Have you ever dreamt of owning two cars at the same time - one for daily drives and another for occasional weekend B road runs in Malaysia? It might not be a far-fetched dream after all if we are open to considering pre-loved cars. Our configurations for the “perfect” two car garage priorities machines that have polarising personalities. It’s a mix and match affair and results might surprise some.

Sure, the costs will literally double when we factor in each vehicle’s insurance fees, road taxes, fuel bills and servicing cycles. And we will not get to enjoy the full 10-year lifespan of each vehicle. But on the flipside, an additional set of wheels now will afford more flexibility to accommodate busy family schedules. Our research takes into account that all cars listed here have at least three years of COE left, but rest assured that we’ve tried to stretch ownership durations as far as we could.

As we’ve pointed out in our previous S$100,000 challenge, these pre-owned car purchases might sound more tangible than splashing the cash for a certificate to own a new vehicle, even before portioning another chunk of funds for the metal!

Our first recommendations arrive at two common sights on local roads, but we should not overlook their fundamentals that are pretty much spot on. Driving the second-generation Toyota Wish might not set your heart on fire, but it wasn’t meant to for a start. Its passenger-hauling capabilities far outweigh any dynamic shortfalls it might have, which is why it is still the preferred choice for large families with back-to-back schedules. And when your calendar frees up, an early-gen manual-equipped Suzuki Swift Sport makes plenty of sense for the sporadic moments that you want to have fun.

We shift our focus now to German cars and given the “budget” in mind, Volkswagens seem like the most sensible choices unless we climb up the ranks to more premium brands. But that would mean suggestions of cars with one year left on the COE - not ideal for families who prefer to keep car-related admin to the minimum. Both the Volkswagen Golf and Polo are equipped with 1.2-litre turbocharged engines that are punchy, eager to rev and more than sufficient for local tarmac. We might identify both cars as similarly-engineered compact hatchbacks, but we are inclined to treat them as complementary to each other. The Golf is way more practical than it looks, fitting three adults on the rear bench with ease. The Polo might not be built for outright performance, but its chassis is capable of rewarding the driver when open roads make way for twisty bends, paired with a steering brimming with more feel than we might expect. Both cars have more than 3.5 years in their respective COE cycles - a decent amount of time left to enjoy both cars to their fullest.

Function and fun can be had without clocking extravagant fuel bills, as shown by this unorthodox duo. The Citroen C4 Picasso is powered by a diesel motor, which makes plenty of sense as you will need all the low-end torque required to ferry the family from tuition classes to swimming competitions. This example with 4.5 years left in its COE cycle should be ideal for uninterrupted family admin. And with slightly over three years left of COE, the Honda CR-Z should get you excited for early morning B road blasts up North. Do not be mistaken by its hybrid labelling though - it has a chassis and seating position that can rival fellow two door sports cars that claim to be more dynamic.

Credits: Gerald Yuen