You didnt mention family so im not sure if you would want a family car? Also we dont know your time frame for getting a new car.

Looks are subjective and the fact that uve shortlisted the above would mean ure fine with the looks. So its kinda pointless to be talking bout design. So your criterias would be:

1) Price
2) Specs
3) Safety
4) Warranty
5) After sales service
6) Maintenance costs
7) Fuel consumption

You wont find any car which satisfies all of the above. So based on your list of cars above only, the best choice would be the Forte or Elantra. I think spec wise, the Forte 2.0L comes out tops. Its also got the best warranty terms of the lot (with the City). Since u drive alot, getting a car with unlimited mileage would be a plus point. The Elantra 1.8L is good but personally i think its too pricy (RM18K more than Forte 2.0). Also, Kia is currently offering up to RM2K discount for the Forte to push off stocks before the arrival of the new K3. Kia has also improved alot in the after sales service. Ive serviced a Kia and Toyota for the past 7 years so im well aware of the difference in standards which gave me the confidence to go for the 2nd Kia this year. Not sure about Hyundai SD though. Fuel consumption wise, i dont think ull get the best mileage from a Korean. The Japs are still ahead in this aspect. But Korean engines are more powerful although less refined but thats ok i guess.

As for the Fiesta, the Hatchback is really cramped in the rear. U might consider the Sedan but in my personal opinion its ugly at the rear (must be a reason why the sedan sales are really poor compared to the hatch). Specs wise, both are good but as you say some cars are still facing issues with the dual clutch. The new Ranger is also quite well spec'd and imho a better choice compared to the Hilux.

But i would think the upcoming Ford Focus would be a good option if you dont mind paying more for it. Specs are top class with a few luxury inclusions.

But you need to test drive all to get a feel and better understanding of the vehicle. And dont just test once or twice. Go a few times and choose different showrooms which have different routes. Combine highway, bad roads, with a full load, without passengers, etc. Take your time to evaluate. Never rush into anything as it might mean missing out on an important criteria.

Why not Preve? It has the best specs and quite a powerful engine for the turbo. Any problems with it?

Features wise the Preve would be a much better choice. Plus Stability Control is a very important safety feature regardless of your driving speed.

I wonder why u say a 2.0L engine will always be that and nothing can replace that? U mean performance? Right now, the trend with most manufacturers is to go small yet increase power and output thru turbo's.

Yes. Cant really expect too much when ure only paying RM 72K+ (OTR). But its power output for the Turbo version is quite good. 138Hp (5,000RPM) and 205 Nm torque (from 2,000RPM).

Many of the current Vios also have issues with rattling dashboards. But there are many without any problems as well. Same goes for Forte or any other car for that matter. We can't generalise based on a few bad apples rite?

A good read on the Hyundai Elantra:

http://www.cbt.com.my/2012/09/05/hyundai-e...-md-test-drive/

http://www.cbt.com.my/2012/07/09/hyundai-e...with-substance/

But isnt the Inspira 2.0 torque of 197Nm only available at 4,250 RPM as compared to the Preve Turbo torque of 205Nm available from 2,000 RPM?

Yes but thats the Turbo lag rite?

A good read for the Preve:

http://paultan.org/2012/05/15/driven-proto...-manual-tested/

Err..i dont think thats quite right. Correct me if im wrong but what it means is that the Inspira's max torque of 197Nm is only achieved at 4,250 RPM. Below that RPM, you dont get all 197Nm of torque available. The 197Nm of torque is not available from start. Thats why u have the torque curve.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Sep 5 2012, 03:50 PM

Forte 2.0L fuel consumption quite bad? Care to provide some figures?

Elantra is slightly different. Its a VSM system which incorporates a steering control system in addition to the normal ESP/VSC.

Always use L/100km for any discussions regarding fuel consumption. Its really pointless using money.

Fuel consumption is really more influenced by the way you drive. You can have the best power to weight ratio and still rake up high fuel bills just by driving un-economically. Thats why i think this discussion on fuel consumption is actually quite redundant.

There are some Kia Optima K5 owners which have achieved a range of 905km with 63L of fuel driving at 110kmph on 100% highway. That's about 7L/100km which is quite good since the K5 is a heavy car and considered underpowered. But there are others who get far less economical readings.

On my previous Vios, ive achieved 6.7L/100km on 100% highway at about 120kmph and 7.5L/100km in 100% city driving. But ive also obtained far less economical readings during hard driving.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Sep 6 2012, 08:56 AM

Dont forget that a Conti is a totally different ballgame. Its not just the purchase price which you need to take into consideration.

U just dont get it do you? If everybody does the calculations wouldnt it be easier to just discuss instead of doing our own calculations? And most ppl who quote price vs distance travelled are only ballpark figures. But once u take the trouble to calculate, then ure most likely gonna come out with something more accurate. If money vs distance is acceptable then why is that all our car motoring experts on Paultan, CBT, Autocar, etc all use L/100KM to compare? Its pointless using money cuz the cost of fuel can change at any time and if ure using that for comparison then u lose any point of future reference.

Get rid of that unnecessary sarcasm in your posts. We're here to discuss facts and provide info for TS to help make up his mind.

Bro, dont bother too much about the published cost of servicing. If you check the periodic cost of servicing, almost all car manufacturers will show low figures because they are only considering the lubricants, filters, spark plugs and other minor stuff. This wont cost much.

The real cost comes when u need to replace parts thru wear & tear. I spent about RM 12K on UMW servicing and minor part replacements for my 2003 Vios until i sold it this year. And i didnt have any major part replacement except the shock absorbers which i did on my own outside. I was very lucky that all my major parts lasted this long maybe because it was the 1st gen Vios which many say was among the best built.

So a majority of that RM12K which i spent was on normal and major servicing. This isnt all that cheap if you ask me and this too for only a entry level Vios 1.5E. Costs have increased much more now as compared to back then and if you go with a Conti then be prepared to spend much more.

WOW!

445,000 in 10 years only? That's like 44,500km a year. Yes u better stick to it cuz your resale value will be poor.