PROTON consumer reviews

Russell, Kent on the Proton GEN-2

Bought car 3 weeks ago, and use car daily from Maidstone to London and back. Very good on fuel returning about 44 mpg. Very nice car to drive.

Dean, Yorkshire on the Proton Savvy

This is our third Proton, previous car was a new 57 plate gen 2 1.6 auto which ran completely trouble free so now we have down sized and bought a 1.2 savvy and our thoughts so far are great it ticks all the boxes for space finish warranty mpg. If you’re not a badge snob well worth a look, great product for the price, even get air con and a fantastic stereo. Keep up the good work Proton, we have been ripped of for far too long.

Philip, Buckinghamshire on the Proton Savvy

Brand new savvy! This is my 3rd Proton and without doubt the 2010 savvy is a100% improvement on the earlier model. For the price, the finish, vastly improved interior and exterior cannot be beaten. Trust me, any derogatory reviews are totally unjustified! Before buying a car in that price range go and look at one, you’ll see!! Got three years free servicing and I cannot speak highly enough of the dealer, Melplace, at Brent Cross, excellent! As for the overall drive, I honestly don’t think you will beat it, what a great little car!

Syd, Staffordshire on the Proton GEN-2

Real value motoring these days is hard to find. Super economical diesels are not cheap to buy and as prices continue to rise, the Captain Sensibles amongst us are just not well catered for. Toyota and Honda hybrids with their monster ’power station sized’ batteries are heavy and cost lots of cash - and if you want a Vauxhall or Volvo that runs on LPG/petrol you pay more than for the petrol only powered equivalent. - This is not nice at all when we should all pull together to save the planet. Spending to save doesn’t really make much sense in my book - so it was refreshing indeed to find that Proton sell their dual fuel cars at no extra premium. Such philanthropy and lack of avarice and greed has gone largely unnoticed by the buying public - so I cannot make too strong a case for raising the profile of this Malaysian marque. As a struggling motoring ’hack’ I ’m always jolly pleased when the test car is wallet friendly, so I was delighted to discover that when it was time to fill up the GEN2 4Dr. Saloon with LPG I only had to pay 64P/litre. Even the car is something of a bargain. It’s a Focus sized 1.6 saloon for just £10,995 - and whilst not being at the top end of the spectrum in terms of luxury or performance, it’s just a ’good’ car that is reasonably refined and that drives brilliantly - thanks to Lotus input into the chassis dynamics. ’Yes - But where do you put all that LPG?’ I hear you say. ’It will leave no boot space’. Well I’m pleased to be able to tell you that the gas tank is unobtrusive and takes up only about the same space as a spare wheel - so the boot capacity is still large. If truth be told, running on LPG (at the press of a switch) returns about 35 mpg which is about 7/8 mpg less than on petrol - but that still represents substantial savings and you can delight in the fact that you are not enlarging the Chancellors recession chest to quite the same levels as conventionally fuelled motorists are compelled to do. It’s quite pleasant, in fact, to see a stationary petrol gauge needle when you’re ’on the gas’. In real driving terms there’s no noticeable difference between driving it on petrol or on LPG. It’s not meant to be a high performance car so any attempt to measure the microseconds difference in acceleration is - quite frankly - silly. Suffice it to say that you or I won’t be able to tell the difference. So, eager to travel around cheaply on our great motorway network I pointed the car towards the M6: a fatal decision as it turned out, since I have to say that I had achieved a greater rate of knots on my own drive. As I joined the sluggish snail train of tin that represents the best that scintillating twenty first century motoring can offer in our Sceptred Isle I concluded that the gas would be better put to use in an antique dirigible where floating above the scrummage I could have stuck out my tongue, waggled my ears and gone ’Yah Boo!’ to it all. But I reflected that while I was waiting to extricate myself from the traffic, at least I wasn’t tearing up pound notes at quite the same rate as would have been the case were I not gas fuelled. As the Rock Music teacher might say, ’The experience with the Proton was a total gas.’ and interestingly there is every truth in the rumour that dentists are rushing to buy these Protons because they certainly make for fewer fillings.

Ian, Hertfordshire on the Proton Satria Neo

I purchased my Proton Satria Neo Sport in September 2010 and yes it looks ok, but that’s where it ends. It has a thirsty engine and thin Paint; my car has been vandalised twice, although why anyone would want to vandalise a proton I have no idea. I have had to do a DIY job until I can afford to have the panel resprayed properly, which I probably won’t have done by a Proton Dealer as I was quoted £600.00 for a very small scratch on the front wing. The reply ’extortion’ came to mind. The road tax is £165.00 per year at present. The small interior is in leather, which is ok, but the suede in between the leather was and is a pain to clean. The list price is £11K, but I got mine brand new at a discount price of £9795. However, now the price has been dropped even more so my car is now worth about £5K because simply put they are not selling as well as Proton hoped.

Dean, Yorkshire on the Proton Savvy

This will be the second year we have owned the car from new and it’s been completely trouble free. It’s had its free services only one minor trim issue and this was resolved swiftly by Reg Thompson cars main Proton dealer who gave me first class service. The Savvy will return close on 58mpg on a run and 45mpg round town and being semi auto you have best of both worlds. The gearbox is smooth and easy to use, but I have found it’s smoother when it’s warmed up or the weather is warmer and on the plus side there is no extra road tax for it being auto/manual. All round a great little car with little or no vices. I posted a reveiw in 2010 for the same car when we purchased it so it’s had a fair road test.

Ian, Hertfordshire on the Proton Satria Neo

The Satria Sport is badly put together, mine has a drivers window rattle, which has been checked by a Proton Dealer who stated to me he repaired the problem, but strangly the window continues to have an annoying rattle. The engine is thirsty; I have owned other 1600 cars that didn’t contribute so much to the petrol companies coffers. The car comes with a three year mechanical warranty, which is just as well as if you were to slam the door in anger the door cover comes away from the door. In my opinion there are better cars to spend your money on. I can’t afford to change my Neo sport at present, but when I am in a position to trade it in for a better make of car I will as quick as lightning. You will find that Proton dealers charge as much as possible to do bodywork repairs, even a small chip in the bonnet for which I was quoted £800 for my previous Proton Gen 2 Saloon in Metallic Silver, which meant both wing panels required paint to match it up.

C, Sussex on the Proton GEN-2

The many factual errors in the above ’official’ RoadTestReports.co.uk article repeats the same lazy mistakes made in most UK road tests - that the text is from a test of an early GEN-2 hatch and seemingly not from the much-improved 2009 Persona saloon version shown in the photos. The steering is height adjustable, and the drivers seat base can tilt a few degrees. There is extra headroom in the back compared to the hatch version and the Persona’s suspension is set-up softer/slightly higher ride height to enhance the ride comfort, which I find is more composed and comfortable than most modern cars. The bootlid has scissor-type hinges, allowing it to fold back and accomodate tall loads. None of the mirrors vibrate on my car, neither does anything else come to that. The interior styling these days is certainly simple, but also cohesive and the finish/quality of plastics used is no worse than average. The style of it is a personal thing, but we find it quite attractive compared to the over-done and cluttered dust trap efforts of many car makers these days. After 9000 miles we still enjoy the car and although nobody knows what it is, they all say it looks smart/modern and assume it’s around the £15,000 level. The engine now has 114BHP and more low-down torque compared to pre-2009 cars. It does get a bit vocal above 4000, but pulls a lot harder once it’s fully run-in. The computer-controlled, (Mitsubishi) autobox is very good. Economy on LPG is less than I hoped for, (about 28 MPG) but that is hard-driving, usualy fully loaded. Still works-out around 40% cheaper than petrol overall and equates to about 55MPG diesel. On petrol it manages 41 MPG, which is fine considering the autobox and size/weight of the car. Fuel, insurance, road tax and servicing are all on the cheaper side of average. Depreciation, like all rare mass-market cars is horrendous, so buy used or like me, new with good discount and keep it for many years to cancel-out the issue. The only problem was one rear door’s central locking stopped working, (quick fix by dealer) Heated rear window is slow, but everything else - especially the climate control and intergrated stereo work well. Overall, very happy with our choice - it was bought as a VFM roomy family car/all-rounder workhorse and does the job very well so far.

Kev, Yorkshire on the Proton GEN-2

I am on my 2nd proton Gen-2. I use it as a taxi in Hull and I do a 10 hr shift every day. The car is rarely turned off and I can truthfully say the Gen-2 is a great car. I only got rid of the first one because it was too old for a taxi plate in Hull. It never lets me down, never over heats, it just works as it should. My mpg is 40mpg, which is better than most of my mates diesels. The boot is big enough for wheelchairs and cases, the room in the back is ok, it handles great, the brakes are great and it drives great. I have air con, electric windows, good sound system and comfort, what more do I need? If you want a cheap good car what else is out there? I paid £3900 for my 09 plate with 21k on the clock. This car will last me 5 years as a taxi with no major probs.

Ian, Hertfordshire on the Proton GEN-2

I purchased my 2008 Gen Saloon in May 2009. It was a brilliant car ex-Proton management vehicle, which Proton only keep for six months then sell on to the public. The only fault really I had with mine is the thin paint; it did chip and when I was hit by another motorist in 2010 a lot of the side damage was to my car and although it was repaired in an excellent way it just didnt feel the same. I wish I had kept it now. A brilliant car with a comfortable ride and quiet engine (Proton introduced a new engine for the Gen 2 in 2010).

Peter, Sussex on the Proton Savvy

I am a driving instructor and wanted a car that would look different, be reasonably hard wearing, easy to drive and not cost the earth to own! I purchased a 2008 model; after hearing bad reports I took one for a test drive as it was important that my students could find the car easy and informative to drive. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. The car easily copes with town driving but struggles a bit on motorways, however, a good all round car! I have taught in Ford Focus, Renault Clio, Seat Ibiza, and the Savvy is competent in the job it has to do! I have a few rattles, which the dealer did warn me about, a rad fan packing up and a dodgy electric window; the window and fan were sorted out with no grief under the warranty by my dealer. Overall I quite like the car and sometimes give it a cheeky second glance when I finish work as I like the styling so much. The last car I did this to was a skoda rapid cabriolet that was my pride and joy! The savvy is my first dip in the proton market, if it stands up well to the learners I would definitely buy another to replace the one I have!

David, Buckinghamshire on the Proton Savvy

I bought a 2008 Savvy (chili red) in April 2010 and have no regrets! My car was previously owned by Proton UK and had only covered 5,500 miles and was in excellent condition; while looking at some Savvys on the net I actually noticed my exact car (same number plate!) being tested by a few motoring journalists so it was actually leant out to them! Was a bit worried but I’ve done another 6,000 miles since April and no probs so far (except for a dodgy electric window on the drivers side which I’ll get fixed at the next service). Testers of the car seems to either love it or hate it! In my opinion its one of the best small cars I’ve driven - the steering, handling and ride are superb for a budget city car - it really sticks to the road like glue (thanks to Lotus I guess!) and I find performance is fine once you’re going - the engine is very revvy too which is fine. The gearbox is fantastic - so smooth and positive, one of the best I’ve used. I’ve since had white viper stripes fitted(!) so it really stands out! Personally I like the look of the car - at least Proton have designed something a bit different looking to the usual weedy looking high-sided city alternatives - I think the car looks very chunky and sporty - more reminiscent of a small Suzuki Swift. I got a very good deal on my two year old model - for the best value a nearly new model is ideal. My advice is try one out - you may be very surprised!

Ian, Hertfordshire on the Proton GEN-2

I purchased my Gen 2 Saloon in 2009, it is an ex-Proton manager’s car. I have had a few what can be called annoying problems but this is my fifth Proton since I purchased a new compact hatchback in 1999, The trouble is Proton launch a new model .The only negative thing I would fault is the leather used in Proton’s 2006 Impian felt like plastic rather than leather and this was fitted outside of the UK. So proton didn’t do themselves much good, but seeing the 2010 Satria sport the leather is fitted in the UK and is of better quality. The quality of the Gen 2 Saloon is near perfect the interior has a solid feel and is well put together the cloth trim is also of good quality lots of room in the rear for three adults and also good on fuel as long as you don’t floor the pedal.

HJ, England on the Proton Satria Neo

This is a cheap-as-chips, no-frills small hatchback which delivers far more than expected from the marque and the size and type of car. At this price, it exceeds expectations. It’s not powerful or fast, but it is fun to drive (the Lotus handling is noticeable) and comfortable. I’ve read the reviews that it is not great for tall drivers; which I would agree at 6ft 2 ins. However, even I can get comfortable (although I’d like the seat base to be an inch or two lower) and have no problems reaching and using all of the controls. The only problem I’ve had to date (owned it for 6 months from new) is that the rear hatch struts don’t slow the hatch when shutting, so it often slams shut quite heavily if I don’t remember to catch it and slow it down. There are other foibles, but nothing significant for a car of this price and size. It definitely looks best in Burnt Orange (although I agree with some comments that the silver fuel cap cover looks a bit boy-racerish!) Cheap-as-chips, but numerous smiles per mile.

Dennis, Yorkshire on the Proton Impian

It has a decent boot and comes with air con and a CD player. It’s fine to drive if you want to nip to the shops and back but other than that don’t waste your money. Awful.

Roux, England on the Proton Satria Neo

Problems, problems and more problems!!!

Rich, Norfolk on the Proton Savvy

Cheap car and that about all you can say. Really loud on the motorway. Get what you pay for.

Tony, Shropshire on the Proton GEN-2

Nice car to drive but the interior feels cheap although there is ample legroom front and back. The boot is nice and big too. Cheap enough to run although resale value isn’t good so I’d recommend picking up a looked after second hand one rather than buying new. Nothing to write home about I’m afraid.

Penny, Cornwall on the Proton Savvy

Cheap, affordable little runaround. Gets me from A to B without any fuss. A basic car but if that’s all you need then it does what it’s supposed to and has so far been extremely reliable. Won’t turn any heads but it will go forwards, backwards and park. Good little car.

Amir, England on the Proton GEN-2

5 star handling, 5 star reliability, 3 star interior quality, 3 star build quality.

Ian, Hertfordshire on the Proton Impian

I purchased my 2006 impian in 2007 it was an ex-management car and well looked after by Proton UK. Unlike other people here I do not pass judgement on a certain model of car after just trying one, the 2006 model I owned was a good car comfortable and well put together. I part exchanged my 2004 Satria sport for it because I needed a car with more space inside, nothing went wrong with the Impian, but a drive to the proton service centre in Hemel Hempstead would have put any problem’s right. At present I own a 2008 Proton Gen 2 Saloon, the only probem with a metallic colour is you have to have the panel resprayed as well in order to match it up, but that’s true of any metallic car. Obviously there are some people who buy a Proton and expect it to drive and handle like a Lotus or GTI golf, all very well if you want to spend 15k to 20k on a hot hatch.

Hisham, Malaysia on the Proton GEN-2

Bought a new GEN-2 purple 2005 model. Had a minor problem which is easy to rectify; slow on pickup because the ecu program will enhance the fuel consumption, power will kick in about 3000rpm. Have fitted bodykit and upmarket audio system. Basically, quite satisfied with this car and planning to upgrade to Persona R in 2012.

Rob, Lancashire on the Proton GEN-2

I honestly can not understand why so many reviews on different motoring web sites for magazines etc slate/slag this car off so much with negative comments and reviews. I’ve always thought the styling of this car is nice, modern, fresh, sleek and pretty nice. My parents asked me to find them a new car in the price rage of a mere 2k. I looked around the usual car sales and in most cases the 2k would get me something old, high mileaged and pretty beaten up. So, seeing a 2005 Proton Gen-2 Cam Pro 1.6 with only 32,000 I snapped it up. What can I say, but I absolutely love it and so do my parents. It’s sleek and far more attractive than a Focus, Corsa, 407 or anything else they could ever hope to afford. The styling is superb, the ride is perfectly fine and infact stunning when whizzing round a corner at 50 mph (due to the Lotus handling). Again, why oh why the negative press reviews about this car? It’s got Lotus designed handling for crying out loud, and how many cars can claim that? The interior is absolutely fine, being clearly laid out, smart, fresh and a nice place to ride. (decent spec, decent stereo - nicely laid out) Sorry, but people can keep their badge snobbery and buy their Fords etc......as I know what I’ll be buying the next time I need a decent second hand motor. It’s got the thumbs up from me 100%.

Sean, Lancashire on the Proton Impian

Hopelessly underpowered with four passengers in, very noisy on motorway and very poor quality paint finish which scratches very easily indeed. Was ’conned’ into having the ’Diamond Bright’ package which did damn all to protect paint. Very high road tax due to high emissions on auto version. Exhaust completely rotted off and was replaced on final day of warranty!! Would never buy another Proton, as this is the 3rd model I’ve bought new, and all were full of faults as follows: Jumbuck, handbrake virtually useless, no rear lights working, way too cramped and noisy. Satria GTi, complete joke, hideously underpowered, girlfriends Fiesta 1.6 Zetec blew it away every time, and lousy brakes too. Impian auto, gutless, noisy, crap paint, high insurance/road tax, and rubbish electrics too (all elec window switches failed just after warranty expired). To sum it all up: they are rubbish, buy a proper car instead...

Paul, Lincolnshire on the Proton Jumbuck

Well, it was all going well until yesterday when it suffered valve failure. No damage as such but a top end job. This is a bit unusual, or is it? Still a good worker though.

Clint, Australia on the Proton Jumbuck

I bought my Jumbuck 4 and a half years ago. I think it was the best car that I have bought, I treat it like a race car, fair enough I have done it up a fair bit but it is still a ute and it is pratical in every way. It has the get up and go (haven’t done anything to the engine) and it is a good car for people that want a ute but dont want the price tag with it. As the saying goes "you get what you pay for", well yeah, that is true, I have had a rattel in my car before but don’t forget it cost me 14k; now that is in keeping for what you are getting. I think Proton have done a good job with help from Mitsubitshi. Overall it is an awesome car.

Paul, Lincolnshire on the Proton Jumbuck

Very Australian - rough, tough, no frills but more important - no trouble. Had my Jumbuck for 2 and a half years now. worked it hard and keep it well serviced. It returned 42 mpg on a recent 300 mile run. Only nit pick - tyres - the originals were terrible, now fitted with off road pattern and it has decent grass field and muddy yard/site performance. You can keep your fancy Nissan’s and the like, I will keep this and keep earning money with it. One word... brilliant!

Ashvin, Mauritius on the Proton Jumbuck

A bit bumpy, but useful car, low running costs. Most Wira and Satria parts fit in. Got a Satria 1.6 engine fitted on mine, not bad.

Ian, Hertfordshire on the Proton Impian

I bought this car in 2003, it was one year old and a Proton dealer’s Ex- demo car it cost £8999.00 and I wished I had never bought it. It had covered 10000 only and the first time I took it on the motorway the head gasket blew. The next time I went over 50mph , an oil seal let go, a few week’s later I was checking the fluid level’s and saw oil weeping from the head gasket as it turned out the salesman who had run the car from new had not run the car in properly and not taken the car over 50mph in the 10000 mile’s 1 year in which he ran it so everytime I took it over 50mph something would blow. After a year I’d had enough but it has not soured my owner ship of owning a proton (read review of owning 2006[56] impian GSX) I swapped the 2002 impian for a pre-reg new 2004 Satria sport 1.5Lxi.

Clifford , Herefordshire on the Proton Impian

I have had my Proton Impian for seven years and touch wood, 75,000 miles later, no problems.

Phil , Nottinghamshire on the Proton GEN-2

My Saxo VTR had finally played up once too often, so had to go. The Gen-2 was much more car for the money than any Citroen offerings, and had better residual values! 110bhp, lots of goodies like climate control, and a great sound system, and better handling than the VTR. Just over a year later, my proton still gives me a positive charge!

James , Vale of Glamorgan on the Proton Savvy

Firm & sturdy driving despite small size. Just like driving a big car.

Neal, Cumberland on the Proton Jumbuck

Bought mine on an 03 plate and I have to say it’s been a fantastic buy. Has never let me down and is a fraction of the cost of other pickups out there. Excellent.

Wendle, London on the Proton Impian

Good spacious car, seats 5 adults comfortably. Very noisy though when on the motorway. The steering is good and lots of space in the boot. Rear parking sensors are a nice perk. Decent enough CD player. Resale value is low.

Keir, County Armagh on the Proton Satria Neo

I’ve inherited this company car from my predecessor and I’m at a loss as to why he chose it. It’s performance is at best average and comfort and space is nil. It’s not that brilliant on fuel either. It gets you where you want to go but the engine complains all the way. God awful.

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