{"id":17449,"date":"2015-07-28T09:37:51","date_gmt":"2015-07-28T01:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/?p=17449"},"modified":"2015-07-28T14:31:23","modified_gmt":"2015-07-28T06:31:23","slug":"top-financial-considerations-when-buying-a-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/top-financial-considerations-when-buying-a-car","title":{"rendered":"Top Financial Considerations When Buying A Car"},"content":{"rendered":"
Buying a car isn\u2019t a walk in the park. Without proper planning and research into what you might encounter, you might just end up in a tight corner. You can\u2019t just look at the price tag when shopping for a car, you also need to consider the running costs and how it\u2019ll impact your financial future.<\/p>\n If you think about it, it\u2019s probably the second most expensive thing you will buy in your lifetime after a home, so it is important to make sure that you work out the best arrangement on financing. Here are the top financial considerations you will need to look out for when buying a car.<\/p>\n To establish this, you will first need to determine the \u201ctrue cost\u201d of vehicle ownership<\/a>. It is not as simple as looking at the price tag and making the down payment. Besides financing, considerations such as road tax, petrol efficiency, insurance, and maintenance will need to be factored in to give you an accurate picture of how much you will be paying.<\/p>\n Many financial experts recommend that you keep your car-related expenses (including petrol and maintenance) to under 15% of your nett salary.<\/p>\n For instance, a recent study by Institute Rakyat<\/em> found that the median income in Kuala Lumpur <\/a>\u00a0was around RM7,620 per month. Going by this average, 15% would come up to roughly RM1,143. So in theory, those who fall under a similar income range should be able to afford to finance a Perodua Myvi 1.3 (2015) Standard G MT<\/a> quite comfortably.<\/p>\n Sites like Carsome.my<\/a> will give you a rough breakdown of the monthly instalment based on the best available interest rates. Based on a five-year period, your instalment would come up to a monthly instalment of RM532.07.<\/p>\n Screenshot taken from Carsome.my<\/p><\/div>\n However, the costs go well beyond just being able to service the monthly instalments. To own a car, you will be required to make a minimum down payment of at least 10%, as well as on-the-road requirements such as road tax and insurance.<\/p>\n In this case, you will be required to fork out an upfront payment of RM5,369.57 when you purchase a Perodua Myvi 1.3.<\/p>\n Screenshot taken from Carsome.my<\/p><\/div>\n So that\u2019s all there is to buying a car, right? If only life were so simple. Operating expenses such as loan interest, taxes and insurance can come up to be about one third to one half of the monthly cost of a new car.<\/p>\n Based on a five-year instalment plan with an estimated driven distance of 25,000km per year, you will be required to fork out about RM4,443.70 a year just for operating expenses of a Perodua Myvi 1.3 (that\u2019s RM370.31 per month on average).<\/p>\n Screenshot taken from Carsome.my<\/p><\/div>\n Don\u2019t forget \u2013 this is on top of the RM532.07 you will already be paying for instalment every month. If you average the total cost over 12 months, you will be paying roughly RM902.38 every month.<\/p>\n Remember, the operating cost may not present itself as a set amount every month. Sometimes you may not be paying anything more than fuel for the month, while another month may set you back by hundreds to thousands, when your vehicle breaks down.<\/p>\n When it comes to down payments, you need to know that the more you pay in the beginning, the less you will need to pay in the long run.<\/p>\n Most Malaysian banks currently require a minimum down payment of at least 10% of the total car value, and charge a typical interest rate of 2.5% per annum.<\/p>\n In some cases, banks might offer special purchase deals with 0% down payment. The catch is, this will often result in you paying more in interest because of the higher loan amount.<\/p>\n For example, if the car costs\u00a0RM39,887.08, and you take on a 0% down payment plan, over a five-year loan period at a typical interest rate of 2.5%, you actually end up paying about 11% more in interest.<\/p>\n\n<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/span>What can you afford?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>Making the down payment<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n