Please help me in choosing a car that will fit a small garage

**bongzzz** · June 21st, 2013 10:45 PM

Our garage is exactly 4.4 meters long, 3 meters wide. Though economical I'm not a fan of small sub-compact cars (getz, eon, celerio, etc) due to safety considerations. It will be my first time to own a car and my choices are being limited by the size of the garage and somehow by the size of my wallet. If the size of the garage is of no problem, I prefer to buy compact sedans like the civic, lancer ex, and even Innvova or MonteroSport. My budget is around 500k and I prefer to pay in cash so that would limit my choices to 2-3 years old, second-hand vehicles. I've been also considering a second-gen Rav4 for quite some time since its dimension would not be a problem in the garage, but with a 10-year old vehicle, I'm worried the car would have more problems/need for repairs. I'm also targetting the newly-announced Vios but the budget might only permit me to have either the base or the J model, and I've learned that the length is a little more than 4.4m. A previous-gen civic is around 4.53m long while the ex is 4.57m.

By the way, at the end of the garage a small car could still possibly move forward as long as it will fit 1.82m of space. I know both the civic and ex width is less than 1.8 but I'm worried I might scratch it to the walls since I'm not yet skilled in driving (a newbie actually). I know most car's dimension is not exact rectangles and it usually tapers at the front so do you think it can push a little farther without worrying much? I don't want to resort in parking the car in the street, and I'm open to suggestions. One more thing, it's very hard to research for dimensions of older cars, I wish manufacturers still publishes complete specs of their previous models.

Thanks.

bong

**confused shoes** · June 21st, 2013 10:57 PM

How about a Jazz, a Swift, a Hatchback Focus?

**MikkiW** · June 21st, 2013 11:16 PM

For the 500k budget.. I would suggest a Honda City GM or Toyota Vios 2008-2009 models.

**Mikemike07** · June 21st, 2013 11:59 PM

I think both the civic and the lancer will fit provided that you will park diagonally. If so, i recommend the civic FD. Although im a fan of the jazz, its resale value is too high and a lot of it costs more than a civic FD. With a 500k budget, it will be easy to find the right civic for you. I sold mine at 330k because i was in a rush to change cars. And some have bought civics as low as 315k but that will take a lot of patience. If youre not too concerned about fuel economy and youre open in spending a lot to beautify the car, the lancer ex would be great. But being a 2.0 car, it will consume like a 2.0 car and against the FD it loses in fuel consumption, interior, and compartment space. The trunk of the ex is too small. The back seat has a huge hump in the leg area making it uncomfortable for the unlucky guy who will be sitting in the middle. Without any modifications, the Civic will look better than the lancer unless its the gta version. But thats a personal opinion. If youre unsure of your parking skills yet, install backup sensors if there arent any.

**jhnkvn** · June 22nd, 2013 12:04 AM

The up-coming brand new Vios.

If you can't pay everything in cash, then do a very high downpayment and spread the rest over a small-term installment period. As banking rates are still low as they're still flushed with cash (thanks to our economic "boom" and monetary policy), it might not be a bad idea going for a loan. I'm usually fiscally-disciplined but the new Vios rides on a new chassis so we can expect it to age well as Toyota does a generational change every 5-7 years. Parts shouldn't be that hard to find owing to the "taxi" status and reliability not to mention it has the same engine as the departing model. And as it's new, you save yourself the hassle of buying secondhand units (who knows that you might buy a lemon) and you'll eventually appreciate the gas-sipping characteristics of subcompacts compared to the second-hand RAV4.

Look, if it's your first car and it seems like you can afford it (I mean, a Montero Sport is IN your choices), go for new.

How is your current status? Single and working? Married? This is for fellow tsikoteers to advise you better.

**Mikemike07** · June 22nd, 2013 12:13 AM

^i agree go for brandnew. Dont buy 2nd hand unless you know something about cars like maintenance, where to buy parts, where to have it fixed, etc. but if you have a family member who does or a trusty mechanic, go for it. Aside from the trusty vios, you can also look at the accent. It has a new engine so no more knocking issues. The kia rio is also nice. For me its the best looking in its segment but id wait for the engine upgrade like the accent before considering it.

**bongzzz** · June 22nd, 2013 12:47 AM

Thanks for inputs/advices.

I don't like the design of swift/hb focus. I like the Jazz (and the Fiesta) but I still consider it within the range of Getz/Picanto in terms of dimensions. As pointed out by jhnkvn, the resale value is still high sometimes higher than an FD, but I'm considering it as a 4th-5th option. The City/Vios(sub-compact?) would be my 3rd option if I can't really fit a compact sedan.

I like the design of the Civic FD from the year it was released til now, so it's on my top list, though usually priced higher than a comparable lancer ex model. But thanks mike for pointing out the huge hump on the backseat, that might be something to consider. It's possible I first liked the lancer ex when I saw the GT-A version, since the unskirted lancer ex, seems really plain to me.

I like the design of the new Vios which somehow reminds me of the elegant Camry (which has no chance in fitting in). Lately I'm also considering financing because of the low interest rates, it's just that if possible I'd like to pay it in full (I just don't want to buy something I can't afford the moment I buy it). MonteroSport was my top pick before I got a glance on its full price

. I'm married with no children yet, working as a freelance web developer, with good but unstable source of income. The car would be used mostly on weekends for a nearby out-of-town trips, and around 10km daily. The 500k I saved could fully pay my housing loan, but it's getting more dangerous to ride on a motorcycle, especially during rainy seasons.

BTW, I read about the accent's promo (not the HB though), 50% down, 12 months zero interest. I'm just not too familiar with the car's pros/cons, though it also looks good. Any other cars being offered with this kind of financing? I have a very limited knowledge about cars(aside from research), don't even know a car mechanic who could accompany me in checking a second-hand car. Aside from the PMS and change oil, any other necessary expenses for maintaining a brand new car?

**archielew** · June 22nd, 2013 01:33 AM

Well, if safety is the only thing keeping you from the subcompacts, will you change your mind if you'd know the Mirage has 5 star safety rating???

**bongzzz** · June 22nd, 2013 01:58 AM

That's good to know about the mirage, and it also has a 5-year warranty, at pasok sa budget. My wife really likes a car that has more seating capacity that's why I'm also considering a second-hand Avanza. I've constructed a protruding gate since last year which extended the garage length to 40cm (already included in my measurements above), and it would look funny and unreasonable now to fit a small, sub-4meter car.

**jhnkvn** · June 22nd, 2013 02:51 AM

Actually smaller cars aren't that "dangerous" na compared to before as manufacturers have since stepped up efforts to stem the number of deaths coming from small cars.

However, kahit ano gawin mo, smaller will be less "safe" than large as the law of physics is still against you. A bigger car will mean more crumple zones before the impact actually reaches you and with size comes the heft of added weight which is favorable if you're the one doing the ramming

now now, let's not compare a small car with ultra stiff carbon fiber composite monocoque chassis or something high-tech with your everyday SUV made out of high tensile steel or aluminum, but generally smaller cars = less expensive = less budget = less "safety" features.

However, when you think about it, the difference between a Swift from a Jazz is simply a few millimeters.. so, would you feel "safer" with just a few millimeters of added dimensions? At the end of the day, just brush up your driving skills. If you feel it's too hazardous to gain experience from daily driving, then enroll in a professional driving school.