Any Malaysian who has a car will tell you what a drag it is to be monitoring petrol prices that change all the time. Unless you work for a company that pays for your petrol, it is the one thing that takes up a large chunk of your monthly expenses.
Difficult to choose
Buying a car in Malaysia is very easy but maintaining it is always the challenging part. You just choose which car you want, pay the downpayment, get the loan and drive the car home. But if you are to choose one which does not drain your wallet, that might be something else. So which one should you choose? Here are a few models that you can consider this year which are below RM100,000.
Perodua Bezza – Simple and affordable
This is perhaps one of the cheapest cars around. If you want something below RM40,000, simple and basic and yet have the features you will like, the Bezza is your best choice. A full tank goes for about RM70 that gives you about 4.7 liters per 100km. You might not expect any top performance here but at 1.3cc, it is good enough and very economical.
Proton Iriz – Compact to get around
This is another car below RM40k. You get about 6 liters per 100km in this with a full tank about RM80. What makes the Iriz so attractive is that it comes with some of the best safety features in its category. For this price, it is worth every penny with the downside being the size of the car.
Perodua Myvi – Still everyone’s favorite
There are every reason why this is the best selling car for such a long time. Given a facelift recently, this is still among the best in any category. You do not need to pay over RM60 for the premium version and you get about 6 liters per 100km mileage on an RM75 full tank. Comes with great safety features too.
Perodua Ativa – New player to the scene
2021 is the year Perodua’s Ativa came into the market. Unlike Proton’s X70 and X50 which were highly-anticipated models, the Ativa was quieter but it has gathered a lot of traction ever since. It comes with some of the best safety features you can imagine and the top model is only about RM70,000. For a full tank of about RM70, you get about 6 liters per 100km with this car.
Proton X50 – Long waiting list
This is one car that a lot of Malaysians loved even before they saw the real thing. With the success of the older brother (X70), it is no surprise how Malaysians were booking the X50 ahead of its launch. Proton did not disappoint as it recorded the highest SUV sales in Malaysia. The price point is between RM70 and RM100k though. A full tank of about RM85 should give you about 6.7 liters per 100km.
Putting it all together
With all that said, it is an interesting situation to consider if you are looking for the right car this year. Here’s how you could make the decision.
- Affordable and functional – Perodua Bezza
- Stylish and value for money – Proton Iriz
- Tried and tested – Perodua Myvi
- New with modern features – Perodua Activa
- Good driving experience – Proton X50
