How long has it been since I last written here? It's been so long, that actually a lot had happened over this period. However, those are personal matters, so they're pretty much irrelevant. What is, though, is that I've been provided with a new daily to take place of my trusty ol' Iswara.
Wait. What happened to it?
Sadly, I had it sold on the 12th of December last year for RM4,000. So, I didn't have a daily driver for a while. Of course, I did get to drive a lot of other cars, but still, I didn't really have my own four-wheeled get-around.
It was not until last Wednesday, when my brother's Saga FL returned from the workshop.
Actually, it returned from the body shop after staying there for at least three months. What happened? Previously, my brother met in a collision with a taxi in front of his college. He was attempting to cut off in front of the taxi, which was also a Saga BLM - but pre-FL, 1.6 MT - only to fail miserably.
So for three months, my brother uses the Jeep as his run-about: to college and back. Thing is, even after his Saga returns, he decided to keep using the Jeep. Mom, on the other hand, drives the X5.
So, now that the Saga is back, and no one is going to use it, I might as well make it my daily driver. Now entrusted by Dad, the Saga FL is now my daily driver. For now, at least.
The Saga FL is a wonderful package, a better all-rounder than the old Iswara. It accelerates quicker, it brakes better, it handles better, and it also rides better. Generally, it drives better. However, as with all things, it does have it's downfalls.
First of all, the overall drivetrain. When not being pushed, it's pretty nippy. The 1.3-litre lump pulls along nicely and the four-speed auto does a fine job at shifting gears smoothly. Not that quick, but it's fine for it's use. However, once you put your foot down and make pedal meet metal, suddenly it begins to hesitate. The gears would hesitate to kick down, and the engine would struggle really hard, despite it's impressive low-end performance. Maybe it might be different if equipped with a manual gearbox.
Then, there's the throttle response. Basically, Proton utilises a drive-by-wire throttle pedal system for the CamPro engine. This means, instead of having cables connected to the throttle body and the throttle pedal, they are connected by electronics instead. However, there's often a delay between the throttle input at the pedal and the output at the throttle body, which is very noticeable. I often result to left-foot braking, especially when parking, due to fears of the car suddenly accelerating into a wall, a pedestrian, an animal, someone's pet or another car.
Finally, build quality. The interior is okay, although it feels cheap. Just imagine you can feel the windows going up and down just by placing your hand on the door cards. Speaking of doors, I think my mom's microwave oven feels more solid when closing it's door.
But, let's face it this way: it's going to be a daily, and really, all these niggles are just irrelevant to a normal user like me. As a daily, it needs to be comfortable, which this car already is, and it needs an air-conditioning to go well with our hot climate, which it has, because we all want to drive a car, not a baking oven, and Proton's air-conditioning systems are LEGENDARY. With all that, it really is a perfect daily runabout for an average Malaysian driver.
Well, updates? I still have a long way to go before I can start taking driving lessons, especially with IGCSE right in the way. After getting a driver's license, though, would be a different story. Dad and I had been planning to get something classic that can be used daily. Problem is: we haven't really settled in as to what to get. Maybe a KE70 Corolla? Or a Volkswagen Beetle? Perhaps a Mazda Savanna RX-7 FB? It is still to be decided. So until then, I'll be hooning around in the Saga FL.
Engine: 1.3 DOHC Inline-4 16-valve CamPro IAFM
Horsepower: 98hp at 6500rpm
Torque: 113N.m. at 4000rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic INVECS-II
Fuel tank capacity: 40 litres
Suspension: MacPherson strut (front), Torsion beam (rear)
Brakes: Ventilated disc (front), drum brakes (rear)
Tires: 175/70 R13
Wait. What happened to it?
Sadly, I had it sold on the 12th of December last year for RM4,000. So, I didn't have a daily driver for a while. Of course, I did get to drive a lot of other cars, but still, I didn't really have my own four-wheeled get-around.
It was not until last Wednesday, when my brother's Saga FL returned from the workshop.
Actually, it returned from the body shop after staying there for at least three months. What happened? Previously, my brother met in a collision with a taxi in front of his college. He was attempting to cut off in front of the taxi, which was also a Saga BLM - but pre-FL, 1.6 MT - only to fail miserably.
So for three months, my brother uses the Jeep as his run-about: to college and back. Thing is, even after his Saga returns, he decided to keep using the Jeep. Mom, on the other hand, drives the X5.
So, now that the Saga is back, and no one is going to use it, I might as well make it my daily driver. Now entrusted by Dad, the Saga FL is now my daily driver. For now, at least.
The Saga FL is a wonderful package, a better all-rounder than the old Iswara. It accelerates quicker, it brakes better, it handles better, and it also rides better. Generally, it drives better. However, as with all things, it does have it's downfalls.
First of all, the overall drivetrain. When not being pushed, it's pretty nippy. The 1.3-litre lump pulls along nicely and the four-speed auto does a fine job at shifting gears smoothly. Not that quick, but it's fine for it's use. However, once you put your foot down and make pedal meet metal, suddenly it begins to hesitate. The gears would hesitate to kick down, and the engine would struggle really hard, despite it's impressive low-end performance. Maybe it might be different if equipped with a manual gearbox.
Then, there's the throttle response. Basically, Proton utilises a drive-by-wire throttle pedal system for the CamPro engine. This means, instead of having cables connected to the throttle body and the throttle pedal, they are connected by electronics instead. However, there's often a delay between the throttle input at the pedal and the output at the throttle body, which is very noticeable. I often result to left-foot braking, especially when parking, due to fears of the car suddenly accelerating into a wall, a pedestrian, an animal, someone's pet or another car.
Finally, build quality. The interior is okay, although it feels cheap. Just imagine you can feel the windows going up and down just by placing your hand on the door cards. Speaking of doors, I think my mom's microwave oven feels more solid when closing it's door.
But, let's face it this way: it's going to be a daily, and really, all these niggles are just irrelevant to a normal user like me. As a daily, it needs to be comfortable, which this car already is, and it needs an air-conditioning to go well with our hot climate, which it has, because we all want to drive a car, not a baking oven, and Proton's air-conditioning systems are LEGENDARY. With all that, it really is a perfect daily runabout for an average Malaysian driver.
Well, updates? I still have a long way to go before I can start taking driving lessons, especially with IGCSE right in the way. After getting a driver's license, though, would be a different story. Dad and I had been planning to get something classic that can be used daily. Problem is: we haven't really settled in as to what to get. Maybe a KE70 Corolla? Or a Volkswagen Beetle? Perhaps a Mazda Savanna RX-7 FB? It is still to be decided. So until then, I'll be hooning around in the Saga FL.
2010 Proton Saga FL 1.3 AT specifications
Engine: 1.3 DOHC Inline-4 16-valve CamPro IAFMHorsepower: 98hp at 6500rpm
Torque: 113N.m. at 4000rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic INVECS-II
Fuel tank capacity: 40 litres
Suspension: MacPherson strut (front), Torsion beam (rear)
Brakes: Ventilated disc (front), drum brakes (rear)
Tires: 175/70 R13
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