my prince

the half-blood prince was embroiled in controversy when i acquired him. he was the subject of a worldwide recall about the brakes. before that, though, allow me to just say that i am really enjoying the car.

prince mileage in metro manila traffic is about 15km/li so far. a definite improvement from sexyback's 8km/li. a full tank lasts me 10 days now. the dashboard is so electronic and high tech. i even have a digital speedometer projected on the windshield. there are music and a/c controls on steering wheel. even the gear stick is almost knob-like.

it's keyless entry, push-button ignition, as long as you have the remote with you. all leather interiors. and quite roomy for a compact sedan.

the best part is the way it looks. it really is a head-turner. toyota has sold only about 25 units in the phils. so i still get that rubber neck syndrome. it upped my market value a few notches. LOL. though im sure part of the curiosity is the fact that it generated all this attention about recall. (this remains the best-selling car in japan, hitting 20,000 units/mo in jan 2010)

when i first got prince, i noticed that the brake was deeper compared to sexyback. but it didnt slip. it just seemed different. that is the essence of the entire brake problem. it was programmed to be deeper because of the anti-lock brake system compensatory mechanism. hard braking would trigger the abs thereby resulting a feeling of 'unresponsiveness'. but once you have gotten used to it, there is no cause for alarm.

i definitely consulted the dealer about this. and when the worldwide recall started, they personally called me up. with so few units, instead of recall, the toyota motor phils people personally visited each owner and made the software adjustments to make the brake responsive at a level more shallow. they visited me. in 30 mins, they were done.

im still very excited about prince. the new car scent remains, coupled with the smell of leather. (one of the ways i am able to keep that scent longer is by making sure that i NEVER use car perfume or fresheners) i havent taken it for a long ride though.

the problem really is that i have such little time to enjoy all the recent 'toys' and 'playthings". im still enjoying the new house and all its corners. im still enjoying the garden. im still loving the home theater, LED and blu ray. so i look forward to holy week. i will definitely try to enjoy all of these things as much as possible.