haha...i was thinking either passat or k5 at that time..passat handling and driving pleasure is above k5...imagine getting cbu german car, with engine same as audi A4 1.8tsi, was tempting lor..spec was good compare to jap cars, but lower compare to k5....but then, extra 45k, was too much..plus design, u said it lioaw...bland..uncle's car..some say timeless design...

done SG on my car...rm700 fly lioaw...haha...took abt 4hrs. Think faster coz new car, not much to clean or prepare b4 the coating, and also the reason why it is cheaper than old used car... worthiness, still cant say...car is glowing, and touching it feel really smooth..wont comment much now, coz it suppose to save me washing time, and no need to polish for 5 years...so will wait and see b4 give comment...

yeah..because in Malaysia, the reality is most people are badge snobs. People like to show off.
I would rather get a car that satisfy me the most..rather than satisfying other people. 

i never said anything bout Kia tough  just saying about the badge snobs.
if you are comparing the brand..yeah of coz VW > Kia, but comparing certain models in same segment with value for money etc2.. it is different story lar.. 

Just checked out the VW Passat CC Sports 2.0L Turbo. VW now offering a RM16K discount plus 5 yrs warranty (unlimited mileage) and 3 yrs free service. Original price (including 55% NCB insurance and windscreen cover) is RM 273K. Now its RM 257K. They trying to clear existing stock before the arrival of the facelift version in May. But somehow the facelift doesnt look good from the front. Pity. But still better than the newly launched BMW 3 Series.

The Optima has slightly more rear legroom and a bigger boot but i guess the specs on the Passat CC is far better. But the Optima isnt far behind for a car that costs RM 114K cheaper.

u dont buy electronics everyday, but u eat 3 times a day...hehehe

no lar..my point is rm5k is not a lot in KL, but in some other cities, u can buy bangalow lioaw...so, there is no exact limit for salary to get K5...more to how much u left with after deduct ur salary with expenditure..high maintenance ppl vs low maintenance ppl..

Guys,

I had another test drive on the Optima during the 1 Utama road show yesterday. I changed the test drive route to include a few trips till the traffic lights before the Penchala tunnel and then return. I did 3 rounds in the Optima. Testing high speeds (reached 135kmph), high revs, cornering at high speeds, hard braking, cornering while braking, etc. We had a full load of ppl.

As i said before, im quite impressed with its road handling. Mid range acceleration is quite good although sluggish from start. Suspension comfort is good despite the 18 inch tyres. Braking systems are crisp and precise. Gives u alot of confidence.

But only thing lacking is there is no indicator when the ESP has kicked in. This is actually a safety feature in most cars to let the driver know it he has reached the limit of his capabilities and the ESP is now taking over. We need to always remind ourselves that, ESP and all the safety features are not meant to replace safe driving.

There were 2 Optima's on display. 1 didnt have the rear aircon and it was a 2011 model. The one mentioned above as Jan 2012 is not a 2012 model but just a carry forward from 2011.

The other thing i noticed was the water vapor in both front headlights. This shows the seals arent good and if this problem appears on cars this new then it aint good. I was told that this is a common problem with the Forte's and there is some mention about it in the manual. Can anybody confirm?

But funny thing is, I didnt notice the burnt smell this time. And i think i know why. I had high revs for a short period and then shifted to high speed (6th gear) before driving slowly around 1 Utama. This slow drive probably removes all traces of the smell. So from what i gather about this burnt smell, it comes during high revs only and disappears during normal driving which is why those of you who drive fast on highways over a longer period of time, didnt get the smell.

To test this i would suggest just doing a high rev drive around your taman. High revs doesnt always need to be high speed. U usually hit high revs during the first 2 gear shifts. So floor your pedal then release when u reach an obstruction, then floor it again and repeat a few times as u turn or go over bumps. Do this for about 10-15mins then stop and smell. Dont drive casually after the high rev drive. Stop immediately and smell as this burnt smell seemingly only occurs immediately after a high rev drive.

As for the guy asking bout the Peugeot 508 and if its worth paying RM27K more, i would say this. The specs on the 508 are better than the Optima for sure. It also has a more powerful turbo engine. Hence the extra 27K. I was very impressed with the specs and power on the 508 but as i said before the following put me off:

4 main drawbacks of the 508 (in my opinion):

1) Design - rear design is poor and overall doesnt have a wow factor
2) Warranty terms - only 3 yrs/100,000 km
3) Too many issues on the 308T have yet to be resolved. There are chances of it being repeated in the 508
4) Rear seat discomfort over bumps/uneven roads - due to 18 inch tyres and harder suspension

But i must say the specs and interior design of the 508 is the best out there if u compare the Mondeo, Passat, Optima, Camry, Accord, Teana and Sonata. I would even say that the interior looks more classy than the new BMW 3 series 320d and Audi A4 1.8T.

If it had a better design and a 5 yr warranty i would have gone for the 508. But for now, i think the Optima is the best all rounder.

btw, RPM at 110kmph is about 2300 right?

Car sales statistics for February 2012 just released:

Optima sales jumped from 45 units in Jan to 152 units in Feb while Sonata sales dropped 45% and Nissan Teana sales dropped 37% compared to January. A total of 197 Optima's were sold in the 2 months since its launch.

I think March will be a better month for the Optima. I saw quite a few ppl booking the Optima during the roadshow at 1 Utama yesterday.

Exactly, camry gave big 13k discount thats why. Meanwhile sonata only 7k discount for 2011 model...

Well im not sure about you, but i think the stock rims are ok. NOt the best for sure but still ok. Makes the car stand out more. But i think putting black rims such as the pics above totally removes the whole wow factor of the K5. Makes the car look like some typical ah beng car. I really hope none of you here do that to your K5. That would be really sad. But thats just my opinion.

If the current running number is WWQ 2xxx and i want WWR 9889 before end month..how much would it cost roughly? Do i need to book in advance?

I dont really wanna go thru the hassle of bidding. I was thinking of getting that number once WWR opens in about 2 weeks time.