Help: Brand new vs 2nd hand Altis

[hjcals]

Hi Tsikoters...

Didn't see a thread for this, so I'll start one...

If you were to choose, which one would you pick? Assume AT hinahanap and sagad na budget pag brand new.

2nd hand Altis:
- lower acquisition cost, healthy 2nd hand market, typical price range is 500-550K (2001-2003 model)
- the extra cash you can save could buy you mods for your car - suspension upgrades (lowering springs, performance shocks), wheel & tire upgrades (low profile tires), skirts, audio system, etc.
- you can't be 100% sure of the quality and condition of the car you're getting. the challenge is to find the "best" 2nd hand unit out there...
- possibility of additional repairs


Brand new Altis:
- higher acquisition cost; around 800K+ for a 1.6E AT
- comes with 3yr/100K km warranty
- generally can't mod till warranty expires, so you're pretty much stuck with the kinda-bland look.
- hassle-free to acquire and maintain


What do you think?

[empy]

brand new if you can afford it, mainly for this reason:

hassle-free to acquire and maintain

but if you would like to save some money on depreciation, pwede na rin yung low mileage, 1 year old na used car, assuming the manufacturer warranty is transferable

[Bry]

If it was my own money, I'd opt for the 2nd hand.

Just a suggestion.... Since your max budget seems to be 800K(?), why not look for a 2nd hand car na worth 800K? That's what I would do.

[Autobeat]

2nd hand Altis:
- lower acquisition cost, healthy 2nd hand market, typical price range is 500-550K (2001-2003 model)

Brand new Altis:
- higher acquisition cost; around 800K+ for a 1.6E AT

If your 2nd hand Altis choice was a 1.6G, then I would opt for the 2nd hand na lang.

[thebest]

I suggest that if you are buying brand new just get the new civic. The body is newer. They might come up with a new Corolla next year.

If second hand, then just get the Altis.

[kyle618]

2nd hand 1.6G tapos put 17"s on it tapos lowering springs , sounds ... ok na. or as thebest said, new civic kahit 1.8s

[niky]

Actually, you can still modify a car under warranty. This only voids the warranty for the part modified, which isn't all that long for certain parts.

Wheel alignment, shock absorbers and springs, for example, carry a very short warranty anyway.

The primary warranty is for "non-wear" items like the engine itself, gears and chassis. Other stuff, like the clutch, wheel bearings, electrical relays and fuses, lights, alternator, battery, etcetera... carry a much shorter warranty.

So, for mods like mags and bodykits, you're only voiding the warranty for the shocks and wheels (which is only a few month's worth, anyway) and for the body integrity of the panels which you screw the bodykit onto. That's it.

-----

As for 1sthand versus 2ndhand. The secondhand price of the Altis is ridiculous! My cousin bought a four year old one for 450! If it were the top of the line 1.8, it'd be worth it, but it was just a 1.6. If you consider the cost, at just 300k over a secondhand one, a new one is pretty good. But if you really want an Altis secondhand, they're pretty reliable, and should give you no trouble at all.

[basti08]

2nd hand Altis.

2003-2004, for me the best second-hand would be the latest model 1.6G that you could find. its got the looks of the top line model (along with some features) with the fuel efficiency of the 1.6L engine.

another reason is because it's closely due for replacement and alot of other brand new competition is better.

[vinj]

If you're paying cash then going for a slightly used 2nd hand (say a '04 or '05 model for around 500-600K)... if you're going the financing route then you may be better off with a brand new as interest rates are usually lower (plus they're giving good discounts for the Altis now).

[Wouie]

sir, pareho naman palang altis ang pinagpipilian mo eh dun ka na sa brand new, at least ikaw ang unang gagamit at maiingatan mo. Kung second hand kahit one year old pa lang baka abused na yong makina at di mo alam yong history nya.

[oldblue]

mag-2nd hand ka na lang. buying a brand new altis wont do any good with your road image anyway. nobody will dare give you a 2nd look for such an old design.

but that is only if you value image more ... then again if you dont, you automatically lose 50% of it's value na din naman eh hehehe. even if you use a brand new altis for over a year and give a premium price when you decide to resell it. babagsak din presyo nyan near sa 2nd hand altis. coz, in a year's time dami na naman bago sedans na pagpipilian. investment-wise, wala din. suwerte lang makakabili ng almost new altis mo.

[niky]

Actually, The Altis only loses 30% of its value over three years (if you believe the secondhand prices), and it won't experience a radical depreciation until the new Corolla comes in, sometime in 2008 or 2009 (if they really hate us... ).

Still, there's not much that can go wrong with a secondhand 03 or 04 model, as long as it's been cared for.

[oldblue]

Actually, The Altis only loses 30% of its value over three years (if you believe the secondhand prices), and it won't experience a radical depreciation until the new Corolla comes in, sometime in 2008 or 2009 (if they really hate us... ).

Still, there's not much that can go wrong with a secondhand 03 or 04 model, as long as it's been cared for.

*niky, sa listing price oo, taas resale value. pero you know naman mga pinoys, kung tumawad 6-digits kagad hahaha i'm sure mag-add pa ng 10%-20% ng discount yan.

cars today are like cellphones. oversupply whether bnew or used. so many options for the smart buyer.

[hjcals]

Hey, thanks for all of the valuable input...

Actually, my mind *was* pretty much set on getting a 2nd hand altis instead of a bnew one based on the good feedback on this car that I've read on this forum. It wasn't until Toyota came up with their promos recently (low DP, discounts, raffle, etc) that I have started to consider getting a brand new unit; partly due to the incessant bugging of their sales rep. Their promo ends this month.

However, I'm still not fully decided yet, so please still keep the input coming...

[NazQ]

sa akin po brand new. there's nothing like a brand spanking new car! but i'm the type who keeps a car for a really long time.

if you are planning to sell it anyway in the near future 2-3yrs or when a newer model comes, go with fresh-low mileage, accident free, most recent 2nd hand car.

[niky]

That's a good point. A secondhand car will only decrease slightly in value as time goes by, and in some cases, you can use it for six months and still sell it for more (if you're a wise buyer and a clever seller).

If you're planning on having the car for keeps, brand new isn't a bad idea.

[mrpink]

brand new if you're going to hold on to it..

[oldblue]

a lot of us naman are buying cars as if we're keeping the vehicle for life.

but the marketing of a new model year car, cant resist .... hehehehe

[an0nim0us]

Kung ako, I'll get the brand-new 1.8G Altis, or at least get a secondhand 2006 version (if meron kang makita).

The top spec is loaded with features not found on the 02-05. Or better yet, wait for the next gen. You might want to stick with Toyota for now hehe.

[hjcals]

Hi Guys...

Thanks again for the input. I ended up buying a brand new Altis 1.6G. Got at least 60K in discounts plus freebies (rain gutter, rear visor & the usual stuff). Good deal in my opinion...

I was out-voted by my in-laws and wife in buying a 2nd hand unit... So, here I am, a proud owner of a brand new Altis.