Is Premium fuel widely available outside Metro?

[OnMyWay]

5 hours ago, Ninpo2dan said:

A brand new 2019 Lexus LX 570 with all the addons is about $98k here. A similar configuration in the Philippines, minus a few options, is about $168k. That's a serious difference in price, especially when you're talking about a country where things are supposed to be cheaper.

Most new cars in the Philippines are ridiculously overpriced, especially luxury models.  Some of this is tax and some is just low demand.

Dealer maintenance is out of whack too.  You will find services are required far more frequently than the U.S., at a high cost.

Honestly, if I could afford to spend $98K or $168K on a vehicle, I would not choose the Philippines to live in.

[Ninpo2dan]

13 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I don't think you want a Lexus then.  I think there is only one Lexus dealer in the country, in Manila.  Most of the premium brands are like that.

Toyota has lots of dealers all over the country.  Perhaps they could do warranty maintenance  on a Lexus at Toyota?

That's one of the awesome points with Lexus. Unlike BMW, Mercedes, etc., you can get a Lexus serviced at any Toyota dealership. They may have to order some parts if you need repairs, but much of the work is the same as their Toyota counterpart.

There are obviously some differences between the two, especially when you start looking at stuff like the electronic suspension system or other unique features on the Lexus. But for most general repairs or regular maintenance, any Toyota shop should be able to do the work. I still remember the nightmares we had with the BMW, while the Lexus has been great to service.

[Ninpo2dan]

9 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Most new cars in the Philippines are ridiculously overpriced, especially luxury models.  Some of this is tax and some is just low demand.

Dealer maintenance is out of whack too.  You will find services are required far more frequently than the U.S., at a high cost.

Honestly, if I could afford to spend $98K or $168K on a vehicle, I would not choose the Philippines to live in.

Mine is a 2000, had less than 120k when I bought it a few years ago, but it's still a nice ride and only cost $20k. I doubt I'll buy a new one, regardless if it's a Toyota or Lexus, when there are more important things to spend money on like a house. But if I could get a fairly new one for maybe $80k, I wouldn't mind dropping half on a down and finance the rest. I plan to do a lot of travel once I move there, so my vehicle is something I'll be spending a fair amount of time in.

I'm a disabled veteran, going to be getting a 100% rating and adding in SSDI (if that's possible to retain overseas), so my monthly income is only going to be about $4000-$4500. But due to the VA appeal taking so long, I'll be getting a lump payment of around $150k just before I leave. I think the SRRV is $20k at first (which I get back when I'm 50, only 41 now), and with all other expenses that should leave enough for a car. But it wouldn't matter if I was bringing in $50k a month, there is honestly no other place in the world that I'd want to live more than the Philippines.

[Anselm]

On 2/1/2019 at 8:34 PM, GeoffH said:

You are going to attract some attention even in a Land Cruiser any where except for scattered up market enclaves anyway.  They aren’t common in most areas unlike Fortunas, Hiluxes and Innovas.  Toyota does have the largest dealer network, which is why we went that way.

I've noticed a lot more brand new Landcruisers appearing in the last year or half year - but still, far fewer than the more popular models. Lexus - I've seen 2 or 3 in the last year. Not sure if the locals associate it with high wealth though...

[OnMyWay]

14 hours ago, Anselm said:

I've noticed a lot more brand new Landcruisers appearing in the last year or half year

We have a ton of Landcruisers around in Subic and some of them must be visitors from Manila.

Our rich neighbor has one that came from Dubai.  I'm not sure how that happened as they no longer allow used car imports here, but maybe is was imported before the ban.  They are probably popular in the middle east and the filthy rich there probably only drive them for a year before getting rid of them.

[Arizona Kid]

On 2/1/2019 at 7:00 AM, OnMyWay said:

I think Petron is the largest gasoline dealer and as far as I know, the have 95 octane at all the locations, but I could be wrong.  They also have 100 octane available.

I use 95 for my little subcompact car all the time. Every Petron station that I fill up at has a sign on the 100 octane pump that they are "out of stock" Not that I need it.

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, Arizona Kid said:

I use 95 for my little subcompact car all the time. Every Petron station that I fill up at has a sign on the 100 octane pump that they are "out of stock" Not that I need it.

Yes, I think Petron miscalculated the market for 100.  There are not many high performance cars here and people probably figured out quickly that for a normal car, it is a waste of money.