If you have 150k cash, which basic car will you buy?

**orly_andico** · November 7th, 2007 04:50 PM

being an "old car hell expert," I will add more.

You know that four-way switch for all the power windows on the driver side? that thing costs 7000+ pesos.

The distributor on our old Mazda costs 25000 pesos, ours has a busted sensor so the fuel consumption is high and the engine can't rev beyond 3000 rpm. Pero at the price of a new distributor, tiis nalang.

So avoid EFI cars like the plague!! avoid power-everything cars like the plague!! this includes the 93-97 Corolla GLi, the Nissan Sentra 1.6, the Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6, the Mazda Familia 1.6... the Civic 1.6 ESi (EG body) or the Civic 1.6 VTi/VTi-S/SiR (EK body ) -- although malabo ang Honda Civic under 200K..

Eto pa... a same-year Accord costs less than a Civic of same year. A Galant of same year costs less than a Lancer of same year. Ditto for Mazda. Kaya nga I ended up with a 626. Pero the thing is.. ang lakas lumamon ng gas nung big cars. And ubod ng mahal ang parts.

Our 2007 Mazda3 actually has cheaper parts (casa pa yun) compared to our 1993 Mazda 626 na Banawe prices.

Another issue is that.. fuel costs will be eye-opening. Dun sa old Mazda, we spent around 30K a year on maintenance... and 40K a year on fuel. So you ought to keep that in mind as well.

If you get a 1.3L, manual transmission, carbureted car like a Sentra FE or a Corolla XE, you will probably get 9km/L. If you drive 30km a day, 200 days a year, that's (30 / 9) * 200 * 43 = 29K a year for fuel.

A good choice is the Nissan Sentra FE, which is 1997-99 model I think. Bago-bago pa. I'm sure under 200K na yun ngayon kasi 3 years ago meron nang nabibili for 200K.

**ooba99** · November 22nd, 2007 02:25 AM

In my more than 30 years of driving and owning several cars, there is one big lesson that I have learned. And this I convey:

If you have the money to buy or if the money you got is good for a down payment and you can afford the monthly amortization, and if you are not a motoring afficionado / expert and your knowledge of car mechanic is at the level of grade or even high school, then, never, never get a second hand car. You will be better off with a brand new car. Basta wag lang brand new lemon ang bilhin mo. Just my two cents.

**emghee** · November 23rd, 2007 05:09 AM

Having at least a Toyota Corolla as a first car with 150k budget is already enough. Ok din naman i-set up yung oto if may pera pa. Although karamihan ng taxi, ganitong oto ang ginagamit. Pero you can make the big difference...

**stroker_200** · January 4th, 2008 01:27 AM

Ok yung Corolla...madali mag-maintain.

Ok din Sentra. Madali din i-maintain kasi madami surplus parts.

Ok din FX (not the ex-taxi). super tibay...lalu na yung diesel.

Sa experience ko sa used cars, pinaka-sulit yung 5 year old or less. At least wala pa gaanong masisira na major. Pakikinabangan mo pa ng 3 to 4 years bago ka gumastos ng malaki. Yung mga 1.3 eh may makukuha ka between 180 to 230 K (Honda City, Sentra, Lancer, Corolla). Oks din sila ariin.

Dapat matyaga ka maghanap, at mabusisi ka mag-evaluate. Huwag kang masisilaw sa panlabas na anyo ng kotse....hindi lahat ng maganda sa labas eh ok na car. Give it 3 months, may maganda ka nang listahan ng candidates.

Happy hunting.

**Type 100** · January 5th, 2008 04:17 AM

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a second-hand 1997-2002 Honda City especially for learner drivers. It's one of the best cars to learn how to park in because it's very easy to judge the car's ends. It's a little spartan inside, but it's roomy for its size.

One of these things survived the thrashing of my rough college years, and mechanically it's still very sound. We bought it second-hand, too.