altis 2008 1.8v vs new model

**d_rookie12** · June 29th, 2012 03:37 AM

hi guys!

hope you can help me out. i have to decide soon regarding this..

my company recently offered me quite a deal due to the nature of my job. below are the 2 options:

option 1 - no cash out, altis 2008 1.8v (AT), 2nd hand, 40+K mileage, well maintained, w/ option to buy in 2 years time at a very affordable and reasonable price

option 2 - no cash out, latest altis model 1.6v, brand new, to be well maintained, option to buy in 5 years time (same % as above)

i'll be using the car as i go around metro manila and a few trips in Luzon.

i hope some of you guys can shed light with regards to the performance of both cars - fc,comfort, speed, interior, spaciousness, audio (w/ aux or without), etc.

so far i find the following as the advantages of choosing the 08 1.8v model:
1. its really a higher model (1.8v) therefore more premium
2. after 2 years, i have the option to buy it, and then re-sell it. expected profit is quite high

however at the same time, i'm wondering whether the newer model (4 years younger than the 08), has an overall better performance despite just being 1.6 L. and if true, i will get to enjoy the car in the next 5 years.

wahhhhh!

hope you can really help me out on this.

tia!

**vinj** · June 29th, 2012 09:28 AM

I have no experience with the 1.6V model (i have a manual version of the current gen) but when i used to ride the 1.8L of my friend going up north, it had a very healthy midrange rpm pull when it came to overtaking (no match yung previous gen 1.6 definitely). The 1.8V is also quite rare, especially if it's the charcoal grey colored one.

If you get option A and you buy it after two years, you'll be issued a new car again? If that's the case then i may go for option A as I can buy it sooner, get a new car for service right after buying it, then i can resell or use it.

**niky** · June 29th, 2012 09:40 AM

The 1.6 is more economical, but the extra mid-range punch of the 1.8 is considerable versus the 1.6, especially considering the latest 1.6 still has the old 4AT. That makes it much more fun to use. Also, if that's the 2008 post-model change (not the old 2002+ Altis body), it has the nice interior of the new car and the softest suspension of all recent Corollas... which makes it much more waftable than the current 1.6, which is stiffer.

The 1.6 now is stiffer, but not as stiff as the 02+ Altis... it's more... sua-be

...this makes it drive and handle better at high speed than the 2008 model, something to think about if you drive on the highway at speed. But if you like cruising at a relaxed 80 km/h, the extra torque and easy-going nature of the 1.8 will suit you just fine. And if the suspension is too soft, just replace the old shocks with replacement shocks from the new Altis, problem solved.

EDIT: However, I am pretty sure the 2008 and up models either came with the 1.6 or the 2.0. No 1.8s. The 2.0 is much thirstier than the 1.6 or 1.8 (it's basically a low-revving, grunty Camry engine) and mated to the super-soft suspension, small brakes and a 4AT, it was kind of a beast to drive. The 1.6 4AT from that time basically feels similar to the current one, but the new one has a bit more pep and better transmission logic... but again... it's got a stiffer suspension.

**mda** · June 29th, 2012 10:15 AM

^Sir niky, I believe that the 10th Gen corolla initially debut in the Philippines with 1.6 and the 1.8; the 2.0s only came later and superseded the 1.8 variants.

Plus, the 9G corolla only topped out at 1.8G. The "V" grade only came with the 10G.

**vinj** · June 29th, 2012 10:20 AM

^They had a 1.8 V version... but it ran for a short time only and didnt sell too much.

**niky** · June 29th, 2012 10:35 AM

Ah, if so, then I'd go for that car. Typically, resale value of TOTL cars is not that good down the line, but the 1.8 is just rare enough that it might balance out... and since fuel economy for the 1.8 isn't bad compared to the 1.6... and definitely better than any of the 2.0 TOTL competitors, you might be sitting on a decent value at the end of that time.

Still, look at it this way... in two years, your free car is purchaseable at: what price?

In five years, you have a free car that is purchaseable at... what price?

If the answer, in either case, is below 400k... or better... below 300k, basta... 100k below market price (not asking price)... then I'd consider buying either to sell on after.

Money might be the deciding factor. In those years, who is responsible for maintenance? Who pays for tires? With the brand new car, the first major repairs will be a long ways away, and you get to ride on the free car thing for much longer.

**jut703** · June 29th, 2012 12:58 PM

I drive a 2.0V pre-facelift Altis and the thing I want most in the facelifted model is the CVT. That won't be applicable to you though, since both models have 4-ATs. Perhaps the next biggest loss is the keyless entry/ignition. You can live without it though, but admittedly it's convenient when you don't have to fumble for keys every time. Then there's the aux port, but you can have this added for around 4k (already includes USB connectivity, which the facelifted Altis still doesn't have).

The soft suspension of the pre-FL Altis isn't really something to worry about if you just drive in normal conditions - even at illegal triple digit speeds, the car feels stable and planted. It's when you make sudden inputs with the steering that the car loses a lot of its composure. It doesn't help that the soft EPS makes it feel floaty.

That said, I'd recommend the 1.8V just because it's got a better engine. Even with the updated 1.6 on the new model, I'm pretty sure the 1.8V would still have more grunt. I haven't verified this, but I read somewhere that the 1.8 accelerstes as fast as the 2.0 since it's a lighter engine. All I know is that I can get 10 second 0-100 runs with the 2.0, give or take a few hundred milliseconds. If the 1.8 cando that, then it truly is an impressive engine. Get it in grey if you can.

**niky** · June 29th, 2012 01:12 PM

Those sudden inputs are what worry me on the pre-facelift 2.0. With the very heavy engine, very light rear end and complete lack of anti-roll bars, sudden emergency maneuvers (say, avoiding a stray dog in the middle of the street) can easily result in snap-oversteer and fishtailing. With the lighter 1.6 and 1.8, it's not such a big deal, even if they do float like (very, very, very comfortable) boats.

**jut703** · June 29th, 2012 02:46 PM

A fee weeks back, I was driving along Marcos highway when a truck took an abrupt u-turn that occupied all 5 lanes of the highway. I had to slow to almost a complete stop from 160 and I had to swerve to the rightmost lane just to avoid the truck who had absolutely no regard for the oncoming traffic.

The brakes don't have the snappy bite that the FD has, but under hard braking it feels reasonably stable and you'd feel the ABS doing its job.

No fishtailing happened, but I guess steering's gonna take some getting used to if you're coming from a sporty sedan such as a Mazda 3 or Focus. It's not that the car doesn't turn well, but it does so without the poise that its got gobs of under normal condotions. I've gotten the hang of it and somehow I've come to enjoy the car even through the twisties of Tanay.

**niky** · June 29th, 2012 02:53 PM

A single lane change under constant braking is okay, but low speed two-direction snaps might be another matter. Still... it's all relative... compared to my B14 Exalta, it's much more controlled, and I have no qualms for the other variants.