is it safe to buy premium car in philippines? (foreigner)

[espana]

Im a foreigner who will be staying in manila (please talk to me in english, sorry i don't under stand tagalog). I visited couple times to philippines due to business and I noticed that my relatively well-off filipino friend had regular honda car. I asked him why he doesn't buy premium brand car and he told me it's not safe(hold ups, kidnaps, etc.) to ride in bmw, porsche, mercedes benz etc. He told me it's best to just blend in and buy accord, civic, starex, fortuner etc.
So my question is,

Is it safe for a foreigner to ride premium brand car or should I just get honda, toyota cars?

[badkuk]

well...granted it's not as bad here as, say Columbia or Mexico, it would be important to note that we've had our share of bank robberies, kidnappings, coups/"rebellions", protest rallies gone bad, etc. in our recent history.

Although, unless you're venturing into Mindanao, expats are pretty much left alone; if you stay in the "good parts" of Manila you should be OK -- don't let your guard down though, don't let our smiles fool you :D

Anyways, to answer your question...i'd be more worried about the maintenance of the car; If your car ends up in the casa for weeks, maybe month, waiting for parts to arrive, then what's the point, right?

Consider also that road conditions here, even in the good parts of Manila, aren't that good: potholes, uneven patching of potholes, jeeps, taxis, buses, container vans, etc are what you'll encounter on a daily basis. Imagine driving a Benz through all that hell.

Also, as you may have seen or experienced, bad weather and flooding is a bit of a problem. Again, imagine getting a Benz tossed around in flood water...then imagine the repair costs.

Look, i do understand that rolling in a Benz, BMZ or Audi does have its perks...but for me the environment/infrastructure here just doesn't support it.


imho, get a Honda or Toyota. What kind of car are you geting btw? sedan, SUV?

But hey, it's your money dude...and if the company is footing the bill...that's a different story ;)

my .02

[espana]

Thank you badkuk for you sincere reply


Since I know the road conditions and weathers in manila, I was thinking about getting porsche boxter with tops down to get some tans

All the jokings aside, since I know the flooding problems and road conditions, I would definitely have to go with SUV.


I was thinking about getting used cars since I wouldn't be staying that long and heard used cars maintain their value very well.


How about American cars? I heard ford expedition or chevy tahoe cars are considered premium cars?

It's going to be a personal car so maintenance fee will be problem if maintaining bmw costs a lot more than in the U.S..

[uls]

How about American cars? I heard ford expedition or chevy tahoe cars are considered premium cars?

It's going to be a personal car so maintenance fee will be problem if maintaining bmw costs a lot more than in the U.S..

Ford Expeditions are quite common here

they're not as high profile as they used to be

it doesnt say "hey, i'm a billionaire"

it just says "hey, i can afford the gas"

hehe

go for the Expedition rather than a Boxter

remember, this is a tropical country

it's dusty, hot, humid, or rainy

with the top-down Boxter, you'll end up sweaty and smelly and full of dust

or soaked in rain (sudden downpour)

with the Expedition, you'll be cool and comfortable

[badkuk]

[quote=espana;1488951]
I was thinking about getting used cars since I wouldn't be staying that long and heard used cars maintain their value very well.
[quote]


umm...it depends what brand/model we're talking about. Toyotas and Honda generally hold their value well.


Hmm, ever thought about leasing/renting the car? i know of at least one company doing this -- Orix Leasing i think. Though the last time i checked, i felt their rates were a bit high. There could be a few other leasing companies around.

So you can just lease the car when you're here, then return it to the company when you have to go back home. No worries about maintenance, where to store it when you're not here, etc.

How about American cars? I heard ford expedition or chevy tahoe cars are considered premium cars?

Not so sure about their resale value

[roberto_minosa]

And keep in mind that the "premium" cars here usually cost almost twice (compared to US prices only).

Philippine government dictates that owning a car is a premium in itself. :p

[tsupermario]

land cruiser gas

[blue_gambit]

Sir I believe the local Toyota here has Leasing facilities, you would be better off with that. New Car, no worries. Used cars here vary in condition. A lot are non-casa maintained especially those beyond the warranty period. Since you wont be here that long, leasing will be better.


http://www.toyotafinancial.ph/index....oryid=10&id=12

Thank you badkuk for you sincere reply


Since I know the road conditions and weathers in manila, I was thinking about getting porsche boxter with tops down to get some tans

All the jokings aside, since I know the flooding problems and road conditions, I would definitely have to go with SUV.


I was thinking about getting used cars since I wouldn't be staying that long and heard used cars maintain their value very well.


How about American cars? I heard ford expedition or chevy tahoe cars are considered premium cars?

It's going to be a personal car so maintenance fee will be problem if maintaining bmw costs a lot more than in the U.S..

[renzo_d10]

The expedition isn't " premium " -, well for me.

The only concern is, the very low mileage in fuel efficiency it can give. Can go low as 3~4km/l.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy Expeditions, Safaris, Sequioas etc. especially if i`ll be just staying here for a while.

Get a Santa Fe, CRV, Montero, Fortuner. All of them are common, and much cheaper.

[niky]

The expedition isn't " premium " -, well for me.

The only concern is, the very low mileage in fuel efficiency it can give. Can go low as 3~4km/l.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy Expeditions, Safaris, Sequioas etc. especially if i`ll be just staying here for a while.

Get a Santa Fe, CRV, Montero, Fortuner. All of them are common, and much cheaper.

Old Expeditions may have crap-tastic plastics and so-so interiors, but they have the biggest luxury you can find in a vehicle... space. And they ride much more smoothly than smaller SUVs.

An alternative is an E150. They sell for incredibly cheap, have huge interiors and swiveling pilots chairs in the second row, and ride like waterbeds. Great if you're hiring a local driver for the duration... not so great if you have to drive this gigantic land yacht yourself.

A self-driven car that's comfortable and available for cheap secondhand would likely be a Camry or an Accord.

These are good choices if you don't care about gas prices and aren't going to hold onto them for very long.

2nd gen CRVs are stiff as hell, older Monteros are so-so (good luck finding a new one secondhand for a good price) and the Fortuner rides like a truck. Good luck finding a Santa Fe... they're pretty comfy, but not very common secondhand... I'd put it on top of my list.

[niky]

The expedition isn't " premium " -, well for me.

The only concern is, the very low mileage in fuel efficiency it can give. Can go low as 3~4km/l.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy Expeditions, Safaris, Sequioas etc. especially if i`ll be just staying here for a while.

Get a Santa Fe, CRV, Montero, Fortuner. All of them are common, and much cheaper.

Old Expeditions may have crap-tastic plastics and so-so interiors, but they have the biggest luxury you can find in a vehicle... space. And they ride much more smoothly than smaller SUVs.

An alternative is an E150. They sell for incredibly cheap, have huge interiors and swiveling pilots chairs in the second row, and ride like waterbeds. Great if you're hiring a local driver for the duration... not so great if you have to drive this gigantic land yacht yourself.

A self-driven car that's comfortable and available for cheap secondhand would likely be a Camry or an Accord.

These are good choices if you don't care about gas prices and aren't going to hold onto them for very long.

2nd gen CRVs are stiff as hell, older Monteros are so-so (good luck finding a new one secondhand for a good price) and the Fortuner rides like a truck. Good luck finding a Santa Fe... they're pretty comfy, but not very common secondhand... I'd put it on top of my list.

[jeDi13]

if you know someone personally who is selling his Expedition or Tahoe, it would be better than going to a Used Car shops here in Manila. Usually, those cars mostly have hidden defects.

why not just try rent-a-car services? you can also consider Leasing from Toyota Financials.

[ghosthunter]

How does a Subaru Legacy appeal to you?

[CARLOver17]

American cars lose value faster than the Japanese ones. But when buying a new one, you'll be better off with Expedition, Tahoe, Explorer or Suburban.

Don't buy the midsize pick-up-based SUVs like Fortuner and Montero Sport because they don't ride as well as the ones sold in the US such as the 4runner.

You can also go for trusty compact SUVs though they might be too small and cheap for you.

I recommend SUV, though not premium, more than premium sedans or sports cars.

[niky]

That's why it's great to buy one secondhand... a secondhand Expedition sells for peanuts.

Besides... if you're only going to be staying in the country for a short period of time... why waste money buying brand new? You're going to take a tremendous hit in terms of depreciation and resale value. Just get something secondhand that's serviceable... take care of it... and you have the chance of selling it after you use it at near the same value as you bought it.

Leasing/renting also works, but the bills can pile up quick.

[ZEPER]

I work with a lot of expats and their cars range from Jaguars to Sentras.

IT really depends on what you like, and need as long as you can afford it. Also, by and large, Metro Manila is safe.

So if you can afford it... go for the car you want!

[contracontra]

I think the best option for you is to lease. So that when you leave the country, you wont be having problems selling your vehicle.

Thats my opinion.

[SiViTeC]

As for your question if it's safe to buy premium cars in the Philippines, the answer would be yes. I've been driving in and out of Metro Manila for years with a BMW, a Chrysler and a "2-door convertible sports car" as my daily commute with no issues. There's no need to be afraid buying and using it on the road.

What I notice is that other vehicles tend to stay away from these cars because they don't want to damage and pay for the repairs that might incur.

My suggestion would be for you to buy the car that you desire.

[daimengrui]

Get a Murano. It's premium enough while giving you all the joys of an SUV and more. Also the looks is sleek. No other premium SUV is as ***y as this. Most competitors in its class is either boxy or screams octogenarian.

[chua_riwap]

What I notice is that other vehicles tend to stay away from these cars because they don't want to damage and pay for the repairs that might incur.

My suggestion would be for you to buy the car that you desire.

Also....traffic enforcers tend to "avoid" or "stay away" from these premium cars/big SUVs. I do always observe that those premium vehicles who commit traffic violations go scot free, compared to Japanese cars who would be automatically flagged down by these traffic enforcers whenever they commit the slightes traffic violation on the road.