Hmm, if u looking into adding bodykits in the future, and likes leather seats then the SE is a worthy buy. Other than that, if u okay with the premium (aka full spec) then just go for it.


+1

Nope, basically be vary of CVT gearbox.

1. Brand : Neo 1.6 CPS/City/Myvi 1.3
2. D/P : RM25k-30K (mthly saving 1.5k-1.8k+/mth)
3. New/Used/Unreg : New
4. Specs : Any
5. Transmission : Auto
6. NA or FI : Normal
7. Type : Any
8. Remarks : a fresh grad with 1yrs+ exp working in a local bank, no other loan commitment except ptptn(advance payment for 1yr)
mainly for city driving & prefer compact car for easy parking

Hi all, please advice. =)

I already have the car in mind, so i just need feedback and opinions.

Of course you're all welcomed to suggest other cars as well =D

Budget is 60k for secondhand, prefer manual but auto's fine.

Preferably a european car.


So the car my dad and I had in mind for me is a Volvo S40.
We like for its small and sporty looks, not to mention Volvo's also known for its safety.

I'm 19 this year, and i'll be using the car for long distance driving so yeah, safety comes first.
And we have always prefered european cars. =D

I've heard maintainance, fuel comsumption, and no re-sale value issues about volvo cars, but please fill me up on more.

Thanks.

This post has been edited by sephiroth1810: Nov 30 2009, 12:19 AM

Added some link on the front page

Hi all, any advices?

1. Brand: Myvi/Persona/Vios/City
2. Budget: 50K to 60K
3. New/Used/Unreg: New for Myvi/Persona. Used for Vios/City
4. Specs:
5. Transmission: Auto
6. NA or FI ? NA
7. Type:
8. Remarks: For those used car, how many years old car should I consider?

Thanks and have a nice day

Is FC a concern for you??
If yes, skip the Myvi & Persona.. They have higher FC compared to manual transmission..

Personally i would go for the IDSI City, a 2007 model..

For those used car, it's better to get a later years car.. I choose the 2007 Honda City, because some of them are still under warranty by Honda Malaysia.. In case anything happens (CVT tranny), you can always claim back @ Honda.

Hi Victor87,

Thanks for the reply. But just read from today newspaper, that vehicle ranging from 1500cc to 2000cc only entitle to 50% petrol subsidy. In that case, will Honda IDSL still worth in term of fc?

By the way, normally Honda@Msia giving how many years of warranty?

Thanks and have a nice day

If u want compact, consider neo 1.6 cps or myvi. Go for myvi if reliability and low maintenance is ur answer, while if u love driving and do not think of family commitments on the coming years, the satria neo will suit u well.

Other alternatives inc 2005-06 suzuki swift, around 50-60k as well.

Do u mean the s40 post 2004 model? Well it is a nice looking car but i believe the maintenance for volvos esp the older models will be kinda high. That explains their poor resale value.

Do proper research on local volvo forums to see how they maintain their cars. Always remember no point buying a car that no one can know how to fix in ur area.

Other alternatives inc the E36 BMW 3 series, the 95-99 model should able to be obtained at ur budget range.

What do u prioritize 1st? City driving or highway driving? Priority on fuel economy or fun driving or practical driving? I think victor answer ur ques well.

1. Brand : Proton Exora / Naza Citra
2. Budget : 70k +/-
3. New/Used/Unreg : new
4. Specs : Full Spec
5. Transmission : Auto
6. NA or FI : -
7. Type : 7 Seaters
8. Remarks : Want to get a new family car.. So far we only came across exora, citra & alza... Mum dun like Alza as it is less spacious than the other 2..Pls recommend/advice..

Thanks alot!!

I would go for the exora here. It is very spacious for a family of 5-7 and it is indeed good value. However concern here is the underpowered engine so dont expect fuel economy here.

If if u can up ur budget to 80k++, the nissan grand livina is a better option.

3 years warranty or 100,000km (Which ever comes first). Of course the IDSI still worth in term of FC. I-DSI City is powered by a 1.5litre engine. 50% Petrol subsidy is more than enough

Naza Citra is a high FC car and kinda problematic car, not to say it's underpowered too. 2.0 liter engine producing 136 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 174.6Nm & 4,500 rpm.

By the way, the most of the Naza Citra has radiator leaking problem and there's quite alot of owner claims it's a high FC car. RM80 can only get you 420km+-. But there's someone who claim can get more than that.

Personally i would go for the Proton Exora, it's powered by a 1.6 liter Campro CPS that produces 125 horsepower and 150Nm of torque. Not to mention Exora looks better than the Citra too.

Try to check out Naza Citra feedback @ http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/naza/citr...02195/comments/

Or as travis said, try to increase your budget to 80k+- and get a nissan grand livina..

This post has been edited by victor87: Nov 30 2009, 06:11 PM

I want to say thank you to victor and the rest who have contributed immensely to this thread.

You guys are really helpful in giving advices.

Thank you

Thanks travis.

But besides the high cost, I don't think the maintenance issue would be much of a problem. As in the whereabouts.

The BMW was a great suggestion, manual's available if i'm not mistaken?

Might look into that.

Any other alternatives before I make up my mind?

Sorry but european's prefered so the choices are kinda limited >.<

1. Brand : Nissan x-trail or Toyota Altis
2. Budget : within rm70k
3. New/Used/Unreg : used
4. Specs : Standard Spec
5. Transmission : AT
6. NA or FI : don't know what is this
7. Type : 4 seater.

which 1 is better?

Hi Victor87,

Thanks for the great advice. Am just wondering, how is the new Honda City compare to the I-DSI City? Is it worth the $$$ to get a new Honda City compare to getting the I-DSI City?:

Thanks and have a nice day

This post has been edited by ncs_malaysia: Nov 30 2009, 10:54 PM

Would you consider a turbodiesel as your option??
If yes, i can give you some feedback. As i'm owning a turbodiesel continentals sedan. It's not a BMW, but powered by BMW turbodiesel engine and BMW 5 speed auto gearbox..
The torque and horsepower is enough for a car like this.
The FC is quite low. Full tank cost me RM90 and it gives me around 800km+ with 90% highway 10% city. The lowest it gives to me is around 650km, where i floor the pedal most of the time 90%.
Maintenance is cheap for me, it doesn't cost much for doing a regular service.. The problem i'm having is to source the spare parts in Malaysia. There's a spare parts shop @ Jalan Pudu, but all those parts are very expensive (it's a continentals, it should be normal for expensive spare parts). So mostly i purchase by parts from Ebay.. But those air/oil filter can be obtain easily around Malaysia. This car uses most of the spare parts same as the BMW 320D.

I'm driving a 2004 Rover 75, 2.0 CDTi Turbodiesel, 135ps with 300Nm of torque. Top Speed @ 190km/h, Rev cut @ 5th gear 3.5k RPM (Electronically limited)

This one may look exclusive, since there's very minimum of people owns a Rover 75 Wagon in Malaysia, i would say not more than 10. And it's turbodiesel spec, which share the same spare parts with my Rover 75, the difference is it's a Wagon.. 75k for this is bang for buck !

http://www.mudah.my/MG-Rover-75-2.0-wagon-4316447.htm

My car look like this : http://www.mudah.my/Mg-rover-75-4191095.htm (But this one is a petrol version, which has alot of bad feedback on the K-series engine)

Advice : If you're looking for Rover, please skip the 1.8 Turbocharged petrol engine. The K-Series has alot of problems..

Added: It's very comfort to drive it.. The exhaust sounds good too when u floor it !

And please don't mistook a turbodiesel will cost alot of black smokes and underpowered.. Nowadays turbodiesel engine are very green, you won't see any smokes coming out from your exhaust even u floor the pedal.. It's very powerful too with that much of torque. Alot of turbodiesel basher kinda impressed by this car when i gave them a ride..

Not to mention this car still have some head-turning ability.. hahahaha.. Remember last time when i first get this car, most of the road user will keep staring at the car to finds out what car is this.


Why would you want to buy a floating Altis??

I will go for the X-Trail, it's a crossover SUV... More spacious than a sedan, can carry more thing or people when u need it.
The engine is quite quiet for me. I've been travelled in the X-trail, kinda comfort when sitting inside. I just don't like the meter panel located at the center of the dashboard.

Hi ncs_malaysia,

The Honda City I-DSI is the previous generation of the current Honda City. The new Honda City is using a 5 speed automatic transmission, while the previous generation Honda City was using the 7 speed CVT transmission, IIRC.
I've sit on the new Honda City few days ago, the rear was quite spacious and the seat is comfortable for me. I never test drove it before, so i can't give any comment on the power / handling.
Please ask yourself, is it really need a new car? If u're looking for a car for just daily drive and concern about the FC and doesn't bother with new or used car, go for the old 2007 Honda City I-DSI.
If u're looking to buy yourself a more stylish, a new and a upgraded version of Honda City, then go for the new 2009 Honda City.

Bear in mind the previous generation of Honda City has CVT transmission issues, but not all the City has the CVT transmission.. Best to test drive it yourself and bring a mechanic if possible.

Remember, don't just buy a car and drive. You have to maintain it by doing regular services and check up too. Car is like human, they need extra care

This post has been edited by victor87: Dec 1 2009, 12:55 AM

You're welcome. Hope the advices helps & good luck on hunting a EK9 !

Thanks for the great advice.

I found a Honda City I-DSI, year 2007 selling RM65K. Not sure if the price is reasonable? Else, what would be a reasonable price range?
Also, how to know if the CVT having any issues during test drive? Any tips on this?

Thanks and have a nice day

65K is quite decent but pls do check if there a service record to see if the car is properly serviced by Honda. To test out, ask for a test drive and perform some gear change, both on gear shifter and the steering buttons. If all goes well, then u can buy it.

This post has been edited by travis_ckf: Dec 1 2009, 08:49 PM

Hi ncs,
Before fully start the car, turn the key and wait for all the light indicator goes off, then only start the car.. Check either that if any light coming out after start the car.. (CEL aka check engine light, transmission oil light, airbag light etc) if there's any light on above coming out... I'd advice you to skip the buy ! But normally the airbag light is very common on nowadays car, you have to get it service or a check up and the airbag light will goes off.

Cold start the car, check the car underneath and see either any oil leaking or not.. Check and see either there is any excessive smoke coming out from the exhaust at cold start or not... Drive the car slow and smooth until it's warm enough... Then try to push the car a little at around 140kmh or more, play with the gear, shifting up and down.. Just do some hard style driving.. And see either any sound when driving or not... Rev the car a little if u could.. Test the brakes too ! See either is the brakes working efficiently or not.

But please make sure u're test driving fast at empty freeway..

most important is dun get cheated by the dealer when they offer a free service/ecu reflash can solve the engine/transmission problem/CEL..

This post has been edited by victor87: Dec 2 2009, 04:16 AM