And so I did, scouring through Toyota and Citroen sites - Citroen website is potentially the most unhelpful site ever cos it keeps leading me to this interactive world map thing just to showcase their decent flash skills and even more perplexing is that when I clicked "View all products", it lead me nowhere other than redirecting me to "the world map". Totally pointless to even go there. There, don't say I didn't warn you.
And with my dad being kind enough to actually walk a decent few hundred metres to the Toyota/Hyundai showrooms just right in front of my house to talk to the dealer and got back with a few brochures, I got a better picture of which car costs how much here in Malaysia.
So, the hot saucy twins from management math whom I have quite a crush at the moment drive a pricy RM88k Toyota Rush which effectively confirms my view that they're (not that I initially thought they're not) stinking rich chicks.
Antara dua darjat sungguh...
A Hyundai Getz is just about RM10k over the budget and an i30 is a whopping RM90k++, which really belies the look and feel that I got from the brochure. A Honda Jazz is a superb car, scoring a stellar 15/20 based on the reliable source from the guys at Top Gear. Though the price is yet again is out of my range. Unless if it's a second hand (Ady told me a second hand C3 is RM28k).
Two cars would easily top the list of my ideal car - money-wise, and of course the style and purpose - a Toyota AYGO (14/20) and a Citroen C1. Unfortunately Toyota received a massive blow after having to recall all of it's AYGOs earlier this year, due to a single complain coming from a faulty accelerator pedal, which should've been a very very remote case at best. By the way, for those uninformed, the Toyota AYGO, Citroen C1 and the Peugeot 107 are basically the same car, only difference is the interior, the "backside" and the badge. Perhaps the electronics too, but overall they're about the same. And all three scored well in Top Gear's car reviews.
The Toyota AYGO is my definite choice, but... (pix from topspeed.com)But the most unfortunate thing of all, neither one of the three are available in Malaysia. A Toyota AYGO would make a perfect choice; stylish, cheap (8.5k British Pounds, around RM45k), good after-sale service, and it's a Toyota, the same badge with the super hot twin sisters! A Citroen C1 would've been a capable backup choice due to it being another stylish and cheap car. A C3 though only scored a meagre 11/20, despite it's cool looking exterior. But unless it's a second hand, the price is out of the budget, and I might opt for it! A Peugeot 107 costs more than the earlier two mentioned in the UK.
The Citroen C1. The backup choice is not even available in Malaysia. (Pix from http://citroen-cars-gallery.blogspot.com/2009/03/citroen-c1.html)So I am now left with the dilemma of having to either make do with a Proton Saga (no Top Gear review on the car, but it's my mom's favoured choice), a Perodua MYVI, which scored a decent 10/20 though the "backside" looks like a real human one (Viva would be better, no?), or the tiny, cheap, pensioner-like-exterior but amazingly highly rated by most sites - Hyundai i10 (13/20, 14/20 at last review from Top Gear, which is not bad at all!).
Might be going to the showroom for a better look at the i10. Hope that it's not too small. But even if it is...
Currently number 1 in my personal choice, due to it's super fuel-economics feature. And Top Gear's convincing reviews. (Pix from connect.in.com)