At some time in your life you might have to bow down to financial pressure and move your car purchase decision towards practicality and common sense. This is when; economic reality shatters reading car reviews in a glossy magazine and dreaming of your next car purchase. This week as we look at pure motoring practicality for a purchase that needs not a lot of convincing and instead it needs careful and timely vehicle checking. This week we look at purchasing the most basic of modern cars, a 8-year-old Perodua Myvi with manual transmission.

A used Perodua Myvi makes for a good compact family car for small families that do not need to transport more than 4 passengers in comfort. It will manage 5, but in a squeeze. 4 passengers are best with luggage and for single child families on a very tight budget with no in-laws living in, should keep reading this article.

The Perodua Myvi can 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 10-15 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’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. The basic model, comes with a relatively simple three-cylinder, 989cc fuel-injected engine. Despite some skepticism about the longevity of a three-cylinder engine, few serious problems have arisen with owners in the past few years. Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, a used 2006 Mvyi 1-liter has no trouble keeping pace with city traffic and also cruises comfortably, although frequent gear-changing is required at times. It can struggle a little on hills and does not have a lot in reserve for quick over taking on village roads.

Looking for a used unit today is easy as there were thousands sold and now in its 8th year, some owners are looking to upgrade. Surprisingly, there have been many trade in units for the latest Myvi SE, which comes with more features, safety equipment, power and refinement which were all missing from the early 1-liter manual Myvi. 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 your search by checking with current new Perodua dealerships to see if any used trade in units available. Then move on to motoring classifieds to refine your search. Prices vary between RM16,000 to RM22,000 depending on a number of factors. Start your checking 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. Check that all panels have the same shade of colour in case of accident touch up. Front door hinges should not be creaking. 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 smoke. Kerbed and damaged rims means a bad driver and best avoided. Make sure the rear hatch closes with tight even gaps all around as if not then there could be water leaks in heavy rain.

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 hear for body creaks and groans. A detailed inspection will ensure a reasonable good buy, which should see at least another 3 years of uninterrupted service with you.