Civic, Altis or Mazda 3

[boychikot]

Hi Guys,

I need you help in deciding which car suits best for me. I'm planning to buy a new car this May (supposing the 9th gen Civic, 2012 Altis and 2nd gen Mazda3 arrives).

I want a car that is fun to drive, comfortable, has spacious cabin and trunk, easy to maintain, and is fuel efficient. It will be used daily for short commutes to the office and out of town trips over the weekends (once or twice a month).

I have narrowed down my choices to three.

1.) Honda Civic 1.8S - for its sporty look. Paper says has excellent trunk space. Nice interior although too futurustic.

2.) Toyota Altis 1.6V - for its quite luxurious feel inside the cabin (auto climate control, steering wheel audio controls and push button start). Fuel efficiency? I just find the look a bit boring compared to the other two.

3.) Mazda 3 1.6V - for its sporty look and the cheapest of the bunch with almost equal specs of the first two.

Which of them is the better car?

Do you have any idea when are the newer model coming?

Thanks a lot.

[basti08]

I dont know what's excellent trunk space in paper. But my eyes says, it's shalow. And seatbacks, don't fold.

I love Mazda 3, but resale sucks. Ford Motor Phils, confirmed mid 2012 release of the MkII Mazda 3, that's gonna hurt your resale for sure once the all new model popped. But still, Mazda 3 makes me smile wih every mile. I can't believe that it has only 105hp in all its slickness and peppy-ness on the road. It's not as fuel efficient as the others though. I hope they'd introduce the SKY-activ-G engine soon.

The Corolla, as always, will be a safe choice.

I'd take the Civic though, especially that its successor as so talked about, is a failure.

[mda]

I don't think the new Civic will be too bad. It's just doesn't improve much on the current generation FD.

My suggestions/comments:

1. Drop the Mazda 3. It's a 7-8 year old car, and it's successor (released elsewhere but not here in ~2008) is already through it's mid life cycle at this time. Paglabas ng NEXT generation, patay resale value mo, and psychologically, it will make your car feel that much older. The Mazda3 is quite thirsty for gas because it weighs as much as its 2.0L competitors but packs a weak 100+hp 1.6L engine.

2. Consider the Elantra 1.8 GLS. It's a great car at a great price. What remains to be seen is if Hyundai can support it's customers at a level Toyota/Honda have for the past 10 years (granted, Toyota's and Honda's service isn't that great. But it's still notches above the level of service from other manufacturers. Hello Suzuki, Chevy, et al.)

3. We have an FD. The interior is great, but the seats are a bit on the hard side. Riding in a friend's Altis, I felt that the interior space was that much smaller. (This may not really be the case, but it certainly felt that way!)

4. Regardless, you can't go wrong with either the Civic (*Can't speak yet for the next gen Civic) or the Altis, reliability wise, but it's best to note that the current Civic is at the end of its lifecycle, and that the Altis has already passed its midway mark sometime a year or a year and a half ago (Para hindi ka ma surprise when the replacement of your new-ish car is launched).

[boychikot]

Thanks mda,

Yun din ang naririnig ko, a new civic is coming soon. Sabi nila within the year, kaya I'm a bit hesitant. Hopefully, first quarter of the year sya irelease.

[basti08]

Thanks mda,

Yun din ang naririnig ko, a new civic is coming soon. Sabi nila within the year, kaya I'm a bit hesitant. Hopefully, first quarter of the year sya irelease.

Altis na yan! Since wifey likes it too. Effective na pampalakas yan pag nag-agree ka sa like nya. hahaha

[boychikot]

Altis na yan! Since wifey likes it too. Effective na pampalakas yan pag nag-agree ka sa like nya. hahaha

Hahaha... Actually, Atlis was our first choice last year until the news of the 9th gen civic broke loose. So might as well wait for it.

Takot din ako for altis kasi baka may major facelift na mangyari this year kaya I decided to wait na lang muna.

[boychikot]

I agree with you Basti. The trunk of my cousin's civic looks narrow. I think the newer City has a bigger trunk than the Civic.

Anyway, I need space since I have two little kids who need lot of things especially during out of town trips.

I like the Civic but my wife likes the Altis.

[cripple_rooster]

The trunk of my cousin's civic looks narrow. I think the newer City has a bigger trunk than the Civic.

Anyway, I need space since I have two little kids who need lot of things especially during out of town trips.

I like the Civic but my wife likes the Altis.

Not just the trunk but also the cabin is larger in the City than in the Civic.

The Altis would also be more suitable for your family than the Civic, not just because your wife likes it more but also due to its higher comfort for longer trips.

[mda]

I agree with you Basti. The trunk of my cousin's civic looks narrow. I think the newer City has a bigger trunk than the Civic.

Anyway, I need space since I have two little kids who need lot of things especially during out of town trips.

I like the Civic but my wife likes the Altis.

Well, your kids will appreciate the larger interior space more than your belongings appreciating the larger trunk space!

Thanks mda,

Yun din ang naririnig ko, a new civic is coming soon. Sabi nila within the year, kaya I'm a bit hesitant. Hopefully, first quarter of the year sya irelease.

I'm hearing Feb/March. Some dealers are allowing reservations na. I believe refundable naman, so if you have a few Ks sitting around, maybe you could consider...

Not just the trunk but also the cabin is larger in the City than in the Civic.

The Altis would also be more suitable for your family than the Civic, not just because your wife likes it more but also due to its higher comfort for longer trips.

Cabin of the City larger than the Civic? Not so sure of that. I don't think that's physically possible either.

But yes, the ride of the Corolla is a lot softer than that of the Civic.

Not yet considering the Elantra? Best to go give it a look hehe

[cripple_rooster]

Cabin of the City larger than the Civic? Not so sure of that. I don't think that's physically possible either.

But it's real. A friend of mine recently bought a City, and it's really bigger inside than the Civic. Not just due to the higher and more forwarded Jazz-based cab...

[boychikot]

But it's real. A friend of mine recently bought a City, and it's really bigger inside than the Civic. Not just due to the higher and more forwarded Jazz-based cab...

Would you consider City a better choice than Civic?

[boychikot]

Well, your kids will appreciate the larger interior space more than your belongings appreciating the larger trunk space!



I'm hearing Feb/March. Some dealers are allowing reservations na. I believe refundable naman, so if you have a few Ks sitting around, maybe you could consider...



Cabin of the City larger than the Civic? Not so sure of that. I don't think that's physically possible either.

But yes, the ride of the Corolla is a lot softer than that of the Civic.

Not yet considering the Elantra? Best to go give it a look hehe

I will give an Elentra a look but I'm afraid it will just add up to my confusion. :praning: hahaha!

[mda]

I will give an Elentra a look but I'm afraid it will just add up to my confusion. :praning: hahaha!

More viable options are always better. Kesa sa brand A ka lang naka lock forever. Boring naman nun ;)

[airolynx]

my vote goes to the Altis. It's a Toyota. Cheap maintenance, parts available everywhere.

[niky]

Thenew engine and transmission are much better than before. Economy now is still bad, but comparable to a 2.0 sedan rather than the old CRV. Cousin has one... No complaints.