Menu
Expat.com
Search
Magazine
Search

Should i buy a car by installment in KL?

Madara94

Hi everyone,
I am currently an employee working in KL, my salary is fixed with 3500 but sometimes if i have OT, it might up to 4k, my contract is for contractor (1 year) which can be renewed after every 1 year. Should i buy a car here with installment? and what brand that my salary can afford to?

Thank you.

See also

Driving in MalaysiaCar rental in Kuala LumpurTaxi services in Kuala LumpurPurchase of Used Cars in KLBuying Scotch in KLFlight tickets - where to buy in KLSeeking Advice on Buying a Motorbike for Commuting in KL
Gravitas

I don't think you will be able to get a car on installments (or a car loan) without having developed a good credit history in Malaysia and having a higher income. Suggest you save up and pay cash for a vehicle.

iantang

Maybe an Perodua  Axia or Myvi. For a 9 year loan you'd be paying around RM750/month. Call the bank up and ask for the qualifications needed as an expat. But at RM3500 average, you wouldn't have much left to spend/save after taking into account your rental.

Kyle1041

Owned three personal vehicles in Malaysia. From my experience;

I would assume you only want to know the financial part of purchasing a vehicle and not the rest. Firstly, do you intend to buy a 2nd-hand or brand new?

Should you choose to get a brand new vehicle, your options may be Perodua as they are affordable and reliable. You may opt to go for Toyota/Honda. They have excellent resale value. I would advise you to stay away from Proton. There is a reason Perodua is the hottest selling brand in Malaysia. These cars are designed and made from Toyota/Daihatsu models. 3500k to 4k a month is more than enough for you to afford any Perodua model.

Buying a car brand new, you would need to get a loan. Choices for loan would be 3 years, 5 years, 7 years, and 9 years. You may not be able to choose sometimes, the bank will determine which they would give...sometimes. You car sales agent would help you arrange these. To book a vehicle, you would need to pay a deposit of RM500.

Downpayment. Locals pay 10% of the car's total amount for downpayment, sometimes for promotion they can get away with 0%. However as a foreigner, you would be required to fork out 30% downpayment of the car's total value. For one of my vehicles, I only paid out 20%. But this is rare, prepare to pay the standard 30%.

To buy a 2nd-hand...you would want to check out Carlist.my or perhaps even Mudah.my. Process is more or less the same. 30% downpayment, RM500 booking fee, bank loan.

Btw bank loan in general have a 2.7% interest for vehicles. Credit rating is not that important. Either way they would ask you 30% downpayment and if your salary can't cut the monthly minimum, they would not give a loan. 

Try not to buy the entire value of a car in cash. When it comes to resell, you could possibly lose out. Toyota/Honda/Perodua have great resale value. The last time I sold my Toyota, it covered the remaining loan amount and enough excess to cover the 30% of the car I was going to replace it with.

Feel free to ask any more questions you might have.