Buying a car

[Gratefuled]

12 hours ago, Arizona Kid said:

I love to drive. Can't be comfortable when someone else is doing it for me. 

I love to drive also but not here. I would have a wreck every time out. Crazy inconsiderate drivers.

I prefer someone else to do the driving like a taxi. I can tell them where to go and tell them which routes to take. 

You can never predict when you will get a flat or a collision or any other minor mechanical problem. 

I've never seen a tow truck here. Just someone pulling another car with a rope. Not what I want.

I don't want to have to change spark plugs, change oil, rotate tires, and all the other things required if you don't want them done at a repair shop. 

I always use this principle, " THE MORE THING YOU OWN THE MORE THEY OWN YOU".

Just the routine maintenance at home is enough for me. 

P.S. Filipino drivers would not last long in a big city in the states. They would get shot, beat up or have wrecks and it would be their fault.

[Anselm]

I enjoy driving... most of the time. Here I see it as a challenge. I have some sort of adjusted driving technique and it keeps your reactions in tow! 

In terms of brand new vs. second hand - you can often find cars that are about two years old, with less than 30,000kms on them, for 1/2 to 2/3 of the brand new price. They can't mess up a car that much in 30,000kms, especially if you go for something reliable (I bought a Hilux second-hand with 12,000kms on it, 2/3rds of the original price and basically brand new). I don't know, maybe I got lucky, but if it's low KMs I think you should be OK, especially if they have a full service record. A lot of these adverts brag about "casa maintained". Just check with the HPG (police) that it's not stolen, you can text an LTO number to check there's no fines on it, and make sure the registration certificate has no encumberances on it (IE it's not on finance). In terms of scams here I heard much more about land (and indeed hospital bills) than cars.

And if you buy it 2 years old... only one year of having to pay twice as much for services because that's what the warranty requires, dealer services! 

(but if you get brand new, you'll get 3 years rego, a year's insurance, maybe a couple of other freebies by default. Would certainly be the easier way and especially if you need bank finance)

[Gary D]

Clocking seems quite prevalent so check the usual ware points to the km.

[Arizona Kid]

8 hours ago, Gratefuled said:

I love to drive also but not here. I would have a wreck every time out. Crazy inconsiderate drivers.

I prefer someone else to do the driving like a taxi. I can tell them where to go and tell them which routes to take. 

You can never predict when you will get a flat or a collision or any other minor mechanical problem. 

I've never seen a tow truck here. Just someone pulling another car with a rope. Not what I want.

I don't want to have to change spark plugs, change oil, rotate tires, and all the other things required if you don't want them done at a repair shop. 

I always use this principle, " THE MORE THING YOU OWN THE MORE THEY OWN YOU".

Just the routine maintenance at home is enough for me. 

P.S. Filipino drivers would not last long in a big city in the states. They would get shot, beat up or have wrecks and it would be their fault.

I lived in San Diego 20 plus years before I moved here. My first wife is Mexican and had family in Tijuana, right across the border from S.D. Visited the family about once a month or so. That's where I learned how to drive with maniacs. The situation is actually worse here in the Phills. In Mexico they don't have pedicabs and tricycles clogging up National Highways like they do here.

[jimeve]

10 hours ago, Anselm said:

I enjoy driving... most of the time. Here I see it as a challenge. I have some sort of adjusted driving technique and it keeps your reactions in tow! 

In terms of brand new vs. second hand - you can often find cars that are about two years old, with less than 30,000kms on them, for 1/2 to 2/3 of the brand new price. They can't mess up a car that much in 30,000kms, especially if you go for something reliable (I bought a Hilux second-hand with 12,000kms on it, 2/3rds of the original price and basically brand new). I don't know, maybe I got lucky, but if it's low KMs I think you should be OK, especially if they have a full service record. A lot of these adverts brag about "casa maintained". Just check with the HPG (police) that it's not stolen, you can text an LTO number to check there's no fines on it, and make sure the registration certificate has no encumberances on it (IE it's not on finance). In terms of scams here I heard much more about land (and indeed hospital bills) than cars.

And if you buy it 2 years old... only one year of having to pay twice as much for services because that's what the warranty requires, dealer services! 

(but if you get brand new, you'll get 3 years rego, a year's insurance, maybe a couple of other freebies by default. Would certainly be the easier way and especially if you need bank finance)

Good post but I think you was luck to buy a second hand car that cheap. 

[Anselm]

14 hours ago, jimeve said:

Good post but I think you was luck to buy a second hand car that cheap. 

It seems to be about the going rate given what I see on Facebook adverts, at least in Davao. Price goes down in the first 2-3 years, then hardly at all after that from what I can see...

[GeoffH]

Here in CDO there are plenty of small 2 to 3 year old cars with low kilometres at prices half to 2/3rds of new but SUV and trucks seem to maintain their value much better (at least here).

We bought the Innova new (main car) and the Wigo G matic 2nd hand 3 years old with 35,000 kilometres on it for 280,000 peso (which is about 2/3rds of it’s new price and about half the price of a new one.

Edited January 22, 2019 by GeoffH

[Arizona Kid]

On 1/21/2019 at 9:17 AM, Anselm said:

I enjoy driving... most of the time. Here I see it as a challenge. I have some sort of adjusted driving technique and it keeps your reactions in tow! 

In terms of brand new vs. second hand - you can often find cars that are about two years old, with less than 30,000kms on them, for 1/2 to 2/3 of the brand new price. They can't mess up a car that much in 30,000kms, especially if you go for something reliable (I bought a Hilux second-hand with 12,000kms on it, 2/3rds of the original price and basically brand new). I don't know, maybe I got lucky, but if it's low KMs I think you should be OK, especially if they have a full service record. A lot of these adverts brag about "casa maintained". Just check with the HPG (police) that it's not stolen, you can text an LTO number to check there's no fines on it, and make sure the registration certificate has no encumberances on it (IE it's not on finance). In terms of scams here I heard much more about land (and indeed hospital bills) than cars.

And if you buy it 2 years old... only one year of having to pay twice as much for services because that's what the warranty requires, dealer services! 

(but if you get brand new, you'll get 3 years rego, a year's insurance, maybe a couple of other freebies by default. Would certainly be the easier way and especially if you need bank finance)

It's so true about paying twice as much for services. They have you over a barrel cuz if you don't get it done at the dealership the warranty is invalid. I have to pay P6,000 or so just for the oil change and fluid checks on my 2016 car that has just over 10,000 kilometers on it. 

[Anselm]

19 hours ago, Arizona Kid said:

It's so true about paying twice as much for services. They have you over a barrel cuz if you don't get it done at the dealership the warranty is invalid. I have to pay P6,000 or so just for the oil change and fluid checks on my 2016 car that has just over 10,000 kilometers on it. 

And then on the receipt from the dealer it even says "Helix oil" - IE from Shell. At much more than the cost of buying it from Shell! Plus lots of other little "checks" that may or may not have been done. I think they make less money on the car and more on the financing and services. The motorbike dealers make 90% of their money on the finance I think!

Speaking of warranty - the battery died a week after it ended. Lovely.