Car Features - Best Selling Car Nameplates in the Philippines from 1995-2014

2014 was a record year for the industry, which saw some nameplates increase their sales (and in the case of old timers, beating their own records) and some declining.

For this year, new entries had their debut in this list with older cars such as the Kia Besta, Kia Pride, and Isuzu Hilander got knocked out of the list. The Mirage hatchback, who got its break in 2013 saw declining sales the following year causing its fall from this list. And after five years, the Fortuner bested the Montero Sport.

Do take note that vehicle figures for 2014 are from the manufacturer itself (Toyota) and while the Montero Sport's figures are estimates from our sales report.

See the records from 2011 and 2013.

Top 20 most successful nameplates in the Philippines from 1995-2014

Car Features - 1998 Philippine Car Sales [FULL]

Thanks to my friends at Team Top Gear Ph for choosing this year, I shall unveil the full car sales figures for the Philippines at the centennial year. We had a new president and the financial crisis was in full swing at that time, let us see how many units of some vehicles rolled off during that time.

*Note: Truck and bus sales are not included in this list.

Car Features - January-October 2005 Philippine Car Sales

Nine years ago, car sales struggled to reach the 100,000 mark and choices were increasing despite some economic woes back then. Let us travel through time today.

Cars of the 2014 Philippine International Motor Show

Yesterday, The Ultimate Car Guide went to the 2014 Philippine International Motor Show (if you're feeling nostalgic, here's our 2012 story) to check on the latest releases plus to cool concepts that are of interest to the enthusiast. With the industry on the roll, more cars are being launched to the public.

No need for some lengthy descriptions, let the pictures speak for themselves!

Car Features - January-October 1995 Passenger Car Sales Figures [RARE DATA]

Thanks to the power of Google Newspapers Archive, I managed to retrieve passenger car sales for the first 10 months of 1995. However, unlike the previous sales reports I had done, we would reveal the best selling variants for the said period. So, drum roll shall we?

Disclaimer: Photos may not actually reflect the variants themselves, they are provided for illustrative purposes only.

Car Features - Best Selling Car Nameplates in the Philippines from 1995-2013 [UPDATE]

We are updating this segment since there are new records that happened on 2013, which also coincided with car sales breaching the 200,000 mark. So, what were the new entries for this year?

Top 20 most successful nameplates in the Philippines from 1995-2013

Infographic - Top Five Best Selling Vehicles of January-September 2013

They say that the economy rises (as with car sales) during election period. And The Ultimate Used Car Guide walks through the best selling vehicles for the first nine months and the five senators who got the most votes from the May 2013 elections.

five best selling vehicles in the philippines - 2013 2013 is an election year, and they said car sales increase due to spending. lets see the top selling vehicles (based on a nine month data sales report) and the top five senators based on votes. | Infographics

Car Features - September 2013 Philippines Car Sales Figures

As they say, its better late than never. We would be posting car sales figures for the month of September with links to sources at the end of article.

16,991 vehicles were driven off showroom floors across the Philippines last September, an increase of 15% from 14,744 of the same month last year. The first nine months of 2012 saw 153,439 cars that found a buyer, compared to 133,344 to the same period corresponding to a 15% increase.

Feature Story - The Twelve Cars of Christmas

You definitely know the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas". So here at The Ultimate Used Car Guide, we'll give it a twist. You know our tradition during the holidays apart from our Best Bargains List per category, there is a story which involves, well, used cars. If last year we had Santa Claus asking us for his sleigh, this time we'll take a cue from the abovementioned song. Rather than turtle doves and pipers piping, we'll have cars. And these cars that would be included in this song will have their reviews starting with the first on November 14.

Care to know these cars? I won't give any clue but they will be arranged from the most expensive (the first one) to the cheapest. So, watch out for November 14.

What cars shall we have under the mistletoe? 

Oh, before I forget, our annual Bargains of Christmas will start this November 23. Hold off that purchase and read our guide first.

Car Features - The Cars of Napoles

With all the news surrounding Janet Lim Napoles, The Ultimate Used Car Guide delves in to the cars which she and her brother Reynald Lim may use to escape with. If you love your country and happen to see these cars roaming around, then do yourself a favor by calling the NBI Hotline at (02) 524-1141 or 0917 583-8612.

Do take note the photos of the following vehicles are merely representations and do not necessarily mean the actual vehicles owned or being used. All information are correct as of press time with a source available at the end of the article.

Listed below are the vehicles with their corresponding plate number and color.

Cars of the 2013 Manila International Auto Show

This is my first car show coverage for 2013 and the second time in this blog. Usually, the Manila International Auto Show is held during March/April every year and is also the staging ground of several new cars that were to be available in the market. However, among the numerous exhibitors inside, only a few are noteworthy to be written here.

CHERY

Among the numerous Chinese brands present, Chery has released a slew of new cars thanks to a new management. Vehicles present inside are the Q22L van that can seat 11 powered by a 1.2 engine (this would spark some debate since having a small engine for a big car can smell some fuel consumption problems) with a selling price of P565,000, the X1 hatchback, the updated Tiggo (thank goodness the 1.6 engine is ditched for good) and the QQ3 (which has a different interior and some exterior cues), the E5 (basically an updated A5 sedan) which has leather seats for 600k, and the Fulwin hatchback. 

Q22L Van

Fulwin 

Updated QQ

E5 Sedan

FORD

Taking up a huge space at one side, they placed a number of their new releases for 2013. First is the Ranger, which had its Wildtrack version available to the public and also a preview of their base version that is a single cab that will make a fight with the Mitsubishi L200. Next are the updated Explorer and Everest that has new rims and a color palette. There is no Ford Fiesta Ecoboost on display here, which is a bummer.

Ranger Wildtrack

Can this Ranger beat the Mitsubishi L200?

Wishing that there is an option like in the Toyota Hilux FX 

Another unit, but this time in orange 

Front of the Mustang

See these lights blink

The updated Everest

MAN

This truck company has one notable display that can change the lives of commuters out there (which includes me). An articulated bus was on their booth that is very long (similar to the MRT) that can accommodate 138 passengers both seated and standing and has a price of P8.5M. This is more suited in the city setting and taking turns can be a challenge for the driver's discipline and patience. If this thing existed in EDSA, would this spell the end for bad traffic due to unruly drivers?

One angle of the bus

MAZDA

With under a new management, Mazda is now poised to take new heights with a new Mazda 6 that has drool worthy features for P1.7M, and the display of the BT-50 pickup truck (twin of the Ranger) since this became the Truck of the Year. All of their vehicles in the line-up (except for the 2) are on the booth.

The new Mazda 6

Back shot of the 6

A classic, the MX-5

Mazda BT-50

MINI

An addition to the Mini lineup is the Mini Paceman which is basically a niche vehicle that will do battle against the Fiat 500 in the US. It resembles the Land Rover Evoque but this is more of a hatchback, so those who like a classic design of the Mini while being unique, you can have this in your list

Paceman

PEUGEOT

The returning brand is now active with their display of their latest slew of cars namely the 3008, 508, 5008, and the updated RCZ. Further inspection inside reveals a high quality interior, which is great and should be for a vehicle selling above P1.5M. The RCZ, in fact, isn't selling well but one word of advice for the distributor, bring in a larger displacement engine or price it lower (to BRZ levels).

Peugeot 5008

Peugeot 508

Updated RCZ

Peugeot 3008

SUBARU

Another new car seeking your approval is the new Forester (expect a used car review about the 2008-2012 Forester soon), which made a fanbase among lifestyle oriented owners. Other news include the updated Legacy which sports a new grille and alloy wheels.

Subaru BR-Z

Updated Legacy

Legacy wagon

New Forester

Skeleton of the BR-Z

This variant would be a hit among buyers

SUZUKI

Sitting in a lonely portion of the World Trade Center, the small booth has a display of the new Dzire (a Swift sedan popular in India) and an updated Alto 800. Both of them target the lower range of the market but the evaluation limited me and my companion in the exterior. The Dzire displayed had no power windows, so it targets the taxi market dominated by the Vios.

Updated Alto 800

The Dzire, is this the time where drivers ditch their Vioses and Accents for this?

TOYOTA

Unlike their bongga booth in the PIMS, a dealer represented booth was there with an 86 Aero and RAV4. The RAV4, which I already witnessed in person is a big improvement but the price for the 4WD top of the line is to steep. Expect a used car review for the preceding generations of the RAV4 soon with the second one this month. 

Fourth generation RAV4

Most Read Articles of 2012

2012 is nearing its end, and let's go back to memory lane on what articles you read the most. So, shall we start?

1. 1993-1997 Toyota Corolla review
- It may be old, but a lot of cash strapped used car buyers look at this sedan as their top choice.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2011/12/used-car-of-week-toyota-corolla-1993.html

2. 1999-2008 Mitsubishi Pajero review
- The one SUV that started the craze in the Philippines is the second most read review.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/02/used-car-of-week-mitsubishi-pajero_03.html

3. 2001-2007 Toyota Corolla Altis review
- Another popular choice in the second hand market.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/02/used-car-of-week-toyota-corolla-altis.html

4. Cars of the 2012 Philippine International Motor Show feature
- Covering the Motor Show independently was heaps of fun for me.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/08/cars-of-2012-philippine-international.html

5. 1995-2001 Nissan Sentra review
- Apart from the Corolla Big Body, this is one common pick in the market.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/01/used-car-of-week-nissan-sentra-1995.html

6. 2004-2006 Ford Everest TCDi review
- Long before the Fortuner, the Everest arrived first.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/05/used-car-of-week-ford-everest-2004-2006.html

7. 1996-2000 Honda Civic review
- Our third Ramos era sub-compact that entered the list.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/02/used-car-of-week-honda-civic-1996-2000.html

8. 1998-2005 Isuzu Fuego review
- My first pick-up truck review garnered the most views among other rivals (as of now)
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/03/used-car-of-week-isuzu-fuego-1998-2005.html

9. 1997-2000 Nissan Cefiro review
- The first premium sedan to be featured on this website, and it was a success.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/03/used-car-of-week-nissan-cefiro-1997.html

10. 1998-2005 Toyota Revo review
- Despite the dead name, a lot of buyers in the used car planet are eyeing for this.
http://myk384.blogspot.com/2012/01/used-car-of-week-toyota-revo-1998-2005.html

Car Features: The Three Pops and Flops of 2012

Before we leave 2012, The Ultimate Used Car Guide goes back to 12 months of new automotive releases and among the new cars available in the market, there are some that fled off car dealerships like wild while some remained glued and unloved. With some of my friends in Tropang TopGear Ph, we had listed the pops and flops of 2012.

In this case, only new releases in the form of a new nameplate, redesign, engine upgrade, or a new trim level are counted.

Many thanks to Dominic Sobreo, Mark Lester, and Carl Pacis for contributing!

Popular Cars of Puerto Princesa, Palawan: Hiace and Urvan dominate

Ok, I know this is a little late to post this. But they say its better late than never to narrate my trip to Puerto Princesa Palawan back in March 2012. Pardon for not having any photos (although there are some, they are shot at near dark), but videos will be shown at the end of the article. Since I had just stayed in the downtown area (read: hotel-restaurant), I can get a bigger picture of what do Palawenos drive.

With a limited number of car dealerships which includes Hyundai, Kia, Nissan (Universal Motors), Suzuki, Toyota (a sales outlet of Toyota Iloilo), and by the time you read this, Mitsubishi; there are a smattering pieces of vehicles wearing the license plates that are assigned in Metro Manila, South Luzon (mainland), Western Visayas, and Central Visayas. Either the vehicles are purchased locally or bought from the above mentioned places via freight.

If there is the La Salle-Ateneo rivalry in the basketball world, there is the Toyota Hiace-Nissan Urvan battle in the roads of Palawan. The two vans are the top choices among tour operators and hotels in the province, since they are fuel efficient, reliable, and can carry dozens of people at one piece. Majority of them are used as tourist vans and hotel shuttles. There was never a sight of a Hyundai Starex in the island, although I have not seen one in my four day trip.

Private consumers are limited in several category segments in the province (wearing the "V" plate) and there is a two way battle between some vehicles. The pick-up truck rivalry is between the Toyota Hilux and the Nissan Navara, sub-compact buyers mostly pick either the Toyota Vios or the Kia Rio (second generation), mid-size SUV choices are between the Toyota Fortuner or the Kia Sorento, compact SUV's that captured the hearts and wallets of locals are the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage twins, and the hatchback party is composed of the Suzuki Celerio and Swift and the Hyundai i10. Strangely, there is the abundance of the Toyota Avanza and Innova but the direct competitors, namely the Isuzu Crosswind and Mitsubishi Adventure, are not that wide spread.

Among old vehicles, there are numerous Kia Prides, Mazda 323s, and Kia Sportages (first generation) still plying the streets. Partly because a Kia-Mazda dealer used to operate in the 90s but the former brand was relocated and currently operates under a new management.

Here are some Youtube videos of street scenes:

Car Features - Brands That Filipinos Bought in 1994

They said that in September 7, 1994 the world would end. Who was that guy who made a big embarrassing failure of predicting? Harold Camping. Yes, he would make a prediction that in May 21, 2011 the world will end but still, your Ultimate Used Car Guide is still alive and kicking. But today, with a rapture that was supposedly to occur, we'll go back 18 years ago to the failed doomsday.

In the year 1994, the economy was booming under the administration of Fidel Ramos and with that in mind, for the first time the formal car industry sold 103,471 vehicles, and the first year to accomplish the six digit figure sales. I do not have any per model sales but rather, a pdf file from the Philippine Institute of Development Studies would show us what car brands sold well in 1994. With just barely 11-13 brands available, we would be presenting the top five best selling brands.

The top selling brand of 1994 is Toyota, which sold 31,803 vehicles wearing that badge with a 24% increase. Shown above is probably the bestseller of Toyota, which is the Corolla.

Second place goes to Mitsubishi with 28,999 three diamond star vehicles leaving its showrooms, up 15%. Majority of the sales come from the Lancer (shown here) and the L300 vans.

Occupying the third spot is Nissan (with two different distributors namely Nissan Motors Philippines and Universal Motors Corporation) which sold 15,786 cars and trucks with a 7% increase.

With the bulk of sales coming from the Pride, Kia was fourth best selling brand with 9,989 sales and posting a huge sales increase at 160%. Very impressive figures to say, especially that Columbian Autocar Corporation made hay with this people's car.

With just two models available during that year (Civic and Accord), Honda was at the fifth position by selling 9,000 flat vehicles, an increase of 29%. This was the last time the Japanese H brand sold in four digits with the following year achieving 10,000 plus sales.

Other brands that sold well during that time included Mazda (2,399 sales, but this lacked the passenger car sales but still, they stay in the sixth spot), Daewoo (selling 2,239 units with majority of them are Racers), Hino (1,541 trucks and buses are driven off), and Isuzu (1,233 cars found an owner).

Car Features - Cars That Filipinos Bought in 1998

While waiting for the next used car feature this monday, let's go back to memory lane and explore the year 1998. We could all remember the financial crisis struck the country, Erap was elected to stay in Malacanang, and the country celebrated 100 years of independence. Let's check what did the Filipinos purchased during that year, with figures courtesy of Top Gear Philippines and Best Selling Cars Blog.

From 160,000 plus units driving off showroom floors in 1996, only a half were driven off with 80,193 vehicles found an owner. Out of the ten, seven faced double digit decreases in sales while three vehicles are making their mark in the market.

Still at the top, the Toyota Corolla is the sales leader but selling 7,629 units and having a decline of 45%. The new generation sold in that year was called the "Love Life" but it didn't manage to capture the hearts of buyers in the following year, unlike the one which leads us to the second bestseller below.

6,352 Honda Civics are driven off Honda dealers with a decrease of 40%. This was less than the Corolla's 45% and surprisingly, it managed to sell well despite being older than the Corolla and Lancer, the two main competitors.

New to the country and to this list is the Mitsubishi Adventure with 6,319 units found an owner to an otherwise new nameplate. It managed to boot out the Toyota Tamaraw FX as the best selling AUV and the only one throughout the nameplate's history.

Next to the bigger Adventure is the Mitsubishi Lancer with 4,451 sales and 60% decrease. Among the sedans present here, it posted a huge decline.

At fifth spot is the Nissan Sentra which was treated to a minor model change in that year. Despite cosmetic changes and the addition of the base FE model, Sentra sales had fallen 57% with 3,879 units sold.

The second AUV not wearing a Toyota badge in this list is the Isuzu Hilander, with 3,617 sales and posting a 35% decrease. In fact, there are more Crosswinds sold than this one.

The only Korean vehicle in this list is the Kia Besta which saw 3,401 sales and posted a 31% decrease. For the record, this was the best selling full sized van from 1996-1998 which bested the veteran Mitsubishi L300.

An innovator for the compact SUV craze in the Philippines is the Honda CR-V, and despite the new name it managed to sell 3,181 pieces and thus, became the best selling compact until the arrival of the second generation Hyundai Tucson in 2010.

Two Toyotas of the same category occupied the last two slots and first is the Toyota Revo, despite being launched in the last part of 1998 found 3,118 owners. This dethroned the Corolla the following year and saved Toyota some sales.

The other one is the aging Toyota Tamaraw FX that saw a 75% decrease and selling 3,045 units. The following year or so, the brand axed this popular but old name.

While the mainstays experienced a slump in their sales, three models managed to make a splash in the Philippine automotive culture with the two stayed in production while the other one evolved as the Innova.

Car Features - Best Selling Car Nameplates in the Philippines from 1995-2011

Curious on what nameplates were popular in the Philippines in the last 16 years? Well, your Ultimate Used Car Guide reveals the 20 most successful nameplates in the country.

Top 20 most successful nameplates in the Philippines from 1995-2011

Pos.	Model	Volume	Year
1	Toyota Corolla	17,686	1996
2	Honda Civic	15,899	1996
3	Toyota Tamaraw FX	15,661	1995
4	Toyota Vios	15,391	2010
5	Mitsubishi Lancer	13,119	1996
6	Nissan Sentra	12,658	1995
7	Toyota Innova	12,608	2010
8	Mitsubishi Montero Sport	12,247	2010
9	Toyota Revo	12,001	2003
10	Honda CR-V	9,708	2003
11	Mitsubishi L300 CC/FB	9,078	1996
12	Honda City	8,914	2010
13	Isuzu Crosswind	8,901	2003
14	Mitsubishi Adventure	7,778	2002
15	Toyota Fortuner	7,548	2010
16	Kia Pride	6,490	1995
17	Toyota Avanza	6,257	2007
18	Isuzu Hilander	5,526	1997
19	Kia Besta	4,947	1997
20	Mitsubishi L300 Versa Van	4,647	1995

Sources: 

• http://www.topgear.com.ph/features/columns/all-will-drive/the-best-selling-cars-in-the-philippines-from-1995-to-2010
• http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/the-two-best-selling-vehicles-in-the-philippines-are-locally-made

Car Features - Cars That Filipinos Bought In 2008

For the second time, we'll feature car sales figures on this site. With October supposedly being the "eighth" month of the year, let's pick out 2008 simply this year has 8 on the end. In that year, a crisis that affected rice  and gasoline supply loomed, plus the financial crisis that crippled the largest economic powerhouse, United States. With figures from Top Gear Philippines and Best Selling Cars Blog, here are the top 10 best selling vehicles of 2008.

10 years ago, the industry sold cars below the 100,000 mark, but it has been rebounded later on to 124,449 cars being driven off dealership floors. This was 10 years (again) that vehicle sales returned to the six digit figures, with 2007 being the first year for this decade. With people getting fuel conscious during that year, fuel efficient sedans and vehicles with a diesel option made up this list.

After 3 years that the Toyota Innova took control of the sales charts, the Vios wrestles the top spot selling 12,020 units, up 38%. Filipino car buyers had been feeling the pinch of weekly gas price increases as well as taxi operators had been looking to replenish their fleet.

Down 5% and having 10,000 flat sales, the Toyota Innova is now the second best selling car in the country. Despite a minor model change later that year, this didn't help any further.

A casualty of high gas prices, despite the availability of two diesel engines, is the Toyota Fortuner having sold 5,588 units and saw a 23% decrease. The arrival of the second gen Mitsubishi Montero Sport was a threat to an otherwise aging model.

The fourth Toyota on the top 4 is the Toyota Avanza, with 5,515 driving off Toyota dealers and a 12% decline.

Let's refresh ourselves for the meantime with a car not wearing a Toyota badge. At fifth spot is the Isuzu Crosswind which saw 5,264 being sold inside Isuzu showrooms but down 2%. I have one explanation why this sold well, the standard diesel engine especially that Filipinos want something fuel efficient.

At sixth place with 5,174 sales and a decline of 32% is the Honda Civic. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the price increases as well as an aging platform. The smaller City overtook this car in 2009 and sold in the 3,000 unit range.

In contrast to the Crosswind's sales decline, the Mitsubishi Adventure managed to post an increase of 2% and selling 5,164 units. The upward trend for this vehicle continued until 2010, with the Isuzu having a decrease in 2009 but went up the following year.

Visiting the top 10 is the Toyota Corolla Altis, redesigned in 2008 and having 4,360 sales for its first year. It had overtaken the Civic in the compact class the following year and didn't have the Civic threaten this sedan ever since.

Selling well despite its expiration date is the Honda City, up 7% with 4,197 units being driven off Honda dealers. The following year, it sold double than the figures set in 2008.

Also having a 7% increase is the business favorite Mitsubishi L300 Crew Cab, having 4,049 units driven to businessmen. Why did it weathered the fuel and economic crisis? Simple answers, a diesel engine under the hood comes standard and the cost of maintaining one does not dent their wallets.

These vehicles sold well during the turbulent times that 2008 offered to the consumers. I think they sold well because they deserve it, fitting to the situation.