Civic ESi vs E36 320i vs Corolla Bigbody - First Car for daily driving

[SelraBeats]

Hello po!

First time ko lang po ako sa market sa pagbili ng 2nd hand cars. I'm looking to buy a "cheap beater car" na pwede ko lang gamitin to get to work and back (around 12km drive daily lang).

Only planning to use it for a few years bago ibenta ulit because I have plans to find work abroad after a few years in the philippines.

Budget ko is 150K max kasama na first time maintenance.

Here are the average prices i've seen on FB Marketplace, as well as my first thoughts from what i've read online and mga sabi ng tito haha.

Civic ESi/EG Hatch - 80K-130K
-> Maporma, Madali ang parts, Somewhat reliable but with some recurring issues (bulutong)

BMW E36 320i - 110K - 200K
-> According sa isang Tito, Hindi daw gaano kataas ung maintenance nya. Reliable naman daw and OA lang daw yung nagsasabi ng tig 100k+ ang maintenance nya

Corolla Bigbody - 70K - 130K
-> Good and reliable, but "boring" to drive

Planning to buy one by July 2024. Please give me your insights on which one is the best as well as pros and cons if meron po. Thanks in advance!

[dr. d]

i have a 2003 altis.
matibay, maraming piyezas, walang sorpresa, and reliable to drive,
but at 5'6", i find the driver's seating a bit cramped.
and oh! 8 km/li on the city, on a good day.
not for sale, po. FYI lang.

[Vodka]

buy 2000's car. HUGE improvement in safety over 90's cars. in fact today's cars are pretty much the same as the 2000's (EPS, obd2, etc) except for tablet screens and ADAS

jazz. best small car of all time

[Verbl Kint]

BMW E36 320i - 110K - 200K
-> According sa isang Tito, Hindi daw gaano kataas ung maintenance nya. Reliable naman daw and OA lang daw yung nagsasabi ng tig 100k+ ang maintenance nya

Had a very bad experience with an E36 316i: AC is poor, hassle yung alternator, shocks are meh, interior falling apart, parts are overpriced, and many more. It is definitely not worth buying used.

Totoo nga na OA yung 100k+ maintenance, pero kung machambahan ka ng masamang unit, aabot sa 100k ang ipapaayos mo in the first 6 months. Nanganganak ng sakit yang kotseng yan, di worth it yung badge. There's a reason why E36's are cheap compared to the Mercs of the same era.

[viper888]

I wouldnt get the BMW, its the hardest to maintain and the most difficult to liquidate in the future. The Corolla and Civic are good choices but you could prioritize looking for a Civic since you find the Corolla to be boring.

I cant think of a good 2000s car at under 150k. You can find a Ford Fiesta for 150-200 but that is a bad idea.

[AtheaHera]

Hi. Bago lang po dito sa tsikot.com. Planning to buy an old honda car year 1996 - 2000 pang everyday use lang pangservice sa work. Ano po bang maganda at mas fuel efficient.
Pinagiisipan ko po kasi city, civic or an old picanto yr 2005 and up .. Ung dimension po ba is ok din? Muka nmn tatagal gamitin ang honda and maliit lang din ang budget around 100k - 130k.. Thank you po sana mapansin.

[bxr monkey]

Hi. Bago lang po dito sa tsikot.com. Planning to buy an old honda car year 1996 - 2000 pang everyday use lang pangservice sa work. Ano po bang maganda at mas fuel efficient.
Pinagiisipan ko po kasi city, civic or an old picanto yr 2005 and up .. Ung dimension po ba is ok din? Muka nmn tatagal gamitin ang honda and maliit lang din ang budget around 100k - 130k.. Thank you po sana mapansin.

Okay parehas naman lahat ang choices na 2000s.
Civic, City, or Picanto. Kunin mo lang iyong stock condition at hindi modified. Check mo din kung may makuha na parts na madali at magkano.

Air filter, oil filter, fuel filter
Brake pads, clutch,
Timing belt, water pump,
Alternator, compressor, evaporator
Oil seals at head gasket, ignition coil
Bushings, shock mount, shock absorbers,
Tie rod, rack end, rack and pinion, repair kit. Ps pump repair kit.
(Maganda yata sa Picanto pawis steering, mas simple?)
Wheel bearing, CV joint/boot.

[dr. d]

welcome, newbie!

my opinion only,

older cars (say, 2000 and below) are cheaper for a reason: they will probably require significant repairs and other fixin's, to make them relatively pleasure-able (and safer!) to drive. and the older the car, the more difficult the sourcing of spare parts...
i used to own an orphan car. i know how it feels, when the shop keeper says, "sorry. wala kami niyang piyezang 'yan." after several of these store let-downs, it slowly dawned on me, that "i should have purchased that other, more expensive but more popular or recent car..."

the fixes might not necessarily be the engine. it might be the suspension, the upholstery, the accessories (the toys!), and/or the body.
may nagsasabi na kung minsan ay mas mura pa nga kung makina lang ang dapat ayusin.
pay extra attention to the condition of the rest of the car. you might end up spending a lot more for them, even as the engine is in good condition.
thus, make sure you have some money available for fixing your new acquisition.

take your time in kilatising the car for sale. bring along a knowledgeable friend, person, or hired mekaniko or third party. one who is not too excited at the prospect of buying a car, and will therefore be more immune to sales talk and have an open-er eye for criticism. yespo, you need a conscience to help guide you during these exciting times.
and don't forget the test-drive!

some argue that the early 2000s altis might be one of the most durable cars still around. if you can get one at a good price...
i still have a 2003 altis AT with over 120K km. and i can say, it is still easy and relatively un-expensive to service, repair, and fix. apparently, marami pang piyezas and marami pang mekaniko ang marunong gumawa nito. so i am curious, why not a toyota?
i also used to drive a 1996 sentra MT. it was a pleasure to drive, back then.

i have always liked the bug-eye civic. alas, i never had the opportunity to acquire one.

older koreans? reliability issues and parts sourcing issues, real or imagined.

older europeans? i'd stay away, even if it were given to me for free. i'd sooner sell it and get a japanese.

good luck.

apologies for the long post.
got carried away.
the coffee was good.

[dr. d]

(Maganda yata sa Picanto pawis steering, mas simple?)
.

pagsisisihan mo, everytime you turn that manibela.
heh heh heh.
jok lang po.

when i got my pre-owned 2015 altis, with its literal finger-soft electric power steering,
nag-atrophy na yata ang arm muscles ko.

[ice15]

Hi. Bago lang po dito sa tsikot.com. Planning to buy an old honda car year 1996 - 2000 pang everyday use lang pangservice sa work. Ano po bang maganda at mas fuel efficient.
Pinagiisipan ko po kasi city, civic or an old picanto yr 2005 and up .. Ung dimension po ba is ok din? Muka nmn tatagal gamitin ang honda and maliit lang din ang budget around 100k - 130k.. Thank you po sana mapansin.

can you share kung anong route/byahe mo for work?