A few too-good encounters...

Last week, the producers gave us some free time so we have to visit some three dealerships in Renton.

Right, on that week, we visited dealers across Renton; mostly from Mazda, Toyota, and Honda. We came there because we're there to check out what's new.

First up, WALKER'S RENTON MAZDA. And I came here for this...

The 2013 Mazda CX-5. Yep, this full-fledged SKYACTIV crossover was our first stop. Unfortunately, someone bought it and we're too late to stop by its interior. Despite that, the Mazda CX-5 is now one of my favorites partly because this was made to be fuel-efficient and fun to drive. That's right. Who needs dull eco buttons and hybrids? The CX-5 is just the car for me because its a car that promises clean driving without sacrificing performance.

Since because I didn't have the chance to meet up with the new Mazda CX-5, I bump instead with this;

The 2012 Mazda 3 with SKYACTIV Technology. Like the CX-5, the Mazda 3 comes with a 2.0L SKYACTIV-G engine. Like the CX-5, it comes with a 6-speed SKYACTIV-DRIVE automatic transmission. This transmission promises Good Fuel Economy, Easy Start up, Direct feel, and smooth shifting. 

Now, I don't need to worry about not having a SKYACTIV variant on the second generation Mazda 3 because earlier, the new Mazda 3 was already on sale in the Philippines for 999,000 Pesos. Sounds tempting but should you?

The CX-5 was already available in the Philippines for 1,452,000 Pesos in case you missed it.

In the tradition of following Top Gear's footsteps, we decided that we DON'T DO CONSUMER ADVICE AND NEVER WILL. We will never answer questions such as "which is better?", "how does it work", "is it all that better?" so on so forth. WE DON'T DO CONSUMER ADVICE. IT'S A WASTE OF TIME.

Now, we move on to TOYOTA OF RENTON and we found these...

This is a Prius PHV. This is Japan's answer to the Chevrolet Volt. You can do both; refueling it with petrol or recharge the batteries.

Here's the 2012 Scion iQ, which some say that this is a cheap blue-collar knock off to the Smart fortwo. A smart fortwo is like a Porsche because the engine is placed at the wrong place. This Scion iQ is not. It's a FWD micro mini.

It's a Toyota Prius with a bigger boot. It's called the Prius V. What it makes me feel though is sad. Thanks to conditions like the environment, the economy, tensions in the Middle East, and the relentless war on speed, ALL CARS WILL SOON...BE CONSIGNED TO THE HISTORY BOOKS. :-(

What? Did I said a Top Gear dialogue? Sorry. This kind Prius is essential if you're gone camping with you and your four pals. I even have that on Car Town and use it for CAR SHOW purposes thanks to the uniqueness I hardly worked on. What? What do you mean "you copy paste it"? Never mind. It's just bits of IDOLM@STER-ism, to be honest. But no matter. Prius V or Prius Alpha or Prius + is not available in Asia. Sorry, it's the rules.

It's the third-generation Toyota Yaris/Vitz. A car that I sure wish a video game will feature this...

The Toyota FJ Cruiser, an offroader's favorite and a complete Hummer copycat. Maybe something that I should prefer rather than the terrifying Marauder as seen on Top Gear. Overall, it's cheaper than the indestructible Marauder. He he he....

Now, we wandered off to the Renton Honda and we found this...

The facelifted 2012 Honda Insight. Yep, this one's far too cheaper than the Prius but only a few bought it.

This is one of my favorite hybrids, the Honda CR-Z. It happens when they have their brown rice smothered with Tabasco. A few CR-Z models have CVT but many have a 6-speed manual, making this special.

Don't worry, a few video games featured this...

And here it is, the all new 4th generation Honda CR-V. A car that has a rear view of a Vovlo XC60. How pity...

And that concludes of the front runners. If I was a complete clattering buttock who has a choice, what would be? The CX-5 because of its SKYACTIV technology? The Mazda 3? The Scion iQ because it has a sensible size? The Prius PHV because it can be refueled and recharged? The Prius V because it made me sad? The new Yaris because of its looks? The FJ Crusier because it's much more affordable than the Marauder? The Insight? The CR-Z because it is a sport hybrid? Or the new CR-V? Ugh, I wouldn't blame anyone who bought these because they deserve it. I am surely wish I want the CX-5 because for me. It's my winner. Yeah.