She doesn't like Korean because no confidence, though she was very impressed with the Forte because the value is there, the deal breaker was the distributor though... Even she has heard a lot of bad feedback about the Naza after sales and my wife ain't into cars, LOL!

I say yes to the bolded part. When most people buy a new car they will be dependent on the distributor/manufacturer to service their ride and solve any technical problems with their cars. A gadget-filled car is useless if no one knows how to properly maintain it nor repair it. It should and it must play a critical role when choosing the brand of car to buy.

That said, IMO even T & H has less than stellar customer service in this country. It is a sad state that we have resort to choosing a brand with the least useless aftersales service these days.

Yes, its Naza. I've had personal experience with the KIA Spectra and I've also had 3 friends who practically swore off buying a car from Naza because of their bad experience with Peugeot. My wife's end have 2 friends who are Forte owners and 2 Peugeot owners. IMO, I didn't think the feedback about the Forte was too negative but I think she rather just avoid the issue altogether for total peace of mind.

Been burnt once and once is too much IMO. But that aside, I and my wife have been actively scouting a 2nd car for the past month and we both agreed that the KIA Forte represented the best bang for buck. My wife was even impressed during the test drive and we even got a good SA that offered us fantastic discount. My research also showed that the after sales is at an acceptable level, though not as good as the T&H marque but still good enough to be deemed as a problem free purchase. Resale value of the Forte is also surprisingly good after talking to a few 2nd hand dealers...but whenever I asked if she placed her deposit with the car, she would always give some excuse like not free or too busy with work or distracted by some other thing and this went on for the past month. Then came last Sunday, we went to view the new Civic and after taking it for a test drive, she immediately paid the deposit and booked the car, LOL!

At the end of the day, it's what she's comfortable buying la bro. Koreans may have improved but they have a huge perception issue to overcome in the hearts of Malaysians

Another Opinion

Test drove new civic 2.0 over the weekend. Better than expected after all the negative comments heard. Summary is as follows:

Like: Drive, cornering, steering, interior, exterior, fuel economy, not need to press button to unlock car
Dislike: Acceleration, radio design, rims

Although much the same power as previous gen, acceleration even on second gearpaddleshift is not to my expectation, very linear delivery thanks to soch migration. Spoke with owner of 8gen 2.0L civic, he told me acceleration has less roar and surge. With RM90 which is near full tank, the 2.0L will take you 450-460km max with econ mode on according to salesman. Overall i'm generally pleased with quality of car.

Last thing and can others verify this...salesman told me 0-100 is about 13 secs for 2.0L? Too bad i didnt try  but this sounds very the sucky. I will test Ford Focus as second choice before i decide to change car. To me, i'll pass on Elantra.

the elantra? well, it ranks no 19 in america's june 2012 best selling list and its sales dropped 5.4% compared to june 2011. in fact the best selling korean marque in america is the hyundai sonata at no 15. so what about elantra? no doubt that it won the 2011 best compact car in north america, but it can't even touch the sales of the universally panned 2012 honda civic. you see, i'm not trying to bash the koreans, they make good cars recently like the elantra and optima, but not just malaysians suck up to toyota and honda, even the americans as well.

Let's wait and see 5 years down the line, if you still defend your position with regards to resale value and service quality ???!!!! LOL

have to agree with starship's comments. I've test drove the new civic, and vtec still sounds as good as ever. don't think the exterior is as bad as publicized - you just have to see it in metal. interior is not the greatest, but I can live w tht. Will be booking one soon + adding the modulo kit

i do agree tht the driving exp is not as "spirited" as compared to a vw, but for 130K - is there a better option out there? besides, i've browsed through vw forum and there are just too many common issues on failed mechatronics, dsg gb, etc. althought it's covered by warranty, leaving ur car in the workshop for a few weeks is not cool

i think civic is one of the best option out there given the price range. i've also looked at other models, but most of it are nearing the end of its lifecycle. my plan is to get the new mazda 6 w its new takeri concept in the next 2-3 yrs so getting a car now w good resale value is an important factor for me personally

btw, i dont understand when ppl debate over if a car is value for money. i always see a car as a lifestyle, and a choice. i've already accepted the fact tht owning a car in malaysia will never be cheap. so the question should always be - how much you are willing to spend? not which offers the best value.. cars that are so called value for money usually have an underlying reason why they are priced lower.. right? haha

lousy kia forte isnt value for money car either. its a crappy car, washing machine engine note, poor drive etc, and its for 90k.

say waht u want, it may not be value when u buy new, but when u sell 5 yrs down, in malaysia where u live, honda n toyota holds value 10x better than a korean crap.

i sold my almost 7 yr old fd2 for 85k, bought new 125k. need i say more?

jus bcoz kia chief designer now come from audi, dun dream ur driving an audi now if ur driving a kia kiddo!

and mazda6 over fb? imo, mazda 6 lacks character in drive and definitely under power. u need at least the 2.5 kiddo.  2.0 is bare like milo tin kosong

hmm, sounds like you own a forte and had a horrible time on it, mind to share your horrible experience towards the car? 

well said..

myself drive a vios.my friend keeps telling me its a dugong..so do i care?the maintenance of my vios is lower than a proton..never give any trouble..good FC...and most important, my friend will butthurt to see i pocket more than 20k when selling the car next year and get a civic (hopefully lah  )

d way u god praise a forte gives d assumption that u feel ur driving an audi. No more to that. Period.

Best value 2.0L is forte.  Give u d benefit of doubt (which ur alr most definite wrong), even ur forte is d best value for money NOW, what happens when u sell 5 yrs later? u gonna bleed like a girl menstruating kiddo.  money lost then can cover value gained now?  Value is perception, but real money lost when u sell then its d real thing.  Y are u so less intelligent?

Unless u keep ur forte for 20yrs, then i lose.  but not impossible looking at u driving a vios for 9 yrs. 20 yrs is just 9 X 2, + another 2. way to go dude!

Just now mazda 6, now camry, next?

what i drive is my problem. i dun need u to know what i drive.

If u compare even a vios and forte, industry players are not stupid to put a 1.5l car similar price to a 2.0l kiddo.

remember this rule - gd things r not cheap, cheap things are not good.

u have a long long way to go and learn.

sad but true

yeh bro, i totally get your point. as you can see, i'm not saying that the camry or the civic ain't overpriced, they are in fact overpriced when compared to the korean marques, but hey kia and hyundai are represented by AP king Naza and  government owned SDAC... they are not playing on the same ground since day 1.

my argument is actually directed to those that are trying to convince everyone that the rest of the world had abandoned the japanese which ain't true at all.

Plus Cody did highlight upon one fact, both Hyundai and KIA are carried by government linked companies so who knows what sort of benefits they have when their cars are assembled and imported here? Not sure if UMW is the same, but it probably has some government links as well.

Typical Malaysian mentality. Just becoz Honda made a few good model like eg, ek, fd doesn't mean fb will be great. In everyone's mind, Honda resale value must be good. This is not true. Go check out a 10 year old accord. S86 trade in price is less than 25k. Retail for 140k back in 2002. U r getting less than 20% of what u have paid. Even a 10 year old wira beat accord, it gets 10k for trade in vs 45k when it was new.

I have nothing against Honda but Neither i worship them. They made a few great models and at d same time, they fail big time e.g. city cvt gearbox.

IMHO, car manufacturers in Malaysia are just being greedy. They know how to take full advantage of car lovers here. Seriously, just look at jazz hybrid. US could sell them at 20k usd yet we r paying close to 100k eventhough it is tax free. Imagine how much Honda Malaysia pocket?

One big question. Comparing Civic 1.8 Vs Civic Hybrid, which one would have better RSV? I am looking at both. However CH seems to have better value for money. Pay additional 3k - get more features. Maintenance wise, CH is slightly more exp than C1.8.
Thanks for comments =).

What is the interest rate that they can give for the latest civic?

Perhaps you are right..it was plastic but i touched the dashboard and doorside...it was nice feel enough for me compared to city or even korean cars.

too many gadgets and features isn't a good thing and once this starts to give problem later ,your headaches wll start as well. nothing to be proud of having .

this 2012 civic provides enough features for most people . the car looks much nicer in metal too

Just ignore and reject this 2012 Civic. Its totally crap to me and many ppl worldwide. The Malaysian version of the new Civic will launch locally in the 2nd half of the year. The main reason for this is to push off old stock before the new facelift arrives. Those who dont know will rush to buy the Civic without realising that in 2013 the facelift will arrive in Malaysia. This would mean big loss of resale value for those who buy the 1st gen 2012 model. So please dont fall for this trap!

Honda planning 2012 Civic facelift after only 8 months after worldwide criticisms
Current version criticized for deficiencies in design, quality, drivability & poor braking

By Tom Krisher

ROMULUS, Mich. — Honda is scrambling to revamp its Civic just eight months after a new version hit showrooms, and critics say it’s an admission that the compact car fell short in quality and handling.

The facelift, to come by the end of 2012, is rare because new models aren’t usually overhauled for at least three years. Honda executives say they are trying to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive small-car market.

The new Civic was panned by critics when it started arriving at dealerships on April 20. Consumer Reports magazine said the new Civic was less agile than its predecessor, and its interior quality was worse. The magazine refused to give the Civic its coveted “Recommended Buy” rating, saying that the braking distances were long and it suffered from a choppy ride. The car’s sales dropped to fourth among U.S. compacts from May through November. 

The previous Civic, which came out in 2005, was known for its sporty driving, high-quality interiors, lack of noise and excellent braking, said David Champion, senior director of auto testing for Consumer Reports. “The new one seems to have fallen apart in those areas,” said Champion, who thinks that Honda cut costs with the 2012 version.

Honda also recalled more than 1,000 of the 2012 Civics because a fuel line could leak as a result of a manufacturing error.

Honda has told dealers that a reworked Civic will arrive before the end of this year. The car’s sticker price starts around $16,000, and a base model with automatic transmission gets 32 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving. Its price and fuel mileage are about the same as its competitors.

American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura said yesterday that the company will improve the Civic’s drivability, but he stopped short of saying exactly what the company will do to the rest of the car.

definitely current Forte looks better than this! this is pretty obsolete looking...