What are the great second car qualities?

Here are the three questions an automobile columnist receives all the time: “Is that car A okay? Which is better, A or B?” The person asking such questions has already decided to purchase the car A, but he/she just wants confirmation of their decision. B is used just as a reference for comparison. And I always answer the next question “Would the car C be on sale by the end of the year?” with ‘make the purchase ASAP’, because it’s better to just buy it a day earlier if your heart is set on it rather than to count the days until the price gets a little lower. What bothers me the most is the third question: “I want to get another car… Would the car D be great as a second car?” The reason why it’s difficult for me to answer this question is there could be so many different reasons for someone to have a second car. Unless I know much about the questioner’s life, it will be hard for me to say anything.

The Korean dictionary and the Japanese dictionary introduce Second Car as a car for housewives and college kids

But let’s take a look at the definition of the word ‘second car’ and see if it really means what we think it means. In English speaking countries, you don’t really get to see the usage of the phrase ‘second car’. The phrase ‘secondhand car’, which means a used car, is more prevalent. It’s safe to say that this phrase is not at all often used in English speaking cultures where automobile culture and the market size are huge.

What’s funny is the definition in the Korean and Japanese dictionaries. In the , published by the National Institute of the Korean Language, it does not include this word, but in ‘Woorimalsaem’, a book to refer to when you look at the usage of a certain word, it describes second car as ‘a car usually driven by the housewife or college kids when there are more than 1 car in a household’. In the Japanese dictionary service provided by the Korean online portal website, ‘second car’ is described as ‘the second car (of a household), usually housewives’ shopping car (mostly small cars)’.

There is something common in the two definitions, the part where it says ‘driven by housewives and college kids’. If you go further, you can see how they interestingly describe it as a car used for limited purposes of shopping or going to school. In other words, it’s not just a ‘second car’ or ‘one of the two cars’, but it’s defined as a ‘secondary’ purpose vehicle that assists the main car. This is how our society recognizes the concept of a second car.

PALISADE will make a great second car for those who wish to spend quality time with family

Before thinking about possible second car options, we should redefine what a second car is. Korea’s 1st generation automobile columnist who I personally admire once defined second car as follows; “the car that makes me dream”. I would like to humbly add a few more words to this; “the car that can change my life”. The highlight of this definition is ‘me’, ‘dream’, and ‘life changing’(3 major keywords). It’s not a car to assist the breadwinner or family outings, but it’s another car to make ‘my daily life’ richer. An attractive second car should definitely have this quality.

Of course, this quality will greatly differ depending on who the ‘dreamer’ is. For a man who wishes to spend a better time with his family, Carnival or PALISADE would be the ultimate second car. Someone who has chosen a decent, mid-size sedan for his family’s convenience and satisfaction, would be dreaming of a ‘pocket rocket’ like VELOSTER N. Mothers who get tired throughout the week driving the kids back and forth schools and private academies would want a small SUV like KONA EV as a second car, something easy to handle and easy to park.

Everyone dreams of a car of my own.

When my kid turned three, I was dreaming about the second car every day. It was when the kid had taken over my place in the master bedroom that I had realized this. It was a natural change in my daily life, but for some reason, I was feeling empty. I looked around the house, and all I could see was things for my child, in the living room and in the library, everywhere. I wasn’t feeling lonely or left out, but I just wanted a ‘space just for myself’ that I could get at home. A car seemed just big enough for me.

Then I started dreaming about my very own car, getting a little more selfish. My first condition was that it had to be a small car that I could ‘exclusively’ use. It was about the ‘size’, something that just fits me alone, rather than my ‘taste’. My second condition was a bit more brazen. I wanted it to be a car that felt like my ‘second lover’ than a ‘second car’. I wanted it to have a flaw that I could compensate and supplement and I had found the right analogue car. It was on the inexpensive side which made it better for me to persuade my wife.

But in the end, I didn’t get to have my second car. I had blurted out “…I want to have a space just for myself….” When my wife had asked “Why do you need a second car?”. My wife did not take it well, and she said “I don’t have a space of my own in this home either, let alone a car of my own.” It was perfectly logical; I couldn’t think of any comeback.

New SONATA has a great footing as a second car as it has as a first car

Despite the perfect failure, my desire for ‘my exclusive space’ and a car that feels like my ‘second lover’ did not subside yet. In reality, it’s like a fever I get from time to time whenever a great new car comes along. Most recently, it was the new SONATA that made my heart skip a beat. I had seen this car before, but somehow it manages to transform itself constantly like a chameleon. Personally, I applaud SONATA for not being tied down to the title of being Korea’s leading mid-size sedan and going for various changes.

It’s also the sedan’s differentiation strategy to react to the SUV trend by improving the engineering as well as the performance and design by lowering the center of gravity. In other words, as mid-size·large size SUVs are becoming more and more like sedans to take over the role of a ‘family car’ that used to solely belong to sedans, the new SONATA and other mid-size sedans are now fortifying their unique advantages (sharp style, stable driving, calm driving quality) to create a greater footing as a second car as they already have established themselves as a first car.

Such a multitude of qualities is why people want the new SONATA as a second car these days. Of course, if you want this to function as well as your first car, you will need to purchase a solid family SUV like PALISADE first.

Written by Hyung-joon KimHave been writing professionally about automobiles for 18 years now. Worked for car magazines , and Korean men’s magazine . Appeared in 2018’s SBS as the show’s regular panel to share expansive knowledge and cool-headed perspective on automobiles. Until recently was the editor in chief for the global car magazine .

◆ This column includes subjective thoughts of the writer which may differ with the editing perspective of HMG journal.