Cars are very emotional buy for most people. Some people look at it as a status symbol. But for me, I just need a good cheap car to get around town.

I am writing this because when I was doing research to purchase the Perodua Myvi 1.5L, all I see are reviews from car journalists and car websites trying to sell it to me.

I don’t want to hear biased sales reviews. I want to get real-life reviews from real owners. So here’s my honest review of the car and why I got this particular model.

What I look for in a Car as a Frugal Millennial

This depends from person to person. Personally, a car is not a status symbol for me. It is a mere tool that transports me around town safely and cheaply.

The Perodua Myvi 1.5L, top of the line specs, is my choice. Let’s start with the Pros of this car:

Pros of the Perodua Myvi

• The car only cost me RM 55,000 in total. With a 5-year hire purchase loan, I only have to pay RM 590 to the bank every month.
• Perodua stuck with a proven reliable, naturally aspirated engine and a conventional automatic gearbox that was tried and tested for generations.
• It is compact on the outside for easy maneuvering and parking in the congested KL city and when washing the car, you’ll be paying the cheapest rate:

• Despite being compact, the interior is spacious. Try sitting in the back of one of these things, and you’ll be amazed at the legroom. Five adults in this thing would not be a problem.

• The backseats are foldable, and I can buy a dining table from IKEA without paying the RM90 delivery fee.
• It is awarded a 5-star ANCAP safety crash test rating with six airbags all around. Very impressive for a car that costs so little.

• My Myvi is the top of the line with the Advance Safety Assist camera system that helps to emergency brake if I get too close to the car in front of me. This feature alone has paid for itself so many times over in avoiding accidents.

• The design looks modern yet simple. This car does not look cheap or for kids and will age well, in my opinion.
• It is fitted with nice looking rims right out of the factory:

• Illumination: it is fitted with LED headlamps that are immersive:

• Fuel efficiency is acceptable at an average of 14.5 km/l. A full tank of this car will cost me about RM55 – RM60, and it will typically get me around 420km of range (timed with my trip meter every time I refuel to full tank).
• Warranty & Service: 5 years warranty and service at the dealer usually set me around RM200+ and RM500+ for major service. Also, the customer service at Perodua has been fantastic and better than Honda, in my opinion.

Here’s my actual 40,000 km major service bill. It is lower than quoted because I excluded some nonsense that they wanted to charge me with:

• Unlike the older generation Myvi, the new generation Myvi has adequate AC cooling. This is a must in hot Malaysia.
• Electric steering makes the car zippy to drive in town.
• Leather seats look good and comfortable.
• Insurance cost is something a lot of people overlook when selecting a car. The cheaper the car, the cheaper your insurance premium would be. Without No Claim Discount (NCD), the yearly insurance is RM 1443 a year 🙁

• It has an integrated SMART TAG reader on the dashboard. this is ingenious and it has a lower failure reading rate compared to the actual Smart Tag.

• Plenty of USB outputs to charge everyone’s phone for front and back passengers.

Cons of the Perodua Myvi

• I was expecting better fuel efficiency from a small town car. If you use this car as a regular commuter car, I think you’ll end up paying around RM 70 a week on petrol 🙁
• The 4-speed automatic gearbox is horrible. It has a tendency to stick to higher gears, which makes the car feel underpowered all the time.
• The suspension is on the firm side, and the rear torsion beam setup does not help in smoothing out bumps. Ride quality is quite jarring and unsophisticated bumpy roads.
• I have been told that the battery will cost me RM 400. I have not had to change the battery yet. So will confirm with you once I’ve made a battery change.
• It is not a fun car to drive enthusiastically. To get the most of this car, you have to drive it gingerly and calmly, then it is quite comfortable.
• The start-stop technology is questionable in its fuel-saving claims.
• The rear breaks are still drums and feel spongy. Not confident inspiring, especially at high speeds.
• For the start-stop technology to work, you have to hold down the brake pedals to keep the engine turned off at traffic lights. But because the breaks are spongy, I have to hammer the brake pedal down with my foot. This could get tiring after a while.
• Noise dampening is pathetic. Drive faster than 90 km/h, and you’ll drown out the radio already.
• Not enough cup holders for front occupants.
• Apparently the 1.5L variant Myvi has the 15″ tires with 2-tone sport rims are hot in the market and are prone to be stolen. Take a look at this photo of a neighbor’s Myvi in an unguarded neighborhood:

Overall Verdict

The Perodua Myvi is strictly utilitarian. It works fine but is not refined. Driving pleasure is straight-up trash.

You’ll get this car if you live in the city and don’t commute too often in it. It’s a car you buy with your brain and not your heart.

The new Perodua Bezza is cheaper with similar features, but with the skinny tires, it feels even more budget than the Myvi, so I think the Myvi is the optimum between price, features, and comfort.

Overall, I give this car a solid overall 3 star out of 5.

With the popularity of ride-sharing businesses like GrabCar and SoCar, in the future, it makes a lot of financial sense for a family to only have one car.

Do you think the Perodua Myvi could be your one and only family car? Think of all the money you’ll be saving and could be used for something else like more vacations 🙂

Read up on my related article: The True Cost of Car Ownership in Malaysia.