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

[Mikemike07]

^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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[bongzzz]

However small a car is, it would still be substantially safer than a motorcycle. I had less than 100 km of car-driving experience and half of that happened 10 years ago, so I'm hoping I could still learn a lot in day-to-day experience, as I had with a motorcycle. I might keep a car for 10 years or more so I'm just making sure to get the optimum car I could fit in (my garage and wallet). For now, the new VIOS would be on my top pick, but I'm also deciding if it would be worth the price difference of an automatic against the manual. Haven't really driven an automatic before, but due to traffic congestion and general ease of use I'm leaning towards the automatic.