1997 Proton Tiara GL 1.1 petrol from Malaysia

Summary:

A very reliable and safe car

Faults:

Driver's door leaked during rain on first day of delivery, slight modification to door frame solved problem.

Air-con relay blew on third month of use, modified to Citroen's original configuration, problem solved.

Wet carpet on driver's side at most times, unidentifiable leak source by dealer servicing, and spray painter.

Front passenger door central locking gun spoilt after one year.

Unreliable alarm system.

General Comments:

Despite the problems faced, am rather satisfied with the overall performance of the car.

Problems lies not in the car, but on the quality control during assembly and servicing.

Powerful for a 1.1 engine, very stable in ride handling.

Economical to run, but spare parts a little expensive and hard to find especially in East Malaysia.

Front seats very comfortable, but rear seats a little uncomfortable and leg room limited.

A fun car to drive, love the dash design, easy to use and interior doesn't feel cheap to the touch.

There should be a RPM metre and the analog clock is not essential.

Cabin lighting with auto dimmer is good, vanity mirror for both front passengers rare to find in other cars.

My car ran 78000km in fours years and is still going strong, engine is still very reliable.

Low resale value is the minus point, otherwise wouldn't mind getting another unit.

A good bargain at RM30000 with plenty of accessories and features.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th June, 2002

12th Sep 2005, 01:48

Just help me please, where to get tiara club/association in my effort to seek advise or exchange view of the vehicle repair.

Thank You.

Osman Abdul Ghani.

6th Nov 2006, 07:50

I have a Tiara and it id not hard to find parts. I live in KK, Sabah and I have a friend that can fix this car. However, the car parts is not that cheap. The car still run like the 1st time I bought the car. The resale price is very low and I don't want to sell this car.

29th Apr 2008, 12:57

I posted this originally in 2002, and yes amazingly I still own the Tiara, but I no longer use it as I have moved away. Anyway, my mum still drives the car, but the body work is in a really bad state, and there is no resale value whatsoever. But the car still runs, except it has a problem with overheating which no one can fix, and leaking from day one since delivery in 1999. Anyone has any idea how to get rid of the car in Kuching? I am buying the new Proton Saga to replace it.

GQ.

14th Mar 2011, 01:01

Please help me! I just bought a Tiara and am still new about this car.

Can anyone tell me where I can get a good mechanic to do alignment and some other problems like absorber? I went to some workshops in KK but they cannot even do alignment for the Tiara because it's different than other Proton models.

Need help in KK!

kaii74@yahoo.com

18th Aug 2011, 06:44

I'm going to buy this junk tomorrow.. RM3,000 is indeed cheap. It's a 1997 model, Wish me luck for this journey and decision. I intend to write more comments on this car once I have driven this wagon. Coming from a country where a used 100cc bike costs about the same, I think it's a steal. I intend to use my vast bike-problem solving knowledge to solve what Proton should have done long ago for this car, hehehe :-)

Fidel Catstro - daytonablackbird@lycos.com

Republic of Singapore / Johor.

1998 Proton Tiara GL 1.1 1.1L petrol from Malaysia

Summary:

A calculatively attractive bargain

Faults:

Left-front window would not close properly.

Seat height adjuster lever broken after one year.

Some lamp fuses were loose and had to be tightened.

Left drive-shaft seal broken at 30,000 km.

General Comments:

Like so many who have put their comments about this car here, the Proton Tiara (Citroen AX) is a really great car that has had a bad reputation even before it was launched. All the bad hype can be contributed to the Japanese-based car industry here in Malaysia as well as the competition.

Ride-comfort and performance earns my best remarks for this compact wonder. It's 1.1L engine by Citroen churns out almost the same amount of power as those used by Proton Iswara 1.3L. The standard Tiara only needs a little modifications to go that extra mile eg. good spark plugs, a heat-sheild for the air intake, and better tyres than the standard 13" ones. I managed to find an AX 14" rims and it has done a great deal of difference. For enthusiasts, you can try sourcing a AX 1.4L GLi engine that can churn out a whopping 100hp that will give you 0-100km/h around 8 seconds.

I travel a lot and that's a big reason why I bought this car. The car is very steady and comfortable. Cabin noise is also very low and is an ideal car for audio enthusiasts. Fuel consumption is at an acceptable level.

For those who are interested to make this car go faster, you'll need to invest a lot of money and time looking for rare parts, mostly from the UK of France.

Maintenance is easy and still within the affordable range. As for spare parts, you'll need to find a friendly mechanics who can source cheaper parts for this car.

My biggest disappointment is the amount of commitment shown by Proton. The after-sales services was pathetic. Not only did they abruptly discontinue its production, even spare parts were not made accessible. The lack of sales of the Tiara is so much the fault of Proton as they did not address a lot of demands i.e. four knuckles on the wheels, tachometer etc. Worst of all, their irresponsible decisions have left more than 30,000 Tiara owners in Malaysia frustrated about the drastic depreciation of its re-sale value.

All said, the drop in price makes the Tiara more accessible to the lower-income range. The Tiara is a great car and even after what I've said, I have no regrets about the car. I have plenty of fond memories with that tough hot-hatch!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 5th May, 2002

2nd May 2006, 20:01

I think tiara is a good car based on the Citroen AX. The AX actually had good resale value in the UK when I did my study there. I don't think it has air con in the UK.

13th Sep 2007, 03:35

I have been driving Proton Tiara for 7 years and it's a great car. I do not have any major problem with the Car. The Proton Tiara car seats are very comfortable. It's quite an economical car where fuel is concerned. I am very happy with the car, but except for the spare parts we do not know where to buy them.

14th Dec 2007, 12:25

I love my tiara... value for money... ride good... don't hesitate to get 1...

1997 Proton Tiara GL 1.1 petrol carb from Malaysia

Faults:

Leaking airconditioning.

Warped brake disc.

Faulty alarm.

Minor body rattle.

General Comments:

Very good performance for a 1.1 engine and the road handling is very good for a small car.

Be careful with the body panels as it can be easily dented.

Rear seats are very uncomfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th January, 2001

12th May 2001, 18:27

My Proton Tiara also has some problems which are similar to your car. For example: warped brake discs and a leaking air conditioner.

As for the performance, I feel that the performance of the car is better than a Proton Iswara 1.3.

6th Jun 2001, 01:53

I own a 1998 Proton Tiara and found it to be a very easy car to live with. The only major problem I had with the car was the body panel that would easily dent even by the slightest bump, especially on the side panels and the roof surface. Other than that, the air conditioning is superb, the suspension is competent. Before buying this car, friends around warned me of high maintenance cost such as replacement of drive shafts, engine parts, no sports rims for 3 nut wheel and etc but throughout the 1 and 1/5 years of regular maintenance and care of the car, I have not come across any of these problems. People also warned me of the high depreciation value of the car. Since I bought the car second hand, I should not lose much when and if I decide to sell it off.

Ben

Sabah.