Pete's Write

So after nine years and a bit, my Little Red Riding Hood, aka Honda Civic FD, is coming to the end of its life. Well the end of it's COE anyway, which means I can either cough up the money to renew this little piece of paper or explore new cars. Given that I can get back almost 10k for this baby, it's really been giving me sterling service, and I should try to get another car. So here comes the hunt: I have set myself a budget of around 130k but if I can spend less, that will be even better. i.e, with my car thrown in, my outlay should not extend 120k. First decision was to forgo renewing the COE. Second one was whether I should go for a 2nd hand one. Given the high prices I see for 2nd hand examples, a first hand car seems to be the way to go. What are the things I really need, and what are the niceties then? Needs: Reliability is paramount. No 'characterful' cars, a euphemism for unreliable. So most likely a Jap car, that is actually made in Japan, maybe

Pricing COE Top-up COE Rebate Delivered By Trade-in car value Deposit Loan interest Loan Amount Loan Penalty 1st year insurance & fee Engine/chassis ready? Color availability Delivered By Keyless Entry? LED Headlight Leather seats Steering Wheel Control Floor mat Boot cover/mat HU unit (AVH-X2650BT) Reverse Sensors/Camera In-car camera Solar films Warranty (Years/Km) Free Servicing IU, reg plate, 6mths rd tax include? Rims http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/writeup.php?AID=8&APPS=1 Locks   Keyless Entry (Lock and unlock using remote)  Manual Entry (Lock and unlock using key)  Master Lock  Individual Lock  Alarm  Alarm reset switch  Windows   Power Windows(Check that the driver side auto window is working)  Windows control Lock  Electric Mirrors   Electric Mirrors Control ( Up, Down, Left & Right )  Folding Mirrors(Check that the Mirrors can be retractable by either manual or electrical folding.) 

Vezel : Standard Freebies:- 1) Leather seats 2) Entry level HU unit (eg AVH-X2650BT) 3) 3yrs warranty 100000 or 5yrs 120000 4) basic engine oil change servicing fixed below 150 including gst (cap viscosity at w30) 5) All models steering wheel volume etc button linked to HU. 6) Rebate level max 2k below last closing COE 7) Either no top up or to be fair to dealers, max cap 2k top up above last closing COE 8) reverse camera 2 sensors Freebies To be firmly requested/demanded/negotiated:- {especially if taking full allowable loan and max allowable tenure} 1) upgrade to high spec HU (eg AVH-X8650BT or Appradio 4) 2) 3-in-1 Anti UV, Anti infrared, Anti shatter solar films 3) wireless mirrorlink function included with HU to link iphone or android 4) 1-2yr 100% free servicing package -manufacture listed viscosity branded engine oil of choice 5) paint protection sealant or paint protection film 6) High spec front & rear

So, you have done that Audyssey recalibration, and followed the checklist ( http://peteswrite.blogspot.sg/2016/07/things-to-look-out-for-when-doing-your.html ) It is also important to get the subwoofer position right, even before you run that Audyssey. So do read up on 'crawling for bass', before you even do your calibration. And make sure your speaker positions follow the recommended guidelines as fas as possible. This is a nice video to follow:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV3oLLMgS-M Well, the step is refinement. Audyssey is only the first step to getting that mix, where you feel totally immersed in the movie. This means setting the levels right in each channel, so when sound transverses from one channel to the next, you feel that the intensity, and the object is truly moving in space from one place to the next, as the movie maker intended. The next stage is to measure the frequency response. Now this can seem daunting for the casual computer user, and I admit