Proton Gen-2

[Gadgeter]

maybe you got beginner's luck?

[En0203]

maybe you got beginner's luck?

 

ya right, then i only need to buy once in my life to strike the millions dollars and then stop buying ever since

Edited September 16, 2004 by En0203

[Silverarrow]

I still prefer the Wira anytime.

 

It still wins hands down in terms of space and reliability.

 

The Wira is based on "matured" technology, hence its better reliability as compared to the Gen.2.

 

But the latest batch of Wiras have slipped tremendously in the quality department (although it's still not in the Gen.2's category of shoddiness). This is a reflection of Proton's own regard (or lack thereof) in their support of an outgoing model.

[Silverarrow]

thanks for sharing... interesting article....

 

The Brits are known to be overly harsh in their assessments at times, but this serves nicely as a counterbalance to the sugarcoating by our local automotive journalists.

[Silver_blade]

I prefer the Brits reviews to the local ones.

[Silverarrow]

hahaha gen2 also many problem. hopefully we can expect better build quality from MY in Gen 20

 

Will there even be a Gen.20?

 

As it is, the Gen.2 is labelled the "Gen tolak" (use your imagination here) by Malaysians everywhere. Despite claims of a fully automated production line in Tanjung Malim that purportedly eliminated associated problems caused by "human factors," quality has experienced a decline as the Gen.2 bears testimony to. If such quality issues persist, Proton won't survive long even in its country of origin, especially when AFTA looms large over the horizon.

[Silverarrow]

proton's 1st burning generation, should call fire-Gen

 

anyway, i think we have a burning mazda recently too, not to mention many burning crv oversea last time, and even jaguar and many others got such problem last time if i remembered correctly

 

It's true that many cars from different makes have caught fire before. Even those bearing the famed three-pointed star emblem are not spared from this affliction.

 

In Malaysia, the Gen.2's fiery debut had received greater public scrutiny than usual, perhaps stemming from the fact that the Campro engine has well known overheating issues that may not be resolved anytime soon.

[Silverarrow]

I prefer the Brits reviews to the local ones.

 

Australian reviews are good alternatives too.

[Gadgeter]

wait till the prize is a million...

[Paddie]

Yup I prefer the Australian reviews because the are less biased than the Brit ones. In the Brits' eyes, everything from the far east (besides WRXs and Evos) is usually bad, and everything that's a Jaguar, Land Rover, etc. is good. A bit too nationalistic.

[En0203]

Proton won't survive long even in its country of origin,

 

not sure about this, but i think MY ppl will still buy proton no thanks to the gahmen's tax policy, so i guess proton can still survive for quite some time

[En0203]

In Malaysia, the Gen.2's fiery debut had received greater public scrutiny than usual, perhaps stemming from the fact that the Campro engine has well known overheating issues that may not be resolved anytime soon.

 

u know what, ppl heck care of what happen to other make, but when proton caught fire, ppl raise the issue like anything, this is something i don't like

 

and i heard from the autoforum the campro also went thru extensive test in asia before isn't it?

[En0203]

wait till the prize is a million...

 

hahaha okok, if the amount is this huge remember to inform me ler

[Tanzy]

dude... care to share with us what car u driving now. base on your comments, it seem that you own a conti car.

 

i guess our local journos r trying to be subjective towards the issue they touch on, especially when they start to write about new cars in s'pore. First, they have to take the new car and place in to the nearest category as possible (base on the capacity n price). With that in mind, they can base on what the orther cars in this class are offering that goes with the price tag. So, do keep a open mind and yes, everyone should have their own opinion about this car but it seems like totally disagree with what the journos said... care to share?

 

Oh yes I totally disagree with that they write on the Gen-2 except on the looks department.

 

There are certain things that are not relative. For example, no headroom. There just isn't any space at the rear. My head is resting on the C pillar. It's a physical fact. The sound of of the engine is really really loud. Only the deaf will disagree. The buttons on the multi function steering wheel are smaller than Tic-Tac.

 

Things that are relative are handling and comfort. The local articles claim good handling. I say it's worse than any Japanese or Korean car. Comfort? Non-existant compared to them too.

 

If you read the last paragraph of what I wrote, you would have known that I am judging the car by cars of the same price category. Within it, there is no reason to buy the Gen-2 except for its looks.

[Silverarrow]

Proton won't survive long even in its country of origin,

 

not sure about this, but i think MY ppl will still buy proton no thanks to the gahmen's tax policy, so i guess proton can still survive for quite some time

 

Yes, Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional will continue to potter along if our Malaysian government continues to burden our rakyat with unfair tax structures that penalises the poor majority.

 

However, my statement that "Proton won't survive long even in its country of origin, especially when AFTA looms large over the horizon" takes the effect of AFTA into account. If AFTA truly achieves its objective of minimal import duties in trades between member nations so as to forge a unified ASEAN that can compete globally, Mahathir's fears about his favourite car company's days being numbered rings true on many fronts. This is precisely the reason for Mahathir's desperation in seeking a foreign partner to bail Proton out.

[Silverarrow]

u know what, ppl heck care of what happen to other make, but when proton caught fire, ppl raise the issue like anything, this is something i don't like

 

If you revisit the socioeconomic structure of our own country, you may not be so quick to judge our fellow Malaysians for their constant griping about Proton's quality issues. Cars from other manufacturers may occasionally catch fire, due possibly to faulty electrical wirings, but these cases will hardly raise an alarm bell among our people since their daily lives are hardly affected, as our government's tax structures ensure that non-national cars are usually priced beyond the reach of common folk.

 

But Protons and Peroduas are the vehicles that our fellow countrymen depend on to make ends meet. Hence, major design faults are quickly brought to the forefront, as these potentially impact the lives of a large section of our population.

 

Furthermore, the Campro engine's overheating issues are well known, as normal runs along the PLUS tollway may send engine temperatures soaring, often necessitating break periods at rest stops to enable the powerplant to cool down. The fact that the Campro is disappointingly weak at lower revs forces drivers to keep their engines on boil at above 4000 RPM for decent drives, and such a driving style certainly does not help in managing engine temperatures. It is therefore not surprising that a Gen.2's spontaneous combustion act usually grabs headlines in our local dailies.

 

If our Malaysian government insists on forcing stuff down our people's throats, it better make sure that stuff won't end up choking our people.

Edited September 18, 2004 by Silverarrow

[Silverarrow]

Yup I prefer the Australian reviews because the are less biased than the Brit ones. In the Brits' eyes, everything from the far east (besides WRXs and Evos) is usually bad, and everything that's a Jaguar, Land Rover, etc. is good. A bit too nationalistic.

 

Yes, the Brits do favour their own makes, but I've seen Rover receiving a fair amount of bashing lately.

 

British reviewers have also favoured cars' handling characteristics over other attributes, hence their fetish for German-made Fords. In the USA, comfort and utility are the defining factors, which may explain the different conclusions in their road tests. While it's good that we read widely across publications from different countries, nothing beats a personal test drive to select the car that suits our own personal tastes.

[En0203]

i think it's very hard for AFTA to actually achieve it's goal, and judging from the current situation, think new tax structure will keep on surfacing to block AFTA's way

 

anyway, i really don't mind owning a wira in MY if i need a 2nd car in MY next time