By now you must be getting dizzy reading all the tips. If you don't like the small, cramped brand new cars that fall w/in your budget, then go for used.

To help you shop, here's a link from Buy & Sell Philippines: http://carfinderphilippines.net/buy-...ing-used-cars/

I found the tips very useful when I bought a used car some time back. In addition to what's in the article, I also suggest...

  1. Magnets. Yup, ref magnets. Stick them on the car's body, especially toward the corners, along the seams where bumps are most likely to happen. If the magnets don't stick, there's a good chance extensive body work has been done. Makapal ang masilya in the areas where the magnet can't come into contact w/ metal. Walk away when this happens.
  2. When you find the car you like, you can text a certain no. (which escapes me now) to find out if there are no registered liens against the vehicle and that the vehicle is not stolen.
  3. Be prepared to still spend some money for additional fixes. Even if you brought along a mechanic in your used car quest, remember that he ain't psychic. Some defects may still have escaped his eye during the pre-buy inspection stage.

That's it. Happy hunting and enjoy the drive.