New Driver - Recommended Car?

[OTEP]

Sayang lumampas ka sa Jimny phase.

Because in all probability, laos na lahat yung ibang choices mo after a few years pero ang Jimny hindi pa din.

Remember trucks don't go out of fashion. Diba pogi pa din mga lumang Patrol at Troopers?

[mbt]

april_ryan,

you'll always get the greatest value by buying pre-owned... a used compact SUV is waaay more car than a new compact sedan, yun nga lang, you'll need to work on it more. but i think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

if you insist on new, lynx pa rin ang ok, imo.

[orly_andico]

yup, the trouble with cars is, in the first 5 years the value drops 50% or more. after that, mababa na drop.

i'm SURPRISED nobody has suggested a galant SS, VR4, or VR6 7th gen! you can get one for 300k or so. much cheaper than an accord, and, i'm sure, not much worse.

check Buy and Sell online then search for cars. very informative, it gives you an idea of the going price for each car. for example

http://www.buyandsellph.com/buysell/...?search=altima

http://www.buyandsellph.com/buysell/...asp?search=626

http://www.buyandsellph.com/buysell/...ch=galant%20vr

the way the 2nd hand market now is, a 2.0L car costs THE SAME halos as a 1.6L car of the same age, because people think "magastos sa gas ang 2.0L." which is kinda true.. but i digress.

generally the 2.0L cars will have a much higher trim level, etc. will have a better ride, and more stable. plus a more torquey 2.0L engine!

i'm at the opposite end of the spectrum because i only had <200k to spend. so i'm faced with larger repair bills. but so far i've "only" spent 30k and the end is in sight (finally). i'm still way below what you're considering. first car din, i also had similar issues about being enslaved for the next 3-4 years (which essentially you are if you finance). and (maybe i'm just biased) the car i got still looks good and contemporary. :D just a gas hog. hehehe.

so kung ako... with 300k budget (since you set aside 100k for expenses!) i'd think of... a galant VR4, VR6, or SS (320k or so). you could also try an altima, or what i got (a mazda 626 -- which is significantly cheaper since people look down on mazda's -- you can get a '95 for 200k or so). PS comprehensive insurance can still be gotten for old cars. i got one for about 9k/year. on a 9-year old car.

[April_Ryan]

checked out the chevrolet optra and the aveo today. with my fascination for small cars, the aveo looks very interesting. current prices are:

aveo 1.5 m/t 575K
aveo 1.5 a/t 615K

optra 1.6 m/t 675K
optra 1.6 a/t 715k

The aveo looks ok to me, parang pang first car, with nice, hip colors to choose from. no safety features though, except for seatbelt and immobilizer. no airbags, nor ABS. like the barebones vios or city. rear sets can be folded for added trunk space, sort of like the city.

The optra is really like the lynx in that its good value for money. it's got everything for only 715K. I even like the exterior. Kaso, di ko gusto ang interior niya, don't like the combination of black and beige, didn't like the gauges. baka a matter of taste though. saving grace is the sound system, which is really nice (blaupunkt, am/fm, casette, 5 disc in-dash, with 4 speakers and 4 tweeters).

GM autoworld also has a promo for the chevrolet: 2 years free PMS, on top of the 3 year/100km warranty.

[April_Ryan]

I also test drove the ford lynx ghia m/t. Liked the feel of it. FYI, Ford has a zero interest promo for most of its models, max of 24 months. (SRP is 775K, with moonroof and leather seats, and you get about 60-80K off).

Checked out the Lynx RS. SRP is 888K, and if you buy in cash or terms, you get about 80K off. Very sporty, but a bit off my budget. Gastos pa sa gas, kasi 2.0 siya.

Went to 2 Toyota dealers, walang stock ng Altis sa showroom. sayang. I want to see sana the 1.6E model.

[April_Ryan]

i now have a shortlist:

ford lynx ghia (737k m/t; 770k a/t - less 60-80k discount)
altis 1.6E (762k m/t; 792k a/t - less P55k discount)
chevy optra (675k m/t; 715k a/t)

can't decide between manual and automatic, but leaning towards the automatic.

ford lynx and the chevy optra cost almost the same, with all the safety and other extra features (ABS-EBD, in dash cd player, 6 speakers etc). same concerns about price and availability of parts as well as service costs. the optra has the 2 years free PMS plus 3 years/100 kms warranty (as opposed to the lynx's 2 years/50k). should this assuage my fear about parts and service? at least for the first 2 years?

i like the optra's exterior but prefer the lynx's interior. the altis will be my safe choice, if i decide to be less adventurous with my money.

[April_Ryan]

also, are there car manufacturers who make better automatic cars? for example, is a toyota automatic better than the honda or the ford?

[orly_andico]

well, Ford historically has had reliability problems with automatic transmissions, much more than Toyota or Honda. if you're after reliability and trouble-free operation anyway, nothing touches a Toyota or Honda.

[badkuk]

Hi!


Personally, major issues for me would be:

-- reliability
-- maintenance cost
-- parts availability
-- fuel consumption

Sa reliability, Toyota or Honda lang talaga choices..Toyota seems to have the upper hand in terms of maintenance and parts availability....fuel consumption, i probably won't go beyond 1.6L na EFI.

Kung kukuha ka second hand, tingin ko Toyota na lang...Heaven forbid u need to get something fixed, at least less hassle na.


i've been dreaming about getting a Lynx...but the family AE92 is still standing B).

[April_Ryan]

Hi,

reviving this thread just to ask something. i'd like a black car (regardless of make. okay, the lynx, altis or optra). any advantages/disadvantages with my choice of color?