SQLite or Core Data for large database with only queries
It depends on how you want to manage your data, if you want a relational database, use sqlite and if you want to save model objects (in the sense of the model-view-controller design pattern) to a file and get them back again, use Core Data.
According to me both are same for large database, in sqlite you can use transactions for getting huge data faster.
This link might helps you better.
Hope this helps you..
For me I will always use core data whenever possible.As it is easy to use and manage.For more you can check these links
Here are good tutorials of Ray Wenderlich on Core Data
If your concern is performance, Core Data is good and can optimize the memory efficiently.Though please have a look at this pages that can help you Efficient storage and Concerning CoreData vs SqlLite. Hope this can help.