which car should i buy? pls. help.

reversion · August 2003

hi guys,

Im thinking about having a car of my own, but i don't know which car should i choose. I have my few options to choose. HONDA CIVIC, HONDA CITY, TOYOTA COROLLA, OPTRA CHEVROLET.
please help me out on choosing which is more ideal, i have no idea about cars and i know nothing about repairs.

your opinions are truly appreciated!

^paolo^ · September 2003

Good second hand car brands are: Honda, Toyota and Mitsubishi in that order. All three have good track records with regards to durability and fuel consumption, which are important factors in deciding on a car. Although, spare parts for Honda cars tend to be more difficult to find than Toyota or Mitsubishi.

Also, you should also inquire as to how the car has been used (i.e., mostly just for city driving or house to office and some minor trips) to gauge the wear and tear of the car. Be observant of the owner's actions and attitude (whether he / she is the type that is knowledgeable about cars, knows how to take care of it and such) to boost your confidence about his handling of the car.

Check under the hood to see if it is relatively clean, wipe the tailpipe (tambutso) to see if their is any thick black residue (which is normally unburnt oil that means that the car's hasn't been maintained properly), check the odometer to see how far it has gone (cost of a second hand car is usually determined by it's age, condition and total distance travelled)

That's all I can think of right now. :*)

jb007 · September 2003

I presume you are talking about brand new cars. Among the cars that you mentioned, the japanese brands are more practical for use in the Philippines. It is more economical in terms of fuel consumption and parts are cheap. I would choose between a Honda Civic, Toyota Altis or the Nissan Sentra. These brands have excellent after sales services. Stay away from Mitsubishi-- terrible service.

slamm · September 2003

What's your budget?

On brand new, i'd choose a Toyota Corolla Altis, Nissan Sentra, or Honda Civic.

The second hand market also OK, try looking for a 1 or 2 year old car in the classified (Manila Bulletin). You'll be getting a relatively new car at a cheaper price (you wont be hard hit by the intial depreciation). Just make sure you're not getting a "hot" car or one that is a lemon.

Since you're not that familiar with cars, i'd suggest you get one that is new or slightly used. With regards to maintainance, with a new or slightly used car, the most you'll be dong should usually only be the regular maintainance stops every 5000km. Problems usually begin to arise after the 3rd year or so.

LoRdOfThEfLiEs · September 2003

buy the honda civic coz taht car is really good.... my friend has taht car and it did not give him any problem as long as u now how to take care of it.

Don't buy the chevy coz it will not last in the phil.

mrpathetic · September 2003

My own opinion

Stay away from those American cars...some, if not all of them, are not really suited to Philippine conditions...

In any case, just get an Altis...Toyota parts are easy to find, service is not a problem, reliable, good resale value...

The Civic is roomier than the Altis or the Exalta but the suspension is not that good like in the old Civics...Service is good but parts are very expensive and not available outside...

Exalta: I like the design...its small though inside, and while Nissan's resale value has improved a bit from the last Exalta model, it's still low...

Personally, I'd get the Altis 1.8G or 1.6G...

dakila · September 2003

I agree with these guys. Stick with Honda or Toyota. OK lang kung trip mo ang Mitsubishi, pero stay away from the Chevy -- walang parts kundi sa Casa lang.

shun_sakurai · September 2003

What kind of car are you looking for---brand new or second hand?

If you're looking for a second-hand car, Hondas are generally the best and depreciate the slowest. Trade-off is that maintenance can be expensive as they discourage servicing a Honda outside their dealer network, and parts can be harder to find.

Toyotas are good second-hand cars too, and parts can be had almost anywhere. Just avoid the taxis.

For a brand-new car, I'd recommend either the City or the Corolla. The low-horsepower handicap of the City isn't really that obvious when you factor the drivetrain losses in. If you can get past the strange "huge trunk" look then it'll serve you well.

The Corolla is spacious inside but can be a bit hard to drive because of the vast plastic dashboard. Your visibility gets slashed as a result. There's good poke in the engine though, and servicing can be made cheaper than that of the City.

Good luck.

zen8887 · September 2003

Civic coz of many aftermarket products, looks good, and easy to set up

City is also a good idea, with its price around 500,000+

slamm · September 2003

I like the technology that was built into the City but i just cant get myself to come into terms with the styling...

The Vios looks better but given their price range for a brand new, i'd just get a one year old Corolla, Sentra or Civic.

With second hands, Toyota is the best choice for me as parts are easier to come by. Honda's are good and parts can be found in Banawe but its still easier and cheaper to fix up a Toyota IMO.

slickmugen_13 · September 2003

SECOND HAND CARS???

Well, if we're talking practicality sake here... a Toyota vehicle will be the choice...easy to find spare parts, matibay, reliable service from Toyota, and ok naman in terms of porma and comfort.

reversion · September 2003

thank you guys for replying..

I'm really planning to buy a new one..

slickmugen_13 · September 2003

thank you guys for replying..

Well, it really depends...like how do you tend to use your car, sa tastes mo, and budget (although there are alot of good car plans these days).

I gotta admit both the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are great cars. I got the chance of experiencing to drive both cars and I say they are really fast and comfortable. Plus they both have adequate safety features and specifications that are usually found only in expensive luxery cars.

ice_violet · September 2003

honda and toyota
wag american cars kasi mabilis masira tsaka matakaw sa gas.
mas matulin ang honda pero mas malakas lumaklak ng gas, mas mahal din paayos. pero mas mataas tingin ng mga tao.
toyota stating from yung altis na bago is maporma na compared to before, mas mura din paayos toyota kasi mas mura hamak parts niya than honda

yrrejboy · September 2003

brand new honda civic.... mas mataas re-sale value...

necr0 · September 2003

maganda ba record ng mitsubishi sa pinas? Dito kse, panget.

and yes, american cars are not suited to Phil conditions... heck, they're not even suited to American conditions. LOL

lance_ryan · November 2003

Civic VTI-S or Altis 1.6G

NunoSaPunso · November 2003

Hi Guys, how about second hand cars? Budget is 250k?
Honda or Toyota?

slamm · November 2003

With 250K, i'd look for a '96-'97 Toyota Corolla GLi (AE101).

Easy to fix up and maintain. Always expect some things needing replacing when you get a 2nd hand car so leave some cash on the side for repairs and preventiove maintainance.