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  1. Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    17,316
    #1
    Will be getting a car this month. Budget is originally 850k but willing to stretch to 900k+ if there's a really good alternative.

    My requirements are as follows:

    1) Looks respectable - basically I want the most expensive looking car that fits my budget.

    2) Powerful enough - should have a 0-100 time of about 10 sec, and able to reach 200 kph. I go out of town a lot and I want a car that can overtake fairly well.

    3) Engaging drive - most preferably a manual with a good chassis, steering, handling, and brakes. Will bring the car to the track a few times a year.

    The car will be used mostly for highway (NLEX, SCTEX, OG, Roman) driving, usually with just me on board. Maintenance, insurance, LTO will be shouldered by my company. Will keep the car for about 5-8 years (unless I fall in love with it and end up not selling it). Has to be brand new.

    Top contender right now is the Altis 1.6G MT. Best deal I've gotten so far is 879k with a 44k discount. It certainly looks attractive and respectable (especially in black). Most people don't see it as a fast car, but it does hit 200 quicker than some 2-liter cars and can get to 100 kph in 10 secs, thanks to the light chassis and willing Dual VVTi engine. Chassis and brakes are good, but steering is really really dull. Also, beige interior will be a pain to clean. Not much features, but it has the basics covered. And since it's cheap, I can upgrade the wheels, and get HID projectors if ever.

    A very close second was the Lancer EX GT-A. Unfortunately, I'm too late to the party - it was offered for as low as 960k in December, but they've phased it out already. Also, I find the CVT a bit clunky to use, even with the responsive paddle shifters. Handling is much better than the Altis, but performance is just about the same, despite having a bigger and less efficient engine. Even if it was available, a cleanly modded Altis would've been more of a looker than a pricier stock GT-A.

    Third option would be the Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost. Great performance and great handling, but it certainly doesn't look expensive. Yes it's the TOTL, but it's so tiny that it looks like it should only cost the same as a Mirage. Oh, and the DCT issues too. Even if I won't pay for maintenance, it's a hassle to leave your car in the casa for repairs.

    A fourth option is the Suzuki Grand Vitara, which only costs 940k after discounts. It brings the usual SUV advantages - tougher underpinnings, increased ride height, more cargo space. But it doesn't really hit any of the requirements I'm looking for. It doesn't look all that respectable (Suzuki isn't really considered upscale locally). It's also slow on the highway (Earlier today in SCTEX it couldn't overtake my Vios as it seemed to have topped out at 185 kph, so much for a 2.4L engine). Handling is nowhere near a CX-5 or Forester either. It's an affordable SUV, yes, but not a very good one.

    Not interested in the Mobilio/Ertiga bec I don't need to haul 7 people. Don't like the Ecosport cuz it's slow and awkward-looking. All other subcompacts look cheap. I was tempted to get the Mz3 2.0 since it's the best compact available, but good as it is, I don't think it's worth 1.5x the price of the Altis. The Mz3 1.5 is slow as hell and looks very bare. The Sylphy is a great compact but obviously not my style. The FB Civic would've been nice but it's too expensive (948k for a bare manual). Cruze and Elantra don't excite me and are quite dated. None of the cars priced at 1-1.2M attract me enough to go way over budget.

    Just curious if anyone else has a better suggestion given my constraints. Thanks!

  2. Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    27,626
    #2
    truck car... navara el calibre 4x2 mt. 0-100 under 10 seconds. jk

    Id go at least 2.0 mz3/altis/tucson

    140kph*3000rpm and 12.5km/l

  3. Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    17,316
    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by StockEngine View Post
    truck car... navara el calibre 4x2 mt. 0-100 under 10 seconds. jk

    Id go at least 2.0 mz3/altis/tucson

    140kph*3000rpm and 12.5km/l
    Already owned a Ranger 2.2 XLT MT. That did 0-100 in about 11.5s. The Navara only has 15 more hp, not enough to get it to 10 sec, just too heavy. Also, I'll be using the car as my daily drive in the city. My Ranger made sense before because it was mostly in the province, but it was unnecessarily inconvenient to park and squeeze around metro traffic. Worst part is the lack of a trunk - I'll be getting clear tint so I need a secure place to put my valuables, away from prying eyes. I only ever got to use my pickup's bed less than 10 times, so I don't see why I should burden myself with an additional 1 meter of length that I won't utilize.

    2.0 Altis/Mz3 would cost 250k more - doesn't seem worth it. The acceleration of a manual 1.6 matches the 2.0 automatic's, at least up to 120 kph (which is most crucial). Even if FC were the same (btw I don't care much about FC), the higher sticker price just isn't justifiable. The 2-liter compacts are still compacts and don't really look any more upscale than a well dressed-up 1.6 Altis.

    The 2.0 MT Tucson still costs around 1M and I'll still have to spend on the basic stuff I want (fog lamps, HID, bigger rims) so it'll end up being too expensive as well. New Tucson's coming out later this year too so no point really.

  4. Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    2,077
    #4
    Seems that the altis 1.6G M/T is your safest choice. But can it really do 0-100 in 10 seconds?

  5. Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    17,316
    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Yuki13 View Post
    Seems that the altis 1.6G M/T is your safest choice. But can it really do 0-100 in 10 seconds?
    With a 4k rpm launch and quick shifting, it can. I know it's not very conclusive, but there are lots of videos on YouTube of 1.6 CVTs doing it in under 11s. 10s seems like a reasonable bet with the MT.

  6. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    847
    #6
    You left out the Impreza, Soul, Carens, Polo hatch, Surui, Sportage,

  7. Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    17,316
    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Newcomer123 View Post
    You left out the Impreza, Soul, Carens, Polo hatch, Surui, Sportage,
    Impreza - too expensive. Only compact I'd consider above 1M is the Mz3 2.0, and as I said in previous posts, even though it's a much better car, it's not worth 250k more for me. I have better things to spend 250k on.

    Soul - Ugly

    Carens - I don't need or want a 7-seater, too expensive

    Polo - looks too cheap and bare

    Surui - China. Not willing to be a guinea pig.

    Sportage - gas model still at 1.2M even after discounts

  8. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    847
    #8
    And...

    If you could sell your mother, it's really the GT86 you want.

  9. Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    17,316
    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Newcomer123 View Post
    And...

    If you could sell your mother, it's really the GT86 you want.
    For that money I'll get a WRX MT. But again, I'm sticking to my budget. I could just blow it and get a WRX now, but I have to be responsible and save up for more important things first.

  10. Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    52,514
    #10
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    C! magazine.. dec 2014. "battle of the 8 compacts".
    i thought it was a detailed enough comparo article, complete with acceleration figures, braking, comfort, etc etc..

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850k-1M Budget - Your Opinions?