carbon82 wrote:PM the details to those that asked liao. Do note that I do not include who / which PI I got my Xrd from, as it is not my intention to promote for them. Rather, I would like to share my "exeprence" and what pricing / package is achievable.
As said many a time in this forum, to me, there is not such thing as lowest price. Well you may think what I got now is the lowest, but in reality, pricing reflect market situation, so if tomorrow some bad news pop up, COE plunge, car price might be even lower. And for me, with a car to trade-in, have to do extra home work (and leg work) to make sure that the PI is also offering a reasonable price for my used car, and don't forget the I don't allow them to charge a single cent for loan redemption, unused PARF value, COE rebate, etc. etc. (I even go to the extent to find out the actual export value of my ride!!)
In short, I am a very calculative person, in $$$ pespective, and am glad that this PI can accomodate to all my requirements, and have them all properly documented. In fact I got the same offer from another PI, and are torn between which to go to. Yes, I visited the 2 PIs I have shortlisted again when I am ready to book my car, stating the final price and package I want, for them to counter offer.
Hopefully this will be my best car buying experience.
Wish me good luck.
Just a quick update. Collected my ride exactly 5 weeks after I sign on the dotted line (the car was still in Japan then). It reach Singapore by end August, cleared port / custom on 12 sep, pass LTA inspection on 16 Sep, and finally registered on 19 Sep, and I collected the it the very same evening. With an OMV higher than the average figures posted on LTA / onemotoring.com.sg, my last worried cleared.
On my ride, performance wise no complaint, since the car is able to move with just a slight step on the gas pedal, and rev freely up to 90Km/h (for now, still in run-in period). Have to specially mentioned that the new generation R series engine is very silent, and most of the time I am hearing road noise from the all weather Geolander tyre than anything else. The gear shift is also very smooth, and if not for paying special attention, many might thought this car is on CVT transmission. BUT have to highlight that as I am still very gentle with the car, things might be different if I were to whack it harder. Suspension is more comfort than performance based, and going over hump and uneven surface is now an enjoyable affairs.
In the non-performace aspects, the car is well within my expectation. With a short tail, it is surprisingly easy to park althought it look big on the outside. Interior space is good too, thanks to the higher sitting position, that allows passenger to align their leg vertically, thus cutting down the requirement for that extra knee space. Frankly, that used to be one of my biggest concern, after seeing that this Crossroad is 110mm shorter in internal lenght on paper. One special point to highlight, the rear most passenger are pretty well protected from rear impact, with the extra high back rest and head rest, much better than the last row on Stream, Grandis, etc. Cabin also seems to cool slightly faster, even without a rear aircon blower, thanks to the original privacy glass with UV cut feature (so who needs solar film now).
So much so for good points, there are 2 things I dislike. First, the electronic power steering is just too light for comfort. It remind me of the time I am behind the wheel of the Suzuki Wagon R (yes, the popular 660cc Kei car in the mid '90s), with no sense of security when approaching corners. To me, it just don't match the performance of this soft off-roader... Another area is the brake, it is just too soft. Maybe I will upsize it when time to change my tyre / rim size.
OK, thats all for now. Will come in with more update a few days later. BTW, have to add that my first buying experience from PI is a pleasant one, to a certain extend, better than my last dealing with AD. So my theory proven, as long as you know what you are getting, have everything pen down in contract, nothing to fear about getting a car from PI, of course have to be reputable one too.
