Its my first...

[docrjay]

Going to purchase my 1st car. After a lot of browsing through all of the threads, I really learned a lot. But there are a few, well they are not few really,- specifics that I want you guys to clear out for me.

My choices depended mainly on type, I basically narrowed it down to compact SUV's, AUV's and 2 cars.

I'm from the province and cars are not really that popular, its not that I want to be popular, but really going to my place from Manila, a car would take a serious beating. My budget is something suppose to be lower than 700K but right now Im bent on getting it to 900K.

The main reasons I liked the compact SUV is because of high ground clearance and ruggedness. For the budget the only candidate would be the Hyundai Tucson 2.0 gas at 880K, its not here yet, but be willing to wait (available next month). Iam not brand concious, we have one Korean car and it really surpassed all our expectations. I saw a lot of the Tucson when I went to Guam, it isnt that bad on styling, I really like it, and now that they are selling it a good introductory price, its #1 on my list. I hope they have the maroon color with 2 tones.

But the the Innova is close. There is no reason not to buy it practicality wise, but the top Gas trim is over my budget so........i dont know....tough choice....and then theres the Crosswind XT...what about this one? is it worth it?...Dmax 4x2 MT is above the budget but it has my dads vote, if only he can shrare the cost.

For the cars it came down to 2. The Chevy Zafira and Hyundai Matrix CDRi. Zafira is bigger and have lotsa good reviews. But, i kinda have a feel for a diesel car.

Guys, your comments would be greatly appreciated. There's a lot of discussion on the Jazz and City here, but they are not my cup of tea. But feel free to discuss their merits agaisnt my choices. They are worth listening to.

Thanks very much in advance.

[ian_rex]

hi. looks like you got tough choice to make. consider these things:

-safety
-horsepower / torque
-comfort
-utility
-fuel consumption
-parts availability
-long term cost of operation
-serviceability
-reliability
-practicality

note, i didn't include the looks and styling because "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". so it seems you are bent in having a SUV/AUV/UV over a sedan. whereas there are some points that a car couldn't do (i.e. load goods, space), the draw back of SUV/AUV/UV is the creature comforts found in a car.

though i vouch for dmax. i owned one for nearly 2 years already. so far so good, except for the bouncy ride.

[_Qwerty_]

I'd go for the Matrix..

[mrpink]

i'd get the diesel version of the innova .. either j or e .. you don't need all the bling of the g ..

[BoEinG_747]

Bro ..dag dag ka lang ng konti .

doon ka na sa Pick up na mitsubishi strada GLX(990 K)

[theveed]

Kung pera ko, Innova or Matrix based on your specs.

[ian_rex]

yep. i vouch for matrix crdi too.

[an0nim0us]

With a 900K budget, not a sedan - I'd vote for the Innova E or add 100grand (+/-) to get the escape = )

[niky]

I'd tend to agree.

The XWind is a good choice economy-wise, and it has great ground clearance, but a punishing ride in the back (only stiff in front, back is like riding a karitela pulled by a bus) and a certain crudeness in the steering, body control and braking makes a lot of buyers regret their decision. If you can live with all that, it'll return very decent fuel economy. That crude suspension will take rough stuff a lot better in the long run than the independent rear of the Innova, I THINK... only time will tell if the Innova's car-like suspension will be as durable as the Tamaraw's.

The Innova D4D is supposed to be thrifty, but not as thrifty as the XWind. Still, it's a better ride in all ways, except an Xwind may have better water fording capability due to its high stance and low-end torque and gearing... and the aforementioned rough road ability.

The Matrix will give you the best diesel mileage, a long warranty, and sprightlier driving than either of the other two. Only downside is the space is just as much as the old Spacewagon, strictly a five-seater. If it's just you who's doing the commuting, this'll be a good choice. It's not a car, but the engine gives you a great amount of torque for highway cruising.

But if you can afford the Tucson, that's not a bad choice, either.

Read around. There are a lot of XWind and Adventure owners here, and a lot of threads about common problems THAT MIGHT occur. There are also some posts about the Toyota diesel... not much about the Matrix diesel, as it's too new and not too common yet.

But bear in mind, not everyone gets these problems, and there's a chance your first five years with your first car will be blissfully sweet. :D

[cutedoc]

think innova will work

[Heretic]

I own a Matrix CRDi and have taken her to Pilaoan, La Union a number of times already. So far, the suspension and chassis have taken the beating well. She is the most fuel efficient car we've had and probably, pound-for-pound, the most powerful. Headroom/legroom is nearly that of an AUV/CUV but the cargo area (third row) is just that of a sedan. Second row seats can fold and tumble to reveal generous cargo space. She costs 678k now and who knows when the 222k you've saved would come in handy.

If you are going to use your would be purchase as a people and luggage carrier, CUV's/AUV's are still the way to go. Considering that the Tucson recently got a 5-star rating in crash tests, she's a good buy at 880k, together with the Innova CRDi "E" variant.

[Bry]

Innova.

If budget permits, get the Escape.

[RedHorse]

Bro ..dag dag ka lang ng konti .

doon ka na sa Pick up na mitsubishi strada GLX(990 K)

100% vote ko dito...

[jimaroquai]

Innova E

[docrjay]

Thanks Nikky, Ian Rex, Heretic at sa inyong lahat! Its tough enough to get the dough to buy a car its even tougher which one to spend on. Thanks for the advice.

Boeing 747 & Red horse - I'l try to look into your suggestion, kaya lang if I were to buy a pickup siguro Ill go with Isuzu nalang. I will have to shell out extra pero worth it in the long run. Thanks.

So I will wait for the Tucson and test drive it. Pati narin ang Matrix CDRi. Thanks heretic for the 1st hand review. Niky also pointed out good arguments regarding ride quality on AUV's, not much of a problem for me because Im the driver, siguro sa mga passengers ko lang. Problema lang sa Matrix pag binaha, dko na sya magagamit. Kya Im leaning over the SUV/AUV. Yung XWind XT masyado kasing bare, walang all power features. Eh yung Zafira kaya guys?

Salamat ng marami. Just got off from work tpos pa bukas ko comp 13 replies! Salamat ulit!

[theveed]

Zafira is junk don't waste your money on that, GM service is next to crap as well.

[woodfire]

Zafira is junk don't waste your money on that, GM service is next to crap as well.

my cousin bought one and swears to hell that this car's after-sales service is a bitch!!!

my vote goes to the MATRIX Crdi

[finchy18]

Matrix !

[wildthing]

most american car seller here in the philippines suck in after sales service...lalo na kung nasa province ka....I'd go for a japanese manufactured vechicle (preferably with a casa near you).

Have you seen the AMC Hammer yet? This would fit your budget and a local talyer will surely be able to service you (no casa required)...good review din...and Tsikoteer din yung owner (hiya na lang nya na bigyan ka ng lemon)....



more pictures sa gallery ng tsikot....search mo HAMMER

[niky]

Basta Nissan Patrol yung ipa-install na engine! :lol:

Actually, Ford's service is pretty good most of the time. Some parts are expensive and take a while to come, but going to the casa is not a teeth-grinding experience. :D Kaya lang, sayang at mahal ang mga vehicles nila ngayon.

As for me, even if the basic XWind is kinda bare, yes, but that's not much of a problem, as the stock stereo system and VCD player of the top-of-the-line are, in my opinion, not worth it.

The pioneer head of the XWind XUVi is of great quality, but the speakers and acoustics aren't enough to do it justice, and if you're driving, the LCDs aren't going to do much for you anyway... besides which, they're fiddly and picture quality is low (we haven't used ours for months!). Massage chair? Nice, but we only use it about once every two months... Get the basic XT, the road-biased tires will give you better ride comfort and handling, and the cloth seats can always be covered. Stereo can be handled by your local installer.

If you're driving, it's not a bad deal, just a boring and slow drive. It's an acquired taste, many people sell their XWinds because of the ride, those who can live with it are very happy with the economy. I can attest to its cargo carrying capability, as it helped me a lot in moving between apartments when I lived in QC, and as long as you're not driving on the moon, it'll carry seven in relative comfort and nine if you're carrying small people.

But if it's just you driving, despite the probable rare stranding by flood, I think the Matrix would be the best choice. And if the fear of flood keeps you off the roads during typhoons, that's a good thing. I've seen a lot of guys get in trouble for trying to brave floods even when they shouldn't have, and none of the vehicles on your shortlist have AWD, which is a MUST for traversing uneven muddy terrain.