Choosing the right vehicle for your lifestyle
A car is a major commitment. When deciding on a car to buy, you should not only consider your current needs but also ones you may develop three years down the road.
Driving a single-cab pick-up truck with off-road tyres and high lift kits may make you feel macho when you are single, but once you settle down with a family, you can’t exactly strap a child seat to your partner’s lap. Where will you put extra things such as diapers and feeding bottles?
It is no secret that Malaysians love MPVs, SUVs and 4x4s. From the family man to the business tycoon, there are cars of all shapes and sizes at various price points in each segment to fit everyone’s individual needs.
Most Malaysians tend to choose MPVs or SUVs and call it a day,butdoespurchasingthe biggest vehicle in the market address your needs or is it just a white elephant?
Below is a quick guide to help you find the perfect vehicle.
MPVs
MPVs come in two categories – entry-level and high-end. The highend MPV seems to be the vehicle of choice for many VIPs in Malaysia.
Be it commuting to a business meeting or courtroom hearing, we usually see members of the Malaysian elite alight from highend MPVs. It is no surprise as to why.
Unlike with an SUV or 4x4, you don’t need mountaineering skills to enter and exit the vehicle. Most modern MPVs such as the Kia Grand Carnival, Toyota Alphard and Mercedes Benz V-Class have electronic doors for easy handling. The seats and spacious cabins of MPVs offer plenty of room for busy highflyers to get work done on the move or have much-deserved naps before their next appointments. Entry-level MPVs such as the Toyota Innova and Perodua Alza are relatively affordable and do not cost as much as an SUV or 4x4 to maintain thanks to their generally lower fuel consumption and smaller tyres. They do a fine job at transporting your family, pets and household items in relative comfort on balik kampung trips.
Besides providing luxury and performing luggage-hauling duties, these MPVs work extremely well for families of more than five. If you have a large family and move a lot of things regularly, the MPV is your default choice.
SUVs
A 4x4 vehicle used to be the only option when you wanted to do some light off-roading, but now, we have the SUV. The term SUV is relatively new in the automotive market. It is great for a family of five that needs to travel on lessthan-ideal roads.
Thanks to its higher ride height, chunky tyres and tough suspension, you can traverse bumpy roads and challenging terrain with relative ease.
The big boot lets you load everything you need for a weekend getaway without having to cram overflows into the cabin.
SUVs have become somewhat of a status symbol.
The Range Rover Velar, Porsche Cayenne and Lexus LX 570, which are positioned at the top of the SUV food chain, have set the benchmark against which other SUVs are measured to determine whether they are considered elite.
Even Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini have SUVs in their lineups, which shows how popular this format can be.
Hence, if you need something with a little more compliance when trekking through rough trails or just want to impress your peers in the valet parking area, the SUV is for you.
4x4s
Aren’t SUVs and 4x4s the same? Not entirely, as the following explanation will inform you.
A 4x4 vehicle such as the Toyota Fortuner, which features a mechanical 4x4 system with locking differential, is a heavyduty machine meant to tackle rough terrain, not just to climb a kerb.
The 4x4 is used for bona fide off-road adventures such as driving into a tin mine or plantation during a rainstorm. Its mechanical 4x4 system is not reliant on computers to send power to each wheel, which allows you to traverse challenging terrain even when you have more than one wheel off the ground.
In experienced hands, the Toyota Land Cruiser and Ford Ranger Wildtrak can pull off such feats off-road.
These cars may not offer the most refined on-road comfort or car-like handling, but they can be manoeuvred well over seemingly unpassable terrain.
This is your vehicle of choice if your daily activity requires driving on roads without tarmac. You will barely register speed humps in this car because it is made to drive over much more.
The 4x4 is a serious workhorse, and those who regularly visit construction sites or plantations need to get one.
The MPV, SUV and 4x4 segments are by far the most popular in Malaysia and great options for many people.
However, consider your daily routines and needs before deciding to buy a car from these segments. A smart purchase will truly be money well spent.