I rented a Proton Saga for 2.5 days and drove the car from Ipoh to Cameron Highland and to Taiping. It was a 1.3 litre standard version (no frills). The price of rental is about RM138 per day, excluding petrol but including insurance.
Back in the 90s, I had sat on a Proton Saga 1st Generation. It was a boxy looking car and appeared to be bigger than the 2019 version. Of course, the first generation car used the Mitsubishi engine block, while the 2019 car used the firm own engine.
Recently, I have the opportunity to drive the car to hilly and winding roads as well as the North-South highway between Ipoh and Taiping.
Some good comments about the car:-
1) Good handing - Especially when facing winding roads in a rainy day. It was able to grip the road well.
2) Good automatic gear response - Able to downshift appropriately especially when going downhill.
3) Easy to drive - Compact and easily maneuverable. The car even has parking sensor (front and back) which I found it useful.
Some negative comments about the car:-
1) Not as smooth and refined as compared to my Honda Civic 10th Gen (2019 year of manufacturing).
2) Engine required revving and heavy foot especially when travelling at the highway. Could be a sign that 1.3 litre block is under-powered.
3) At speed of 120km/hr and above, the steering wheel was vibrating. This does not give confidence to the driver.
It is a good car if the driver does mostly city driving and occasionally drive in highway. At a price of less than RM40000 (USD8900), for the basic auto-transmission, it is a value for money option.
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