This year there are seven cars in the final of the Car of the Year competition: Toyota, Mercedes, Volkswagen, two Hyundais, Peugeot and Honda. Although Toome admitted that with age he has also grown to appreciate Mercedes, he was also unexpectedly impressed by the new Toyota Prius.
For the first time in the history of the Car of the Year, none of the cars that made it to the final can remain without electricity. Non-fully electric cars have a hybrid engine. Although Koit Toome is primarily known as a Porsche fan, he has now chosen a BMW for the winter which, unlike the finalists, also has an internal combustion engine. “I’m still holding the flag high,” Toome laughed.
The first finalist is the Honda CR-V, the sixth generation of the popular SUV. The price starts from 44,500 euros. Toome remembers the first CR-Vs. “There were quite a few around town back in the day,” Toome recalls. Toome feels like the car has gotten a little bigger with each generation. “It fits the family perfectly,” Toome said, adding that the overall look of the car is solid. “According to the price range, there is a lot of plastic, but you have to accept it if you want a car at this price. If you want everything to be really nice, it will cost twice as much,” Toome said.
Although, according to Toome, the Honda CR-V would not be suitable as car of the year, the value for money is decent. “Completely normal. It’s nothing special, but for this money you get size and space and everything really. All-wheel drive does the trick,” Toome said.
Finalist number two is the Hyundai Kona, available as both a hybrid and electric car. Price starting from 30,990 euros. “Such a small SUV. /…/ There is nothing wrong with the design, there is nothing to say. /…/ The space is quite normal. Even me, who am 1.92m tall, I can sit in the back,” said Toome, who also surprised me with the car’s mufflers. “Compared to the Honda, I immediately notice that the seats are not as comfortable and the seat is higher. In the lowest position it feels like I’m sitting on a stool. Also there is much less space here. Probably smaller than all the finalists ,” Toome thought.
As he drove, Toome felt everything shake a little. “This car wants to go where it wants to go. /…/ But the heated steering wheel is very nice and all the key things are there,” Toome added.
The third finalist is the Toyota Prius, the fifth generation of the world’s first series hybrid. The plug-in hybrid has a two-liter gasoline engine with electricity that provides a total of 223 horsepower. Prices start from 44,900 euros and you can also find a solar panel on the roof. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this Prius looks really nice. And the last Prius wasn’t a drag, but it’s a really nice designed car. The Prius is again Cold!” Toome said and added that Priuses have devoted fans who take excursions in their cars and even sleep in the trunk.
In the backseat, Toome’s head was practically against the ceiling, but behind the wheel, Toome felt almost like Luke Skywalker. “It’s nice to drive, the steering wheel is very nice, the driving position is very nice. He left a very good impression,” thought Toome.
The next finalist is Volkswagen ID. Buzz that could herald the return of minivans. The fully electric bus has 204 horsepower and prices start at 68,830 euros. “I drove this car in the summer, because it is very spacious and there is a lot of glass, everything inside is bright. The corners of the mouth rise, it’s nice and good sensation will come”, spoke Toome. According to Toome, sitting behind the wheel of a bus is fun and there is nothing scary in this. However, the autonomy of a fully loaded bus, which shows 217 kilometers in the cold season, does not makes Toome “I like this bus so much, but I wouldn’t be happy with it to do anything,” Toome said.
The fifth finalist for Car of the Year is the Peugeot 408, the poor man’s Lamborghini Urus. Prices start from 31,500 euros. According to Toome, the car is still a long way from the Urus, but some details are still reminiscent of Lamborghini. “In my opinion, the suspension is the weakest point of this car. It rides well. For a relatively reasonable price, you can get yourself a normal modern car,” Toome thought.
The sixth car is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, a mid-size sedan from the world’s oldest automotive brand. The engine selection includes all known classics, but without electricity. The cheapest and least equipped option costs 68,930 euros. For Toome, Mercedes is strongly associated with taxis. “I don’t know if it’s an age thing, but I’ve grown to really appreciate the Mercedes,” said Toome, who was struck by the fact that the entire dashboard is almost a big screen. “Compared to other cars, it’s all good. Nice,” Toome said.
According to experts, the last finalist is the favorite: Hyundai Ioniq 6. Price starting from 57,990 euros. It is also the current global car of the year, as well as electric car of the year and best designed car. Toome disagrees with the latest headline. “Kind of like an ugly duckling. /…/ I haven’t seen any corners where this car looks good yet. That’s probably my problem,” Toome said. Although the contents are plastic, at least they are soft. “It’s a pleasure to drive. Fast, powerful, the design is not exactly beautiful, but exciting,” Toome described the driving experience.
Ringvaade also chose Koit Toomega as its car of the year. “Are we really going to say this out loud? Toyota Prius. It was our favorite. /…/ Oh my God, how did we get here today,” sighed Toome, who decided to drive home in his BMW instead of the new Prius.
2024-01-13 12:43:00
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