Pinoy Auto BlogThe Philippines' Premier Automotive and Car Blog

Ask anyone on what is the most sensitive part of modern cars these days and you may perhaps get the computer box as the answer. Rightfully so, it is considered the heart of modern cars and once it gives way, you are in big trouble.

Unlike older cars, car computer boxes of newer models from Mitsubishin, Honda or Toyota are hard to replace. In fact, that is your only option since they cannot be repaired. There are people in Banawe who may claim it can be fixed but if you want to take that risk and solicit worse problems for your car, then by all means grab it. But the reality of it all is that if other parts of your car can be fabricated, your computer box cannot.

The normal occurrences that would contribute towards car computer boxes being damaged severely include:

1. Floods or being soaked
2. Length of use
3. Wrong installation or has been tampered with

Not even the usual electricians would dare tinker with it for the reason that they know how sensitive this part it and how expensive it would take to replace it. The price could go as far as a second hand car!

So if your computer box goes on the blink, better start saving for a new one. There are no second hand ones that can last in the same way that your old computer box was. Certainly, it is a part that can be expensive to replace but it may take eternity to wreck depending on how you take care of your car.

At the rate that fuel prices are becoming unreasonably priced, we have been offered a lot of alternatives. We can see today that most of them are more compact compared to the previous years where SUVs and large bodied cars are preferred by the traditional car lover. But along with size comes the price to pay for more fuel to burn. Thus, it should not be surprising why cars these days are becoming smaller and crampy.

Take for instance the entry of two small cars, the Toyota Vios and the Honda City. Both were initially considered as cars for women. True to its concept, they were cheaper and suitable for the women drivers who only needed a vehicle to get them places. Apparently today, these compact vehicles have gone as far as serving the men, becoming an alternative since fuel prices are escalating and thus heeding for more conservative cars.

These two car models from Honda and Toyota normally come in 1.3 engines. With lesser power the only important thing here is that they can get you places. Getting anywhere fast is no longer important. It is about convenience and luxury and hence a big reason why most Vios and City models are slowly becoming common in the Philippine roads today.

In a time where finances are much of a burden, people are turning towards public transportation to get to their point of destination. For the time being that the economy is on a turnstile, sacrifices which include that of using your own car is not only a necessity but an option.

Through all of this you have to wonder how cars will fare. This covers both brand new and second hand vehicles in the market. In short, to gain extra income for rising expenses, selling your car may be an option. But that is if someone will buy it.

Through the years we have seen a lot of Filipinos buying second hand cars like the usual Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic or even the Mazda 323. But today, people have stayed away from them, seeing them as additional expenses as far as fuel and car maintenance is concerned. On the average you can expect to spend at least PHP 5,000.00 on a car for maintenance while gasoline varies depending on your destination. And no thanks to the regular price increases, people are left with nothing much to spend for gas these days.

For the brand new vehicles, who in his right mind can afford to spare on the average PHP 700,000.00 to PHP 1,000,000 on a car these days? They can always use the financial assistance from banks but can you handle the monthly amortization that ranges from PHP12,000.00 to PHP25,000.00 a month? That is like spending rent on an apartment and perhaps your monthly utilities and groceries already.

The point here is that cars are a luxury. While we all want to live in it, we just have to face the fact that now is not a great time to pursue it. We can dream of buying a car. But let us wait for the right time to do it.

Hybrid cars are the new demand these days, no thanks to the growing problems of continuous oil and fuel price hikes. While we see this is as a good resolution, obviously we will have to sacrifice a lot of things such as comfort and style. Hybrid cars are modernized looking cars that are getting close to what we all had in mind when we were projecting the future look of transportation.

The latest batch of hybrid cars do have that futuristic look but apparently, the usual leg room and the mileage that we normally get from the traditional vehicles will have to be modified a bit, a lot of it pointing towards issues that will definitely not sit well with most people looking for luxury when it comes to getting places.

Apparently the shift towards modernized hybrid cars will have its impact. Some may like it while others will not. But this early there are bound to be limited options considering car manufacturers such as Honda and Toyota have only begun developing these cars at present. Notable is the Toyota Prius which has gotten a lot of attention in the process. Honda is not far behind and expect other ones trying to stay afoot with them as the demand for alternative modes of transportation is gearing up.

Cost-wise, there will be other factors such as alternative fuel that will headline the news. Compatibility will certainly be something since alternative fuel development will be needed. That is perhaps one hindrance that most car manufacturers have to contend with since engines of these hybrid cars will have their share of fuel preferences. Better yet, if they can accommodate these bio-fuels and the traditional gasoline (assuming they stabilize in the future) would be great alternatives. You just never know when everything may go back to normal hence these considerations are on the car manufacturers line of developmental issues.