HAVE wheels, will travel.
But what sort of wheels? Many will be tempted by the latest gadgets that seem to adorn electric vehicles (EVs), especially the marques from China.
Some may have an eye on a fancy sports utility vehicle from an established brand, maybe even from a kwailo (slang for European) car manufacturer.
But one presumably car enthusiast counselled otherwise, especially if one’s monthly wage packet is less than RM8,000/month. Posting on X, Daniel (@danielhvqeem) advised that the top four car brands to go for are Toyota, Honda, Perodua and Proton.
Speaking from first-hand experience from owning a nine-year-old Volkswagen, he confessed of being saddled with RM6,000 worth of maintenance and repair bills in 2024 alone.
Nasihat aku kepada yang cari kereta, belilah kereta antara:
1. Toyota
2. Honda
3. Perodua
4. ProtonBrand lain unless gaji starting kau lebih 8k, janganlah beli.
Aku pakai Volkswagen. Tahun ni ke 9 usia kereta aku dan tahun ini dekat 6k aku habis.
Jangan jadi macam aku. pic.twitter.com/B0jZizFxrg
— Daniél (@danielhvqeem) December 30, 2024
In fact, he went on to state that he would still encourage buyers to stick with the aforementioned four marques even if they were earning more than RM8,000/month.
He stressed that the purchase should be based on the availability of affordable spare parts, noting that spending a bulk of one’s salary on the car would be counter-productive. Better to just drive a MyVi and have more to spend on luxury holidays or good grub, he surmised.
Many seem to agree with the advice as his post has generated 898.4K views at time of writing. Quite a few agreed that locally manufactured brands are great beginner cars. Why pay for something that isn’t an asset but will just end up as liability?
Whilst another confirmed that the so-called Continental marques are expensive to maintain, hence one should he earning RM12,000/month or more before even thinking of owning one.
One commenter further wondered if a Proton Iriz with a monthly repayment of RM496 would be suitable for a fresh graduate.
He was advised by the poster to just go with basic models in the likes of Perodua Bezza or Axia and to only contemplate buying more expensive models when his wages are higher for there is always household income to factor in.
One sought advice on buying Korean cars to which the poster had a succinct answer – “put that idea aside unless you work in Korea”.
One netizen asked what the minimum starting wage should be if one wanted a Toyota or Honda. The poster replied it would be RM5,000/month with no other commitments. He further added that the low maintenance would even allow for some savings.
One commenter further added what seems like sound advice – Continental marques fare well whilst under warranty whereas Japanese makes are better suited to long term usage (ie beyond five years). As to which to choose from would depend on one’s financial circumstance.
Another netizen claiming to be an automotive technician backed up the poster’s observations, noting that the four mentioned marques seldom have major issues.
It didn’t take long for Toyota Malaysia to do a bit of marketing amid all the positive feedback on the marque.
While remarks on different marques are subjective and matter of opinion, the poster’s advice to live within one’s means is most certainly on the money (pun fully intended).
With all-too-frequent reports of vehicle owners taking drastic measures when facing re-possession, the poster’s advice should be heeded. – Jan 2, 2024
Main image credit: Pandu Laju
