3 YEARS OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE OF PROTON SAGA FLX 1.3

3 Years ago:

Just started working for a year plus and with the old Honda City showing signs of aging, it was time to look for a new workhorse, one that could bring me to work back & forth reliably and also for leisure rides. With a budget of about RM 50,000, i set forth to search for a suitable car, keeping in mind to avoid second hand cars as their unexpected repair bills will hurt my wallet.

In 2011, with that budget in mind, one has a few choices which if taking into consideration only buying new cars, are just left with local brand cars. At that time, it was down to 3 choices:

1) Perodua Myvi 1.3 

2) Proton Saga FLX 1.3

3) Proton Persona 1.6AT


I wanted to buy the highest spec and this puts the Proton Persona at RM 49,XXX the most expensive of the three, followed by the Perodua Myvi at RM 45,XXX and the Proton Saga the cheapest at RM 44,XXX. Looking closer, although the Myvi is widely perceived to be of better quality, it did not appeal so much to me after realizing the boot was small (208 litres only) and its handling was like steering a toy boat ( light steering with little feedback and below average cornering ability). 

Further research on the other 2 Proton models lead me to discovering that the new Proton Saga had a new gearbox, a CVT transmission which claims to save fuel compared to its predecessor (engine & gearbox is very important) , adequate safety features like dual airbags, ABS & EBD and also, a bigger boot space of 413 litres.

Finally i made the choice to get the Proton Saga over the Persona because i could save almost RM 5,000 , it comes with new gearbox and consumes less fuel.


3 years later

The car has clocked 45,000 km mileage and this is slightly below the average usage of an ordinary commuter of 20,000 km per year. The car still run okay and the tires , Goodyear Dugaro's  14 " still have grip.

Issues faced during 3 years of ownership of Proton Saga FLX 1.3

1) CVT gear light flashing which normally indicates the gearbox is overheating and is recommended to turn off the engine and wait for several minutes before starting the engine again.

2) Car headlight bulb fused twice in a span of 3 years.

3) Vibration from dashboard during acceleration.

4) Back seat fabric torn.

5) Interior roof light takes a long time to light up when car doors are opened.

Tips for owners of Saga FLX 1.3

1) Best fuel in my experience seems to be BHPetrol followed by Petron then Petronas then lastly Shell. I usually pump Ron 95 but with the price gap of it with Ron 97 getting closer (as of end of November 2014, the price is RM 2.30 per litre for Ron 95 and RM 2.55 per litre for Ron 97 ), i would give it a try.

2) During service at Proton centre, you can save about RM 48 by not taking the X1R engine treatment being offered by the service advisor.  Many Saga users claim it is not necessary , from https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3398555

Proton Iriz 1.6 Executive CVT Review

On one nice sunny Saturday afternoon, after having lunch & coffee, I was just lazing around at home and was thinking on what to do next. At that time, my wife was in the middle of her driving lessons and so she had voiced out her interest in a small nippy easy to drive, easy to park city car, something a Perodua Myvi or Viva had always excelled in.

But today, we decided to check out the Proton Iriz instead. It is a newer car compared to the other two cars above and reasonably priced against the Myvi. We headed to the Proton showroom in Mutiara Damansara and quickly got a test drive arranged. There was no 1.6 premium CVT available so we took Executive version instead.

Compared to the 1.6 Premium CVT model, the 1.6 Executive version does not have the following:

1) six (6) airbags ( driver & front passenger, front side & curtain )

2) Leather seats

3) Leather wrapped steering wheel

4) Keyless entry & push start button

5) Auto-folding side mirrors

6) Daytime running lights on fog lamp position

This difference between both model is roughly RM 6000 and in my opinion it is worth taking the Premium model because it is safer with the additional 4 airbags and it is something you cannot put a price to it.

Moving on to the test drive, after easing myself to the seat, i must admit the lack of push start button was slightly disappointing. If you must know, the push start button on the Iriz is different from the Preve & Suprima. The Iriz 1.6 Premium has full key-less entry & push start system, just open the door, press the button and drive away. On the go, the Iriz 1.6 engine has some oomph in it, although there is a slight delay when pressing the pedal down.

Putting pedal to the metal will induce a whining sound, the trademark of the CVT gearbox. This can be annoying to drivers who are not used to it. The trick is to let the car roll on its own for a few seconds and then stepping down on the pedal slowly, resulting in a smooth drive with no jerkiness felt.

The electric power steering is not too light ( better than the Myvi ) yet not heavy as well. This gives it good maneuverability on the road and parking is made easier. Acceleration was linear, gently press on the pedal and the speed climbs up gradually, in this way it minimizes the CVT droning sound. Push the pedal hard and the engine makes itself heard, straining and groaning, not very pleasant at all.

I tested the brakes and it did its job well, had a nice bite to it when stopping the car's 1170 KG weight. Handling is superb, on the corners the minimal body roll really gives you that confidence to push it more. If the driver has big balls, i think this car could boogie woogie with the Ford Fiesta in the corners.

Safety is top notch in this car. Each variant gets at least 2 airbags ( 6 airbags for the 1.6 Premium), ABS, EBD, Brake Assist , ESC and Traction control.  This car scored well in the recent ANCAP safety test, getting 5 stars in the Adult Occupant Protection and 4 stars for Child Occupant Protection.

Good job to Proton for setting a good example on safety to other car manufacturers. Overall this car is worth getting as a first car for young people or for those with a tight budget as it has all the necessary features in today's world for a safe and comfortable driving experience.