Cars Worth Buying in Indonesia
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
I have to admit that car prices in Indonesia suck monkey balls, and this is what mainly keeps us from having good cars like Volkswagens or BMWs anywhere near affordable. But in the midst of those horrendously-priced cars (even Avanzas are no longer “that” affordable now), Nyonyo and I have done a small research for the past couple of months. We tried to determine which cars are actually worth buying.
First and foremost, I won’t say that this is a scientific research of any kind. This is a research from a financial, design and an automotive-enthusiast point of view, given the conditions of living in Indonesia. So I’m not going to include cars that are priced more than 400 million into this list. For example, the latest BMW 520d or the Mercedes-Benz C-Class are exceptional cars in terms of performance, design, and usage, but they are so highly priced that most of regular Indonesians would have a hard time buying it.
So, here are the cars in mind, sorted from the cheapest to the most expensive:
Ford Fiesta Sport 1.6L A/T
Here’s why it’s worth buying: Even the Sport model is cheaper than a Honda Jazz, it has a better engine, dual-clutch transmission, and a good gas mileage of around 16 KM/L. On top of that, it sure looks better than its Japanese counterpart, the Mazda 2, or any Japanese hatchbacks of the same class available here, and it gives a bonus of a good interior quality with semi-bucket front seats. Something you won’t find in a Yaris, a Jazz, or a Swift.
Hyundai i20 GL A/T
Surprise, surprise. Hyundai has got it together nowadays. In fact, almost all of its lineup looks better than the Toyota, and some of the cars are engineered better, too. Why is it worth buying? First and foremost, it has a diesel option. Second, it’s still a CBU. Third, it’s still cheaper than even the Fiesta Sport.
Ford Focus 1.8S A/T
Performance of a Corolla with the price of a Honda Freed. It may not be the latest model, but at 241 million, it gives you the bang for the buck for a compact 5-door hatchback. Just don’t buy the TDCi version just yet, as it is 100 million Rupiahs more expensive.
Volkswagen Golf TSI
If you’re looking for the reason to buy this car, it’s easy. This is truly a proof of a good German engineering achievement. First of all, with a cheaper price than the cheapest Corolla Altis, you’ll get a solid German car with exceptional exterior and interior craftsmanship. Second, it has a dual-clutch gearbox, 7-speed, and a whopping 160 BHP power despite of it having a small 1.4 L engine, which also in return, gives you a 16 KM/L gas mileage. So, is it better than a Corolla? Yes. Is it better than a Civic? Most definitely.
There’s also one more car that you might want to consider if you’re looking for a family van. And no, it’s not the Volkswagen Caravelle (which is a shame, because it’s so highly-priced) and no, it’s not the Alphard, the Vellfire, or whatever unimportant iteration that Toyota has to offer. Besides, we have too many Alphards on the road anyway and it’s actually not a van. It is a Camry with a body of a van. The car I’m talking about here is the Hyundai H-1.
Surprising? Yes. Despite the lack of good looks, the Hyundai H-1 is actually engineered better than an Alphard. There are three reasons for this. It’s RWD, it has a diesel version, and if you’re looking for something way cheaper than the cheapest Alphard, this is the car for you.
So, why isn’t there any Japanese car in the list? Is it because I hate them? No. In fact, I’m still using a Japanese car for five years and running now. But I do hate the fact that most Japanese cars drive like crap, they lack the craftsmanship (something that a Japanese product should have), and most of them are simply beige cars. They are no longer exciting to drive and they lack the performance despite the notorious misleading advertisements.
I think it’s time to move on from praising Japanese cars and give them time to get themselves together. I also think that it’s time that we move away from the paradigm of buying a Japanese car solely because of its resale value. This is just pathetic. If we were to invest millions of Rupiahs for a car, we might as well get a good one, and use it until it is no longer useable. But not by selling it and buying a new one every 3 years. I thought we’re trying to become environmentally-friendly people, yet we keep piling up the carbon footprint behind us.
PS: For those asking me if the Toyota Prius is worth buying or not. Well,
FUCK NO.