Got any recommendation Zenix? Posted my requirements but seems like you have missed it.

1. Brand: Honda (1st pref), Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi
2. Budget: Down payment at max 10,000.
3. New/Used/Unreg: Any
5. Transmission: Auto
6. NA or FI: NA
7. Type: (Sedan, 2 Seater, Convertible, and etc): Sedan
8. Remarks: Need to apply for loan. Foreigner here with only 3 months stay so far. So initial down payment has to be low. Preferably a recent model (2007+).

Monthly Repayment at max RM2000.

1. Brand : VIVA AT (MLK area pls)
2. Budget : Offer me
3. New/Used/Unreg : USED car
4. Specs : Offer me
5. Transmission : Auto
6. NA or FI : -
7. Type : Offer me
8. Remarks :Pls offer me..i wanna buy to my gf only...thx

Yeah..i saw this too... is this worth it? Also with free 5 year servicing ?

Dear Zenix,

Within my budget (below 90k), I have shortlisted my choice to this three.

1.4 Kia Rio SX // 1.5 Vios G spec // VW Polo Sedan

I dont really care about the resell value as Im planning to use the car for 10 years.
Therefore, my main concern would be the reliability, maintenance/spare part costs, and a decent fuel consumptionn. I really like the design of the all new Kia Rio though. Btw, sorry for the noob question, but does the sunroof affect it's NvH? I am very particular with NvH cause I love my car to be silent smile.gif

Which will be a better choice?
Kia Rio SX 79,888
Vios G spec 88,500
VW Polo Sedan 85,888

Looking forward to your insight

i think i just replied someone with the same issue as you in my previous post.....probably you two need to fight out for the Myvi and Persona

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Hey...thanks for the reply... yeah, saw his post too...hehe... what about Hyundai Getz or Chevrolet Aveo?? I like somethin in those sizes/shapes..hehe.. easier to park and 'mencelah' during traffic.. are those cars reliable? I did found a few that is right for my budget..

hyundai getz 1.4 (2010)
2008 Getz

any thoughts?

I was about to buy a new Saga but I noticed 11' Saga FL Auto is going for 23k-27k.

That's a huge depreciation in 2 years.

Should i buy a 2 year old Saga instead? It still comes with 1 year warranty from Proton.

Or are all these cars the problematic ones ppl are getting rid off.

i need ur recommendation bro zenix...i wanna buy a car...can u suggest me a best sedan car...my basic salary is 2.7k and net salary around 3k...wat bout lancer gt and honda civic (2nd)....any suggestion...plss

To request recommendation, this is what u need to post:
1. Ford Fiesta or Kia Rio.
2. Currently no budget, depend on trade in value of my Kelisa eZi.
3. New
4. Full Spec.
5. Automatic (I don't think there's DSG for both right?)
6. Depend on the car itself.
7. hot hatchback rather than sedan.
8. Remarks: on this recommendation, I would prefer that fuel consumption, leg room for driver and passengers( well i'm a chubby person), the boot, and the price to be in consideration.
* all in all i booked for a test drive for both, just would like to know details that i think the salesperson would only not really get in technical.

1. Brand : Recon merc c200k ? or any other suggestion?
2. Budget : <170k
3. New/Used/Unreg : Any
4. Specs : Any
5. Transmission : Automatic
6. NA or FI :
7. Type : Sedan
8. Remarks : is it better to get a new car compare to recon? how is the maintenence for merc C200k?

Since time is running out I think I should recommend you to take the Nissan Serena S-Hybrid now rather than later because in 2014 the tax free status for hybrid cars will be lifted so this spacious MPV price is going to bloat from 145k to 200k. What's so great about it? Well, Estima like space but since it is not a recon you get full 3 years warranty plus an option to purchase another 2 years warranty for a few thousand bucks. The Hybrid status in the Serena is really a gimmick and I'm surprised they actually got it to qualify as a Hybrid car in the first place unlike Toyota and Honda in which the Hybrid system is part of the car's road performance (Honda case -- the electric engine kicks in to help the petrol engine for additional power like overtaking), (Toyota case -- the electric engine is used 100% if you're driving like an uncle but when you go faster than 40kmh the petrol engine kicks in), (Nissan case -- when you on the car and drive around the hybrid battery starts charging and once it is ready it kicks-in and turns off the petrol engine when the car is idling or stationary like traffic jam, waiting at MCD drivethru or roadside next to your gf house waiting for her to get ready to go out.) So if the S-Hybrid systems kongs out later even if you don't fix it, I don't see any real issues with the car

I'd suggest lowest you should go is 2007, if going for a 2004 or 2005 car that means it will be a 10 years old car next year, which isn't really ideal if you ask me. Lets say you go for a 2009 car and take a 5 years loan in 2013, so by the time you finish the loan the it is 2018 but it has 1 year before it is a 10 year old car you have one year to think if you want to sell it or keep it longer since if the car price is quite high lets say in 2018 it depreciates to 20k then best to sell it because it is still worth something and people can still get a car loan for it since it is not a 10 year old car if not buying cash 20k is difficult for most people and we're talking about normal cars not sports cars so normally people would be unwilling to buy via cash term.

2009 Nissan Latio 1.6 - the only 2009 Latio I found within your price range is located at Melaka, if you're from there do look it up but if you're not from there then look for the cheapest one around your area. I don't recommend buying cheaper from another state will have too much risk and travelling to/fro I think you'd rather not hassle about. Latio's are good cars not much ownership issues though they look very plain.

2009 Nissan Sentra 1.6 - i'd put the Latio and Sentra in the same boat when it comes to parts availability and maintenance cost so just pick and choose the best price and look you want. Although the Sentra has a slightly smaller interior and luggage space due to older design and manufacturing techniques it is still a solid car.

2009 Toyota Vios TRD - fooyah! TRD yoh! of course this is the typical bullshit Vios buyers need to be aware of the seller never really state what is the actual spec but says it is a TRD people would assume it is the real TRD but actually only bodykit - so whats the big deal? might as well save 10k and buy a 2009 Toyota Vios J-spec No doubt the car is cheap to maintain and is reliable but then if you're not careful you might get cheated and buy at a more expensive price than market rate.

2009 Honda City E-Spec - don't be confused with Toyota terminology, E-Spec for Honda means the highest spec so its the one that comes with the paddle shifters but only the facelifted ones get VSA other than that mostly is cosmetic change. My personal experience with this model is that in 2010 and 2011 they did summon for quite a few recalls for part change which was quite a hassle but nonetheless they stuck their neck out to such things better than some manufacturers just keep quiet and pretend nothing is wrong. The facelifts should all be fitted with the latest updated parts but when buying used do make sure they replaced the recalled parts and it was always serviced at Honda SC/3S.

2009 Ford Focus Ghia - unlike the two above this model is a C-segment car (like the Inspira but unlike the Inspira I feel that this car gives better value) originally this car is over 120k but now it can be had more than half the price. Not to say it is a bad car but it depreciates very rapidly, the biggest two issues are parts price/availability and 3S/SC availability. It can be said the lack of more numbers of 3S/SC so less stocks of parts in circulation thus availability issue which also drives prices up because lack of economics of scale. Although part prices are a slight premium over cars like Altis/Civic/Sylphy the NVH, comfort, accessories and power will of course be much better. Traction control, rear passenger aircond vents, tiptronic transmission, good handling chasis+suspension, etc are all in this car while that can't be said for all variants of Altis/Sylphy/Civic. Worth consideration.

2009 Nissan Latio 1.8 - the top spec version of the Latio sedan, a decent car. Nothing really outstanding about it. It looks very common place, however it does have huge interior and luggage space. Performance wise its 1800cc engine and gearbox is quite good and doesn't require much special attention, you can even bring it to service at any workshop and use cheaper components to save on maintenance cost. A good frugal car which won't give you much ownership headaches but also doesn't give you back much in terms of owners pride/prestige.

Not officially sold by UMW anymore so no new car price.
All recon only so warranty at best only 1 year.
Why not consider Nissan Serene S-Hybrid at about 145k now with discount and touch screen GPS navigator player, after 31/12/2013 the cost after taxes would baloon to 200k

advertistment gone, i think sold oredi

They clearing stocks for the 408 2.0?
I think it is a good price, though the 408T is a much nicer car to have because of the performance.
But then again turbo while nice to drive would demand abit more TLC when it comes to maintenance.
So the plain vanilla 408 2.0 is a smart choice you still get everything good about the 408 except the turbo.
Interior space, comfortable seats, good NVH, and cheaper maintenance with NA engine.

Sorry sorry kinda lost track
With that kinda budget and used there should be room for something really fun
You can check how I did the budget calculation here.

2013 Honda Accord 2.0 VTIL - the middle spec Accord is within your reach, this spec is the most sought after as it has most of the accessories and goodies in the 2500cc variant but is cheaper and 2000cc engine with cheaper roadtax. However, you can't be too picky since colors are limited and queue is quite long. I do recommend buying in January since there isn't any discount for this car no point buying now and it depreciates so much within 2 months. New car not much issues you need to worry as maintenance is quite cheap, car is reliable and upgraded warranty is now 5 years for accord.

2009 Lexus IS250 - if you want abit more prestige but don't mind recon cars then you can consider the IS250, issues? well not much as cheap to maintain as most Toyota's unless you bring it into a Lexus 3S like the one at Mutiara Damansara.

2010 Merc C180 CGI - a bigger notch up the prestige ladder but not costing anything much more, among the group of prestige cars in this price range (new/recon) i think either a C180 or IS250 is the best value in terms of looks, space, performance, technology and maintenance cost.

You wanna know what I think about Korean cars?


Kia Rio - under the VW Golf -like exterior I don't really think much about their engine and gearbox performance, as that would be the saving grace because if it is fun to drive or super frugal that would offset people's mind away from higher maintenance cost, currently higher maintenance cost is due to lower numbers being sold so economics of scale isn't there yet so hopefully by the time the warranty is over they would have sold enough units so replacements parts are cheap, if not people usually will just trade-in the cars for something else.



You can go to Lifedrive.com to do the comparison, the four I chosen are close contenders for your money as their cost and specs are very close.

They haven't updated with the latest Polo Sedan information, I think ordinarily the Polo Sedan wouldn't be such a great buy but the drop in price and the amount of stuff that they pack into the car make it a very interesting proposition. Eventhough it is the cheapest car in the VW range it does feel very premium for the asking price.

The Fiesta is a very good contender but their biggest issue has always been the lack of 3S/SC, so unless you have one near your house do give this a skip although it is a fantastic buy.

Vios is spec the worst but price the highest, LOL, please choose it because TOYOTA!

City even with its flaws is a good price, consider the City and Polo Sedan are quite similar in terms of what they bring to the table. Big comfortable car for B-segment, paddle shifters, traction control, etc.

seriously dunno about those two.
when new they're too expensive for what they give to the consumers.
now they're old, i dunno lah. i dunno how easily and cheaply you can get parts for those cars.

That's normal, it doesn't get any worst thereafter.
You do the calculations new vs old.
New is with lower interest rate plus full warranty and of course you're first owner, vs old car with higher interest rates.

Then make your decision.

I think you should be able to afford it but then without deposit is it?
Without deposit then it is going to be a huge chunk of your salary.

most of the time sales people don't care about most of the technical details they just focus on the few unique selling points -- because it is unique they don't need to remember if comparing with other cars in the market.

i think i gave my thoughts on these cars in my previous post.

Ford Fiesta uses DCT (dual clutch transmission) similar technology to DSG (DSG is copyrighted by VW) something like VTEC for Honda and VVTI for Toyota.

personally IMHO for hot hatch you should also consider Jazz, they clearing stock for new 2014 model so do get the discounts while they're being handed out

2010 Merc C200K Avantgarde - usually when it comes to naturally aspirated cars I don't recommend going for the Japan Spec and to choose the UK spec instead if there is a choice because UK spec usually don't have high petrol RON requirements like Japan, however but since this is a turbo car there is no point pumping RON95 into it so Japan/UK spec isn't an issue. Of course for the price paid you can get yourself a new VW Passat with 5 years warranty and not a recon with just 1 year warranty. Different strokes for different folks I guess, IMHO although C200 you don't get a longer warranty period but maintenance and parts for Merc's are usually more abundant and cheaper than other conti's (sometimes in the region of Japanese cars as well), however that is usually true for the older Mercs -- newer ones aren't so bad but time will tell and usually if there are alot of cars in the market you'll betcha there will be more suppliers selling parts.

I do think the new BMW F30 3-series is a good car but then the purchase price and maintenance is abit too much for that level unless you can get a recon/pre-reg around 150-170k then I think its a good deal, however don't see many around that price level so the next best thing which also looks quite similar the is Honda Accord 2.5 -- feature pack and also looks quite similar to the F30 but alot cheaper, then again the Nissan Teana 2.5 also is quite a good buy though I suppose in terms of prestige at this price level the Teana falls short of the latest and greatest Accord which also has a longer warranty period, I'm not going to talk about the Camry since even if it is underpowered by a 1700cc engine they'd still sell in volume because of the cult of Toyota (similar to cult of Apple -- just buy, don't ask why).

2010 Audi A4 - another eurobox turbo, IMHO unless you like the brand and styling not much to sway you over to this brand as you get the same spec and performance as a C200 CGI...but I've to admit if you're a young exec if you pull up to an event in an Audi vs a Merc.....people will look at you differently....which is all the point when buying cars at this level for prestige.

edited

This post has been edited by artisan8: Nov 11 2013, 06:58 PM

Seems like u recommend Polo Sedan.
But from what I heard, the drop of price is because it is now CKD units. How is the reliability?

What is the rating for its NvH? Will it underpower? How about maintenance/spare parts? Will it be costly and how are the fuel consumption?

I like the Polo Sedan too but the above factors made me struggle as I really do not know where to source....

Thanks for your suggestion
what is your opinion about Ford Fiesta bro Zenix?
The DCT gearbox is good choice or not?

Originally spotting for kia spectra for the coolness, but found out the fc like hell, so check out this hyundai accent
1. Brand: Hyundai Accent 2006
2. Budget: 20k+-
3. New/Used/Unreg: Used
4. Specs:
5. Transmission. Auto
6. NA or FI : NA
7. Type
8. Remarks


19,888 tenure for 5 years, around RM400 monthly, does this car worth to buy?

Unlike Proton and Toyota they don't do CKD with the mentality of, "hey! lets CKD this car in malaysia, we'll make it cheap!! my pakcik got glass factory, my brother-in-law got bumper factort, etc.....quality nevermind lah....gov protect us....rakyat no choice but to buy our cars....why so care? we make money first lah! my lembu want to stay in bangsar condo!!"

VW Polo Sedan 2014 spec is not really a facelift but CKD version, has some slight upgrades and additions. One thing which really surprised me is the addition of rear aircon vents, most C-segment cars don't have this yet this B-segment car has it.

In terms of spec you can't go much wrong with this car, decent 1600cc engine (similar type of technology to iVTEC), 6 speed gearbox with paddle shift (wet box not DSG, higher reliability replaces higher gear change speed), traction control (about the only other b-segment car with this is the Ford Fiesta and Honda City, not too sure about Pug 208), 5 stars safety rating, etc.

NVH? I'd say better than its peers, even a much more expensive Honda Civic suffers from wind noise.
Underpower? Depends on your driving style. Fuel consumption is tied to this.
Maintenance? Not too sure about this model usual for TSI engined model is 600-800 for minor, 1000-1600 for major.

Depends on who you hear from it can vary from wonderful to tragic.
The typical uneducated or dunno anything about cars will say it is horrible, "my friend ah! buy this car hor! everyday go workshop fix wan! then ahh...ford resale so telibel!! wan to sell oso cannot price no gud!!"

I've heard it a thousand over times from people like that, they're also the same folk that don't follow the owners manual when it comes to servicing, don't service at the service center, use the cheapest possible parts and consumables when go service. Those people should just stick to buying old tech Proton Saga's then go ABC workshop for the RM38 service promo when they feel like it once a year.

When it comes to good cars you need to make sure service is done according to the manual and follow the recommended parts from the service center or 3s. DCT require special gearbox oil, go ABC workshop put inside cap ayam gear oil sure lah die.

Fiesta like most conti's require servicing once every 10k, minor service prepare about rm500, major prepare at least rm1000. Depending on your driving usage 10k can be a few months or a year, but I don't recommend waiting a full year before going to service, most to most stretch it to 6 months before checking in.

2009 Hyundai Elantra - imho if I were to take a the plunge to buy and drive a Korean I'd rather go for a higher up model.

2006 Nissan Sentra - with this kinda budget there isn't alot of choose from so you need to search the websites and magazines for a good buy, usually anything from Nissan would be a good buy. Fundamentally, a Sentra is a good, low fc, cheap to maintain and reliable car. That is if you buy one in good condition, well 2006 is quite a long while ago, do check out the car and see if the condition is what you expected if you think it disappoints you in anyway then walk away.

1. Brand : Japan
2. Budget : 80k
3. New/Used/Unreg : Used
4. Specs : any
5. Transmission : Auto
6. NA or FI :
7. Type : sedan
8. Remarks :

i plan to buy a honda civic 2008 1.8cc from my aunty

1st hand user without accident. mileage about 75000k

RM70000, loan with bank about RM50k

today i asked public bank interest about

3.2% for 5 years

3.25% for 7 years

3.3% for 9 years

is it expansive loan?


i would like to know the honda civic FD1 maintenance cost quite expansive or not?

Thanks for the suggestion, I think sentra could be a great option.

1. Brand : ford fiesta
2. Budget : RM 50K-RM60K
3. New/Used/Unreg : used
4. Specs : any
5. Transmission : auto
6. NA or FI :
7. Type : hatch
8. Remarks :
i have a neighbour who has a ford fiesta and he say that the car got good FC. Any advice on this?