Need advice

XinYi SG

Hi,

I juz got my licence and intend to get a 2nd hand manual transmission car (1600cc or less).
Lancer, mazda 323, civic, peugeot 207 and March are my choice.

Don't really know much about cars. Therefore need some advice on the following:

1. Estimated price for each make (5years or less)
2. Which will be of a better choice in term of performance.
3. Estimation of road tax and insurance.
4. If getting a car which is more than 10 years, what to look out for?

Thks! Laughing

yamanaka SG

Consult a Certified Financial Planner?

Mercury_1 SG

Depends, civics produce more power then most other cars of the same category but usually they have been trashed by the ex-owners. Mazda is pretty good. I'm not too sure on lancers or peugeot. March is pretty cheap but not much u can go wif a 1 litre engine.

Usually ppl go for cars wif a cheap COE and High OMV, make sure u calculate the scrap value of the car u are about to buy. then least u can bargain wif the used car dealers. Cars above 10 yrs do not get back the OMV value, so if ur considering make sure the car is really good and not a bomb

Ah Wei SG

Hi XinYi,

Like I always advise my friend who are P-plated, dont ever try to buy a car cos the insurance will kill you. I got a friend who bought a 4 years old Lancer 1.3 (Value at 50k) when hes a P-plater, and his insurance NTUC quoted him is S$2500!!! Finally he got his insurance from Nanyang and it cost him S$1900. Still expensive for a 2nd hand car.

So, my advise will be use your dads or brothers name (who had more driving experiences, if any) when buying a car so that you will at least save 50% on the car insurance. If not, wait till your P-plate is over before buying a car.

Anyway I might be able to offer some help here cos I drove a few of the cars u mentioned before, and , I used to own a 98 Nissan March before I change to my current car. I was driving an AUTO March then. Nissan March is a good car, although just 1 litre, its one of the best among its class. The only setback that I have is the petrol consumption. Maybe its an auto, thats why the fuel efficient is not very good. Maybe Manual will be better. I sold my car, which has 5 yrs 2 mnths left then for abt 34-35k. Oh btw, my insurance was abt S$800 +. Road tax is based on the cc of the car, thus a 1000cc Nissan March road tax will definitely be cheaper then a 1300cc, and a 1500cc civic. Road tax of March will be abt S$600 a yr.

Conclusion of a MARCH: Good 1000cc engine car (but buy the one from 98 onwards, the uplifted version cos got leather seat, 4 powered windows instead of 2 from the 96-early 98 model). Suitable for ladies. Cute and easy to park. Cheaper insurance and rd tax. Dont like the fuel consumption of my Auto Transmission March though. And the car just nice for 4 people. 5 had to squeeze a bit, unless, all small size ladies or guys.

Lancer: as mentioned, cost more than the March, in term of rd tax, insurance etc. The 1.3l Mit Lancer kinda lack power cos the body frame is designed for a 1.5l or 1.6l engines. Nevertheless its a good car but with the amount of money you paid, I would rather you go for a March. A slightly less than 5 yrs old 1.3l Lance should still cost you around 40k if Im not wrong. Just like my friend, if you are a P-plater, the insurance should be ard the same as my friend, as I mentioned on top.

Conclusion: Good car but under powered for a 1.3l. Might be more worthwhile to get other make for the amount paid.

Civic: On paper, Civic has the best engines among Japanese make, which I believe most pple will agree. That mean of cos, that the pricing will be tip top as ell, haha a 5 yrs old civic (the most basic model is EXI) will definitely cost more than a Lancer 1.3, and so is the insurance and rd tax I think. A VTI and SIR will cost you much much more. And unless you are very rich, try not to think abt them. Also, not advisable for P-plater to buy a good car, cos minor incident sure happen and will make your heart very very pain if your car is too expensive. I havet had the chance to drive an EXI before but did try the SIR before, so cant really comment on the performance.

Conclusion: Honda is well know for Vti engine, not Exi though. But an EXI should be good enough, but then like I say, its the most expensive among Japanese made car. So be prepared to spend more if you choose a civic. The road tax of a civic (1.5l) should be ard S$900 a year.

Mazda 323 (1.3l or 1.6l): Okie cant really comment on these cos havent tried any of them. But of cos, the 1.3l will be quite affordable but heard feedback that it lacks power. The reason is same as lancer 1.3l. The frame is made for bigger engine capacity. No offence to Mazda driver, but Mazda cars are not know for their good engine or performance, its more for affordable and value for money. Of cos, unless you are talking abt those more hi-end models, then its a different story.

Peugeot 207: Also not to sure abt this car but think this model is rather new, so you wont be able to find that is 5 yrs old I think, correct me if Im wrong. Also, its different from the rest of the car you mention cos its a Continental car, and continental car is know for their heavier frame and stability. One think to consider also is the spare parts. Guess itll be cheaper for Japanese make parts then European. Also, the more common the make and model of the car, the more popular the parts will be, the cheaper it will get. Thats one reason why a lot of pple buy Proton. Cos they can easily go into Malaysia to change the spare part as they are very cheap.

Lastly: I will not advise you to buy a 10 yrs old car as well. Cos new cars nowsaday are very cheap, and so is the 2nd hand car market. Im sure you can get very good value for money car in the 2nd hand car market. But of cos, itll be better if you get a friend who knows the market well to go with you, so you wont kena chop by 2nd hand car retailer.

2 more advantages I can tell you off hand is that a less than 10 yrs old car (you may be paying slightly more), but after the COE expire, you will have one scrape value sum. And, you can use this scrape value sum to buy another car then, so itll be a continuous process. 2ndly, the engine itself of cos. Imagine a machine runs for 10 years, theres bound to be a lot of wear and tear, as compared to a 5 years machine.

Well have been typing a lot, haha. But nevertheless, hope the infor I gave helps in someway will do. Cheers~ and good luck in your search for your car.

[email protected] SG

get the peugeot… its a lovely car

AE86tofu SG

I wonder if they have cars which are more than 15 yrs old....if have i buy the 1985 sprinter tureno.... Razz

brian SG

This civic you referring to? This vti is quite pretty. Very Happy

Mercury_1 SG

Mazda engines are pretty reliable, I've seen several 8 -9 yr old cars that handle pretty smoothly, no major overhaul made. My own car has clocked about 180 thousand km and it still runs very well, my gearbox however is another story.

Anyway wats gonna be the budget for ur vehicle out of interest?

XinYi SG

Hi Ah Wei,

Thanks for the information. Quite useful for those who are still new to cars like me. Laughing

Ya... heard from a friend that using parents to register for e car can get a cheaper insurance but they cover e car n the registered owner then what about myself if I will to drive e car Question
Need to get 3rd party insurance also Wink

XinYi SG

Nice car with nice price $$$.... hee!! Razz
Quite expensive even for a 2nd hand. Can get a new car for that $$$

XinYi SG

Ya.... I used this car for lessons at center. Find it better than the exi model test car.

Ah Wei SG

XinYi,

80% of the singapore cars on the road are having COMPREHENSIVE insurance, which I believe is a must get insurance cos you never know what's gonna happen on the road when driving.

Yes, the insurance is under your father's name but there'll always be 2 slots for NAMED DRIVERS. So, you can put your name as one of the named driver and you'll get the same benefits as your father.

Authorized driver without putting the exact name will have to pay a slightly higher excess if they were to claim insurance.

So, when buying the insurance, just asked the insurance agent to add the name in for you on the paper. As long as your name reflected in black and white, you are safe.

Ah Wei SG

Brian:

Just curious, you feel that this model of civic is nicer or the 2001 model? Which look almost the same except of a few changes like front bumper, taillight and speedometer etc..........

brian SG

Oops.. didn't spot this post, sorry ah wei.

I prefer the 2003 civic, which is the one above, i dun really know about the previous model because they all look somewhat similar. If i were to buy a honda model, what matters in the car is the vtec engine. Muhaha! Twisted Evil

Adam&Eve SG

I agreed with Ah Wei totaly. I had been driving a Mazda, Mit Lancer 1.6 and Toyota. Among the three cars, i still prefer Mit Lancer. The power, pick up is better than the both. However I realise the Petrol compsumsion is also higer than the two.

Toyota is more economic. I personally feel that Mazda cars cannot make it. If I were you, i will choose a Mit Lancer. Very Happy