Last Updated on 2018-06-28 , 6:19 pm

About a month ago, I took advice from Dr Strange and predicted that the price of cars in Singapore is going to drop.

Apparently, it doesn’t take an expert to come out with that: after all, anyone who’s been looking at car ownership in the last few years would know that there should be an “adjustment” in the COE trend after Uber messed with the usual supply-and-demand trend.

I was expecting the COE to drop in early July, when private hire drivers who could not pass the PDVL switched back to being a taxi driver. Lest you’re not aware, taxis have a separate COE quota.

Well, turns out that it happened slightly earlier.

In the latest COE bid that happened last Wednesday (20 June 2018), COE prices for small cars hit its lowest in eight years, at $34,110. In comparison, in 2016, the average COE price for small car is at $49,587.

Now, if the “adjustment” does take place in full force, and with tighter loan requirements nowadays, I would go out on a limb and project that by August 2018, prices could tumble further to less than $15,000.

But still, owning a car is expensive AF. Other than the new loan requirements, there are many other hidden expenses, like petrol, insurance, parking, etc. Just take a look at this video we’ve done and you’ll understand.

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Not surprisingly, there has been no sudden spike in customers, because people are, well, still waiting for COE to drop even more.

You see, even when there’s a new tax (VES tax) coming in, the COE prices are, apparently, still drawing in prospects to view the cars first (you know, see see look look first and buy immediately when COE drops to its lowest).

According to a car dealer, there has been a 40% increase in visitors to the showrooms.

So, seeing that prices are going to tumble (even with the new VES tax), here are eight cars that are currently less than $80K, as listed in sgcarmart.com, the to-go site for any serious car buyers.

But of course, this is simply based on the list price. We’ve yet to include all those “hidden” expenses, so here’s sentence to sum it all up: It’s still expensive lah.

Mitsubishi Attrage

I used to call this the “Uber car”, because back in the days when Uber was still kicking asses with its promo codes, this car would usually arrive after you’ve booked your ride.

I’m not sure what has happened to them (they can’t be scraped since it’s been less than ten years, no?), but I do know that they’ve become the cheapest car in the market so far.

Seriously.

At $62,999, it’s even cheaper than a Malaysia car. Add to the fact that Uber used to buy it (meaning it’s been trusted to tahan high mileage), it’s both an affordable and reliable car.

If you just need a car to zip around, this compact Japanese car would do the job.

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Honda Jazz

Almost ten years ago, Honda Fit (the PI version of Honda Jazz) and Honda Jazz were like everywhere: together with the similarly popular Hyundai Getz then, these entry-level cars were favourites for new drivers, simply for their affordable price and good fuel consumption.

COE prices exploded and these cars faded away: after all, there’s no such thing as entry-level cars nowadays. It’s either an expensive car or a Lamborghini.

Somehow, the Honda Jazz survived and is now at a rather shocking price: the 1.3 auto version is at $74,999.

Not bad for a Honda, isn’t it?

Hyundai Elantra

Years after the Honda Jazz vs Hyundai Getz, there came another battle: the Hyundai Elantra vs the Kia Cerato Forte. Back then, Korean cars were still relatively new as people were still Honda-ing and Toyota-ing around, so this “battle” took many by surprise.

For some reason, I remember the Elantra as an expensive car back then; however, it’s now going at $76,999. The 1.6 litre car used to be popular for its looks, and ten years later, it still looks good, and has aged as well as Zoe Tay.

Its long-time competitor, the Forte, is however still in the game. Read on.

Kia Cerato K3

The Forte, the nemesis of the Elantra, now has a new name: the Cerato K3. If you take Grab often, you might be familiar with this model.

Unlike Elantra, it has gone through a complete face lift. Personally, I still prefer the old Forte’s look.

But still, this popular car comes with countless features, which isn’t surprising: back then, the Forte used to come out with some cutting-edge features when it was just released.

To add on, reviews about this car has been relatively good, and almost all user-generated reviewers would recommend the car to their friends.

At $76,999, which is the same price as the Elantra, it’s a steal (OMG I can’t believe I just said that).

And on a personal note, I do see more K3s than Elantra on the road.

Hyundai Accent

Okay, I’ll admit that this is pretty new to me. I’ve not heard of it before and had to research on it

The rather rare car, at a price of $71,999, surprisingly looks good: it’s actually the successor of the highly popular model Hyundai Verna, which you should have seen before.

The all-new Accent is Hyundai’s answer to its budget car owners, and there used to be a manual version (according to reviews) but it seems like only the auto version is available now.

The lightweight and small car can rival Honda Jazz and I won’t be surprised that it would be a battle between Accent and Jazz…when COE drops to less than $10,000.

Well, if it ever drops to that amount, that is.

Nissan Note

No lah, this isn’t a phone. The hatchback, that looks a little like a seven-seater MPV instead, is said to have a big interior and promises a comfortable ride.

The 1.2 litre car is at $73,300 now – one of the cheapest in this list.

And it’s, well, one of the few Japan brands here.

Not sure about you, but getting a Japanese car at less than $75,000 is a steal #cantbelieveIsaidthatagain

Perodua Axia

Proton might be gone in Singapore (at least the new cars lah), but its BFF from Malaysia Perodua is still going strong.

The Perodua Axia might lack power with its 1-litre engine, but with an alleged fuel consumption of 21.6 km/L, its price tag of $68,800 and the cheaper maintenance due to the availability of its spare parts just across the causeway, it’s one heck of a car.

According to a review, despite its small size, it has a rather spacious interior and a “perky” engine.

I won’t deny it looks like a car from 2008, but hey: its price is also 2008. So not bad, right?

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Perodua Bezza

You prefer a sedan than a hatchback? Then this would be for you.

The manual 1.3 version is at $74,800, and let’s face it: you love manual cars. Changing gears would be so satki, and it looks rather slick too (despite the image, girlfriend or wife not included hor).

Other than its price (and of course, the cheaper spare parts), this car is also known to be a fuel saver, with the manual version getting 21.7 km per litre. That is, of course, if you don’t red-line it often.

But hey, you’re getting a manual car. Who won’t want to red-line it once in a while?

Now, if you still think it’s affordable to get a car…well, here’s the link to the video we’ve done again:

How? Still want to buy?

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