Elantra 1.8 or Honda Jazz 1.5 EX AT or Ford Focus Sport 5dr or OTHERS

[RazorWolf]

Hello Tsikot Experts,

I'm a new user here and I've been browsing the forums for a couple of days now.

First off, I have ZERO knowledge about cars. In fact, I'm embarrassed to say it, but I'm a 35 years old guy that doesn't even know how to drive yet. THAT'S how ZERO knowledgeable I am about cars. I'm a late bloomer, I know. I like to justify to myself that I've been too busy at work saving up money to actually go buy a car, LOL.

Having said that, I am in need of your expert advise.

I'm buying my FIRST CAR in the next few months (I guess at my age, it's about effin' time). My BUDGET is less than 1 million.

My un-educated OPTIONS are (in order of priority) :

1. Hyundai Elantra 1.8 L GL A/T - Php 958,000.00
2. Honda Jazz 1.5 EX AT (Special Edition) - Php 899,000.00
3. Ford Focus 2.0L Sport AT 5Dr - Php 934,000.00
4. CHEVROLET CRUZE (4-Door Compact Sedan) 1.8 Liter DCVCP and VVT ECOTEC DOHC LS, 6-Speed Automatic Transmission with Triptronic Feature - Php Php 963,888.00

I'll be using the car for :

1. Office use. Daily travel from Sta.Rosa, Laguna to Alabang
2. Weekend getaways or long roadtrips, i.e. Tagaytay, Baguio, Batangas, even Mindanao if it's planned.
3. Basically, just a daily ride for a single, 5'10", overworked, overweight office guy.

I just want a BRAND NEW, reliable, fuel-efficient, comfortable ride with good legroom. If it has a good stock sound system that can crank out my old Razorback and Wolfgang CDs to my satisfaction, then all the better. And NO, I don't want to get a PRE-OWNED car for "practice".

I also don't mind about the resale value because I have no plans of selling it (personal preference).

Any other MODEL suggestions? It doesn't have to be a "normal car". You can suggest any other brand new vehicle as long as it fits my budget and requirements.

One more thing, I have a tendency to ask a lot of questions before I buy something. My questions may spill over to some threads or websites. So please, BE PATIENT WITH ME. I just don't want to have any regrets when I make my purchase. Money doesn't grow on trees, unfortunately.

Thank you for your time,
RazorWolf
Frustrated Rock Star

[ghosthunter]

First off, toss out the Chevy Cruze 1.8L A/T from your list. It's slow to accelerate and pretty much "dead" to drive. Aside from that, it's a decent car but you can get the same from other brands.

The Ford Focus 2.0L might be normally a great choice BUT it is overdue for a model change real soon. So your brand new car will be last year's model in a matter of months.

Honda Jazz 1.5 "Special Edition" is a good choice with more toys and accessories fitted as standard on the JDM sourced car. Because of this, it's actually an in-demand car. Downside is the relatively high price (for a small car), pretty much priced at the same levels of cars a level higher like the Corolla and Lancer EX.

I don't know if you have considered these other cars...
- Honda City 1.5L
- Mitsubishi Lancer EX
- Toyota Corolla

[jut703]

IIRC, the Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi is now under 1 million after discounts (originally at 1.126M).

Even with the new model coming up, I still think it's a good buy, because the new model doesn't come with a diesel yet. No final word on when the updated Duratorq diesel will reach the new Focus, but I'm betting it'll take at least a year.

Reliable?
Well, no widespread complaints over the course of half a decade, so I'd say it is.

Fuel efficient?
Definitely. No other compact car can consistently get 9 km/L in moderate to heavy city driving. 20 km/L on the highway is possible too, if you're up for it.

Comfortable?
Er, not the most comfortable in its class, but you wouldn't call it awful. The ride is on the firm side but you won't be juddering around bumps and humps. Seats aren't hard (unlike the awful FD Civic seats) so long drives shouldn't be all too tiring.

Good legroom?
Again, not the class leader, but definitely not tight.

Overall, the Focus TDCi's trump card is still the fact that it's one of the best handling cars in the segment, and it's one of the only cars that you can drive around like a maniac all day yet still end up using little fuel.

Oh, I like its rather timeless design too:

[TholitzReloaded]

IIRC, the Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi is now under 1 million after discounts (originally at 1.126M).

Even with the new model coming up, I still think it's a good buy, because the new model doesn't come with a diesel yet. No final word on when the updated Duratorq diesel will reach the new Focus, but I'm betting it'll take at least a year.

Reliable?
Well, no widespread complaints over the course of half a decade, so I'd say it is.

Fuel efficient?
Definitely. No other compact car can consistently get 9 km/L in moderate to heavy city driving. 20 km/L on the highway is possible too, if you're up for it.

Comfortable?
Er, not the most comfortable in its class, but you wouldn't call it awful. The ride is on the firm side but you won't be juddering around bumps and humps. Seats aren't hard (unlike the awful FD Civic seats) so long drives shouldn't be all too tiring.

Good legroom?
Again, not the class leader, but definitely not tight.

Overall, the Focus TDCi's trump card is still the fact that it's one of the best handling cars in the segment, and it's one of the only cars that you can drive around like a maniac all day yet still end up using little fuel.

Oh, I like its rather timeless design too:

Well said I couldn't agree more. I'm also looking at Focus, Fiesta or Jazz as my 2nd Car, but not having enough budget for my 2nd car i was thinking that Focus TDCI is just pricey compared to Fiesta 1.6 or Jazz.

[sabawballs]

Hi RazorWolf! Welcome to Tsikot forums.

Anyway here are my opinions and experiences on both the Elantra and the Jazz. Take note that i'm no expert as well with regards to cars maybe average to below average on knowledge regarding this.

I've tried both the Elantra (from my friend's) and Jazz (i own one) both the latest model (2012). Also i am very familiar with your daily route since i'm from the area of Alabang and studied before at Lasalle Canlubang.

Jazz
- Better Fuel Consumption (FC) in short trips (Alabang - Sta. Rosa)
- More Fun to drive
- Ride is more on the stiff side but still comfortable
- Kinda expensive for a subcompact car at 899k (Japan CBU) (857k for the Thai)
- Have the punch for a 1.5L engine
- Lots of cargo space especially when rear seats are folded
- Head room is not a problem because of high ceiling
- Hard to get discounts from dealers since it is already standard (but can still squeeze in some freebies depends on how you talk to your SA)
- No problem on parts

Elantra
- Huge body
- Good legroom
- Have those sound system goodies
- Softer ride compared to the Jazz
- Also have a punch for a 1.8L
- Better for long driving because it is more comfortable

Depends on really on what you need and priorities. Personally i'm still not sold with Korean Cars but dont get me wrong, they have been really improving for the past generations that it is already a close competitors of the Japanese branded cars.

I'd say if you are more on the comfort and a luxury feel, i'd go for the Elantra. If you are looking for a machine that is fun to drive and a "utility like" vehicle, go with the Jazz.

If you will be going for the Focus, i'd say go for the diesel variant already hands down. Also you may want to take a look on the Altis

My dilemma before was choosing between the Jazz, Elantra and the Altis. But due to my needs and wants, i chose the Jazz.

HTH! Cheers!

[Verbl Kint]

Have you considered a Soul or Sportage? You seem like a big guy who goes out of town a lot so I think you may need a car with higher ground clearance and bigger space.

Looking at your planned destinations, a sedan probably won't cut it. Especially on road trips where roads could get a little rough.

[jigs_xix]

*RazorWolf,
Try to include from your list the Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6L. At less than 1M pesos, this is your safest choice and suits most of your needs.

Leg room and comfort? You mentioned that you're 5'10 and overweight (no offense) so you need a full size compact sedan. I don't think you'll find it comfortable to drive the sub-compacts especially on long drive.

Not for resale? You want a car for keeps. Toyota Corolla can easily last for 10 to 15 years or even longer. Toyota car parts can easily be found everywhere. Quality and reliability = Toyota.

Fuel consumption? The Corolla Altis has 1.6 liter engine. However, fuel efficiency really depends on the driving style.

At the end of the day, there's no better car but you need to find a car that fits you the most. This is your first car and you have no plans of selling it. I suggest that you have to invest time and effort to study the cars available in the market. The best showroom is the road. Try to observe the cars around you during your commute. Search the internet, go to the dealer's website, read some forums and test drive as much as you can. Goodluck on your purchase.

[tomboy]

First off, I have ZERO knowledge about cars. In fact, I'm embarrassed to say it, but I'm a 35 years old guy that doesn't even know how to drive yet. THAT'S how ZERO knowledgeable I am about cars. I'm a late bloomer, I know. I like to justify to myself that I've been too busy at work saving up money to actually go buy a car, LOL.

Kung zero knowledge ka sa cars stay away sa hyundai na brand. Hindi ko sinasabi may problem ang elantra pero baka ang maging problem mo mga unprofessional, madugas na service ng hyundai casa. Check mo yung mga thread kung ano brand marami reklamo. Para sa isang baguhan nakakastress yan.

Doon ka muna sa mga subok na like jazz at sa honda spa or honda quezon avenue ka magpaservie para less ang kaba. (Wag sa honda alabang)

Pag umayos na hyundai casa doon ka na lang bumili. For now hindi ka magiging masaya.

[RazorWolf]

Thank you for the quick responses! I feel that I've chosen the right car forum.

First off, toss out the Chevy Cruze 1.8L A/T from your list. It's slow to accelerate and pretty much "dead" to drive....

The Ford Focus 2.0L ...your brand new car will be last year's model in a matter of months.

Honda Jazz 1.5 "Special Edition" is a good choice.... Downside is the relatively high price ...

*ghosthunter
- Thanks for the Chevy Cruze and Ford Focus comment. If you didn't let me know, I wouldn't have had any idea that the Cruze was like that. I'll check out the Honda City 1.5L, Mitsubishi Lancer EX and Toyota Corolla as well. I actually created my un-educated list based on the threads I read here. Now I'm a little more enlightened.

IIRC, the Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi is now under 1 million after discounts (originally at 1.126M)....

.... No final word on when the updated Duratorq diesel will reach the new Focus, but I'm betting it'll take at least a year.

... Reliable?
... it is.

... Fuel efficient?
Definitely....

Comfortable?
... not the most comfortable in its class, but you wouldn't call it awful....

... Good legroom?
... not the class leader, but definitely not tight....

... the Focus TDCi's trump card is still the fact that it's one of the best handling cars in the segment, and it's one of the only cars that you can drive around like a maniac all day yet still end up using little fuel....

Oh, I like its rather timeless design too: ...

*jut703
- Wow! Less than 1M for the Ford Focus Diesel variant. Do I have to "ask" Ford to get discounts or is it automatic? I mean, are there qualifications to get the discounts?

- Quick question, what's a "Duratorq" Diesel? Is that an engine or the name of the model?

Hi RazorWolf! Welcome to Tsikot forums....

.... i am very familiar with your daily route since i'm from the area of Alabang and studied before at Lasalle Canlubang....

Jazz
- Better Fuel Consumption (FC) in short trips (Alabang - Sta. Rosa)
- More Fun to drive
- Ride is more on the stiff side but still comfortable
- Kinda expensive for a subcompact car at 899k (Japan CBU) (857k for the Thai)
- Have the punch for a 1.5L engine
- Lots of cargo space especially when rear seats are folded
- Head room is not a problem because of high ceiling
- Hard to get discounts from dealers since it is already standard (but can still squeeze in some freebies depends on how you talk to your SA)
- No problem on parts...

...Elantra
- Huge body
- Good legroom
- Have those sound system goodies
- Softer ride compared to the Jazz
- Also have a punch for a 1.8L
- Better for long driving because it is more comfortable...

.... i'm still not sold with Korean Cars but dont get me wrong, they have been really improving for the past generations that it is already a close competitors of the Japanese branded cars.

I'd say if you are more on the comfort and a luxury feel, i'd go for the Elantra. If you are looking for a machine that is fun to drive and a "utility like" vehicle, go with the Jazz....

... Also you may want to take a look on the Altis ...

... due to my needs and wants, i chose the Jazz....

HTH! Cheers!

*sabawballs
- Thank you for the welcome, Sir. I'm feeling overwhelmed by the suggestions and info I need to absorb. But I know it's worth it. And I'm pretty much an everyday Alabang/Laguna traveller. Cheers! to you as well!!

- About the Thai and Japan JAZZ, aside from the country, is there a major difference? I added the Jazz to the list because it was suggested to me by one of my officemates. He absolutely loves that car as I'm pretty sure you are as well.

- The Elantra, I mainly put at the top of my list because of the CAR OF THE YEAR awards it got in Europe, America and here in the Philippines. To be honest, since I'm a newbie to cars, the Hyundai brand is not really one of those brands that I initially aspired to buy. The usual suggestions are Japan cars so I do know how you feel about you Korean Cars comment. But after reading the posts and suggestions from this forum, boy, was I wrong about judging before first asking people in-the-know. I'm still considering this, but hopefully, I will get more info from the resident CAR EXPERTS here before I take the plunge.

Have you considered a Soul or Sportage? You seem like a big guy who goes out of town a lot so I think you may need a car with higher ground clearance and bigger space.

Looking at your planned destinations, a sedan probably won't cut it. Especially on road trips where roads could get a little rough.

*Verbl Kint
- I'm not that into going out of town, although I want to have that as an option. Mostly, I'll be using the car for my daily office/home route of Alabang to Sta.Rosa.

- I actually read the Kia Soul and it is a practical ride. Especially for 5'10", "big boned" () men like me. And being a practical person, I'm not really biased on the design as long as it will meet my commuting needs.

- The Sportage? When I looked around, the Automatic versions are over 1 Million, so it's a little out of my budget unless there are discounts to make it less the 1 M. I'm a little hesitatant to get Manual versions because, I'm still going to learn how to drive (yeah, yeah, pathetic, I know). So, I'm afraid that I'll wreck the thing before the warranty is done.

[RazorWolf]

*RazorWolf,
Try to include from your list the Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6L. At less than 1M pesos, this is your safest choice and suits most of your needs. ...

... You mentioned that you're 5'10 and overweight (no offense) so you need a full size compact sedan....

... At the end of the day, there's no better car but you need to find a car that fits you the most. This is your first car and you have no plans of selling it. I suggest that you have to invest time and effort to study the cars available in the market. The best showroom is the road. Try to observe the cars around you during your commute. Search the internet, go to the dealer's website, read some forums and test drive as much as you can. Goodluck on your purchase...

*jigs_xix
- Thanks for the Altis suggestion. I'll add it to my cars to look into list.

- About the overweight comment, no offense taken, Sir. There's a lot of us out there and we buy cars too, haha.

- Dealer's websites (checked), Internet research (doing that), observing cars on the road (check). I'm making my first purchase research as thorough as possible. Hopefully, TSIKOT will be my main resource of good, sound, unbiased advised. And so far, I'm quite happy. Thanks!

[RazorWolf]

Kung zero knowledge ka sa cars stay away sa hyundai na brand. Hindi ko sinasabi may problem ang elantra pero baka ang maging problem mo mga unprofessional, madugas na service ng hyundai casa. Check mo yung mga thread kung ano brand marami reklamo. Para sa isang baguhan nakakastress yan.

Doon ka muna sa mga subok na like jazz at sa honda spa or honda quezon avenue ka magpaservie para less ang kaba. (Wag sa honda alabang)

Pag umayos na hyundai casa doon ka na lang bumili. For now hindi ka magiging masaya.

*tomboy
- Thank you for the suggestion. Well, I have ZERO knowledge of cars, but I can say that I have "adequate" knowledge on how to deal with unprofessional and "madugas" people, plus I know a little bit about the law (but that's off-topic). So, I'm just going to focus on what cars fit my requirments and needs then I'll move on to dealers and "casa"'s next. Having said that, what's your opinion about the Elantra "car" and not the dealer, Sir?

- Thanks for suggesting the Honda Spa/Quezon Avenue sites.

[tomboy]

Sa looks panalo ang elantra.

Engine im not really sure pa kasi sa nababasa ko about fuel issues dito sa pinas. Gamma engine?

-----

Test drive mo pareho tapos yung sa jazz ibaba mo yung upuan na parang sahig na. Magkakasya surf board, mountain bike.

[Verbl Kint]

*Verbl Kint
- I'm not that into going out of town, although I want to have that as an option. Mostly, I'll be using the car for my daily office/home route of Alabang to Sta.Rosa.

- I actually read the Kia Soul and it is a practical ride. Especially for 5'10", "big boned" () men like me. And being a practical person, I'm not really biased on the design as long as it will meet my commuting needs.

- The Sportage? When I looked around, the Automatic versions are over 1 Million, so it's a little out of my budget unless there are discounts to make it less the 1 M. I'm a little hesitatant to get Manual versions because, I'm still going to learn how to drive (yeah, yeah, pathetic, I know). So, I'm afraid that I'll wreck the thing before the warranty is done.

Since it's your first car and you're mostly doing highway driving. I would suggest you get a manual. Warranties for both are for 5 years or 100,000 kms. Believe me, driving a manual on the highway will be quite pleasurable after you get the hang of it.

I would suggest you test-drive both.

[sabawballs]

Thank you for the quick responses! I feel that I've chosen the right car forum.
*sabawballs
- Thank you for the welcome, Sir. I'm feeling overwhelmed by the suggestions and info I need to absorb. But I know it's worth it. And I'm pretty much an everyday Alabang/Laguna traveller. Cheers! to you as well!!

- About the Thai and Japan JAZZ, aside from the country, is there a major difference? I added the Jazz to the list because it was suggested to me by one of my officemates. He absolutely loves that car as I'm pretty sure you are as well.

- The Elantra, I mainly put at the top of my list because of the CAR OF THE YEAR awards it got in Europe, America and here in the Philippines. To be honest, since I'm a newbie to cars, the Hyundai brand is not really one of those brands that I initially aspired to buy. The usual suggestions are Japan cars so I do know how you feel about you Korean Cars comment. But after reading the posts and suggestions from this forum, boy, was I wrong about judging before first asking people in-the-know. I'm still considering this, but hopefully, I will get more info from the resident CAR EXPERTS here before I take the plunge.

Well same here regarding on your thought on Hyundai brand because before i was surrounded by Honda's ever since and i still have that perception of it being more superior in terms of quality. But today's generation is different. Different brands offers already great quality or at par with the Hondas so might as well look into them.

I'll state some differences of Japan And Thai models for the Jazz.

Japan
- 899k
- Audio and Cruise controls on the steering wheel
- Leather wrapped steering wheel
- Adjustable Light Focus for the headlamps
- A/C Cooler top glove box
- Vanity mirror on the driver's sun visor :lol:
- Looks like the 1.3 variant. Only difference is that it has a different set of mags, fog lights and corner lights on the side mirrors
- Power folding side mirrors
- Push button switch if you want the air coming in from the outside or recycle
- 3 head rests on the rear plus the seatbelt for the middle passenger is coming from the roof (Japan style)
- Comes with trunk privacy cover

Thai
- 857k
- More sportier look because of the RS body kits
- Rear Disc Brakes

So if you like the more aggressive look, go for the Thai or does not need those extra goodies that the Japan offers. But with that price differences, you can't modify your Thai unit to have the features of the Japan.

[dct]

Kung zero knowledge ka sa cars stay away sa hyundai na brand. Hindi ko sinasabi may problem ang elantra pero baka ang maging problem mo mga unprofessional, madugas na service ng hyundai casa. Check mo yung mga thread kung ano brand marami reklamo. Para sa isang baguhan nakakastress yan.

Doon ka muna sa mga subok na like jazz at sa honda spa or honda quezon avenue ka magpaservie para less ang kaba. (Wag sa honda alabang)

Pag umayos na hyundai casa doon ka na lang bumili. For now hindi ka magiging masaya.

tama po sya sir. stick on toyota, mitsubishi or honda. subok na yang mga brands. you can really handle unprofessional and "madudugas" people. but the thing is, yung reliability rin nito, mababa. be it with durability, after sales, etc. so IMHO, i think you should avoid hyundai and also for kia

[vefyjeph]

And I thought I was really a late bloomer. Hehehe. I never thought of buying a car till I was 28 as I was contented in just borrowing my dad's Crosswind. Computer ang interest ko in my early years. Now I am trying to learn about cars.

The first car I bought was the Civic FD. Unfortunately, it got total wrecked after 1 year of use. So car hunting ulit. Ngayon what I got is the 1.6L Elantra, out of budget na yung 1.8. If the new Civic FB was priced under 1M baka yun ulit kinuha ko. Kaso too pricey now eh.

If I have enough money, I wanted those SUVs or CUVs (Montero, Fortuner, Sportage, Tucson). The reason is, nadrive ko na yung civic ko dati sa baha. Sayad na yung tubig sa ilalim ng floor ng kotse. I can hear the plok plok sound. And I was pissed sa mga jeep na kasabay kasi patigil tigil pa sa daan samantalang ako ay kinakabahan na kasi baka tumaas pa baha. Importante kasi lakad kaya pinilit tawirin baha. And then since malapit na election, marami karsada ang sinisira para gawin. Parang nakakaawa yung kotse ko noon kapag dumadaan ako sa mga sinirang daan na ito.

Kaso wala kaya compact car ulit.

Since I have an Elantra, suggest ko sa iyo is Elantra. hehehe.
Or pwede rin Kia Carens kaso MPV class ito (7 seater). Pero diesel engine sya. Around 950k ata.

[jut703]

- Wow! Less than 1M for the Ford Focus Diesel variant. Do I have to "ask" Ford to get discounts or is it automatic? I mean, are there qualifications to get the discounts?

According to SG on another thread, the Focus diesel is still actually a tad over 1M at 1.015M. But consider this - it's a diesel compact that's more fuel efficient than any other compact, even the 1.6L Altis and Elantra, which are the most fuel efficient gas compacts.

Assuming that the Focus TDCi gets 10 km/L in the city while the Altis and Elantra get 9 km/L in the same conditions, that gas is at 48 pesos while diesel is at 39, and that you travel an annual mileage of about 15,000 KM:

Focus: (15,000 KM) / (10 km/L) * 39 Php/L = Php 58,500 per year
Altis: (15,000 KM) / (9 km/L) * 48 Php/L = Php 80,000 per year

That's an annual savings of 21,500. In about 2 years, you'd actually end up saving more if you got a Focus TDCi at 1.015M than an Altis 1.6V at 960k.

Also take note that the Focus TDCi is not only more fuel efficient, but it's much faster too.

Quick question, what's a "Duratorq" Diesel? Is that an engine or the name of the model?

Duratorq is just Ford's monicker for their diesel engine. It's the engine in the Focus TDCi that makes 136 hp and a whopping 340 Nm of torque (other compacts only have 170-200 Nm of torque). In case you might be wondering, torque is the engine's "pulling power" - basically it's a measure of how able the engine is in pulling the weight of the car and its passengers. Lots of torque in a car makes for easier overtaking maneuvers.

About the Thai and Japan JAZZ, aside from the country, is there a major difference? I added the Jazz to the list because it was suggested to me by one of my officemates. He absolutely loves that car as I'm pretty sure you are as well.

The JDM Jazz is more expensive and its features have been compared to the Thai model in a prior post. Personally I prefer the Thai Jazz because I find the extra features of the JDM Jazz to be mostly fluff - I can honestly live without them and invest the extra 40k on something else.

[jut703]

Sa looks panalo ang elantra.

Engine im not really sure pa kasi sa nababasa ko about fuel issues dito sa pinas. Gamma engine?

-----

Test drive mo pareho tapos yung sa jazz ibaba mo yung upuan na parang sahig na. Magkakasya surf board, mountain bike.

The Elantra has the 1.8L Nu engine. Even the 1.6L, which is a Gamma engine, has no issues with local fuel. Only the 1.4L Gamma found on the Accent/Rio has been picky with the fuel it feeds on.

Kasya rin ang surf board sa mga sedan kung ifofold down mo yung rear seats. You can also put your mountain bike in the space between the front and rear seats of practically any sedan (tried it on the Altis, I have a friend who tried it on an AE101 Corolla), you just have to remove the front wheel (if you're a biker, you know how easy it is to take this out and put it back on).

With a hatchback though (yes, not just the Jazz), you wouldn't have to take the front wheel out. Even if the rear seats might not fold completely flat, the space you have is enough to get the bike to lie down completely on its side.

tama po sya sir. stick on toyota, mitsubishi or honda. subok na yang mga brands. you can really handle unprofessional and "madudugas" people. but the thing is, yung reliability rin nito, mababa. be it with durability, after sales, etc. so IMHO, i think you should avoid hyundai and also for kia

I find this mentality to be awfully outdated. Specifically for the Elantra, no major issues have been reported and it's been around for over a year.

Perhaps it's the dealer support that could be improved on, but that's HARI's fault and not Hyundai's.

The Elantra wouldn't win car of the year in 4 different countries if it wasn't a good car.

I also find it funny that despite Toyota's numerous mishaps in the previous years (unintended acceleration, engine sludge, D4D injector problems), diehard Jap brand fanboys still regard it as a bulletproof brand while they can't seem to give Korean manufacturers a break.

[GTi]

I'd suggest you get the Elantra 1.8GLS. It looks and feels really upscale. Really very much bang for the buck. 150hp 1.8L engine can battle it out with most of the 2.0L compacts in the market too, and still be more fuel efficient.

Or, if you don't mind the old design, there's the Focus 2.0TDCi. Sure you don't get lots of toys, but then that's what Banawe is all about. What it does have are all the good qualities expected from a Euro hatch coupled with an excellent diesel engine paired with that gem of a dual clutch transmission. Its devilishly fast, even in stock form, and yet still extremely fuel efficient. It sips less fuel in km/L than all of the compact sedans in our market. And then the fuel it sips is P10/L cheaper than the fuel used by all the other compacts in the market too. This makes it equal parts ideal daily commuter and equal parts weekend/track day/vacation car. Only shortcomings I can think of are the higher maintenance costs as compared to its gasoline powered competitors and its apparent lack of space.

[Starex_Gold]

Focus 2.0TDCi. Sure you don't get lots of toys, but then that's what Banawe is all about.

Sino nagsabi?

Eh power folding side mirrors lang kulang ng Focus TDCi hatch eh.

Dual zone auto climate, full leather interior, 6disc in-dash, SW audio remote, rear fog light. Asan ang kulang na toy?