When you decide to buy a car, you will face two brand options, the japanese car (including other western asia car producers) such as Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, etc. And the other option, the european car (including american muscle) such as Mercedes, Peugeot, Ford, etc.

Many people, until now, are still holding common paradigm about european car. Some of those are: owning a european car is more costly than a japanese car, european car is more fuel consuming than the jap’s, european car has a lower resale price than the jap’s, the spare part is quite rare, etc. Well for me, most of them, are only such an unexperienced missperception arguments. Me myself have been very much familiar with those two different-continent brands even since I was unlicensed to drive.

The first argument that states a european car is more costly than is the japanese, is so much wrong. For instance, people compare the cost according to the original european car spare parts against the immitation japanese car spare parts, since european immitation spare parts are not very popular and shamely to be bought while in japanese’s is otherwise. This is obviously not an apple-to-apple comparation. We should compare also with the original spare part of the japanese car, and believe me, the prices are sometimes cheaper for the european ones.

The second argument states that european car is more fuel consuming, again it’s not an apple-to-apple comparation. Since we know that eurpoean car put the savety on top of other things, so that the materials of the body of the european car should be thicker than the japanese’s. Therefore, they need more power to move their heavy body, reflected from their engine capacity which, most of them, for example my peugeot 405, are more than 2000cc. Unlike japanese car, for example Suzuki Karimun, which only has 1000cc engine capacity, it is obvious that european car would consume more fuel. However, the performace would difenetely be different between those two cars, the jap’s car performance would be beaten away by the european car, for sure.

The third missperception is the scarcity of the spare parts. Dude, do some research before judge something. Never once in my time owning a european car, have a problem in getting the spare parts. All spare parts are available in fatmawati, atrium senen, etc. Moreover, you can shop online through your specific car brand forum or community. Anyway, I have never tried the last one, hehe..

However, there is one correct perception for the resale price. Mostly, the european car resale price between the first owner and the second owner is significantly drop. Unlike the sejuta umat japanese car which the difference sometimes only 5millions rupiahs in its first year.

One thing that I really like from the european car is its stability. Though you drive over 150km/h, your car would be felt like stick to the road, in contrast with the japanese car which would be felt like “flying”.

So, it depends on how you are going to utilize your car. If you want one with a long term sophistication in performace and comfort, no doubtly european car is the best choice. In the other hand, if you want one with a good resale price and just-for-a-short-term use, choosing a japanese car won’t be a regret.