What to buy with 150-200k budget?Newbie here

**ghosthunter** · March 5th, 2006 07:51 PM

Aside from the Sentra, the Corolla is not a bad choice but its higher resale value will make it more expensive or you would end up with an older unit.

The lancer is not a bad choice with it's sporty looks and ample performance.

The Mazda 323 Familia 1.6L and 1.4L ... if not for its fuel guzzling engine, this would be a very good choice. Nice looks, sporty handling/feedback and torquey engine makes this an exciting car to drive. Interior space is one of the spacious for this class of car, especially the rear leg room. My only note is the dull plastics used in the dashboard which could have been better. If you do choose this car, check for rust forming under the fenders.

**niky** · March 5th, 2006 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by badkuk

hmmm, pansin ko lang: parang di gaano narerecommend ung lumang city. as i recall it's a pretty decent car, especially the civic-cannibalizing vtecs B)

uy, nagkaidea tuloy ako. maybe it's high time our resident writers do a story on this, i.e. the best newbie cars under 200k B)

That's not a bad idea...

...hey, mbt? guys?

As for the "City" question... it's an okay car, no question, but it suffers the same problem as the 1998-2000 Sentra FE... it's overpriced on the market. Both have asking prices of around 240k, for which price, you could already start looking at late model VTis and LXis.

**mynvidia** · March 5th, 2006 09:59 PM

wow! dami nagreply!thanks guys!

nakita ko mga to sa buy and sell..sub 200k lahat..

1997 sentra EX series 4
1996 mit lancer glxi
1995 honda civic ESi
1996 toyota corolla GLi

of the four could guys give a comparison please..yan na lang pagpipiliaan ko..=)

**oscarfish** · March 5th, 2006 10:08 PM

Hi, im lookin for Honda Civic 98/99 about P250,000.

**number001** · March 6th, 2006 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by mynvidia

wow! dami nagreply!thanks guys!

nakita ko mga to sa buy and sell..sub 200k lahat..

1997 sentra EX series 4
1996 mit lancer glxi
1995 honda civic ESi
1996 toyota corolla GLi

of the four could guys give a comparison please..yan na lang pagpipiliaan ko..=)

I would go for the Civic, aside from the biased opinion of being a former owner of two of these kind of vehicle for about 12 yrs already, I find them quite reliable and dependable. Parts are not as abundant around as the Toyota but the prices are reasonable.

The Civic ESI's engine is probably the best for me, even better than the VTEC on the EK Civic. Just get the manual trans, if you can drive it, otherwise the automatic is pretty much lethargic esp when being floored.

**number001** · March 6th, 2006 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by oscarfish

Hi, im lookin for Honda Civic 98/99 about P250,000.

If its the '99, you'd have to settle for a LXI variant, with your budget of Php 250K. '99 VTI's are going for Php 330K to Php 380K depending on condition and mileage

**ghosthunter** · March 6th, 2006 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by mynvidia

wow! dami nagreply!thanks guys!

nakita ko mga to sa buy and sell..sub 200k lahat..

1997 sentra EX series 4
1996 mit lancer glxi
1995 honda civic ESi
1996 toyota corolla GLi

of the four could guys give a comparison please..yan na lang pagpipiliaan ko..=)

1997 sentra EX series 4
1.4L engine and gives respectable fuel economy while still having good enough "ommph" for overtaking, etc. Power windows, power assist steering, manual adjust sidemirrors. I think it comes with 14inch alloy wheels and unpainted bumpers & side mirrors. A/C performs as well as in the 1.6L version. Rear seating legroom is a bit cramped. Spare parts are easy to find and prices will vary depending if you get surplus, brand new original or replacement. No ABS brakes. The 1.6L has ABS brakes but no airbags (its available for the driver side in the later models).

The other vehicles are 1.6L which will give lower fuel economy if you compare them to the Sentra 1.4L

1995 Honda Civic ESi
1.6L non-vtec sohc engine producing around 115hp. Nothing really outstanding here except as a solid platform for future performance related mods like engine swaps, etc. Spare parts are not as easy to find and prices will vary depending if you get surplus, brand new original or replacement. Of the cars you listed, the Civic is the one with the least number of "goodies" that came with the factory. No ABS brakes too. Personally I feel this car is overpriced simply because of the demand for this car (as a platform for later performance upgrades).

1996 Toyota Corolla GLi
1.6L dual overheal cam engine (4AFE) producing a factory rated 110hp while giving good fuel economy. Comes with 14inch factory alloy wheels, power steering and power assist brakes (last batch of this model came with factory ABS, I think). The ride quality is moderate. Rear legroom is spacious. Spare parts are easy to find and prices will vary depending if you get surplus, brand new original or replacement. If you want performance, engine swaps and other parts (brakes, suspension upgrades like the ones from LEVIN model corollas ) are readily available in surplus shops.