First Time Car Buyer, Help?

[carn00b]

Hello. First time buyer so I'm not familiar with the various brands and models and so the pros and cons of each. I'm looking to buy something with a bit more room than a sedan would provide so I'm looking at the SUV/MPV/AUV segment.

Budget is around 1M after financing so I'm left with the following choices, along with my comments (as well as my friends' comments, which are usually about the negative aspects of the car)

1. Hyundai Tucson - Big car, great looks. I have not heard so much about this car, other than what I have found so far on this forum.
2. Mitsubishi Fuzion - Looks roomy and is a step up from the Adventure but it seemed not to have clicked in the Philippines so it worries me that there might be something wrong with it that I have not read about
3. Toyota Innova - It's pretty popular. So much so that your car would blend in with those which serve as shuttle services and taxis. On the plus side, parts would certainly not be a problem.
4. Mitsubishi Adventure Sport GLS - Was actually the first choice but then considering the other drivers who would be female, decided to check A/T models. That and the rather dated look which doesn't seem too much changed.
5. Ford Escape - Looks to be similar to the Tucson but the resale value isn't quite good (although it escapes me why you would consider selling it even before buying it lol )

However, if push comes to shove, I have whittled down my sedan choices:
1. Honda City
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Altis
4. Toyota Vios
5. Mitsubishi Lancer

Any comments towards selecting the best choice per segment would be appreciated, kind gents and ladies. :D Any worthy additions to the list are welcome, on the off chance that I selected the worst representatives. hahaha

[seymorebutts]

how about kia's

1. sportage
2. carens

read from here

[tidus1203]

1 MILLION won't buy you a Kia Sportage or Carens ganun po kataga ang Kia

Sa choices mo siguro either Innova or Tucson ako. Innova can seat more though... Just get the gas version to be 100% confident kasi yung diesel ng Innova medyo hit and miss. For Tucson the diesel is above a mil already so no choice but to get the gas version.

[speed unlimited]

If i were the one to choose i like the Innova .

[emms1121]

Sama mo sa choice mo nissan grand livina.

[carn00b]

Wish there was a way to compare the choices. Thanks for mentioning the Grand Livina, it's also a car that I have not heard much about. Mahal nung Kia, lagpas lagpasan ng 1M. Hirap talaga pag first time na magiinvest sa sasakyan. hehehe

[p_borj]

1. Hyundai Tucson - CRDI technology, a good choice for you.
2. Mitsubishi Fuzion - No diesel variant and gas guzzler kaya hindi pumatok. Looks like a lancer in front and montero sport at the back too.
3. Toyota Innova - Just please, get the VVTI variant.
4. Mitsubishi Adventure Sport GLS - Reliable diesel man or gas ayun lang medyo outdated talaga ang design hehe.
5. Ford Escape - This is a good vehicle which I think suits you and female drivers on SUV variants.

[meledson]

For me, first, ano ang purpose ng car. daily commute, pag hakot, pang out of towns, deliveries, etc.

Than next will be the budget.

3rd, personal preferences

Using these 3, makakagawa na ng short list.

[carn00b]

Purpose of the car, daily commute to and from work. It will also be used regularly for groceries and items for the small store I have. Now and then bring the family (around 4 to 5, with kids) to somewhere farther than where we normally go.

Budget: Around 1M, but with financing.

Personal preferences: Gusto ko nung medyo with the times ang hitsura. I know it will eventually fall out of fashion pero better later than now. :D

[1D4LV]

Purpose of the car, daily commute to and from work. It will also be used regularly for groceries and items for the small store I have. Now and then bring the family (around 4 to 5, with kids) to somewhere farther than where we normally go.

Budget: Around 1M, but with financing.

Personal preferences: Gusto ko nung medyo with the times ang hitsura. I know it will eventually fall out of fashion pero better later than now. :D

first choice would be the innova. kasyang kasya kayo dyan.
second choice would be the tucson. although hindi masyadong roomy sa loob.

[_Cathy_]

I'd get the Innova because I'm a Toyota fan. I don't mind that it's common.

[vito corleone]

Purpose of the car, daily commute to and from work. It will also be used regularly for groceries and items for the small store I have. Now and then bring the family (around 4 to 5, with kids) to somewhere farther than where we normally go.

Budget: Around 1M, but with financing.

Personal preferences: Gusto ko nung medyo with the times ang hitsura. I know it will eventually fall out of fashion pero better later than now. :D

dalawa lang nasa isip ko: innova or livina

[ash0279]

3. Toyota Altis A/T - 869,000
- Very comfortable... soft suspension, soft seats. Very relaxing to drive. Until you actually have to turn... or brake... Interior plastics not as good as previous Corollas, and nowhere near as good as Civic's. Rear seat kind of small compared to Civic.

Pardon my ignorance, noob here also,, wondering what's the technical explanation/meaning of this phrase "Until you actually have to turn...or brake..." Does this mean, the steering & breaking system of Altis is not that good? --Im considering a 2002 Altis pa naman.. hehe

[ghosthunter]

1. Hyundai Tucson A/T - 988,000
2. Mitsubishi Fuzion A/T - 950,000
3. Toyota Innova gas A/T - 978,000
3. Toyota Innova diesel A/T - 1,033,000
4. Mitsubishi Adventure Sport GLS - 708,000
5. Ford Escape - 1,050,000

1. Honda City A/T - 756,000
2. Honda Civic A/T - 898,000
3. Toyota Altis A/T - 869,000
4. Toyota Vios A/T - 795,000
5. Mitsubishi Lancer A/T - 745,000 (old model)

[San siro]

With 1m budget and you want more room than a sedan, I think Innova is the best deal.

[ghosthunter]

With 1m budget and you want more room than a sedan, I think Innova is the best deal.

It still depends on the person's lifestyle. Let us wait for him to reply.

[niky]

From GH's list:

1. Hyundai Tucson A/T - 988,000
- gasoline model... not bad... ride not as refined as, say, the Escape. Seating space is actually pretty decent, but cargo space is lacking for a crossover.

2. Mitsubishi Fuzion A/T - 950,000
- sluggish performance given the size of the engine and the poor fuel economy. Good ride, good space. Most people don't give it a second look, but you should definitely give it a test drive.

3. Toyota Innova gas A/T - 978,000
- Spacious, but the third row legroom is crap, the interior is rattly and the ride is pretty stiff over rough roads. Pretty good as an in-city commuter, but tiring on long trips due to the ride. (same can be said of all AUVs, my Crosswind is worse) That said, I actually like it... very good value for money.

3. Toyota Innova diesel A/T - 1,033,000
- Same... except diesel... 2.5 D4D not as peppy as some other CRDis, but more than good enough. Fuel economy pretty good.

4. Mitsubishi Adventure Sport GLS - 708,000
- Outdated. Limited headroom in third row compared to the Crosswind... but it rides and handles better than one. Not as good as an Innova.

5. Ford Escape - 1,050,000
- With the current engine and suspension, this is actually a very very nice car. Smooth performance, comfortable ride (better than our CR-V's and the Tucson) and commendable handling. Interior space is okay, but rear seat can be tight for some (you have to test it yourself to see if it suits your family) but the cargo space is good... fuel economy better than the old model, but it's still a gasoline crossover with a big engine, so don't expect much.

-

1. Honda City A/T - 756,000
- Decent economy, great transmission, terrific space. Shame about the seats. Typically Honda hard. If none of you are over 40 or overweight... no problem with the seats... but if you like the car otherwise, you can always buy padded seatcovers.

2. Honda Civic A/T - 898,000
- More space than the City. Terrific engine-transmission combination, and fuel economy is pretty good considering the power (not as good as the City). Handling also top-notch. Great looks, futuristic interior and very good rear seat space. Downsides are the hard seats (the lower-back support on the front seats is downright painful on trips of longer than an hour) and stiff ride. Honestly, the Focus and Mazda3 give the same level of handling performance without the backbreaking thumping over potholes.

3. Toyota Altis A/T - 869,000
- Very comfortable... soft suspension, soft seats. Very relaxing to drive. Until you actually have to turn... or brake... Interior plastics not as good as previous Corollas, and nowhere near as good as Civic's. Rear seat kind of small compared to Civic.

4. Toyota Vios A/T - 795,000
- Hate the interior and seats. But it's economical and peppy and the ride is decent. Lots of interior space.

5. Mitsubishi Lancer A/T - 745,000 (old model)
- It's old. Wider than the Vios and City, but the lack of headroom and legroom betray its age. Rides nicely and goes well, but if you're considering this, though, might as well add the Nissan Sentra to your list, as it's slightly bigger and is cheaper, to boot.

[ghosthunter]

From GH's list:

er... not really my list. I just placed the prices on the list of the thread starter's choice vehicles that come in A/T.

[ghosthunter]

Toyota Innova - my concern is if you use this as your daily commute to work, it might be burning more fuel than you need to. But the big interior is a plus if you use it to deliver stuff or bring your family out of town.

Toyota Vios - a better choice (1.5L A/T) for the daily commute or even the occasional out of town trip. But the more limited interior space might be a problem if you tend to bring a grocery store's worth of goods (but you can use both the trunk and car's interior to carry cargo).

[carn00b]

Awesome comments. I'll be seriously considering them in my purchase. Keep em coming.