Quote Originally Posted by GTi View Post
Yes indeed, the Carnival is more refined, more comfortable and more powerful than the Starex. I'm not sure if the issue with the Carnival's A/T is blown up out of proportion but I believe its best to stick with M/T to be sure. Besides, A/T Carnivals are known for having poor fuel mileage. As for safety, be rest assured as the Carnival gets 5 star ratings from the US NHTSA. But be sure to get a well maintained unit and have it extensively checked by a skilled mechanic.

Yes, the Matrix is also a good choice. It shares the same engine as the daredevil Accent CRDi cabs which goes without saying that its even faster and thriftier than the Carnival though it is of course less practical due to being only able to seat five people. And yes the lack of safety features may be a turnoff for some (but not for me). The body size is rather queer though, the length is shorter than the average subcompact sedan but the width and height is similar to that of MPVs.
+1 sa Carnival M/T

Manual = Less maintenance.

And I woudn't really buy a 2nd hand A/T car `cause most of the time, we're not sure how was it used .. or rather, abused.

Point out ko lang rin. Although the Accent looks small from the outside, better check & sit inside. It's quite big. Well at least ... bigger than what should be expected by just looking at the overall size of the car.