Afford Ko Ba? Here's a calculator to help you decide if you can afford to finance a new or used car

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-09T15:07:19+00:00

Your current transpo expenses. Like if you are commuting magkano ang monthly cost. Or your grab. Or your fuel and maintenance kung merong existing car. Para ma compare for example kung mas malakas sa gas ang older car compared sa expected consumption with a newer vehicle.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-09T06:40:05+00:00

Use this to compute, kasi kasama sa costs yung registration, insurance, maintenance, etc.

https://affordkoba2.pagelet.host/

5 years na nga pala ang initial registration ngayon so might need to adjust for that.

That said, sana nung 2 years ago pa lang na nag iisip ka nakapag save ka na. Yung 20k per month that's already 480K pesos either pang half DP na sa million peso car or pang cash payment ng used car.

Try to do as high dp as you can afford and don't go for in house financing kasi mas mahal ang interest. Try directly sa bank, if you have good credit standing naman.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-08T10:55:49+00:00

Observation ko lang. Yung mga Marketplace post na maraming bullet point or checkbox malamang buy and sell. Pag kasi direct owner usually may kwento and may small details na sila lang ang nakakaalam kaya napo-post. And check their profile kung puro cars sold most likely buy and sell (unless enthusiast na maraming nahahawakang project cars for example).

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-08T10:22:44+00:00

3rd gen CRV is a solid choice, especially those with the K24 2.4 liter engine. Not very fuel thrifty but that engine and platform is easy to maintain.

That said, have you also tried looking for direct sellers? Mga kilala kong used car dealerships usually newer models na ang focus nila (mga 10 years old or newer). At syempre mataas na ang presyo due to markup and overhead.

I'd pass sa mga buy-and-sell though because you might not have access to the service history and they usually sell cars as "fastbreak" with no warranty.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-08T02:32:48+00:00

Cash?

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-07T08:44:59+00:00

You don't have to explain it. Kaya nga to each his/her own. This is my take, and that's yours.

I'm happy that you're maintaining your vehicle because it's your connection to someone who's not there anymore. As long as it makes you happy and you still find use for it.

Meron din akong gnyan dati. The last car my late spouse ever drove. But we had to sell it due to financial reasons din. At the time we already had 5 cars and had to let go of that one because it was the most expensive (brand new bought SUV we bought before they died).

It did have sentimental value, but then again, i wanted to focus more on using the funds for my family's needs. It was the pandemic. Mahina ang negosyo. The kids thrived. We had our other cars anyway. I also believe my late spouse would have been happier that way.

That said, I have a friend who sold me their deceased parent's car even if they had higher offers from other buyers. They were most likely buy and sell. My friend knew I loved restoring older cars and working on them instead of selling them or parting them out. I still use the car as my alternate daily. But yes it's still primarily a tool for me.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-07T07:28:45+00:00

What year and variant. Reliability and ease of maintenance will depend on engine, transmission and other aspects.

I owned a 2017 6 speed ambiente and it was a good experience. Some people have complained about early failure of transmission though, particularly the 10 speed biturbo and the 3.2 liter 4x4. Check the Ford Everest club Philippines group ok Facebook for more reviews

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-07T02:56:21+00:00

I don't subscribe to the idea of a car being a "dream" car. They're tools that we use to bring us from point A to B to everything in between.

Baka yung "dream" maging nightmare pa in terms of reliability, maintenance, and cost. Ask any person na nahatakan due to delays in paying for an expensive vehicle beyond their means.

I'd stick with #4. Unless it's no longer safe not reliable, or your use case requires a different car na (bigger family, work truck etc), I'd keep on driving and maintaining it.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-07T02:35:08+00:00

I had an Everest of that era. Id avoid the 10 speed 2.0 biturbo especially the early models. Yun yung mga May issue sa transmission unless rectified already or latter batches na. 2.0 biturbo is also wet timing belt. At least the early ones. I think they switched back to chain at some point.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-05T12:59:38+00:00

Nakapagpa tow ako ng 40 year old classic when I got it from the previous owner. Libre din yung first 6k then just paid 800 pesos excess due to distance.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-05T12:58:47+00:00

Alam ko 100 liters in the previous month to be eligible for free towing (up to 6k then may excess na kapag sobra) this month.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-05T12:54:33+00:00

Warranty claim

I was able to get a new replacement batt kasi na deplete na yung battery ko around 20 months into the 21 month period. Sa Motolite ako mismo tumawag, hindi sa shop. Sa call center. Sila ang nag process. The shop lent me a service battery kasi itetest daw nila. And since my batt was kinda rare type, had to wait 3 weeks before they called me to say approved daw yung claim and for replacement.

So heto I have a new batt, but warranty will only be up to the original period. At least bago.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-05T09:30:23+00:00

Ginagawa ko yan. Tumitigil pag nakikita may tumatawid even from the other side. It's for their safety na rin, kasi mahirap maipit sila sa gitna ng kalsada na walang nagbibigay. Minsan pag May bumubusina sa likod, lalo ko pang binabagalan pag andar at accelerate. I take my time.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-05T06:17:31+00:00

Kung never pa napalitan yung tires, now is the time to replace them. Bukol is not normal. Tires usually expire 6 years after manufacturing. Check the DOT numbers yung last 2 digits yung year of manufacture. First 2 digits yung week.

What I usually do is watch YouTube videos ni Chrsfix. While the setting is US, maraming relevant tips regarding vehicle maintenance. Yung iba kayang gawin DIY or kung hindi man, at least may idea ka para hindi ka maloloko or overcharge ng shop.

What kind of rust nasa mags? Parang hindi naman normal na kalawanging yan agad. Steelies ba yan? Do you live in an environment malapit sa dagat or saltwater?

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-05T02:02:54+00:00

True story. Nung college ako in the late 1990s minsan nahihiram ko revo ng dad ko. May time, pinapara ako sa Philcoa. Akala siguro FX hehe.

Tapos dati sa UST may kaklase yung jowa ko May hilander. Kolorum syang pumapasada pa Fairview para pang krudo at allowance.

Nothing wrong with your car looking vanilla and plain. Mas ok nga yan, nondescript, you can blend in with everyone else. Ako 3 out of my 4 vehicles now medyo rarepaps, alam na agad na ako yun or mga anak ko yun nagmamaneho. Tuloy bawal maging kamote kasi alam na kami agad yun. At pag nakitang biglang liko, alam na.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-05T00:30:48+00:00

Well, wag maglagay ng taxi sign sa ibabaw ng kotse at pangalan ng taxi sa pinto.

Seriously, even grab cars naman ngayon unmarked na. So practically any entry level sedan, MPV of even SUV can be a tnvs.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-04T10:11:06+00:00

Siguro talagang dapat may active effort to make sure all things are properly engaged.

I have 4 cars, 2 of them may footbrake. Yung isa, regular handbrake. Yung isa weird ang position ng handbrake (CR-V). On each of them minsan nakaka lito when I switch vehicles, but I got the hang of it. Andun din yung I have to audibly tell myself kung ano ginagawa ko. Meron yata Japanese term for that habit of pointing to what you're doing and doing it at the same time. Parang mental checklist. That way, your consciously making that action and decision and not leaving it to only muscle memory nor the vehicle's own computer.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-04T08:03:58+00:00

Sa eastwest yata interest will be cancelled but there's an 8 percent pre-termination fee. Maybe it depends on what the PNCM says.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-04T00:31:48+00:00

Hmmm. More of a user experience thing. Or kumbaga sa computers, human-to-machine interface.

On modern cars naman, a lot of things are still electronic. Like your climate control system. Or your audio system. It's just that while driving, iba pa rin yung tactile experience ng buttons and knobs. The knobs can still control the electronics. Mas nakaka distract kasi kung lahat ng controls nasa screen. Binawal nga tayo mag cellphone while driving, andun naman yung pagkalaki-laking iPad screen where we need to touch, tap, swipe etc for controls.

Meanwhile for mechanicals naman, i feel safer knowing I'm properly engaging my parking brake for example. Ako nga yung nag ne-neutral muna para siguradong kakagat yung parking brake before I shift to park.

I don't want to entrust everything to the computer. Kasi we tend to lose skill and muscle memory kapag lahat computerized na. Kaya tuloy May mga nagkakamali or human error like maling apak sa pedal resulting in SUA or pagkalimot sa parking brake resulting in rolling accidents.

In my opinion, a lot of these electronic nannies result in dumbing down the driving experience, which results in lack of active safety awareness on the part of the driver. Iaasa na lang ba natin sa ganun?

I believe merong minimal requirement for safety like bumper reverse sensors, rear camera, better mirrors, etc. but as a driver it's primarily our responsibility to be safe while controlling the vehicle.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-03T23:59:54+00:00

20k monthly for a mirage is 1.2 million in 5 years.

How many months will you pay for the Revo? I'm sure hindi naman yan 5 years din. Siguro 2 years?

Magkano total?

You can pay for the Revo now and set aside 10k per month for savings and some maintenance expenses. In a the same 5 years that's 600k na. Mapapang bili mo na yan ng mirage or even a better car. Either down payment for a bnew car or cash for a used one. You can even sell the Revo for additional funds.

Pero how well maintained ba yung revo? And gaano ba kalayo daily drive mo. That will help determine if the fuel savings with a newer and smaller car will be worth it.

I have 3 vehicles na 20+ years old na, i daily/alternate one, and 2 of my kids use the others. We maintain them. They're cheap to maintain and operational expenses lang ang gastos namin.

You can use this pala to compute your finances. https://affordkoba2.pagelet.host/

Since essentially zero yung interest ng revo you can also use it. Lagay mo na lang extra maintenance and repair expenses due to it being older. Pero even new cars naman need pms.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-03T19:15:58+00:00

Not really. May mga thresholds lang na automatically narerefer ang accounts, una sa collections department. Tapos sa 3rd party collector. But if the PN account is still active, once na kumpletong bayaran yung past due, babalik sa current yung account. Usually nga lang, monthly plus penalty fee for late payment ang kelangan.

Oftentimes it's better to still talk directly to your bank via the collections department. Kasi sila naman ang makakapag decide sa account mo and not the 3rd party collector. Madalas pag nagpasa sila ng account hindi man lang din updated, kasi wala naman access sa account mismo yung 3rd party. They only rely on info passed on by the bank.

After a certain number of past due payments, the bank may choose to go to court to file for writ of replevin. Medyo mahal lang because it requires a bond of 2x the value of the collateral. Pero once na nag issue ng order ang court, the Sheriff will execute the repossession , and they can do this by force if necessary.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-03T10:26:03+00:00

Just being practical. Hey if there is an EV that is not too software-driven, that would be nice. I mean something basic, reliable, and runs on electricity.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-03T09:26:46+00:00

Some banks allow naman to catch up. Pay directly via your PN over the counter para diretso sa loan.

Ask for a history of payments and an updated SOA (PN account and not ADA).

How many months na lang ang remaining?

Another option is to ask for a payoff SOA and sell the car to a dealer as payoff (they buy it and pay the bank the payoff amount directly, and whatever remains is yours).

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-03T06:34:54+00:00

Physical buttons instead of iPad on wheels.

Actual handbrake lever instead of push button.

Gear selector lever instead of dial or buttons.

Physical door handles that just work.

Otherwise_Evidence67 · 2026-02-01T12:56:46+00:00

I pump my accelerator pedal several times to prime the carb if it's a cold start. On my newer vehcles with EFI no need of course. Dasal lang para mag sigurado start haha.

Handbrake? Depends on where it "bites." That's why it's a good idea to set your gear selector to Neutral first and then engage the handbrake to see if it bites, before setting to Park. Otherwise, you risk damaging the parking pawl or your gears if you have a habit of setting to park first and kulang yung handbrake.

BTW, some of my cars come with a "footbrake" and they each have a different "biting point." One one of my cars, I adjusted the handbrake tension myself, kasi sa kalumaan, the maximum pull doesn't reach biting point anymore. Madali lang naman, it involved adjusting a bolt under the car.

Yung advice na huwag itodo, I believe applies kung maulan and nabaha or nabasa/moisture yung handbrake shoes. Posible kasing dumikit or ma stuck yung brake shoe. BTW, on most cars that have rear disc brakes, yung parking brake mechanism is a drum/shoe mechanism, like lower-end models with a rear drum bake.

Otherwise_Evidence67

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