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Latest news from the Philippine Land Transportation Office (LTO) lately is that they plan to implement RFID (radio frequency ID) tagging on all motor vehicles soon. According to LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Arturo Lomibao, this move is “a great first step in putting order in our streets,” in that it will help fight carnapping, and will also aid in motor vehicle registration, as well as apprehension (or ticketing) of traffic violators.

Some sectors are up in arms against this development, though, because they view it as an invasion of privacy. Party list Representative Liza Maza said that “[t]his technology raises fears that it might be used to violate the right to privacy of individuals. The LTO’s microchips might, in turn, be used as “spychips” for the government’s surveillance operations on those critical of the current administration.”

Critics also cite the PhP 350 fee for an RFID tag sticker to be another burdensome cost that motorists would have to shoulder, aside from the regular motor vehicle registration fees.

However, Yugatech cites some potential advantages of this scheme, which includes ease of paying fines for traffic violations, faster registration renewal, and as a crime deterrent. Some other possible applications were raised, too, such as integration of e-Pass and even parking passes, which could be a great convenience to those who line up every day at the tollways.

RFID is a short-range wireless communications technology that lets a tagged device emit a weak signal that can be read by a scanner. The tag contains a pre-set amount of information that can be useful in several applications, from inventory management, staff/student identification, asset tracking, mobile payments and the like. An RFID chip usually has a lifespan of several years, and is often inexpensive to produce and acquire (particualrly if en masse).

RFID tags are commonplace in bookstores and libraries, for tracking inventory and preventing theft. These are also used in the logistics industry, for tracking shipments and deliveries.

RFID could be the solution to the Philippines’ traffic and carnapping woes, especially in the Metro areas. Yes, it might be used as a spying device, but if you don’t really have anything to hide, then you shouldn’t be afraid, right? (I wonder if they will also apprehend you for going out during color-coding days.)

But perhaps political harassment might be a different scenario altogether. And then there are those that say it’s tantamount to being the “sign” of the “beast,” in biblical terms (recall that Cain, in Genesis, was “tagged” in the forehead with a symbol so that everywhere he will be recognized; this sybmolism also appears in Revelations).

Also, if RFID were to be a deterrent from carnapping, what’s to stop the often ingenious carnappers from just removing the tag as they speed away with your car?

Now the question here is how welcome this move will be with the Filipino motoring public. It’s a question of acceptance. In my opinion, our traffic problems go deeper than any technology, innovation or even traffic scheme. It’s an issue rooted in discipline and driving attitude. If everyone were an educated and courteous driver, then all our traffic problems would disappear or at least be easier to manage.

image source: flickr/midnightcomm

In this day and age of economic difficulty, you can’t help but be practical with just about everything. You try to minimize costs, and you try to stretch each and every Peso as much as you can. The same idea trickles down to just about anything from grocery shopping, eating out, buying clothes, and even buying cars.

If you’re on a tight budget, going for a second hand auto might be one option, with a lot of five to ten year old cars going for PhP 200 thousand to PhP 350 thousand and so forth. But when you think of maintenance costs, nothing beats a brand new car. You might be better off putting that money into the down payment. Paying the monthly dues would probably be better (and sometimes cheaper) than monthly repair and maintenance expenses you would be shelling out regularly with an older car.

In terms of practicality, there are three things you would usually look for: utility, ease of maintenance and fuel consumption. In the local market, there are usually two main competitors, which are the Honda City and the Toyota Vios. They are in the same price range (although the City retails a bit higher), have similar fuel consumption ranges, and similar carrying capacity. Both are offered in 1.3 and 1.5 liter displacement engines: VTEC engine for the City and VVT-i engine for the Vios. What’s great is that both brands carry high resale value in the local market.

The past few weeks, I’ve been able to review the E variant Toyota Vios. Featured in review photos is the “Azure” Blue variant. The E variant in the Philippine market is basically similar to the entry-level J variant in that they both run on a 2NZ-FE 1.3 liter engine, but unlike its spartan sibling, the E variant has the following features:

• power windows,
• central door locks,
• 14″ alloy wheels,
• Anti-lock braking system,
• protective side mouldings,
• driver’s-side airbag,
• Toyota Vehicle Security System,
• a different stereo head-unit.

The higher-end G variant gives you 15″ alloy wheels, foglamps, side-mirror turn signal lamps, rear disc brakes, and leather-bound steering-wheel with stereo remote-control. And of course, the G variant comes in manual and automatic transmission. You also have a choice of leather vs. fabric seats in the A/T variant. The Vios also comes in the S variant, which comes stock with sporty body kits, ten-spoke 17″ wheels and HID headlamps.

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The family has been looking into a car upgrade, especially with the kids growing fast, and our most recent addition. We recently had the chance to test drive the Nissan Grand Livina, which was delivered right at my doorstep by the folks from Nissan Mantrade.

What catches one’s attention most is the Livina’s tagline:

Drives like a sedan, you’ll forget it’s an MPV.

If you’re used to riding or driving MPVs like the Toyota Innova, Mitsubishi Adventure or the Isuzu Crosswind, you’ll be familiar with the less-than-soft ride, due to the body-on-frame construction. These MPVs are meant more for utility rather than comfort. And so, given the high center of gravity, and the fact that construction is body-on-frame, you would expect a harsher ride and a higher than usual level of body roll when riding an MPV. Not with the Grand Livina, though. As advertised, the ride is as car-like as you can get.

That’s the advantage of passenger sedans over most MPVs. The ride is comfortable, so even after extended rides (which is common with traffic in the metro areas today) you won’t feel too stressed and shaken. But the disadvantage with a passenger sedan is most definitely the limited seating and cargo space.

Enter the Nissan Grand Livina. It’s not your usual MPV. Because of its monocoque (or unibody) construction, road vibrations are not as pronounced as with MPVs with body-on-frame construction. Because of the low center of gravity, there’s less body roll. And unlike your usual passenger sedan, it can seat seven people comfortably.

Paultan.org has a lengthier review here, but here are some notes from my experience driving the Livina.

Car-like ride and comfort. From my experience with the family in test driving the 1.8 Liter XL “Luxury” model with automatic transmission, the ride is most definitely car-like. The Grand Livina’s suspension absorbed bumps and humps as if these were non-existent. The air conditioning system was also arctic-cold as with most Nissan cars–the Grand Livina has air-conditioning vents at the second row, and not just the front.

Third row and cargo space. Two folks from Nissan accompanied us during the test drive, so our early grade-school-aged kids had to be relegated to the third row. They were most comfortably seated, and they definitely enjoyed having their own space at the back. I doubt, though, if two adult-sized individuals would enjoy being seated at the back for extended periods of time due to the limited legroom, which is a bit short, but still serviceable. The width of the third row is a bit narrower than the second row, owing to the fact that the sides contain humps where the rear wheel wells are.

I would think, though, that there is a tradeoff between the third row and cargo space. The “trunk” space is a bit limited if you’re using the third row. With the third row folded down, you have ample space for your golf bags, strollers, luggage or groceries. But with the seats in use, you’d have to stack your cargo on top of each other (as recommended by the Nissan sales manager who demoed the unit to us). However, it’s still good to have the option of space vs. seating capacity.

Driveability. The Grand Livina feels light and nimble. You don’t feel as if you’re driving a truck, as with SUVs and some MPVs. The electric power steering is feather-light, and excellent for city driving. What worries me, though, is if one intends to use the Grand Livina for hauling light cargo, or for wading through flooded streets (another common occurrence in many areas in Metro Manila). You don’t have the ground clearance like the Crosswind, Adventure or even the Innova. And you don’t get a diesel option, which can stand flooding better.

Value for money. The Nissan Grand Livina defintely offers value for money. It offers a comfortable ride, and flexibility just when you need it. My only concern would be resale value five years down the road. In this country, only Honda and Toyota cars (as far as I know) enjoy high resale values, mostly because of reliability, ease of maintenance and low cost of parts (with a lot of aftermarket parts available).

I’m not so sure if the Nissan Grand Livina will enjoy this, as well. But if you’re going to enjoy your ride every day for the next few years, then I don’t think “resale” should be a concern at point of purchase.

At the end of our test drive, my kids and wife missed the ride. Even my four-month-old sonwas squealing in delight, seated with the wife at the second row. The Nissan Grand Livina is a good fit for a growing family that needs space, space and more space.

Prices for the Grand Livina are almost at direct competition with most of its MPV counterparts from other brands:

• PhP 858,000 for the 1.8L XL M/T ELITE
• PhP 908,000 for the 1.8L XR A/T LUXURY
• PhP 978,000 for the 1.8L XV A/T ELEGANCE

For inquiries or test-drive requests, you may get in touch with Mr. Elmar Malabriga of Nissan Mantrade at (632) 843-3316 to 23, or email at nissan_mantrade at yahoo.com.

Image credit: Wikipedia

I’ve been on the hunt for great car deals lately, and when I saw and ad on the newspapers for the Ford Buy One, Drive One, Win One promo, I thought this would be a good opportunity to check out Ford’s offerings. The family had been eyeing a bigger car for a few years now (we’re ever growing!) and one of the nicer options we’ve been looking into is the Ford Everest.

And so the family headed over to Ford EDSA to test drive the Everest. Of course a test drive wouldn’t be complete without the whole family. We needed to see if we’d all fit! Sure, it’s just the wife, the two grade-schoolers, the baby and myself. But you never know how much space you need.

We test drove the 4×2 AT variant. I’ve never actually tried driving an automatic-transmission diesel-powered vehicle before, so this surely is a big change for me, coming from one used to a manual-transmission VVTi powered compact.

Perhaps we can leave the full review to the experts. My take: it’s a comfortable ride, especially given the supposed tuning/upgrade the Ford engineers did with this edition. The previous Everest models were said to have stiff suspensions, but this one is more car-like. Folks used to driving cars would definitely need time adjusting to the high driving position. It makes one feel more confident, especially when driving alongside those darned city buses and trucks. In a few words, it’s tough, it’s stylish, and it’s spacious.

The Everest costs about PhP 1.35 M for the entry-level manual variant and about PhP 1.44 M for the automatic variant. The quote given to me was for PhP 220,000 down payment, which is inclusive of LTO registration, one-year comprehensive insurance and chattel mortgage. This also includes a further PhP 60,000 discount, since 20% of the sticker price amounts to about PhP 280,000. Not bad!

Now I do hope I win that Ford Focus!

If you’ve lived in the US, you’ve probably met some people who are fond of going on road trips and essentially living on the road. It can go both ways–a family can be living off trailer parks, or they can just be going on a holiday. Whatever the case, it’s definitely an interesting way of living, especially for folks like myself who are more used to city living.

I often pass the house of a neighbor who has a midsized RV parked in front of his house. I haven’t had the chance to see the condition of the vehicle, but I think it’s not being used much. It makes me think if there’s such a thing as an RV lifestyle in the Philippines.

We’re a small country, after all. And we’re an island country. You can only go so far on land (unless you plan to ride a roll-on, roll-off ferry). But still, there are a lot of unexplored territory here. If you’re from Metro Manila like me, you can go to Vigan or Ilocos in the north, or Tagaytay or Bicol in the south in Luzon. I guess the fun is in the journey, and not exactly the destination.

If I had some extra money, I think I’d go looking for used RVs for sale, or maybe even rent one, (like my neighbor’s), and get my family out on a road trip. Somehow, with all these months being cooped up at home, I think we deserve a vacation.

I can probably work while on the road (mobile 3G!), too! The wonders of a mobile lifestyle, eh?

A friend of mine got apprehended for driving a car with expired registration. And when he finally got his license from the LTO main office, guess how much he was charged? PhP 4,000, and that’s just for the base fee! He also had to pay a nominal amount for computer entry and such. That’s even more expensive than registering the vehicle itself (which would amount to about PhP 3,000 or so). Previously, driving an unregistered motor vehicle would only be fined PhP 900+. That’s a 300% increase!

A copy of a recent resolution effecting increases in fines can be found on MCP. And I believe transport groups have been protesting these fine increases.

What do you think? Will this increase discourage drivers from the usual unlawful activities on the road like reckless driving, drunk driving, colorom operations and the like? Or is it unfair to increase the fees just like that?

If you are in the market and looking for a sensible car to invest in at the moment, chances are many car owners would recommend the 1990 AE92 Toyota Corolla. Why? Well for one, it is the most logical choice if you are looking for style and budget. Actually, this car plays along the range of PHP 90,000 to 130,000, depending on how souped up it is. It is a wise investment since spare parts are easy to find and the repairs to maintain it are not that hard on the pocket.

To customize it is not that hard to do either. You can just buy the old style 15” magwheels with 50 or 60 series tires and then setup a manageable sound system and you have a great car to use. It is likewise economical as far as gas consumption is concerned but this would depend on how well the engine is maintained and the manner of driving to which is all up to the owner behind the wheel.

It is spacious, fast and easy to fabricate. But one thing about the Toyota Corolla 1990, do not overdo the fabrication part. As it is, the car is a class on its own and many car enthusiasts are already all praises for it with minor tweaks to its overall stature. That is how easy it is to whip up an enticing model of the 90 AE92 Toyota Corolla versions.

We all know that these days, global warming has resulted in warmer sunny days to which car air conditioning systems may need all the help they can get to ensure that proper climate levels are maintained inside cars. One resort is to have heavily tinted vehicles to make sure that sun rays find it harder to penetrate. But on the other hand, it may make driving harder, especially during the evenings.

Another issue here is security. Heavily tinted vehicles are being pulled over due to the rampant crime rate which has involved drugs, kidnappings and smuggling to which most of the dark-tinted cars can expect to be pulled over and warned of their tint. Some would heed the warning while others will not. Others even use people in power to protect themselves and with that, you can wonder how any form of control can ever be placed on this issue locally.

On the normal route, it is hard to see the road with these dark tints. Whether you are driving normally or backing up, chances are your car is up for bumps and dents if you are not careful. Having people guide you because of it is an option but with that, you are gaining quite an attention. So why bother using dark tints?

Using the heat as a primary issue is lame. But if there are people to be blamed then perhaps that would be the car accessory vendors. If they would stop selling these dark tints then perhaps people would not even consider using them. So fix that and you may get some order from all of this dark tint issues.

If there is one thing familiar to you these days, it is that of banning the use of mobile phones while driving. It has become customary to answer calls or text messages regardless if you are on the road. Through this, the growing number of car accidents have swelled mainly because a single second of taking your eyes of the road can lead to dire consequences which most drivers today totally disregard.

This is really a habit that should be corrected. Actually, drivers know that this should not be done and yet they continue to disregard such. Keeping your eyes on the road is a must and this includes being on a full stop or on the move. People claim that they need to answer their messages or calls but perhaps if they would consider what would happen if they bump into another car or worst, a person due to their hard-headedness.

To date, there have been laws where drivers who use their mobile phones will be apprehended. Not a bad way to make people to stop texting while driving. But what if they are using a heavily dark tinted vehicle? How will the traffic enforcers or police be able to know if the people are indeed using their phones while they are on the go?

The sad thing about society is that people always want to live on the forbidden side. Texting while driving is something that doesn’t need to be enforced by law. But since people are so enthusiastic about using their phones while driving, more lives are being claimed by the day. Hopefully though it will not be yours.

Ask anyone on what is the most sensitive part of modern cars these days and you may perhaps get the computer box as the answer. Rightfully so, it is considered the heart of modern cars and once it gives way, you are in big trouble.

Unlike older cars, car computer boxes of newer models from Mitsubishin, Honda or Toyota are hard to replace. In fact, that is your only option since they cannot be repaired. There are people in Banawe who may claim it can be fixed but if you want to take that risk and solicit worse problems for your car, then by all means grab it. But the reality of it all is that if other parts of your car can be fabricated, your computer box cannot.

The normal occurrences that would contribute towards car computer boxes being damaged severely include:

1. Floods or being soaked
2. Length of use
3. Wrong installation or has been tampered with

Not even the usual electricians would dare tinker with it for the reason that they know how sensitive this part it and how expensive it would take to replace it. The price could go as far as a second hand car!

So if your computer box goes on the blink, better start saving for a new one. There are no second hand ones that can last in the same way that your old computer box was. Certainly, it is a part that can be expensive to replace but it may take eternity to wreck depending on how you take care of your car.