We look at purchasing the most basic of modern cars, a 12 to 13-year-old Perodua Myvi either with a manual gearbox or the most common simple auto gearbox. With the Form 5 results about to be announced in a few weeks time, there are thousands of young adults ready to take on college life in Malaysia. More so this year as overseas education will be restricted for many due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

So, if you have to attend college in the coming months and you do not live near or you come from a small town, then you might need a simple, reliable, dependable car without hurting your parents’ budget.

Here is our advice. Look for a used Perodua Myvi. It would be better if you can drive a manual 5-speed – it is cheaper to buy and maintain. Or else, we can offer some automatic suggestions. Scanning www.mudah.my we found hundreds of Myvi’s for sale, but it was this 1.3SXi (Manual) that caught our attention first. Priced at RM12,800 it is a good first car to start with.

*all cars were available, and pricing is accurate on the publish date of this article

For those who can’t drive a manual with ease, then this 2009 model 1.3SE auto which is a facelifted model is priced at RM18,800.

If you parents can stretch their budget we saw this 2012 1.5SE manual with a price tag of RM24,800. This 2012 model is a facelifted model with a great two tone, yellow against grey alloy wheels colour combination that remains quite fresh in the car park.

A used Perodua Myvi will manage 5 passengers, but in a squeeze. 4 passengers is best with luggage. The Perodua Myvi can also be family-friendly as there is a remarkable amount of room inside, possibly the best in the class. Standing afar and looking at it, you will immediately notice how tall and wide it is compared to most 15-18 year old family sedans. The same goes for the cabin. The dashboard sits above a wide, open shelf, and is stark and simple in a way that Japanese dashboards were famous for once before. Hard plastic abounds, which is to be expected in a basic car nowadays. Storage opportunities are not the best with a standard sized glovebox and some cupholders. Door pockets are a simple affair.

All Perodua Myvi’s come with complete shared technology with Daihatsu Motor Co. from Japan, which is why you do not see Daihatsu cars being sold in Malaysia at all. They have a reputation for reliability, and Myvi is no exception, using a well-proven mechanical format.

Looking for a used unit today is easy as there were thousands sold and by now many owners are looking to upgrade. Owners trading up will lose some value and for a unit with little or no abuse, it might be a wise buy for you before you migrate to a better car. Start with a simple car, always.

Start your used car checks with the interior. Myvi interiors are not known for taking in abuse. Cracked plastic bits and broken parts are bad news. The grey cloth interior should still be in a clean neat condition. Next comes the body.

Most were sold in white colour but this really does not matter. Check that all panels have the same shade of colour in case of accident touch up. Front door hinges should not be creaking when you open them.

Look for water streak stains along the inside of the door edges to see if the rubbers have worn and the car is leaking water. A cold air conditioner is a must or else the compressor is worn. Start the car and make sure the exhaust is emitting very little or no smoke. Kerbed and damaged rims means a bad driver and is best avoided. Make sure the rear hatch closes tightly and that there are no gaps around or there could be water leaks during heavy rain.

Try to look underneath the car for signs of driving abuse. Dents, knocks and oil leaks will point to a previous driver that was not careful when driving over speed bumps and potholes.  

It must be noted that when this car was launched many large families crammed themselves into this small tall compact thinking it was designed for more than 5 adults. This means that some cars would have abused suspensions and also tormented chassis. Best to take a test drive and listen for body creaks and groans. A detailed inspection will ensure a reasonable good buy, which should see at least another 3 to 5 years of uninterrupted service with you.

Happy hunting and drive safe!