Car for new driver

[Zhandros]

Here is the thing. The wifey wants to learn how to drive and is planning to enroll in a driving school this month or the next.

Now she is planning in getting a car for her daily drive and is setting aside around P50,000++ to get one. Now i'm wondering if its worth it at that price, or should we splurge a bit and get one at the P100,000 mark.

The autos i found at the P60k range are those of the late '80s era or koreans from the early n'90s. The ones at the P100k range are the AE101s and some really good condition AE92s. Hence my dilemma.

My biggest concerns are reliability and the auto having a working a/c and power steering.

[tidus1203]

Remember new driver sya, reliability is the most important mahirap na masiraan sa gitna ng daan...

[oliver1013]

At the given price range, I think year model,resale value,brand,make and mileage is already irrelevant. As Tidus said, reliability is of the utmost importance. Kung pwede sa kakilala ka kumuha or talagang bring a mechanic to your prospect unit. If you ask me, mas maganda matuto sa manual instead of matic.

[Zhandros]

Yeah, which is why i posted it here sa tsikot so i can get additional insights before we actually get a car.

I checked out one earlier, '87 or '88 model nissan california, offered for P60k. Runs well enough, cold a/c, the engine idles quietly and konti kalampag on smooth roads, some underneath the dash on rough terrain. What bothers me is that it has plates that start with "C", so pampanga/subic area. Where do i text the plate number to make sure that it isnt a hot vehicle with the TMG and such other?

[desert fox]

Yeah, which is why i posted it here sa tsikot so i can get additional insights before we actually get a car.

I checked out one earlier, '87 or '88 model nissan california, offered for P60k. Runs well enough, cold a/c, the engine idles quietly and konti kalampag on smooth roads, some underneath the dash on rough terrain. What bothers me is that it has plates that start with "C", so pampanga/subic area. Where do i text the plate number to make sure that it isnt a hot vehicle with the TMG and such other?

Tama lang yan, second hand muna pero reliable naman,paakyat kapag traffic at paatras o pagpark ng vertical lang naman mahirap....kapag ok na si misis, Go na sa brand new....hehehe...

iba talaga ang Nissan pagdating sa AC....

Maybe LTO can help you if the car is hot or not?

[Zhandros]

Tama lang yan, second hand muna pero reliable naman,paakyat kapag traffic at paatras o pagpark ng vertical lang naman mahirap....kapag ok na si misis, Go na sa brand new....hehehe...

iba talaga ang Nissan pagdating sa AC....

Maybe LTO can help you if the car is hot or not?

Uhm, mebbe i didnt make myself a bit clear, or mebbe you have a different idea. But Hot Vehicle with TMG = Carnapped / Wanted Car.

[[archie]]

for me the LTO text is not that reliable. just go to TMG in pasig to verify. they would not verify without the unit it self but you can ask them politely and give 100 tip to verify.

BTT: 100k? small body corolla is pretty much reliable or maybe go for series 3 sentra. IMO 50k is too small of a budget. parang sayang lang.

[jut703]

I suggest you step up the budget a bit. Buying a 50k 80's car is merely like buying something to last you a year or so. Buying a 100k AE92/AE101 would be a better proposition in the sense that it's more reliable and much easier to maintain.

[ParticleX]

sentra b13

[GTi]

I'd suggest you raise it a bit more. Around 100k at least. Reliability and performance do come at a price. As much as possible, stay away from carbureted cars. EFI's are generally more reliable and fuel efficient. I'd suggest the AE101 Corolla GLi, "itlog" Lancer GLXi, B13 Sentra ECCS (If you can find a B14 that suits your budget, even better) or perhaps the Hyundai Elantra GLS. Stay away from matics as well. A/T cars from your budget range give horrible fuel consumption figures, often mechanically unreliable, and rob a lot of power from an otherwise quick engine.