Family Vehicle Worth 150K

**jvnj** · February 10th, 2012 10:35 AM

Sir's GTi, mateomarco, RY_Tower, sotel, fortheboys96, vinj, & imperialv,

Thank you so much for your replies! Honestly, I was overwhelmed by the responses considering my humble budget. Sir GTI, If I may, the Spacewagon can seat up to 7 persons comfortably, though as mentioned here in the forums (please correct me if i'm wrong), it has front suspension issues & insufficient A/C during hot days due to single blower? But the comfort & "Porma" are way better than other vans. Yes the Tamaraw seemed a more better option. Sir imperialv, though I'm looking at a total of 200k, sad to say I can only cash out a 170k max and reserve the rest for unforseen repairs (that's how humble my budget is), as much as I would want to, I guess I still cant afford an Adventure or Revo. Anyway, most votes goes to the Pregio, Grace and L300, I better concentrate on those three.

Again, Thank you so much for the replies, Sir's! More Power to you and Tsikot!

**Ry_Tower** · February 10th, 2012 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by jvnj

Sir's GTi, mateomarco, RY_Tower, sotel, fortheboys96, vinj, & imperialv,

Thank you so much for your replies! Honestly, I was overwhelmed by the responses considering my humble budget. Sir GTI, If I may, the Spacewagon can seat up to 7 persons comfortably, though as mentioned here in the forums (please correct me if i'm wrong), it has front suspension issues & insufficient A/C during hot days due to single blower? But the comfort & "Porma" are way better than other vans. Yes the Tamaraw seemed a more better option. Sir imperialv, though I'm looking at a total of 200k, sad to say I can only cash out a 170k max and reserve the rest for unforseen repairs (that's how humble my budget is), as much as I would want to, I guess I still cant afford an Adventure or Revo. Anyway, most votes goes to the Pregio, Grace and L300, I better concentrate on those three.

Again, Thank you so much for the replies, Sir's! More Power to you and Tsikot!

Yes sir, concentrate on those three na lang muna. Good luck!

**kompressor** · February 10th, 2012 02:17 PM

I'll share what I did but that does not necessarily mean I'll recommend it to you. Here are some of the thoughts that came into my mind when I was in the deciding stage:

- My budget back then was similar to yours.
- I wanted something that can seat a family pero hindi masagwa dalhin pag mag isa lang ako so out ang l300 and longer vans like pregio, grace, etc.
- My budget medyo kaya kumamot sa tamaraw fx na diesel pero ang hirap maghanap ng private used only maayos na condition for that price knowing the 2C diesel is hounded with longevity problems. Sabi nga nila disposable daw yung N/A na 2C.
- A lite ace for me is gas guzzling and slow. Earlier models are also notorious for overheating. However, one can transplant a 2C or 2CT pero out na ang 2C coz of it's reputation. Not sure with the 2CT. Yung jdm lite ace kasi merong 2C version. Another bad point for the lite ace is mahina ang aircon as in struggle talaga. Kahit bnew dati pag puno na ng pasahero, wala na. It seats 8 passengers but can be stretched to 10 kung siksikan. (3-3 layout at the passenger area)
- A vanette in my book has to have the best airconditioning among passenger vans coz malaki ang evaporator and malakas ang blower sa passenger side. It also seats the most compared to other small vans, (10 passengers stretched to 12) albeit cramped with a 2-3-3 passenger area. Other people remove the middle row resulting in it being a 7-8 seater but boy, the result is very roomy. However, it's also a gas guzzler with it's 2.0L engine matched with its weight. Earlier models are hounded by overheating problems but the remedy can be patterned after the improved condenser layout design of the later models (97 up) which addressed the idle overheating problem. There is an option for a bolt-on diesel engine swap with an LD20/II/T engine since those engines are mated to JDM and Aussie diesel Vanettes in stock form. Others have swapped even SD23's (nissan classic pickup) or TD27's (urvan/terrano) for more torque.
- A mazda power van is another option. It's also hounded by overheating problems and quite a gas guzzler with its gas engine but also addressed on the later models. Aircon in my opinion is better than the lite ace but falls short compared to the vanette. It's also roomy with the same 3-3 passenger configuration but with an extra 2 small seats at the back. A diesel engine swap is also available, with options ranging from mazda r2 or RF diesel engines, or even a kia J2 engine (2.7).
- I also considered a space wagon but it will only limit you to 7 passengers. Aircon is not yet dual (not sure with the later models) and sips gas as well. However, a diesel engine swap is possible using the ones on diesel RVR's or chariot MX.
- Later AUV models like Hi-Lander/Revo/Crosswind/Adventure: di na abot budget ko.

I ended up with a Vanette. I found someone selling a cheap one (less than 100k) with a clean, original interior and decent exterior but a quite beat-up gas engine. I went on with the engine swap route (used an LD20II N/A diesel, slow but economical in my book). After all the pains I experienced with the engine transplant and suspension/electrical/other works (typical for a 2nd hand car minus the transplant), I'm happily using it now as a daily driver. The family sooooo loves its airconditioning especially on very hot days. Pag gabi, kelangan talaga ng kumot sa likod even on the lowest setting. As for engine parts, so far ok naman ang availability ng consumables (water pumps, timing belts, gaskets, oil filters, etc...) in my experience. Gives me 9-10kms/liter in the city and around 13-14kms/liter on long drives + the lower fuel cost of diesel. Kaya naman mag maintain ng 100 on a flat expressway.

**jvnj** · February 10th, 2012 03:52 PM

Sir Kompressor,

Thank you for sharing your detailed and very informative advise! Never have I known that there's a diesel option (though converted) for the Vanette, definitely its a good option! I'll also scout for a diesel Vanette.

To all who shared the advise and experiences, Thank you Sir's!

**renzo_d10** · February 10th, 2012 05:03 PM

Mahirap sa Lite-Ace and Vanette, kadalasan nagooverheat. And nasa ilalim ng upuan yung makina nun diba? Mahirap naman.

Kaya IMO, sa Tamaraw FX Diesel ako. That is, by far, your best option.

**jvnj** · February 10th, 2012 06:43 PM

Sir renzo_d10,

Thank you for your advise, and your observations are right. Most engines under the seats are much prone to overheating, plus the fact that I think its pretty inconvenient to check the engine once in a while as you need to lift your seat first before you can access the engine. The Tamaraw FX should be a nice option too, though I have worries on the AC and 2C engine reliability as mentioned above by other Guru's.

I believe each vehicle has its pros & cons (nothings perfect as they say), and with my given "cute" budget, it made the scenario a bit difficult. I guess I just have to find the best option given my budget.

Thank you very very much for your suggestions, Chief's & Guru's!