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So after nine years and a bit, my Little Red Riding Hood, aka Honda Civic FD, is coming to the end of its life. Well the end of it's COE anyway, which means I can either cough up the money to renew this little piece of paper or explore new cars. Given that I can get back almost 10k for this baby, it's really been giving me sterling service, and I should try to get another car. So here comes the hunt: I have set myself a budget of around 130k but if I can spend less, that will be even better. i.e, with my car thrown in, my outlay should not extend 120k. First decision was to forgo renewing the COE. Second one was whether I should go for a 2nd hand one. Given the high prices I see for 2nd hand examples, a first hand car seems to be the way to go. What are the things I really need, and what are the niceties then? Needs: Reliability is paramount. No 'characterful' cars, a euphemism for unreliable. So most likely a Jap car, that is actually made in Japan, maybe a Korean one, or perhaps a Merc if they are made in Germany and not somewhere else. Not too low slung - I need easy enter and egress for my mum. Versatile seats: Folding rear seats, the ability to carry large objects will be very good. Fuel economy: Given the high oil prices, this will be a good thing. Enough power to merge with traffic. I don't need a speedster, but I don't really want to worry about having a heart attack every time I need to join traffic and there's a rather steep slope outside my home and I need to merge with fast moving traffic there. I also go on the North South Highway every now and then, so something that doesn't struggle on it will be nice. Niceties: Original leather seats Red color Quick turning radius Low turn to turn ratio SUV - high sitting position and hey, I haven't owned one before, but it was fun to drive Front and back cameras BT capability So what have I identified: Right at the top of my list right now is the Honda HRV, the authorised dealer (AD) version of the Vezel that has been taking the local market by storm. What are the plus points: - Jap made - very creative interior - SUV style - low FC - smart interior with decent soft touch materials abounding - many charging points, USB and other touches Negatives: - not as solid feel as a conti car - 130hp might not be enough compared to my older FD - CVT transmission So moving on, I have also tried a whole bunch of other cars. The main issue is that none, yes, none of the cars have everything I want. Each has their own pros and cons.. Mazda 3 & 6: Plus: - nice Conti feel - good handling - conventional 6 speed auto - soft touch materials abound - Jap made negatives: Heavy 3 combined with a 1.5l engine in the 3 doesn't help can't help comfy in the 6 somehow servicing can be an issue given that the new dealers aren't really setup for so many new customers US long snout styling ? reliability a little low slung rear legroom Corolla Altis Plus - Proven track record - Borneo servicing - Good FC - Improved looks compared to the older one - decent legroom - solid bidding process Negatives still looks bleah.. plastics aren't in the same league as the Mazda or Golf not too many nice features inside Hyundai Elantra - sleek looks - plenty of soft touch materials - decent legroom - lower price Negatives - bidding tiers means you aren't so sure if you will get your car Conti offers: Golf Pluses: Solid build, lots of soft touch materials in the cabin Good acceleration Negatives Tight legroom at the back Suspect gearbox Audi A3 Sportback An expensive version of the Golf, with similar pros and cons A3: The sedan is made in Hungary, and the Merc CLA is also made in the same country, and will cost 30-40k more than a Golf. It's hard to see how one can opt for this, even though most conti cars, especially the bigger brands are known for safety, and a solid metalwork. But servicing is not as easy, since these companies are much smaller than Borneo Motor or Kah, and the cost of repairs, spares and even basic servicing might be more. IMHO The A3 is a value for money car. The A4 is significantly more costly. Almost got this car. The build quality is very solid, the engine is quite powerful, rear legroom is actually quite impressive. It uses a more powerful 1.4t, has a bit more room and is made in Germany. It uses a wet clutch design. The cabin has more features but it's about 20k more. The soft touch materials, the gear shift knob, oh so wonderful.. It's the cheapest of the three marques. A Merc Cla will cost another 20k more for example. The big German brands are now more vague on the origin of their cars. For example, the popular C class Merc is made in South Africa, and not long ago, the previous model gave more issues than expect for this marquee brand. BMW 216: The 216d was IMO a better drive, more torque and instant response, greater urgency and the rear seats were sliding with a three fold capability. The cabin soft touch materials were also better. The diesel is noisier but inside you hardly hear it. The view out of the cabin was nice too as you sit higher. But the 216d is about 10k more and I wonder about the reliability? The CLA is made in Hungary, and the BMW 3 series is also made in South Africa. The B Class was a solid build car with space, ergonomic and good safety features. The engine specs are also impressive, but it's about 30k more than the HRV. Ideally a Honda HRV with a nice 1.8l engine or maybe that new 1.5 turbo will be superb! Even the hybrid version has enough ommph. Pity the authorised dealers aren't bringing it in. So basically I have sort of narrowed it down to two and a half: The HRV is the car with the stuff that checks most of the list. Well made, highly functional, the last Jap made car in the Kah showroom (the Jade has dubious origins China then shipped to Japan?) Spacious, and well designed. At 112k this month, it's also within my budget by car. BUT, is it powerful enough, and a thought, planted in my mind, ala Inception - YOLO and buy something you can like.. So there's plan B... The Merc B class. About 20-30k more.. It's safe, almost as functional, spacious - you will be really surprised how big it is inside. Easy for my mum and I to get inside. The engine is decent, and will lap up the North South nicely. The third option is a bit out of my budget.. BMW 216i Drives well, very torquey and the soft touch build quality.. wow Functional too. Diesel is cheap to run, but I don't know how maintenance will be. A friend said something which resonated with me: "Seems that my friends who own BMWs tend to swear at rather than swear by the car" Any comments ? Cheers

Those interested, go to woodlands multi-storey driving centre to look for him....

is this a record?? can use the money to buy a better car liao Feb 19, 2011, ST Off-peak car owner fined $130,000 Serial offender's car was driven 26 times without valid licence during restricted hours By Khushwant Singh IN 2008, Johnson Fok Jun Hong was fined $1,000 for driving his off-peak or weekend car during the restricted period without a valid supplementary licence. In 2009, he was fined $3,000 for repeating the offence. A year later, he was at it again - not once, but 26 times. Between April and August last year, his Subaru Impreza had been driven 26 times without the necessary licence. In December last year, Fok, 30, was fined $5,000 for each of the offences. The total fine was $130,000, which is believed to be one of the largest amounts to be levied against an off-peak car offender. If he cannot pay up, he must serve 130 days in jail. He has filed an appeal. Fok had pleaded guilty on Dec 2 to driving the car on eight occasions and allowing it to be used 18 other times during the restricted period between 7am and 7pm on weekdays except public holidays. In the grounds of decision issued yesterday, District Judge Salina Ishak said that she had considered the merit of the prosecution's argument that Fok's latest violations were committed after the Land Transport Authority introduced the e-Day Licence system on Nov 23, 2009, to replace the physical coupon supplementary licence scheme. Under the e-Day scheme, motorists have 48 hours after they use their weekend cars to buy an e-Day Licence for $20 through a host of ways, including at SingPost outlets and AXS stations. Pleading for leniency, Fok, who did not have a lawyer, said that he had been a patient of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) since 2006, and did not recall things that he did. But Judge Salina noted that his IMH report did not indicate 'any causal link' between his mental condition and the commission of the offences. She also noted that the timing and location of several violations indicated 'some degree of regularity'. 'It can be inferred that these trips were not made by someone who was driving aimlessly...' As a serial offender, Fok could have been fined up to $10,000 for each offence. The date of his appeal hearing has not been announced. [email protected]