The Mature Choice

Can the new kid take on the veterans?

- Aadil Naik

In my version of an ideal world, I’d never age beyond 25 years, roads would never deteriorate, and I’d own a two-seater rear-wheel drive convertible. And a tyre manufacturing plant. A big one. Unfortunately, I can’t spend my life sleeping, so when I do wake up I realise that a certain thing called ‘practicality’ needs to be taken into consideration. And if you drive down that path, you end up at the conclusion that unless you are very wealthy and can afford a couple of cars, front-wheel-drive sedans are the only type of vehicle you should own. And yeah, you can’t stay young all your life, though you should continue to stoically lie to yourself that you can. Anyway, if sedans are what this world needs- because quite honestly nothing checks as many boxes as sedans- than sedans I shall try. But is there one for every type of individual? To answer this question I got behind the wheel of three very different cars. The Honda Civic, because it is new and gives me aspirations of driving a Type-R. The Skoda Octavia because it has been around forever and continues to soldier on like a tank. And the Toyota Corolla Altis because my 65-year-old neighbour loves it and I want to know why.