Give up Revo for a sedan?

[driver4ever]

Hi everyone!

My friend owns a 1999 Revo DLX M/T (Gas) and is thinking of selling it in order to buy a second-hand sedan, which she believes can be more fuel-efficient than a Revo.

She typically uses her car for city gimmicks, for personal grocery-shopping, and occasional out-of-town trips with friends. She hates the idea of giving up the Revo since there is so much space in it perfect for those "occasional" trips (i.e., 3-4 times a year) for the entire barkada.

1) But with the rising prices of gasoline, she's looking for ways to cut down on car-related expenses. So, is she right to say that shifting to a sedan will indeed give her savings?

2) Assuming she can sell the Revo for about P300-350,000, what sedan would you recommend?

Hope to hear from the experts soon!

[konde]

IMO, if she seldom needs the extra seats and space that her revo gives, she is better off selling the revo and buying a sedan (civic vti probably). lakas nga raw sa gas ng revo.

[Bry]

IMHO, tell her to get a sedan.

[paolorenzo]

If gas is the primary concern, then yes she should get rid of the Revo. And take it a step further and choose a fuel efficient sedan. With her budget, I think the City will be a very good choice. 2nd gen City has the 1.5 Vtec variant. My officemate owns one, and averages 14km/liter (Biñan-OrtigasCtr and vice versa). Kung purely city driving, I think 10km/liter is easy...

[ian_rex]

yes get a sedan. City 1.5 VTi or Civic 1.6 VTi will do the job. i was to suggest 1.5 LXi but its kinda lethargic, but then, it is fuel efficient. the car i was driving can do 12-12.5km/L on a combined City/Highway driving.

[driver4ever]

Thanks for all the suggestions. So far the choices are:

1) Honda City
2) Honda Civic

She did see some Citys for sale, but the variants (TypeZ, LXI, VTI) confuse her a lot. And she got a bit affected by some comments in another forum that a City doesn't "look" so appealing. While her priority is to save on gas, she is all looking for something quite "pretty". Is there such a thing? I know the latest models are sure headturners but what about the older models, say City 2000-2002 models?

What can you say about Ford Lynx Ghia? Should she include this in her list of choices?

[ian_rex]

malakas sa gas since:

1. its a Ford.
2. it's 1.6L with no variable valve timing

Type Z would ok. but Civic is quite good. lots of space compared to city.

[davy88]

we have revo in the office for service, grabe talaga ang gas more thirsty than sa crv or accord.

I suggest to get a civic, bigger and will last longer. May city narin friend ko before, medyo madami problema lumabas and not as solid as the civic. or toyota corolla ok rin, yun around 98-01, may kabarkada ako 150k mileage wala parin problema

[driver4ever]

Thanks, ian_rex.

Just a follow up question. Are there City/Civic models which run on diesel?? I have a feeling the diesel option is only for SUVs and pickups. Care to enlighten us on this?

[OTEP]

Buy a station wagon.

[Autobeat]

For that budget, suggest maybe a 00-01 Corolla GLI-Altis. It wouldn't match the efficieny per km of the City, but from our experience, it was the most fuel efficient 1600 we've tried and tracked. Good luck in the final pick.

[driver4ever]

Ok, now the choices are expanding

1) Honda City
2) Honda Civic
3) Toyota Corolla

What about a Lancer? Is it worth considering if fuel-efficiency AND looks are top factors to consider (given the quoted budget)?

[number001]

Have you tried Nissan Sentra Exalta STA or SLA (circa 1999-2001?). 1.6li, STA has leather seats, etc. Btw, you should include the Sentras bec. they have big depreciation therefore could be acquired for a fraction of the cost.

[driver4ever]

Nope, haven't tried any Sentra. I hear so much about the unavailability of spare parts of Nissan vehicles but then again, I am not 100% sure about it. How's your experience with Nissan cars?

My friend is leaning towards a Honda City or a Civic or a Corolla. She is even considering a Kia Picanto which she swears is so cute. I've read in a forum somewhere that they units are not readily available, and some owners claim that the fuel efficiency is not close to what the company advertises. She might skip Picanto too.

[number001]

Sorry dont have a Nissan.

Going for a sub-compact as small as a Picanto from a spacious Revo would be take some getting used to, really.

Assuming your friend has a budget of P300-350K, it is better to get a Civic 1.6 VTI mt or at. Better to get the 1999 or 2000 models, since Honda made some updates cosmetically and the price for these are almost the same as City or Corolla. It would be a nice compromise in space and petrol thriftiness. Try looking for a low mileage example, which are hard to come by but definitely worth the buy.

[driver4ever]

Hmm, seems a Honda Civic 1.6 Vti is a popular choice for that price range. Compared to a City, will Civic be able to generate fuel savings too?

For the real techies out there, will switching from 1.8 li DLX Revo engine to a 1.6 Vti Civic engine make a difference? Or it's really a matter of driving habits?

[number001]

I think when comparing the 1.5li City to a 1.6 Civic, the City *might* have a slight edge, bec. of the lighter body. The choice of transmission may also be a deciding factor. Manual is definitely thriftier than automatic. I dont know about the 1.3li City, since it has a smaller engine displacement, therefore revving higher might be common and that in turn could affect the fuel economy rate.

Based on what people say and from what I read around here, the Revo does have a gas guzzler reputation. Yes, I think it could make a difference if your friend uses the vehicle very extensively. If she uses like 4 Km or less a day, not much difference. But I believe the 1.6 Civic will defintely have a better fuel mileage (than a Revo) even if its driven improperly.

Driving habits does matter also. Do not do abrupt starts/acceleration and braking. Avoid revving the engine too high. Always use momentum.

[ian_rex]

Thanks, ian_rex.

Just a follow up question. Are there City/Civic models which run on diesel?? I have a feeling the diesel option is only for SUVs and pickups. Care to enlighten us on this?

none. considering the City has a slight edge on fuel efficiency due to its vehicle weight, still there is no substitute for horses. consider this, a 1.5 VTi City rates 115hp while the Civic has 127hp. sure, you won't be utilize all of that since that is the max power. but still in its power curve the Civic has the edge for power on any given RPM range. now, where is the fuel efficiency there? it is on how much power you need to shed out by stepping on the gas. also, the 1.6 has the edge for dashing as compared to the 1.5.

why not get a getz?

[ian_rex]

Driving habits does matter also. Do not do abrupt starts/acceleration and braking. Avoid revving the engine too high. Always use momentum.

we have a thread for this. just use the search function of this forums, i'm sure this would be very helpful.

[driver4ever]

I think we'll start scouting around for Civic 1.6 and City 1.5 then. Once we see actual units of cars for sale, then perhaps other factors will come into play such as the actual condition of the car, the color, price, etc.

As for the Getz, it's a 1.1 engine right? If we compare Getz with the two other cars, what would be the advantage of Getz? I assume there isn't much second hand Getz around since it's a new car in the market.