my 7-year old xtrail 250x vs. new compact w/ 25T/mo. amort. for 5years. feasible?

[alwayz_yummy]

dun sa mga nakasubaybay ng 2 threads ko... so far, somewhat recovered na ako sa ordeal ko a month ago...medyo nagstabilize na ang business ko..pero siyempre every penny spent is worth millions in the future.

But, this question still lingers on my mind, is it feasible? mahirap i decide kasi ayaw ko din bitawan xtrail ko. its already perfect, kaya lang, i want to convert my excess expenses into savings.

here's the present rundown why naguguluhan ako:

- 04 xtrail 250x, stock, religiously maintained, kumpleto documentation... ahente asking: 300T-350T... i want it atleast 400T - 500T.

- was mortaged last july for 180T at 12% interest which totalled to 208T which cost me P1800/day or P12,600/week for 114 days, until november 3, 2011.

- 7-year old car na, madami na din nagpaparamdam na wear and tear parts... may mga napalitan na ako, pero may mga susunod pa..

- daily drive ko is around 40-70 kms/day (paikot ikot sa area ko) averaging P500/day at 5 - 7 km/l consumption of petron XCS/ total protec (mid range fuel only, worst pag low-end). eto ang araw araw kong fuel cost, wala pa dyan ang additional fuel costs ko if ever gagala kaming pamilya na masmalayo pa sa sm north/trinoma.

- siyempre iba parin ang dating kapag nakita kang naka SUV kahit may edad na rather than arrive in a brand-new compact...


kung papalitan ko ng newer compact-hatch eto ang rundown:

- new - may warranty, at dealer options and freebies.. may tatakbuhan ako agad for repairs... tsaka may mga forums naman na matatakbuhan for reference ng dealerships with great support.

- * max of 25,000/mo. amort., means 834/day and monthly payments, but for a longer 5-year term... para sa akin mas magaan, di halos ramdam than 1800/day, at bigger interest and weekly payment pa! but for the next 4 years i have to shell out atleast 30,000 for comprehensive insurance, pms costs, at DIY repairability

- 1.6 - 1.8L ang engine choice ko, balanced performance and economy at pang city and highway ko gagamitin.. alin kay sa mga considerations ko ang makaka-atleast 10-15 km/l? all AT

- i'm considering a mazda 3 (99k all-in, * 19500/mo), sx4 crossover(* 8k - 48k all-in, * 22-22.5K/mo.), APV AT type 2 (*78k all-in, 18T/mo), focus 1.8 hatch, (108K all-in, 19T mo), kia soul (38-89T all-in, 23T-17T mo.).. more on financial aspect ang consideration ko dito: dealer support, downtime/pms/maintenance, fuel economy, value for money, flexibility and fun to drive (kaya ung mga di pwede i-test drive, maaring di ko na i-consider, maaring ok sa iba, pero baka di ko naman type.

- sedan cars doesn't fit my daily needs, so kahit type ko na, out na ang elanta, accent, vios, corolla,etc...

- ang grand livina naman, seasonal ang pag-sale nila (MT * 88t, elegance * 108K)... so kung nagkataon, at nagtagpo, ok na ako sa livina--tested ko na,e...

- pasok din ang grand vitara 2.4L 2wd * 99K, 25.5k monthly... pero its a 2.4L,e... gusto ko ma-cut fuel cost ko...

- ayaw ko ng diesel sa compact/ psuedo-MPV/SUV segment.. mura nga fuel cost, pero ang maintenance cost ay mataas at ang NVH levels are uncomfortable for me...

- upon sold of my xtrail, i'll pay the remaining balance of my mortgage firm which i estimate it will be on the P170T level as of this writing.

- target amount of cash that should be left with me should be atleast 200-300T depending on the negotiated price of my xtrail. and atleast 100-150T will be left after paying the downpayment of my replacement car. this will be used as a ready fun for future expansion--lagay ko muna sa TD dep while not needed.

*i dont want a used car.. at 100T, what do i get: a rundown 90's compact or a good 90's subcompact: kia pride lang yun! the car will de daily driver, kaya downtime is a big NO for me...

[niky]

Soul > SX4. Better, more modern in every way... though I don't know about economy, these two are probably going to be better than the Mazda3.

Focus is the most modern feeling and refined of this lot. Better match of engine to weight than Mazda3. Quicker, with the same or better economy. The Mazda3 is seriously underpowered.

The APV... practical... but can you stand the sacrifice in comfort versus a hatch?

If you could hunt for a pre-facelift Honda Jazz, Honda usually gives discounts on discontinued models. The 1.5 Jazz fits all your needs... cargo space is as good as or better than some of these cars, the 1.5 5AT is as quick as the Focus 1.8 and quicker than the SX4 or Soul (and definitely quicker than the sluggish Mazda3!) and it ticks all the right boxes...