Sunday, July 24, 2005

2006 Volkswagen Jetta

I'm almost tempted to go right out and buy one for myself. This must be the most Audi Volkswagen yet. I've always felt that the previous Jetta did not offer enough value-for-money. After all, VW produces middle-classed automobiles, doesn't it? But the 2006 Jetta took so many pages out of Audi's playbook past and present that I'm beginning to be convinced otherwise.

The new Jetta handles impeccably and hugs the curves on the road better than any non-sports sedan I've driven. And I'm sure it can hold it's own against many of these. Preserving the character of the Jetta series, the clearance off the ground was decent, so it loves your cottage lane as much as the highway. This new incarnation resolved the main weaknesses of the old Jetta:

1) Power - The old non-turbo gasoline-driven Jetta offers only 115 horses, and despite the surprisingly smooth acceleration at any speed, lacks brute force. The new Jetta comes with a 5-cylinder, 20 valve, 150 hp 2.5 litre engine which helps a lot.

2) Fuel efficiency - I've always thought that the old Jetta was one of the least efficient 4-cylinder small cars around, and I suspect that could have been the tradeoff in order to maintain reasonable torque at all speeds with only 4 gears and limited power. Although the new 5-cylinder engine is spec'd to be a little less efficient than the old model, I actually think (having driven both) that it is in fact just a tad bit more fuel efficient, largely thanks to its more advanced 6-speed automatic transmission. [although I think you might be able to maximise fuel efficiency on the old Jetta by not exceeding 100 kph]

3) Lack of interior space - The legroom for backseat passengers used to be miserable. The new Jetta has noticably more room inside, and a much larger trunk as well.

There were a few other things about the 2006 Jetta that wowed me:

1) Transmission - The 6-speed automatic transmission meant that it (by definition) shifted more often than any 5-speed or 4-speed variant. Nevertheless, shifting was very smooth, though not indiscernable like in a Mercedes, but seriously I like to feel the gear change when I'm driving so that I know what gear I'm on. And in the event that I'm not sure, the display on the dashboard tells me exactly. It shifts down extremely readily when I jab down on the accelerator, and one can always manually shift the lever to the right (to enter tiptronic mode) and down to down-shift before accelerating if so desired. The 4-speed sport mode is fantastic. With peak torque rated at 3750 rpm, the sport mode looks like it can handle any road, and yes, this thing knows when not to shift up to a higher gear (which is the problem with most automatic transmissions on difficult roads). It's a pity I did not have the time to find a road challenging enough to test it to the limit.

2) Seats and stuff - Extremely comfortable. The velour fabric was nice. Not leather, but looks really tough. Comes heated of course, just like the Jetta of 2005. You can pay for leather of course, and for all sorts of fancy stuff like full power seat adjustments (the power incline adjustment comes standard), a multifunction trip computer (that tells you your fuel efficiency, compass, etc...), steering wheel audio controls, and others. Other standard features include rear air-conditioning vents, a driver's armrest (doubles as the cover of the between-seat storage) that can be adjusted for height, which is nice. And by the way, there is a 12V outlet in that between-seat storage so you can charge your toys and keep them hidden at the same time.

3) Flashing turn signals on the side rear-view mirrors. OK, I know this is no big deal but I've always had a fascination for these little blinking lights. And if you look close enough into the headlights, you will find that there are VW logos embedded in them.

Was there anything I didn't like about the vehicle? Well, it was kind of shaped like a Toyota Corolla. Despite the really large VW logos in the front and the back, a friend of mine actually asked me if it was a Corolla, but admittedly he approached it from the side. Then again, the Corolla is a really good car too, so that's fine. The other thing is that the new Jetta is based on a newly engineered platform, and I prefer to wait for some time to pass before making a commitment. I don't even buy the latest Pentiums from Intel.

Hebrews 11:17-19

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"

19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

(New King James Version)

Breaking with my tradition of quoting scripture without comment on this blog, I feel that a few clarifying statements are required here. Firstly, the God of the Bible does not condone human sacrifice even though Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac in this particular instance. The sacrifice was never carried out as God who never intended it to happen stopped Abraham before he could complete the act. There is a deeper issue as to whether God ever commands immoral acts, in effect contradicting his own nature. God generally does not do so, but we certainly observe an exception in this case. There is clearly no benefit in extracting any moral precedence from a situation so outrageous, but the enigma serves a purpose here, for it indicates the existence of a spiritual lesson beneath the literal plot. The promises of God in the life of the faithful, like Isaac is to Abraham, are in each case to be surrendered and put to death only to be kept alive by the grace of God. Lest we co-opt his promises and make them our pride instead.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Funk n' Crawford

So much for the plan to go to Montreal for the Just for Laughs festival. Maybe next year. As a consolation, comedy in Ottawa is not bad. Absolute Comedy along Preston Street in Little Italy is a nice place for acts. In fact, Funk n' Crawford were absolutely hilarious. Highly spontaneous, creative, intelligent, musical and literary, the improv duo proved to be extremely entertaining indeed. www.hahaha.com www.absolutecomedy.ca

Friday, July 22, 2005

Why I rent instead of own a car

Five reasons why I rent a car on the weekends instead of buying one:

1) Save on parking: Weekday daytime parking is expensive in downtown Ottawa where I live and work.

2) Free exercise: Downtown Ottawa is nice and compact. I walk to work.

3) Enjoy free parking: Weekend parking in downtown Ottawa is free.

4) Save on insurance: For some inexplicable reason, although I have over 10 years of driving experience from my home country, not a single second of that is counted when it comes to auto insurance. This means that my insurance costs will be really high if I were to own a car.

5) Test drive the latest cars: I get to drive really nice cars each week. Admittedly, this involved finding the right place to rent from. :) This week I got a brand new 2006 VW Jetta with the 6-speed Tiptronic. Cool!

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

First bridge game in 2 months

In 10 minutes, I'll be going for my first bridge game in almost 2 months. It's about time.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

The Mexican Wedding Shirt Minister

Stone-faced Dolly's at Bronson and McLeod is a pretty nifty place to have breakfast on the weekends, especially when an Ontario born and bred United Church minister wearing a mexican wedding shirt joins you at the next table together with his ethnically east indian wife (both Canadians). By the time we left at 11.30 am, the place had surprisingly emptied out. I hope it wasn't due to our conversation filled with dialectic observations.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Food served too fast - must have been reheated

The burger at Hard Rock Cafe was served really fast. Almost too fast. Makes you wonder if it was prepared in advance and reheated.

Monday, July 04, 2005

Stopping in Montreal chinatown for lunch = bad idea

So much for trying to stop in Montreal chinatown for lunch. Unless you are willing to pay as much for parking as for your food, that's not an option on a weekday.

Gite Le Roupillon

Roland Bergerat and his wife runs this rather inexpensive but nice bed and breakfast conveniently located in Quebec City. It is located near a hospital in a well-maintained and reasonably quiet lower middle class neighbourhood. There is no air-conditioning but the rooms are well-ventilated and equipped with ceiling fans. Private off-street free parking is provided next to the house. Breakfast is a generous display of muffin, croissant, bread and jams, fruit salad, cereal, coffee, tea, orange juice and milk.

From there, you can drive to Vieux-Québec in about 15 minutes, and the bus will take only slightly longer. The only issue I had with this place was that it was situated at an intersection with a 4-way stop (not the most busy but there was traffic), which meant that there was noticable car noise for most part of the evening before midnight and in the mornings (on weekdays). http://www3.sympatico.ca/leroupillon/

Sunday, July 03, 2005

Things to do and not to do while visiting Ville de Québec

Other than the obvious attractions in Vieux-Québec itself, do...

1) Visit l'île d'Orléans. Give yourself lots of time to discover the local produce, to look for art, to go antiquing, or whatever suits your taste. There is an amazing sculpture garden at the east end of the island (furthest from the bridge) next to the church. www.iledorleans.com

2) Visit at least one waterfall.

La Chute Montmorency which is closest to town is the most accessible. You have the choice of taking the cable car (for $6 one-way or $8 return) or walking up the steps. The fun of getting all wet near the base of the falls is entirely optional. Although it's one and a half times higher than Niagara Falls, it's obviously not one and a half times as impressive, so one should not expect too much, but it's fun nonetheless.

For a short (45 min) family stroll in the woods, Canyon Ste-Anne is more enjoyable. The fact that the trees are marked telling you what they are (e.g. eastern hemlock, yellow birch) can be quite educational. www.canyonste-anne.qc.ca

If you have more time, Les Sept Chutes nearby is another family friendly location offering more to explore. www.septchutes.com

Do not...

1) Get your left rear-view mirror busted by a passing vehicle while parallel parked on the right side of the street. This happened to me.

2) Have too high expectations if you have come from or have visited Europe before. Vieux-Québec is old and historic but not that old. This is North America after all. All the things about it being like Europe are true, but only to an extent. Remember that it's only 400 years old.

3) Be surprised that Québec is referred to as the national capital. The sign on the way into the city clearly states you are entering "la région de la capitale nationale". My first reaction was, "Isn't that the same thing they put on the sign on the way into Ottawa?" In fact, the sign on the way to Ottawa tells you that you are entering "la région de la capitale du Canada". A small but subtle difference indeed.

4) Be shocked that many establishments such as restaurants do not accept credit cards, or accept only certain credit cards. There appears to be a strong preference for vendors to collect payments in cash in Québec which would make it harder to keep track of revenues accurately I suppose.

Friday, July 01, 2005

la fête du Canada Day

Aujourd'hui, le 1er juillet est la fête du Canada.
Today, the 1st of July is Canada Day.

In typical Ottawa fashion, just as the road signs say "rue Metcalfe Street", a merging together of the French and English forms, today is "la fête du Canada Day".

Have fun!