‘Don’t date a man just because he has a car, especially in SG!’ — Woman advises fellow Singaporean women, ‘Stop being a passenger princess!’

SINGAPORE: “I genuinely feel a car is only s*xy when you’re not the one who owns it,” local content creator Cheyenne Koh @cheyennekmy delivers a reality check with four wheels and a hefty price tag. Her message is not to confuse having a car with having character. And in Singapore, where owning a car costs more than a small flat in JB, she’s got a point.

Responding to a post from another SG woman who claimed dating a man with a car was “the best decision” she ever made, Cheyenne countered that such thinking glamorises a luxury most Singaporeans simply can’t afford. With only one-third of Singaporean households owning a car, she says, “It feels like a nice to have, but it really shouldn’t be a metric that you use to judge how healthy your relationship is. Are you gonna hold less value on the guy that you’re seeing just because they have to take public transport every day for now? No, it’s not fair.”

In a trending TikTok video that’s clocked 25,000 views and 1,000 likes, she also called out social media for romanticising the idea of the “passenger princess” — a woman driven around and pampered by her boyfriend in a car. “Being a passenger princess seems very appealing because social media shows you that being a passenger princess equals you being spoiled and loved,” she says. “But personally, I think the reality in Singapore is very different,” as she lists the true cost of car ownership in the city-state: “When you own the car, and you pay for the petrol, the road tax, the insurance, the fines, the tolls, the VICOM inspection, suddenly it’s not as appealing.”

@cheyennekmy

obviously this is anecdotal, but I’ve seen men squander MILLIONS 💸 on cars but still cannot treat their girl right #singapore #fyp #opinion #dating #car

♬ original sound – cheykoh 🎀💬✨ – cheykoh 🎀💬✨

Nevertheless, she doesn’t fault car owners entirely. She admits her own dream ride is the wildly impractical Suzuki Jimny. Still, she observes that for many men, owning a car, “is a very, very expensive thing to own. It’s so expensive that I see people my age and older; the cost of having a car literally hangs over their heads and affects their daily lives. And when some part of their car is damaged, they’re gonna have a bad day.”

So what’s the alternative to being chauffeured like a K-drama queen? A healthy relationship built on shared values, she says: “My point is not to get too swept up in materialism, and what you see online that is portrayed as an ideal relationship. I think being as level-headed with your partner as possible is definitely more important. If somebody who shares your values and can be your cheerleader as you work towards your aspirations, that’s definitely more important.”

So, no backseat love here, Singaporean women, it’s time to drive your own standards. A man with a car isn’t automatically a man with commitment, empathy, or emotional maturity. Don’t let flashy rides and Instagram soft-launches distract you from what actually sustains a relationship: Shared values, mutual respect, and someone who shows up for you, even if it’s on the MRT. Again, drive your own standards, not someone else’s vehicle.

Read related: ‘Best thing to give to a Singaporean girl’ — SG woman says ‘I don’t believe in branded luxury bags; rather have your time, attention, love, and care’