Singapore Expats

Hi, I am intending to get a second hand, not too old car in Singapore. Looking at the new cars with exceptionally highest price in the globe, I have left with no choice but to approach used car dealer.

I have a wife, 3 kids and a maid. MPV or SUV would fit our family structure. However, I need a medium powerful car e.g. Volkswagen Touran. Are there any other makes or models similar to medium sized MPV like Touran ? I do not see many sellers on this model. I do not like wish Toyota or Stream from Honda. Either bigger ones like Toyota Estima is too big for us. Any advise please?

Try and go JDM, continental and US cars are not supported quite so well over here, JDM cars are much better. How about a Honda Odyssey? Great cars!

If you are looking for a car, be sure to get a STA inspection if you are not confident of it, there are plenty unscrupulous folk out there who will sell you a car and say how good they are and then it'll be your problem when it's a lemon! If you wait until September, the lemon laws come in to place, if you don't then make sure you are aware!

Oh, and I'd avoid the Expat specific dealerships fobbing themselves off as Expat favourites, they are mainly just full of hot air....

Honda CRV would be good, but they're a bit pricey here.

I just went through the very same thing as you. I wound up with a Honda Fit, but I only have myself, wife, and a 10month old.

I used sgcarmart to figure out what cars are available. If you look at new cars, you can get price lists at carmart from each dealer. If you go for used, just start browsing and searching by categories. It's quite futile to try and figure out how much a car is "worth". Most people just go by monthly cost and take it from there. You may find a new car is not much more money per month than a used one, and that might be worth it to you.

Also, foreigners are supposed to pay 10% down. They don't get the zero money down loans that locals and PRs get. However, most car dealers will mark up the price of the car 10%, tell the bank that amount, and then when you're approved you're payments will be at the original price. I don't know if that is legal and have no opinion on the ethics, but it is what it is so be ready for it when you get told you can do that or pay 10% down on your used Honda Also, if the dealer tells you you need to pay GST on that 10% difference, tell them to get lost.

nutnut wrote:T
Oh, and I'd avoid the Expat specific dealerships fobbing themselves off as Expat favourites, they are mainly just full of hot air....

much, much better

sundaymorningstaple wrote:

nutnut wrote:T
Oh, and I'd avoid the Expat specific dealerships fobbing themselves off as Expat favourites, they are mainly just full of hot air....

What???

nutnut wrote:

sundaymorningstaple wrote:

nutnut wrote:T
Oh, and I'd avoid the Expat specific dealerships fobbing themselves off as Expat favourites, they are mainly just full of hot air....

What???

All of this is essential nonsense. You want to buy a used car in Singapore? You use some simple rules to calculate cost per year of the vehicle offered. Then, on the basis of cost per year, you decide if the deal is good.

Look, you see a vehicle for sale at $30K. It has an OMV of $10K. It is five years old. You get 55 percent of OMV if you scrap car at end of 10 year COV. So you pay about $5K per year for the car... a Nissan Sunny or similar gets you there.

Get it? How much per year does the model you want cost you? That's the only thing that matters for used cars in Singapore

Strong Eagle wrote: That's the only thing that matters for used cars in Singapore

Yah but oso important how much room to stuff in soft toys right?

JR8 wrote:

Strong Eagle wrote: That's the only thing that matters for used cars in Singapore

Yah but oso important how much room to stuff in soft toys right?

Obviously. Lamborghini has plenty of room for soft toys... no people, though... so must pay, lah.

Soliciting blatantly on the forum? I imagine you won't get to see that PM as your account would be locked! tut-tut

nutnut wrote:Soliciting blatantly on the forum? I imagine you won't get to see that PM as your account would be locked! tut-tut

Opps, im sorry not too sure about the rules here. What will be the proper way to do this then?

Antdrew wrote:

nutnut wrote:Soliciting blatantly on the forum? I imagine you won't get to see that PM as your account would be locked! tut-tut

Opps, im sorry not too sure about the rules here. What will be the proper way to do this then?

Advertise in the classifieds.

Strong Eagle wrote:

Antdrew wrote:

nutnut wrote:Soliciting blatantly on the forum? I imagine you won't get to see that PM as your account would be locked! tut-tut

Opps, im sorry not too sure about the rules here. What will be the proper way to do this then?

Advertise in the classifieds.

Ok got it. Thanks. My Apologies.