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you get the Nissan Grand Livina, which
in reality is no larger than the Avanza and
probably has only a little more legroom
in the 3rd row seat over the Alza. Yes, it
carries with it more cabin features (but
no rear air-conditioning) and the Nissan
after sales that many love, but a hefty
RM17,822 premium over the Avanza
prevents its popularity.
All these MPV’s have no luggage space
when all three rows are in use except for
the Proton EXORA. So when it is time
to balik kampung, you will need the
luxurious Mazda Biante with 7 seats
and a spacious cabin and it sells for just
RM144,500.00. Take note that this high
roof MPV is fully imported and comes
equipped with Mazda’s latest SKYACTIV
technology. A close rival to this Mazda
Biante is the Nissan Serena Hybrid which
comes with similar interior space and
features but is locally assembled, hence
the pricing is a tad lower at RM132,978.52.
This is a RM11,521.48 price difference, but
when you consider the Mazda Biante’s
SKYACTIV technology, better safety
features and its Japan built quality, the
RM11k premium is well worth the spend
over the seven year loan period.
Best of the rest
The Avanza and Alza are priced very
reasonably and there is a reason for this.
It is compact, tight in space and offers
average comfort. The Mazda Biante
has twin electric sliding doors and a
high roofline for added space and more
issues. Then there is the Volkswagen
Touran at RM166,888.00. The after sales
issues and adverse branding issues
coming from all sectors have pushed
the appeal low with an almost 60%
loss in the used car market after three
years of ownership, despite its spacious
flexible interior and family friendly safety
features. Lastly is the Toyota Innova
which sells from RM94,433.00 for the
manual drive 2L. It has the space, rear
air-conditioning and cabin flexibility,
but it is not the most comfortable as a
family MPV and starting to look a little
aged. Being a Toyota product, however,
it’s used value of almost 30% loss is not
as severe as the 5008 and Touran.
Remember and take note that anyMPV
purchase should be done with a full or
almost full load of passengers to truly
appreciate its space, function and needs.
Happy MPV shopping and contact
me at
usedcarreview@gmail.com
if you
have any questions or need more help in
finding the right vehicle for your budget
and your family.
comfort. From the real usage and value
perspective, the Proton EXORA wins as
it has three rows that are comfortable,
air-con vents for all rows, cupholders on
all levels, separate climate controls and
priced to suit budgets. The Biante is very
similar in usage but has an open center
walk through.
Then there is the Peugeot 5008 at
RM158,888.00. The second-hand used
car lot values are very lowwith an almost
65% loss in value just after three years of
ownership and its after sales have been
sliding, leaving many owners with high
repair costs coming fromengine and turbo