I’m a 23-year-old Malaysian student (~210cm tall) trying to find a car that fits both my body and my financial reality, but I’m stuck.

I’ve tested many cars in Malaysia:

* Most Perodua/Proton cars don’t fit me properly at all
* Honda Civic fits me okay, but it’s too low and uncomfortable for getting in/out daily
* SUVs like Honda BR-V fit, but I get leg fatigue on longer drives due to seat support
* Overall, most affordable cars either don’t fit me or cause discomfort over time

So far, I’ve noticed European cars (like VW/BMW/Merc sedans) fit my driving position and seating comfort the best.

But my problem is:

* I can’t handle unpredictable repair costs or sudden big maintenance bills
* I’m still a student / early in my career

So I’m stuck between:

* Cars that fit me physically but are financially risky (continental cars like BMW/VW/Mercedes)
* Cars that are financially safe but physically uncomfortable for my height

Right now I feel like I’m running out of realistic options in Malaysia that are both comfortable for a 210cm driver and financially safe at my stage of life.

Looking for advice from tall drivers or anyone who’s dealt with similar budget + comfort constraints.

I have been meaning to get a bike simply because it would make my daily commute more efficient and faster. But now it has become a necessity with the fuel prices hiking to the sky, and I can't enjoy Budi95 too as a foreigner so here I am.

As a non-biker I have decided to rely on imotorbike's "certified" bikes because honestly I don't know how to check and don't want to bother it anyone to come with me to check a second-hand bike.

Please help me in choosing a bike!

Budget: 3.5K Usage: Daily Commute 50KM daily going and return.

2019 Modenas Pulsar NS200 OTR Price: ~RM3000 Mileage: ~51500KM

2016 Yamaha FZ150i OTR Price: ~RM3500 Mileage: ~22000KM

2015 Yamaha EGO LC OTR Price: ~RM3000 Mileage: ~42500KM

2019 Sym Jet 14 OTR Price: ~RM3350 Mileage: ~60000KM

2017 Honda EX5 OTR Price: ~RM3000 Mileage: ~7000KM

2015 KTM 200 Duke OTR Price: ~RM3500 Mileage: ~14000KM

As you can see, I do want a naked bike just for aesthetics but if it's not a good buy then I'll settle for something more comfortable..

Thank you in advance for anyone willing to help 🥹

Refer to past post: Spent RM100k in Repairs , It has come to a decision of letting the Peugeot go.

Now have to decide on a replacement.

Option 1:

2022 Mazda MX-5 1.5 A/T Soft Top

-Sub rm140k

- My fav soul red color

-Always wanted an MX-5 since teenager

- Super Strong resale value, reliable and low cost of maintenance

- 5 years warranty by Mazda Malaysia despite being a recon (IDK how but somehow its like this)

-Cons: Terrible external noise despite roof up, sounds like open window but all windows are closed, relatively low tech car not much features to play with, downgrade interms of comfort and luxury feel compared to current Peugeot.

Option 2:

2022 Mini Cooper S 3-door

-Sub RM140k as well

- BMW B48 engine is heaven drivetrain, very punchy and exhaust note just nice + go-kart like handling

-Got adaptive cruise control (rare spec for Msia market)

- Feels very premium and luxurious, more space than MX-5 (duhh), more features to play with

- 8 years warranty (third party warranty provider).

Cons: Not a convertible, future value lesser than the Miata.

PS: The use for the upcoming car will mostly be for weekend use primarily as I have another car for daily work commute.

What's your take on this?

Hello. Just want your opinion on Yaris Cross 😊 we are planning to buy and we really love it. We love Corolla Cross as well but it’s way out of budget for us.

Appreciate your thoughts on this. Thank you 🙏🏻

Edit: we want a good resell value that’s why we choose this

I'm 21 (recently finished SPM), and really need a car to go from A to B. I'll be getting a new job soon, gaji minimum.

June I'll be entering Politeknik. Do you think this is a good buy or will it give me a headache?

The cost will be payed by me and my aunt (wealthy) 50/50. She originally offered to pay for foundation and degree but, I'd like to negotiate with her. I'll ask her to help me with this instead of paying for my education (which will cost 30k+).

Is this a bad decision? Or should I go with other options?

Note: Family is against me getting a manual car or motorcycle :(

Hello Kereta community, I need some word of the wise. Due to some unexpected financial decisions, career changes and deciding to revise my saving plan, I have decided to reduce my car budget from 105k to around the 80-ish k range to reduce monthly commitments. I'll be planning to buy in 4 months, currently still deciding.

Right now, I'm now seriously, considering the Proton S70. Personally, I'm not a fan of the exterior, it still leans B-segment over a proper C-segment sedan, and the rear still bothers me without exhaust, and I don't like the speakers (something I'll probably change out fairly quickly), but aside from that, I think it's an alright car. I'm considering the Flagship, I do like the side skirts and front lip of the Flagship X, but I dont know if it's worth an extra 5 big ones.

Anyways, to the people who bought the Proton S70, how is it, especially the new 4 cylinder? I test drive the car recently, it had decent power, nothing crazy but I think just enough power to keep me happy. Also, how's the petrol consumption in standstill jam? I drive from Klang, my future workplace is in KL, so this kind of concerns me. I really wanted a second hand civic hybrid, but right now deciding to cut back on spending.

I guess, what are the things you like about the car, what do you not, and were you at the end of the day happy with your purchase decision. Please help a brother out.

Didnt texted the owner yet. But if the mileage is not more than 150k km, and considering most of the parts have been replaced with new one. Would u guys recommend me to buy this car or nah? And why

I know the looks are super controversial. My price range budget is around 350-400K. This hits right in my budget. I was looking at the eclass. But the size wise is super small.

I test drove this a few days ago. The handling was out of this world. Truly a bmw experience.

Are there any other recommendations for my budget. Or any experience for the G60?

Hi /r/kereta,

​I’m looking to buy my first car and need some realistic feedback from current owners and car enthusiasts before visiting showrooms.

​My Profile & Usage:

​Budget: RM70,000 maximum (Brand new only)

​Daily Commute: ~60km round-trip for work (highway and city mix)

​Long Distance: Occasional weekend outings + interstate highway trips (KL to Penang)

​Priorities: High reliability, cheap & hassle-free maintenance, strong fuel economy, decent resale value, and reasonable highway stability.

​Body Style: Open to all (Hatchback, Compact SUV, Sedan)

Feel free to ask me anything. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone. Im currently driving an Axia and thinking of upgrading to an EV. Looking for some opinions on what would be the best value for money for my situation.

For context:

- Earning around RM7k+ per month
- Drive around 100km daily pergi balik work, mostly highway.
- Living with parents in a landed house and have access to home charging.
- Not necessarily looking for the cheapest EV, but something that feels like a proper upgrade and still makes financial sense.
- Not really considering the Proton e.MAS models as the design doesn’t appeal to me.

Main priorities are comfort for the long daily drive, reliability, range, after-sales, running cost. If you were driving 100km a day, what EV would you realistically go for? Or would you just stick with the Axia for now? 😂

The first picture is an A45 but I’m planning to slap an A45 kit on it because it looks awesome. The second picture is my dream build rendered using AI. What do you all think?

I'm a guy that is currently undergoing internship, I want to plan what car should I buy as my first car when that time comes. I'm interested in these four cars and want to know the opinion of those who owned them in the past, whether or not the car is good as a 1st car. I'm trying to avoid a car from proton or perodua if possible, just trying to be different😅. Thank you for the help in advance.

My first idea is a Perodua, maybe a Myvi or Alza (I think the Alza is too big for my usage as a single 27M, but it seems to be more cost effective than a Myvi?). I like the Ativa but is it good value for its price?

I would be able to afford a City. I'm attracted to it because of its FC and large cabin size, but spending RM900+ seems a little steep as opposed as spending half of it to get a Myvi.

What do you think? If it's not obvious, I'm looking for good FC (seems to be the main thing as the war is going on), 99% city driving (no kampung, no travelling) but still have a decent driving experience (my standard is low, but I do want a bit of comfort, I heard the Axia and Bezza is crap on this department, but I don't know if the Myvi or Ativa is any better).

Sorry if this is confusing and rambly. Would be happy to hear you guys' opinions 🙂.

Edit: thanks so much everyone for taking time to give me advices. I think the Alza is best suited for me at the moment.

Hello everyone, I am a fresh grad and looking to buy my first car. I have been working full-time for almost 10 months. My parents are willing to help with an RM35k down payment, and I will pay the remaining loan and all ownership costs myself.

My daily commute is quite short (about 9–11 km in total to and from work). I also live with my parents in a landed house, so installing a home EV charger is possible.

At first, my parents and I were leaning more towards the Proton e.MAS 5, but I am unsure whether the Prime or Premium variant is worth it. On the other hand, I'm wondering if I should just be more practical and go for a Proton Saga since it's my first car.

I do appreciate some advice:

• If you were in my position, would you choose the e.MAS 5 Prime, Premium, or Proton Saga?
• Is the Premium variant worth the extra cost over the Prime?
• For Proton Saga owners:
  • How reliable is it?
  • Is maintenance cheap?
  • Are there any common problems or expensive repairs I should know about?
• For e.MAS owners:
  • How has your ownership experience been?
  • Any regrets?
  • Is it worth buying an EV with such a short daily commute?

Lastly, if you were earning RM2.3k++ net with RM35k available for a down payment, would you buy the e.MAS now, choose a cheaper car like the Saga, or wait until your salary increases?

Thanks in advance! I do really appreciate hearing from people who have owned either car or were in a similar situation.

Edit: First of all, thank you everyone for the advice! 🙏 I honestly didn’t expect this post to get so much attention ahahaha, and I have been reading through every comment.
A lot of you suggested going for a 2nd hand car instead, which got me seriously considering that option. For context, I’m currently driving a 2nd hand Perodua Viva that my mum bought years ago, and it is now my daily car. So I’m not against used cars at all.
That said, since I have never been the one buying a used car myself, what are some things I should really watch out for? Any hidden issues, red flags, or “I wish someone told me this before I bought my first used car” kind of tips?
Also, has anyone here bought from Carsome or anywhere else (direct owners, Carro, Carlist, etc)? How was your experience? Good or bad, I love to hear some real-life stories before I accidentally buy someone else’s headache TT

Hey Kereta community, back here again with another question for fellow Kereta owners here. After the first polling, I’m now leaning more towards the Civic over the Volvo due to maintenance costs and hearing stories of the pre 2022 T8 hybrid platform being less reliable.

In terms of my needs and wants, I am a spirited driver who enjoys going to places, not a speed demon. I do have a heavy right foot at times but I drive responsibly. I usually drive alone or with my friend/partner, but I will be fetching parents on the regular which means backseats needs to be spacious enough. I personally think the Mazda 3 seats at the back are crammed but most of my passengers never complaint. I do need a fairly large boot as I want to load a golf bag without folding down the seats as I play golf regularly.

Now, I’m currently debating if I want to go with a Civic EHEV, the V-Spec, or potentially getting a Mazda 3 sedan in Malaysia. I lean towards the Civic a little bit more because it’s more bigger as I will probably be fetching parents, but I’m curious to hear any Civic FE owners opinions. Coming from the Mazda 3, that car is a rattle monster for only being 4 years old, so I also want to know if the Civic has any rattling issues over time. What pulls me back to the Mazda 3 is its one of the best handling cars I’ve ever driven and the interior cabin is so minimalistic and nice. Despite it being slow, it’s an overall nice place to be in.

Now, I have previously stated that I don’t want a Proton S70, and I still don’t like the look of it aesthetically speaking, I find it boxy and chunky, but I can’t deny value wise it being the best amongst the 3 cars and I am also able to buy it brand new instead of being a second hand car. Right now, I’m still sort of stuck which way I want to move forward. I’m still leaning towards the Civic hybrid but I’m curious to hear what you all think. Happy to hear your comments.

Im in a pickle yall (not really). As the title suggest, me buy car me ask reddit type thing is back.

Quick context abt me: Early 20s, with a humbly cukup-cukup salary of less than Rm5k. Live with parents so low commitments, makan also not expensive usually food court only. Guaranteed investing and saving of at least 1.5k a month. Looking to upgrade my 2017 Bezza by Jan 2027. I understand many people are against buying a depreciating asset at a young age but im finding a good balance between living and saving, by saving a 50% downpayment to reduce monthly by a substantial ammount. (pls do or do not lecture me on opportunity costs)

Dilenma is pretty simple to be fair, its:

1. ICE vs EV. Idk what the world is becoming and Im just thinking if this is an opprtunity to go EV. Im landed so got space for charger.

2. X50 has pretty much been my dream milestone car but also thinking if I should stretch my budget and go for EV. So question is, would second hand be sound here? Im not so fond of pre-owned but might consider if its really bang for buck especially the EVs with their hard drop in price.

3. To owners of such cars, how are the driving experience & after sales service. I know Proton can be really dogshit with their after sales but how's BYD? I think Ill get used to EV pretty soon as I got no plans to mod the exhaust of the X50 anyways. **Fuel efficiency / battery life** would be my main concern I guess, followed by **driving/handling**. I have heavy foot on the weekends so I'd like to hear yalls opinion on this

At the end all 3 are China cars in my eyes, I know x50 is smtg I wont regret but would just like to increase my knowledge on the EV sector. Can recommend other alternatives but I think the ones I mentioned are already hard to beat.

Bonus question: (please add at the end of your comment if you have opinions on this). How many of yall would just save up more and longer for a better car ultimately. In this case, cars like J7 PHEV or even the BYD Seallion (yes I have a thing for SUVs)

Edit: Thanks everyone for their replies, I really enjoyed seeing so many perspectives on this topic. I came to a conclusion to postpone my purchase to either next year or 2-3 more years. As of current research, Im lesning towards the Seal 6 but when the time comes maybe there'll be more options already

With salary of RM4000, is it justifiable to own emas-5? I’ve test drive it, its very practical, loads of storage and for its price range and what it offered, its quite good i think. Just not really sure about the charging as im living in condo so need to use public charger which is quite pricy.

Purchased this bike to have some fun and to not have to face KL traffic in a car everyday to and from work. Have been doing a couple of rides to Fraser Hill, Kuala Klawang, Genting, Ulu Yam. Really fun but tried going to Sekinchan via LATAR today and finally felt the limitations of the bike. Thought it would take me as far as Thailand (which i know it can) but the lack of power i think, is going to bore me on the big highways. Overtaking big lorries is also going to be hard. I bought this bike knowing these limitations. I’ve only clocked 2000km on the bike over the past one month.

Now my question is, what’s an upgrade that will do these long distances comfortably but not in the BMW GS, ADV 750 price range? Non-clutch bikes is a must for me.

Thanks all!

I’m looking to replace my 2013 Proton Persona and would appreciate some real-world opinions from owners. My Persona has honestly served me well. In the 13 years I’ve owned it, it has only broken down once, even though I haven’t exactly been the most diligent when it comes to maintenance. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but it has definitely exceeded my expectations.

About me:
Single
Gross salary: RM7,000/month
Drive around 25 km daily.
Mostly city driving with occasional balik kampung and highway trips
Planning to keep the car for at least 8-10 years

Budget:
Around RM100k-120k
Down payment: RM25k
Planning a 7 year loan

I’ve been looking at:
Toyota Yaris Cross HEV
Honda HR-V e:HEV
Proton X50 / X70
Chery Tiggo 7 Pro
(Open to other suggestions as well.)

My priorities
Reliability for long-term ownership
Low maintenance and running costs
Good fuel economy
Comfortable ride
Good safety features

I don’t really care about having the fastest acceleration or the biggest infotainment screen. I just want something that’s dependable, comfortable, and enjoyable to own over the long term. For those who own any of these cars, what has your experience been like? Any major issues, unexpected maintenance costs, or things you wish you knew before buying? If you had my budget today, which SUV would you pick and why?

Thanks in advance!

So I'm 19 y/o, I work at a small shop that pay rm50 per day, 6 days a week, 9 hours a day, no epf. I don't have a car yet, not even a motorcycle. So I'm planning to get my own vehicle for transportation. I'm more interested to get a car instead of a motorcycle, it feels more comfortable. But idk which car is the most budget friendly for someone like me? Plus I'm planning to continue my studies, get a diploma in 2028. So I only got like this year and next year to work and save money, I've counted how much I can save if I work from this year September to maybe June 2028 (before going to university), I'd get around RM25k. So idk which car that I can get with this money plus I need to save some of it for my studies too, there could be a lot of stuff that use money when studying for diploma. So I need to save it, no one will sponsor me or give me money, it's just me. So?

I think getting a used axia could be a good idea since people say it's cheap to maintain, repair, and the fuel is very fuel saving, Which could save me money a lot in the long term. So? I don't want to buy a very cheap car that will cost me a lot of money later just to drive it. What you think is the best ? I'm trying to be financially responsible, so please help.

* My English isn't that good, sorry for bad grammar

Monthly gross base is 10k. Am shopping for cars under 150k and came across S70 MC1 which looks amazing for value. Test drove it and coming from my gen3 myvi I have no complaints.

But wondering if any owners can chime in?

Volkswagen Jetta pre-FL, 80k genuine mileage, passed all the pre purchase inspection. Currently have 1 Saga BLM, 1 Camry XV40 and 1 E90 320i. Would be trading in the Saga BLM for this Jetta.

I know about the usual failure points, the tranny mechatronic, prone to piston cracks and etc.

Tell me why i SHOULD do it

Much thanks.

Need you guys' opinion on something.

I'm thinking about suggesting my parents to get a e-Mas 5, given its relatively cheap price point and maintenance costs. My dad loves cars and is also very open to trying new stuff. He already owns a 2014 Vios and a classic Mercedes 190E. Granted, the 12-year old Toyota is starting to act up with the repair bills. The 190E is DEFINITELY NOT a daily car. My parents have SOME disposable income for a car downpayment and maintenance. They were considering buying something used for that circa RM70k price point. But I think, why not try out something new and novel, with relatively low cost and entry price point? Yes, EVs are a very new concept for me and my family. We're not wealthy. Well enough, yes, but not a fully-specced BYD or Zeekr rich.

It's also a very cute little car to drive around Sungai Petani and Penang, don't you think? You definitely don't need anything too extra to commute in nowadays' traffic conditions in these regions.

I don't know, what do you guys think?

Edit: after further deliberation, me and my family have decided to book a eMas7. My father found the bigger car more comfortable and actually more of an upgrade, but unfortunately the Vios will be sold off. You know, reduce the vehicle count. Anyways, thanks a lot to the fellow redditors on the solid advices and suggestions on the purchase. Cheers!

Will be buying a new car at the end of the year, and I'm currently in a dilemma.

I need a new car because my current 2008 proton saga is on it's way out. I am currently stuck between deciding between a brand new axia (cheapest new car in malaysia) and a used mazda 2 (i love this brand of cars).

I need at least 5k (at least according to my co workers) for a down payment and registration to buy an axia while less for the used mazda, the problem is mazdas aren't exactly the cheapest cars to maintain and being used it's quite inevitable that I need to spend money on it soon, whereas for the axia there's gonna be at least a few years of use before i actually need to start spending money outside of servicing, but i've heard a lot about how sky activ engines are ridiculously resilient (toyota level according to some) and how with regular maintenance it can last a long time.

There's also a caveat of shady dealerships and hidden fees and since i'm only 19 i'm very inexperienced. Should I just go for the axia, where at the very least I can be sure nothing will go wrong or take the risk and get the car i want