I have a new crush ladies and gentlemen. It’s not some exotic ‘mbinga-mobile‘ that would require me to strike the lotto or sell my soul to get. If I work hard enough, I can actually buy this car for myself. In this article, I will tell you why I think the Toyota Blade is an unsung hero for those with just but a dollar and a dream.
1. The Name
Of course, I am going to bring up the name.
BLADE…It just sounds so cool! But wait… it gets better! The top trim of this model is called the BLADE MASTER G! I reckon it must have been one of those SUPER CASUAL Fridays at the Toyota office in Japan when they came up with that name. How unusually cool of you 2000’s Toyota!
2. The Looks
Looks are subjective blah blah blah. But I’m sure most would agree that the Blade looks exactly how it was meant to be. A Corolla with some special sauce poured on top, from the clear tail light design in the rear; to the use of upmarket materials like Alcantara in the interior. It strikes a perfect balance of quirky and classy.
3. Performance
This is an unassuming fast car folks! The Blade can be had with two engine choices, a 2.4 litre 4 cylinder engine with 167horsepower or a 3.5 litre V6 with 280 horsepower.If your favourite pastime is chasing VW Golf GTI’s you’ll be quite happy in this. What makes the Blade more compelling than the Golf however, is of course that good ol’ Toyota ‘built to last’ attitude.
4. It’s not what you expect
Let”s be honest. A lot of cars on our Zimbabwean roads are bought for one key purpose, that is to transport oneself with family and/or friends from point A to point B at the least amount of cost (purchase price, maintenance, fuel consumption etc). Because of said criteria, not a lot of room is left for the fun aspect of the car and to be honest not many people even care. As we all know ‘fun’ is expensive and so oftentimes the end result of many affordable cars on the market is that they are void of any charm or personality.
This is what sets the Blade apart from the rest. It’s speed for cheap! Sure it doesn’t make you drool at the sight of it but it’s a comfortable, happy place to be in.
So with that said, if I was in the market for an affordable hatchback with a splash of charm today, I would skip the RunX/Corolla/Auris and get the BLADE!
SHWIIING!! (That’s that sword sound in case you were lost there)