The Design Is The Difference

Part of the Subaru R1's appeal has been it's unique styling and design. It's a breakaway from the familiar box shape and angular lines found on many small cars where design is an exercise in maximizing internal space. As a consequence, many small cars take on the familiar rectangular boxy shapes comprising of the engine compartment and internal passenger space.



The R1 takes it's inspiration from the ladybug and the body shape is reminiscent of the oval of an egg. This does have a practical safety consideration as well. Overall as a two door car, the proportions of the R1 make it stand out from many other K-cars. Hopefully this will give the car a greater visual longevity in the years to come.

Huh, the COE is how much?

About a week after collecting my car, the big motoring news was the dramatic jump in the Certificate of Entitlement premiums. The COE for Category A (Cars 1,600cc and below, and taxis) which had been hovering at the already high $30K range took a dramatic spike in the first bidding exercise for December 2010 to a whopping $47,604.



The bids for Category B (Cars 1,600cc and above) and Open Category surged to a mind boggling $62,502 and $64,900 respectively. These staggering increases represent a 10-year high and certainly the prospect of higher car prices looks a dead certainty given the impending cut to the COE supply next year.



What does it all mean for me? In effect I just saved myself a bundle. Had I not committed to buy my Subaru R1 (which falls under Category A), I would most certainly have been caught up in the knock-on effect of higher COE premiums pushing up used car prices. By way of historical record, the COE premiums for small cars has never before breached the $41,008 mark that was set way back in July 1997, until now that is. It's become a ludicrous situation where the paper value of the COE far exceeds the actual value of the car.



Will the spectre of skyrocketing car prices have a direct impact on Singaporean's car buying and usage patterns? Most certainly it will mean those who booked a new car would have to cough up more money to factor the jump in the COE. More would put off buying new and instead either buy used or keep their existing cars longer. For the majority of motorists there will be a re-think on how to preserve and better maintain their vehicles as the replacement costs have become scarily expensive.



For those who have long aspired to own a car, that dream has somehow become a lot more distant because personally, I can't see any easing of the COE premiums in the near future, certainly not with a projected reduction in the vehicle quota for next year.

Brand Preference

So how did I choose the Subaru R1? After all, there are a string of small cars from other manufacturers like Daihatsu and Suzuki to name a few. Perhaps it's because the other car in the family also happened to be a Subaru. I first saw the Subaru R1 up close when my wife sent her Forester to be serviced at local Subaru agent's service center at Toa Payoh. By chance they had a couple of pre-owned Subarus on sale and there in the showroom was a silver R1 for sale. That was the first time I had a good look at the car up close and I have to say I did walk away impressed.



The car is just beautiful to look at. Inspired by the Subaru 360 of old, the design engineers took the design inspiration from the ladybug and the oval shape of the egg. This makes it a firm departure from the rectangular breadbox shape common to other small cars. The compact and streamlined form certainly makes for a close connection between the user and the car in my opinion.

Thus far my missus and I have had a very positive experience with the brand after a string of Toyotas. Perhaps by chance or God's providence, we stumbled on the brand when we went looking at a replacement for our Toyota Vios. A while back, a young driver crashed into the rear of my wife's Toyota and even after an excellent bodywork repair, it didn't really give much assurance that somehow the structural integrity of the car had been compromised. My wife was on the lookout for an SUV and by chance stumbled upon the newly revamped 2009 Subaru Forester.



This new Forester was a complete departure from the earlier wagon style and even though it didn't get much attention, everything about it checked off the right boxes. A quick test drive and it was immediately clear that the Subaru was more than a match to the Honda CRV and Toyota Rav 4. The superior all wheel drive, great visibility and drivability, spacious interior and solid build quality made it an easy decision. In the time that we've been driving it, the Subaru Forester has proven to be a great drive, so it made an easy choice to consider another Subaru.



Side by side, the size difference is pretty obvious that the R1 is overshadowed by its bigger sibling, no doubt accentuated by the colour differences. The R1 still sports the "jet intake and wings" front grille first seen in the Subaru Tribeca and carried over to the second generation Subaru Impreza. The Subaru Forester shows the redesigned front grille that is similar to the current third generation Impreza. What remains distinctive is the oval Subaru badge emblazoned on the front grill. Personally I still like the older look as it somehow conveys an altogether friendlier look.

A New Drive

Well I just got my keys to my Subaru R1. It's small, it's cute and it's cheap to run.
It's the smallest Subaru to be found on Singapore roads. The compact Subaru R1 is a Kei or K-car, a category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans and pickup trucks specific to the Japanese market that conform to a specific physical size, engine displacement and power output and which enjoy a reduced road tax.



The Subaru R1 is the two-door version of the Subaru R2, but with a shorter body and wheelbase. In this sense it is unique in that it does not use up the maximum allowable length under the Kei car specifications. First introduced back in early Jan 2005, my present R1 is just under 2 years old with 28,500 km on the odometer.  With an engine of 658 cc, the Subaru R1's EN07 powerplant is a DOHC rated at 40 kW (54 horsepower) at 6400 rpm. Maximum torque is 63Nm (6.4 kg m) at 4,400 rpm. The in-line 4 cylinder 16-valve engine comes with Active Valve Control System (AVCS), Subaru's description for variable valve timing of the intake valves. Bore and stroke is 56.0 × 66.8 mm with a compression ratio of 10.5. The front wheel drive R1 comes equipped with EGI multi-point fuel injection and continuously variable transmission (CVT). In short, it's got plenty of trick technology for a small car.

Prior to the switch, I've been driving my trusty old Opel Combo van for the last 7 years. Derived from the Corsa, it shared the same interior layout. Overall it did what it was supposed to do as a means of getting around and the odd transporting of goods. When I first had it, diesel was less than 70 cents a litre and a full tank was less than $40. With a fuel consumption of about 18 km per litre, one could achieve an impressive 850 km or so on a tankful. The 1.7 liter turbocharged diesel made by Isuzu was powerful and for the most part reliable. Mine had a rack and pinion manufacturing recall which was fixed by the agent early on. The only big ticket repairs over the years was an air-con compressor that needed replacement and a new ECU to replace a faulty one. But it was starting to show its age and being a Euro 3 diesel engine it was always a hassle to have it inspected for black smoke during the annual road worthiness inspections.

So it was time for a re-think of what my transport options were. Being classified as a goods vehicle, my Opel had no residual scrap value, so keeping it another 3 more years would mean the prospect of possibly having to pay a sizable amount for a replacement vehicle down the road. I felt it was better to act now and switch to a small car as it gave me more options down the road.

In a nutshell, this blog seeks to chart the ins and outs of driving a Kei car in Singapore. In a place where the car population is heavily managed and costs of ownership spiralling upwards, I decided that the best way to answer the pressing questions of driving a small econobox was to actually go out and own one and experience the day to day issues of driving one in Singapore.