Optra '04 vs Civic VTI '01 vs Lancer MX '02

[Rovick0613]

Hi Tsikot members!

Need your advise on what car to buy. I was reading all the threads about the Optra, Lancer MX and Honda civic and I found it very difficult to decide which among the 3 that I've mentioned above would be a great buy for 2nd hand car. I am currently driving Honda LXi '96 model and I would like to upgrade, actually this is not mine but my dad. This would be the first time for me to buy a car out of my hard earned money. So please I really need advise which is better to purchase among the three cars I have mentioned in terms of performance, quality, maintenace and other factors. I'm considering the Optra but is it really worth it? Seems like that it is really cheap considering all power functions and great interiors but my worry is the maintenance. Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.

[ronw123w124]

The Civic would be the best bet among your choices, the Lancer has suspension issues which is normally a weak point of Mitsubishi cars. Avoid the Optra like a plague, its a really a very lousy car. Why not include the Toyota Altis among your choices? Had one before(2002), and it didn't give me any headache till the day I sold it.

[_Cathy_]

+1 on the Altis

[jut703]

Sir mejo lakas po sa gas yung Optra.

Agree po ako dun sa Altis.

[[archie]]

sir, if you dont mind... magkano po budget?

[boy_tino]

1. Altis
2. Civic
3. MX
4. Optra

[buchieboy]

Previously owned a 2002 civic vtis and my commander had a 02 Altis.

Between the 2, get the Altis it is one reliable car. Tipid pa sa gas

[Rovick0613]

Thank you for your inputs..luckily I was not able to get the Optra. Right now still waiting for the right car for me. I already removed Optra from my choices and stick with Honda and MX. With regards to Altis, I will try to consider also based from your comments above.

[niky]

Whatever you get, check the condition carefully. Altises can suffer from blown shocks, depending on where the previous owner drove and how many kilometers are on the clock.

[la44]

thanks for your post, im also having the same problem, but i am actually considering a nissan grandeur vs an optra... im having a real hard time deciding since i am not a car enthusiast and this will be my first time to purchase a car,,, di po ba talaga ok ang optra? coz i really like how it looks...

[niky]

thanks for your post, im also having the same problem, but i am actually considering a nissan grandeur vs an optra... im having a real hard time deciding since i am not a car enthusiast and this will be my first time to purchase a car,,, di po ba talaga ok ang optra? coz i really like how it looks...

It's a Daewoo. Daewoo went bankrupt for a good reason. They made horrible cars. GM-Chevrolet prettied it up a bit, but it has a reputation for poor fuel economy.

Too bad we never got the 2.0 version... the 2 liter engine is sourced from Holden, and is not a Daewoo design, and is supposed to be quite reliable. The 1.6s we get here are pathetically weak and get poor economy.

Now, the Mazda3 1.6 gets similar economy, but it's a heavy car with class leading chassis dynamics and crash safety. The Optra is smaller, lighter, and older, yet it doesn't do any better. And to make matters worse, the steering is dead, the handling is inert and the transmission feels like a pile of rocks.

-

I think it's a pretty car, too... and I like the wagon... but it's hard to recommend as a good buy, not unless you're buying nearly new with a full warranty still attached. The newer cars, with the single piece grill, have had an ECU reflash that partially cures the economy issue, so if you really want an Optra, those are the ones to get.

[la44]

many thanks for that input niky. i'll take note of that.

[brye101]

toyota altis