Malaysiaminilover

Author: Angelina Soul

List of cars under $10000 dollars for 2012
Considering the average new car price has shot up to over $30,000 for 2012, many consumers had shifted their aim to buy used car instead of a new one. It is weary for many people to serve a car loan for couple years. It is also tired to tolerate the depreciation of a new car in the first two years of ownership. Therefore, here we did a research and come out the list of cars under $10,000 dollars or cars with the price close to $10,000 for 2012 base on the information from local newspaper classified, online used car portal including Edmunds, Kelly Blue Book, and Autotrader. Some of these cars are cheap to buy, give pretty good mileage, and easy to maintain.

2004 GMC Yukon

The 2004 GMC Yukon is best for people with large family who need a spacious car for up to nine passengers. It has large boot for luggage when the 8^th and 9^th seat is not in use. Powerful engine, strong body, and roomy are what best to describe it. The thing that is not so good about the car is the interior material and also fuel efficiency which could be better.
Market price: $8,500 to $9,000
Fuel economy: 14 city/18 highway mpg

2006 Honda Accord

The 2006 Honda Accord is a great sedan, solid interior, safe to drive as it achieves high scores for crash test, and the name “Accord” is reputable across the country. An Accord with hundred thousand miles put on the engine is nothing compared to other cars in the same category.
Market price: $8,500 to $9,000
Fuel economy: 23 city/31 highway mpg

2007 Ford Ranger SuperCab

Go go Power Ranger, go go Ford Ranger. Whether it is the XL, STX, XLT, or SPORT version, the Ranger never let you down with the 4-liter V6 engine either on-road or off-road.
Market price: $8,000 to $9,000
Fuel economy: 21 city/26 highway mpg

2006 Ford Mustang

Muscle car lovers will love Mustang. It is one good choice for people who want a cool retro V8 ride with the budget below $10,000.
Market price: $8,900 to $10,000
Fuel economy: 17 city/26 highway mpg

2006 Ford Explorer SUV

The truck-based 2006 Ford Explorer is an excellent SUV. Good handling, luxury and quiet interior with enough space for its passengers. With the new car price for 2012 model from $28,280, the 2006 is yet another choice for SUV lovers.
Market price: $9,100 to $10,000
Fuel economy: 14 city/19 highway mpg

2010 Kia Rio Sedan

Good fuel economy, attractive price tag, and near-to-new. The 2010 Kia Rio Sedan is definitely a great choice for consumer who prefers a close-to-new ride but wants to avoid the first two years depreciation. The only thing disappointment we have for this car is bad crash test result.
Market price: $9,500 to $10,000
Fuel economy: 28 city/34 highway mpg

2007 Chevrolet Impala

With 3.5L V6 flex-fuel engine, the 2007 Chevrolet Impala is a quiet and powerful six-seater car. Attractive outlook as well as stylish interior. With the budget under $10,000, LS and LT can be considered. LTZ and SS is with the market price from $12,300 to $13,500.
Market price: $9,600 to $9,900
Fuel economy: 18 city/28 highway mpg

2007 Ford Escape

For 2007 model year, only the XLS is below $10,000. It will be a good choice for those who prefer newer model year with basic performance. Otherwise, 2006 Ford Escape XLS, XLT, and XLT Sport are good powerful cars with V6 engine, large cargo capacity, and under $10,000 dollars.
Market price: $9,200 to $9,800
Fuel economy: 21 city/27 highway mpg

2007 Ford Taurus

The Ford Taurus is one of the cheap used cars in the market. The interior is roomy and can fit up to six persons although it is often called a midsize family car.
Market price: $7,500 to $8,500
Fuel economy: 18 city/25 highway mpg

2007 Honda Civic Sedan

Highly recommended based on the details inspection we did on a 2007 Honda Civic. Great mileage, comfortable interior, reliable engine, and most important, very low maintenance cost over the year. Definitely a 5-star sedan car!
Market price: From $8,500
Fuel economy: 26 city/34 highway mpg

2006 Toyota Camry Sedan

The Toyota Camry is a car aimed for the USmarket. It has all it takes for an American to enjoy the car. Roomy, strong reputation, good safety features, and high second-hand value. See the 2012 Toyota Camry.
Market price: From $8,800
Fuel economy: 21 city/30 highway mpg

2005 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel

What else can be happier when the car price is cheap and the fuel is even cheaper for a car? The 2005 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel it the one, yes it is! The car is powerful with TDI power plant although it is diesel-powered. The interior is made with high quality materials and not those cheap plastic materials.
Market price: From $9,400
Fuel economy: 31 city/39 highway mpg

That is the top 12 our editor picked. If that is not your flavor, the rest of the cars under $10,000 dollars in the list here may be suitable for you.
1. 2004 Cadillac CTS: from $8,900, 17 city/24 highway mpg
2. 2010 Chevrolet Aveo Sedan: from $9,000, 27 city/35 highway mpg
3. 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LT: from $9,900, 25 city/37 highway mpg
4. 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab: from $9,200, 14 city/19 highway mpg
5. 2008 Dodge Caliber Wagon: from $7,900, 24 city/29 highway mpg
6. 2007 Dodge Caravan SE: from $7,700, 17 city/24 highway mpg
7. 2005 Ford Expedition XLS: from $9,000, 13 city/18 highway mpg
8. 2005 Ford F150 SuperCab: from $8,600, 13 city/18 highway mpg
9. 2005 Honda Odysse: from $8,600, 17 city/23 highway mpg
10. 2009 Hyundai Accent Hatchback: from $7,400, 27 city/33 highway mpg
11. 2008 Kia Optima: from $8,900, 21 city/31 highway mpg
12. 2009 Kia Spectra LX, EX, or SX: from $8,200, 24 city/32 highway mpg
13. 2008 Mazda MAZDA3: from $9,000, 24 city/32 highway mpg
14. 2005 Mercury Sable LS: from $6,200, 18 city/25 highway mpg
15. 2007 Nissan Sentra: from $8,200, 24 city/31 highway mpg
16. 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix Sedan: from $8,700, 18 city/28 highway mpg
17. 2008 Pontiac Vibe Wagon: from $9,900, 26 city/33 highway mpg
18. 2007 Scion tC Hatchback: from $8,700, 20 city/27 highway mpg
19. 2008 Toyota Corolla CE, S, LE: from $9,400, 28 city/37 highway mpg
January 14, 2012
Cars under RM5000 dollars you might consider

The biggest advantage of buying cars under RM5000 dollars is that the maximum depreciation will not over RM5000. This is because the car can be sold as scrapped metal for at least RM500 dollars at the end of the day. Buying a reliable budget car is good but buying a bad and unreliable budget car will bring many hassles and extra money will be wasted to repair the car. Therefore, choose properly before decision is made.

Toyota Corolla KE70 (up to 1990s)

It is always good to give a try either it is GL or DX since it is Toyota Corolla KE70. The KE70 is well-known for its tough body. It is like the ‘80s Hummer. It is also the reason why many drift enthusiasts purchase the car and turn it into a scary drift machine. An original KE70 may with the price tag as cheap RM1000 dollar. Often there are ex-drifters who would like to let go their KE70 with 4AGE engine below RM5000. If the condition is good, it is a great car to use daily.

Toyota Corolla LE

The Corolla LE is another option for Toyota fans that do not prefer the “square square” KE70. Most of the LE priced below RM5000 is in between 1983 and 1989 in the market. The biggest advantage of buying this car is nothing to worry about the parts as it is available at most of the spare parts shop.

Proton Iswara

We highly recommended the Proton Iswara especially newer model. It will be a good option for those who need a reliable local made car to go for work or daily drive. With the budget below RM5000, a good used Iswara in between 1995 and 2003 is ideal. Why we say ideal because a 2003 Proton Iswara is less than ten year-old which will be good.

Proton Saga

If the preference is local made car other than Iswara, it will be Proton Saga. There are tons of Proton Saga for sale from RM1000 to RM5000. From RM1000 to RM3000, you can get model year in between 1985 and 1990. From RM3000 and RM5000, you can get model year in between 1990 and 1994. Although the budget is low, you should consider buying the newer model, see the reason why here: Buy a Proton Saga.

Proton Tiara

Proton Tiara did not live in the planet for long. The production only last for four years from 1996 to 2000 and continues with Proton Savvy. Any model year is selling under RM5000. One thing good to choose this car is the body is not too old compared to other ‘80s model. The 1.1L engine is another consideration for low fuel consumption is low. Because it is Proton, spare parts are still available across the country.

Perodua Kancil

Perodua Kancil will be a good option for those who did not travel long distance. We have tested to run the car for about 50 km a day in a month, it works well. However, it is not recommended for those who need a car to travel out station. The newest model you can get below RM5000 is up to year 2003 as of 2012.

Honda Accord (From year 1990)

This car is good for buyer who needs a spacious and cheap car. It is not recommended to go for model year earlier than 1990 because most of them are rusty. Some earlier models may have a hole at the floorboard, check properly the floorboard by removing the carpet. For more details see what to check when buying used cars. Try to look for newer model like 1994 because the fuel system is using fuel injection rather than the old carburetor type. Fuel consumption for injection system is much better than carburetor system.

Honda Civic

We know that the Honda Civic is many teenager’s dream car due to its outlook and performance especially the RM128,000 eight generation Honda Civic. Need no sad if the price is sky high. A good alternative is to go for the fourth generation Civic in between 1988 and 1991. It looks well and performs as a good transport for a person who needs a car within budget.

Nissan Sentra (up to year 1995)

The Nissan Sentra SLX or N13 is a reliable four-door sedan with low fuel consumption. The body is tough therefore you can still find some used cars with least rust on the body. An alternative to the Nissan family is the Nissan Sunny, Nissan Bluebird, or Nissan Datsun 120Y, both of them are in between RM1000 to RM3000. However, Nissan Datsun 120Y is not really recommended because 99 out of 100 are full of rust.

Daihatsu Charade

The strength of the car body is what makes the Charade goes into the list here. The Charade is a four-door car, with 1000cc engine, and available in manual and automatic transmission. These are good for small family use, save petrol, fun to drive, cheap road tax, and cheap car insurance. Try to look for model after the 1990.

Cars under RM5000 dollars that are not recommended

Ford Laser, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mitsubishi Galant, Mazda 626, Citroen ZX (before 1999), Volvo 240GL, Toyota Corolla KE10, KE20, KE25, KE30, KE35 and some other old cars like BMW, Peugeot, Jaguar, or cars you cannot even name it when you see it are NOT recommended except you are a mechanic or you have budget to restore it. It will be very costy to repair these import vehicles if there is some parts wear out. This is because import spare parts are limited especially for cars over 20 years.

Extra attention should be paid to the car body chassis when buying cheap cars below RM5000 dollars. Most of the body parts can be replaced but not the chassis or mainframe. Avoid rusty car or car with too much of filler. In a nutshell, it is always recommended to choose newer model within the price range.

January 7, 2012
How to change a thermostat on a Ford Ranger
Here is the complete step by step guide on how to change a thermostat on a Ford Ranger. The job can be done easily within half an hour for a professional. Ford Ranger’s engine bay is not complicated and it will take about an hour for someone who needs to read this in order to start the work. Before you start these steps, make sure you have parked the car for at least 30 minutes to let the engine cool down.

Step 1 Locate where is the thermostat

There are two hoses attached to the radiator. One is for coolant to flow out from engine to the radiator and another one is for coolant to flow from radiator into engine. The thermostat sits in between the engine and the radiator and it usually connects to the radiator hose where coolant will travel out from radiator to the engine. The reason why it sits there is because it block the coolant from going into the engine when the engine is cold. This is to warm up the engine as soon as possible. Follow the top hose from the radiator and you will find out where the thermostat is. There will be thermostat housing with three nuts so you will not be able to see it even you know how thermostat looks like. This is a picture of the location of a thermostat in a Ford Ranger.

(Image from Ford40.com)

Step 2 Drain the coolant

Once you have located the thermostat housing, you can disconnect the coolant temperature sensor connector and then drain the coolant by removing the radiator drain plug. Prepare a pain to keep the coolant. Now you can remove the three bolts around the thermostat housing.

Step 3 Remove the thermostat

The thermostat can be seen obviously once the housing is removed. The picture below here show how it sits in between the engine and radiator. You can use a wrench or pliers to remove the thermostat. It may be tight but you can twist a little bit to get it out. If the thermostat has never been changed for a long time, the gasket may wear out and it will stick within the housing and engine. Use clean rag and cleaner to clean it up.

Step 4 Replace a new thermostat

Make sure you buy a correct thermostat base on your Ford Ranger model year. The best way is to bring the old one to spare parts shop and get the same one. The direction of the thermostat to go in is very important, wrong side will make the car overheat. The best way to know which way the thermostat go is to remember it when you take it out. Keep in mind that the spring side is always towards to the engine just in case if you forget it. For Ford Ranger, the spring side will face just in front of you if you are standing in front of the car. To install a car thermostat, use wrench to mount it in. Below here is a thermostat diagram in a car engine for more understanding.

Label 3 is the thermostat, label 4 is the gasket, and you can obviously see the housing in the diagram.

Step 5 Restore everything

Now place the thermostat housing and fix the three bolts. Remember to reinstall the drain plug and put in a new coolant if it is dirty. Otherwise you can use the old coolant. Now open the radiator cap, start the engine and observe if the coolant is “moving” after the engine warms up. If it is moving means the new thermostat is working properly.

Tips for changing a thermostat
- To speed up the process, you can drain the coolant until the level is just below the thermostat.
- A thermostat in a car engine seldom wears out. The symptom of a thermostat wear out is the car experience overheating. This is because the thermostat valve did not open to let the coolant flow into the engine when the engine is hot.
- For more information, see how do I fix my car thermostat, Ford Ranger repair manual.
January 5, 2012
Toyota Aqua launched in Japan as the smallest Toyota’s hybrid

The Toyota Aqua launched in Japan on Monday after its first debut at the Tokyo Motor Show about one month ago. The Aqua is also known as Toyota Prius C outside Japan and it will be available in the U.S in 2013. It is a four-door hatchback that is seems to be the biggest competitor for the Honda Fit. The Aqua is currently the smallest Toyota hybrid car in the market.

What about the performance? The Aqua is powered by a 1.5 liter engine rated at 72 hp and a 45 kW electric motor. It consists of two driving mode – ECO Mode and EV Mode. Under Japan’s JC08 test cycle, the Aqua has the fuel efficiency of 83 mpg and achieves 0 to 100 km/h in 10.7 seconds. As what we see, the 83 mpg is one big selling point for the car because it has an extra 32 miles compared to the best selling Toyota Prius.

What we say about the look? No other words, we “Wowed!!” It looks really nice like the son of Toyota Prius. A little bit similar to the Prius but also a little bit feel like the Toyota Vios. The most attractive part with the rear view is the rear lamp. This time, Toyota designed it in a different way. It looks silky smooth and alert the drivers who follow the car at the back.

What we say about the interior? The interior makes car lovers really want to sit in and have the grip on the steering wheel. There are several buttons on both left and right side of the steering. Driver can control the stereo volume and air-condition temperature. A standard double din stereo is fitted in the middle. The stereo design looks little bit outdate to match with the hybrid system. There is also an auxiliary port and USB port in front of front passenger seats.

At the dashboard, it also features a digital speed meter where most of the people always wanted. The meter look nice with all the important dashboard symbols. A digital speed meter always makes a car look a little bit “high technology” than others. This could be one reason why the Honda Civic is the best selling cars because it was the only few cars with digital speed meter when it was launched. Another thing in a plain sight is the gear knob. It was designed with really nice blue interior lights. The interior is available in four colors – Earth brown, fresh green, cool blue and natural gray.

Price range? Currently the Aqua is available in Japan from 1.69 million yen to 1.85 million yen in three grades – L, S and G.

What is not so good about the car? Definitely is the car name. Aqua means water in Latin, but it means transsexual in Hokkien language which widely used in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and some other Hokkien villages. Luckily, Toyota named it Prius C for market outside Japan. Now we need to add the name Aqua to the list of car names.

Safety features in the car include ABS brake assist and Toyota’s famous VSC hill-start assist. Overall, we love the car and we look forward to see Toyota hit the sales at 12,000 Aquas a month in Japan as what they wish.

January 4, 2012
Simple ways to take care of your tire

Except car engine, tires are the second parts in the car that works very hard during the run. However, most of the people always assume that they are the parts that require least or nearly no maintenance needed. This is definitely a bad thinking. If every tire is well-maintained, it could last longer than you can imagine. This includes the spare tire at the boot that most of the people even forget that they actually have five wheels in the car. These are the simple ways to take care of the tires to make it last longer.

Tire pressure

Tire pressures are fluctuated a little bit when the weather changed. The pressure is lower during cold day and it is higher during hot day. The best time to check the pressure is during morning when the car hasn’t goes for the war for the day or the car has been parked for few hours. Inadequate tire pressure could cause the tire tread wear out faster than what it should be. It also will bring down the car performance and lowered the expected fuel consumption. A set of new tires suppose can last for two years but due to poor pressure, you have to change it in just a year, which will cost extra money. In other words, poor tire pressure make you lost money on both extra mileage and fuel.

Check it at least once a week especially if the car is being used seven days a week. Most of the original valve caps are plastic made. It often has cracks because of water and heat. It is recommended to change the valve cap to better quality especially those made of stainless steel. Make sure the valve caps are tightening every time the air pressure is refill.

The correct way to check the tire pressure is using a good quality pressure gauge. Many weird and funny ways to check the tire pressure is actually incorrect including pressing the car body, kick the tires, or press the tire. Nowadays most of the tire pumps at petrol station will show the current pressure once you plug the pumps to the valve. Make sure you select the correct pressure according to the owner’s manual but not accord to what other people said. If you have lost the owner’s manual, try to check the labels on each door of the car, some model has labeled the recommended pressure on the driver’s door.

It is important to have the same pressure for both left and right tires. Different tire pressure will affect the grip and braking stability. Some mechanics recommend putting more air in the front tire if the car is front-wheel drive and more in the back if it is rear-wheel drive. However, it has no wrong to put the same pressure for all wheels. Do not forget about the spare tire at the back, it needs to be maintained at the good pressure too.

General passenger cars should in between 30 to 33 psi in the tires when they are cold. However, you can have a little bit more air than what car manufacturers recommend at the maximum of 10% extra. More air to the tire is recommended if you are leaving the car for a certain period to work oversea or holidays. DO NOT inflate the tire based on the maximum reading on the tire, that is MAXIMUM, but the recommended pressure. If you feel the ride is bouncy, try to reduce the pressure, it may be over-inflated.

Tire Rotation

Although four tires are on the road, front tire often wear out faster because they steer to left and right when the car turns. The rubbing is with the road is more compare to rear tire. Car manufacturer and tire specialist often recommend regular tire rotation every 6,000 to 7,000 miles but most of the consumers do not do the rotation because they do not want to pay the extra cost for it. They prefer to wait until the front tire wear out, then change the front tire. If the rear tires wear out, then change only the rear tire.

Balancing and Alignment

Balancing and alignment cost $10 to $15, but most of the drivers overlook for this. Not all the road is even. Common reasons why wheels go out of alignment are when drivers go through a bumpy road in high speed or hit a hole by mistake. Imbalance on the wheel cause vibration and this could affect the car performance. In worst case, driver could feel the steering is shaking. A good way to test if the car wheel is imbalance is to drive it on a straight road in LOW SPEED and leave the steering wheel alone. Imbalance will make the car go one side either to left or right.

Tire misalignment can be seen easily by our eyes. Part of the misalignment tire will wear out faster than other part, either inner or outer. If there is, bring it to tire specialist to adjust the alignment. If the performance is affected by imbalance, fuel consumption will become higher than normal. In long term, it is bad for tire, bad for fuel, and bad for you. So, at least check it every six months.

When to change new tire?

If the tire tread is wear out, if the tires are obviously bold, if the tires are bold until it blows itself, or wait until you have a flat tire? It is too late and you are too stingy! Follow the tread wear indicator and it will tell when to change it. Usually, if the tire is no longer able to hold the grip especially on wet road or channel water out from the tread, it is recommended to change a new one. Sometimes, it has to be replaced if there are many crack lines on the tire. It could be the tire kept too long in the store, fit to your car and get crack throughout the time although the car is seldom use.

If you ever walk into any tire shop or Walmart tire zone, you will see new tires are shining because they are protected with a layer of coating. This is also the reason why new tires feel a little bit slippery. But no worry, it will be gone after 30 to 40 miles.

Tire punctures

Tire punctures are inevitable. Some tire shops has bad business, they place needles few miles away from their shop with an obvious advertisement, this does happen. However, do not panic, it can be repaired with just few dollars if the cut is not deep. Some cars like the MINI Cooper has run-flat tire where the car can still travel up to 100 to 200 miles at low speed. If there is a puncture and you are with run-flat tire, run to the nearest tire shop.

Driving Habits

Sometimes you may ask why the same car model will have different gas mileage. The answer is driving habits. Do not always break the car in sudden or apply the e-brake before the car comes to stop completely. Do not accelerate the car too fast. Try to slow down when there is a bump in front, try to avoid imbalance road or huge hole on the road, and also, try NOT TO have a heavy pedal!

January 4, 2012