2nd hand car options: HELP!

[wynn]

Hello peeps! I'm new here, and so far I'm getting a lot of really good tips on how to choose the best car given my circumstances. Sana magreply kayo sa post ko, may ilang tanong ako. Pagkatapos ng mahaba-habang pag-iisip, nakapagdecide na kong bumili ng 2nd hand car with my earnings. di muna siguro brand new kasi ayoko magkautang ng malaki at matagal sa bangko. ang budget ko flexible from 300-500k. ang hanap ko, 2000 up models, automatic or tiptronic, leather seats, may airbag. mas habol ko convenience and safety, paminsan-minsan siguro ilolong drive sa probinsya. actually di ko pa sigurado kung ano oto pinakagusto ko, pick up sana kaso wala halos safety feautures, suv din kaso medyo bitin budget at sobrang takaw sa gas.

so ngayon open na ko sa sedan. eto mga nakita kong best options so far, patulong naman sa pagdecide. kahit based lang muna on the description, model, etc. kung ano sa tingin nyo. siyempre ibang usapan pag nacheck na (mag-iikot na ko this month). lahat to pasok sa specs ko:

1) Lancer MX 01 A/T, 398k, no mileage mentioned
2) Lancer MX 01 T/T, 458k, 30T km mileage
3) Lancer MX 00 A/T, 345k, 62T km mileage
4) Civic VTI 01 A/T, 2.0, 485k, no mileage
5) Civic VTI 00 A/T, 375k, no mileage
6) Altis 1.8G 00 A/T, 415k, 22Tkm mileage
7) Lynx Ghia 04 A/T, 500k, 12Tkm mileage
8) Lynx 02 A/T, 2.0, 455k, no mileage
9) Exalta Grandeur 03 A/T, 468k, 58Tkm mileage
10) Galant 01 A/T (Dubai series), 385k, 38Tkm mileage

on paper, ano sa tingin nyo pinaka-ok at sulit? pinakainteresado ako sa no. 2, 6, 7 and 9. sa autolink.ph ko pala lahat to nakita, puro big and established dealers, mas ok bang strategy to?

[niky]

The MX... I don't know. It was a nice car for its time, but certainly not as good as some of the choices here. Hindi ba typo yung MX 01 for 458? That's kinda steep.

An 04 Ghia would be okay if it still has some warranty left, but the fuel consumption is kind of bad. Upside is, it's got more borloloi and better trim than the rest of your options... except the Exalta. Ride is on the firm side and handling is excellent. The 04 is already supposed to be free of the CPS bugbear, so it should be an okay buy, maintenance-wise.

The Exalta is a nice, comfy car... but slow as a slug. It's probably the best long distance car in this group, as it has the softest suspension set-up. Like the Lynx, it has window shades, but it goes it one better with the arctic airconditioning.

4,5 and 6 are interesting. The VTi is always a safe choice, easy to maintain (though parts cost a bit) and it's relatively good on fuel, even in automatic. You won't get as many toys as with other choices here, and the cabin is a bit snug. Still, about as much "fun-to-drive" factor as the newer Lynx, but with less goodies.

The 00' 1.8G (this is the lovelife Altis, right?) will give you some extra kick over the regular Corolla while still maintaining good fuel mileage. Kind of common, being a Corolla, but it's easy to set-up and kit out. The Corolla is a decently good long distance car. Not a very engaging drive, but not tiring to drive, either.

If you're thinking convenience and safety... most of these would fit the bill. But I'm not sure the older VTi has airbags. The Exalta would definitely be the cushiest of the lot, followed by the 04' Ghia. The most economical choices (maintenance and gas wise) would be the VTi or the Altis.

[jim]

4,5,6 din ako. pero amongst the three i'd buy the altis.

[kmo]

pinaka the best choice yung altis ! baba pa ng milage nyan 00 with 20k plus 1.8g pa and itll go the distance ! for me altis kna

[Autobeat]

6) Altis 1.8G 00 A/T, 415k, 22Tkm mileage

I suggest Altis rin. Tama ba na yr 2000 ito or typo? If yr 2000 then this maybe the Corolla "lovelife/smaller body/previous design" 1.8SEG Altis? Not bad rin, but with your budget, you can reach the newer design 01-02s 1.6G or 1.6E Altis. Good luck in your car hunting.

[niky]

Oo nga no... forgot... you can get the 01' 1.6 AT for around 450k or so. Big interior, relaxing to drive. Kind of bare of amenities, but again, easily remedied with a new stereo, amplifier, subwoofer, leather seats...

projector headlights... mags... bodykit...

[oldblue]

if you are after ease of mind and comfort and safety, tawaran mo pa ng husto yun lynx ghia '04. 2 years pa lang tapos 12Tk pa lang mileage. if you are after resale value and comfort and safety, get either Honda or Toyota.


and cross-out all mitsu sedans. exalta is nice sana kaya lang 58Tk na eh.

[wynn]

thanks for your comments so far niky, jim, kmo, autobeat, oldblue--they've been really helpful. now i'll go check out options 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9. and i'm crossing out the mx options, sabi din nga ng friend ko. kung yung mga civic, depende na lang sa mileage. tapos hanap din ako altis 01-02, which i think is the best idea kung swertehin ako.

2 more questions:

1) ok na ba yung option 4 na 485k for civic VTI 2.0, o masyado pang mahal? kung tawaran ko, up to how low ang going rate for 01 VTI?
2) there's another exalta grandeur unit with the same dealer, exactly the same specs, kaso 01 sya at 448k. 2-year difference tapos cheaper by only 20k? walang mileage details. do i smell something here about the 03 model? i plan to check out both, what do i need to look out for?

[niky]

Don't rightly know resale values for the newer Exaltas, but 450k is okay for an 03 car I think, too much for an 01, depending on mileage.

For Nissans, check that there's nothing wrong with the Aircon Compressor (they're more expensive to replace if they break... magandang AC kasi) or the gadgets. The bugbears of the Exalta line are usually the electronics or electricals, as with so many gadgets, plus that powerful AC, they sometimes overwhelm the battery/alternator combo (on the old ones, on the newer QG engines, this may not be the case). Check that the car starts up easily, that the interior lights don't dim too much when you turn the headlights or AC on...

Also check the condition of the shocks. Sentras are softly tuned, so the 01' might be a little too soft by now (but this is also just guessing based on the B14 Exaltas... the N16 Exaltas are still very new).

Other than that, there are likely no major problems with the cars... (knock on wood... )

[basti08]

4) Civic VTI 01 A/T, 2.0, 485k, no mileage
6) Altis 1.8G 00 A/T, 415k, 22Tkm mileage
8) Lynx 02 A/T, 2.0, 455k, no mileage

#4 wla pang 2.0L version nung 2001.
#6 wla pang altis G ng 2000, it might be AE111 Altis 1.8SE-G
#8 wlang 2.0L and AT sa Ford Lynx not even the RS and CE variant. lastly 455k for Lynx, no way!!!!

but among the choices, id pick the 01 VTI but im sure its just 1.6L if stock. next would be the 03 Grandeur and last, 02 Lynx, but not at 455k.