hello TS, seems na bago ka lang dito sa tsikot... then i welcome you here sa masayang automotive site sa buong internet! welcome to tsikot!

well mam, as for your queries, i'll answer it to the best that i can

A. brand new or 2nd hand?
syempre mas maganda ang brand new, but you have a tight budget of 350k max only. so go for 2nd hand. having a 2nd hand car, sa perspective ko ah, is an advantage. madami nagsasabi disadvantage gawa ng mga sirang parts. but through this, i was able to enhance my automotive troubleshooting at syempre na din, sa tulong ng tsikot. madami ka matutunan sa 2nd hand, trust me mam... i've been there and i can say i enjoy my ride more than what i expected

b. what cars suits your budget?
madami pong papasok sa budget ninyo. you prefer a/t po ba mam? you said po na sumuko ang instructor mo sa yo while learning to drive a manual car. naku mam, wala lang yun tiyaga sa yo. if i were your instructor, i'll do what i can para matuto ka. driving a manual is not easy, pero you will be a more versatile driver pagdating ng araw. so if you would po talaga, buy a manual pero you need someone na magtitiyagang magturo sa yo.

now, kung anong kotse ang babagay po sa inyo, eto po ang aking suggestions:
1. 1st generation toyota altis - pwede na ang 1.6g dito at pasok na yun sa 350k budget. kung hindi, yung 1.6e eh swak na

2. 2000-2005 honda civic - most civics na papasok sa 350k budget are the 2000-2003 models, better get the vti or vti-s variant

3. chevrolet optra - like my friend sg said, one good car. but maintenance is a bit costly. you may not consider this car

4. 2003-2005 mitsubishi lancer mx cvt - this is my choice. fuel consumption is good and it is in cvt (continous variable transmission), meaning you can drive in matic and manual mode without the clutch

5. late model nissan sentra - this is also a good car but i'm not quite familiar of nissan, pero i can recommend this

also mam, try to buy a copy of car finder every week. this is a big help for you so that you can have an idea on what cars can suit your budget. if ever you find one that you think will suit you, you can consult us here at tsikot anytime and we'll give you our opinion on your choice. again mam, welcome to tsikot and good luck on finding your 1st car