1997 Proton Putra EXi review from Malaysia
"Not bad at all"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The c.o. mixture was found to be too rich, easily solved by a competent mechanic!
Some squeaks from the suspension when the weather's cold.. but this stopped when the car clocked +30,000km.. I think.
Never liked the 4-spoke steering wheel, so I replaced the wheel with a sportier 3-spoke Momo!
The interior is neat but far from plush.. lots of plastic, standard Recaro buckets match well with the car's lines though.
The engine, 4G93.. a tough gem, pulls 7000rpm without problems.
The back-box (muffler) had to be replaced in less than 2 years.
General comments?
It's a good car, faster than most in its class, in the same mold of the older Ford Laser TX3.
Pretty reliable engine & gearbox. Yes gearbox.. the ratios are my favourite aspect of this car, perfectly sorted to match the engine.
Build quality is average with so much plastic.
Handling is.. acceptable with medium understeer in tight corners. Beware of fish-tailing when braking hard downhill, the rear can bite! This can be lessened with some toe-in at rear.
It's a budget sporty coupe&good bang-for-the-buck. Too bad it's out of production. I'm still keeping it despite many offers.. so I suppose I like it!
Recommended reviews
| 2001 - Putra 1.8 EXI DOHC 4G93P N/A Good project car with a basic chassis |
|
| Good combination of perfomance and looks |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8NA Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 16 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 195000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Proton Iswara |
| Date of Entry | 21st December, 2008 |