after 1.5 years of housemanship , I finally bought my own car.

  my budget is below RM50k for a car
 ( to tally with my financial management according to Malaysia's houseman salary )

 popular choice of first car as a houseman based on observation I've made:
 - brand new Honda City / Jazz  - Approx RM80k
 - some are daring enough to even buy a brand new Honda HR-V , Honda Civic,
   which costs RM100k-RM150K OTR

these cars , considering 9 years installment , can easily reach RM800-RM1500 monthly
considering gross salary of HO of RM4500/month ,
RM1500/RM4500 x 100 =  33% of monthly income!

*then they complaint of no money while i'm busy buying flight tickets
  for my travel trips LOL
.........................................................................

why I choose this proton Inspira which costs me RM40k
( my model is a used full Spec 2011  Inspira 2.0L Premium , registered in 2012 )

- It's actually a rebadged  Mitsubishi Lancer GT.
  same 2.0L engine , same gearbox , only minor differences between these cars
  brand new Mitsubishi Lancer : RM120k
  Brand new Proton Inspira :RM90k
  used 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer : RM60k
  used 2011 Proton Inspira : RM35-40k

  i saved  RM80k when buying a used Inspira instead of
  the other twin Mitsubishi Lancer!

- full spec , i got full leather seats , paddle shifters , touchscreen entertainment
  console with reverse camera & GPS , 18" wheels ,
  various electronics here and there  of which similar offerings from
  brand new Honda Civic will easily cost RM120k-RM150k
- police use this car. which means it's fast , reliable , and readily available
  spare parts
- not exceeding 2.0L , means I can still benefit from a lower bracket of
  road tax. Road tax in Malaysia generally increase in a more significant fashion
  above 2.0L
  e.g road tax
  Honda City 1.5L = RM90
  Honda Civic 1.8L = RM280
  Honda Civic 2.0L / Inspira 2.0L = RM380

  then above 2.0L , it goes crazy
  Honda Accord 2.4L = RM780
  Nissan Fairlady 3.5L = RM4380
.........................................................................

which car is affordable for us?

price = Monthly Salary x 12month

say , RM4500 for houseman
RM 4500 x 12 =  RM54000
Petrol RM300 x 12 = RM3600/year


car price = RM54000- RM3600 = RM50400
this , excludes parking tickets , toll , roadtax , maintenance etc

so it's safe to say , a maximum price range affordable for a houseman is
RM40000-RM50000 , of which it the choice narrows down to
a brand new MyVi / Iriz or a selection of used car .

but consider also safety factor. You don't want to be in a car
that crumbles like a biscuit tin in a car accident.

consider Full spec used car with all the safety features VS
brand new lower spec car but with  less features but at the same price.
which one do u think gives more value for money?

but of course , u have the advantage of average 5 years warranty
when you buy a brand new car
try searching from Mudah.my , u'll see most people will sell
their expensive cars after 5 years of usage ,
just right after the warranty ends. this gives u a double-edged sword
option , either u'll have a premium used car at a lower price ,
or a car in a  bad shape but no more under warranty.

obvious example is Ford Fiesta / VW Polo , known for
gear box problem.
U'll see that people will sell these cars a a very cheap price
after 5 years warranty ends , because repairing the gearbox   after that
 is a headache.

..............................................................................



other posts regarding my finance base , click here


p/s
i personally think the most value for money car is Perodua Kelisa.
very good fuel economy  , low road tax , low cost maintenence ,
easy to find parking spots in cities.
and the price never drops less than RM10k regardless 
the manufacturing years.
U buy Kelisa for RM10K now , u can still sell at the same price
in the future.
and, i don't buy RM4k iPhones.