Hi tsikoteers! It's my first time here. Hello!

Background
I'm thinking of buying a car. I currently take a taxi to and from my apartment in Bangkal, Makati and my day job as marketing manager for an IT firm in Ortigas for five days a week, as well as to get to family gatherings and other activities during weekends. As a result, I spend around 7K Php per month on taxi fare. I was complaining to my friend (who owns a Honda city - dunno what exact model) about how annoying taxis can be and she suggested that I buy a car for more convenience and control. I can allocate around 15K to 20K per month for the next 6 years or so towards a car so I thought why not shop around for one.

I also co-own a prod. house with my boyfriend, and around once a month or every two months we have to haul around some equipment to our shoots. We can fit most things into a regular taxi but once every quarter or every 4 months we also have big productions that require us to rent a bigger vehicles transport people and equipment. We're not married yet and don't have any kids.

Having no knowledge about cars, I have only a vague idea where to start—though I'm a nerd when it comes to computers. I don't know whether to buy a brand new or a second hand car. I was thinking of something like an Avanza or Innova so that I can accommodate our growing business, but I might be wasting fuel for my daily drive in the next 3-5 years. So maybe just a practical sedan (Altis?) with enough luggage space, good fuel economy. I don't really care much about looks or performance. I'm willing to learn to drive a manual if that would help me save costs. If I am to have a car, I'm also planning to learn what I can about maintenance so I can keep the resale value up.

Criteria
To summarize my criteria, they would be:
  • Budget: 15K-20K a month over the next 6 years for all car expenses including gas
  • Fuel economy: Whatever wil fit into my budget
  • City driving with emphasis on luggage space
  • I don't care much about looks
  • Long term: I want something that will last me for 10 years to make it worth the cost
  • Good resale value


Thanks a lot!
Neenah