An Impulse Buy?

Having looked at the Biante and Outlander we were back at Volkswagen. In most cases, one would have jumped into the car and drove off to maul over the 3 models. However Volkswagen has a promotional tie up with Safra to offer Safra members a $1.5K discount ... and it ends on Monday.

So we went back into the Volkswagen showroom to make sure we are getting the right decision. Our SE welcomed us back and answered a couple more of our queries beforing walking us to view the Caddy again. She saw I was holding on a brochure for the Outlander and tried to sell the merits of thr Caddy to the Outlander.

Sensing our reluctance that the Caddy doesn't look as slick as the Outlander, she suddenly asked if we ever considered the Touran. "Huh? Nah ... the Touran is out of our budget. It's like $140K-$150K yah ..." "No no, if you are considering the Biante you can consider the Touran too, we have a diesel version that is chesper, hold on let me calculate and give you a good price." "Ok you go ahead, we'll have a look at the Touran first."

Wow ... we can afford a Touran?! Both Meimei and my eyes lit up as we exchange gazes. The Touran is definitely the more attractive car. And the equipment was fancier than the Caddy. The only concern we have is the boot space. We need to bring our stroller for a test. 

"The best price I can give you for the Touran 1.6TDI is $126K." Woah ... just $3K more and we can get a Touran?!! Sign me up already!!! Ok I tried to act all poker face. In truth we needed to check with Papa Mama and Yeeyee too on which they prefer. After all they are the ones who would have to ride behind.

But with the Touran there isn't any more consideration for either the Biante or Outlander. It's simply Volkswagen, just which model. The Touran is now the forerunner and I can see in Meimei's eyes she's very interested in it. With that clear, Meimei and I sat down for some serious discussion.

The first thing that cross both our minds was "Is this an impulse buy? Have we thought this through clearly?" Very reasonable doubts, especially when this is our first day of car shopping. Our minds tell us we should not rush into a car purchase when it's such a huge financial outlay. But my heart and instincts tells me otherwise.

So in a quick exchange we agreed this is it, let's do it. And so we placed a $10K deposit and on our SE's recommendation, the Caddy was listed in the vehicle purchase agreement with the option to switch to the Touran once our family has had the chance to come see both models this weekend.

An impulse buy? I don't think so. Buying our new place at Bedok was the same, one offer non-negotiable quick and sharp. I just have a good feel about this.

The Other Rides

Having tested the Caddy and being impressed with the features it's fitted with, we had to see the Biante and Outlander. Meimei seems to have her heart already set on a Volkswagen ... well she's always been wanting to get one for the perceived safety the brand brings. But anyways we walked over to Mazda first ... for the benefit of my curiosity.

It's just across the street and we arrived 15 minutes before 6pm. Not sure if it's because its a Monday but no one came to attend to us the whole time we were there. I know they had a clearance sale on the Biante demo units but they must have been doing breeze business on all models that the SEs simply ignored us.

Doesn't matter, Meimei and I went about our way and checked on the Biante. It's as I expected, pretty spacious and I liked how you can potentially squeeze 3 pax on the 3rd row. Sadly the boot space is slightly compromised with the 3rd row seats up. We can fit one stroller but another would have to go on top of the other. One thing that caught my eye and irked me was the visible wires on the electric sliding doors. The wires were only encased in flimsy plastic, like those used to wrapped computer wires at home. At $135K it was also $10K more than the Caddy. Overall I wasn't impressed with the interior when I got into the driver's seat. The dashboard seems so bare, it looks better in the brochures.

So we spent no more than 15 minutes in the Mazda showroom. No chance of a test drive or introduction on the merits of the Biante since the SEs were too busy hitting at their desktop behind their desk. And we were not the only one given the cold shoulder. There was another family looking at the Mazda 5 and it took awhile before a SE came to attend to them. We were not going to wait for one so we left. We had written off the Biante and Mazda in general (due to the service or lack of) by the time we left.

Next stop was the Mitsubishi showroom. Outlander doesn't disappoint in the looks department, it's stylish and eye-catching. And this time a SE came to attend to us. After a short introduction on the highlights of the Outlander, we asked for a test drive. Wow ... the Outlander is definitely powerful with its 2.4L engine. Meimei also commented that it feels more comfortable and stable in the 2 row seats than the Caddy. At $124K it's the same price as the Caddy.

The issue with the Outlander ... and its a major one for us is the tiny walkway into the 3rd row. First there is the tall climb onto the car and then having to bend low at the ceiling to drop into the seats. I fear that'll be asking too much for our parents as they grow older. I also can't see myself fitting into the 'hole' while trying to strap on OO if we put her in the 3rd row. We definitely need our parents to come have a look before committing to the Outlander. And we made it known to the SE and promised to bring my parent-in-laws to view it on the weekend before we left.

As we were walking back to our car parked at the Volkswagen showroom, we started discussing seriously about whether we can afford a new car. I had originally thought that the GLX would only fetch it's paper value of $8K. But now that it's $15K it helps a lot in affording our next ride. And with Meimei offering to front half of the balance of the downpayment, we are pretty much all systems go!

First Touch Of The Caddy Maxi MPV

Meimei was great in offering to come check out the Volkswagen Caddy on a Monday evening. I had been talking about it all weekend but we didn't get a chance to go. So we had Mama babysit while we run off to look at cars. The plan is to start looking at cars over the next few months whenever we can.

For those who have never looked at a Caddy, it's actually a van spruced up into a passenger vehicle. It's chassis and primary equipment are that of the commercial van, eg. the rear suspension is a typical van leaf spring instead of a passenger coil spring; tall roof of a van; you need a key for the fuel cap; etc.

If you look only at the front facade, you'll be forgiven to think that this is a Golf or Touran. The Bi-Xenon headlights, LED day-time lights and chrome lines really makes the van look closer to that of a car. And well that's also because VW Singapore brought in a single Trimline for the Caddy, the Highline version. It was retailing at $130K odd for the past year but this weekend it's at $124K which made it attractive for the specs you get.

Since we came early, we went for a test drive. They didn't have the Maxi version so we had to settle for a drive in the normal Caddy. Having only owned a manual Kia Rio and the Mitsubishi Lancer GLX, it doesn't take much to impress me. But power is not the key criteria I'm looking for. It is the space, the ability to fit 5 adults and 2 baby seats comfortably plus boot space for the strollers. And it doesn't take a test drive to determine that. I've pretty much figured which models have better legroom by looking through brochures and user reviews. The Caddy Maxi more than satisfies this primary criteria.

Once we were back from the test drive, our SE begin her sales talk and walk us through the financing bit. The one thing that caught me by surprise was the offer of $15K for our GLX. That made it easier to really consider switching our ride as soon as we can. However as much as I appreciate the earnest attention, we honestly told her that this was the first stop and we have yet to look at the rest of our short listed cars.

And since we had some time before the other showrooms closes at 6pm, we decided to go for a quick walk to Mazda and C&C to look at the Biante and Outlander. However it seems the Caddy might now be a forerunner and it's up to the other models to impress.

Finding A New Ride

I've been thinking about the up coming changes with another baby. We already have most of the stuff we need, basically OO's hand-me-downs. We just need to buy a couple more small equipment like the stroller and a walker. There is however a big ticket item I've been researching over the past one year. And now has come the time to seriously think about it. A new 7 seater car.

Our current Mitsubishi GLX can only fit belted child seats at each side of the 2nd row. It will be hard for anyone to get into the middle. I never fancy putting my child in the front seat so that's not an option too. So I've been looking at 7 seaters over the past year ... when we started trying for a second baby.

There is also the added push from the growing list of recommended repairs on the GLX. Every servicing trip ends with a discussion with the customer service on repair items. "Hi Mr Pokpok, there are cracks on your engine mounting, we recommend you to change it", "Will the engine fall out of the chassis?", "No (laughs)", "Is it a safety issue?", "No, no safety issue, just that the car will rattle" "Not safety issue, pass", "Ok sir, next we also find that ...~", "Safety issue?", "No", "Pass". So it keeps going with me passing on anything that is not a safety issue. What started as 2 items on the list last year is now a sizeable list of 8. I don't really understand what most of them are, only that they do not compromise safety.

So with a new baby coming and potentially hefty bill in repairing our current ride that has only 2 years to go, getting a new car is now a definite must. And this time we are getting a 7 seater for sure.

Right from the get-go I knew we weren't going to afford any of the luxury 7 seaters. Models like the Toyota Previa, Estima, Honda's Odyssey, Volkswagen Sharan etc were well beyond our reach. Our budget, and it's already a big commitment on our finances, was in the region of 110-120K. Maybe 130K if we stretch it a little. Anyways I am placing utility over form for our next ride. So not having Ottoman seats didn't matter, what we need is flexibility and lots of space.

Budget aside, I still make it a point to research online all 7 seaters from most of the authorised dealers in Singapore. Kinda educating myself on what one can expect in a certain price range so hopefully I will know when I see a good deal. It also gives me a chance to gush and ogle at the nicer rides hehe.

Our budget cut our available selection to a handful of cars. Toyota's Sienta & Wish, Honda's Mobilio, Mitsubishi's Outlander, Mazda's 5 & Biante, Volkswagen's Caddy, Chevrolet's Orlando, Renault's Grand Scenic, Citroen's Grand Picasso.

After poring through the specifications, I have the Biante as the top choice, followed by Outlander and finally the Wish as the default if we don't find any of the other models appealing. The Caddy and Grand Scenic are potential choices too but given a temporary pass as they are continental (reputed to cost more on maintenance) and priced around 130K range.

I've been admiring the Biantes and Outlanders whenever I spot them on the roads. Meimei doesn't seem too keen on either models. So I've been constantly pointing them out to Meimei in hopes she comes around the idea of these two.

Now ... oddly enough over the past weekend, I spotted a interesting promotion from Volkswagen which prompt me to cajole for a trip down to the showroom. It was something so out of the blue that I can't believe how fast things turn out. So we were there yesterday night and ...

Gynae Visit - July 2017

Good news from the checkup. Dr Loh was pretty happy with what he is seeing. No thickness in the neckline.

Best part was being able to hear baby's heartbeat. Woot, relieved to hear things are ok. Meimei still have to go through the Harmony test just to be sure.

Look Of Love

This is what makes being parent so rewarding - When your child looks at you with their full love and passion.

It takes just one look to brighten up your day. Love~

Trip To Hillview - July 2017

Meimei always tries to bring OO to Hillview so she can spend more time with Grandpa and Grandma. There isn't a special point to these post except to share the wonderful grandparent-grandchild pictures and also the fun look on OO's face as she explores Grandpa's garden.

Lost Frontier

Doing two for two on Mikamobile games, decided to give Lost Frontier a try. It's a turn based strategy game set in the wild wild west.

The game started out ok, with steady progress and addition of unit types spicing up the gameplay. However after awhile, it gets tedious and there isn't really much variance in play. I've been at this for a little more than a week and already got bored and gave up on it.

New Playground at Heartbeat@Bedok

Heartbeat @ Bedok is finally opening. Most of the facilities will only be ready by the end of the year but they have taken down the barriers. I didn't know there was a children's playground till Mama sent pictures.

Wonderful! Another playground we can bring OO to. It's the cheapest form of fun and healthy too. Better than staying home and watching video haha.

Why No Say Thank You?

"Why Mami no say thank you .... just now?" "Mami! Must say thank you!"

Muhahhahhah we were in the bedroom preparing for OO to sleep but ended up curling in laughter. OO's beginning to mimic adults. Especially where adults tell her to do something. And the thing is she doesn't try to deliberately reprise the roles. She is cognizant of the situation a particular saying or instruction was given and uses it aptly when the opportunity arises.

I'm pretty sure she had picked up this 'thank you' phrase from school. And on top of saying it, she will have this serious look and will hold up her pointing finger to make the point. Pretty much as how a teacher would react when lecturing students.

I don't think this phase of her would be gone any time soon. I'm looking forward to see what else she can come up with. Hehehe *grin.

Battleheart Legacy

Having enjoyed Battleheart, I naturally went to the next instalment of the Battleheart series by Mikamobile. Battleheart Legacy is more in the vain of a RPG than a RTS. In terms of gameplay, it's simpler to control since you only have to focus on one character alone.

Although they try to give players a sense of freedom of exploration, you are still pretty much tied to a somewhat linear path since player levels drives whether you can clear a stage or not. Nonetheless I loved the game and managed to complete the game.

The only bugbear I have was that the game plus doesn't work on the ipad. It kinda killed my enthusiasm to try another build. Oh well ... on to the next game.

OO @School - Away For Long Periods

OO has been away from school for the past couple of weeks due to a bad bout of fever and flu. She missed most of the June excursions. Sigh ... she's back in school again the last week since Mama had to make a trip to Indonesia.

She hasn't truly fully recovered but we can't keep her out of school forever. Plus she has been very bored at home. Going to school gives her the social interaction and activity to curb her boredom and give Mama and Meimei a breather too.

Brown Meow

OO has been very attached to Brown Meow. At first I thought it was a passing phase like how it was with Orange Meow and Small Bearbear. But it's different this time, OO is playing make-belief with Brown Meow.

It's reminiscing of how I had played make-belief with Pokpok. I think Brown Meow may be her "Pokpok". I suppose the white paws and long long tail makes her more animated. Plus Brown Meow is better made, with pronounced figures like the ears, eyes, noses etc that OO can relate to as a friend.

I'm happy for her. Maybe some day she might follow in my footsteps and have Brown Meow as her Avatar. Hehe.

Water Apple

Dad has a new harvest of his precious water apples and we were fortunate to be there this week. OO loves the juicy and crunchy fruit and Grandpa is more than happy to indulge his granddaughter.

Dad even lets her pluck his flowers ... haiz they throughly spoil this little brat. Meimei and I hope to bring her to Hillview more often but the trip is pretty long. Thankfully OO is willing to get into the car seat recently so at least we were able to give the trip a try.

Dad gave OO a bag full of water apples, enough to last her for a whole week. We gave her one after dinner ... and if we forget she is sure to remind us "I want water apple!"

Friso Rocking Boat

We were at the Suntec baby fair yesterday to replenish the milk powder. OO has really come around. She used to refuse to drink milk but now she is taking to it. She does waste them sometimes, but much rarer these days.

Friso is giving away a car-ish toy again but we already have one of the powered car. So we opt for 2 sets of the wooden rocking boat. I drove over to Hillview immediately to drop one set off.

OO was all action to help me put the boat together. But shortly she was occupied with bursting the bubble wrap :-) It wasn't too difficult to put it together, though I wish the instructions had been better. There was no step-by-step booklet ... just simple step instructions on the box. I hope I had put it together correctly.