissan is possibly one of the greatest feats in the history of man making the automobile. ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/05/29/an-open-letter-to-carlos-ghosn/ By Tessa R. Salazar Philippine Daily Inquirer THE 1.6-LITER LS Chevy Optra wagon stands all by its lonesome in its market segment. The only wagon in the country that carries a submillion price tag (P869,000 for the automatic, P829,000 for the manual, to be exact), it’s also probably the only wagon that’s ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/05/22/chevys-mommy-wagon-plays-it-safe/ By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza Philippine Daily Inquirer DRIVING fast is not much fun these days -- what with oil prices soaring and the guilty feeling that pricks your conscience when you exceed 100 kph. So you learn to moderate your speed in your daily commute. Just the same, you still want a car that ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/05/21/the-lesser-known-3rd-generation-impreza/ By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza Philippine Daily Inquirer PICTURE in your mind this photo op: the 2008 Volvo XC70 AWD in all its rugged elegance parked on a sandy beach, the waves lapping at its 17-inch alloy wheels while the sun sets behind it on the horizon of the South China Sea. The opportunity to ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/05/16/the-2008-volvo-xc70-rugged-elegance/ By Tessa R. Salazar Philippine Daily Inquirer CAR manufacturers seem to shrug off successive oil price increases as just part of the inevitable, and hope that Filipino buyers would do the same. And from the looks of it, things are still going the carmakers’ way, as new car launches continue left and ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/05/15/pinoy-love-for-cars-stronger-amid-fuel-price-hikes/ By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza Philippine Daily Inquirer CHINA is the third largest country in the world in land area and the largest in population with 1.2 billion. China is also, after the United States, the world’s second largest car market (8.8 million motor vehicles sold in 2007) with sales rising nearly 20 percent ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/05/09/at-the-2008-beijing-auto-show-with-chery/ By Andre Palma Philippine Daily Inquirer BIGGER isn't always better, having more doesn’t always equate into being merrier. When was the last time you chose to buy a car because of the number of speakers, cupholders or map lights in the cabin? These things are nice to have but in the end, many ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/05/07/the-simpler-strada/ By Tessa R. Salazar Philippine Daily Inquirer BRING it on! Now that could have been a cute takeoff for a fun motoring article, except that at almost P50 per liter (and counting), the cost of fuel is no longer a laughing matter. And the next time legendary ol’ Tito Poch utters this now-famous ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/05/02/the-pros-and-cons-of-fuel-economy-runs/ By Andre Palma Philippine Daily Inquirer IF the idea of a Filipino-designed car tickles your fancy, rest easy that you are not alone. There is enough history to point that we as a people have been perennially on the brink of breaking into truly homegrown auto manufacturing. Most will dismiss the ... http://blogs.inquirer.net/roadtrip/2008/04/30/a-homegrown-car/