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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[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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[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?

[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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[justin_]

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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Would like to commend the pretty solid stable you got there! Been checking out the Civic thread for a while now and I must say I really like your set up. Hopefully I could find a good set of wheels on a bargain if I end up with a Civic hehe.

On a daily basis, which among your rides do you use most often?

[jut703]

Would like to commend the pretty solid stable you got there! Been checking out the Civic thread for a while now and I must say I really like your set up. Hopefully I could find a good set of wheels on a bargain if I end up with a Civic hehe.

On a daily basis, which among your rides do you use most often?

Thanks bro. I really lucked out on the rims since I got them for a really good price, 1/4 of what it costs from the casa.

I had the cars one after the other. First the Ranger, then replaced it with the Altis, then sold that and got the Civic which I use now as my daily. The Civic is the best all-rounder among the three.

Really appreciate all the suggestions.

Researched more about the Jetta and I must say, I’m honestly impressed! Exterior might be less exciting than other compacts, but its level of kit certainly trumps the competition, not to mention the German build quality (even if the car’s from Mexico). Engine is very promising too! At this price point, this looks like one of the best deals. In the long run, will the running and maintenance costs of the Jetta be at par with the Japs? Also, is it all right to use regular diesel for the Jetta? AFAIK its engine is Euro 5 so will the quality of our Euro 4 diesels not pose a problem?

The biggest caveat is that VW just released the next gen Jetta last January, so the current model could possibly be replaced next year at the earliest No problem for me though if they bring it in by 2020 pa, but it's kinda sad to see your car immediately become an old model right after buying it.

As for second hand units, not really considering them. Because this is going to be my first car, I want to have the full experience of being the only owner of whatever it is I'm getting. Mahirap na rin since I'm not an expert when it comes to fixing up car problems which will be a big possibility in used cars, so better to avoid all that trouble.

Thinking of adding Mazda 3 1.5 to the choices na rin.

I also have high regards for the Jetta. Outstanding drivetrain and competitive feature set.

But it reminds me of the Ford Focus TDCi. That was the Tsikot favorite during the mid-2000's. People recommended it over the Civic FD because it was faster and more efficient.

But compare the two now - parts availability of the FD is far, far better than the Focus. Lots of people (a few of my friends included), have had DCT problems (because DCT inherently sucks in heavy Manila traffic). And even if the Focus was more expensive brand new (1.1M vs 900k for the Civic 1.8S), the Civic now sells higher in the secondhand market.

Something to take into consideration because you're the one who's gonna have to live with the car, not the anonymous strangers who recommended it on the internet.

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