Best car or SUV for Philippines

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mountainside
Posted
Posted (edited)
58 minutes ago, Onemore52 said:

I made the mistake of buying a second hand Mazda instead of a Toyota ,  it has been nothing it a headache getting parts from Mazda, to date I have been waiting 3 months for a part for the aircon unit, with no delivery date expected. The computer says NO.

I learned (after I bought the car) the the nationwide Mazda distributor is not well thought of.  Took a while to get my bumper, now that I think of it.  I've had great experiences with my Toyotas.  And the Phils has lots of Toyota dealers.  Next car in the Phils (unless I can talk my wife into going without a vehicle) will likely be a Toyota.

 

Edit; I split this off to a new topic. 

Edited by Old55
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Gator
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Everyone’s needs and personal tastes are different, so hard to say what’s best. I’m just  starting my search for a late model 4x4 SUV. As part of my decision making process I’m taking the manufacturer’s dealer network, mechanics, and parts availably into consideration. Given the recent shakeup to supply chains, parts availability is a coin toss and you never know what you’ll need a year in advance. Even so, I’ll likely go with a Toyota, Mitsubishi or Ford. They seem to be fairly common here and they all have good track records when it comes to reliability. 

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OnMyWay
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The perfect used vehicle for an expat would be a 2014 Chevrolet Trailblazer LTZ 4X4, available in June, I hope!  :smile:

 

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hk blues
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As we're on the topic if cars. I've finally (almost) relented and agreed to getting a car even we don't actually need one. 

My wife will drive (let's see) and has no experience so I'm pushing for a used car at first to let her bang it around before getting new later.

So, what's the protocol on pricing (I'm well aware of downside of used cars so no need to get into that if you get my drift) - how much negotiation is 'normal' here? Is negotiation normal? And, what kind of warranty would be normal.

I fully appreciate it may be a 'how long is a piece of string' question but do always appreciate the input of those who've walked that path before. 

TIA.

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Gator
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22 minutes ago, hk blues said:

So, what's the protocol on pricing (I'm well aware of downside of used cars so no need to get into that if you get my drift) - how much negotiation is 'normal' here? Is negotiation normal? And, what kind of warranty would be normal.

I can tell you my experience from the other side - the sellers. I recently sold my big bike via FB marketplace.  I set up an account to just sell the bike and closed it afterwards. Got a lot of lowball offers and / or asking for an open deed / bill of sale (which my attorney advised against due to liability issues), so I’d ignore them or would say no. Many just asked “What’s your final price?”  
 

If you’re buying from a private seller I’d say there’s no shame in making a low offer or one you think is a fair price and what you’re willing to pay for it. Figure out what you want and check online what the average asking price is.  Use that as guideline to determine what you’re willing to pay for a similar one.
 

The person who bought my bike asked for another 5k off as we were signing the bill of sale (at an attorney’s office). I said no, he smiled and then ponied up the 5k to the agreed price. No shame. 
 

Unless it’s another foreigner selling the vehicle, I would also let the wife handle the first contact and negotiation (online). Even at a used car dealer I wouldn’t be afraid to offer a lower price. Worse they can say is no.
 

 

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hk blues
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11 minutes ago, Gator said:

I can tell you my experience from the other side - the sellers. I recently sold my big bike via FB marketplace.  I set up an account to just sell the bike and closed it afterwards. Got a lot of lowball offers and / or asking for an open deed / bill of sale (which my attorney advised against due to liability issues), so I’d ignore them or would say no. Many just asked “What’s your final price?”  
 

If you’re buying from a private seller I’d say there’s no shame in making a low offer or one you think is a fair price and what you’re willing to pay for it. Figure out what you want and check online what the average asking price is.  Use that as guideline to determine what you’re willing to pay for a similar one.
 

The person who bought my bike asked for another 5k off as we were signing the bill of sale (at an attorney’s office). I said no, he smiled and then ponied up the 5k to the agreed price. No shame. 
 

Unless it’s another foreigner selling the vehicle, I would also let the wife handle the first contact and negotiation (online). Even at a used car dealer I wouldn’t be afraid to offer a lower price. Worse they can say is no.
 

 

First, thanks.

It will definitely be a used car dealer - I've negotiated with locals here and lose the will to live with their questions.

Whilst I agree in principle with my wife doing the negotiation, she's as weak as p*** when it comes to that so I'll handle it.

Yes, again in theory it's good to get a guide price first but isn't it like houses here, the guide price online is anything but a guide?

You're right about offering a low price - they can but say no but my concern is my low price still being too high! I prefer to negotiate in good faith if possible. Back home, we'd have a trusted network to guide but here, sorry to say, everyone has an angle to make a few pesos so advice isn't always independent. 

Which is why I asked here, one of the few trusted resources for us ex-pats.

Again, thanks!

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Old55
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Our family bought a Chevrolet Spark a few years ago. I can comfortably sit in the front seat it seems well enough made rides well handles steep hills okay. Have no clue long term reliability. Not expensive. 

A Suzuki Jimny is a simple comfortable 4x4. It's able to deal with poor roads and minor flooding. I've spend many hours in one seems a good choice smaller 4X4. 

My buddy also has a Honda CRV its larger but still nimble in Cebu City traffic. Very comfortable and would be reliable over the years. This would be my choice for a perfect Philippines vehicle. 

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Patryk
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36 minutes ago, Old55 said:

My buddy also has a Honda CRV its larger but still nimble in Cebu City traffic. Very comfortable and would be reliable over the years. This would be my choice for a perfect Philippines vehicle. 

I am also looking for this CR-V honda.  There are quite a few on FB marketplace.  I think the best way is to contact the seller from my gf account and tell them my price which will be non-negotiable at the time I see the car- of course assuming I won't find anything I will need to fix/change. 
 

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hk blues
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5 hours ago, Old55 said:

Our family bought a Chevrolet Spark a few years ago. I can comfortably sit in the front seat it seems well enough made rides well handles steep hills okay. Have no clue long term reliability. Not expensive. 

A Suzuki Jimny is a simple comfortable 4x4. It's able to deal with poor roads and minor flooding. I've spend many hours in one seems a good choice smaller 4X4. 

My buddy also has a Honda CRV its larger but still nimble in Cebu City traffic. Very comfortable and would be reliable over the years. This would be my choice for a perfect Philippines vehicle. 

Personally, I think the Jimny is overpriced. We live in an area which doesn't suffer from flooding so that isn't a major consideration. I'm very much looking at a small city runaround. 

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Possum
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Be careful buying a used car here. Fellow I know in Manila is in the car business. They mostly buy bank repossessions.  He said even some of them show signs of flood damage as repossessions seem to increase after floods. His suggestion is to take off the door threshold at the bottom of the door frame and inspect for water damage. He said flooded cars get cleaned really well so they can be sold but they usually miss this area. I saw a photo and there was dried mud inside and this was a 2 year old car.

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