April_ryan,

Here's my take on some of the cars being suggested here in the forum. We currently own some fo the cars so I guess I have to be as "unbiased" as I can regarding this. :mrgreen:

Toyota RAV4 2 door A/T

Pros:
Easy to park
Good engine, hindi siya underpowered
Kayang kaya ang baha
All wheel drive
very good fuel consumption (7-7.5 km/L) and its a 2.0 AND an automatic!
very comfy up front considering it's a small car (and I'm 6'1"!)
Cons:
no cargo space when the rear seats are used
rear end is a little bit loose and bumpy when driven without load

Conclusion: This is my sister's car. But I drive it once in a while. IMO its a pretty comfortable car to drive. Ours is a 1997 model with 65K kms on the odometer and we still havent had a major breakdown with any of the mechanical parts yet. We just bring it to the Casa for 5K PMS.

Opel Vectra CDX A/T

Pros:
Absolutely fun car to drive!
Fast and Powerful (The acceleration is absolutely sublime!)
Great stock sound system (CD changer is flush mounted in the glove! And it has seps both for front and rears!)
Nice and quiet inside the cabin
Hugs the road at high speeds (Didn't notice one time that I was already doing 160 on the Skyway. You just don't feel any vibrations)

Cons:
Bland interior
Sirain (at least our is! My Dad thinks we got a lemon)
Very low ground clearance, not ideal for Philippine roads (I wrecked the oil pan once when I ran over a small piece of hollow block)
Mahal ang parts... SOBRA.
GM Service sucks bigtime. (Buti nalang madalas yung Vectra sa talyer kaya parang suki na kami doon :mrgreen: )
Sometimes too sensitive electronic sensors (The car wouldn't start onetime because of a faulty air intake sensor. It wasn't working so the computer thinks no air was going in the engine)
Have to bring it to the Casa for reprogramming of the radio and computer everytime the battery dies

Conclusion: This the most exciting car to drive in our garage... WHENEVER ITS FIXED. I say this because the car has been in and out of the shop the most among our cars due to mechanical/electronic problems. My dad doesn't want to sell it because he enjoys driving the car, hell I do to! After driving this car made me realize the difference between German Engineering and Japanese Engineering. Fun car, but for a first car, the cost of ownership is pretty steep. I think your better off getting a brand new Jap sedan and pay the amortization. It could come out cheaper... hehehe :mrgreen:

Opel Tigra M/T

Pros:
Real good looking car (kaya di pinatint di erpats)
1.6 engine is perfect for the car
Great fuel mileage (my dad gets 12 - 13 km/L for a daily drive from Paranaque to Santa Rosa Everyday)
Handling is very stable
Front space is suprisingly roomy (Again I'm 6'1" and I don't feel cramped at all when driving this car)

Cons:
Same comments as above regarding GM parts and service
You feel very low to the ground
The ride is medyo stiff
like the Vectra, allergic sa lubak
Two seater disguised as a four seater

Conclusion: It's a nice car to have. Easy to drive, power is there when needed, handles ok, and great fuel consumption. Of course the cost of ownership is high also (mahal kung may masira, pero suwerte din kami sa Tigra kasi its not like yung Vectra namin na sirain). Yung normal PMS/tune up naman kung sa casa gawin is not expensive. I think the last bill came up to 2500 or so. Pero kung may masira na piyesa... magiging mahal na.

Like pajero kid, I would not count out the RAV4. Much more room than the Jimny. Available parts, pogi tingnan, and easy to drive.

Just my P0.02 worth

Cheers!
April_ryan,

Here's my take on some of the cars being suggested here in the forum. We currently own some fo the cars so I guess I have to be as "unbiased" as I can regarding this. :mrgreen:

Toyota RAV4 2 door A/T

Pros:
Easy to park
Good engine, hindi siya underpowered
Kayang kaya ang baha
All wheel drive
very good fuel consumption (7-7.5 km/L) and its a 2.0 AND an automatic!
very comfy up front considering it's a small car (and I'm 6'1"!)
Cons:
no cargo space when the rear seats are used
rear end is a little bit loose and bumpy when driven without load

Conclusion: This is my sister's car. But I drive it once in a while. IMO its a pretty comfortable car to drive. Ours is a 1997 model with 65K kms on the odometer and we still havent had a major breakdown with any of the mechanical parts yet. We just bring it to the Casa for 5K PMS.

Opel Vectra CDX A/T

Pros:
Absolutely fun car to drive!
Fast and Powerful (The acceleration is absolutely sublime!)
Great stock sound system (CD changer is flush mounted in the glove! And it has seps both for front and rears!)
Nice and quiet inside the cabin
Hugs the road at high speeds (Didn't notice one time that I was already doing 160 on the Skyway. You just don't feel any vibrations)

Cons:
Bland interior
Sirain (at least our is! My Dad thinks we got a lemon)
Very low ground clearance, not ideal for Philippine roads (I wrecked the oil pan once when I ran over a small piece of hollow block)
Mahal ang parts... SOBRA.
GM Service sucks bigtime. (Buti nalang madalas yung Vectra sa talyer kaya parang suki na kami doon :mrgreen: )
Sometimes too sensitive electronic sensors (The car wouldn't start onetime because of a faulty air intake sensor. It wasn't working so the computer thinks no air was going in the engine)
Have to bring it to the Casa for reprogramming of the radio and computer everytime the battery dies

Conclusion: This the most exciting car to drive in our garage... WHENEVER ITS FIXED. I say this because the car has been in and out of the shop the most among our cars due to mechanical/electronic problems. My dad doesn't want to sell it because he enjoys driving the car, hell I do to! After driving this car made me realize the difference between German Engineering and Japanese Engineering. Fun car, but for a first car, the cost of ownership is pretty steep. I think your better off getting a brand new Jap sedan and pay the amortization. It could come out cheaper... hehehe :mrgreen:

Opel Tigra M/T

Pros:
Real good looking car (kaya di pinatint di erpats)
1.6 engine is perfect for the car
Great fuel mileage (my dad gets 12 - 13 km/L for a daily drive from Paranaque to Santa Rosa Everyday)
Handling is very stable
Front space is suprisingly roomy (Again I'm 6'1" and I don't feel cramped at all when driving this car)

Cons:
Same comments as above regarding GM parts and service
You feel very low to the ground
The ride is medyo stiff
like the Vectra, allergic sa lubak
Two seater disguised as a four seater

Conclusion: It's a nice car to have. Easy to drive, power is there when needed, handles ok, and great fuel consumption. Of course the cost of ownership is high also (mahal kung may masira, pero suwerte din kami sa Tigra kasi its not like yung Vectra namin na sirain). Yung normal PMS/tune up naman kung sa casa gawin is not expensive. I think the last bill came up to 2500 or so. Pero kung may masira na piyesa... magiging mahal na.

Like pajero kid, I would not count out the RAV4. Much more room than the Jimny. Available parts, pogi tingnan, and easy to drive.

Just my P0.02 worth

Cheers!