Growing older = Changing vehicle preferences

[chronophile]

Have you always preferred UVs over cars?

Am in my 30's, and have noticed that many of my peers, especially those with families already have started gravitating towards vans and UVs in recent years. I guess having a family affects everything, even your indulgence.

Like most, I started out with 1600 sedans, then graduated to a 2 liter sedan. In recent years, I've stuck with my 4X4 as my daily ride. Mine is 100% city driving and I know it's big and impractical, and a gasoline guzzler, but I no longer get any enjoyment out of driving a sedan, which can be a setback, because I'm thinking that when the time comes to retire my present rig, I may not be able to afford another SUV!

[Ungas]

Nah... I don't think that age has got something to do with rides. I'm still young, but eversince I started to drive a taller vehicle than a sedan, I never had the urge to drive lowly. Driving something with a taller stance vehicle does have its ups and downs. One advatage I could think of right now is having to see traffic ahead of you in which you could divert to other streets and make a detour. While on the other hand, height limited parking spaces limit you and your vehicle from covered areas, such as malls with 1.9m height.

But it does come in handy driving a utility vehicle or van especially when your family is growing, not interms of physical size, but the actual number count of passengers and their ages.

[mbt]

hirap bumalik sa sedan pag nasanay ka sa mataas na sasakyan hehe... feeling ko ang liit-liit ng side mirrors at kung nasa likod ka ng malaking SUV, underchassis at bumper yung nakikita mo, hindi tailgate hehehe... (pero ok lang)

ungas: "i'm still young,..."

yeah riiiiiiiight...

[boybi]

i'm also still young, pero family man na ako. and in my experience, mas ok talaga kung van or suv. tuwing magbabakasyon ang mga anak ko sa mga byenan ko, halos hindi na mag kasya sa patrol mga gamit nila, what more kung sedan?

[afrasay]

hehe...si happiman ang tanungin natin. ever since gusto ko na ng mataas, i guess ako sa monetary consideration. i started with sedans, then nun naging affordable ang suv (2nd hand ah) i jumped into one. have you notice kahit mga rich kids suv na ang type nila.

[explorer]

trivia: 90% of lincoln town car owners are 45~60+ years old.

[pajerokid]

For style and economic reasons, ganyan talaga ang trend.

It seems that you need less and less speed and more and more convenience as you grow older...... and like Ungas, im young!

[wildthing]

I have preference for all .... I like the pick-up (which have been my regular service vech) for utility and all around driving, I like sedans (some previous jobs have this as my regular service) for smoothness or ride and acceleration, I like vans - great for barkada or group lakad, I like go-carts for speed (ultimate), I like motorbikes (no traffic)....I would probably love an SUV (if I could own/drive one)...I would probably love a hard-core off-roader (just like how I loved my bmx racing in the dirty).... I would probably love driving an airplane or boat too (given a chance to drive or own one).....

Old or young....I just love any vechicle.....

[OTEP]

I started driving in an MB100. Then I went to a W123 300D sedan. Tapos nun Kia Besta na. Currently, GEN II Pajero ang gamit ko.

I have always loved diesels. And the unavailability of diesel engines for sedans has always been a turn off for me.

Life is too big for cars. There are people to ferry, stuff to haul and places to get to. Ika nga ni Olive Drab: "Don't compromise your mobility." That's why I'm driving an all-weather, all-terrain vehicle.

[Ungas]

Given the chance to compare comfort levels on each vehicle, I'd vote for a van with IFS and solid rear diffs with LSD than an SUV. Sedans suspension system is primarily made for clear roads only, it can't bear much of the potholes and enormous sharp humps.

[mbt]

pero syempre, still can't beat a car out in the open road and in the corners (just as you can't beat a truck on the beaten path)

[OTEP]

A conventional automobile does have its advantages. I guess its just a metter of filling in one's needs.

Trucks fit my needs extremely well.

[chronophile]

Originally posted by explorer
trivia: 90% of lincoln town car owners are 45~60+ years old.

Yes, lincolns and cadillacs have always been patronized by that demographic.

But here's a more interesting fact:

In North America, in the recent years, the Toyota Corolla's customers' average age is . . . . . . . . 46 years old! For this reason, Toyota USA launched the Scion product line - like the Scion Matrix which has been moderately popular in the States. The Scion is intended to keep Toyota's foothold in the subcompact market.

I guess US$15-18K for a Corolla is no longer entry-level for the young crowd in North America.

[pissword]

sir chronophile, i think sa cali palang available ang scion, next year pa lalabas sa ibang states dba? mukhang modded na element hehehe

btw, since never kami nagkaroon ng car sa family, so i guess depende nga siguro, ok lang sakin ang car, but id still prefer SUV. kahit na mini ute lang tong dinadrive ko. ok lang baguhan naman eh hehe baka pagnakagraduate na ako dito pwede na ako mag fullsize. ala nga sa age yan, im still young din and depende sa needs, pero still sa manila d na ok ang Sedan

pag uuwi ako sa province next next week i think everest ata madadrive ko dun at canter naku masusubukan ako nito kaya lang ala traffic dun hehe...

[phillipogi]

i noticed na i'm moving up the engine displacement range every time i change my car. starting from a 1.1L to a 1.7L to a 2.2L..... what next, a 3.0L?

but i noticed that recently i'm starting to like SUVs over fast cars (considering i'm just 21)....because of its large tires and high ground clearance....naaawa ako sa kotse ko pag tumatakbo sa uneven surface like the Quirino to Magallanes part of SLEX....hindi nga pothole, sobra namang uneven! pag SUV car mo, di problem yun eh!

[pissword]

phillipogi..what more sa NLEX ngaun sus!! halos d pwede mag change lane baka bigla umangat hehe

[chronophile]

Originally posted by pissword
sir chronophile, i think sa cali palang available ang scion, next year pa lalabas sa ibang states dba? mukhang modded na element hehehe

btw, since never kami nagkaroon ng car sa family, so i guess depende nga siguro, ok lang sakin ang car, but id still prefer SUV. kahit na mini ute lang tong dinadrive ko. ok lang baguhan naman eh hehe baka pagnakagraduate na ako dito pwede na ako mag fullsize. ala nga sa age yan, im still young din and depende sa needs, pero still sa manila d na ok ang Sedan

pag uuwi ako sa province next next week i think everest ata madadrive ko dun at canter naku masusubukan ako nito kaya lang ala traffic dun hehe...

That's right, California is the testbed for global car companies. It also has the toughest emission laws, and the biggest car market in the continental US. That is obviously explained by the fact that the state of California is the tenth biggest economy ..... in the whole world! Lolo Arnold Schwarzanegger certainly picked the right state to make his way to Washington!

Kaka-inggit talaga mga based sa states. I suppose you've noticed a long long time ago how affordable pre-owned, pristine SUVs are in that part of the world! Just take a look at ebay and you'll see what i mean... LC100s just a few years old selling for less than $20K. 5 year old LC 80s going for $10K. Yummy!

Pissword, give us a field report naman of how the Everest is.:D

[pissword]

ok..try ko pag nakaonline ako on the 24th, kasi 23 ako uuwi eh alam ko un ang susundo sakin hehehe so itetest ko, kaya lang 4x2 lang un na silver ata and hiway driving un malamang.

haayy sana wala na kasing tax tax, un mga LC ba ginagawa sa US? d tulad ng rav na CBU from japan to anywhere in the world since nung simula?

[sikuya]

the scion brand is supposed to be sold statewide in the middle of next year. they have 2 models so far the echo-based xA and the boxy xB. they're bringing in a european toyota model sometime in 05 as the xC. the biggest headache for toyota USA is its aging customer base hence the scion brand.
US landcruisers are made in japan, and so are the rav4's, 4runners(hilux surf in japan), lexus gx470(LC prado), lx470 (LC cygna) and rx330 (harrier). the RX will be built in canada pretty soon.
US-made SUV's--full-size sequoia, midsize highlander

[empy]

still young but i don't think i'll ever have an SUV (definitely will never ever have a van)...i love speed and cornering too much

maybe if you dieselclub guys took me on one of your expeditions when i go home to the philippines, i'll change my mind ;)