I needed to make a quick purchase of a new car in May 2018. So I scanned the available options, looked deeper into all the promising ones, and made a quick decision. My choice? The Toyota Rush. Let me tell you why.
First let me say this won’t be a review with all the specs and detailed comparisons. You can search other posts for that. This will be a collection of photos for the Rush, and just sharing my thoughts on why for me it was the best choice for a car that mostly my family would use.
I will give you my Top 6 reasons.
I will give you my Top 6 reasons.
But first you may wonder where I’m coming from, what cars I’ve owned and experienced. So let me say - from most recent to the most distant, by God’s grace and provision I’ve had the blessing to have these brand new cars: a BMW 318d F30 body, a Toyota Fortuner 2.7L gasoline 4x2, a Toyota Fortuner 3.0L diesel 4x4, a Honda CRV 2.0L, a Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8L E140 body, a Toyota Corolla 1.6L E110 body, a Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6L (very briefly), a Toyota Corolla 1.6L E100 wide body, a Nissan Sentra 1.5L SGX.
The list gives a peek at my preferences based on experience, and also from talking with friends and colleagues.
My Top 6 reasons for choosing the Toyota Rush
Number 1 Reason.
It’s a Toyota. Reliability is good and established. Overall performance can’t go wrong. The service center in my area is very comfortable with professional and friendly staff and even free coffee. You can stay in the service center and read as the service is reasonably fast, or you can walk to nearby interesting areas. Branding-wise, after looking at other makes and models, I’ve come back to limit my choices to a Toyota and Honda.
Number 2 Reason
The Rush looks great. The proportions and angles and curves display good design aesthetics. I’ve looked at the Honda BRV which is in the same price range, but I just couldn’t get myself to like it.
Number 3 Reason
Number 3 Reason
The size is just right. I still like the practicality of good road clearance. In tropical and monsoon-rich Philippines, a sudden flood is always a possibility. The extra height gives the Rush the advantage over the Honda City VX Navi and the Toyota Vios. Our family is active, so having extra luggage space to bring gear and stuff around is always welcome. Also, when not bringing the Fortuner, the Rush can still easily carry medium sized furniture or large art pieces. That’s also why I got the model without the third-row seat. Bigger carrying space, less weight, better fuel economy.
Number 4 Reason
Number 4 Reason
Safety. The Rush has six airbags and vehicle stability control, features not available in the comparable models at the same price range. Now the new Vios has come out with similar features, but the top of the line model is a bit higher priced. These to me are more important. The Honda City VX Naxvi has a back-up camera, but to me this is just a nice-to-have feature that can be added to the Rush for someone who really wants it. Front lights are powerful, making night driving a pleasure. And the higher driver seat position increases forward visibility and active safety. I wish there were daytime running lights, but okay, this was a compromise I had to accept.
Number 5 Reason
Fuel Economy. Very important for today’s city driving conditions. With the 1.5L engine, I was sure the fuel consumption would be less than the Fortuner 2.7L gasoline. Of course it could not be compared to the BMW 318d which has really superb mileage, but I was willing to take the resulting mileage. For about P200k more you could get the Honda HRV which is another model I t based on my CRV experience, I expected the fuel consumption to still be considerably high. Yes, I expected I wouldn’t get as much power, but for city driving this was just right. Also, I brought the Rush to Tagaytay and it was just fine, very fun to drive. Just press the accelerator deeply if you want a stronger pull and you’re fine. Also, use the gear selector even though it’s an automatic, if you want more power.
Now you might say it’s only a 4-speed automatic and that could pull down fuel economy. I agree and wished it was at least a 5-speed. But I checked the transmission gear ratios and my conclusion is that Toyota made a good selection for the highest and lowest (fastest) gears to get a very good balance of power and economy. At 4000 km mileage, the Rush averaged 10+ kilometers per liter. Not bad!
Number 6 Reason
My Toyota sales manager is great. I’ve bought many cars from him over the years. He makes the process so easy and simple. And fast!! Even though the Rush had just come out, I was able to buy and get delivery within one weekend! Superb!
The post-purchase verdict? It was an excellent choice.
The Rush is fun to drive, and I enjoy taking it for a ride. The size is just right for the kids bringing their stuff around, and also okay to drive alone with good fuel economy. The sounds and feel of the car are very modern; it feels very electronic with smart and great safety features and all at a very competitive price. Thankful to God that I was able to purchase this, and thanks also to Toyota.
Hope this article helps you as you plan on your own purchase.
Let me know your comments or questions. Thanks!
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