Overhaulin'

Buying my FIRST CAR, can you give me option or help me make my choice?

First off, I live in the Philippines. I'm a graduating soon and I'm about to buy my first car. I need help and opinion in making choices to buying my first car. What I want in a car: 1. Stylish 2. Above average performance (While I'm young, I want to experience driving a car that has thrill in it) 3. Manual or at least semi auto 4. it's better if it's not too common (which makes it hard for me to choose brand new models) 5. It has to look descent enough for my future work which nullify any ideas of customizing it into a ricer. 6. Fuel economy (this scratches out any chances of engines above 2.5 displacement) 7. Low mileage (if the car is 2nd hand) Here in the Philippines, the current options for my price range in buying a brand new car model limits me to these options: (all current models) 1. Honda Civic 2. Ford Focus 3. Lancer EX and other similar cars in the same size and price range. What's stopping me from choosing from these cars is that everybody owns them. They're three of the most common private owned cars in the Philippines and that's a big problem for me. However there's this trend in the Philippines of importing used cars from Japan and selling them here. I've seen a lot of car lots. Such as http://jmicarsclarkpampanga.com and http://www.mateentokyo.com most of the cars really do appeal to me and since they're mostly sporty type cars, they can perhaps give me the thrill of driving. An issue however for this option is that: 1. They're USED so, they'll have some if not, alot of mileage in them 2. Maintenance. I'm not sure but would it be much more expensive? (especially for pre or early 2000's models?) 3. I'm not a total grease monkey so can you give me help when inspecting a car, especially engine and performance wise? I've made some initial choices. For buying a Brand new car, I chose the FORD FOCUS 2.0 TDCi http://www.ford.com.ph/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1248860884936&pagename=FPH%2Fcontroller&c=DFYPage&site=FPH For buying a 2nd hand car, I'm choosing over a 1992 Toyota MR2 (racing set-up) http://jmicarsclarkpampanga.com/cars.php?page=1992-TOYOTA-MR-2 or a 2001 Toyota Celica http://www.mateentokyo.com/viewcar.php?carid=1595 My dad just bought a 1994 SLK 230 for 800k pesos (around $17,800) and I think it's a really good buy since it had legit Brabus custom rims, the car overall was in good condition and it had low mileage. I'm looking at a budget of 650k pesos or $14,500 if I were to buy a second hand vehicle. Can you give me suggestions, pointers and opinions that would be helpful for my situation? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. honda
2. mustang
3. Honda Civic is a nice car.
4. I'd go for a Honda Civic. Good reliable & dependable car. Plus its brand new with a warranty.
5. check out V.W.golf,2012 car and driver top 10 best car to buy,gas engine 23city33highway.
6. I suggest you go with your choice of the new Ford Focus and then you can add some custom chrome rims to make it stand out from the rest of the crowd.
7. I thing Honda Civic is a good option for u. because is a so stylish & comfortable car. provide all superior features with advance technology.
8. Hi, Honda Civic is best according to your features. Honda Civic : Rs 12,22,000* - Rs 14,42,100* ~ Look and Style : aggressive and sporty exteriors ~ Comfort : Honda Civic is featured with a sunroof that offers a panoramic effect which makes appear larger and brighter. The interior of the car is more spacious and comfortable then it looks. The design of the front cabin is like a cockpit of a plane. ~ Pickup : takes only 4.7 seconds to accelerate from 0-60 kmph. ~ Mileage : high engine performance with better fuel efficiency. Mileage of 10.2 kmpl in urban roads while on highway an average of 14.5 kmpl. ~ Best Features : advanced brakes, suspension, smooth steering wheel, etc. All these features help to handle the sedan smoothly. Besides it, the power steering and smooth gearshift provide me ultimate driving experience. For more details, click here :