Let say, from Lancer/ Honda/ Mazda,

back to national car like P1 and P2

do you feel the refinement gone? can you live with so? (Some might have no choice as to how their wallet is currently)

just want to know your thoughts

sounds like part of you want to change your car and also lower your commitment. it all depends on what you want and how you want others to perceive you (status).
i wouldnt mind getting a proton S50, been driving a honda since i got my license 25 years ago because at my age, i dont really care anymore, i would wan to have more disposable income to do whatever i want and not be tied down with commitments.

i drove alot of luxury brands, conclusion is cheap car that doesn't break down often is enough. Spend your money making memories with family better.

Why need to care for other, no matter what you do ppl who want to judge always can come out with funny statement from their mouth

BMW F30 to Axia G.
miss power but no regrets. just drive 1km to mrt station now.
new cars not appealing to me now, only tesla looks good.

my dad used to drive land cruiser prado , but now he drive myvi gen 3 .. he already 75 , he said small car just fine , easy to drive

I guess you already knew the answer. In the end it will all depend on your financial status. There will be good cars and average/poor cars so if you go downgrade, of course you will feel the refinement, power, comfort or whatever is gone. This question I presume you don't need to ask. The only question you are asking whether one can live with it, if you don't have much money left in the bank, you will still have to live with it, a Proton or Perodua even though the refinement is inferior or poor.

However, I can understand the situation right now. The prices of everything especially cars have gone up considerably throughout the years due to inflation while the income may not seem to be catching up or matching the increase in prices of everything. A C-segment car used to sell for RM100k to 120k about 10 to 15 years go and now it's selling between RM130k to 150k. A Honda City or Toyota Vios used to sell for RM69k to 75k+ and now the high spec model seems to go above RM100k already. Even Proton or Perodua which are considered bread and butter are not exactly cheap anymore although they are considered the cheapest you can buy.

I have not "downgraded" yet as I am sure I won't be able to live with the downgraded performance but I do know well one day I will be going the same route. When you reach a point especially after retirement, you don't spend money on cars anymore as it's the lowest priority. It's a liability. As some have mentioned, the most important is TROUBLE-FREE car, a car which does not give you headaches, and this means brand new cars which include Proton or Perodua. Not 2nd hand imported cars where breakdowns and high cost of maintenance will add more to your misery. I guess you are not retired yet so it may be out of topic. However, if you feel you are somewhat struggling, then by all means downgrade and go with a vehicle that you can comfortably afford while you maintain your everyday life.

My own motto with vehicles is always buy new within your means, which means either cash (easier said than done for fresh graduates or youngsters) or the max 5 years loan or shorter, say a Perodua Myvi rather than going with Toyota Vios or Honda City for status and stretching your loan to 9 years etc. I am at a stage where I don't pay car loans anymore. All my previous cars the max loan I took was 5 years and not more.

Depends on usage and your income level + commitment.
If you are comfortable with current car, why change?

no

rather buy jap car to mod rather than conti

more choices, more potential, more reliability

jdm to mdm. not much la
msia cars r nice too. never look down

I “downgraded” from German back to Japanese a few cars ago. Personally, I feel it’s an upgrade, especially if it’s a JP-CBU model (eg: Lexus, Harrier). Stuff like character or handling mean jack squat to me in a life of traffic jams, speed bumps and potholes.

from conti to P2. best decision ever

Preach!

i would not opt for the low end proton for safety reason. im driving an lexus es250 now my old car was a kia forte for 15y. as u get older u would want better things. maybe thats cause i havent experienced it before. Maybe if u have tried everything u wouldnt care.

But i still wont opt for a proton. it just feels different. might as well dont drive

almost same situation here. from BMW x7 to axia g. just drive 10km daily to work only. cars brand & model not appealing much to me anymore.

I look into 2 perspective which are;
1) Car just for commute from one Dest to another Dest (either personal or family)
- buy within budget car (<RM 65k) and more disposal income in every month for family plan, kids edu etc.
- less headache with national car and less maintenance.
2) Car is for self personal image presentation and packaging.
- higher monthly commitment car installment (car price >RM 90k)
- bla bla bla (you can read in forum)

Either one option, it will come back to you. So choose wise.

thanks . really liked your answer.

cars going up in price is very real. back then you could still get a decent jap car for 70k. Not now, however. damn the inflation.

i'm still thinking whether to keep this car with high sentimental value but with money pit (calculated , spent 9k+ this year on year 9 for all service and wear n tear, not plus insurance yet). its equivalent to almost 7++ / month to keep aside. Pray to god no serious problem come yet (gearbox change/etc).

Otherwise, its a joy to drive.

possibility or get a more reliable and cheap maintaining car., but I donno man. Having some serious second thoughts. I know i need to change this car , its just a matter of when (since i rely on my car for daily work travel).

Yeah. With the car prices these days.. unfortunately with my current commitments and family, could only opt for national car.

If last time single/YOLO time, could easily afford Civic or any other C Seg.

things we do for family.

1) affordability of the car
2) priority in life

with these 2, you will get the answer

I drove P1 and P2 only so far - satria, kenari, kancil, exora bold, and I don't mind any of these, main car being the Exora, whenever I use the smaller ones, I can actually feel the bliss of using them... main reason, the clunky CVT on the Exora can be a pain but I'm compromising about that

truth is, I've been in other cars as well, long term co-ownership, or just pinjam kawan, or test drive...
Honda, Suzuki, Pug, Audi, BMW, Merc, Toyota, Mazda etc... I do not buy those refinements, or rather cannot, not with my hard earned money... sometimes, I get used to the refinement and they I can live with or without it

what I need now - parking camera, cruise control, and a bluetooth capable player, turbo would be nice to keep the engine rev low, and misting type windshield spray (instead of the jet type)

I don't want these: lane assist, departure alert, automatic wiper, adjustable headlights, ultra expensive LED headlamps, steering with too many control buttons, etc etc...

a car is just a car, and dream cars remain better as a wallpapers, and my dream car changes, I used to like the new Harrier, and that's fading away now

tend to be more tolerant to issues and worse NVH, because we know "it's like that one", but when u drive a higher end car, you may feel something is wrong and the urge to fix it; simple example: arm bush loosen - P1/P2, I'll just think "ok, later get it checked" and keep going

+1

+1

Some excellent answers and perspectives here. I thought I'd just add mine:

1. Buy and service what you can comfortably afford, as long as safety and (if applicable, eg. if car is used to transport parents or older folks) comfort are not compromised.

2. Expensive cars don't necessarily breakdown any more than cheaper cars, and cheaper cars don't necessarily mean fewer issues than expensive ones. However, it's a fact that in the event when an expensive car does breakdown, the cost of repairs/replacements will be more expensive than the equivalent cheaper car's. You'll have to factor that into consideration before your purchase.

3. A badge is just a badge. No need to show off a badge when there's money in your bank account. I drive cars I can afford to pay off in cash, not because I need to feel rich or because I want to appear rich. Many moons ago, I wrote something in /k that pissed quite a few people off - when I said that I would not buy a car that's worth more than 10% of my annual income. And, if I wanted an expensive Porsche, for example, I would allocate 10% of say 2 years of my annual income, before I pulled the trigger.

That's why when I first asked /k what Porsche I should buy, it was nearly 2 years ago. In those 2 years, I accumulated enough to buy both the Cayenne and the 911 in cash (and I could upgrade my original choice of the base 911 or 911S to the GTS version). Stick to a financial plan and execute it. That way, I keep buyers' remorse to a minimum, and I sleep better at night. That's my way of keeping to my self-set limit. I still stand by my personal philosophy - and it has worked very well for me up to this point. No point getting into debt over a depreciating asset.

4. "Downgrading" a car brand doesn't mean you sacrifice enjoyment. For example, a Toyota 86 will give you 80 - 90% of the same driving thrill at normal driving conditions as say a Porsche 718, and a Fortuner will still take you to places even a Cayenne might have trouble traversing. You just have to choose the model variant that suits your needs and your budget.

Just my humble 2 cents. Good luck on your decision, my friend!

When young maybe image and perception is a priority. When old, you dont give a f about what people think. Personal preference.

I am almost in the similar situation, whether to keep existing car and spending $$$ yearly for maintenance and replacement of wear and tear items. My car is exactly 10 years old on this month September, but low mileage still below 80,000 km. Sell or keep, as usual it depends on individual preference, no right or wrong. In my view, if the car does not give you any major headaches in terms of frequent breakdown or costly repairs, and you can still manage it, you can still keep it. Otherwise, sell and get new reliable car. As I have said earlier in other threads, even though the car is a joy to drive and comes with great acceleration power or whatever, if it frequently breaks down with high maintenance bills of say RM10k a year, then it's no use. It's a hassle or burden if you are suddenly left without a car (if you don't have a backup car) and your existing car is stuck at the workshop for several days or weeks for repair. Things like this.

Ideal case is to change to a new car of similar quality or performance if not better but I can understand that is not always achievable. Having said that, there are many here who have downgraded to Perodua and Proton and are perfectly happy so in the end it's all up to the individual's priorities or expectations. You don't expect too high and you'll be fine and be able to live with the reduced refinement, handling, acceleration power or whatever. As some have mentioned, in the end it's just a car which will get you from point A to B. Every car from cheap to expensive is able to do that. You only pay more for comfort, performance or status if you have more money that's all.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Sep 14 2023, 12:02 PM

Me.. used to drive a Chevrolet and Honda.. now driving Perodua instead

Have 2 cars instead of 1 now

Quantity > Quality 😂😂😂

My cousin who is a doctor used to own BMW 320 but it is severely under-utilised since he only travels to and fro from his clinic to his house just 5 minutes away. In the end he sold it and stuck with his old and trusty Toyota Prius C. In this case, he may appear to have "downgraded" to a lesser car but it's for good use so it can seen as an upgrade in his case.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Sep 14 2023, 12:09 PM

more convenient without depending on 1 car , that's good

thanks. my current car mileage is a bit more than u, 115k ish.

thinking of selling before the 150k mark or 10 years.

back then when i was young, still fresh grad, no financial sense whatsoever, just YOLO get a H car lol. back then salary was 3-4k, but still can afford since no commitments. (but 9 years loan for 75k car) - now i know its a dumb move, but hey good thing to learn b4 its too late ( min car affordability shud be 12x salary)

this month kena really sked me. service 600rm, tyres 4x 1200rm, then sudden jerking caused emergency repairs 1700rm. My savings for not having a car loan gone just like that in 1 month.

now, a bit of financial sense , so sked of commiting to high price purchase. the only thing i could afford with a 7 year loan and higher a bit d/p is a P2 car. sudah old, sked play 9 year loan, interest so much. I could easily overshoot to vios/cross / city but thinking back i want to reduce my commitment so can save a bit more.

even my moto oso now pay cash, just bought kriss modenas only, getting to point A to B is enuf.

but yeah, I will forever treasure my current car, (its the graduation googles talking), -when you want to say goodbye to stuff, that is when you feel the most connection to it , all the memories will come out.

Before my family used Kia Forta 2.0 since 2012 but late last year decided to get rid of it for a Bezza 1.3. For now they are loving it since its so economical and the roadtax is cheap.

last statement of yours, it's just sad feeling awhile, quickly will forget and until u seen the similar one otr again will make u thk about it again

Someday we will all go too, so whether good or bad memories it doesn't really matter too much to me. Similarly I'll give it about 1 or 2 years more before I sell my car, and it will surely before it hits 150,000km from the rate I'm going. Most people hang on to old cars as they don't have enough money or do not wish to commit to new cars for certain reasons. Since you still have a motorcycle as backup, I guess it's still not too bad.

Within this 1 year, I have spent RM8k+ on my Ford Focus just to replace faulty parts, not including the usual maintenance.

In the end it's all your own decision but better just stick with Perodua as I believe the current new generation Peroduas are rather high quality now. This is just my opinion, and I get criticized a lot for saying this on public. Based on my experience with the previous Honda City, I think you are better off going with Perodua rather than City or Vios, especially the City. I find the quality of the City or Honda cars in general to be poor in terms of showing a higher than normal rattling sound in the cabin. The handling of the Proton Preve Turbo is better than the City, apart from showing less rattling sound. In my mind good quality starts from C-segment onward especially with Toyota where the vehicles (Altis etc.) are still CBU from Thailand. To cut a story short, I find B-segments from honda and toyota to be poor value but that's just my opinion. I would rather go Perodua or upcoming new Proton S60 and skip City/Vios, or go Altis/Civic.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Sep 14 2023, 01:04 PM

Me childless , don't need any fancy vehicle just for 2 person, she own one i own one get the job done , fil own one, mil own one, one extra old vehicle park under tree because lazy relocate parked in vehicle, at the end sedan is easier to fetch fil/mil to hospital/medical checkup and etc compared to high height vehicle

I'm diy kaki like to new learn thing, earn experience as long i still alive so i can know the guy who help me fixed it is SKL or sklg, I'm only bought those vehicle with service manual available over internet that i can understand how to fix with specific requirements, i don't mod vehicle i always leave it stock, exception if the vehicle for working purpose i will prefer replace heavy duty serviceable shock absorber .

If you have budget can afford, but non diy kaki, you can buy whatever vehicle you want because at the end everything wear and tear is the specialist help you to fix it you only need to paid for it , like people said tak tahu tak apa janji mampu bayar jer .

Me diy kaki always picky when choosing new vehicle sometimes i prefer old vehicle rather than new vehicle, new vehicle example Forester or most modern vehicle the infotainment screen just fucking big and annoying, when not using off screen the fingerprint dang annoying just seeing 😂

my cousin also driving bezza , he just bought it last month , from honda jazz to bezza , he loving it especially city driving , even long distance from kl to malacca seems good

F30 320d LCI 240whp + 410nm ----> X90

Is it really a downgrade, when you are just driving a 4 cylinder engine in the first place?

look at the engine capacity , previous 2000cc , current 1300cc ( i don't think it's an upgrade )

New P1 and P2 are quite good. Spare parts easy, can fix anywhere. I'm like you, though I am not sure if I want to sell or maintain it forever.

My kia sorento diesel is 6 years. Plan to keep minimum 9 years. Because of RM devalue, what was previously 180k new, now is 250k. I need 7 seats suv with and for mud, but not ladder frame. Also my car has 40:20:40 folding seat. Easy to transport ong items like logs, carpets from time.to time. No car in current price bracket has this seat configuration. I carry 4 people and long stuff as well. Don't need a pickup. Closest I see within <200k is X90, but I loose a lot. From poor fc diesel to seats to rear occupant sunshade tonneau cover. Extendable.sun visor. Aside from the seating configuration, the rest minor issue


So still don't know what to get. Next month i visit new workshop for service. 3rd.party. if good, will just keep the car. Wisdowm says that 9 years best to sell. No need to deal with wear and tear. Will see in 2026. Flagship X90 will solve the middle folding seat, but I don't want a sunroof.

I have been inside the X90, if I didn't know the sorento existed, this is a great car. Coming from savvy, suprima, sorento. Those who cannot afford the X90.or want something under 100k, buying used is good.

This post has been edited by mystvearn: Sep 17 2023, 08:46 AM

yeah same here too, from bentley bentayga to aruz, the brand prestige is just not appealing much to me anymore

love aruz so much but never had a chance to test drive it , bet it's a fun car to drive

An driving a conti while fully employed.

When very close to retirement, I will downgrade to a P2. Wanna save money for travel and experiences.

Proton quite good too. just u need to bear with higher rpm and noisy engine. if u compare with jap or conti, the refinement is not there, but the drive feels good.

I use sage for short distance drive.

experienced that with my previous proton gen2 , noisy engine when it reach higher rpm but overall was okey

From mazda3 to myvi g3, my wife bought new bmw g20 so i dont have any reason to maintain another sedan, gave mazda3 to my younger sis.. although its not a smooth n fun ride like mazda3 but the car is cheap to maintain n easy to drive n park, just people tend to look u down as my myvi are just 1.3, not a full spec myvi..

There is a famous saying, “whether it is first class or economy class it stilsl get you to your destination at the same time.“

From that point of view, who cares what brand of car you drive as long as it serves its purpose

right

consider yourself lucky lu, i sat in one where i need to put a box behind the driver's seat because the seat lock mechanism broke and it keep going moving and backward ( i have nv heard of that part breaking in all my years of driving)
power window faulty - very common
its not gen 2, its Junk2

this one has to come with age then only they will realize that they dont need to care about ego. TS is still young, just like plenty others who wants to own an iphone because its an "orang ätas" phone but other phones can do the same if not better than an iphone.

my previous gen2
1. clunking sound as soon as get out from the eon showroom , bring to the service centre , front absorber defect , then they changed it , problem solved
2. gear cable broke almost 2 times , bring to the service centre , they changed it , problem solved
3. some indicator light turn on , then the service center said , sensor faulty , it happens almost 4 times , then the problem never solved
4. the car engine fan suddently turn on , meanwhile the key already inside my pocket , wiring issue , send to the service center and the problem keep going on

end up sell the car

From 200k to 60k local P2....at my age. I dont car about brand

Best bet is to buy a bezza premium x spec. The simpler the car the better, safe fuel and can use to do part time grab for some income and spend time when retire.

as long as it does it job already enough right

No brand is a downgrade to another brand.

It is all about what a brand build rather than the brand itself.

Look at what Hyundai has transform itself into. Decades of investment in testing around Nordschleife, investment in TCR racing.

Geely too doing very well in TCR with their Cyan Racing team.

The duo are perfectly capable of making high performance car, solid engineering capability. It is matter of decision of which market segments they want to focus.

See Koenigsegg when they made their first hypercar, they ain't have any heritage. It was a young company, and still is a young company. With right product, people will buy.

Now there are companies that make junks now (from engineering point of view) like Ora, Neta. They focus on cosmetic, and it is all about about assembly off the shelves parts in engineering department with little to none mechanical R&D. But one day if they decided to change the company direction, and build proper driving machine, they can do it with right investment.

This post has been edited by constant_weight: Sep 19 2023, 04:26 PM

I’m going to buy an Axia Rahmah. Getting too old for big cars. Just want something A-Z

Toyota for life. That's the best policy!

your leg will beg for mercy if you use their manual transmission when being stuck in a jam

malu apa bosskurrr
once an single mother aunty, at that time driving mazda3, 8 years or so. i said buy myvi la. she said 1.3 can drive 1 meh. then i said, u want no power or no money?

Driving a German brand now. After retirement will downsize to a Perodua.

Why not, if this coming June government really implement targeted subsidy for petrol I will sell my civic and buy city hatchback ehev, or see what will be the cheapest EV at that point of time.

Drove a "cold door" C seg Jap car for many years & downgraded to A segment P2

I don't drive like mad & while the old car had power when needed, usually I cruise within speed limits.

Nowadays drive very little.

On the rare occasion I missed the power & slightly annoyed P2 upshifts too soon.

Did cross my mind to sound proof the P2, but then since I don't drive that much, can't be bothered also.

Cheap to buy & run Used the money saved to go travel

If I spend a lot more time on the road, then a better car makes sense.

i gave up a merc for a saga..... i find the saga easier to drive because it's light.... new car with warranty is better than old car without warranty

For my age (30+) and single guy currently i wanted to at least achieve the brand i want first

As we matured, car brands do not matter unless you’re in sales/MLM/real estate/scammer

rule no 1. dont use ur money to impress ppl u dont like

Yeah, why not? I still enjoy driving the small & cheerful Kelisa time to time..

I think as car guys, we aim to impress only ourselves by buying our dream cars which gives us great driving enjoyment & pleasure😊

Yes, I did it when I lost my job about 4 years back. I had a Toyota Corolla but then I shifted to Suzuki Alto.

Honda City to 2 cars now, Myvi and Bezza

Not downgrade but retain the old car as long as it did not give any problem. Do I tempted with latest gadget on new car, yes. But retaining a fully paid car make life much comfortable and stress free

This post has been edited by ayamxxx: Jan 14 2024, 04:29 PM

Honda city right?

2015 Honda Accord. Already near 230k km and still without any xmass light on the dashboard to this date

from Honda to Axia. at the end of day. it still get me from point A to B.

Downgrade to reduce monthly payment is a great realisation

I use to pay 1500 for my car ( 2nd hand beemer ) meaning service and break fix out of my pocket.

My loan tenure was 5 years and I paid final year lump sum and got some discounts

I took care of the car well and now it’s taking care of me. I’ve not had a car loan for the last 4 years and thinking about it hard, I just cannot take another car loan because whilst I get a new car, thinking of the bank making profits out of my hard work and worst is the new car feeling will fade a way after 3 to 4 weeks

After that you think people impress with your car but truth is no one give a fuck about you if it ain’t a top tier beemer or ultra luxury sedan.


The notion of serving another loan to me is just ridiculous. Will drive my car til the wheel drop off and then look for another capable by a private seller. Hard to find something to beat a rwd, 460nm 230 Hp diesel machine with cars on the road today within 200k

We are in the same boat. Eyeing many used private seller later once the car atart to pick up problem

Just use whatever car that you want & need depending on your affordability at that time...

What la have to think about this

Affordability is one thing. Cheaper than usual market rate usually got story behind the car and it’s not owner leaving overseas hence urgent sell. If market rate for civic is 80k and u see one for 60k, avoid it

Willing seller willing buyer.

Nevertheless, the buyer must always be smarter.

need to knw why "downgrade" if due to money, boh pian lo

I downgraded from Alza to RX-7 FC Savanna

the most comfy car is the 1 fully paid

Started with Kancil, still with Kancil.
Refueling is cheap!

I sold my w204 c200 and bought proton x70
Fit my keperluan and kehendak...

I got one colleague who looks down p2 cars, she just doesn't know p2 car is the most efficient car.

not downgrade in term of comfort and NVH

Sadly with the recent bad publicity (quality, all those stun/accident), many starting to doubt P2 even Malay girls also up standard and just want to sit in Maseli..

Most people don't care if the car is efficient or not. It's all about the brand.
Like Seiko or Rolex?

Yes brand aside, p2 is cost efficient car in Mlaaysia

Couldn't agree more but still human are generally materialistic

sudah downgrade ka

Bmw to toyota

During my younger days, I always fancy those BMW & Mercedes.

Now at an older age, won't be getting them since these cars are not reliable and is a money pit. Feels a bit sohai to buy them unless you have a business that is generating huge profit back to you.

For a salaryman, probably a Honda / Toyota is good enough already.

Best efficient car belong to Honda City CVT. Especially on highway distance, this car excel for FC with combine 18km/l. But does it reliable for high mileage is question mark. Many suffer CVT gb problem heading 100k km above

This post has been edited by ayamxxx: Jan 27 2024, 08:38 AM

Years of fuel saving goes to repair the cvt . Atleast rm4k must get ready by 100k km mileage

new p2 is cvt, also efficient, but honda also very efficient but slightly more expensive car price.

always kena kutuk for my myvi buruk

Buy car in accordance to what you can afford.
Real rich people wouldn't care about how much it cost for petrol/electricity; maintenance; services; insurance. They just pay without questions.
Those who frequently questions those above should examine themselves whether they truly can afford the car.

lol same.