The Family Car that We Chose

One night, Alex and I found ourselves finally discussing about buying a car for the family.  So before he left to China for a two-week work-related travel, we decided that his birth month, July, is the month to purchase, and that the moment he comes back from work, we should be driving it home already. While he was away, I was tasked to check out the cars we shortlisted.

The Hunt for the Ideal Family Car

Our top option was an AUV, the automatic G diesel variant of Innova. We liked it because as they say, it is a great family car– it’s spacious, it runs like a sedan, but has the size of an SUV. However, we never had a chance to see the 2014 model of Innova up close. This was why the Toyota Showroom in Taytay, Rizal was my first stopover. But upon viewing the Innova, I didn’t like its interior– the dashboard is very much similar with the 2007 Hi-Lux (company car) that my husband uses. I just so thought that there wouldn’t be a “new-car feel” for my husband if he’s going to drive a similar one.

The All-new Altis caught my attention at that time because I liked its interior but wasn’t sure if my husband would approve a sedan since we reside in a flood-prone area in Cainta. But I secretly wished he would.

Right across Toyota is another showroom,  the Mitsubishi Showroom. The dealer offered the GLX variant of Montero Sport and surprisingly, the price is not that far from our first choice, Innova. I discussed it with my husband and he said he will consider it. The plan was to settle some percentage of the total car price, and we will loan the rest. The dealer offered that we apply for car loan already but I told him that I wasn’t sure yet if it’s the Montero that we will get. He still insisted that I fill out the loan application nonetheless. And just a day after, the dealer said it got approved hence we needed to submit additional documents for the release. But as I told him, we still needed a little more time to decide whether to get it or not.

I also went to check the Ford Ecosport but I tossed it right away from my list since it wasn’t spacious enough. The car looks big outside but upon opening it, it’s just a little bigger than the Fiesta.

Should we get a Sedan or an SUV?

I laid down what I saw in showrooms to my husband via Skype that night. Still, I was told that  it’s better if I’ll be the one to decide since I know the family’s budget better. Should we get a sedan or an SUV? I concreted my decision by asking myself more questions.

• Who’s going to drive the car?
• Where and how will it be used most of the time?
• How much can we really afford?

For the first question, the answer would be me. I’ll be the one to drive the car most of the time (that is, if I’ll finally find the courage to drive in the City) since my husband uses his company car when he goes to work. So most of the time, it is going to be just me, driving Kyle to school (otherwise, the car will just be parked at home and will only be used during the weekend!). So I was sold with a sedan. However, considering that we are from Cainta where most areas are easily flooded, an SUV would be the safer choice!  Then I compared the prices.  If we were not a starting family, I would immediately jump into getting an SUV. However, we need to fill in our piggy bank monthly for our kid’s future.  We should get a sedan, I finally decided. The remedy for flood: When there’s a heavy downpour, don’t use the sedan. And that made me stop thinking.

The car we chose, finally.

I told Alex about my decision and the things that I considered and he agreed. When he arrived back to the country, we had to check out more sedan cars in showrooms together.  We were down to last three options: Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Altis.  Based on our brief test drive, Altis came as a well-engineered, spacious sedan bearing the  trademark of Toyota  in making family cars.

Without any second thought, it’s the Altis that we both chose. It’s practical, it has a “Keen Look” design, it has great safety features, and best of all it is very comfortable for a family of three. =)

Cheers to the new friend of our family! =)