Just the right size, agile and distinctively attractive, the Jetta seemed destined to proliferate on San Francisco’s tight and twisty streets.

Our streets may not be as steeply angled but they are tight and twisty. So the Jetta, new to our shores as the VW Bora (Jetta is a much better name!) should be right at home here, too. Its price range is $17000-$25000, putting it in the same price class as the larger Camry and Accord. Those willing to give up some passenger space for a livelier chassis and better looks can certainly go for the Jetta. 
There’s just one problem though: VW distributors seem to have forgotten that VWs are supposed to be first and foremost, AFFORDABLE! So they’re selling the Bora here for P1.38 million! It’s a fine car but at that price, don’t expect to see it become popular here. 

Los Angeles. About an hour's plane ride from San Francisco, Los Angeles is relatively close but the driving experience is quite different. The motorists are somewhat ruder, but still quite disciplined compared to what we have here. Seems that the stiff fines, which could go as high as $100+ are an effective deterrent to speeding, going through red lights or stop signs, etc. 

The opulent town of Beverly Hills is smack in the middle of L.A., so we posed as a parking valet to check out just what cars these people drive. Although we got to see the occasional Bentley wing and Mercedes hood ornament, and got to hear the growl of an NSX and a 911, we did see a lot of ordinary cars as well—the Toyota Corolla seemed to be in much use, even in Beverly Hills. 

The overall trend in LA however gravitated towards the 4x4s: the so-called SUVs. Luckily, we got around in a friend’s Ford Expedition, so we fit right in the mainstream. From the Expeditions interior, which shares the F150’s dashboard as well as high seating position, we could see eye-to-eye with a lot of people—because they too were in 4x4s. 

Car manufacturers have known for some time now that most off road (as high as 95%) vehicles are never actually taken off-road.So they’ve designed their newer offerings with more of luxury and practicality in mind, retaining the body configuration and tall ride height while discarding features like low-gear ratios and lockable differentials. 

Taking this marketing road are the Mercedes ML320 and RX300.Both seemed quite popular in L.A., as you could spot one every few corners. Both cars emphasize car-like ride and handling at the expense of true off-roading capability. The newer BMW X5, offering even better handling and acceleration, was also much in evidence. 

Mitsubishi, for its part, chose not to water down its Montero (aka Pajero).It retains all the off-road prowess for which it became famous. Its unique selling point is offering as standard seven seats within its muscular body. Mitsu hopes to tempt buyers who might otherwise buy a minivan. 

Nissan counters with its affordable Xterra 4x4.It’s priced from $17,000-$25,000, about the same as a U.S. Camry or Accord. The Xterra offers ruggedness and simplicity with full off-road capability. It looks the part, too, with its bulging fenders and staircased roofline. The Xterra is not a car-based pretender like the CRV or RAV-4: its sturdy frame and 4-wheel drive are derived from the Frontier. This would be a welcome addition to Nissan’s Philippine lineup. But please, don’t price it inline with the local Camry or Accord!