What's the best affordable 5 year old car you can buy in Malaysia?

A five year old budget car should be a reasonable used car purchase. The reason being that most Malaysians rake up about 25,000km per year and at about five years old, 125,000km later it still has a good 100,000km before things start going wrong. If the car hasn't been neglected by its previous owner that is. . So at around 100,000km, most would only require a timing belt change (if required), an oil change for the transmission and engine as well as some secondary belting for the car. So what can we buy cheaply and that isn't a Perodua Viva sized car.



Now a Viva is in the same price range used, but if you're buying used, buy something with a little more comfort. A Viva is a city car and its tiny. It is narrow and you put two fat people side by side inside one and it'll look like something from a circus. So I looked through the classifieds and I've narrowed it down to the second generation pre-facelift Proton Saga.

With around RM16,000-17,000 you can go hunting for either a 1.3 manual, automatic or if  you're lucky a  1.6 with either transmission. It's simple really. The car has four doors and a boot. It isn't cramped as a Viva and it rides well too. The steering may be slow and the handling slightly stoid. It also looks dumpy (slightly made better with the facelifted Saga FL which you would not get at this price range) but then again, cheap almost never equals to cheery.

So you're left with dumpy and driveable. Don't expect it to look like a Subaru Impreza (but that does not stop most people from trying to make a Saga into one) or don't expect it to drive like even a Proton Satria Neo. But if it's transport you're looking for on the cheap and one that is also cheapest to maintain (cheap spares). This car is it.

Notable mentions would be a slightly older second generation Hyundai Accent (you know, the one with fake scoops everywhere) and the Naza/Peugeot 206 Bestari. Both can be had for a tad under RM19,000 for a '09 model but both costs slightly more to maintain.

 The Hyundai may offer better proportions as well as Hyundai built quality. Its spare parts may be bought cheaper than what you think it costs IF you ignore the spare parts shops and head straight to Hyundai Malaysia. But you could have this Hyundai in a bodykit if you look hard enough. Of course, this is just cosmetic. I've seen some with the bodykit with Subaru badges on it too. Oh what deluded minds Malaysians have. These people have no idea that this lowly Accent campaigned in the World Rally Championship in 1990-2003 with drivers like former Group A champion Kenneth Eriksson and British Rally Champion Alister McRae (brother of the late, great Colin McRae). All these guys had to do was make a rally replica of a HYUNDAI ACCENT....and not a replica of a Subaru Impreza. Duh.

The Pug 206 is good, but spares will cost more. It's a Conti. A flaky French one too. Whaddya expect? Even servicing the air-conditioning components require a dashboard out job making labour a little bit more costly. Aside from that, it drives well, handles great and looks quite good too. I suppose this is because it is a Peugeot. Oh, and its the most cheery car of the lot at this price range.

There you go. Some help in choosing cheap transport.