At some point in our lives, there will be a moment when a car would pass by and you would say to yourself, “I want that car." Whether we can afford it or not, we know that we want it.
Not a lot of people have an opportunity to own a private vehicle. It’s not cheap to own one, especially these times when gas prices are high and unpredictable. I know the challenges of being a commuter because I’ve been one for a long time and I know the struggles of the LRT and MRT with short jeepney trips just to go to work. Taking the bus during rush hours and squeezing yourself into a sardine-packed tram, I even got my phone stolen in one encounter.
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My Bachelor's Dream: Mitsubishi Eclipse
In college, it was the Mitsubishi Eclipse for me. It didn’t matter which one, as long as it was the Eclipse -- that was my dream car. It looked cool and I felt that it fit my personality at that time. (Editor's Note: The 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX 2-door coupe cost about P1.3 million at the time.)
When I started working after graduation, buying my dream car -- or any car at that time -- didn’t make sense to me. I wasn’t earning much and I had to support my parents. I finally got my first car when I inherited an old, typhoon-hit car from my dad’s friend and all I had to do was restore it. At least it was at a pace that I can live with. Repair some parts when I had the money and improve on some areas when I have an extra budget. It was practical for me.
My first car didn't have to be a fresh new one. Since I’m not an experienced driver, I was good with a second-hand car, with less pressure.
As A Family Man: Ford, Toyota, Honda, Or Mazda?
Fast forward to me starting up a family. About to have our firstborn and it just made sense for us to invest in something that the family would be able to use. Traveling with a newborn is never easy, especially when commuting. Think about the regular baby checkups, visiting the in-laws, doing the usual errands, and just spending time with the kid and family outside. This was back in 2015 and my wife and I went back and forth on which car brand we wanted.
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We both wanted Ford Everest, it was our new dream family car. We tried justifying the costs and how we would be able to afford them because honestly, it’s not cheap. (Editor's Note: The Ford Everest is a 7-seater Off-Road SUV that starts at an estimated P1.9 million.)
We also checked for second-hand cars as well but it was still high and we thought since we would be carrying very precious cargo, it would be a good idea just to get a new one.
Ford Escape and Ecosport came up (Editor's Note: The Ford Escape is an entry-level SUV that starts at P1.5 million while the Ecosport with manual transmission can cost P985,000) , along with the Honda CRV (Editor's Note: Starts at P1.7 million) and Mazda.
There was a lot to choose from, but the reality is, that it's not something that we both can afford. Of course, when choosing a car, the budget is a major consideration. For us, that was the deciding factor.
We want to find a car that fits our liking and has a low downpayment and acceptable monthly payment terms.
So from a Ford car option, we trimmed down our choices to a Toyota Innova, Avanza, and a Vios for a couple of reasons.
Why We Chose To Get A Toyota Vios
1. Toyota cars are tried and tested already.
Used by taxi operators, there’s a reason why there are a lot of Toyota cars on the road, it is because of the availability of its parts. Go to different car parts suppliers or distributors you can easily find a spare part for your Toyota car should you need to replace something.
2. It's the right size.
Personally, I think the Toyota Innova is a good family car. It’s spacious and big enough for a family of 5 to 6 (Editor's Note: Starts at P1.7 million). The Avanza (Editor's Note: Starts at P928,000) in my head is just a Vios with a blown-up body and it was used by many taxi companies at that time so we skipped that option. So we were down to two, our second family car option, the Toyota Innova and the Toyota Vios.
3. It's what we could afford.
It was a fight between what we wanted and what is the reality that we can afford. While I know that we can stretch and push for Innova at that time, we went for the Vios. (Editor's Note: Starts at P911,000)
But it wasn’t as easy as choosing one or the other. There are also some things that you need to consider when choosing a model. You have to choose what type of transmission: manual or automatic. Do you want to have a bigger and stronger engine and do you want a top-of-the-line model with all of the features and upgrades for the Vios? All of these have an effect on its price and we stuck to what we can afford at that time.
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Of course, when one buys a car, you also have to take into consideration the cost of gasoline and the regular maintenance of the car. You need to take good care of the investment you bought so it can serve you 5-10 years down the line.
We got the Toyota Vios Automatic, 1.3 engine, which we thought is “matipid” on gasoline consumption because of the less powerful engine.
We got it for a P 50,000 down payment with a monthly payment of around P 15,000 for 5 years.
It was processed through the in-house financing of Toyota, TFS (Toyota Financial Services). Those breakdowns were acceptable for us and we can still live comfortably with the monthly dues.
There are also other options to purchase your first car from a dealership.
1. You can approach a bank and secure a car loan. The advantage here is you would be able to compare different car loan offers and be able to choose the best one for you. For us, it was just easier to use their internal Toyota Financial Services.
2. Other car dealerships' in-house financing has different setups though, so you just have to make sure to choose something that you can afford and would work for you.
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On To The Next Family Car: Is It Time For An SUV?
Five years later, it’s now fully paid and still in good condition. Our first born is now 6 and a half years old and we now have a second daughter that is one and a half years old. We’re now contemplating on possibly getting an upgrade on our car because I think using a Vios to go around with the four of us plus my mom and dad would be too crowded for us now.
So we’re exploring the idea of a top-of-the-line Toyota Innova or a Toyota Fortuner (Editor's Note: Starts at P2.4 million). Maybe getting that new Ford Territory (Editor's Note: Starts at P1.2 million). I think an SUV or a compact SUV would be a nice multi-use type for the growing family. We can go on road trips, camping and other adventures.
We’re still debating and checking options for our next vehicle purchase taking into consideration of course the budget. I think that we as parents have to be practical as well. We want to make sure that we get the best value for money, because personally, that’s how I base my decision on things I want to buy.
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If you’re rich then it wouldn’t be a problem which car you choose. For many people like me, if it gets the job done and it serves its purpose then it's good enough. I think that a dream family car can wait. It will come at a right time and right now we will go for a family car that can safely take us from one point to the other, spacious enough to fit a bit more family members and most importantly, something that we can afford. What about you? What’s your dream family car?
Myke is a lone thorn to three beautiful roses: his wife Nix and daughters Riley and Mica. A marketing manager by day, writer and blogger in between. He loves spending time with the family and he's interested in unique experiences. Creativity is his passion and he is always searching for artistry in all forms. Check out his YouTube channel here.
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