'99 Vitara for P320K

[Macky]

OK na ba to? My friend (Suzuki salesman) is looking for a newer (prolly '99) Vitara model with A/T that will fit our budget of P320K. It's either this or yung Honda Jazz. Kailangan ko kasi ng malalagyan ng stroller kaya malaki dapat pinto sa likod, hehehe.

[best_buy_to]

dude, im new user here in tsikot .com
here's my experience with my vitara, hope this will make your mind

i bought it 3 years ago for 320k, 1995model m/t jlx

performance is good but the parts price are sky high!

i used to replace my fuel pump and it cost me 21k....

just sold my vitara a month ago and the best price i got was only 200k
whoa!

good: good performance, sturdy parts, good fuel consumption
not good: resale value, hard to find and expensive parts.

[mikaztro]

Suzuki Vitara JLX (1994 and 2004)

Lots of aftermarket parts for making your Vitara look tough and rough(Calmini.com & Rocky-road.com). There are parts available locally and can be purchased everywhere (Links banawe, Fronte banawe, Pilhino, etc)

Upside:

1. High ground clearance
2. Compact and easy to park
3. Strong engine (power to weight ratio)
4. Auto Hubs (4H, 4L)
5. Sturdy underchassis/suspension
6. Approach and departure angles(RTI)- Excellent
7. Aftermarket parts availability
8. Full-frame chassis with manual transfercase
9. Compubox located high(for flood fording)

Downside:
1. Weak aircon(some units)
2. Prone to warp door sidings
3. OEM suspension - bouncy
4. Expensive spare parts
5. Slow acceleration if matic
6. Insufficient leg room space at rear.
7. Low amp alternator rating

Fuel economy - Depends on the driver & frequency of maintenance. Mine is around 7 to 9km/Lt City & 11 to 13km/lt Highways.

* Most common defect of Vitara 97 and below are:
(check the following if you plan to buy one)

1. Fuel pump
2. Power windows/switches
3. Power steering gearbox
4. Power steering pump
5. AC Compressor
6. Alternator
7. Door sidings & Ceiling cladding
8. Radiator
9. Water pump
10. Clutch & break linings
11. Vibrating dashboards (some units)

Check out 4x4PHILIPPINES: http://www.4x4ph.com

[mikaztro]

Iceman's skinny dip

Slowpoked's rig going sideways

[purple0rkid]

wow! galeng, kanino bang ride yan? sino ung driver?

[mikaztro]

wow! galeng, kanino bang ride yan? sino ung driver?

The driver of the white Vitara is Iceman(engine still running). The black one is Slowpoked. All members of the Vitara Club of the Philippines.




Defpotec's red Vitara

Astec's Monster Zuk

water fording--hood level or should I say windshield level.

[best_buy_to]

yup tama po kayo sir mikaztro tungkol sa common defect ng mga vitara. meron pa po yatan isang common problem.... Starter.

[mikaztro]

Iceman's smile

Yours truly--doing sideways

[Macky]

Maraming salamat sa mga replies..... SiR mikaztro, any comments on models 98, 99 and 00?

Di naman kami concerned sa resale value since madami kaming kamag-anak na mahilig humingi ng sasakyan pag medyo may kalumaan na, hehehe. Basta ba reliable at safe. Or would you guys rather get a bnew Honda Jazz? Yun nga lang mag lo-loan kami ng P300K at may bayaran na naman monthly.

[mikaztro]

Maraming salamat sa mga replies..... SiR mikaztro, any comments on models 98, 99 and 00?

Di naman kami concerned sa resale value since madami kaming kamag-anak na mahilig humingi ng sasakyan pag medyo may kalumaan na, hehehe. Basta ba reliable at safe. Or would you guys rather get a bnew Honda Jazz? Yun nga lang mag lo-loan kami ng P300K at may bayaran na naman monthly.

Sir Macky,
98, 99 and 2000 models are just as good as the older ones less headache. It's not true na mababa re-sale value ng Vitara. In fact eh sya ang pinaka stable na re-sale value sa market right now. Look sa buy & sell and see the difference. A 95 Vitara still fetches around P280k to P330k, depends also sa condition ng unit & mods na kasama. Try to compare it with 94-95 Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mitsubishi Lancer, mas mataas pa re-sale value ng Vitara. The only problem lang sa Vitara eh mahirap hanapan ng buyer. Selected market and only off-roaders and the likes are the serious buyers. Yun lang ang main problem nito and not the re-sale value. If you know your contacts and existing buyers eh you can be able to sell it high.

[vinj]

If the pocket can hack it, i'd get the Honda Jazz as it's brand new and the passenger space is bigger then the Vitara.

On the Vitara, as long as you know where to buy the parts it shouldnt be a problem to maintain. On the a/t model, i heard its relatively underpowered though (try asking Glennster for more concrete feedback on this... they have one).

[Skywalker]

Kasya ba ang stroller sa Jazz? I vote for the Vitara.

[20vanda01]

If it will be pure city driving use and avoiding the flooded areas of metro manila, then I would go for the Jazz.

[odell]

if you would'nt want to play with the car on trailing and un place niyo hinde naman bahain.. i'd go with the jazz :D

[mikaztro]

Honda Jazz is a good buy as long as you have the dough for it. You cannot compare a Bnew vehicle to a second hand. Price & budget makes the difference too. By the way, spare parts for Vitara are widely available. It's a matter of inquiring and knowing where to find these supposedly hard to find items...which is not. You can buy parts of Vitara in Links, Olypia, Fernando's, Jed, Pilhino, Fronte etc.