The Hyundai Tucson.

Looking through the list of 2009 Hyundai models, instantly out from my considerations were the H100 (van), the Starex (I am not going to be planning for kids anytime soon, dude), and the Santa Fe (too expensive). I was left with: the Getz, the i10, the Accent, and the Tucson models.

I don’t want an Accent because if I bought a sedan from Hyundai, I’d kill myself for not getting a Toyota Vios or a Honda City instead. Or maybe not, maybe I’m wrong.

The i10 and the Getz are possibilities I’m thinking of. However, at that time when I visited the showroom, I was thinking: “Hey. I used to drive an Altis. An old model, but it’s still a 1.6 A/T Altis. A 1.1 M/T Getz would be a downgrade, wouldn’t it? Same goes for any i10 unit, right? Practical, but maybe I don’t want a downgrade.”

I was so stupid for being close-minded right then, but I still don’t want a downgrade, although at least now I’m open to that possibility if I can’t afford a bigger car. Better than nothing, I guess.

My junk goes here.

Which brings me to what caught my attention right then: the Hyundai Tucson. It’s big, it’s somewhat an upgrade, and yeah, as soon as I took a look at its brochure, it became crystal-clear that I don’t know shit about cars. What does a Theta II MPI DOHC Dual-CVVT 16-valve engine mean? ASD (Amplitude Selective Damper)? What does it mean when the brochure says the Tucson’s performance is upgrade with “the application of a two-stage Variable Intake System (VIS) that allows switching between long and short-intake manifold resulting in optimized ‘engine breathing’ to provide you consistently supple power”?

When words like supple jump out of the car brochure and you find yourself interpreting it as a green joke, you know you’re not ready to buy a car just yet.

I thanked the saleslady and walked out of the showroom more confused than enlightened. That’s exactly when I decided that My Search for Beatrice is going to be my (and for all car idiots out there) Automotive 101. I might be a total dumbo right now, but I swear I’ll try to learn as much as I can before I buy my first car (with my own cash).

I have a feeling this won't be the seat my ass will be resting on soon.

(Full list of My Search for Beatrice articles.)

It’s been more than three months since Ondoy, since Belinda (my car, the Altis that was flooded in) drowned in mud. It was my first car, bought for me and Jason by our dad, and since total repairs for it were quoted at a total of around two hundred thousand pesos, we decided to sell it off for a small return. It’s a crappy situation to be in, because since at that time and until now, I’m not ready to shell out anything for a new car. Who would have known people would lose cars to floods back in September?

Belinda as a dirty bitch.

So I’m thinking of getting a new one. I’m looking for Beatrice. Thanks to what happened this morning when thieves tried to steal my iPod Nano, I decided that whatever happens, I’m getting a new car soon.

I’ve already window-shopped today for cars and I’ll be featuring all the cars I want within a reasonable budget here in a series called My Search for Beatrice, with the reviews, photos, costs, and my personal take on the cars. Thing is, I would need people to help me decide, as I have said many times before, I’m a complete dumbo with cars. That’s why I value others’ opinion more than my own on this one. I promise not to buy shit until I know shit, especially with the large amount of cash involved for this fucking transaction (which I never wanted to spend in the first place, but stupid Laglag-Barya gangsters convinced me to get myself a car again).

So, Beatrice, magkano ka kaya (I wonder how much you’d cost)?

(Full list of My Search for Beatrice articles.)

Yes, I already bought one. And the unit I got is not even on my list.

One of the units I talked about (my first option, actually) is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, a 2007 model already phased out in most stores. Only one store carried the camera, and they were already down to their last stock. I had reservations about getting the unit, but comparing it to other cameras in its price range, it had way better specs despite the fact that it’s outdated.

But I didn’t get that one. I got it’s successor, the one I’ve wanted before I even realized the FZ18 existed: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28. Enhancements include a slightly bigger (27″) and brighter LCD screen (from FZ18’s 25″), capacity to take HD movies in the 720p format (from standard definition), and 10.1 Megapixel resolution (from 8.1). It still has the FZ18’s RAW file support, 18x optical zoom, and manual controls.

There was one concern. One major, high-risk concern. I got the unit from a Multiply site. Not a store represented by a social network page, but just an individual selling cameras via his Multiply account.

Of course, I didn’t take the risk of having the package sent to me in exchange for a bank transfer of the unit cost. We had to meet face-to-face, he had to show me the unit, allow me to tinker with it a bit to check if there are faults, if it’s really brand new, and if the set is complete (bag, charger, lens hood, the works). I arranged for a meeting here in our office, and he agreed.

The couple of hours leading to the meet-up, I was worried sick about the transaction. What about the warranty? What about the quality? How do I know if it’s brand new? What if defects show up about a month later? In general: how do I know I’m getting the unit that I want?

The transaction was my first one made with a stranger. And to top it off, it’s also my biggest purchase to date. I had every right to worry about the camera. Good thing Sir Troy was willing to help me out; he checked out the camera, made sure everything was in place, and asked the reseller questions about his business (we needed to make sure he was legit).

After discussions and checking and some playing around with the camera, we decided it was okay. I cashed in my savings and got the Fz28.

Panasonic DMC-FZ28.

I got to experience the camera for a few minutes, but the real trial has yet to happen, after work. I’ll post it in Part 3 of this article. The hunt is over, and it’s time to play!