2012 Toyota vios 1.3 E AT, Ford Fiesta 2012 sport or 2009 Jazz AT

[JayPi.23]

I'm looking for a second hand unit for my daughter who will be graduating from college next year. I want her to practice first before I buy her a new one. She wants to have the Jazz as her first car but I insisted because it's a bit pricey and old comparing to the Vios and Fiesta. I'm also open for other suggestion, max budget is 400K and vehicle must not be more 5 years. Thanks!

[ronw123w124]

For me Vios>Jazz>Fiesta.

[JaysonTrinidad]

I'm looking for a second hand unit for my daughter who will be graduating from college next year. I want her to practice first before I buy her a new one. She wants to have the Jazz as her first car but I insisted because it's a bit pricey and old comparing to the Vios and Fiesta. I'm also open for other suggestion, max budget is 400K and vehicle must not be more 5 years. Thanks!

Vios - reliable and best choice for me but might not look appealing for your daughter.
Fiesta - I've heard of transmission issue in this model. Better check thoroughly and try to ask feedback from owners.
Jazz - Good choice. Doesn't matter if it is older as long as well maintained by previous owner. It's a Honda so, resale value is really high.

[JaysonTrinidad]

double post

[Calistro]

If you say practice car and is looking to dispose of it after a few months, get the one with the most resale value IMO

[kenn_06]

Vios then Jazz. Or City? A bit cheaper than Jazz and okay din ang porma for ladies..

[Walter]

How about Suzuki Swift? It's smaller.

[GTi]

Practice car first before buying a new one? I say go for the Vios, and then get her a new Jazz later on. If you're going for the 1.3A/T though, don't expect much in terms of both fuel efficiency and performance.

Since it's going to be a "practice car", why don't you get her a manual instead? That'll definitely improve her skills more.

[halowan]

If you say practice car and is looking to dispose of it after a few months, get the one with the most resale value IMO

+1 to this

Since it's going to be a "practice car", why don't you get her a manual instead?

If you say practice car and is looking to dispose of it after a few months, get the one with the most resale value IMO

True true

[1D4LV]

i would also go for the vios.... masarap i drive, lalo na sa mga starters..... plenty of parts, and higher resale value in case of disposal for immediate replacement to jazz.

[Egan101]

For the Fiesta, make sure to check its maintenance history. The 2011-2012 Sport models (including early 2013 models which were manufactured in late 2012) has common issues with its transmission. Though not all are impacted but there might be a possibility of TCM failure. In terms of driving dynamics and responsiveness, the Fiesta trumps both Jazz and Vios.

If going for the Jazz, go for the 1.5L models. The 1.3L AT is slow and sluggish, not to mention less fuel efficient than the 1.5L model.

For 400k, try to find a late model Civic FD (2009-2011) or Altis of the same age. A compact is a better choice for the same amount of money.

[JayPi.23]

For the Fiesta, make sure to check its maintenance history. The 2011-2012 Sport models (including early 2013 models which were manufactured in late 2012) has common issues with its transmission. Though not all are impacted but there might be a possibility of TCM failure. In terms of driving dynamics and responsiveness, the Fiesta trumps both Jazz and Vios.

If going for the Jazz, go for the 1.5L models. The 1.3L AT is slow and sluggish, not to mention less fuel efficient than the 1.5L model.

For 400k, try to find a late model Civic FD (2009-2011) or Altis of the same age. A compact is a better choice for the same amount of money.

What's TCM failure? Maybe I'll cross this one out because of the fear in those transmission problem.

For the Jazz, not sure but why is the 1.5L better in terms of fuel efficiency? Maybe I'll also try to make a quick research on this model.

Civic / Altis, not for now. Yes, it's better than my initial choices but my daughter might have a hard time in squeezing it in heavy traffic and might have difficulty in parking in tight spaces. Maybe after her first ride. Thanks

[JayPi.23]

For the Fiesta, make sure to check its maintenance history. The 2011-2012 Sport models (including early 2013 models which were manufactured in late 2012) has common issues with its transmission. Though not all are impacted but there might be a possibility of TCM failure. In terms of driving dynamics and responsiveness, the Fiesta trumps both Jazz and Vios.

If going for the Jazz, go for the 1.5L models. The 1.3L AT is slow and sluggish, not to mention less fuel efficient than the 1.5L model.

For 400k, try to find a late model Civic FD (2009-2011) or Altis of the same age. A compact is a better choice for the same amount of money.

What's TCM failure? Maybe I'll cross this one out because of the fear in those transmission problem.

For the Jazz, not sure but why is the 1.5L better in terms of fuel efficiency? Maybe I'll also try to make a quick research on this model.

Civic / Altis, not for now. Yes, it's better than my initial choices but my daughter might have a hard time in squeezing it in heavy traffic and might have difficulty in parking in tight spaces. Maybe after her first ride. Thanks

[Egan101]

What's TCM failure? Maybe I'll cross this one out because of the fear in those transmission problem.

For the Jazz, not sure but why is the 1.5L better in terms of fuel efficiency? Maybe I'll also try to make a quick research on this model.

Civic / Altis, not for now. Yes, it's better than my initial choices but my daughter might have a hard time in squeezing it in heavy traffic and might have difficulty in parking in tight spaces. Maybe after her first ride. Thanks

Some Fiestas of that era has problems with their TCM (transmission control module). Ford did extend the warranty period for such models (up to 150k km). Not all models are impacted so if you're really going for it, check the maintenance history and talk to the owner about his experience with the car. The Fiesta has one solid chassis. The suspension of the Sport model is on the stiff side but it's handling is quite good. Ford has updated the TCM with the newer models but the stigma of such failures really has put Ford down in terms of perceived reliability.

For the Jazz, the 1.5L models offer better power-to-weight ratio over the 1.3L models. The 1.3L engine is a bit strained to push the same weight thus forcing it to be revved higher to attain the same driving dynamics as the 1.5L model. The same FC concerns apply with the City of the same era. Our observation with our 2009 City 1.5L AT and Jazz 1.3L AT is that the difference is around 1-2 km/L. Our 1.5L City averages 9-10 km/L on city routes while the Jazz 1.3L does around 8-9 km/L.

[Egan101]

double again

[niky]

Prefer the Jazz... fuel economy suffers due to the 5AT compared to the older CVT, but it's relatively bulletproof and very easy to drive.

You do pay more upfront, but depreciation is slow for that car, so you have the option of reselling it later on at only a slight loss compared to the Fiesta or Vios, which are still on the higher end of their depreciation curves (being newer).

[JayPi.23]

Prefer the Jazz... fuel economy suffers due to the 5AT compared to the older CVT, but it's relatively bulletproof and very easy to drive.

You do pay more upfront, but depreciation is slow for that car, so you have the option of reselling it later on at only a slight loss compared to the Fiesta or Vios, which are still on the higher end of their depreciation curves (being newer).

Thanks Niky! I'm wondering why this model has a high value considering that it's older than my other choices... This is also a good choice since we will be selling it after a few months to a year of ownership.

[JayPi.23]

Prefer the Jazz... fuel economy suffers due to the 5AT compared to the older CVT, but it's relatively bulletproof and very easy to drive.

You do pay more upfront, but depreciation is slow for that car, so you have the option of reselling it later on at only a slight loss compared to the Fiesta or Vios, which are still on the higher end of their depreciation curves (being newer).

Thanks Niky! I'm wondering why this model has a high value considering that it's older than my other choices... This is also a good choice since we will be selling it after a few months to a year of ownership.

[JayPi.23]

Any feedback or idea about the Chevrolet Sonic? I've seen a 2013 model that's also within my price range.

[JayPi.23]

Practice car first before buying a new one? I say go for the Vios, and then get her a new Jazz later on. If you're going for the 1.3A/T though, don't expect much in terms of both fuel efficiency and performance.

Since it's going to be a "practice car", why don't you get her a manual instead? That'll definitely improve her skills more.

Thanks for the suggestion, I agree that manual is better but her learning curve in driving a manual is really disappointing. She tried my manual car and even enrolled in a driving school but no improvement at all. Or maybe my patience is the one that needs to be improved?