Changing cars every 2 years? Why bother wasting money like this? Its either ure really very rich or just not financially prudent. Focus on property. Cars are always a losing commodity.

Why do ppl keep slamming the so called 'Malaysian Mindset'? Ask yourselves this: HOW WAS THIS MINDSET CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

That's an important question. Mindsets are created based on experiences. Many of you are using the current Korean makes as examples to slam those with the so called 'anti Korean' mindset. But let me tell you that it was the Koreans themselves which created this mindset by giving us crap cars in the past. Go read up about Korean cars since the 1980's and ull see all the horror stories. We are not talking about 1 or 2 cases mind you.

The Japanese built their reputation over a long period. Ask any of our older generation of elders and they will mostly say that Toyota is the brand of choice even compared to some European makes. Right from the Toyota LE days which span more than 30 years. While the Koreans were busy producing crappy models (although not all), the Japanese were busy establishing themselves in the mind and hearts of their users. Loyalty isnt created overnight.

So now that the Koreans have awakened from their slumber and realised that they need to produce better cars before they become obsolete, we are getting better products with better specs and more futuristic designs. This is a good effort but to expect that the mentality of the ppl will change overnight just because of some good designs and specs is too much to ask for. The Japs took more than 30 years to build up the reputation they currently enjoy. Do u actually expect mentality changes and loyalty swings just cuz the Koreans came out with the Forte, Sportage, Sonata, Optima, etc in the last 3 years?

It will be a slow process which the Koreans need to patiently endure and persevere. Durability is still something that people are generally pessimistic about the Korean makes. Again dont blame them. End users did not merely imagine bad quality, they experienced it themselves. Ive got a Korean make in my home and im not impressed with its build quality at all. While there may be a few cases of good experiences among older Korean makes, but the general picture isnt good at all. But once ppl have the confidence, sales will improve and with that resale values will increase.

With the Koreans picking up steam, it only means that the Japanese cannot afford to relax any more and merely bank on loyalty to boost sales. They have to come up with better designs and specs to match the Koreans. All this means we the end users will get better products and more choice.

Cheers!

Read my previous threads. Ive been a proud Toyota user for the past 8.5 years for reasons which ive clearly mentioned many times. But im still keeping an open mind for my next car upgrade.

Resale values are determined by demand which is always a reflection of original sales. Its not just the Civic which has good resale values. Take a look at the Toyota Vios. A 2003 model (1st gen) Vios 1.5E sells for about 40K now. Thats a depreciation of only 46% over 8 yrs which roughly works out to be 5.75% per year. Why? Because of demand plus original sales. The Vios is the best selling non national car. Even the new gen Honda City can't match the Vios despite better looks and specs.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Jan 5 2012, 12:05 PM

Do u know anything bout taxation on motor vehicles in Malaysia? People dont THINK cars here are expensive. They ARE expensive. Resale value is more important here because of the initial high prices ure paying for cars.

A new BMW 328i costs only US$40K in America. (Dont do a currency exchange as u are not a tourist). So with such low prices would anybody bother about resale value? Surely not. But we can't say the same about Malaysia can we? Our cars cost approx 6X more than many other countries.

yes the same thing ive been saying from before. For the Koreans to match the Japs here in Malaysia, they need to distance themselves from the Japs. The Sonata came too close to the Camry & Accord and look at their sale figures. But then again, to the Koreans Malaysia isnt a primary target for sales.

Why are you doing currency exchanges??? U buying the car in US and importing it here? No right! Do an apple to apple conversion. How many times do we need to say this???

You earn in USD, you spend in USD. Why do a currency conversion???? You earn roughly the same salaries as in Malaysia. An engineer earning 5K in Malaysia will probably earn USD5K there. Can u afford a BMW 328i in Malaysia with a RM5K salary? Surely u cant. But someone earning USD$5K can afford that car in the US. But after taking into account other more essential living costs.

STOP DOING CURRENCY CONVERSIONS UNLESS YOU ARE A TOURIST OR DOING IMPORT BUSINESS

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Jan 5 2012, 12:48 PM

Again the same crap conversion talk....are u a tourist buying a car there to bring back to Malaysia to talk about conversion?

It may be a repeat for you but not for the person im replying to. So if uve heard it before then there isnt a need for you to comment rite? Let those who havent heard it before respond if they need to.

U mean to say since its launch in 2003, the Vios is NOT the best selling non national car? Even this year 27,818 units were sold compared to only 6,884 units of the Civic.

The use of the word 'bad' is wrong. Its not bad. It may be slightly higher than some european countries but the Autobahn still ranks as among the safest roads to drive in the world.

There were 2.2 road user fatalities per billion vehicle kilometers on German autobahns in 2008. Neighboring countries with available data include Belgium (4.2 in 2007), Holland (2.1 in 2009), Denmark (2.5), Austria (4.2), Switzerland (1.2), and France (1.8). Using the same statistic, 4.5 fatalities have occurred in the United States on motorways. Germany also has 6X more vehicles than Holland so you have to take that into consideration as well.

Only half of the Autobahn doesn't have speed limits. The other half has speed limits in effect.

Why would Forte sales shoot up??? Its not like ppl are holding off the purchases of Forte to get the Hyundai. Do the math.

Forte sales have always stagnated at that 400-700 units per month range since its launch. It may go down with the Elantra launch but it surely isnt gonna shoot up.

If u booked the Fiesta sedan then i would say thats not a smart move. Its darn ugly and its poor sales are a reflection of it.

The Forte is already due for a change soon. The net is already abuzz bout the totally new replacement model. I dont think that getting a Forte now will be a wise decision unless you have no other choice. The Forte was a good design when it was launched but now i dont see it as being exciting anymore especially with the other newer and more modern designs coming out from other manufacturers.

Have you sat in the Elantra during KLIMS 2010? I did and i was really impressed with the interior design and rear legroom. It surely looks and feels more classy compared to the Forte which now looks bland.

I think we should always give serious thought to every investment especially a car since its a losing commodity. So biting the bullet may not really apply to all n sundry. Many ppl out there buy cars without giving much thought to the future. They are either rich or plain ignorant.

I for one have always given serious thought to everything ive spent money on. From the light bulbs in my house to buying half a million ringgit properties. And so far (touch wood), i have made good decisions. It may take some time but i guess its time worth spent once u see the returns.

Btw, i bought my 1st second hand motor bike in Uni for RM 400 and sold it for RM450 2 years later. That should give you a rough inclination about the person i am when it comes to money and how to maximise profits. Also, i plan to retire by the age of 45 and allow passive income to take me through the golden years. So far im right on track.

Sorry to digress! Cheers!

Did you know that in the 2011 JD Power Vehicle Dependability Survey, Kia was ranked as ‘average’ (3 Stars) in overall dependability in the same category as BMW, Audi, Volvo, Honda and Subaru?

Hyundai recorded the biggest improvement to be ranked above these cars and was given a 4 Star rating the same as Toyota and Porsche. Mazda was among the worst with only 2 stars in the same category with Mitsubishi and Nissan.

For reference, Toyota was ranked 5th and Hyundai was ranked 10th in the overall survey.

Yes i dont think ill get the same experience i enjoyed for the past 8.5 years but i aim to go as close as possible to that. I can only do my best as when problems do crop up in future, i can safely turn back and say ive done my best so whatever comes will come. Most of the time we dont put in sufficient effort into making the right choices before making decisions and when things start to go downhill, we start finger pointing. I try not to walk down that path where possible.

If you wanna know more about me, check my previous posts over the past 2 years. Ull get a fairly good idea of who i am, the industry im in and how i set targets and achieve them.

But the Elantra was actually the 2nd car after the Forte which caught my attention during KLIMS 2010 because of its great design and interior looks. I have been monitoring this car ever since. But not for my own use of course.

Im just hoping the price will be right unlike the Sonata.

It should have been priced a bit lower. But of course u will have your alternate opinion which is fine.

Read my previous posts. Ive explained all this before.

Well said. Its just the 'lower his asking price' part which i dont see happening in this couple's case.

Well said. Exactly my point. Its pointless saying waiting period is 6 months and there are 1000 ppl in queue. Because come 6 mths, this 1000 ppl may have been reduced to only 100 and thats the statistics that will show in the end not the initial 1000 bookings. Bookings must turn into actual sales. No 2 ways about it.

And we must remember that the current sales of the Sonata is compared against the the current Camry model which is 6 yrs old and yet the Sonata is nowhere close. Everybody knows a new Camry is due in the next few months. What will happen to Sonata sales when the new Camry comes? Are we still gonna hear stories about 6 months waiting period, factories running at 3 shifts, 1000 bookings, etc to justify even lower sales of the Sonata?

The Camry can be considered the Godfather of D Segment cars. It may not be as beautiful as the BMW or as well specked as other similar makes but it still commands a good following due to brand recognition. Many months after its launch, it will still have a good turnout in showrooms. I can imagine the Sonata sales dropping further once the Camry is launched unless Toyota really screws up the pricing or specs.