Starex vs Carnival LWB vs Stavic (Gasp!)

[pup2]

Starex 9-Seater CRDi MT at 1.5M
Carnival LWB CRDi AT at 1.6M
Stavic 9-Seater AT at 1.3M

Yeah, yeah. I know the Stavic is probably the fug!iest vehicle on the planet. It's pretty darn hard to ignore the fact that it's now the cheapest, most comfortable CRDi 9-11 seater whose features are pretty intact though.

[drey]

Function > Form = Stavic

Test drive muna.

[Horsepower]

Starex. Iba ang presence ng latest starex e (it looks like one big bully) but the Carnival is good too.

Stavic is just so ugly, i can't stand it.

[mikey177]

If you have frequent trips to the countryside, I'd have to recommend the Starex, as parts availability for the Stavic, and to some extent, the Carnival, may be wanting the farther you get from Metro Manila.

For city driving comfort though, I'd go with the Carnival since it's an A/T.

As mentioned earlier, test driving all the candidates is your best way to know which will suit your lifestyle and needs.

[hitomi]

aftersales-wise, carnival for me. kia is better established here than ssangyong,
with a wider dealership base.

looks-wise, still the carnival because the stavic looks wierd
and the new starex - sadly - looks like a ford transit to me.

[pup2]

May driver po for the van so AT convenience is not a factor. Kung pangit nga yung tranny, disadvantage pa eh.

Yung sa parts, nakausap ko yung 1 owner ng wheels and he said they're supporting it all out daw dahil sila distributor -- to the point na he'll air ship a part kung wala sa inventory nila.

Pero tama kayo, naisip ko nga problema pag tumirik ako sa probinsya kasi medyo madalas din sya mag a out of town.

[pup2]

Hmmm ... maybe you're right. So far though, they're all 2nd choices to me for the following reasons:

1. Starex -- Whopper of a price increase in the 2007 CRDi model on top of LESS standard amenities like rear wipers. Choosing a TCi would be like going back in time when CRDi's were not yet the norm.

2. Carnival -- Winner of a major Van safety award, only to strip all but one of its airbags upon reaching our shores.

3. Stavic -- Other than parts/repair support in remote areas, it's arguably the fug!iest looking vehicle in the world.

[IMm29]

Hmmm ... maybe you're right. So far though, they're all 2nd choices to me for the following reasons:

1. Starex -- Whopper of a price increase in the 2007 CRDi model on top of LESS standard amenities like rear wipers. Choosing a TCi would be like going back in time when CRDi's were not yet the norm.

2. Carnival -- Winner of a major Van safety award, only to strip all but one of its airbags upon reaching our shores.

3. Stavic -- Other than parts/repair support in remote areas, it's arguably the fug!iest looking vehicle in the world.

I'd put it in this order if it were for me:
1. Carnival - Isn't as massive as the Grand Starex. But if I didn't have to load much, and for its flexibility, I'd go for it. It's sad that we lost most airbags though, but to me, it's still a good buy.
2. Starex - The previous GRX was overall better coz of its size and flexibility. The new Grand Starex is almost in Super Grandia territory, so it's not as go anywhere (and fit anywhere) as before. It does have the biggest presence among the 3, so if physical size is the major concern, it's the Starex among these 3.
3. Stavic - If form follows function, go for it. Otherwise, I'd look elsewhere.

About 4 years ago, we took a chance on the first gen Santa Fe. It didn't look at generally pleasing as the current one, but with its built and comfortable ride, we decided to try it. No regrets naman, although it's quite heavy and its 2.4L I4 engine gets thirsty coz of that. CRDi sana. Hehehe!

[mikey177]

...Carnival -- Winner of a major Van safety award, only to strip all but one of its airbags upon reaching our shores...

All those airbags would have been a comfort to have, but I look at it this way --in 2002 I got a Carnival RS, the lower-end variant that didn't even have ABS or airbags. I was trained to drive in the 80s and rely only on my seatbelt and my prudence for safety. I've had the Carnival for over five years and have driven it most of the time on provincial highways going head to head with unruly bus and truck drivers and suddenly appearing tricycles without taillights.

I have never been in a nasty collision with the Carnival, and I hope I never will. The point, however, is that I drive defensively and do not take anything for granted. I do not push the van beyond its limits or ask it to perform like a slalom car. Also, I actually prefer a vehicle without airbags, because I figure that in our crime-infested country, I am more likely to need a vehicle that can ram another vehicle and not be disabled by suddenly deploying airbags or fuel cut-offs, than to need redundant mechanical safeties that give me a false sense of security.

[minicoopal]

Yung sa parts, nakausap ko yung 1 owner ng wheels and he said they're supporting it all out daw dahil sila distributor -- to the point na he'll air ship a part kung wala sa inventory nila.

Dealers will promise you a lot when trying to make a sale. Even if he airships a part, and assuming it is readily available at source, your unit will still be out of commission for a few days while waiting for the part to arrive.

[IMm29]

All those airbags would have been a comfort to have, but I look at it this way --in 2002 I got a Carnival RS, the lower-end variant that didn't even have ABS or airbags. I was trained to drive in the 80s and rely only on my seatbelt and my prudence for safety. I've had the Carnival for over five years and have driven it most of the time on provincial highways going head to head with unruly bus and truck drivers and suddenly appearing tricycles without taillights.

I have never been in a nasty collision with the Carnival, and I hope I never will. The point, however, is that I drive defensively and do not take anything for granted. I do not push the van beyond its limits or ask it to perform like a slalom car. Also, I actually prefer a vehicle without airbags, because I figure that in our crime-infested country, I am more likely to need a vehicle that can ram another vehicle and not be disabled by suddenly deploying airbags or fuel cut-offs, than to need redundant mechanical safeties that give me a false sense of security.

Well, you have a point there. Best to drive defensively. Although it would've been a definite nice-to have, IMO.

Dealers will promise you a lot when trying to make a sale. Even if he airships a part, and assuming it is readily available at source, your unit will still be out of commission for a few days while waiting for the part to arrive.

Yeah, that's true. There's still going to be some downtime. Unless he agrees to lend you a service unit ;)

[pup2]

Hindi kasi ako ang regular driver kaya gusto ko yung safety features eh. Hindi naman kami single car so hindi masyado problema ang downtime kung 2-3 weeks lang. Pero malaking bagay pag tumirik somewhere remote at walang makagawa o walang piyesa kaya palagay ko, out na yung Stavic on this basis kasi gagamitin din siya pang out-of-town siyempre. Kamusta po ba ang supporta ng Kia out-of-town?

[mikey177]

If a Carnival breaks down in Pangasinan, expect to spend an extra day or two in the province since Kia Pangasinan only stocks parts for regular PMS. Naputulan ako dati ng shifter cable ng Carnival nung 2005, inorder pa ng casa sa planta yung part kaya next day ko pa sya nakuha. In fairness, other Carnival parts like wheel bearings and even disc rotors can be found in our local auto supply stores, dun sa shifter cable lang talaga ako nahirapan.

Hyundai Dagupan seems to be better stocked, since they had replacement parts for my stabilizer link and idler bearing on hand when I went in for service. Yung wala lang sila nung isang beses ay rear signal light assembly, kaya inorder ko pa ito kay Jay Castillo.

Thus, if parts availability at the casa is your concern, I think Hyundai has the edge here. Moreover, if the Grand Starex sells as well as its predecessor, then more auto supply stores will carry parts for it, but then again, that's a big IF.

[IMm29]

Thus, if parts availability at the casa is your concern, I think Hyundai has the edge here. Moreover, if the Grand Starex sells as well as its predecessor, then more auto supply stores will carry parts for it, but then again, that's a big IF.

Korek!

But then, come to think of it, how well equipped are the out-of-town casas of the bigger Jap brands, like Toyota and Honda?

[pup2]

Oh no! EVeryone on the planet has an Innova!

[mikey177]

Oh no! EVeryone on the planet has an Innova!

As Locutus of Borg would say, "Resistance is futile." :borg1:

[pup2]

Any more points of view here po? Malapit na test drive sched ko eh.

[pup2]

Starex 9-Seater CRDi MT at 1.5M
Carnival LWB CRDi AT at 1.6M
Stavic 9-Seater AT at 1.3M

Yeah, yeah. I know the Stavic is probably the fug!iest vehicle on the planet. It's pretty darn hard to ignore the fact that it's now the cheapest, most comfortable CRDi 9-11 seater whose features are pretty intact though.

Tadaa! After over a year of searching and several test drives, eto na ang nabili ko -- Stavic 11-seater MT at a bit over 1.2M. Apparently, my family had the same priorities I did. Not only that, what I thought to be fugly they thought 'acceptable.'

What you should believe is that it is one of the, if not THE best value van out in the market. For what it would cost to get a dressed up Innova or entry level SWB Carnival (both of which most people have and which seats much fewer people), you get:

A) 11 seats

B) a premium/veteran korean/MB CRDi turbo diesel engine

C) dual side impact beams, multi-link coil suspension

D) a 1-ton payload (Starex has 900 and Carnival 700) and rear-wheel drive

E) Complete kit like rear wipers, backup sensor, alarm and keyless entry, 3rd brake light, and

F) removable last row, and 360 degree 2nd row seats.

Unfortunately, they only had 4 colors and since the dark blue I wanted was only available in MT, yun na lang kinuha ko. At least people can't say I have poor taste in everything! I figure we have a driver anyway who's not so used to AT and since MT would probably have less things to break down and would go faster, yun na.

With the money I saved, I'm going to put a kick-a** DVD/TV player and large-ish roof mounted LCD screen with enough left over to compensate for maintenance and resale issues.

As for out-of-town trips, marunong naman ng basic kuting ting yung driver namin -- enough to get back to manila, anyway. Besides, isn't that what the insurance towing service is for?

The only question is now: is there a way to improve the look of the back end (near the roof line), or do I just put a paper bag over my head -- in leather because I can now afford it?

[ronw123w124]

I think the Starex is still the most practical choice among the 3, not to mention that it is still the best looking of the bunch.

[Gumusut_Amige]

congrats bro sa bagong ride mo... pag nagtagal masasanay ka rin sa hitsura nyan at magiging maganda na sa iyong paningin.
seriously, here in malaysia there's a lot of stavic already hitting the road.