Which 2-liter Car to Buy?

[jut703]

Reviving this thread since I'm looking to get a second car soon.

As before, I'm looking for the following things in a car:

1. Faster than average (0-100 of about 10 seconds, and can reach around 200 kph)
2. Looks respectable and not out of place when pitted against newer cars
3. Fun to drive
4. Reliable and fairly easy to source parts (since I'm looking primarily at midsizers I understand if it's not cheap, but hopefully repairs don't happen too frequently)
5. Preferably manual, but a quick-shifting AT will also do
6. Car to be kept for about 5 years

I've upped my budget to ~350k, but I don't necessarily need to use it all up. The cheaper, the better, unless there's a really good reason to shell out more.

I've narrowed down my list to the ff. cars:

1. '05-'07 Mazda 6 (facelifted, 2.3L engine): ~300-400k



+ Fast and torquey (faster than most 2-liter compacts, reaches 200 kph easily)
+ Ages really well and still looks more upscale than any subcompact/compact in the market
+ Best exterior and interior design among all my choices
+ Boatload of features (6 airbags, traction control, HID, sunroof, climate control, power seats, etc)
+ No known issues
+ No need to upgrade anything
- Very rare, and since units are few and far in between, prices are so volatile (saw one before as low as 295k and as high as 598k)
- Expensive (costs as much as a 2.4 Camry of the same vintage even if it's not a Toyota)
- Only comes in automatic (but it's a responsive AT so it's ok, though definitely a gas guzzler)
- Might be expensive to maintain, unless parts are easily sourced from MazFord

2. '98-'02 Honda Accord VTi/VTi-L MT: ~160-220k



+ Much cheaper than all my other choices
+ Great performance
+ Timeless looks
+ Mostly mechanical so maintenance shouldn't be much more expensive than a Civic
+ Relatively easy to find (though an all-stock unit is so rare)
+ Manual transmission
+ Honda Accord nameplate (still has a better ring to it than Toyota Vios)
- Oldest among my choices, inevitably will need more maintenance - however, since it's so cheap, I have so much spare budget for repairs
- Need to add fog lamps, change headlamps to either projectors or Osram NB, change HU to something that's aux-ready, change back to stock mags or decent OEM-looking 17-inchers
- Not all that prestigious anymore (the timeless design just can't stay youthful forever, doesn't look very expensive anymore though still more upscale to me than any current subcompact except perhaps the Fiesta)

3. '05-'06 Mazda 3 2.0R: ~320-360k



+ Looks stunning and looks even more modern than some of the current compacts/subcompacts
+ Best-in-class handling
+ Complete with features (HID, climate control, sunroof)
+ Fairly easy to find parts since it's a common compact car
+ No need to upgrade anything
- 4-speed AT (though it's pretty responsive)
- Expensive considering it's just a compact car
- Not really twice as good as an Accord, but twice the price

4. '05-'07 Honda Civic 1.8S MT: ~350-450k



+ Manual transmission
+ Most efficient among all my choices
+ Fairly easy to maintain since it's so common
- Too common, doesn't have that much appeal to me
- Budget only allows a pre-facelift model, which isn't very handsome to me
- Most expensive option even if it's just a compact, hard to justify against the Accord which is half the price

5. '99-'01 Honda CR-V MT: ~240-270k



+ SUV (can easily fit my bike inside, has high ground clearance)
+ B20 engine with a manual transmission
+ Still looks respectable despite its age
- I don't know how to tell if it's the 126 hp or 147 hp B20 engine, or if the 147 hp B20 engine ever came with a manual
- Lackluster handling and brakes

Rounding out the top 10 are my other options:
6. '04-'06 Toyota Camry 2.4V (350-450k) - great executive car, but really boring to drive
7. '01-'03 Ford Lynx RS (250-300k) - good performance, not too convinced about its looks, ugly interior
8. '03-'05 Honda Accord 2.0 VTi-L (300-4500k) - good performance, good interior, forgettable exterior
9. '05-'07 Ford Focus TDCi MT (400-500k) - superb performance with stellar FC, ugly interior, too expensive
10. '03-'05 Honda Civic ES 2.0S (300-330k) - great engine but it's essentially an inferior Mazda 3 2.0R

Right now, I'm currently leaning towards the Accord. My reason is that it fulfills all my requirements at the cheapest price. I know it's not the best car (it's obviously the Mz6), but the 200k savings can be used for a lot of other stuff.

Should I go for the Accord, or should I wait for a cheap Mazda 6 to be available? Arguments for any of the 8 other cars I listed are also very much welcome, as well as additional suggestions in case I missed something out.

Looking forward to hearing different opinions on this, thanks a lot!

[jut703]

Short version of above post: Should I get an Accord (160k) or is it worth it to get a newer but more expensive car (300-350k) even if the performance is just the same?

Additionally, aside from OLX and AyosDito, where else can I find a wide array of used car offerings?

[EQAddict]

The accord is slow as molasses. I had the 2.4 liter version of that before. It was an automatic. I think the 2 liter is even whimpier. Get the mazda 6 . Better yet, use the money for your property.


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[jut703]

The accord is slow as molasses. I had the 2.4 liter version of that before. It was an automatic. I think the 2 liter is even whimpier. Get the mazda 6 . Better yet, use the money for your property.


Posted via Tsikot Mobile App

Which Accord are you referring to? The 6th gen Accord only came in 2.0 and 2.3. Perhaps you mean the 7th gen?

I appreciate the concern bro but I need a car and I'd rather wait 6 years before I buy a house but have a car than wait only 5 years but have to commute all day.



Posted via Tsikot Mobile App

[willyfernando]

To the TS,

I usually get 2nd hand cars from this website, Phil Motors Philippines - Used cars | Car dealers | Cars for sale | Second hand cars | New vehicles | Used cars for sale , try them. You can also check out bank listings. BDO has a 20-25% discount offer on their inventories of repo cars until October 15, 2014.

[Jun aka Pekto]

With a 2.0, I'd go with a compact instead of a midsize. On the list, that means the Civic and Mazda 3.

How about a (2008 and later) Mitsu Lancer? Pretty aggressive looking car to me.

[IMG]http://cdn04.*******/20140920211500-79831103614988bca363c72d76002579.jpg[/IMG]

[jut703]

With a 2.0, I'd go with a compact instead of a midsize. On the list, that means the Civic and Mazda 3.

How about a (2008 and later) Mitsu Lancer? Pretty aggressive looking car to me.

I agree that a 2.0 engine might be too burdened with a big midsizer. However, the 6 has a 2.3 engine while the Accord is lighter than most compacts, giving good power-to-weight ratios:

Mazda 6 2.3: 164 hp/1442 kg = 114 HP/ton
Accord 2.0 VTi: 152 hp/1350 kg = 113 HP/ton
Mazda 3 2.0: 141 hp/1365 kg = 103 HP/ton
Civic 1.8 S: 140 hp/1215 kg = 115 HP/ton
CR-V 2.0: 147 hp/1430 kg = 103 HP/ton

As for the Lancer EX, I'm not a fan of its CVT, and manuals are rare. Plus, they're very expensive. They're not any better than a Mazda 3 2.0R, but since they're newer, they cost hundreds of thousands more.

[_Qwerty_]

how about 2005 Nissan Cefiro??

[Jun aka Pekto]

I agree that a 2.0 engine might be too burdened with a big midsizer. However, the 6 has a 2.3 engine while the Accord is lighter than most compacts, giving good power-to-weight ratios:

Mazda 6 2.3: 164 hp/1442 kg = 114 HP/ton
Accord 2.0 VTi: 152 hp/1350 kg = 113 HP/ton
Mazda 3 2.0: 141 hp/1365 kg = 103 HP/ton
Civic 1.8 S: 140 hp/1215 kg = 115 HP/ton
CR-V 2.0: 147 hp/1430 kg = 103 HP/ton

As for the Lancer EX, I'm not a fan of its CVT, and manuals are rare. Plus, they're very expensive. They're not any better than a Mazda 3 2.0R, but since they're newer, they cost hundreds of thousands more.

My nephew in Nevada recently bought a 2015 2.5L (184hp) Mazda 6 and he seems happy with it. We'll all be spending New Year's Eve at Las Vegas. He'll be there. I'll see if I can persuade him to let me test drive his 6.

[[archie]]

If your after torque, let go of the accord. So slow for a 2 liter.

The crv first gen, the higher hp rating is the 2000 2001 model. The one with a silver box on the intake (it's a silencer).

From the choices and storage of a bike, crv gets my vote.

The maintenance is a breeze because it shares almost the same components of an ek civic.

Don't worry about the brakes, I got bendix metal king pads and it's enough to stop the car with a tuned engine at 165whp.

Ford rs get my vote if it's pure performance.

Edit: other than Olx and ayosdito join groups on fb. Just search for them. Maganda is wala masyado buy and sell.