My family was about to get me a new car - Persona Basic
after i get to the showroom, i found that the Saga FLX SE have the same price as the Persona Basic
and seems like both these cars are using the same engine.
I try to do some research online comparing these 2 cars but seems like there are more people
suggest to get the M-Line of Persona compare to the Saga FLX SE,
since now there are only Persona Basic,
i would like to heard some recommendation/suggestions from you guys who experienced with this 2 cars
or someone who have more knowledge on this.

so now i'm now struggling and thinking which one should i get.
Thanks in advance.

Poll la bro....

FLX SE

OK, Persona Basic VS FLX SE

1. w/o safety feature VS w safety features.
2. Better handling & comfort VS harsh ride.
3. old school 4AT (i assume u get auto) VS new CVT gearbox.
4. Slower pickup/lower top speed VS faster pickup/higher top speed.
5. Better NVH VS worst NVH.
6. Higher FC VS lower FC.
7. Better in highway/long distance cruising VS better in city drive.

Depends on your needs.

I'm Saga BLM owner, but i will choose Persona (Even if FLX SE is alot cheaper), because my priority is comfort.

This post has been edited by coolkwc: Jun 11 2012, 09:35 AM

but seems like the Persona is got lower seats compare to Saga,
comfort in terms of individual, Saga Win, but in term of space, Persona Win

the space if its not the main priority then the Saga wins hands down for being an overall all rounder. You get more toys and safety features with it.

BTW, do factor in waiting period. Persona B-line now have a waiting period of around 3-4 weeks.

TS,
Y dun u give both a test drive? Both d Persona n Saga are in different segments although d d top range vs d base spec makes pricing very close to each other.

D main difference on paper r already mentioned above. Its just a matter of wat ur preference is.

When it comes to feedback,
which one of them would have some problems?
such as engine etc ?

will take your advice =)

Engine is the almost the same for both. The only concern is the CVT on the FLX, which is new for Proton cars, but so far no major problems at least for me.

Yes, pls test drive both cars. They both offer rather different driving experiences.

Also a matter of preference for its suspension. Saga uses torsion beam, Persona uses multilink with stabilizer bar.

got different feeling?
noob in these.

is the difference significant ?
or it is just a minor concern ?

My comfort is not only space and seat position. Noise insulation, Saga can be said the worst, this will make you rage if you cruising highway, and it will kill all your quality sound system. Also the 'suspension' comfort. It can absorb bump better than Saga. Saga feel floating if going fast, but not happen in Persona.

So depends on your own preference. Toy and outlook is not my preference. So test drive yourself.

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Added on June 11, 2012, 11:26 amDo you like Myvi suspension comfort? (bump, cornering...etc)

dares (FLX SE owner) claimed his FLX SE even stiffer than new Myvi.

This post has been edited by coolkwc: Jun 11 2012, 11:26 AM

alright
will go for a test drive on both these cars,
if it is real like what you say, as in Noise insulation,
if saga is really that bad in that, i will go for Persona.

PRoton cars doesn't have major problems. EVen if you have major problem then you are really unlucky.

Therefore, it boils down to the small small tiny tiny problems only. My Saga FLX for example, the horn switch has burned dunno how many times edi till I fed up and dun bothered to get it fixed. -.-

persona rear seat is not comfort for passenger, you might want to take it into consideration

if u travel a lot, persona better choice, with average FC but really good handling with highspeed.
for saga, i cant comment, never drive b4.

try it out both ,

persona rear view really bad when you into parking. ( if you are short)

persona basic's rear seat is too low and uncomfortable. it has good shoulder room but loses out in knee room to the saga.

in the front, the persona is a bit nicer to sit than the saga.

your choice. i do feel that the persona is a bit more stable at high speeds though.

come on. can install rear camera.

persona definitely better than shitty saga.

how about 2nd hand city or vios?

FLX 1.6 SE is way more better than Base line shit Persona.

if you don't like CVT gearbox, go for persona. In term of handling, Persona better.

only happen in 1.3. 1.6 stable.

surveyed this one before http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=2340745&hl=

i prefer 2nd hand vios due to more reliable, proton really ...... u know i know la, after may be 2-3 years, lots of problem will come out

if TS mostly driving alone/couple, mostly city driving, dont whack at corner, diy insulations;
yes, saga flx is the choice (compared persona)
- less blindspot
- better fc (thanks to lighter body and cvt(?))
- comfort rear passenger seat

other than that, is there any major problem?
such as noisy during speeding on a average speed of 110-140?

Yea, i noticed that, which makes me think twice.

Does this information have any prove or real facts ?
this is one of my main concern.

Yea, mostly i'm driving alone and fetching my gf, city driving.
i dont really whack at corner but i tend to speed more,
which makes me cant kick persona out of my mind due to the safety circumstances
thats why im here collecting the Pros and Cons and see which one would suits me more.

My friend's dugong stalled in traffic jam. O2 sensor kong, 1.5 yo car. reliable my foot.

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Added on June 11, 2012, 4:24 pmFLX exec and above has 2 airbags, ABS+EBD. Persona B-line has none. Which one is safer?

This post has been edited by dares: Jun 11 2012, 04:24 PM

lol, then he really lucky, lots of my fren with vios or city dun hv any problem for engine and other parts, but for proton, i think may be after 3-4 years you can hear all weird sound come out from dashboard, brake pad, absorber....... sorry, really NO proton for me, its sux

Tats b'coz 1.6 FLX SE running on lower profile, wider tires n larger tires complared to FLX. Apart from tat i didnt really feel any significant difference between both while driving.

But my personal take on d Persona (passenger) vs Saga FLX SE (driver in FLX SE n passenger in older BLM wit same suspension setup n chassis)

Persona
+ better NVH
+ less body rolls in d corners (multilink suspension in d rear)
+ useful split fold seats n larger boot
- poor thigh support for rear occupants
- average leg space compared to Saga (but then its based on d older Gen2 platform)

Saga FLX SE
+ passenger seating
+ smoother drive though engine note not as refined as other CVT-equipped cars
+ buzzy CVT drivetrain (same applies to P1's Exora Bold n Preve)
- more body roll (though not alarming) from taller n narrower body n suspension setup
- poorer NVH

This post has been edited by Deja Vu: Jun 11 2012, 04:33 PM

saga is the cheapest car in proton...at least persona is in the mid range of proton cars..
u drive saga,aunty-aunty will think u driving a 1.3 saga..no offense but tis is true.
if going for persona pls top up to get the m-line persona..at least u get a better spec

Firstly, there is a old gen vios at my home (the last batch before the dugong came out). THAT was the good Vios, but 5 years in it is beginning to develop engine problems as well. So yea, I know what the Vios is and is not. The Dugong has even worse build than the first gen, you are so confident it will have no problems a few years later ?

Secondly, sounds? go check the Vios thread man, dashboard rattle in brand new cars. FLX and Persona also have dashboard rattle, but I paid 50K for a rattling car, they paid 75k at least. The O2 problem is not unique to my friend's car either.

Thirdly, The Vios bought new is already overpriced. The secondhand value is greatly inflated as well. So buying a used Vios is a double whammy. The old gen Vios in my house was can still fetch around 50k, I was told. Imagine that, a 5 yo Vios worth 50k. If you wanna buy a Vios, at least get a new one, it's less stupid.

One thing I do admit, Vios's absorbers last dem long.

This post has been edited by dares: Jun 11 2012, 04:46 PM

haha, okok, its juz my opinion, just cant blive still got people so support proton cos even nowdays malay all go for honda and toyota, 40-50k is not worth for a proton or watever so called malaysian car, really sorry for all proton supporter, still, proton sux

no more m-line now.. they want to make preve laku

It's not I support Potong, man.

If you had suggested the Forte or Fiesta even a Mazda, I would gladly agree with you. Anything but Toyota.

Hey there, TS. Before I got my car, I was considering between Persona B-line with Saga FLX SE as well. But I decided to drive manual as I still like gear shifting, I took Persona instead.
Here is my comment :
Saga:
Nicer exterior design, I must admit the FLX SE design is nice. Those aunty won't think that you're driving 1.3 saga because this is FLX SE.
Rear passenger seats nicer than Persona's (personally sat on friend's saga before)
FC - With the CVT gearbox & lighter body, definitely will be better than Persona's FC.
Persona :
Spacious driver & front passenger seats.
Stable at high speed & even cornerning thanks to the rear multilink suspension.
FC - my Persona is 8L/100km based on the meter in my car. Which is quite good I guess as I travel in 50% city & 50% highway
As for the exterior, Persona B-line looks good after changing rims & some modification.
In the end, the final decision will be on your hand. Test drive both cars & decide in term of what's your need.
Cheers

Ya man. No more M-Line and H-Line now. Only B-Line left.

this
TS,go for 2nd hand vios...is better that new proton...vios build to last forever... is a Toyota

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Added on June 11, 2012, 5:24 pmu fren got a lemon vios lor...maybe 1 out of 1000000 vios is a lemon

This post has been edited by maverickng: Jun 11 2012, 05:24 PM

Nowadays car will not be over-engineered...
Cost is optimized. Quality is "optimized" as well...
it wont tahan like old datsun or sunny or older toyota.. haha...

Thank you, good list on the pros and cons
personally i dont mind bout the space,
just that i'm worry that the suspension on the SAGA FLX SE,
there are people says that the suspension is quite bad
any supportive prove / your own experience?

My 1.3 FLX suspension can consider quite harsh/stiff compare to FL/BLM which is soft/more comfort.
But when hard cornering or full load, advantage is there.. hahaha... FLX SE I havent had a ride on it yet...
TS, How large is your family intended to carry by this new car???

I cant comment on noise part coz my car isn't quiet in the first place (modded exhaust) ...

mana mau dapat?

B-line auto also stock very limited now.

FLX SE pun ada manual mah...

+1

Gone are the old times when cars are made to last

It is not bad, it is stiff as it is geared towards better handling and less sagging when carrying full load.

Meaning, it might be uncomfortable for some people.

FLX SE ada manual ke? I ingat CVT gearbox je! But nvm, happy with my Persona now
Driven it for almost a month. Love it

ada. can fly to moon one,.

Oh wai-, Saga isnt the right car for moon program.

UP UP HERE WE GO GO

persona is using macpherson suspension behind.. and flx se is using torsion beam.

persona is nice ride compare to flx se...

if you big size take persona..

im also big size.. but why i go for flx se?

persona doest have cvt which is very cool and relax while driving

"tepuk dada, tanya selera"

same price.. but flx se now waiting list can reach till 1 month.. while persona basic.. 1 week can get hahaha

This car is for me, didn't mean to drive my family because normally my family outing will be sitting my father's Estima. Just fetching my Gf more frequent and go Uni together


So would it be a Cons for me since I'm not going to fetch too many people or carrying over load stuff ?

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Added on June 11, 2012, 6:49 pmI'm not a big size person, and I like flx se because of the sporty looks and the accessory.

This post has been edited by admaskks: Jun 11 2012, 06:49 PM

actually, its the other way round... lol

Haha yea, get the same information as urs

if you don't mind the FC. take persona.
spacious.... alot more !

ada power lagi ~ can vroom vroom

Multilink la, not macpherson

That depends. Like I said, go and test drive to find out.

I though the saga FLX se would be more powerful since they are using the same engine
and saga is lighter than persona

oh yeah?

handling persona look better

how bad is the FC??

bro wat ever car, if u never take care of it sure kondem

u have to check with persona thread. if i not mistaken about 18sen / km

and how much for flx se? got big difference meh?

What he said not really true. Mine is at 15-16 cent/km.
Anyway, you can register at www.fuelly.com to check for the FC on every cars.

i don't know flx se, I think got. since saga is lighter but not much diff.

persona driver have spoken

Last time I have this problem, and I choose FLX SE over Persona B-Line becoz I'm very happy with the additional equipment (including leather seat and leather steering wheel) provided by the FLX SE, so I thought it would be more value for money, but think carefully, the Saga is never a Persona, even though people can say it's fast (1.6-litre Campro IAFM+ with CVT), it looks good (15-inch rim with body kit), the fact is that after I bought the car, it feels quite basic with cheap dashboard (it doesn't feel solid as the Persona),

The Saga has no auto driver power window like Persona, no auto door lock like Persona, no function from Persona like wiping the windscreen one time to remove mist, the door also feels very thin compared to Persona and doesn't close as solid as Persona, it does have leather seat and leather steering wheel but the steering tends to vibrate while the car is idle (Persona also like this but much-lesser vibration) and noise insulation is almost non-existant,

I can promise you the passenger on Saga will have a hard time talking to you when you travel on 120km/j and you will have difficulty hearing what they say, on Saga, noise from radio also will be overshadowed by the sound of engine, wind, and tyre roar, of course noise insulation material can be installed after you bought the car but it's a tedious work of opening the door panel and taking out the seats and mats for the installation, the installation also doesn't come cheap and it takes a while to install a full noise insulation material (covering floor, roof, engine compartment, door panel), Persona has this installed from factory

the CVT gearbox will give more jerk on traffic jam, sure it saves fuel but not much since the Saga is only 40-litre fuel tank capacity while Persona has 50-litre (about RM10 fuel filling difference?), so I think both lasted about the same mileage which is around 300km to 350km if you drive gently which is enough for my traveling requirement, Saga's digital fuel meter is also inaccurate compared to Myvi while Persona has a much better fuel gauge (not to mention Persona's speedometer always light up, very cool and convenient when going through tunnel or basement car park),

I do have concern over fuel consumption of Persona but I expect that the fuel save is not much different compared to FLX SE, mine can do 11-12km/liter, I expect Persona does a bit less but should still be in the affordable region of RM300 per month of my fuel budget, in the end until now I'm still thinking what if I bought Persona...., anyway good luck choosing the car you want

Yup, i agree with the point, Persona not only feel solid, but it definitely more solid when i sit in. The door close is 'thud', thick door, good NVH, well i full soundproof my Saga but yet it only can reach stock Persona NVH, but mind you my Saga is the B-line BLM worth 36.5k @ new, even i add 4k soundproof my car still 40k only. Imagine FLX SE is a 50k car, how much soundproof you want to add? 4k also? Then better top up 6-7k more to Preve IAFM+, CVT also, but with much better ride and comfort.

I definitely agree, Saga is Saga, it will never be a Persona even add in all those accessories, because this car is just a basic affordable Sedan at 1st launch, without Myvi, i dun think Proton will release the face lift for this car again and again.

Really appreciate both of your feedback regarding the details expirience on the car, I think I'll get the persona

True, if the 2 contenders were a M-line Persona(and above), and the FLX SE.

It has been established that Saga has the worst NVH and comfort. As for sound insulation, can be done aftermarket. Chassis stiffness, surprisingly Saga actually has a stiffer chassis than the Persona (Persona based on the old Gen-2 Chassis), so the feeling of "solidness", well I dunno what went wrong in between.

The kicker is, if I spend RM 4k to soundproof my Saga to have NVH similiar to a stock B-line Persona, how much do I have to pay to get 2 airbags and ABS+EBD into a B-line Persona?

By the logic that instead of spending 4k more on a Saga, might as well buy a IAFM Preve, then I suggest to forget the Persona B-line altogether and get the Preve instead.

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Added on June 12, 2012, 3:06 amAlso, if you are impressed by meters that are constantly lit up and the wipe-once function, you will also have to live with the lack of electronic side mirrors (means you use your fingers to poke), steering mounted audio controls, fog lights and so on.

Not trying to defend my car, but again, if you plan to get the Persona, try to find M-line and above. Sorry, but in this time and age when <50k can get you a car with 2 airbags and ABS, it's silly to pay more for one that has neither.

This post has been edited by dares: Jun 12 2012, 03:29 AM

good point also bro dares, it's up to personal preference

So which car that TS choose at the end..?

Btw I personally choose Saga SE because of leather seats and safety stuff like airbag, abs, ebd etc.. TS if you really want Persona, don't buy basic one.. Think of future.. Safety is not expensive..

This thread is really helpful for me to choose between those 2 cars, wont regret reading this when your budget <50K and wanting a small family car. last entry was the cherry on top.

The Persona has been upgraded since last year, the cheapest SV now has 2 airbags, all disc brakes and ABS.

My previous comparison (2012!!!) between FLX SE and Persona B-line is no longer valid