Do you think the cost of owning automobiles in the Philippines is prohibitive? If it's any consolation, people in other countries have to work extra hard to get access to driving bliss. Take Singapore for example.
In our recent visit to the city state, we got a copy of Subaru's price list. After some number-crunching, we realize we're still a fortunate bunch here in the Philippines.
With P1.928 million, you can bring home a brand-new Subaru BRZ in the Philippines, with whichever transmission you wish. In Singapore, the MT version of the BRZ costs SGD157,600, which is P5.36 million. It's an amount equivalent to two units of the car plus some change that's enough to buy a decent subcompact in our country! If you prefer the automatic variant, however, you have to shell out SGD152,600, or P5.19 million.
That's because the prices in Singapore include the certificate of entitlement (COE), road tax for six months, registration fee and number plates, among others. Check out the table below for other Subaru vehicle prices:
| Vehicle | Price in the Philippines | Price in Singapore |
| Subaru Forester 2.0 XT | P1.868 million | SGD149,600 (P5.088 million) |
| Subaru WRX STI 2.5 6MT | P2.598 million (with higher specs) |
SGD188,600 (P6.414 million) |
It's also worth noting that the speed limit in most of Singapore's expressways is 90kph. Urban areas, tunnels and areas with heavy traffic and crosswinds implement lower speed limits (70kph and 80kph).
Motoring is indeed more fun in the Philippines.
If you'd like to check out the complete price list of Subaru vehicles in Singapore, click here.
