Six Months of the Manila Embassy Vehicle Classifieds
Not one listing raised its price in six months, and today's board has thinned to a six-month low of eight cars, which makes this the moment to press hardest, starting with the Ford Territory.
What’s on the board today
Eight vehicles as of August 7. Verdicts are based on price movement, days on board, and condition disclosed in the ad.
| Vehicle | Asking | Odometer | Editions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Ford Territory 1.5L Titanium Plus | $12,700 (₱785,000) | 36,000 km | 8 | Worth a call |
| 2022 KTM 390 Duke | $2,500 (approx. ₱154,000) | 4,200 km | 4 | Worth a call |
| 2015 Hyundai Accent | $4,000 (approx. ₱246,000) | 69,000 km | 3 | Worth a call |
| 2014 Ford Ecosport | $5,250 (approx. ₱323,000) | 63,000 mi | 7 | Fair |
| 2010 BMW X3 xDrive 2.0d | $4,050 (EUR 3,500, negotiable) | 115,000 km | 2 | Risk |
| 2012 Audi Q5 | Not published | Not published | 2 | Ask |
| 2015 Toyota Sienna | $15,000 (approx. ₱923,000) | 73,000 mi | 4 | Overpriced |
| 2019 Mazda CX-9 Signature | $18,500 (approx. ₱1,138,000) | 91,750 km | 5 | Overpriced |
Listing notes and contacts
2023 Ford Territory — Panoramic roof, 360 camera, leather, CarPlay. Bought new in Manila, one owner, serviced July including alignment. Cut from $19,000 since April, motivated seller with a hard departure date. David Sequeira, david.seq@gmail.com, +1 434 227 6652 (WhatsApp).
2022 KTM 390 Duke — Cost $5,500 new. All scheduled services done including the 5,000 km, full original receipts, bike stand included. Highway-legal engine class. Listed briefly in April, pulled, relisted in July at the same $2,500, so the price has held while the bike has barely moved. George, +1 314 809 5400; Agnes, +1 630 290 4225 (WhatsApp).
2015 Hyundai Accent — VAT paid, automatic, strong AC. 2026 work: spark plugs, ignition switch, alternator cleaned, AC and coolant serviced. No frills, correctly priced. Tim Convy, convytj@state.gov, +1 703 731 3898.
2014 Ford Ecosport — New tires and battery, regular maintenance. Third price cut, was $6,750 in April. Fair rather than a steal, and it has been on the board a long time. Sophia LeHarte, SLeharte@gmail.com, +1 207 370 8162 (Viber/WhatsApp).
2010 BMW X3 xDrive 2.0d — Diplomatic plates, tax exempt, silver, automatic, regularly maintained. Cheap entry, but a 16-year-old German diesel in Manila traffic is a parts-and-labor bet. Embassy of Poland, 0918 822 2777.
2012 Audi Q5 — Ad omits both price and mileage. Blue with tan leather, PH insurance paid to July 2027, roomy for gear and clubs. Worth an email purely to find out the number. Michael Janecek, mjjanecek@gmail.com, +63 915 089 3806.
2015 Toyota Sienna — Seven-plus seats, four captain chairs, push-button doors, moonroof, new shocks and struts. Same $15,000 for four straight editions with no cut. A separate 2015 Sienna XLE asked $16,000 in the spring and also failed to sell. Van scarcity supports a premium; the market has still declined to pay it. Steve Sciulli, Steven.Sciulli@tsa.dhs.gov, +1 202 445 0241 (WhatsApp).
2019 Mazda CX-9 Signature — Top trim, AWD, ventilated seats, Bose 12-speaker, 360 camera, full i-ACTIVSENSE. Genuinely loaded, but 92,000 km at $18,500 with zero movement across five editions says the ask is above clearing. davidbrucehartman@gmail.com, +63 939 988 6818.
Supply came in two waves, and both have passed
Two clear waves, late April and late June, matching the PCS transfer cycle. The board has now collapsed to eight, meaning this season’s departing-officer supply is essentially spent.
Vehicles listed per edition
Prices only went one direction
Not one listing raised its price in six months. Sellers who needed to move took 20-35% off over roughly 6-12 weeks. Sellers who held firm are, with one exception, still holding the vehicle.
Asking price by edition, USD
| Vehicle | First ask | Last ask | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Ford Explorer | $2,750 | $1,750 | -36% |
| 2021 Chery Tiggo 8 A/T LUX | ₱920,000 | ₱600,000 | -35% |
| 2023 Ford Territory | $19,000 | $12,700 | -33% |
| 2014 Chrysler Town & Country | $7,000 | $5,000 | -29% |
| 2015 Toyota Fortuner | $12,000 | ₱550,000 | -26% |
| 2014 Ford Ecosport | $6,750 | $5,250 | -22% |
| 2018 Hyundai Tucson | $13,000 | $10,300 | -21% |
| 2012 Nissan X-Trail 4x4 | $6,000 | $5,500 | -8% |
How the mix shifted
Early spring was cheap older American iron, Explorer, Escape, Sorento, Highlander, a Chrysler minivan, mostly in the $2,000-8,000 band with high mileage. By May and June the board turned newer and dearer: a Land Cruiser Prado at ₱1.75M, a Mazda CX-9, a Subaru XV, a 2024 Tucson, the Ford Territory. That was peak selection and peak price simultaneously.
July and August thinned out, and what remains skews toward ads that failed to clear in the earlier waves. Two-wheelers appeared as a category only from mid-June, two Vespas, a Honda Click, a KTM, and have almost entirely sold. The KTM is the last one standing.
What I’d do
- Call on the Ford Territory first. A three-year-old, one-owner, loaded compact SUV at ₱785,000 with 36,000 km sits well under Manila retail. The seller has cut 33% chasing a departure date, and on this pattern another 5-8% is likely available.
- Open low on anything flat for four-plus editions. The Sienna and the CX-9 have both refused to move and both have failed to sell, the Sienna’s predecessor at $16,000 didn’t sell either. Their ask is above the clearing price and they know it.
- You’re at the leverage peak, not the selection peak. Fewest cars, but the remaining sellers are the ones who didn’t clear and are running out of runway. Expect a modest refill in the fall cycle if nothing here fits.
- Cross-check the currency. Ads quote USD and PHP inconsistently. At roughly ₱61.5 to the dollar, several listings had a peso price 3-5% cheaper than the dollar figure printed beside it. Pay in whichever is lower.
Ads are community-submitted and not endorsed by the CLO office. All figures are asking prices, not transaction prices. FX assumption approximately ₱61.5 per USD.[1]
Per CLO, the classified ads link may be shared outside the mission community. ↩︎