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  1. Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    3,527
    #31
    I'll shy away from the Nissan Teana. It arrived too late on our shores to effectively compete with the Camry or Accord. In fact, I don't see why you would choose this over its bigger and better peer, the Sonata.

    Patay, meron BMW I'd get the 320 for the proper entry level. Maintenance would costs a pain in the future though.

  2. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    440
    #32
    Genesis Coupe 3.8L na para worth the money.

  3. #33
    Thanks guys.

    Here's a new entrant to my list! Advice/comments needed.

    What about the Pajero 3.8L at 2.4M?

    Thoughts?

  4. #34
    Thanks guys.

    Here's a new entrant to my list! Advice/comments needed.

    What about the Pajero 3.8L at 2.4M?

    Thoughts?

  5. Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,527
    #35
    Pajero's a very safe choice. As it is the Monty' older brother (it's actually called Pajero Sport in other countries), treat it like one. The Montys and Pajero have off-road powess. Not in the line of Range Rovers but you could definitely use them in hiking trails (if that's your hobby).

    Aside from that, I'd slot it below the Santa Fe/Sorento if you're just gonna cruise around the city.

    Also, after reading the first post, also cross out the Dodge Nitro. Unique? Yes. But the practicality of it is downright horrendous. Even I believe there are more Ferraris or Lambos in the country than Dodge.

    The Outlander isn't really a mid-sized SUV. It's closer to the ASX so it's a crossover slash CUV. If you feel like you're needing more cargo, I'd go for a proper mid-size SUV like the Santa Fe. If you feel you lack performance, I'd go for the Legacy. Those can kill Beemers and is more affordable too.

    Rather than the Everest (which is going to have a refresh soon), I'd get a Monty VGT. It's simply the older brother of your Outlander so if you're satisfied on the Outlander, you can vouch for this one's satisfaction. If you're leaning towards the Everest, you might want to wait for the refreshed Ford Explorer. Those has a LOT of toys... at the expense of off-roading. Purists may complain, but not everybody loves the woods.

    Genesis Coupe vs Legacy.... too bad, I'll go for the Legacy here. Since you have the Outlander, I'm assuming you have kids. Legacy gives you that practicality at the expense of losing the coupe profile. Won't touch the Lancer EX Ralliart at the same 2m PHP price range. Definitely a Legacy for the performance.

    I'm still pro-Sonata if you just want a comfy ride that's stylish and practical. It doesn't get into Car and Driver's Top10 just because of sheer luck, you know. You can also import the GDi version by contacting Hancars, but the 200hp engine would cost you 2.1m PHP. At that point, I'd get a Legacy.

  6. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by jhnkvn View Post
    Pajero's a very safe choice. As it is the Monty' older brother (it's actually called Pajero Sport in other countries), treat it like one. The Montys and Pajero have off-road powess. Not in the line of Range Rovers but you could definitely use them in hiking trails (if that's your hobby).

    Aside from that, I'd slot it below the Santa Fe/Sorento if you're just gonna cruise around the city.

    Also, after reading the first post, also cross out the Dodge Nitro. Unique? Yes. But the practicality of it is downright horrendous. Even I believe there are more Ferraris or Lambos in the country than Dodge.

    The Outlander isn't really a mid-sized SUV. It's closer to the ASX so it's a crossover slash CUV. If you feel like you're needing more cargo, I'd go for a proper mid-size SUV like the Santa Fe. If you feel you lack performance, I'd go for the Legacy. Those can kill Beemers and is more affordable too.

    Rather than the Everest (which is going to have a refresh soon), I'd get a Monty VGT. It's simply the older brother of your Outlander so if you're satisfied on the Outlander, you can vouch for this one's satisfaction. If you're leaning towards the Everest, you might want to wait for the refreshed Ford Explorer. Those has a LOT of toys... at the expense of off-roading. Purists may complain, but not everybody loves the woods.

    Genesis Coupe vs Legacy.... too bad, I'll go for the Legacy here. Since you have the Outlander, I'm assuming you have kids. Legacy gives you that practicality at the expense of losing the coupe profile. Won't touch the Lancer EX Ralliart at the same 2m PHP price range. Definitely a Legacy for the performance.

    I'm still pro-Sonata if you just want a comfy ride that's stylish and practical. It doesn't get into Car and Driver's Top10 just because of sheer luck, you know. You can also import the GDi version by contacting Hancars, but the 200hp engine would cost you 2.1m PHP. At that point, I'd get a Legacy.
    Hey jhnkvn! Thanks for this. You got my vibe spot on.

    Pajero is a product of a "upgrade now" mindset. I wanted to look for cars that would feel like an upgrade from my current reliable Outlander. My mother spent 25 years of her career in the automotive industry particularly in Mitsubishi Corp; it's very easy to see where influence here.

    I checked out the following cars today for my own sanity's sake:
    - Toyota Prado 3.5L
    - Mitsu Pajero 3.8L
    - Nissan Teana 3.5L
    - Toyota Camry
    - Hyundai Sonata 2.4L Premium
    - Kia Carnival (onlyt because there was no Sorento on display, blah; all doors are automatic!)
    - Ford Everest

    From that, it all boils down to this short list:
    - Nissan Teana
    - Hyundai Sonata
    - Mitsu Pajero

    Teana: Exterior was excellent except for its front part (rather standard looking). Interior was very traditional, wood panels everywhere. Hot point is the ottoman feature of the front passenger seat (it's a welcome frill!). Audio system is so-so. Has a panoramic sunroof. What drives me nuts about this car is the 3.5L engine. So much power for a sedan in this class, I think. Also, what kind of sold it to me is this really helpful, enthusiastic seasoned sales person Alberto Ocampo who allowed me to start the engine and play with the car. Car feels old (I'm just 27 years old) but it sure commands luxury and establishment (that's both a pro and a con!).

    Sonata: same observations. It's a car that really commands presence. Today, we checked out a black 2.4L premium in Pasig. Sales person allowed us to start the engine so we could play with the auto features; too bad battery died on us. I said I want to check out the red premium version and on a test drive. I think that's what will *really* close the deal for me. My major worry about the Sonata is the anticipated launch of the Grandeur which might downgrade my Sonata by then. How I wished, too, that this packed a 3.5L engine like the Teana.

    Pajero: We checked out Diamond in pasig but they said it will take me 3 months to get my hands on a Pajero. We then went to Citimotors in Makati. They have an available white 3.8L Pajero. The inexperienced sales person did not even allow me to connect the battery of the car, which I hated. It's not like buying a Pajero comes in cheap. What would really sell a Pajero to me is if I get to try and play with it. I'm sure it would work fine, but I just want that privilege, so to speak. But they didn't. What I like about this SUV is that I *know* this would be a perfect car for me but it just felt short on "impact" when I went in and imagined myself driving it on a highway. It's not as commanding as a Teana or a Sonata. I'm not much of an off roader, but it would be good to know it's ready to get dirty.

    So these are the cars I think deliver on things I want for my next car:
    - upgrade look, feel and performance from my current Outlander
    - communicates an achievement for myself
    - packs a lot of excellent features that I do not have from my current Blackie (my outlander)
    - comfortable for 3 household members

    Deciding this week, so wish me luck! :-)

  7. Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    3,823
    #37
    bro if you think the teana is fast, test drive the subaru legacy, it will run circles around it. the most performance oriented in it's class and when it comes to the luxury part, it doesn't fall behind. i'm sure if you test drive the legacy you won't even consider the teana anymore.

    if you're buying the sonata i'd get the premium since i'm sure you can afford it. for the price and the features of the sonata premium, i'd choose it over the teana.

    for the pajero naman, which do you really want a sedan or an SUV? we can't really compare a sedan to an SUV, we can't tell you to get the SUV over the sedan or the sedan over the SUV. it will come down to what you need and where you'll drive, if you don't really need the space or the ride height of an SUV then i'd go for a sedan.

  8. Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,527
    #38
    So far, only have spotted less than 10 Teanas on the road. Compared to more than 10 Sonatas.

    Initial impressions on the Teana is that it's huge. But I'd get an Accord over it in terms of road presence, interior refinement, and reliability.

    Don't be fooled by the beige interior of the Teana (well, saw a beige one stuck in Quiapo traffic last month). Beige naturally makes the surroundings look more accomodating and spacy. But it's a nightmare to maintain.

    Most car companies nowadays are moving towards turbocharging smaller displacement engines to boost power rather than the usual get-more-cylinders tactic. Stricter emission standards do that it also helps fuel economy for us buyers but you need to take care of your turbo better.

    The Legacy's turbocharged 2.5L's engine code is EJ25 I believe. This means that it shares the same with the Impreza WRX. It's enough power to propel the Legacy from 0-60 in 5.3 seconds (6.2 for the Camry V6, 6.8 for the Accord V6, 6.0 for Teana V6) In percentile, it's 13% quicker. Don't underestimate the .7 seconds difference. A Porsche Boxster S with 310hp under its hood reaches 0-62mph in the exact same time.. 5.3seconds. The Subaru Forester 2.5XT also shares the same engine. Driving fun is assured but you can get better money for the interior.

    The bad thing with the Legacy is that the interior still needs refinement. If you're looking at performance, you've picked the right car. If you're looking for interior refinement, look at the Accord instead (or Camry if you're spending time at the backseat where it has tons of toys)

    Take into account that the Teana (or Altima) has been around since 2006. A year or two ahead of the Accord and is badly in need of a refresh. It's very surprising that Nissan even released it here on 2010 seeing how its refreshed model is inevitable in the US to effectively compete with the Sonata. Sure, it might not arrive in Philippine shores soon, but there's still that annoyance of having an refreshed model out in the world.

    Pity the Sonata isn't using GDi NOR the Coupe's turbocharged 2.0L here. Dami excuses ng HARI eh

    The Pajero offers alot of bang for your buck. Treat the 4x4 as a little extra. But there's no denying its affordable when it's in the same class as the Toyota Prado (which I don't like the styling personally btw)

    I think you'll come over to the Legacy camp if you're performance-oriented once you give it a spin still, I am unsure about its resale value in the Philippines. It's also the same reason why my brother was against my choice in scouting a Sonata Premium. "The US value might be improving but the important thing is domestic/Philippine resale values. Hyundai should prove itself first" We're very practical people

  9. Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    6,940
    #39
    I'm curious, you checked out the Prado and the Pajero, but you consider the Pajero more than the Prado? Am I missing something here?

  10. Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    3,823
    #40
    Quote Originally Posted by oliver1013 View Post
    I'm curious, you checked out the Prado and the Pajero, but you consider the Pajero more than the Prado? Am I missing something here?
    ganyan talaga bro, kanya kanyang preference yan. i for one would buy the prado over the pajero anyday.

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Your advice needed! Hyundai Sonata GLS Premium or Ford Everest 4x4 LTD or others