Best Entry Level Car not exceeding P600k

**ghosthunter** · October 1st, 2011 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by malcoxx

Keep the suggestions and opinions flowing please.

How about the 2011 Kia Picanto? It rides and handles like a bigger car. The external good looks gives this car a potential for some mods for even better looks. Although the engine noise is not as good as the Spark (4 cylinder in the Spark vs 3 cylinders in the Picanto) but the Picanto seems to pull better from the proverbial stoplight. It could be because the max torque is achieved at only 3,500 rpm in the Picanto while the Spark 1.0 has to reach 4,800 rpm.

Power stuff? Power steering, power windows and power door-locks... side mirrors are manual.

For your entertainment, it has stereo with CD, AUX-input and also i-pod compatible.

Best of all, it comes with 5 year warranty (or 160,000 km).

Kia Picanto specs: KIA in the Philippines

**niky** · October 1st, 2011 02:08 PM

The knocking issue: My take: You buy a car that needs 95, use 95. It's just an extra two or three pesos anyway, right? Some people do okay with regular unleaded gasolines, so pick a close-by Shell station, load up on their unleaded and observe. Better try FuelSave, because I have a suspicion that Shell uses a non-Ethanol additive to bolster the required 10% organic content. Observe. If it's okay, okay!

The biggest issue I have with the Spark is the manual transmission is the rubbery and vague shifter. The ones in the Picanto and i10 are much better... if you're getting an AT, the most responsive AT amongst the three (in my experience) is the i10 (though I haven't driven them all back-to-back-to-back). I haven't done the Celerio AT.

The Spark 1.2, aside from the alloy rims, it also has the spoiler on the roof and silver interior trim. That's about it.

**oliver1013** · October 1st, 2011 05:15 PM

Dark horse opinion, at 600k if I'm in your shoes, I'll get a decent 2nd hand car or a cuv. Tiyagaan Lang sa paghahanap.

**renzo_d10** · October 1st, 2011 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by niky

The knocking issue: My take: You buy a car that needs 95, use 95. It's just an extra two or three pesos anyway, right? Some people do okay with regular unleaded gasolines, so pick a close-by Shell station, load up on their unleaded and observe. Better try FuelSave, because I have a suspicion that Shell uses a non-Ethanol additive to bolster the required 10% organic content. Observe. If it's okay, okay!

The biggest issue I have with the Spark is the manual transmission is the rubbery and vague shifter. The ones in the Picanto and i10 are much better... if you're getting an AT, the most responsive AT amongst the three (in my experience) is the i10 (though I haven't driven them all back-to-back-to-back). I haven't done the Celerio AT.

The Spark 1.2, aside from the alloy rims, it also has the spoiler on the roof and silver interior trim. That's about it.

*bold: Tingin ko nga rin Niky yan ang dahilan kung bakit hindi pa naapektuhan ng e-10 yung carburetor powered car ko eh.

Walang signs of corrosion

**andretti** · October 1st, 2011 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by niky

Better try FuelSave, because I have a suspicion that Shell uses a non-Ethanol additive to bolster the required 10% organic content. Observe. If it's okay, okay!

I have been using shell Fuelsave on my car (accent MT) for the past 300km, no knocking sound so far, pero noticeable yung lack of power.

**zap.FREEDOM** · October 1st, 2011 10:50 PM

for sure it's not the best, baka pwede na rin isali sa talakayan ito.

Chery A1 1.3, I found it simple yet sporty. Ganda ng pagkaka-execute ng design, simple pero may dating, medyo cute siya at mukha wala etong pinagkopyahan na design, mukha sariling design na nila to, sarili nga kaya? sana naman hindi na nga eto carbon copy design. mukhang matino-tino na ito bagong model ng chery. kaso hindi ko nagustuhan yung dashboard niya, medyo halatang "it is made of plastic".

I will try to test drive it, maybe next month or next week, I'm interested on this new china breed. na-eexcite ako.

---

for the Ts, vios 1.3 or accent 1.4 would be my choice.

**zap.FREEDOM** · October 2nd, 2011 05:32 PM

I remember, medyo hawig niya ang i10 (dun kaya nila kinuha yung concept ng design for the a1?) pero mukhang mas maganda siya sa hyundai i10.

**malcoxx** · October 2nd, 2011 09:31 PM

So far I am very happy with the discussion here, very appreciative of all the opinions. I am leaning towards the Accent since day one, but the Sparks new design looks fresh like the Accent, maybe that's the reason both are front liners in my list.

Appreciate the input on the engine knocking sound. I came from a very stable ride from Hyundai so my expectation from the Accent would be similar or better. Four years of no trouble except for power streering pump which was replaced under warranty (only major problem I had).

The Chinese cars being suggested here are nice specially the Lifan, but I am concerned about he reliability of the after sales but that's a whole new thread.

Keep them coming please. TIA!

**myk384** · October 2nd, 2011 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by zap.FREEDOM

for sure it's not the best, baka pwede na rin isali sa talakayan ito.

Chery A1 1.3, I found it simple yet sporty. Ganda ng pagkaka-execute ng design, simple pero may dating, medyo cute siya at mukha wala etong pinagkopyahan na design, mukha sariling design na nila to, sarili nga kaya? sana naman hindi na nga eto carbon copy design. mukhang matino-tino na ito bagong model ng chery. kaso hindi ko nagustuhan yung dashboard niya, medyo halatang "it is made of plastic".

I will try to test drive it, maybe next month or next week, I'm interested on this new china breed. na-eexcite ako.

---

for the Ts, vios 1.3 or accent 1.4 would be my choice.

Meron na ba ito sa market?? Kasi wala pa akong nakikitang ganito.

**zap.FREEDOM** · October 2nd, 2011 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by myk384

Meron na ba ito sa market?? Kasi wala pa akong nakikitang ganito.

nasa market na to,wala pa sigurong nabili, kulang pa sa exposure e at awareness level, (eto ang kailangan tutukan ng pansin ng marketing ng chery),

I went to SM Supercenter Tunasan Muntinlupa yesterday, (3-day sale din kasi) then I saw a blue Chery A1 displayed there, ok yung specs niya small body pero 1.3 malaki lang ng konti sa qq3 let's say kasing lakihan na rin hyundai i10, hindi ko lang natipuhan e yung interior niya esp. yung dashboard, ganitong-ganito rin kasi yung interior na naka-display dun, I just grabbed a sample from the net.

sa malayong tingin ok tingan yung dashboard (kahit walang kabuhay-buhay yung design) kaso pag nasa loob kana, ma-nonotice mo na it is just a plastic, lalo na yung center part yung may headunit litaw na litaw yung pagka-plastic, but the great thing is malapad yung loob niya, legroom is so nice, enough sakin kahit may katangkaran ako, yung legroom sa likod di ko na-itry e nagmamadali kasi ako, maluwag at yung gearstick niya nilalaro-laro ko, ok, malambot at mukhang madaling ikambyo unlike dun sa chery qq na medyo maganit (pero hindi naman matigas) ikambyo, 15k downpayment.

gusto ko mag-test drive.
Exterior, maganda, cute nice in blue.

nagtataka lang ako, mahina talaga siguro ang marketing ng chery, biruin mo ba naman sa isang napakaliit na mall na kasing lakihan lang ng palengke na SM muntinlupa lang nila idinisplay, e halos di rin naman ganon kabigtime yun mga pamapasyal dun. Sana sa Festival Mall or Alabang Town Center para malaki-laki at mas maraming tao.