The majority of us tend to take car buying decision rationally. We look at price, overall value proposition, after sales service, brand reputation, or even resale value.

After all, buying a car is most often the second biggest purchase in life after buying a house. So it is only natural to avoid risks and play it “safe”.

But if we decided to take a plunge in buying a car and ignore the naysayers, it opens up to a field of cars that are often overlooked, some of which are actually superb cars.

To give them a shout-out, here are the top-5 cars for the adventurous folks.

2019 Kia Picanto

From RM 49,888 (Monthly repayment - RM 516*)

In this price bracket, one would almost certainly be eyeing on the Perodua Myvi. With good reason too, it’s difficult to argue against the Myvi’s value proposition and reliability.

The Myvi’s dominance puts the Kia Picanto under the radar, which is a shame because the Picanto is a fantastic little car. The build quality, sound insulation and ride comfort are class-leading, comparable to cars double its price. It even has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Where it loses out is interior space as 2 six footers would have a difficult time sitting behind one another and 3 across the rear bench is a tight squeeze. But for bachelors or households with several cars, where interior space is not priority, the Kia Picanto is ideal.

2019 Mitsubishi Outlander

From RM 137,888 (Monthly repayment - RM 1428*)

The Mitsubishi Outlander is no spring chicken but there aren’t many direct competitions as it seats 7 and has 4WD. The closest rival would be the Nissan X-Trail but the 2.0L models are 2WD only.

To drive, the operative word here is smooth. Refinement is excellent as the drivetrain pair is smooth and noise levels are low, which makes for a great cruiser.

Sure, the interior design may be described as bland and the Outlander does not excel in any particular area. It’s not the most inspiring to drive nor is it the most spacious, but it hits the mark when it comes to ride comfort and safety with 7 airbags.

2019 Honda Odyssey

RM 258,896 (Monthly repayment - RM 2681*)

Think luxurious MPV and the Toyota Alphard automatically comes to mind. Rarely does the Honda Odyssey ever show up buyer’s shortlists.

The Odyssey is a little smaller compared to the Alphard at 4,840 mm long (-105 mm), 1,820 mm wide (-30 mm), 1695 mm tall (-200 mm), making it slightly easier to maneuver around tight spaces.

Honda being the masters of interior packaging that they are, space inside is still generous but passengers would have to bend down a little more to access the third-row seats due to the lower roofline compared to the Alphard.

The Odyssey’s trump card is Honda Sensing, which is Honda’s term for its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). It includes Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).

2019 Lexus ES 250

From RM 299,888 (Monthly repayment - RM 3106*)

There are two ways of looking at this car, one of which is an upmarket Toyota Camry. At a glance, yes, it is underpinned by the Global Architecture-K platform (a variation of TNGA) and uses a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels.

However, after viewing in person and noticing the intricacies in its design, both interior and exterior, the premium commanded over the Camry becomes justified. There’s more legroom in the rear, materials used are plusher, and the seats are supremely comfortable.

And it looks like the Lexus LS, which the other way of looking at this car – a mini LS. A car to waft along in luxury going for business meetings and whatnot.

2019 BMW 630i GT

RM 430,800 (Monthly repayment - RM 4462*)

The exterior design may divide opinion but compared to previous BMW GT cars, it looks more streamlined now. It’s larger than the BMW 5 Series in every dimension, which affords the 6 Series Gran Turismo additional practicality.

The 6 GT combines the driving experience of a 5 Series and the rear legroom of a 7 Series. Plus, boot space is at a massive 610 litres and it opens like a hatch, allowing larger items to be loaded easily.

It gets air suspension, allowing the car’s ride height to be adjusted to clear steep ramps or large bumps, and lowered at high speeds. And it gets coupe-like frameless doors. Who doesn’t like frameless doors?

So there it is, some of the most often overlooked cars currently on sale in Malaysia. If you happen to be shopping in any of these segments or price points, do give them a try. You know what they say, fortune favours the bold.