What is your vehicle of choice for P950k?

[Ry_Tower]

There were a lot of good comments on the 850k thread in this forum. Let's raise the budget a little bit to P950k, with further recommendations not going over a million.

What would you purchase for P950k and why?

Choices should be limited to 4 wheels only (car/pick-up/van/SUV etc). Feel free to recommend second-hand/used vehicles, if the picks are good enough to warrant mentioning and are compelling choices.

IMO with taht budget, mas sariwa kung pick-up bibilhin mo vs. an SUV which has a higher purchase value kasi. Just make sure na hindi ginamit as pang-harabas yang pick-up at maingat yung previous owner (kunti lang nakakarga sa bed at kunti gasgas) ypu can get a much fresher model. Maganda yung mga binebenta ng mga OFW families or gaya nung kay RJ Bautista!

[renzo_d10]

If the 950k's for a 2nd-car only then throw me in an oldschool and i`ll use mostly every single centavo possible for its restoration. Hindi naman siguro mauubos lahat yan.

[Verbl Kint]

Good point. You can purchase a reasonably priced mustang and use the remainder for restoring it.

I'm probably leaning towards an elantra with this budget. Still not sold on SUVs and pick-ups (the Fieldmaster is an exception, kung di bago). 2nd hand baka Subaru Legacy.

Wala akong masyado alam sa van. I think my vehicle of choice is probably a sedan.

[GTS925]

Kasya ata Fortuner 1st Gen na second-hand sa 950,000.

[niky]

Wide range of choices here...

Brand new, at that price, the 1.8 liter Elantra is the best sedan for your money. Good ride and handling, a smooth six speed automatic that's responsive and great to use, a 1.8 liter engine with a good amount of punch and an interior that's better and bigger than most of its competitors.

Go cheaper, and I'd go for a 1.5 liter Honda Jazz. Still the most practical car in its price range, and the cargo space is impressive.

If you want as much space as possible for your money, an Isuzu Crosswind XT is a horrible, horrible, horrible car. But it's a horrible car you can use for both family and business and which is amazingly cheap to run. The only pick-ups you can get for under 950k are the bare models with manual transmissions. The Toyota MT is clunky and the shifter vibrates in your hand like a jackhammer. The Mitsubishi MT shifter is clunky, as well, and the clutch is hard. The Navara manual is easier to use, but I don't like it much, either. Ranger? D-Max? You get a non-direct injection engine, but that's not such a bad thing...

If you're buying a car just for yourself, the Ford Fiesta 1.4 MT Trend hatchback and the Mazda2 1.5 AT hatchback are both fun to drive. But if you want the best driving experience for that kind of money, the Suzuki Swift 1.4 MT is the ticket. It's not quite as punchy as the 1.5 and 1.6 liter subcompacts... but then only (fun) 1.5 you can get with a manual is the Mazda2 sedan... and that's not quite as good as the Swift. The Swift has steering that's about as good as the Mazda2, a suspension that's about as good as the Ford Fiesta and interior quality to blow both of them away.

Then there's the Suzuki Jimny. Which is horrible on road... bouncy, stiff, jittery... and has almost no interior space... but which is an absolutely stunning off-road toy. Twin live axles mean total off-road goodness, and there are a whole ton of aftermarket off-road parts available, as well as the all-important flood-proofing accessory, a snorkel.





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At 950k, your choice of secondhands is huge.

Secondhand, I would not buy a direct-injection diesel truck. While direct injection can be reliable if you're a conscientious owner... it's a bit like an automatic transmission. If the previous owner didn't have a clue about proper maintenance and use, you'll be suffering soon enough.

If you want an SUV, I'd be going for a pre-direct injection Ford Everest 4x4, or for something more classy, the old Toyota Landcruiser LC80




Finally, prices are under 900k pesos. Buy one with 4WD, diesel and a manual transmission... maybe 700-800k. Fix it up with the remaining money, get a good suspension and lift. Add more accessories as you go. You'll have one big, capable, tough mother of a truck to play with. And despite its age, it still gets you respect.

Or you could go the Suzuki route. A secondhand Jimny 4x4 MT costs about half your budget, leaving tons of space for mods. The more extreme off-road guys would even suggest going back further for a Samurai or for a custom Jeep rig... but come on... the rest of us need stuff like reliable airconditioning and working door locks.

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If you want a car, a huge number of cars are way under your budget. but if the point is to max out the budget, I would suggest against getting stuff like a twenty year old sports car (like, say, a GT-R) or a two or three year old midsize car (like an Accord). Not worth the hassle or maintenance costs. If you can get a local Nissan S15 Slivia in good condition (with a manual transmission swap), it'll be the best sports car for your money. No RHD-LHD conversion issues. But it's still a twenty year old sports car with a turbocharger. So you buy it for 650k or so then spend the rest of your money repairing it.

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A much better buy for the money would be a restored classic, like a 65 Mustang with a V8. You can just buy a restored one with the budget.

Looks good. Turns heads. Makes a nice sound. Has no crash safety to speak of, brakes suck, and drinks gas like an SUV... but hell... when you look this good, who cares?

-



Alternatively, a previous generation Subaru Forester XT is a way to get some turbo power action for less money than a WRX or WRX STi. It's nowhere near as nimble as a sports car, and the stock tires aren't great, but who cares? It's fast and it's fun. The 4-speed automatic can handle obscene amounts of power, and modifications to get more power, better handling and better braking are easy to find. Added to this are huge sunroof you get with local XTs and this one's a no-brainer.

Okay, so maybe the back seat is small for a crossover wagon, but hell... this is a toy. And 07 turbo XTs cost well under 950k now... Legacies of the time were non-turbo and dog-slow... you can get a grey market turbo Legacy in the price range, but why not get something that's fresh, local and non-converted?

[renzo_d10]

Or maybe, if you're lucky, you can find something like this that fits your budget.





I have no idea how much does these babies cost, since I haven't spotted one on the 2nd hand market yet, but if you're lucky enough you'll be able to find one.

Or ... this?





Or heck, just get an Austin Mini. Frankenstein it, and slap a Honda engine to make it more fun to drive.


Austin Mini with Honda B18 engine.


Also, you can get hold of Evolutions.

Personally, I like the EVO5. And I'm pretty sure that a unit will fit your budget, with some more to spare...




co-tsikoteer kha's evo 5. Local. Orig LHd.
sold but not forgotten.

[ghosthunter]

Frankly, I suggest against buying those options... especially if you only have P950K budget.

Reasons...

...against vintage American muscle cars:
-money pit. Something will always go wrong and parts will always be expensive and take a long time to source.
-fuel guzzler. big engines burns massive amounts of fuel.
-fuel guzzler. 60s tech means 60s era fuel mileage numbers.
-fuel guzzler. 70s fuel crisis killed the muscle cars. Not unlike current fuel prices...
-60s era technology. It might look ***y but it also means no modern aids like power seating, etc.

...against used Lancer EVOs:
-money pit. Spare parts are expensive and so is the maintenance.
-wear & tear. They are race cars and probably used like one with their previous owner.
-fuel guzzler. big HP needs big amounts of fuel.
-EVO5 was never sold locally. Chances are you might buy a chop-shop special which would lead to a whole bag of problems as well. In the very least, RHD-to-LHD conversions. Or worst, a local Lancer converted to an EVO using a boat-load of surplus EVO parts and lots of cut & welding. You're probably better off buying a Lancer with a good aftermarket turbo kit installed by a reputable tuner shop. It might not be as powerful but it probably be more reliable & safe.

...against vintage MINIs
-old cars. They look cute but in the end, you are buying a car that is at least 30 years old or more.
-wear & tear. With 30 years on the clock, expect a constant need for regular maintenance.
-made in UK. You might watch some car shows in TV saying these cars last forever and cheap & easy to maintain. But we don't live in the UK. So paying UK prices plus shipping/handling/taxes/customs will be fairly expensive and potentially troublesome.
-money pit. With a constant need of maintenance to keep it in running order, it will always be a money pit.
-lack of modern standard features. Stuff we take for granted like aircon, power steering, power windows, antilock brakes, crash safety and crumple zones.

[SyniTh]

Brand New KIA CARENS

[renzo_d10]

Frankly, I suggest against buying those options... especially if you only have P950K budget.

Reasons...

...against vintage American muscle cars:
-money pit. Something will always go wrong and parts will always be expensive and take a long time to source.
-fuel guzzler. big engines burns massive amounts of fuel.
-fuel guzzler. 60s tech means 60s era fuel mileage numbers.
-fuel guzzler. 70s fuel crisis killed the muscle cars. Not unlike current fuel prices...
-60s era technology. It might look ***y but it also means no modern aids like power seating, etc.

...against used Lancer EVOs:
-money pit. Spare parts are expensive and so is the maintenance.
-wear & tear. They are race cars and probably used like one with their previous owner.
-fuel guzzler. big HP needs big amounts of fuel.
-EVO5 was never sold locally. Chances are you might buy a chop-shop special which would lead to a whole bag of problems as well. In the very least, RHD-to-LHD conversions. Or worst, a local Lancer converted to an EVO using a boat-load of surplus EVO parts and lots of cut & welding. You're probably better off buying a Lancer with a good aftermarket turbo kit installed by a reputable tuner shop. It might not be as powerful but it probably be more reliable & safe.

...against vintage MINIs
-old cars. They look cute but in the end, you are buying a car that is at least 30 years old or more.
-wear & tear. With 30 years on the clock, expect a constant need for regular maintenance.
-made in UK. You might watch some car shows in TV saying these cars last forever and cheap & easy to maintain. But we don't live in the UK. So paying UK prices plus shipping/handling/taxes/customs will be fairly expensive and potentially troublesome.
-money pit. With a constant need of maintenance to keep it in running order, it will always be a money pit.
-lack of modern standard features. Stuff we take for granted like aircon, power steering, power windows, antilock brakes, crash safety and crumple zones.

re: American muscles

- Yung paghahanap ng parts eh kasama yan sa fun of owning a rare American muscle car. You will always find a spare part, ALWAYS. You just need to be patient enough. Kung IMPATIENT ka talaga, wala kang mararating.
- Of course it's a fuel guzzler, malaki yung engine eh. Pero kung bibilhin mo naman yung ganyan. The name itself -- MUSTANG -- depicts that it will drink loads of fuel but return loads of fun. Kumbaga, that's the prize of owning a rare muscle.
- You can live without power steering, power windows, no keyless entries and such. Especially power seating ... who needs that. More electronic perks = more expensive to repair when it breaks down

re used evos
- yeah, chances of it being hard-driven are big. so if you'll be buying one, you really need to take a close look at its engine
- re: local. idk. kha claimed his evo5 was locally-purchased, didn't know if it's a bogus or what. but knowing him, and his fleet of cars, he wouldnt lie. probably his idea of local was " car-was-shipped-then-bought-locally-at-grey-market "

re minis
- you dont dd a mini. it's just used as a toy car wherein you drive it about once a week or even less.

[Starex_Gold]

Problema lang naman kung kakasya sa loob ng Mini o hindi eh.....