B-Segment Sedans in Malaysia

 B-segment sedans are some of the most popular choices by young executives and even college students who are lucky enough to get a car from their parents. A lot of people like B-segment sedan because it's economical to run and maintain, as well as practical since it has a boot. Below are my verdicts on some of the choices (without specific arrangement) available in Malaysia.

Honda City

Honda City has been selling in Malaysia for quite some time now ever since the launch of its 1st generation here. The 2nd generation performed well in our market and gladly the newest, 3rd generation City followed its predecessors' footstep. The 3rd generation City garnered a stylish exterior eventhough it's based on a hatchback, Honda Jazz. No more roundish body with a tail add on to it like the 2nd generation City.

Powered by a 1.5 i-VTEC engine which produces 120PS @ 6600rpm and 145Nm of torque @ 4800rpm, the City has to be revved in order to get the power you needed. Its cabin is solidly built and modernly designed, but cost cutting in material selection can be spotted, typical for a B-segment sedan. Space is also quite ample for the low-slung City. Pricing starts from RM90,494.

+ Exterior and interior design, cabin space.
- Powertrain, price.


Toyota Vios

 Toyota Vios has been known as a reliable and fuel economical car, just like Honda City. Although the Vios doesn't have the sportiness of the City in terms of exterior design, the Vios fares well in the design department too despite it is also based on a hatchback, which is Toyota Yaris or Vitz.

It comes with a 1.5litre VVT-i engine capable to churn out 109PS @ 6000rpm and 141Nm of toque @ 4200rpm. Although the Vios produces slightly lesser figures compared to the City, take note that the peak figures of Vios are achievable at lower rpm. Nothing to shout about for its cabin but the interior space isn't as well executed as the City. Pricing starts from RM73,200 for the entry level J variant to RM92,014 for the TRD Sportivo variant. Now you understand why I said Honda City's downside is its price?

+ Reliability, fuel economy, price.
- Cabin space.

Volkswagen Polo Sedan

 The newest contender in B-segment sedan market, Volkswagen Polo Sedan. Volkswagen has been persistent in providing us affordable premium cars, and they've done it! Price starting at RM99,888, the Polo Sedan is the most affrodable Volkswagen in Malaysia. Not only that, the Polo Sedan comes with attractive equipment list that will make every B-segment sedan buyer take a glimpse at the Polo Sedan.

Powered by a 1.6litre MPI engine with 105PS @ 5250rpm and 153Nm of torque at 3800rpm, the Polo Sedan has the best engine in terms of performance compared to the City and Vios. As a Volkswagen, you can expect the Polo Sedan comes with premium quality cabin and better safety features like 4 airbags as standard. Since the Polo Sedan is a compact car, it should be easy to maintain albeit its a German car, and especially with the 5-year unlimited mileage warranty. Volkswagen is making an offer that is hard to resist.

+ Cabin quality, safety.
- No significant negatives here.

Some other models such as Proton Persona, Nissan Latio Sedan and Peugeot 207 Sedan are worth a mention. However, Persona is getting old in the scene and its sales will be affected by the recently launched C-segment sedan from the same marque, the Preve. The Latio and 207 Sedan are good, solid cars, but exterior design alone will make buyers scatter.

*Follow me @simon_har and subscribe SiMon HaR_ ya ;)

Sub-RM90k MPV in Malaysia

 Malaysian are spoilt by the myriad choices available in the market for MPV. The demand for a MPV is increasing thanks to the ever-growing population, and some drivers are under dilemma on which MPV suits the best for their families. So right here, I'll do some analysis on some sub-RM90k MPV which is available in Malaysia, what's right and what's not.

Proton Exora Bold: 

 Proton Exora is a car with plenty amount of space in its cabin, where the space is comparable to larger MPV such as Toyota Innova. Recently, Exora just got facelifted (named Exora Bold) and gained a new 1.6litre CFE engine which comes with a mild turbocharger. Thus, the previous underpower problem of pre-facelift Exora has been resolved.  

The Exora is surprisingly a nice handling MPV (same goes for Exora Bold), considering its height of 1691mm. The Exora's suspension setup is one of the best that can be found in MPV of its price range, where it has the nice balance between comfort and handling. Only one letdown though, the build quality of the Exora is still not as good as its competitors.

The entry level variant of Exora is priced at RM 59,562.00 while the most expensive Exora Bold Premium is selling at RM 80,012.00. To me the entry level variant is quite a bargain if you can live with a manual gearbox and make do with the reduction of creature comfort and safety.

+ Space, handling, 3-row air-conditioning.
- Quality.


Toyota Avanza:

 Oh no, what did the designer had done to the 2012 Toyota Avanza? While the front end looks great with more curves and sharper lines, the rear end however is not executed well with those curves. Some of the surface curvatures give an illusion of the surface has been deformed in a crash, not good...

Good news is the Avanza is a Toyota and it sits on the same platform as its predecessor, which means a lot of stuff in Avanza are mechanically proven and cheap to maintain as well. The Avanza also has more usable space compared to Nissan Grand Livina and Perodua Alza which we will discuss about later. 7 adults can travel in the Avanza with reasonable comfort and has good practicality for carrying goods.

Pricing for the 2012 Avanza starts from the cheapest 1.3 Manual at RM63,864 to RM79,603.50 for the top-of-the-line 1.5S variant. The 2012 Avanza certainly has a bump in its price compared to its predecessor, this will make some buyers to look somewhere else. But still, it's a Toyota, where it's a brand which most of the people love and trust.

+ Brand, practicality.
- Price, design.


Nissan Grand Livina:

The Nissan Grand Livina is one smooth operator. The engine and gearchange are smooth and refined, while the suspension soaks up bumps nicely without transmitting much jolts into the cabin. As a Nissan, the seats are generously padded and every part of the cabin feels solid and well built. The Grand Livina is also said to handle like a sedan, thanks to its low centre of gravity.

However, Grand Livina doesn't have a good packaging when it comes to interior space. Only children can fit into the 3rd row when the 2nd row is occupied with adults. The small air-cond outlet at the 2nd row doesn't cool the 2nd row passengers effectively, especially on hot weather too.

Grand Livina comes with 2 engine choices, a 1.6litre and a 1.8litre engine. However, the 1.8litre variant is priced well past the RM90k mark. The good news is the 1.6litre and 1.8litre Grand Livina doesn't differ much in terms of features available. RM89,813.50 is the OTR price for the Nissan Grand Livina 1.6L (A) Comfort.

+ Comfort, handling.
- Price, space, air-cond.


Perodua Alza:

 Perodua Alza is the biggest model in the manufacturer's product line-up, but is the smallest in this comparison. By using small at the outside and big in the inside concept, the designers managed to fit in 3 rows of seat into the compact body of the Alza. As a result, an easy-to-drive-in-town car with 7-seater capacity, but in reality only children can fit in the 3rd row, like in the Nissan Grand Livina.

Perodua introduced the Alza SR variant which is sold at a cheaper price compared to the normal variant, but gone are some basic features which I think many of us can survive without them. The Alza SR will be the perfect candidate for small family with budget conscious. Ranging from RM53,013.50 for the entry level variant Alza SR to RM64,203.50 for the top variant, Alza ZH.

+ Easy to drive, price.
- Space, no rear air-conditioning.


So which MPV suits you the best? You decide! :)

*Follow me @simon_har and subscribe SiMon HaR_ ya ;)

Used Sedan Cars under RM50k !

It's 2012 now, a new year! Some will buy new cars for the new year but there are still people who want to purchase used cars. Below are some of the best buy used sedan cars that I can think of around RM50k:

You can easily get a 2000 Nissan Sentra for around RM30k now. Nissan cars are well built, so reliability should be ok after minor fixing. Some wears and tears for a cars older than 10 years are inevitable though.



If you have more cash, go for newer, facelfited Sentra. A facelifted Sentra 1.6 of year 2005 can easily be found under RM50k. Year 2004 facelifted Sentra 1.6 under RM40k is possible too!



Next up is the popular 1st generation Toyota Vios, where it is known for its fuel efficient and performance. Abundant of them are selling in the RM40k to RM45k range. If you are lucky, you can even find a facelifted Vios just under RM50k price tag!



The 2nd generation Honda City is also a worthy purchase if you are looking for a used car. No doubt that it sips fuel slowly and it is considered practical for a small sedan. The earliest batch can be found just under RM40k.



The facelifted City will come to your mind if you are not a fan of the bulbous-looking pre-facelift City. Featuring sportier and more proportional styling, the facelifted City can be found in the RM45k to RM50k price range.



Lastly will be the C-segment Toyota Corolla Altis, where the oldest batch (year 2001) can be found from RM40k to RM45k. For those who are looking for a comfortable and reliable car can go for Altis.

*Every analysis is done in January 2012 in Carlist.my website. Prices are vary according to the grades or variants of the model.

*Follow me @simon_har and subscribe SiMon HaR_ ya ;)

DRIVEN: Honda Civic 2.0S vs Toyota Altis 2.0V !!!

Honda Civic and Toyota Altis have been destined to be two 'samurais' battling each other ever since their birth. However, both are different kind of samurai. One sided the handling while another sided the comfort. Both have their own pros and cons though. So this comparison will be judged based on the overall package of the Honda Civic 2.0S and Toyota Altis 2.0V, where both are top of its pack.


EXTERIOR DESIGN:

At one glance, youngster or even young at heart customers will be in love with the futuristic styling of the Civic. Sharp and shaped like an arrow, the Civic's design still looks like it can last for few more years despite being in the market for more than 6 years already! Fast-forward cabin design, sporty 17 inch design and aggressive styling enable the Civic to stand out from the crowd.


On the other hand, Toyota decided to play safe with the Altis and as a result, the 10th generation Altis bears some resemblance with its predecessor. However, after a mid-life facelift for the Altis, it looks spectacularly elegant and sporty at the same time! A huge melioration compared to the dull pre-facelift design of the Altis.

Civic: *****
Altis: ****


CABIN:

Space age concept was incorporated into the Civic's cabin design. The two-tier instrument panel, although need some time to get used to, was easy to read and unique. With a wheelbase of 2700mm, the Civic triumphs the Altis (wheelbase of 2600mm) in cabin space. Rear legroom is definitely more ample in the Civic, but headroom was hampered by the low roofline.

All the parts in the cabin has good fit and finishing. Although high quality materials were used for the Civic's cabin, I found that some materials were still a bit plasticky to me, especially the dashboard and door handle.

Different things can be said for the Altis. Top notch quality materials were used throughout the cabin, a mini Camry or even Lexus I would say. Although the Altis' dashboard doesn't look as amazing as the Civic's, it was user friendly and ergonomics were great. Rear legroom loses out to Civic, but still it has reasonable amount of it to provide a comfortable journey to its rear occupants. Both rear headroom of the Civic and Altis leaves much to be desired.

Civic: ****
Altis: ****


PERFORMANCE & HANDLING:

This is the part where the Civic excels. The 2.0litre Civic mated with a 5 speed automatic gearbox is capable of producing 155bhp at 6500rpm, making acceleration from zero a brisk. Floor the pedal and the responsive powerplant will bring you to high speed even if you are going up a slope. 2.0litre Civic has Electronic Power Steering (EPS), where I think is a boon in low speed and it slowly weighs up when travelling faster. Firm suspension also helped improve the handling of the Civic, where body roll is almost not noticable in low speed.


Altis was also equipped with EPS, but it was too light for my taste, and barely weighs up when going faster. Feedback was inadequate from the steering wheel and the feel provided by the EPS was a tad of artificial. The amount of body roll, albeit apparent, was still acceptable when cornering. The good news is, the Altis was equipped with a new Dual VVT-i engine which produces 147bhp at 6200 rpm. Although it was 8bhp lesser than the Civic, it still provides a zippy acceleration and overtaking was no less difficult than doing it in the Civic.

Something worth praising the Altis was the super smooth 7 speed Super CVT-i gearbox, and the paddle shift which was easier to use and shifted quicker than the Civic.

Civic: ****
Altis: ***1/2


COMFORT:

Let's start with the Civic. It absorbs road imperfection well, and that's the end of the good stuff. The suspension setup was firm, which was good for handling but bad for comfort. Huge humps (no thanks to its low ground clearance) and worse road condition unsettle the Civic, making it not so suitable as a family car. Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) of the Civic was good in relax kind of driving (but most owners of the Civic rarely does that, right?), but engine noise became very harsh when pushed. Sound dampening effort was not that great in filtering the noise from outside too.

Altis shone in this department. What its predecessor is famous for - comfort, continues in this generation. Generously padded seats welcomes your first contact with the cabin. Engine was barely audible and no vibration when the car is idle with its engine on. The same happened when the Altis was on the move. It glided over the road imperfections while the passengers are cocooned inside the cabin, isolated from the outside world. Altis is one of the best C-segment car for chauffeuring, where the boss and relax in the back seat after a tiring day of work.

Civic: ***
Altis: *****


OVERALL:

It won't go wrong buying either a Civic or an Altis since they are selling well in the market for so many years and their proven reliability and resale value. However, requirements of the buyers will be the key in purchasing either the Civic or Altis.

Civic: 16 out of 20
Altis: 16 & 1/2 out of 20

Based on the result of my test drive, Altis outperform the Civic by just a mere 1/2 stars. Both are equally capable cars, but for me Altis is more of an overall package car where it performs adequately well in every aspect.

*Follow me @simon_har and subscribe SiMon HaR_ ya ;)