A first-time car buyer's guide

It is important to establish your needs before narrowing down your choices for a car, and remember to check the documentation if you are buying a used one

- Toh Yong Chuan

Buying a car is often the second-largest financial commitment for working adults in Singapore, ranking just behind buying a home.

For first-time buyers, the process can feel overwhelming: What kind of car should you get? How much should you borrow? Should you buy new or used?

Even experienced buyers can find the process confusing, especially if they have not kept up with changes in the market, policies and pricing trends.

This guide aims to help new buyers navigate Singapore's car-buying landscape. It draws on over a decade of my experience as a motoring writer, as well as my personal journey buying 13 cars over 25 years.

Of these, six were bought brand-new. The others were used vehicles between one and nine years old when I purchased them.

THREE CAR-BUYING TIPS FOR BOTH NEW OR USED CARS

1. Start by deciding what type of car you need or want

The first step in the car-buying journey is to clarify your needs. While all cars have four wheels, they differ vastly in size, utility, design and powertrain.

Most Singaporean buyers will not need more than five seats for daily use, but even within this seemingly narrow band, there is a wide range of options.

Consider this: Both the Suzuki Swift and BYD Sealion 7 are five-seaters, yet they could not be more different.

The Swift is a compact Japanese hatchback with a mild-hybrid petrol engine and a lineage that dates back over three decades.

The Sealion 7, on the other hand, is a mid-sized electric crossover from China, costing roughly $100,000 more than the Swift.

Until recently, many Singaporeans associated BYD more with face masks than electric vehicles (EVs). Today, it is the world's top EV brand, overtaking even American brand Tesla in global production and sales.