What's a cheap/good/fuel efficient sedan car to buy?

[yk200]

honda civic better.

what is ur civic FC like? could it be better than vios?

since ur baby already 6 months, as long as baby weight more then 8kg then u can put ur baby seat face front liao. dont worry about back facing.

i saw couple park thier car at park n ride then take train... :bsmilie: maybe after drop off thier baby..

 

[Chiang]

http://www.fuelconsumption.ca/fuel/fueltips.asp

i drive slow at max 90km , hahahhaha , so dun honk me when see me on the road

 

[megaweb]

As AhSeng has noted out

Assuming a brand new 1.5 liter car
Road tax :- $437.5 / 12mth = $36.46
Insurance :- Approx 1.5k for new driver with no NCD / 12 mth = $125
Monthly Season parking @ home (Assuming HDB MSCP) :- $96.3
Monthly Season parking @ work and Misc parking :- Approx $200
Servicing every 3 month :- Approx $90 / 3 month :- $30
Fuel per month :- Approx $280 (1 full tank every week @ ard $70)
Cashcard topup/month :- Approx. $50
Monthly Installment :- Approx $450 for 10 years.
Total :- Approx SGD$1267.76 / mth

Is SGD$1267.76 / mth OK to you ? or even you settle for full car payment w/o instalment, $600 to $800 / mth OK to you ?

If the car is to ferry baby, yes you should get a car. if just for you to drive to work and home early to see your baby, I would recommend you to take MRT.

What kind of car is good ? Do you have big family ? Else, small car like 1.0L to 1.4L is good for point to point transport.

 

[jeanie]

That's why FC is right on top of my priority.. With the rising fuel prices, I reckon I'll break even the price difference between a slightly cheaper car (Lancer GLX, Cerato, Rio) and a slightly more expensive but more fuel efficient car (Vios) in no time.. ;p

I'd have to admit the AWD Impreza 1.6 is tempting. ;p

AWD 1.6, because power is transmitted to all wheels, you will really feel the sluggishness.
no doubt cornering ability is better than FWD or RWD though.BUT, how often you will drive at those speeds which you can feel the difference?

get a FWD saloon.i have some friends who drive the TS AWD saloon and you know what they call their rides?
TS=terribly slow.

 

[jeanie]

honda civic better.

out of his price range.

 

[Fok Weng Wai]

Do not just look at FC alone. Ask friends about theirs. U may hear the same complains about a same brand. Avoid Japanese cars not made in Japan. Look for quality in that price range. A car may hv heavier fuel consumption but does not suffer from parts breaking down. One of the reasons why a car has heavier fuel consumption is bcoz of its heavier platform. Thus, corners better and positively. The tendency to flex is less. Not saying heavier fuel comsumption cars are better but stressing to u not to overlook them. One may pay more for fuel but less on repairs/maintenance.
Manual gear change cars cost slightly cheaper. There is also semi-auto step gate type which allows u to override the auto transmission. I prefer this with no regrets.
Remember what Ms Jeanie said earlier abt negative equity. It is a situation whereby the remaining loan exceeds the value of that car.

 

[HydroPoP]

How about the new Suzuki SX4 sedan? Quite spacious and with big boot. Competitive pricing also at $56500. :think:
http://www.championmotors.com.sg/

 

[lsisaxon]

Drop and pick her up some where in the middle where she can get a direct bus/mrt to work :sweat: Saw some are doing that.

It's not a problem for us to board the MRT, first station in the east but not always got seat also.. ;p The problem is when she alight at the nearest MRT station to her workplace, then she'll have to take the last shuttle at 8:15am. Most of the time cannot make it and if take public bus, there's a long flight of stairs to climb.

 

[lsisaxon]

As AhSeng has noted out

Is SGD$1267.76 / mth OK to you ? or even you settle for full car payment w/o instalment, $600 to $800 / mth OK to you ?

If the car is to ferry baby, yes you should get a car. if just for you to drive to work and home early to see your baby, I would recommend you to take MRT.

What kind of car is good ? Do you have big family ? Else, small car like 1.0L to 1.4L is good for point to point transport.

Yes, car is to ferry baby during weekends and evening. Taking cab to work saves me and my wife up to an hour in the morning, but it's $$$.

I am thinking of digging out the bank account and going for minimum loan to get discount to save some money, usually the interest for 1 year would be less than the discouont given. But that works out to a huge upfront payment for the car. :sweat: So I'm still working out if going for a mid term financing (3-5 yrs) might be a better option. :dunno:

I'll still have to work things out with my wife. First thing is to let my wife see the cars and the $$$ details first.

 

[lsisaxon]

Do not just look at FC alone. Ask friends about theirs. U may hear the same complains about a same brand. Avoid Japanese cars not made in Japan. Look for quality in that price range. A car may hv heavier fuel consumption but does not suffer from parts breaking down. One of the reasons why a car has heavier fuel consumption is bcoz of its heavier platform. Thus, corners better and positively. The tendency to flex is less. Not saying heavier fuel comsumption cars are better but stressing to u not to overlook them. One may pay more for fuel but less on repairs/maintenance.
Manual gear change cars cost slightly cheaper. There is also semi-auto step gate type which allows u to override the auto transmission. I prefer this with no regrets.
Remember what Ms Jeanie said earlier abt negative equity. It is a situation whereby the remaining loan exceeds the value of that car.

I initially had the City in mind because of the CVT and step shift, but I reckon I might not need that. I've been in my colleague's Vios and I can hardly feel the shifting, so I guess Toyota's auto gearbox it should be good enough. Vios is definitely lighter but since I've never driven one before, I won't know the feel until I go test one.

But again, we'll probably go see and compare prices first and decide before going for test drives on the shortlisted models.

 

[lsisaxon]

How about the new Suzuki SX4 sedan? Quite spacious and with big boot. Competitive pricing also at $56500. :think:
http://www.championmotors.com.sg/

Any idea on the FC? I don't want anything below 12km/l. I heard that Suzuki still using the old type of engine, so the FC may not be that spectacular. :dunno: Maybe I'll take a look at it one of these days.

The new COE price has raised the car price to $59k.

Vios J has increased from $53.5k to nearly $56k.

 

[lsisaxon]

out of his price range.

Way way way out of my price range. ;p If I can afford that, I'll probably top up a little more and get the Hybrid instead. ;p

 

[mlowjl]

OK, I don't know anything about cars, since I'm still learning to drive, but just wanted to chip in to say that when you have small children and long distances to travel, a car is pretty crucial. I put off getting my license for the longest time, thinking I don't need to drive since my husband drives right? I regret that. And when your baby gets older and goes to daycare/preschool, there will be times when something crops up (child sick or something) and you need to pick him up, and you don't want to be stuck waiting half an hour for a cab.

Before you go and see the car, measure your baby car seat from end to end and take note of the length (for rear-facing arrangement). Make sure the car you're testing is able to accomodate that length without having to shove the front passenger seat all the way to the glove compartment.

We now have the ultimate family car, a minivan, or MPV, or whatever you call it. Expensive and a guzzler, but we really really needed the third row of seats (2 car seats for 2 kids = no space for any other passengers already). Before that, we had the Ssangyong Musso Sports model, which is NOT a sports car :bsmilie: but a 4WD double-cab pick-up. Not cheap for a truck (about 60K), but it actually worked well for our needs. The cabin is very spacious and wide, finishing nice altho' plasticky, room for 2 car seats and one thin person (LOL!) can squeeze in the middle. And LOADS of space in the back for our dogs, groceries, plants, anything you buy from Ikea, since it's a pick-up :bsmilie::bsmilie:

Runs on diesel too. You probably have seen it on the road - it's quite popular now, looks like an SUV. But it's a very heavy vehicle and v slow to pick up (severely underpowered, even tho' got Mercedes engine). And I doubt your wife will like the idea of sitting in a truck

 

[sammy888]

OK, I don't know anything about cars, since I'm still learning to drive, but just wanted to chip in to say that when you have small children and long distances to travel, a car is pretty crucial. I put off getting my license for the longest time, thinking I don't need to drive since my husband drives right? I regret that. And when your baby gets older and goes to daycare/preschool, there will be times when something crops up (child sick or something) and you need to pick him up, and you don't want to be stuck waiting half an hour for a cab.

With respect to your view which I guess in some way works for you, covers some of your concerns with caring for your kids and I am certain it comes with some sacrifice that the car was crucial that you willing to invest in one. It is no doubt a big investment for the sake of rising your children.

But I have to just chip in that....even as common as we see motor vehicles on the road every where and the scenes of traffic jams happening everywhere, it does appear that cars is as common and as readily own by the majority of people in Singapore. But the real fact is, there are alot of MORE people out there who can't afford a car or just do not feel the need to have one just because they have childrens or for whtever reason.

There are alot of people as we can see in MRT and other form of public transport who just as happily have babies/young children in tow and still not feel it is crucial to have a car. And some, yes can;t have the option to own one so still goes on with the business of having kids.

I feel it is about priority, your financial means and what each couple feel about the issue of conveinience and living life as a family unit with babies/kids. There has been generation of families that have gotten started wth some having more then 2 kids even and still have no car, bigger house to house every child or even a maid to play supplementary mothers. And this in some generation where both parents works (or single parent like my mom) and have hardly enough to eat but still managed to bring up outstanding children into this world.

I can understand your postion and you are right to take the solutions you felt works best for you and your spouse but I just felt it has to be stated here too that...it is also alright not to have a car if there really is no need for it due to having children. It does not make you any better or worst a parent to your kids. If having children is happiness in itself and that is why you have them, there is nothing you really would not do. As parents, sacrifices are and will have to be made and in some case it might just mean a new car for some to get more easily from point A to B, save money for their education, a maid to clean up after the entire family, giveup buying that dream camera or holiday trip for your kid present for scoring top marks in his/her class, stop going out to be with the family, less money for shopping..etc.

How I am writing this (or attempt to) it does not mean I stand on either side lah. Just giving it abit more thought for those who are reading this and are also contemplating a car and seek to get some hints by what is discussed here but has abit more financial restrain..then even our bro lsisaxon. We should not indirectly 'push' those borderline folks to take the wrong decision for them without getting more alternative view to the idea of getting a car for the family. No decision like this which cost a small to medium fortuene should be taken lightly for those whom I deem are bordeline. It must be a logical decision to buy not an emotional one that's what I am saying.

If I worded stuff wrongly here...No offence meant.

 

[mlowjl]

Sammy888, I totally get where you're coming from. No offence taken. But I did not mean to influence any lurkers who are on the fence re: car owning. Just wanted to put in my view. Heck, I don't even drive! When I have to take my child to the doctor, if my husband isn't around, I strap him into the stroller and walk to the nearest GP, or if I have to take him to the hospital (which I have), I run out and flag down a cab (it's no fun carrying a vomiting/bleeding child onto the bus or train). Nor do I mean to say that having a car makes you a better parent. Of course not! I'm just saying that having your own car (which I agree is not an option that is immediately available to everyone), solves problems and provide benefits for families. Wouldn't you say that was a logical decision? Having a car is always a trade-off. If you can afford it, you pay to save time and gain the convenience.

I think lsisaxon has already weighed the pro and cons (and costs) of car ownership: it's a matter of which car best suits his needs and budget, not a matter of whether or not to buy a car.

But thanks for putting things in perspective You did make me think about spending money needlessly. And no, I do not work for a car company

I feel it is about priority, your financial means and what each couple feel about the issue of conveinience and living life as a family unit with babies/kids. There has been generation of families that have gotten started wth some having more then 2 kids even and still have no car, bigger house to house every child or even a maid to play supplementary mothers. And this in some generation where both parents works (or single parent like my mom) and have hardly enough to eat but still managed to bring up outstanding children into this world.

I can understand your postion and you are right to take the solutions you felt works best for you and your spouse but I just felt it has to be stated here too that...it is also alright not to have a car if there really is no need for it due to having children. It does not make you any better or worst a parent to your kids. If having children is happiness in itself and that is why you have them, there is nothing you really would not do. As parents, sacrifices are and will have to be made and in some case it might just mean a new car for some to get more easily from point A to B, save money for their education, a maid to clean up after the entire family, giveup buying that dream camera or holiday trip for your kid present for scoring top marks in his/her class, stop going out to be with the family, less money for shopping..etc.

How I am writing this (or attempt to) it does not mean I stand on either side lah. Just giving it abit more thought for those who are reading this and are also contemplating a car and seek to get some hints by what is discussed here but has abit more financial restrain..then even our bro lsisaxon. We should not indirectly 'push' those borderline folks to take the wrong decision for them without getting more alternative view to the idea of getting a car for the family. No decision like this which cost a small to medium fortuene should be taken lightly for those whom I deem are bordeline. It must be a logical decision to buy not an emotional one that's what I am saying.

If I worded stuff wrongly here...No offence meant.

 

[yk200]

With respect to your view which I guess in some way works for you, covers some of your concerns with caring for your kids and I am certain it comes with some sacrifice that the car was crucial that you willing to invest in one. It is no doubt a big investment for the sake of rising your children.

But I have to just chip in that....even as common as we see motor vehicles on the road every where and the scenes of traffic jams happening everywhere, it does appear that cars is as common and as readily own by the majority of people in Singapore. But the real fact is, there are alot of MORE people out there who can't afford a car or just do not feel the need to have one just because they have childrens or for whtever reason.

There are alot of people as we can see in MRT and other form of public transport who just as happily have babies/young children in tow and still not feel it is crucial to have a car. And some, yes can;t have the option to own one so still goes on with the business of having kids.

I feel it is about priority, your financial means and what each couple feel about the issue of conveinience and living life as a family unit with babies/kids. There has been generation of families that have gotten started wth some having more then 2 kids even and still have no car, bigger house to house every child or even a maid to play supplementary mothers. And this in some generation where both parents works (or single parent like my mom) and have hardly enough to eat but still managed to bring up outstanding children into this world.

I can understand your postion and you are right to take the solutions you felt works best for you and your spouse but I just felt it has to be stated here too that...it is also alright not to have a car if there really is no need for it due to having children. It does not make you any better or worst a parent to your kids. If having children is happiness in itself and that is why you have them, there is nothing you really would not do. As parents, sacrifices are and will have to be made and in some case it might just mean a new car for some to get more easily from point A to B, save money for their education, a maid to clean up after the entire family, giveup buying that dream camera or holiday trip for your kid present for scoring top marks in his/her class, stop going out to be with the family, less money for shopping..etc.

How I am writing this (or attempt to) it does not mean I stand on either side lah. Just giving it abit more thought for those who are reading this and are also contemplating a car and seek to get some hints by what is discussed here but has abit more financial restrain..then even our bro lsisaxon. We should not indirectly 'push' those borderline folks to take the wrong decision for them without getting more alternative view to the idea of getting a car for the family. No decision like this which cost a small to medium fortuene should be taken lightly for those whom I deem are bordeline. It must be a logical decision to buy not an emotional one that's what I am saying.

If I worded stuff wrongly here...No offence meant.

well said sammy888 :thumbsup: alot of parant able to grow their kids witout a car... but for this case I believe lsisaxon is able to afford it, that's why they are looking for a car. Not only for thier baby..it is for the whole family. To own a car is just like u are paying it for the time and convienence.. It is just a matter u can afford it or not. If not then go for public transport (bus or cab) or you can even go for Honda car direct (rent a car) which pay for a annual member fees then pay as you rent.


so bro lsisaxon, happy test driving ur potential new car!

 

[sammy888]

Sammy888, I totally get where you're coming from. No offence taken. But I did not mean to influence any lurkers who are on the fence re: car owning. Just wanted to put in my view. Heck, I don't even drive! When I have to take my child to the doctor, if my husband isn't around, I strap him into the stroller and walk to the nearest GP, or if I have to take him to the hospital (which I have), I run out and flag down a cab (it's no fun carrying a vomiting/bleeding child onto the bus or train). Nor do I mean to say that having a car makes you a better parent. Of course not! I'm just saying that having your own car (which I agree is not an option that is immediately available to everyone), solves problems and provide benefits for families. Wouldn't you say that was a logical decision? Having a car is always a trade-off. If you can afford it, you pay to save time and gain the convenience.

I think lsisaxon has already weighed the pro and cons (and costs) of car ownership: it's a matter of which car best suits his needs and budget, not a matter of whether or not to buy a car.

But thanks for putting things in perspective You did make me think about spending money needlessly. And no, I do not work for a car company

Glad you took in the right way...I have no doubt about your view on the matter I was just trying to inject abit of balance to your view as a counter balance. Maybe I am alittle concern but in the last year I have 3 friend who are in over their head with the car. Two was burden later by finanacial issues and the other once they had the car, well...let's just say it is like a war over who gets to use the car, whoes family gets to use it more for whatever reason as both hubby and wife got the car together but they took a small loan from one of the sibling to get it...so now he too want to use the car..heheh.

 

[domvonn]

HI Ts,

u can consider pre-owned cars that are less than 3 years old.

 

[lsisaxon]

HI Ts,

u can consider pre-owned cars that are less than 3 years old.

Did thought about that too but wifey seems to be against the idea. Also, there might be problems with the car which were not declared and that might run into some hefty servicing bills. Of course, if the previous owner is honest then there should be no problem but it's always a bet. Will keep this option in consideration.

 

[lsisaxon]

well said sammy888 :thumbsup: alot of parant able to grow their kids witout a car... but for this case I believe lsisaxon is able to afford it, that's why they are looking for a car. Not only for thier baby..it is for the whole family. To own a car is just like u are paying it for the time and convienence.. It is just a matter u can afford it or not. If not then go for public transport (bus or cab) or you can even go for Honda car direct (rent a car) which pay for a annual member fees then pay as you rent.


so bro lsisaxon, happy test driving ur potential new car!

Yes.. being able to afford is one thing, but whether it's worth the money is another. The COE has just gone up by $4k and that difference could buy me a D300 or half a D3. ;p

I agree with sammy888 that it should be well thought before putting my the pen on the paper. That's why I really appreciate the different views offered here in this thread. Being very new in this, each view really helps me put things into perspective. Even a 'cheap' korean car is not cheap.

I do get different views, some people think that the convenience is worth the money, and some think otherwise. At the end of the day, it's on me and my wife to make the decision whether to take the plunge. We don't know whether it will make life more convenience for us or not. We also do not know whether we should really go for a new car and drive for the next 5 years or just get a pre-owned and drive for the next couple of years or even go for a longer term car rental.

So I guess no one's right nor wrong. They are just different views and I welcome them because more of these views will only help me decide better. :thumbsup: