Discounted Altis 1.6E/G, or Civic 1.8S, or Avanza 1.5G?

[macstar1]

Guys and Gals!

I have a 2006 Honda City 1.5CVT who despite its IPIS look and Torsion Beam Rear is very good in Cavite Driving. Be it sedated 60KMH or zipping 120KMH.

My wife recently sold her 1994 Lancer and I intend to give her the City. Then buy me a new one.

TOYOTA is giving huge discounts for its (outgoing) ALTIS line up and although the 1.6G looks boring, can't argue the fact that it is fully loaded.

But of course, the more expensive Civic is awesome and being a Honda Car owner myself (sorry, no experience with TOYOTA), inclined in favor of Honda.

Now, what do you think is better: Civic 1.8S or Altis 1.6G or to make things more difficult, a cheaper Avanza 1.5G (considering I already have a 5 seater car).:

Cost:
Altis - 854K less 40k-60K discount (not sure as I first focused on 1.6E)
Civic - 889K (as per Honda Alabang Site)

Engine
Altis - 1.6
Civic - 1.8

Suspension
Altis - McPherson/Torsion Bar (my biggest disappointment)
Civic - McPherson/AWESOME INDEPENDENT DUAL WISHBONE

Transmission (AT)
Altis - 4speed
Civic - 5speed (am I right?)


Obvious Pros (at least for me):
Altis - BARGAIN PRICE! AUTO CLIMATE control, on-steering wheel AUDIO CONTROL, front and rear sensor, Fog Light, 6 speaker audio system
Civic - Bigger space, bigger tires, hot new look

Cons:
Altis - OUTGOING MODEL, boring looks
Civic - MORE EXPENSIVE, being a small guy, I am no fun of the very long dashboard

Please help me decide.

Thanks!

[mazdamazda]

Among your choices, I'd go with the Civic 1.8s. The Corolla is just too old to compete in this segment (well - as far as most enthusiasts is concerned). The Civic's new R-series engine is just awesome though I am also not fond of the humongous dashboard (seems that it's the bane of the new short front overhand vehicles nowadays).

Though for my money (well - since you already have a sedan), I'd look either at an MPV or compact SUV. My picks would be the Toyota Innova G VVTi (admittedly, I have no love for the D4D since a certain thread appeared here), Hyundai Tucson CVVT and Kia Carens LX CRDi (my favorite - get it while the price is low) - the engine specs is worth mentioning too: 2.0L CRDi VGT 140hp 314Nm torque.

[macstar1]

Oops! Sorry!
Forgot to mention that my D/P Budget is only 200-250K. And budget for monthly is only 15-17K. Which makes CIVIC 1.8S the most expensive I can afford.
Manganganak kasi si misis kaya siguradong masisira budget ko for the next 12 months.

Anyway, from what I've read from C, KIA Carens looks Good. Problem is, we still do not have it here at PH (or at least I haven't heard of it).

Does anyone have any idea when will TOYOTA launch the new Corolla?

[mazdamazda]

Um... the Kia Carens is already available locally for quite sometime now. I've seen a few on the road already.

[niky]

The Carens starts at 800k, 875k for the diesel. Kia also gives very good quotes for monthly rates... I think at a 250k DP, you can get 17k within four years for the base diesel.

It's got lots more space than a sedan, but sadly, doesn't have ABS in any version, and the 800k version doesn't have an airbag. Still, how fast would you drive an MPV, anyway?

Between the Altis and the Civic... I find the Altis more comfortable in some ways (I hate that dash, too!), but the Civic's engine and looks are top-notch.

Sure, there are lots of toys on the Altis, but Toyota's back-up sensors are irritating! :hihihi:

The Toyota actually has a very decent set-up for on-road travelling, in terms of suspension. It's only on very rough roads and the racetrack that the torsion beam becomes a liability, as it makes the back end choppy. But the handling, as stock, on either of these cars is just average. The Toyota because of the understeery and "safe" set-up, the Civic because of the poor tires. The Civic will feel sharper in ordinary driving, though, because of the quick steering and great chassis. It's only when you push really hard that the tires start to give.

But heck, if you're going to use this as a family car, none of that really matters... ...if it did, then get a Focus (best ride, handling and brakes... shame about the transmission).

[macstar1]

Hmmm, it only means I've been in the province for too long.
Yeah, I've just browsed MOTIONCARS, may Carens na nga.
Problem is, if MotionCars is accurate, even the low-end automatic
is beyond my budget . . . hay... hirap maging mahirap sa pilipinas...

[devdevlin]

Oops! Sorry!
Forgot to mention that my D/P Budget is only 200-250K. And budget for monthly is only 15-17K. Which makes CIVIC 1.8S the most expensive I can afford.
Manganganak kasi si misis kaya siguradong masisira budget ko for the next 12 months.

Anyway, from what I've read from C, KIA Carens looks Good. Problem is, we still do not have it here at PH (or at least I haven't heard of it).

Does anyone have any idea when will TOYOTA launch the new Corolla?

i went to honda and toyota as well. for that budget you can get the altis G at 30% dp tpos 60 months amortization pasok na pasok yun budget mo. toyota gives as much as 50K discount sa DP so parang lumalabas libre na yun insurance, LTO, at chatel.

for the civic 1.8S, medyo mahirap yun work around sa budget kase mas mahal. SA told me that honda is not offering any discount on the civic kse bago model pa. usually they give them out after 4 years or so. so mabigat tlga dp kse you have to shoulder the insurance, LTO, and chatel on top of the DP. sa budget na binigay mo pwde 20% dp for 60 months din pasok din naman sa budget, but banks may be hesitant to approve the loan kse maliit yun DP tpos masyado matagal yun loan period. pero who knows kng makikita naman cguro ng bank na good credit ka approve naman cguro yun.

i have the same delema as you kasi, pinagpipilian ko civic at altis

[macstar1]

i went to honda and toyota as well. for that budget you can get the altis G at 30% dp tpos 60 months amortization pasok na pasok yun budget mo. toyota gives as much as 50K discount sa DP so parang lumalabas libre na yun insurance, LTO, at chatel.

for the civic 1.8S, medyo mahirap yun work around sa budget kase mas mahal. SA told me that honda is not offering any discount on the civic kse bago model pa. usually they give them out after 4 years or so. so mabigat tlga dp kse you have to shoulder the insurance, LTO, and chatel on top of the DP. sa budget na binigay mo pwde 20% dp for 60 months din pasok din naman sa budget, but banks may be hesitant to approve the loan kse maliit yun DP tpos masyado matagal yun loan period. pero who knows kng makikita naman cguro ng bank na good credit ka approve naman cguro yun.

i have the same delema as you kasi, pinagpipilian ko civic at altis

Yup, same observation here at my Area.

The SA who happened to be a neighbor mentioned na 70K discount sa Altis S at 60K discount sa Altis E. Noong una kasi e long shot na ang 1.6E pero na-realize ko na konti lang ang price variance ng 1.6G at loaded na. Most probably, Subwoofer na lang ang ida-dagdag ko sa 1.6 (not much into jazzing-up my ride)

This evening ko pa maitatanong ang discount sa Altis 1.6G. Also need to double check the specifications. Medyo conflicting ang details sa MOTIONCARS at sa TOYOTA Philippines. And Toyota Philippines also have its share of erroneous entry (1.6S is rated as A/T).

So, were you able to decide between CIVIC and Altis?

Engine wise and porma, willing akong mag-tipid just to afford Civic 1.8S.
Problem is, my wife is skeptical because mahihirapan daw siyang gamitin ang Civic, if in case na kailangan naming mag-palit due to color coding.
Hence, inclined siya sa Altis, unless I can compile decisive advantage for Civic (through this thread).

[devdevlin]

Yup, same observation here at my Area.

The SA who happened to be a neighbor mentioned na 70K discount sa Altis S at 60K discount sa Altis E. Noong una kasi e long shot na ang 1.6E pero na-realize ko na konti lang ang price variance ng 1.6G at loaded na. Most probably, Subwoofer na lang ang ida-dagdag ko sa 1.6 (not much into jazzing-up my ride)

This evening ko pa maitatanong ang discount sa Altis 1.6G. Also need to double check the specifications. Medyo conflicting ang details sa MOTIONCARS at sa TOYOTA Philippines. And Toyota Philippines also have its share of erroneous entry (1.6S is rated as A/T).

So, were you able to decide between CIVIC and Altis?

Engine wise and porma, willing akong mag-tipid just to afford Civic 1.8S.
Problem is, my wife is skeptical because mahihirapan daw siyang gamitin ang Civic, if in case na kailangan naming mag-palit due to color coding.
Hence, inclined siya sa Altis, unless I can compile decisive advantage for Civic (through this thread).

to be honest im inclined sa altis. ang important kase sakin is yun safety features. im willing to sacrifice looks and engine performace sa dual airbags, abs, and brake assist kse i'll be a first time driver. though i know the civic S has the same features, mas budget friendly kse altis. kung meron lng sana ako 70-80K lying around id go for the civic but my budget dictates otherwise.

OT i liked the showroom of honda marikina kse kita mo yun mga sasakyan na ginagawa kasi gawa sa salamin. i know most casa's do not allow clients to be in the production area while mechanics are fixing your car. may mga iba casa pa ba na gn2 setup? at least mdyo magdadalawa isip yun mga mekaniko kumahoy ng parts s ssakyan d b? though i doubt it will stop them.

[devdevlin]

Hence, inclined siya sa Altis, unless I can compile decisive advantage for Civic (through this thread).

lam mo tol, malaki desciding pull ng mga misis at gf eh whehehe

[macstar1]

What about ALTIS A/T Transmission? Is it passable compared to Honda Civic?

Home to office is a 17KM Travel.

8KM is on an average 40-50KMH (bukid, barrio na maraming tao) going up and down on a hill.

Afterwards, its about 2.5-3KM asphalt with minimal housing and mostly clear traffic so I can play around at 80-100 KMH (also to compensate for time lost on the bukid).

Afterwards, 50-70KMH on another barrio, then about 4-5KM on a long stretch of cemented road with minimal housing/traffic but a not-so-sharp chicane.

This is where I started to love my IPIS' passable handling, accellaration and ABS/EBD. Yet the same chicane where I almost drifted out of control while driving my old Lancer (may tumawid kasing BAKA at walang ABS yung Lancer).

Hence, ABS/EBD, passable handling, and good acceleration is a must for me. PLUS, the fact that this same road (General Trias-Amadeo-Tagaytay) is often an ambush point for feuding clans, I need all the speed and maneuverability I can achieve in case of emergency.

[niky]

Altis 1.6 versus Civic 1.8 in terms of AT? The Altis has a little more down "oomph", but when you're past walking speed, the Civic is much quicker (the Civic 1.8 MT, on the other hand, has positively explosive acceleration).

In terms of handling, I'd say both are as good as, or better than the City (ipis, hehehe... term of endearment?)... if we're talking the pace you can keep on winding Cavite roads, the Civic will feel much more muscular when you're on pace (if a little soft), but the Corolla may surprise you, also, with its sure-footedness... as long as you don't do anything crazy... both cars default to massive understeer if you push it too far (as I've said before, Corolla due to suspension geometry, Civic due to tires).

If you want a car that handles terrifically, as far as I remember, the base Mazda3 and Focus fall within your price range and both come fully loaded. The Focus, in particular, has the best brakes of any economy car I've driven, period. The Mazda3 handles like a wet dream, the Focus like a european car... but in base spec 1.6, with an AT, both are excruciatingly slow to pick up speed compared to your 1.5 City. Only the 1.6 MT Focus actually has any poke.

Going through an ambush area? Get a 1.5 Jazz... handles like it's on rails...

[macstar1]

If you want a car that handles terrifically, as far as I remember, the base Mazda3 and Focus fall within your price range and both come fully loaded. The Focus, in particular, has the best brakes of any economy car I've driven, period. The Mazda3 handles like a wet dream, the Focus like a european car... but in base spec 1.6, with an AT, both are excruciatingly slow to pick up speed compared to your 1.5 City. Only the 1.6 MT Focus actually has any poke.

Going through an ambush area? Get a 1.5 Jazz... handles like it's on rails...

Yeah, I read in Top Gear review that Mazda 3 and Focus (basically twins when it comes to engine and suspension) handles very well. Unfortunately, the high-end high displacement version is too expensive for me. And based on reviews, Mazda 1.6L lacks the power as compared to Altis and Civic.

In fact, a couple of months ago, i lost my temper ng may bastos na Mazda 3 Driver na nang-cut sa may Daang hari at parang nangha-hamit pa. Magslow-down pag malayo ako, hahataw pag malapit na ako. My wife gave me the go signals, so hinabol ko ng City. Tapat ng konti sa 4-lane portion, apak sa gas, shift to 7 speed, ayun naiwan ang loko . . . humahabol siya sa curves, thanks to 3's good handling and me being an amateur and still careful driver, but on long stretch of straight or not so cuved roads, the 1.6L Mazda 3 seems an unfair match against the CITY. And I can tell na humahabol talaga yung napahiyang driver.

Jazz ? Great looker and much better than the City. But as much as possible, ayoko naman na parehong sub-compact ang Oto namin ni Misis. Medyo bumpy rin kasi ang City at Jazz sa rear portion. it can attack a humps or a pot hole head on with minimal "uga" pero try going diagonal on humps and you will feel the two sides shake like there's an earthquake. Its bane is also uneven pavements where in parang ocean waves ang kalsada. i guess it is because of the short travel of rear suspension as Honda's economical way of achieving "good" handling.