Ideal cars for condominium owners in the city
Living in a condominium means that you would be limited to the underground parking area of your building, which means ramps, tight corners, and tight parking spaces. For those that are condo owners, and are looking to buy a new car, we’ve compiled a list of vehicles that are small enough or are equipped with features that help you navigate tight spots. We’ve also included cars that are big, yet surprisingly manageable in a tight situation.
For would-be or aspiring condo owners, you may browse through Hoppler.com.ph for listings around Metro Manila. For cars which are an indispensable tool for navigating through the city, stick with us to find which cars would be perfect pairs for your loft with the help of AutoDeal.com.ph.
With all that being said, we’ve grouped this list into segments with three entries each. So we’ll be covering small hatchbacks, crossovers, and even SUVs that are rather fitting for the scenario posed. So, let’s get to it.
Small Hatchbacks
For a condo in the city, these selections are pretty much perfect. You will find that a small car will be easier to drive and maneuver through parking lots, tight spaces, and even up ramps to some extent. It also doesn’t hurt that these vehicles are also affordably priced, and often go for under P1,000,000.
So the first option in this category would be the Kia Picanto. It’s a small car, which means that it lends itself well to the compact nature of condominium living. It’s easy to park, but Kia gives it an extra feature in the form of a backup camera if you opt for the EX variants. We recommend getting the automatic variant since going up an incline in a car with a manual transmission could be harder for an inexperienced driver, and even with those convenience features, you’re only paying P745,000 for this lovely little hatchback, and that’s the top-spec model.
Related: Kia Picanto Car Guide
Another small hatchback that we can recommend is the Honda Brio. The model does have a small stance and is easy to park. Without a doubt, it can fit into most tight spaces while maintaining a refined ride. Starting at just P598,000 and going up to P735,000 for the cool RS variant, the Brio is enough for your daily needs while still allowing your wallet to rest easy.
Related: Honda Brio Car Guide
What list would be complete without one of the most common city cars in the country? The Toyota Wigo is a best seller for a reason. It comes from the most popular brand in the country, comes at a relatively affordable price, and it’s compact enough to squeeze through traffic as well as your condominium’s parking lot. Though it is not the most adorned of the bunch, it has enough features and a strong following. You can nab yourself a Wigo for just P557,000 for a manual variant, which makes it a bit more compelling to pull the trigger.
Related: Toyota Wigo Car Guide
Sedans
A staple on Philippine roads, a sedan is one of the more popular body types in the Philippines today, thanks to a plethora of options from many brands. In this segment, there is no shortage of options, but as a city-dwelling vehicle, we recommend a few standouts.
For the price that it commands, the space that you get, and one of its headlining features, the MG 5 is one of the better options out there if you want to get around tight spaces with a good amount of certainty. Equipped with a 1.5-liter motor and a CVT, its specs are par for the course in its segment, however, it features more space inside as well as a 360-degree camera that allows you to see everything around the car. This feature is also not common at this price point, yet MG decided to fit it in its entry-level sedan, the MG 5 Alpha which goes for P938,000.
Related: MG 5 Car Guide
Another great car for condos would be the Kia Soluto. With a handsome face that doesn’t look like its price point, a great set of features for a very affordable price tag of just P755,000 for the top-end variant, you get a compact form factor with a powerful-for-its-size 1.4-liter engine, and it even comes with a backup camera as standard throughout the lineup. EX models get parking sensors as an added bonus, but you can get an automatic Soluto LX for just P710,000.
Related: Kia Soluto Car Guide
Though, if you’re looking for something more in this category of cars, and your budget allows it, we wholeheartedly recommend the Mazda3 sedan as a prime choice if you are willing to splurge and treat yourself. It’s got arguably the most gorgeous interior of the bunch, it has great driving dynamics, and can also come equipped with a 360-degree camera, and it’s essentially a premium car hiding behind a mainstream price tag. If you’re feeling frisky, there is also a Sportback variant of the Mazda3, which is more unique in a sea of sedans. If you want the fully-featured experience, then the top of the line Premium sedan variant will cost P1,495,000. If you don’t need a few features and a big engine, then you’ll only need P1,295,000 for the Elite trim.
Related: Mazda3 Car Guide
Related: Mazda3 Sportback Car Guide
Crossovers
Sedans and hatchbacks are all well and good, but after driving on Philippine roads for some time, you start to realize that road conditions are less than stellar and scraping the underside of your bumper will be an experience that you don’t want to live through, so this is where the crossover comes in.
A name that’s been thrown around by people looking for a subcompact crossover, the Geely Coolray is an automatic pick for some thanks to its very upscale interior, standout performance, and its technology loadout. It’s pretty much adapted to the city already thanks to a 360-degree camera, and even an automatic parking feature. All this can be had for P1,198,000 for the top-spec variant, which is pretty much a steal at this price point.
Related: Geely Coolray Car Guide
If bigger is indeed better, then we would implore you to look at the Mazda CX-30. Starting at P1,490,000 for the 2WD variant, it comes loaded with Mazda’s premium quality, and even a backup camera, however, if you want a 360-degree camera system, the AWD Sport and Signature variants have that feature for you. A close second to a recommendation in this segment is the Honda CR-V, which features a diesel engine and 7-seats, however, in terms of navigating around tight spaces and reversing, we prefer more cameras and a gear lever to put the transmission in reverse and drive without doing double-takes.
Related: Mazda CX-30 Car Guide
Related: Honda CR-V Car Guide
As one of the more affordable cars in the Philippines today, the Suzuki S-presso is as cute as it is affordable. Coming in at just P518,000 with diminutive dimensions, the little crossover is just as nimble as a small hatchback, but with the ground clearance of a crossover. It’s not the most well-equipped, but for the price, we’re not complaining.
Related: Suzuki S-presso Car Guide
The wild cards
It’s not easy to get a big SUV into a parking lot, but Nissan makes that that task so much easier though its Around View Monitor. The same can be said for its truck, the Nissan Navara, which also has the feature. While these vehicles may not be the best suited for squeezing into tight streets, their technological enhancements make them more manageable in the tight spots and the parking lots of the Metro.
Related: Nissan Terra Car Guide
Related: Nissan Navara Car Guide
Related: Suzuki Jimny Car Guide
Also, how could we forget the smallest SUV of the bunch? The Suzuki Jimny is lightweight, compact, and frugal, it’s a very accomodating car for the city. With its narrow profile and its highly stylized exterior, it makes for a perfect, do-it-all car, that is if doing it all doesn’t include people carrier duties on a regular basis.
In closing
Now, there are a few other cars that we didn’t include, like the Toyota Vios. As ubiquitous as it is, if you’re looking to maximize your money’s worth in terms of city-slicking features, then these are some of the more equipped choices out there. So, there you have it. These are the cars that in our opinion, are some of the more suited vehicles to those living in condominiums.
Related: Toyota Vios Car Guide
Author Bio
Earl Lee
After spending his whole life playing with toy cars, Earl has now moved on to driving and playing with real cars. A man of action, he spends his days either working or out of the house looking for adventure and open roads. At his core, he is a bonafide petrol head seeking to spend the rest of his days tinkering with his car and spending time with his friends and family.
Looking for properties? Click here. Looking to sell or rent out your property? Click here. Just browsing? Check our listings:
