Car for a young dad

**Calistro** · July 2nd, 2014 12:48 PM

Tsikoteers, can I have some feedbacks? Any young family starting out there? Doing this for a friend. They basically have no background in cars, haven't owned one and have one baby boy around one year old. Everything will be from their pockets, no company sponsors and fuel economy as well as maintenance are top on the priority list. Budget is a bit limited and 900k is pushing it to the limit. No Manual transmission as his wife will be driving it also from time to time. Around 800k is tolerable, lower would be better. Daily driver from Manila to Cavite. Weekends might fill the car with 5 people with the baby on trips. I have done some browsing around and it budget limits to these; on top of my head.

As much as I would like to recommend them my choices, I am a bit biased on the Mazda 3 and Altis, and we don't know anyone who owns these new Hondas from a personal standpoint.

Honda City V 800k
-Space and build are its selling points. I guess the trunk wins it over the Jazz. Haven't really driven one but when I was a passenger once, engine seems anemic? Aircon feels kinda weak too.

Honda Jazz
- Its nice and all, but will this be better than the city for hauling?

Mazda 3 1.5
- Questionable on reputation. Can't really answer them since yojin 3 is the only selling point, aside from the good looks and amenities. Pushing the ceiling with the budget on this.

Altis 1.6G
- Perhaps much more reasonable than the Mazda in the long run, although they are more biased with Honda. How fuel efficient is this compared to the sub compacts? From what I read, it can do 10 km/l?

Suzuki Ertiga, Toyota Avanza
- Dark horses, really not a fan of these since I find the Avanza flimsy. Re : Suzuki, I have no solid feedback on this, but the ertiga looks nice...

Thanks guys

**lowslowbenz** · July 2nd, 2014 12:53 PM

I'd pick the Altis for them.

They need a proper car.

Not a headache.

**Yuki13** · July 2nd, 2014 01:08 PM

Add Vios 1.3E to the list (762K), pasok sa budget.

**lowslowbenz** · July 2nd, 2014 01:12 PM

Or a Vios, yeah.

You'd be surprised how much stuff a Vios trunk can accomodate.

**Calistro** · July 2nd, 2014 01:14 PM

* lsb, sir lsb, care to expound the headache you mentioned? heheheh!

*boytsiks, I don't think he prefers second hand cars. Another friend of his recommended this, but he doesn't want to trouble himself with mechanics and going to autoshops outside of the casa. Tried persuading him that he needs to learn about it but I guess he's just not interested in the details.

**boytsiks** · July 2nd, 2014 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Calistro

Tsikoteers, can I have some feedbacks? Any young family starting out there? Doing this for a friend. They basically have no background in cars, haven't owned one and have one baby boy around one year old. Everything will be from their pockets, no company sponsors and fuel economy as well as maintenance are top on the priority list. Budget is a bit limited and 900k is pushing it to the limit. No Manual transmission as his wife will be driving it also from time to time. Around 800k is tolerable, lower would be better. Daily driver from Manila to Cavite. Weekends might fill the car with 5 people with the baby on trips. I have done some browsing around and it budget limits to these; on top of my head.

As much as I would like to recommend them my choices, I am a bit biased on the Mazda 3 and Altis, and we don't know anyone who owns these new Hondas from a personal standpoint.

Honda City V 800k
-Space and build are its selling points. I guess the trunk wins it over the Jazz. Haven't really driven one but when I was a passenger once, engine seems anemic? Aircon feels kinda weak too.

Honda Jazz
- Its nice and all, but will this be better than the city for hauling?

Mazda 3 1.5
- Questionable on reputation. Can't really answer them since yojin 3 is the only selling point, aside from the good looks and amenities. Pushing the ceiling with the budget on this.

Altis 1.6G
- Perhaps much more reasonable than the Mazda in the long run, although they are more biased with Honda. How fuel efficient is this compared to the sub compacts? From what I read, it can do 10 km/l?

Suzuki Ertiga, Toyota Avanza
- Dark horses, really not a fan of these since I find the Avanza flimsy. Re : Suzuki, I have no solid feedback on this, but the ertiga looks nice...

Thanks guys

Open to second hand cars sir?

Pero kung brand new, I would suggest vios 1.3 AT. I think less than 800k ang SRP. Nothing fancy but gets the job done. No first hand experience sa vios but I think maganda ang FC figures (although di na sya kasing efficient ng previous gen).

From your choices, I'll probably get the Altis. Why? I think its the most reasonable among the choice. I just find the new generation honda a bit overpriced for sub compact category.

HTH.

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**jut703** · July 2nd, 2014 01:37 PM

Yup. I'd say Vios 1.3E AT too.

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**_Cathy_** · July 2nd, 2014 01:50 PM

I'd go for Vios. I really like the look of the current gen Vios too.

The Altis 1.6 G A/T is P935K plus insurance of more or less 30K so it would be above their budget of 900k? My Altis never reached 10 km/l. 9.9 km/l was the most I got and my daily route has zero traffic.

**JohnM** · July 2nd, 2014 01:57 PM

Kasya ba stroller sa trunk ng Yaris with the seats up? The hatch can swallow bulky objects that won't fit in a sedan.

**Egan101** · July 2nd, 2014 02:50 PM

I'd go for the Jazz V. The City may have a big trunk but when you need the extra space, you can fold the rear seats in the Jazz and you now have enormous space for a small hatch to carry a lot of stuff (like a small minivan). The Honda 1.5L engine is good enough for something the size of the City or Jazz but it does lack low end grunt. The older lower trim City and Jazz with the 1.3L engine are those that are really anemic, specially if AT.

The new Vios is another alternative to the City. It looks better than the previous model but some say the heavier weight caused its FC to dip against the previous model.

How about the Lancer EX GLX? It is cheaper than the Altis or Mazda3. They say FC is good for the Lancer EX 1.6L.