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.