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The world of automobiles is just a huge playground for the real enthusiasts. Quality, performance and technical innovation are the basis of many wonderful cars built today. A genuine interest and love for the human race‘s most significant invention is what drives many automotive journalists to do what they do. The rewards are often significant for us as we turn the key to one of the latest offerings from Mercedes, BMW or Lexus. In our excitement to run back and tell our readers about the thrills we have experienced we often forget that the majority of consumers are seeking attributes that may not necessarâ€" ily be high on our lists of priorities. Phrases like "easy to park", "practical" and "peppy" don‘t exactly stir the human spirit. Thus we are prone to brush over lightly the simple chariots that so many of us rely on for our basic transportaâ€" tion needs. The Ford Motor Company has not enjoyed much success in the North American subcompact market since the notoriâ€" ous Pinto of the 1970s. Then again, the Pinto could hardly be classified as a subcompact by today‘s standards. The Ford Escort has been an American favorite but it is now known as a compact. Ford‘s offshore subcompact offerings, PAGE 30 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1994 By Mike Williams‘! > + New Ford subcompact faces tough competition © 1994 Voivo Canada Ltd. Drive Safely is a tradeâ€"mark of Volvo Canada Ltd. *M]‘ufldflsmdw Porsche is a reg. TM of Dr. nemmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnsmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnnrennnmnmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnnninmmmmmmmmmmmnmmemmmmmmmmenmmmmemmmmmmmnmnnnn 222 PCAE Aptt h wameâ€"nama 1994 FORD ASPIRE W 12DMOAHO OO 18 2 FAw Bâ€"K MOTORS 485 King St. North Waterloo, Ontario (519) 885â€"5090 d the interior and as a the Aspi '.v'y,,,,,,,, the Fiesta and Festiva have had somé presence but have never taken the market by storm. The outgoing Festiva is being replaced by the new Aspire, a car actually built for Ford by the Kia Motors Corporation of Korea. That fact alone may get the hair on the back of the neck standing but don‘t be so fast to condemn any product coming from Asia Korea is quickly becoming a financial glant in the international marketplace and, more imporâ€" tantly, we have seen another manufacturer from this counâ€" try, Hyundai, come a long way in terms of engineering and quality. Ten years ago Hyundais were purchased by those who were looking only at the bottom line. Today these cars are winning the respect of journalists and consumers who are looking at value more than just the sticker price. So it was with this in mind that I trekked into Ford‘s comâ€" pound in Oakville to get an early dose of this latest offering. My test car was a fiveâ€"door hatchback model with an autoâ€" matic transmission. My first impression was "cute in an Opd-lihkion:ddwqf. Those of you who are not familiar with GM‘s line from Germany will probably recognize these disguised Europeans as the Pontiac LeMans or the Asuna. The styling is nice with a very rounded appearance that speaks of practicality. The car seems to be shaped E1 ib t en e e se comfort you in ways you would expect from the innovators of safety. BEAT THE HIGH COST OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL. 9008 for a car in this class. The hoodline is short and drops off quickly thus most of the outside dimensions are close to the interior dimensions. All of this results in a car that is very easy to maneuver and park. Inside, the car the quality is very good. The materials are of high quality and the fit is what we have come to expect from Ford. Closing the doors gave me a bit of a sense that the car is a little tinny. ‘The car, however, is well laid out and very comfortable. The amount of headroom is impresâ€" sive for a small car but bear in mind that at 59" I‘m not exactly a giant. The controls are simple and accessible. Basically, the interior did not overwhelm me but I was mwbntdo impressed at how well it does what it is supposed to do. So I fired up the 1.3â€"litre inline fourâ€"cylinder engine and put the car in drive. Now I must admit that I am not a big fan of many small four cylinders with automatic transmisâ€" sions. My skepticism was confirmed as I attempted to accelâ€" erate the car to highway speeds on a ramp entering the QEW. With only 63 hp @ 5000 rpm the Aspire is not exactly overpowered to begin with. Mate the engine to a threeâ€" speed automatic and you just know that acceleration is going to be a problem. I would suspect that the fiveâ€"speed (Continued on page 31) VOLNVO â€"â€"â€"KITCHENER â€"â€"â€" SANRN. SAAB â€" isu2U0 450 Beimont Ave. W., Kit 744â€"5811 . Ing H.C.F. Porsche AG. VOLNVO