Owner Review: A good all-rounder with my 'must-have' features - My 2017 Proton Saga VVT Premium 1.3 CVT

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Basic information

2017 Proton Saga VVT Premium 1.3 CVT

Reason why I bought this car

I already own a motorcycle for my daily commute. Right after my graduation, I am looking forward to owning a car. As my post-graduation job requires me to travel a lot. So for me it is wise to have a car that can give you a chance for travel.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of: RM 50k
• Models that I have considered include: Perodua Bezza 1.3 Premium X and 1.3 Advance, Used Proton Persona 1.6 High Line and 2011 Proton Waja 1.6 CPS

The reason why I choose this car

During my searching for my first car. I found myself in a period of national brand car manufacturer war for the budget sedan (2016).

My first ever test drive car is the Perodua Bezza 1.3 Advance. Experience in driving my sisters 2010 Perodua Myvi, I directly compare the ride experience with the myvi. My verdict is positive. Good city car and responsive.

Second car that I test drove was the Proton Persona 1.6 Premium. First time driving proton cars with ESP. I felt like driving a Honda JAZZ, a very light and easy maneuver.

Last car of that year I test drove was the newly launched Proton Saga 1.3 Premium. Previously, I drove a lot with my family SAGA FLX. So comparing those two models was like day and night. The refined NVH, CVT, steering comfort and cabin design really turn me on.

So, what car should I buy? My budget for my first car was below 50,000.00 Ringgit and I have my own “Must have features list”. 1st, At least fitted with ABS. 2nd steering with volume control. 3rd foldable back seat to accommodate long items. 4th comfortable seats.

Proton Saga 1.3 Premium specs was my choice. As the price is below 50 grand, fitted with ESC (Bonus point), adjustable steering with volume control, foldable back seat and comfortable NVH, ride and handling.

As I recall Perodua Bezza 1.3 Advance was priced at 49K-50K.From my eye, that car must be fitted with a body kit to cover the high hanging boot. So this model is over my budget.  Why not choose the Standard X model? Cheaper than Saga Premium specs. Well, Perodua Bezza Standard X was priced at around 44,500.00 as I recall.  With additional 1k, you get adjustable steering and ESC as standard. For me, that is not something that you could add at an accessories shop. As for Proton Persona Standard. Back seat was not foldable, no audio control and speakers were only fitted with 2 form factory.

With a low dashboard design, it gives me a sense of wide view to the front. Comfortable seats that have sufficient thigh support and additional reverse camera for reverse park assist, enough for me to choose Proton Saga.

User experience

• I have already done 80,300 km
• My average fuel consumption is 13 km/L

After four years of ownership, I would say I am satisfied with this car. Most of the basic things that I need as a point A to point B ride is well given. Smooth highway ride, good braking distance and grip, cheap to maintain with comfortable cabin ambiance.

Well life is not always on your side. Sometimes this car makes me upset. First 3 month of usage, I already claimed front left suspension, several months after that, rear right brake drum, claim twice, and proton SC replaced it, twice. Those are some common problems with this “first batch” model and are okay till my usage now. I also have problems with my Radio, rear reverse sensors and seat quality. But thank god, all those defects were covered with warranty.

Being a car that is only used for work and weekend leisure time. I would say this car is good enough for anyone searching for a cheap all-rounder. I also have no problem traveling this car long distances. Cruising on national highway speed is enough with this 1.3L engine, no stress and under power. But sometimes when you want to increase speed, the engine and gearbox are struggling to gain torque.

This car is fitted with eco assist. It is very helpful to keep my foot maintained on optimum fuel usage. The best I could do with the Fuel consumption was 500KM for one full tank, about 35 liters. But mostly I only got 380km with approx. 29 liters of fuel, which translates to 13 KM/L. Not that fuel efficient, but still okay.

Thinner steering is very good for me. Easy and comfortable to grip. The button quality and placement are on point. This car is only fitted with hydraulic power steering. No fancy electronic assist thing but for me, this is good enough. Personally I like the weighted steering feel, I feel more connected to the road and the tires. Taking high speed corners with no issues, you can feel the tires do as you ask it to do. But please be sure to change the factory fitted tires with better one.

Fitted only with a double din radio is not a problem for me. As most of the time I don't listen to the radio. But I do connect the radio with my phone via Bluetooth for hands free calls and sometimes Spotify streaming during road trips. Overall, all four speakers are good. The bass for the speaker is enough for my ears.

When it comes to Air-conditioning, you cannot go wrong with Proton. Normally I just let the AC level at the lowest and fan speed at 1. For hot days half AC and second level fan speed is enough to keep the cabin chill. Even though I still cannot accept Proton for not fitting a foot AC blower to all Saga line up since Saga BLM. Even Perodua Viva got it as standard.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Smooth cruising on national highway speed.
• Nice weighted hydraulic power steering pair with not so bold steering grip.
• Good air-conditioning. Very quick to cool up the cabin but too cold when raining season event blower is set to 1 and ac level is at the lowest.
• Have a good tight support seat. The seat bench is long enough to support the back of my knee.
• Nice sound speakers fitted as rated by my non audiophile ears.
• Well insulated cabin. Compared to my father`s FLX.

Cons

• Low speed CVT jerking is real. Need to do calibration often.
• Lacking foot air conditioning sometimes makes me really turn off driving. I got a condition where my foot and hands are extremely sweet (Palmoplantar hyperhidrosis). Normal people will always brag that they never use foot ac when I ask for DIY foot AC Solutions.
• Manual fold side mirrors are a bit annoying.
• Integrated rear view mirror with a reverse camera monitor keeps blind me and my passenger during night time reverse. The screen is so bright that sometimes my eye can't focus to see what's on the side mirrors.
• Large boot space but narrow opening is quite annoying when you need to put boxed items.
• Less informative digital speedometer. Only shows Odometer and 1 trip meter. Yup only One. Press once to trip, long press to reset and short press back to Odometer.

Ratings

Total Score: 4
Performance: 3.5
Quality & Features: 4
Space: 4
Ride Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 3
Price & Cost: 5

Summary

My experience with the car is mixed from day one of ownership. There’s time that I wish I had a better car, but in the end you just need to be grateful for what you already had. Service and maintenance cost was still reasonable for me even till now I only sent my car back to the Proton Service Center. Just need to be extra careful with the items they suggest. This car is the best budget sedan that you could own. With the new facelift model priced cheaper and fitted with much more accessories I’m not sure how used value for this car would be.

Some interesting events

I had two experiences with this ESC car. First while driving uphill during heavy rain and second, avoiding cars that suddenly change lanes. Both events put ESC warning sound and light blinking.

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