The Lightweight Contenders

If you live in the metro, chances are that the car next to you in traffic is either a) a City, or b) a Vios. Actually, more likely a Vios, because — true to form — Toyota ruled the roost last year in passenger car sales. A little over 14,000 were sold in 2005, with 8,358 of those being the Vios, or 23% of all passenger car sales in the market. It’s not hard to imagine why. With its compact size, frugal powerplants, and trusted brand name, the Toyota Vios found its way into many garages while the rival Honda City had to come in second place, blessed with a sophisticated drivetrain but hampered by controversial styling.

But things change. Now it’s 2006, and in the tradition of manufacturers that need to keep their products fresh throughout the life cycle, the latest iterations of the littlest Honda and Toyota are once again facing off for subcompact supremacy. Which is the better car? We got our hands on the top-of-the-line variants for each for a week each, and here’s the score:

Toyota Vios 1.5G

"If it aint broke, don’t fix it" is an oft-used adage, but here the defending champ could have taken the time to polish up on its moves. Still a competent car, it’s in the areas of refinement and style that the Vios seems to have been overtaken by the City. Design-wise, the car is still very easy to look at on the outside with its gentle curves, affable front fascia, and sparkly rear headlamps. New for ’06 are a different wheel design and a slightly reshaped front bumper, but aside from those, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference from an older model.

Step inside and you’ll appreciate the merits of the classic dashboard layout (which puts the instrument panel squarely in front of you) versus the Vios’ center-mounted, LCD panel. Several years ago, the LCD panel looked pretty cool, but now the blue-green lighting is beginning to look dated, and the expanse of shiny gray plastic in front of you is a little bit much. The center console works well enough with a minimum of buttons and switches, and the integration of the stereo’s face panel with the dash gives it a seamless look, but overall, the rough feel and shiny look of the resin used for the cockpit will remind you that you’re still in a budget car. The durable-but-basic seat upholstery, tacky silver accent panels, and "mouse fur" carpeting won’t make too many owners very happy either.

As a driving machine though, the Vios is still a surprisingly competent car. The 1.5-liter, 16-valve engine sounds boom-y at the upper end of the rev range, but the power is there and will let you quickly scoot in and out of traffic. It can be paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic which, though it’s no CVT like the Honda’s, is quite responsive to throttle pedal pressure and has little shift shock to boot.

Steering feel and response is on the sporty side, and anyone who drove a 1.6-liter compact in the 90’s like the Corolla or Mitsubishi Lancer will be reminded of that experience in the Vios. Road feedback makes its way through the steering wheel, and turn-in is confident. Coupled with the front McPherson struts and rear beam axle, you can push the car’s limits with the chassis and the 60-series, 15-inch tires communicating just how much adhesion you have left. Enter a corner too quickly and the steadily increasing understeer will allow you to correct with either steering or throttle. Trail braking on a dry road is also possible; just a quick tap of the brakes and the tail will gently rotate so you can countersteer and get back on the gas. Finally, over rough roads the firm suspension lends a more robust feel than the City’s, which should comfort those who regularly drive on bad roads.

As a complete car, though, the Vios is beginning to show its age. It’s still a fun car to drive, but sophisticated buyers will have to manage their expectations when it comes to cabin refinement, especially for a car that costs P722,000 in fully decked out 1.5G (A/T) trim. Standard equipment includes ABS, dual airbags, foglamps, and keyless entry with alarm.

Honda City 1.5V

Everyone knows that the 2nd generation City first bowed to mixed reactions a couple of years ago. With its high roof, slab sides, and truncated tail, the geeky look polarized potential buyers who valued immediately likeable good looks as much as its high-tech Continuously Variable Transmission and space-maximizing "ULT" seats. When Honda introduced the Jazz hatchback a little later, the layman’s practical explanation for the City’s odd looks was clear. Seems the City/Jazz platform was really intended for the Jazz’ trendy profile, and so the City had to make do with a seeming afterthought for a trunk.

Of course, body alterations are a common occurrence in modern society, and so Honda did the equivalent of a Vicky Belo freshening on the car late last year with the addition of distinctive creases on the sides, racier-looking wheels, and more sparkling lights. The overall effect is to make the car a little less controversial than before, while at the same time possessing styling cues more in line with conservative buyers’ preferences. Notice that you see more Cities on the streets now? And consider the car’s age relative to the look. Like BMW’s own controversially styled 5-series, it’s hard to argue that it isn’t aging well.

The same can be said for the interior, where soft-hued, beige tones for the cabin give the cabin an upper-class feel that will please anyone. The dashboard, with its motorcycle-pod theme for the instrument meters and clever placement of pockets and cupholders, is both useful and stylish. Couple that to the expensive feel of the upholstery and carpet and it’s a very relaxing cabin to be in. Only the stereo with its generic, single-panel OEM look detracts from the holistic ambience. Going shopping? The rear "ULT" seats’ foldable versatility let you maximize trunk and cabin space for a variety of cargo.

To drive, it’s a bias of smoothness and efficiency over general fun-to-drive. Like VTECs of old, most of the power is at the upper end, which means you’ll be pressing deep on the gas if you want to go somewhere fast. The 5-speed stick shift has a well-defined gate and short throws, but the 7-speed CVT is infinitely the better option. Leave it in "D" for around-town slogging, then go into Playstation mode in "DS", shifting gears with the steering-wheel mounted buttons.

What the City needs might be a firmer suspension, or at least longer-travel shocks. Hit a speed bump or a pothole too fast and the front McPherson struts crash against the bump stops, reminding you that Honda had to cut costs somewhere with this car. Steering feel from the electrically assisted system is also lacking. It’s smooth and light, but too antiseptic to tell you what’s going on under your tires for that extra bit of confidence at high speeds. In turn, this might fool you into thinking there’s more traction from the 55-series, 15-inch tires than there really is, which will lead you to understeer off tight corners if you’re too aggressive. Past the point of no return, there’s no other recourse but to stand on the brakes and wait for the nose to turn before you run out of road. Of course, only the most ham-fisted of drivers will get themselves into this sort of jam. But at the 8/10ths kind of driving those real world owners will subject the City to, this general lack of communication from the chassis to the seat-of-the-pants will remind them why it’s still worth it to upgrade to a Civic if they can.

Price-wise, the City comes at a slight premium over the Vios: P695,000 for a manual, or P735,000 for a CVT. But it’s a worthwhile investment. Standard equipment includes ABS and dual airbags, and combined with the versatile seats, the rich feel of the cabin, and a look that really gets better the more you look at it, we suspect the City has the punch this time to knock the Vios off the top of the sales charts this year.