Spark/Picanto/i10/Celerio/Mirage

[kcmat]

Hey guys, I will start with an introduction. I am an incoming 4th year college student with 4 years of driving experience. For the past 4 years, I've owned and driven 3 cars (yes, every year I drive a different car, not my fault). For the first year, I drove a gray and black '96 Lancer EL (itlog). That was my first car given to me by my dad and pretty much it became makalampag, mausok, and a gas guzzler (ok, blame me, that was my practice car). Next, I was given a 2nd hand '97 Lancer GSR (2 door pizza). I really loved that car and made me look extra handsome! I upgraded and modified it a lot and it looked so good. I lowered it 3 inches from the ground, 17" mags, sound setup, touchscreen DVD, leather upholstery, etc. I was totally in love with that car.. Until I had to sell it because of some personal reason. Then, my father gave me a 2006 CRV. All I could say is that it was the most comfortable ride of the 3 cars that I've driven. I can hardly feel the bumps, and I don't have to worry about my underchassis being hit by the humps (unlike my previous lowered GSR). Recently, my father told me that we are putting too much money on my gas allowance since the CRV is consuming a lot of gas. 150-200php worth of gas per day. we're spending more or less 2,000php every week! That's when he decided to buy me brand new subcompact car to replace my gas guzzling SUV.

He told me that he would get me a Suzuki Celerio because Suzukis are the "pro" when it comes to small cars. But aesthetic wise, I don't like the looks of the Celerio. But I would really like to have a small hatch for a change. Here's how I would rank the subcompact hatch section.

1. Spark
2. Picanto
3. i10
4. Mirage
5. Celerio

I also don't like the Celerio because its features are too much stripped down. Well, that's what I should expect with that price range. But the Spark, Picanto, and Mirage have better features and offers more bang for the buck.

I am debating with my dad over his decision and it seems that his decision with the Celerio is not final and I can still dissuade him. However he is giving reasons why the other cars are not his type.

Spark - "mahirap maghanap ng parts ng Chevrolet.", "hindi naman sanay gumawa ng small cars ang chevy."
Mirage - "madaming problema ang Mirage. Ni-recall nga ng Mitsubishi yung units niyan eh."
Picanto and i10 - "Korean cars yan eh. iba pa din kapag Japanese cars."

Ang daming dahilan diba haha. I am leaning towards the Spark mainly because of it's looks and good looking interior. I also like the Picanto because it looks modern and has a good interior. Oh, and I drive a manual tranny but I can also drive an automatic (of course). and my usual route is from:

my house--college--SLEX--girlfriend's house--SLEX--my house

so it's like 80% city driving and 20% highway driving.

I would still be studying for law school for the next 4 years (or more hahaha) which is why I am hoping to find a good looking and efficient car so that I don't have to bother changing cars again.

so the million dollar question is: Which among the five cars would you suggest and why?

NOTE: I have already read the other threads similar to my concern, but I think these do not suffice. Help me please! thanks
http://tsikot.com/forums/car-compari...a-honda-91651/
http://tsikot.com/forums/car-compari...14/index3.html
http://tsikot.com/forums/car-compari...-mirage-92635/
http://tsikot.com/forums/car-compari...io-help-93048/

[Lelouch]

if i were to buy among those choices, ill pick the Mirage then the Celerio...,kasi recall naman can also be found on other cars like honda and toyota., and the mirage has a lot of additional goodies like gps etc pde kaung mag road trip ng gf mo kaht saan hehe. and its also Fuel Efficient, sa Celerio naman same reasoning as you mostly., pero if you can add more budget ill pick the Swift bagay sa guys yun as long as youre not BIG hehe.

[kcmat]

if i were to buy among those choices, ill pick the Mirage then the Celerio...,kasi recall naman can also be found on other cars like honda and toyota., and the mirage has a lot of additional goodies like gps etc pde kaung mag road trip ng gf mo kaht saan hehe. and its also Fuel Efficient, sa Celerio naman same reasoning as you mostly., pero if you can add more budget ill pick the Swift bagay sa guys yun as long as youre not BIG hehe.

hello thanks for the reply! Feature wise, no contest, Mirage talaga ang panalo. Peo kasi sabi nga dun sa ibang reviews na binasa ko, parang tinipid daw ang pag manufacture ng Mirage. May mga parts daw na hindi napinturahan ng mabuti, etc. Sabi din ng dad ko, sa sobrang laki daw ng demand at sa dami ng ginawang Mirage, baka daw madaming units ang may defect. Sabi ko naman, kahit naman may defect yan, under pa din ng warranty. Tama naman diba haha.

Gusto ko nga yung Swift lalo na nung nakita ko nung pumunta kami ng Suzuki. Kaso we're looking for an efficient car. Kaya mostly 1.2cc pababa lang hanap namin. Tsaka iba na kasi price range nung Swift eh.

[Mikemike07]

since youre conscious about the looks, check out the kia rio LX. its too bare though and i dont like the fact that it doesnt have any airbags. id go for the mirage among your choices. size to power ratio its a notch higher than the rest. ive seen a decently modded white mirage. bronze rims, roof wrapped glossy black. maganda. seems like youre into modding anyways. mirage pinakamaganda bihisan sa mga choices mo.

[jay1005]

+1 here for the Mirage. With hi-end's luxurious features like the push start/stop, GPS navi, ABS brakes especially it spaciousness, every petot is worth it. Yes, there is a recall but it is a preventive one and it "may" only affect the vehicle's front braking system so it is not that so serious. The advertised FC is almost realistic if you properly drive the car. The stock GLS is already handsome but if you put some mods then it will become more handsome ha ha!

[renzo_d10]

Any of the given choices, if paired with an automatic transmission, wont do you any well in terms of effiency. So get a manual.

If you want a big car, get the cheapest Rio. 1.2LX MT, bare, but who cares.

If we are to be stuck among the given choices, i'd get the Picanto MT. Next is the Mirage.

Dont get me wrong, but if you're too worried about spending so much in fuel, why not try saving the money to be spent for mods and use it for fuel costs instead.

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[kcmat]

since youre conscious about the looks, check out the kia rio LX. its too bare though and i dont like the fact that it doesnt have any airbags. id go for the mirage among your choices. size to power ratio its a notch higher than the rest. ive seen a decently modded white mirage. bronze rims, roof wrapped glossy black. maganda. seems like youre into modding anyways. mirage pinakamaganda bihisan sa mga choices mo.

I personally don't like the looks of the kia rio sedan but I have a huge crush on the hatch version of it. Unfortunately, it only comes with an automatic tranny and only one variant around 800k php. I've also read reviews that it is a gas guzzler (the Rio HB). Hehe yup! I bet Mirage looks quite good when modified. However, I cannot seem to find a lot of photos of modified Mirage on the net.

+1 here for the Mirage. With hi-end's luxurious features like the push start/stop, GPS navi, ABS brakes especially it spaciousness, every petot is worth it. Yes, there is a recall but it is a preventive one and it "may" only affect the vehicle's front braking system so it is not that so serious. The advertised FC is almost realistic if you properly drive the car. The stock GLS is already handsome but if you put some mods then it will become more handsome ha ha!

Alright! Now I have something to tell my dad hehe. Thanks a lot sir!

Any of the given choices, if paired with an automatic transmission, wont do you any well in terms of effiency. So get a manual.

If you want a big car, get the cheapest Rio. 1.2LX MT, bare, but who cares.

If we are to be stuck among the given choices, i'd get the Picanto MT. Next is the Mirage.

Dont get me wrong, but if you're too worried about spending so much in fuel, why not try saving the money to be spent for mods and use it for fuel costs instead.

Sent from my 3210 using Tapatalk HD Premium

Yes, I do love the feel of driving a stick. It's like I have a lot of control over the car as compared with an automatic. But when stuck in traffic, especially on uphill roads, I would always wish I have an automatic haha! But I would still prefer a manual for low maintenance costs in the future. I like the look of the Picanto too! It's modern and unique. Well because it's like this, the gas allowance is from my father. If I use too much gas, because of too much road trip, I have to allot a portion of my daily allowance for gas. For mods, it's purely my savings.



**I think the Spark looks better than the Mirage and could also be modified further to look better. But I think it's all about preference.

Is there any reason for me not to like the Mirage? are there any reported problems with it?

UPDATE: It's now 3 votes for Mirage and 1 vote for Picanto!

[ghosthunter]

get the MIRAGE. It's better overall value. Drives well enough. Base model is very cheap while the top of the line model have features that are usually found on cars at least twice its price. Interior seating is spacious for four and a decent sized cargo area for a week's groceries.

The SPARK is a bad choice. I have test driven it and the rear hatch rattles over rough roads. It feels underpowered with either the 1.1 and 1.2L engine options. IN fact the 1.2L feels worst than the 1.1L engine because of the huge dead spot in power delivery right in the middle of the powerband. The motorcycle styled guages might look stylish but it just feels cheap to me, not enough even to provide decent proper gauges. And this does not yet include Chevy's history of expensive parts, much more expensive labor charges and extremely long wait times for regular parts.

[sirkosero]

Mirage for me. I can live with the recall. Its to be expected from a new model. Atleast mitsubishi is.decent enough to admit manufacturing or design fault.

Fuel consumption based on feedback is superb.
Given that the mirage is almost everywhere, give it about a few years and spare parts will be everywhere.

The only downside i see if i were the TS is the drastic change in space coming from a crv to a mirage.

[kcmat]

get the MIRAGE. It's better overall value. Drives well enough. Base model is very cheap while the top of the line model have features that are usually found on cars at least twice its price. Interior seating is spacious for four and a decent sized cargo area for a week's groceries.

The SPARK is a bad choice. I have test driven it and the rear hatch rattles over rough roads. It feels underpowered with either the 1.1 and 1.2L engine options. IN fact the 1.2L feels worst than the 1.1L engine because of the huge dead spot in power delivery right in the middle of the powerband. The motorcycle styled guages might look stylish but it just feels cheap to me, not enough even to provide decent proper gauges. And this does not yet include Chevy's history of expensive parts, much more expensive labor charges and extremely long wait times for regular parts.

Yes, that's why if I were to buy a Mirage, I would go for the top of the line. Anyways, if I were to buy any of the aforementioned cars, I would like to have the top of the line manual.

When did you test the Spark? Expensive labor charges and parts are also the words of my father. I though those were already a thing of the past since I can see a lot of chevy cars here in our country nowadays. Can someone confirm please?

Mirage for me. I can live with the recall. Its to be expected from a new model. Atleast mitsubishi is.decent enough to admit manufacturing or design fault.

Fuel consumption based on feedback is superb.
Given that the mirage is almost everywhere, give it about a few years and spare parts will be everywhere.

The only downside i see if i were the TS is the drastic change in space coming from a crv to a mirage.

Yes, at least Mitsubishi has a great after sales customer service. I've heard rumors about a certain car manufacturer not admitting problems about their famous car. ehem Toyota.

That was what I was thinking. The last time we went to Suzuki, I sat in the driver seat of the Celerio and I cannot even close the door! It's like I'm being suffocated inside. It was too cramped. I know I'm just feeling it because I am used to the spacey and roomy driver seat of the CRV, but I know I'll get used to small cars too. I'm not that big anyway )

One tiny thing that I don't like about the Mirage is that people are buying it like it's a Vios. I consider Vios as the people's car. Almost everyone has a Vios. It's so common that it made the car look bland. But I like the 2013 Vios that was announced in Thailand. It looks awesome! )