Car Search

We need (and want!) a new car! Both me and my husband need a car to go to work, bring E to school and run errands. The number coding system here in Manila also makes it more difficult for us not to have a second, or even third car because once a week, the car is virtually useless unless we leave very early and come home very late. The "grace period" does not apply to us since we live in San Juan City during the work week -- they do not honor this grace period.

Looking at different car models and deciding on which one is the best for us is half the fun. It also allows us to give our imaginations as to what to get free rein, whether or not we can really afford it.

For example, a mercedes benz would definitely be something to drool over. Beautiful, classic, timeless and durable. However, it's way out of our (financial reach). Maybe a nissan altima? Still looks beautiful, and most probably more affordable than the mercedes. But I wonder if it is fuel efficient? And would it be the right size for our growing family? A dodge 1500, but it seems that the cabin space is not very large, probably just the same as a sedan. So there's really no advantage for us since we do not need a truck bed. Well, for our budget, we may have to settle for a kia, which has gained considerable reputation as regards its reliability despite its lower cost. We'd probably have to check out the bigger models in order to fit our at least 6 people -- COMFORTABLY.

I'd like to check out more vehicles, and it's good that we can now check them out online (before actually going to the dealership and checking out the real thing) and doing a side-by-side comparison. After all, we do need to make sure that the (huge) money we plunk down to buy our vehicle would be worth it and something which really fits our needs.

Car Shop?

I guess boys will be boys. You know the stereotype of toy cars for boys and Barbie dolls for girls. My husband is into cars. His dream business is a car shop where he can get to fix and enhance cars. He's a fan of sports cars like the Ferrari (he has the whole collection of toy cars from Shell), Lamborghini and the rest, although he knows that such cars are impractical choices here in the Philippines. I do not know if there is a market here in the Philippines for a shop that caters to luxury and sport cars, something like the pontiac supercharger where hard-to-find parts and auto supplies can be available and searchable online. Maybe we do need to do research. If it's feasible and we have the resources to open up such a business, why not? It would be a great business, and he'd be doing something he loves.

Our Car Needs Some Repairs

Our cars are somewhat old and showing some signs of wear and tear, despite being well maintained. Really, you cannot stop age from showing, not in humans, animals or even machines. Since we still do not have the budget for a brand new car, we have to fix what we have. Fortunately, my husband has a little bit more than the rudimentary knowledge about cars (which I do not have) and also knows a mechanic who does home service repair work at a cheaper price. Now all he needs to find is an inexpensive but reliable source of car parts like a power steering rack so that the needed repairs may be done ASAP.

Locked Out!

My husband carries around a spare key for his car. He learned his lesson after being locked out of his own car. The worse thing is that the engine was running, the A/C was on, thus consuming both gasoline and battery power. Fortunately, it's not too far from our house, where he keeps a spare, therefore we didn't need the services of locksmith. He just needed to take a jeepney home to get the key. That's good because we don't know if we can get one with the skill and track record of Portland Locksmith or otherwise. Also, locksmiths take time to arrive AND they cost a lot here in Manila if they find you in that situation. Which means a lot of money lost, both for their services, the extra key and the waste of gasoline and battery.

Anyway, after that incident, hubby made sure that he carries around his spare key, which he keeps in his pocket. After all, he may not be as lucky to encounter the same situation near the house. Imagine if that happened while we're out of town! Or even in the extreme side of the metropolis with all the traffic! That would certainly be a big hassle!

My Car...

My car is now up for renewal of LTO registration. It's a 10 year old Camry that my mother gave me as a wedding gift but was my father's car. Although it's quite old, it still is a smooth drive. We always get a comprehensive car insurance for it because, well, accidents do happen and it's so much easier if we're covered for any damages. I'm not exactly the best driver in the world and although I haven't endangered anybody's life yet (knock on wood) with my driving, I've had my share of minor collisions. Sure, there's the mandatory TPL (third party liability) which is required by the LTO, but it doesn't cover for property damage, either to my own car or to another car, so we still have to shell out a lot of money when the unforeseen happens. I know it would be more expensive, with a lot more hassle, if I'm not covered, so I'd rather spend a bit more each year to cover for such incidents.

Car Shopping

A friend of mine is looking at new car prices since she now feels the need to have a car of her own rather than to depend on public transportation. She prefers a new car rather than a used one since she is not mechanically inclined (like me) and would rather not risk having problems with a used car. She has a limited budget though, so she wants to get more value for her money. I'm think she should use some of the online tools that are now present, like car classifieds, so that it would be easier for her to screen the ones that she would like more before taking the trouble to actually go and see the car. After all, a few clicks would help you pin down the car that fits your needs and your budget.

Accident!

I feel so bad! Yesterday, while hurrying off to work, I backed up my husband's car too fast and hit another vehicle! I feel so stupid and so careless! It was my fault, and worse, we don't have comprehensive auto insurance which would have taken cared of the damage repair! Needless to say, my husband got mad at me. He did not speak to me much the whole day. He is a good handyman and tried to repair the damage himself, but even with his best efforts, he could not make it look as good as it did before the accident. Today, he's actually cooled off a bit and even went with me as we went about our errands and our work. He's been mumbling once in a while about having his car repaired though. The problem is, we use that car to go around, and bringing it to the shop for repairs would mean that we could not use it for one to two weeks! I was thinking of calling up someone who does automotive dent repair at our home's garage, instead of having to bring it to the shop. I believe that this would be more convenient for us. Not to mention faster, since the professional who would be handling the job would concentrate only on our car, unlike in the shop when they have to work on several vehicles that are brought in.

Because of that accident, I have been wary of driving today. I was supposed to bring my mother's car to LTO for vehicle registration since I was also due to renew my driver's license, but I couldn't do it since I still have some residual trauma. My husband ended up bringing me. Good thing we had the same clinic time today so I just went with him and didn't have to bring a separate car.