P1.5M budget: 4x2 Santa Fe vs. Full option Mitsu ASX?

[Starex_Gold]

note to me and the korean fan boys: this is a Mitsubishi ASX sales thread capitalizing on the popularity of the Santa FE

FTW!

Hyundai Santa Fe for me. Pero kung gusto talaga ng ASX, yun nalang kunin mo.

Pero kung kailangan ng Santa Fe, yun ang dapat. Unahin ang kailangan bago gusto.

Sa CUV walang silbi ang 4X4. Yung Tucson at CR-V ko 4X4, wala rin naman nangyayari..

Re:

Santa Fe:
-nice size, incredible engine, improved consumption (crdi/evgt), upscale interior... but it's only a 4x2 and the image you get when driving one puts you right smack in midlife-crisis category.

I don't mind driving a base model Santa Fe. At least we afford to buy one. At isa pa bata pa naman ako. Nyahaha

[satyricon]

*satyricon

Just buy the Mitsu ASX 4x4 2.0L and have a happy life. It is obvious that you are deciding between "practical" and "heart's desire" in a SUV.

In choosing the ASX, your only major compromise would be fuel consumption and some space (which you don't really need anyway).

Personally I would rather choose the ASX 4x2 but since you do drive on unpaved roads, having the 4x4 might be handy (although it doesn't have that much clearance under the vehicle.

...i think you just hit it on the head: It's the porma/tech induced thrill promised by the ASX and the laid back, cool and collected, maturity reflected by the SF. Still doesn't make it any easier.

[Capt.Bob]

...i think you just hit it on the head: It's the porma/tech induced thrill promised by the ASX and the laid back, cool and collected, maturity reflected by the SF. Still doesn't make it any easier.

it's mind over matter mate... or fulfill what your heart desires
first and foremost is to test drive both cars... this will give you a reason not to regret your decision afterward... if you don't want to look mature as your real age then get a 2-seat sports car hehe
well for me? i'd still pick an SF over an ASX anytime

[GTi]

Need your input guys. I'm a noob here, registered to ask for opinions regarding a purchase I've long been planning to make. This decision is really giving me a hard time so I'm hoping you guys can help me out.

My budget tops off at P1.5m and I'm planning to buy a new SUV. Sedans are out of the question considering the crummy road conditions that we suffer through especially during the rainy season. I go to Nueva Ecija about once a week to do business there and take a day off at our farm on my way back to Manila. I usually travel by myself but weekends are another story since I mostly spend them with my kids (two of them plus an ever-present hanger-on) going all over the metro, doing the usual mall run and whatnot.

Considering I'm on a budget, I've narrowed my choices down to two: the 4x2 Santa Fe and the 4x4 ASX. It's not exactly an apples to apples comparison and I guess you guys know why. Things worth consideration are:

Santa Fe:
-nice size, incredible engine, improved consumption (crdi/evgt), upscale interior... but it's only a 4x2 and the image you get when driving one puts you right smack in midlife-crisis category.

ASX:
-Tech galore (paddle-shift, CVT, HID, headlamp washer, etc)
-interior is decent compared to other more plasticky rivals
-AWESOME multi-select 4x4!
-love it or hate it looks --i happen to love it. takes away around 10 years from the driver's age. hehe
... but it is a bit smallish on the inside, the rear seatbacks don't recline, it's new and unproven (would it go the way of the Outie?)

So there, the source of my indecision. Symptomatic of the mid-age crisis I must be going through. Your help would surely prove to be therpeutic.

Thanks and season's greetings to all tsikoteers

The SF ain't a midlife crisis car... just ask the SF owners here. Its a youthful, athletic and sports-oriented vehicle that combines that youthfulness with practicality of which the ASX doesn't have much. With the high gasoline prices nowadays, a 4WD gasoline powered CUV would be very hard on the pocket too. The SF may not have 4WD but its got more ground clearance than the ASX and just drive slowly and carefully in the muddy areas. When talking of on road performance, the ASX won't be as good as the SF as its got less horsepower and torque compared to the SF as well as additional drag from the heavy 4WD system. If I really want a Mitsubishi CUV, I'd rather go get a 2nd hand Outlander instead. Its got more power, space and better looks to boot. Or if I really need the sedan like comfort, 4WD and a CRDi engine, a 2nd hand SF VGT 4WD or Tucson 2.0ReVGT would suffice.

[ghosthunter]

The SF ain't a midlife crisis car... just ask the SF owners here. Its a youthful, athletic and sports-oriented vehicle that combines that youthfulness with practicality of which the ASX doesn't have much. With the high gasoline prices nowadays, a 4WD gasoline powered CUV would be very hard on the pocket too. The SF may not have 4WD but its got more ground clearance than the ASX and just drive slowly and carefully in the muddy areas. When talking of on road performance, the ASX won't be as good as the SF as its got less horsepower and torque compared to the SF as well as additional drag from the heavy 4WD system. If I really want a Mitsubishi CUV, I'd rather go get a 2nd hand Outlander instead. Its got more power, space and better looks to boot. Or if I really need the sedan like comfort, 4WD and a CRDi engine, a 2nd hand SF VGT 4WD or Tucson 2.0ReVGT would suffice.

On the topic of the ASX, after driving all variants of the ASX (A/T M/T 4x2 4x4), the best overall would be the 4x2 AT variant (but the MT is good too but heavy traffic in the city would make one prefer ATs over MTs).