Below Php 1.2M budget

[justin_]

Planning to buy a new car around May or June this year. Max budget is 1.1xx million.

Original plan was to get a City/Jazz VX, but the parentals decided to raise the budget a bit higher to get a bigger car.

Considerations:

1. To be primarily used by me (early 20s), and to be occasionally borrowed by my brother in college. Been borrowing family cars lang so this is going to be my first legit car.
2. City driving only (to and from work, weekend pasyal with barkada), with some out of town trips here and there.
3. Priorities are, in order: comfort, pogi points (oops, sorry can't help it), driving dynamics, fuel efficiency, ease and affordability of maintenance.
3. Should be something that will make me happy driving it every day.

The options are:

1. Nissan Navara 4x2 EL Calibre AT: 1.113M
- 2018 model has been updated with 18 in wheels, around view monitor, roof rails -- basically looks like the TOTL VL model now
- price slash makes the most affordable truck in the market even more affordable
- ultra pogi exterior, so-so interior
- most comfortable pick up
- diesel engine
- base platform of the MB pick up, which is indicative of how good it is
- biggest among the options -- pros: less prone to being bullied on the road, more commanding view, ultra macho looks; cons: least exciting to drive, might be difficult to park esp. in very tight parking spaces, long bed will be a useless and unnecessary bulk because because the car won't be used for hauling anyway
- still feels kinda bare with no bedliner (could be haggled to be included in the freebies though), no bluetooth connection, no steering wheel controls, manual AC
- read in the NP300 thread that it has steering column issues, not sure if this has been resolved already
- parents' first choice for me because they really prefer bigger cars

2. Honda Civic 1.8 E: 1.138M
- the RS in rallye red has been my ultimate crush since its release, but its prohibitive pricing pushes it out of consideration
- great exterior, amazing interior
- beautiful startup graphics of instrument cluster leaves me in awe and excited to drive every time
- best driving dynamics among the choices
- sentimental because I learned to drive in a Civic FD
- only color I like (white pearl) is an additional 20k

3. Toyota Altis 1.6 G/V: 1.033M/1.105M
- safest option because it's a Toyota, and all our Toyotas never gave us headaches
- basically a mini Camry
- cheapest among the options
- not very exciting to drive
- replacement might be due soon
- again, white pearl has a 15k premium

Not exactly an apples to apples comparison, but these models are what we like most AND, more importantly, these fit the budget. Honestly a toss up between Civic and Navara though. Hoping you guys could help.

[StockEngine]

I drove the Corolla and Im not a fan! 🤦

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[Egan101]

Civic among your choices. Have you considered a diesel-powered sedan? There happens to a be a sedan with a 2.0L turbo Diesel engine at around the same price as a Civic 1.8L and Altis 1.6V.


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[justin_]

Civic among your choices. Have you considered a diesel-powered sedan? There happens to a be a sedan with a 2.0L turbo Diesel engine at around the same price as a Civic 1.8L and Altis 1.6V.


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Are you talking about the Jetta?

[justin_]

I drove the Corolla and Im not a fan! 🤦

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Too boring, sir?

[StockEngine]

Too boring, sir?

engine and transmission are good but suspension and steering are too boring. yes boring

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[Egan101]

Are you talking about the Jetta?

Give it a test drive and you might reconsider. That 2.0L turbo diesel is quite potent (150hp/350Nm). It is the same engine as the one used on the Audi A3 and Audi A4. By the way, it is quicker to triple digit speeds than your choices. The Civic 1.8L will give it a good fight to 200kmh as the Jetta has a heavier platform.


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[jut703]

Funny coincidence - I've owned a Civic 1.8E, Altis 1.6G, and pickup (Ranger though, not Navara).

Easily, my pick would be the Civic.







Comfort? Check. It absorbs road imperfections with more finesse than an Altis, and is certainly way more comfortable than a Navara.

Pogi points? Check. I'm not a fan of the stock rims though but that's a cheap and easy upgrade.

Driving dynamics? Check. It has very, very good handling without sacrificing comfort and is more fun to drive than the Altis and certainly more fun than a pickup. The Civic is also easily the fastest among the 3, 0-100 in 10ish seconds and over 200 kph top speed.

Fuel efficiency? Check. Though it has a bigger engine, I actually have similar consumption figures between my Altis and Civic. Not as frugal as a diesel pickup of course, but respectable given that it's a 1.8.

Ease and affordability of maintenance? Check. Among the 3, the Civic has the lowest maintenance cost. Hondas only need maintenance every 10,000 km or twice a year, compared to the 5,000 km intervals of Toyotas. And compared to the Navara, it uses half the amount of oil so each PMS comes out cheaper.

The Altis is a decent choice but I only really got one because it had a manual. If you're choosing between an automatic Altis or Civic, the Civic is better, hands down.

The Navara is a decent and practical choice but you nailed it with your concern on the difficulty with parking and tight streets, plus the pickup bed which you don't really get to use often.

So, yeah, Civic it is. [emoji18]

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[Lakwatsero]

Bro with your usage, getting a pickup will just be a pain in the ass. Parking, u-turns, driving along eskinitas, list goes on. A simple maneuver will take twice as long with a pickup. Navara has heavier than usual steering so expect a workout. All of this while having similar interior space as a sedan. So unless you plan on going into business which will require you to haul cargo at least once a week, don't bother.

Civic, Altis, any basic sedan would work for you. Civic is the default choice for your demographic. I'd pick the Mazda 3 personally but that might be out of your budget.

Someone recommended the Jetta, it's a good choice but be wary with the maintenance if you plan on keeping it long-term. It looks boring AF too. Though If VW brought the Golf 1.4 here, I'd be down for it.

[Egan101]

Someone recommended the Jetta, it's a good choice but be wary with the maintenance if you plan on keeping it long-term. It looks boring AF too. Though If VW brought the Golf 1.4 here, I'd be down for it.

Yep, the Jetta looks boring like an Altis but it drives really well. It does share its platform with the Golf. The platform feels solid and the suspension is tuned just right (not to firm, not to soft). Best of all, it is very fuel efficient. PMS is every 15k KM or 12 months, whichever comes first. We paid around 10k for the first PMS.

By the way, the Golf and Jetta 1.4T were released locally back in 2016. Both were initially priced around 1.3M. I drove the Golf 1.4T on a test drive in Laiya, Batangas and it is one good hatchback. The 1.4T engine is very responsive and has enough oomph to get the car moving in a fast pace (0-100kmh in 8-9 seconds). The platform has a lot of natural grip so you can be a bit aggressive on corners pushing the tach to the end of its torque limit (5k rpm) at 2nd gear. Think of it as a more refined and quicker Fiesta Ecoboost. With the eventual release of the newer Jetta 2.0L TDI and Golf GTS wagon in 2017, the Jetta and Golf 1.4T were sold at a bargain (950k for the Jetta, 1M for the Golf) on December 2016 to January 2017. The inventory was cleaned up before February 2017.

[jut703]

Yep, the Jetta looks boring like an Altis but it drives really well. It does share its platform with the Golf. The platform feels solid and the suspension is tuned just right (not to firm, not to soft). Best of all, it is very fuel efficient. PMS is every 15k KM or 12 months, whichever comes first. We paid around 10k for the first PMS.

By the way, the Golf and Jetta 1.4T were released locally back in 2016. Both were initially priced around 1.3M. I drove the Golf 1.4T on a test drive in Laiya, Batangas and it is one good hatchback. The 1.4T engine is very responsive and has enough oomph to get the car moving in a fast pace (0-100kmh in 8-9 seconds). The platform has a lot of natural grip so you can be a bit aggressive on corners pushing the tach to the end of its torque limit (5k rpm) at 2nd gear. Think of it as a more refined and quicker Fiesta Ecoboost. With the eventual release of the newer Jetta 2.0L TDI and Golf GTS wagon in 2017, the Jetta and Golf 1.4T were sold at a bargain (950k for the Jetta, 1M for the Golf) on December 2016 to January 2017. The inventory was cleaned up before February 2017.

Just realized, VW's massive discounting can pose a problem in the future come resale time.

In 3-5 yrs, those who got their Jettas for 1.1M will want to sell for say 50% of the value so they will be asking 550k. The guys who got it for 900k won't mind selling it for just 450k. Those who got it at a higher price will have to match down to sell quickly, leading to lower secondhand prices.

Of course, it's a problem for the sellers and a big boon for the prospective buyers. [emoji16]

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[Lakwatsero]

Yep, the Jetta looks boring like an Altis but it drives really well. It does share its platform with the Golf. The platform feels solid and the suspension is tuned just right (not to firm, not to soft). Best of all, it is very fuel efficient. PMS is every 15k KM or 12 months, whichever comes first. We paid around 10k for the first PMS.

By the way, the Golf and Jetta 1.4T were released locally back in 2016. Both were initially priced around 1.3M. I drove the Golf 1.4T on a test drive in Laiya, Batangas and it is one good hatchback. The 1.4T engine is very responsive and has enough oomph to get the car moving in a fast pace (0-100kmh in 8-9 seconds). The platform has a lot of natural grip so you can be a bit aggressive on corners pushing the tach to the end of its torque limit (5k rpm) at 2nd gear. Think of it as a more refined and quicker Fiesta Ecoboost. With the eventual release of the newer Jetta 2.0L TDI and Golf GTS wagon in 2017, the Jetta and Golf 1.4T were sold at a bargain (950k for the Jetta, 1M for the Golf) on December 2016 to January 2017. The inventory was cleaned up before February 2017.

Too bad it's a limited release. I'd be in the market for a Golf. I don't understand why I find the Jetta plain jane but the Golf a real looker. Probably a soft spot for hatches.

Anyway, it turns out the 1.4 was replaced by a 1.5 TSI in its mk7.5 refresh. VW should strongly consider bringing it here even if we're not a hatch market. Price it reasonably and I'll file a reservation asap.

[Egan101]

Too bad it's a limited release. I'd be in the market for a Golf. I don't understand why I find the Jetta plain jane but the Golf a real looker. Probably a soft spot for hatches.

Anyway, it turns out the 1.4 was replaced by a 1.5 TSI in its mk7.5 refresh. VW should strongly consider bringing it here even if we're not a hatch market. Price it reasonably and I'll file a reservation asap.

Those models were not a limited release but it couldn't sway buyers as they are priced a bit higher. There was a Jetta 2.0L TDI model that was released together with the turbo petrol models but it was priced almost 1.5M (which was sold at a discount for 1.1M at the end of 2016). Our 2016 Jetta 1.6L TDI DSG should have an SRP of 1.3M+ but it was released thru the Ayala employee corporate car program for 950k.

VW-PH decided to sell them for a bargain as the newer Jetta and Golf GTS (2017) was priced lower than those 2016 models. The top-end Jetta and Golf GTS models are not even priced at 1.4M nowadays.

Try to look around for folks who may want to sell their 2016 Jetta/Golf 1.4T. Below is a comparison review of TopGearPH of the top turbo compacts in 2016.

https://www.topgear.com.ph/drives/bi...5-lfrm/page/1?


Going back to topic, if you think of a reliable all-around compact car, it is got to be the Civic. There may be some not good generations of the Civic but the new platform will surely be something to be as good as the older FD and EK platforms.

[GTi]

The Navara is very long... If you don't need the bed and the high ground clearance then avoid.

And then again, the aforementioned ground clearance, more robust suspension, more commanding road presence and lower fuel cost of diesel engines are very significant advantages though...

Not considering slightly used?

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[jut703]

The Navara is very long... If you don't need the bed and the high ground clearance then avoid.

And then again, the aforementioned ground clearance, more robust suspension, more commanding road presence and lower fuel cost of diesel engines are very significant advantages though...

Not considering slightly used?

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Innova has those traits without the length. Pero wala pa ata akong kilalang bumili ng Innova as their bachelor car. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

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[baludoy]

^ may kilala ako bachelorette car para sa negosyo nyang coffee shop cum pastry lab. She gave up her rav 4 for that

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[jut703]

^ may kilala ako bachelorette car para sa negosyo nyang coffee shop cum pastry shop. She gave up her rav 4 for that

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Pang negosyo yun eh. May mga ganun talaga, very entrepreneurial. Bilib ako sa mga ganyan na negosyo muna bago personal purchase. [emoji106]

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[GTcervan]

Innova has those traits without the length. Pero wala pa ata akong kilalang bumili ng Innova as their bachelor car. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

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But the updated prices of brand new pickups are really tempting, given their specs and some advantages over the other two choices, although it sounds like it's not that practical because of its dimensions.

[GTi]

Iba na ang Innova ngayon though. With that engine, it will have no problem keeping up with all the abovementioned choices. Probably wouldn't break a sweat hitting 200, and still with lots of tuning potential to spare. I actually wouldn't mind driving one... Makes for a great sleeper car. Comfy and practical too. Not to mention that it sounds quite a lot like the LC200 at idle. [emoji38]

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[jut703]

Iba na ang Innova ngayon though. With that engine, it will have no problem keeping up with all the abovementioned choices. Probably wouldn't break a sweat hitting 200, and still with lots of tuning potential to spare. I actually wouldn't mind driving one... Makes for a great sleeper car. Comfy and practical too. Not to mention that it sounds quite a lot like the LC200 at idle. [emoji38]

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The Innova is the most practical car in the country, yes. But it also has the least amount of verve. Kahit anong mod gawin mo sa Innova, it will never have the appeal of a bone-stock Mazda 3 2.0 for example.

Even if it has gazillion horsepower and rides like a Rolls-Royce, the very fact that it's designed as a utilitarian MPV means that it doesn't have that wow factor, especially not for a typical bachelor.

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