|
On the highway, the 1.6J’s progress is smooth and quiet, but flaccid. The engine, unlike the high-performance VVTLi, isn’t designed to rev. In fact, like the Corollas of yesterday, the engine becomes boomy and uncomfortably noisy once the tach reaches the 5,000 rpm mark. The five-speed box has long throws, but thanks to a raised gearshift lever and easily modulated clutch, the Altis makes a good stop-and-go traffic companion. The 1.6J also has ample brake bite and balance despite its vented disc / drum layout. Overall, the 1.6J inspires confidence, especially when doing triple-digit speeds. As much as the VVTi favors low-end torque and avoids high revs, the Honda SOHC VTEC3 is just the opposite. The compact-block engine carries 130 bhp and 149 Nm of torque—all of which is available above the 5,000 rpm mark. Though power delivery is improved compared to the two-stage VTEC engine, this new one doesn't generate that F1 soundtrack. At the limit, it wheezes with a sound as mechanical as a sewing machine's. Despite the lack of sound effects, the Honda powerplant is sublime throughout the rev range. It does a close approximation of the torquey VVTi engine thanks the five-speed box’s well-spaced ratios. The short-throw gearbox is undoubtedly the best of the trio. The clutch is also the easiest to modulate—fantastic stuff then. Unfortunately for the VTi, the brakes are a big let down. The pedal travel is long and the brake bite feels like porridge. Whereas the Toyota and the Honda are at opposite ends, the Ford Lynx ends up having the best (and the worst) of both worlds. The GSi model combines a rev-happy DOHC engine with a horridly spongy gearbox. Though the Mazda-sourced engine enters the new year without any sort of valve-timing acronym, the power output of 118 bhp still beats the Toyota's by 2 bhp, while its 148 Nm of torque is the lowest of the trio. Nonetheless, the Ford’s powerplant has the best mechanical sound—having a fruity and sweet exhaust note. It's the smoothest at redline, and has an unobtrusive fuel cutoff. The willing engine isn’t done justice by the Lynx’s woeful gearbox. If looks could kill, the Ford’s gearlever with its perforated plastic and chrome would have obliterated the other two, but the truth is leagues away from the promise. The throws are long and the gearlever resists slotting right in, especially in higher gears. The clutch also suffers from a ‘dead zone’, requiring some fancy footwork to engage smoothly. |
|
||||||
