First time - need help!! [buying family vehicle]

[esjay]

Hello..first time ko po bibili ng car for my family. I'm planning to buy van kasi sabi ng bro ko pwede panghatid namin studyante na nagboboard sa amin. Ngaun i don't know what to buy.. my budget is 200 - 250K second hand po. Pa-advise naman po kung anong dapat kung bilihin na klase na van, hyundai grace,kia,toyota i really don't know po eh. Ano po pa pala dapat kung i-check or tignan pag-bili me car? Thank you in advance.

[alwayz_yummy]

l300 is a good option.. hyundai grace is basically L300... hi-aces are expensive..

if you consider gas-powered, best choices are mazda E2000, liteace, vanette.

check mo kung ang papeles ay legal.. use LTO text hotline-- LTO<space>VEHICLE<space><plate#> send sa 2600

then kung matetest drive mo ok, dalhin mo din sa nearest gasoline station para makita mo ang ilalim.

haggle down every defect you find...

[1D4LV]

if your budget can afford it, Toyota Hi-Ace. More expensive nga lang, but very reliable.
your other option is an L300 or a Hyundai Grace.

[ghosthunter]

If you can extend your budget to the 300K to 400K level, its possible to get a 1998 to 2000 model Hyundai STAREX.

Just check for the usual stuff like rattles in the rear door/hatch, proper rust proofing, etc.

[oliver1013]

Well maintanined L300 4d56,hiace commuter,nissan urvan,starex...dapat diesel..pang harabas e Kung hyundai grace kuha ka ng local..

[bagugab]

how about a mitsubishi delica?

[dr. d]

a well-maintained besta, grace, or pregio would be a good choice. they're good basic diesels. and in my opinion, the koreans' ergonomics are better then the L300's.
L300s get awfully hot under the driver's seat after a long drive. btw, the L300 design is at least 20 years old. delicas, well, you might not want to find out the hard way, why they're selling cheap. (question: how good is the delica's fuel efficiency? and where'd they come from?).
toyota and nissan are always nice, but they're above your budget.
in my experience, the koreans are good in their metals. but not in their rubber. most of my travails with the koreans are due to their rubber. (yes! including the tires, brake and clutch rubber, and rubber fuel hose! truly unbelievable!)