Finally finished up today! Minus the spoiler though, still can’t find the right paint for it …

Front View

Rear View

Just how reliable are they?

Was reading some posts at MCF and came across someone asking around on opinions on cars to purchase. Some other bloke replied asking him to get a Renault and the reply was “How’s the reliability and maintenance?” …..

I am surprise that till this day, the perception that japanese cars are the DE FACTO cars that provide build reliability and cheap maintenance still exists amongst us. To this I question whether the reknowned BMWs, Volvos and Mercedes are reliable cars? Or that they’re no match for the japanese made Lexus and Acuras etc.? I don’t suppose a Renault would fall apart faster than a Mitsubishi.

The saying that to just toss a rock onto the streets and you’re bound to hit either a Nissan or Toyota make is not just hearsay. You can find Corollas and Sunnys in every carpark in Singapore. Seriously.

If continental makes are not reliable, why are people paying a few hundred thousand bucks for one? Why are they highly sought after? To be seen driving one means you have made it to many. To some, they are just unreachable. But I just don’t understand why, if that’s the case, that the reliability of continental cars are questionable…

I love cars since I was a kid, I went around with a matchbox toy car everywhere I went. When I took photographs, I would hold out the car and made sure it got captured in the picture as well. Up till this day, I still love cars, they have always sparked off the little boy in me, and I used to pride myself on being able to distinguish and name the many cars that drove by, each and every one of them.

To purchase a car in Singapore is, to many, a dream. The cost of just the COE is alone to drain your hard earned cash away and have you eating bread for several years. Which is one of the reasons why, many locals have resorted to buying cheap cars and using them as merely, convenient ways of transportation.

I ask you, if you are shelling out $75,000 for a piece of metal with wheels, would it be as simple as buying a plate of chicken rice?

Many would consider things like resale value, fuel consumption, cost of maintenance and *ahem… reliability.

I’ve read many a post on the forums which stamped their mark of approvals that Toyotas and Hondas have the best resale value in the market. Most japanese cars actually. Continental cars are harder to sell.

Here’s what I always thought. If every Tom, Dick or Harry owned a Toyota, wouldn’t you have a problem if 10,000 similar car owners were trying to sell their car as well? Is this good resale value I ask again? Just try to imagine 100 people selling the same type of fish at the wet market

Sure! You can argue that there would be 10000 people looking for that japanese make as opposed to a continental one. I don’t contest that. But there are probably the same amount of people looking out for that continental make as well. oking for resale value when purchasing a car? It’s just another senseless headache to me.

The next one… fuel consumption of the car.

I have friends who drive in all the way to JB to pump petrol. Some even risk getting caught by driving in with an empty fuel tank just to save those few dollars. (Is it worth the risk of getting fined?)

Many try to find out just how hungry the car is, how fuel efficient it is. They don’t realise that they have just sold themselves to the banks and finance companies for $75,000, they’re more concerned with fuel economy.

Here’s another myth. Japanese cars have better fuel economy than continental makes. Go figure. Big CC cars drink lots more than 1.6L cars….. Just tell that to a German engineer ….

So what is this fuss about fuel economy anyway? For me, any car that I get behind the wheel of, will have bad bad bad fuel consumption. It’s just me. The way I drive. I read of 1 Honda Jazz owner who boasted that his car’s fuel economy was 16km/l. Another complained that his Jazz could only get 12km/l. Perhaps it has really something to do with the car. Or perhaps, it’s just his driving style/habits? As a result, we see lots of these fuel saving gadgets being sold and gobbled up by the fuel economist. Whether these things work or not is another thing.

My argument here is simple. A huge bomb has been spent already. Why the concern for a few dollars of savings? If you’re that worried about it. Go take a bus or MRT.

Cost of maintenance. Having owned Japanese cars and now a continental car owner, I can tell you. It’s not much different.

Why so?

Here’s why….. When I sent my Suzuki Swift 1.0L back to the agent for servicing, just a routine servicing, I fell off the chair when I got the bill. A smashing $350 bill! For what? Change of engine oil, change of normal spark plugs and air filter. A hefty lesson I paid I say. I got my servicing done at a girlfriend’s father’s mechanic at Alexandra Village after that, and for the same type of service, I paid $100 (which to some are still expensive).

My current ride was sent for servicing not too long ago. I paid $250 for 60k servicing. The price might be high, but it’s still cheaper than having it done at the agent. Don’t get it?

What I’m trying to say is that many times, people complain that maintenance of cars are expensive. I just think that they’re just going to all the wrong places for maintenance.

Having said so much, again, back to the question of how reliable and how’s the maintenance of continental cars versus japanese ones?

It’s still up to the individual I guess. I’ve said whatever I want to say, and will probably still have a few more laughs once in awhile…

Like what I mentioned before, I love cars, I have a great passion for them… To own one in Singapore is a dream… no doubt there are many factors to consider when purchasing a car, but shouldn’t it be how well the car drives, how great it feels when you’re at the wheel and how you feel about it in terms of looks and feel as well?

Instead of the fuel economy/reliabilty issues…. Few hundred thousand bucks is alot of money, why buy something that you’re not passionate about for that kind of money?
If you’re going to spend your life savings on that machine, please please please, get something that you love or feel good about.

To this I end - Continental cars are just as reliable as Japanese makes… seriously. It all boils down to you. How you drive, how you take care of the car, how you source out cheap places to maintain them …etc.

Went for the Singapore Skoda Owners Group meetup earlier in the afternoon before heading to Pat’s place for dinner, and then playing mahjong with Zhishen and Angela with Pat. Had a really fun day!

Here are some of the photos I took at the meetup