For the low spec Preve, almost any workshop will be able to service or fix the vehicle since it comes with the conventional engine. With the high spec Preve which comes with the Turbo engine, that depends. Usually after the warranty period ends, most people would choose to service the vehicle outside of Proton SCs due to cheaper servicing cost. When independent workshops couldn't fix the problem or do not have the necessary replacement parts then only people would send the vehicle in to the Proton service centres.

The question of when to change vehicle is dependent on the priorities and financial capacity of the individual. Ideally it's after the loan has been fully settled, after the vehicle warranty has expired or anywhere between 5 to 10 years. Between Preve and Almera, both have their pros and cons. Pick the one that ticks more of the boxes for you.

As Sanadi has mentioned above.

Going from Viva to Preve Turbo, you will be getting a very powerful car. The difference in acceleration power will be tremendous. The Almera although more powerful than Viva, feels underpowered when you compare it with Preve Turbo. The handling, dynamics and stability in moderate to high speed on the highways are definitely better than Almera. Moer safety too. Reliability is anyone's guess at the moment but the Almera should be more reliable with the engine, and slightly quieter ride in comparison to the Turbo engine in the Preve Turbo.

Fuel consumption, surely you will take a hit since you are driving Viva which is supposed to be one of the most fuel efficient vehicle. In highway drive there wont' be much difference in FC between Preve Turbo and other 1.5 or 1.6 litre vehicles but in crawling traffic jams the FC will be bad. You will see the fuel meter go down very quickly if the vehicle is stuck in crawling jams. IF FC is important to you, try not to use a road that has crawling traffic jams for long periods. In highway cruising the FC is quite decent and not bad. The Almera may have a slight edge in registering better FC in traffic jam situations than the Preve Turbo.

Looking at your priorities I believe the Preve Turbo is a better choice than the Almera. Only FC may be a consideration to you. In the end, just go test drive and decide yourself.

For the FC between Saga and Preve Turbo, maybe others can comment.

Yes, I agree the Preve Turbo is quite a good car in its price range. Only the small little things in the refinement and fit and finish as Sanadi has mentioned. For example, the handle of the doors. In the Preve, the design is not very user-friendly for some people especially when opening and closing from the inside of the vehicle as some people reported the handle "clipping" the fingers. From the outside of the vehicle, the handle is slightly hard to open if compared to the softer feel of other brands(though I am comparing to premium brands).

Personally if you ask me, the Preve Turbo is anytime better and more value for money than the costlier Toyota Vios or Honda City if you disregard the FC. It actually compares to the Altis and Civic in the RM100k-120k price range. You are getting a lot of car for the money if you choose the Preve Turbo.

As for additional features in Preve Turbo vs non-Turbo, it depends on priorities. Sometimes people just want cheap and can forgo the additional features. Many people happily driving Myvis and Vivas on the roads.

By the way, I forgot to mention the handle of the Saga BLM is of even lower quality than the Preve. When I was at the service centre previously, two owners of the Saga BLM reported some defect on the handle, difficult to open or something. I think it is quite fragile too, and if too much force is used on the handle it may break.

Haven't got into a situation such as yours yet. May I ask how old is your vehicle?

Also, what do you mean when you mentioned "engine start took significantly longer than usual"? Do you mean after you have pressed the start button the engine takes longer than usual to crank start?

Hopefully it's just a minor glitch in the electronics that cause the CVT prompt error to come up. If the problem comes up again the 2nd time then it's better to get it resolved at the service centre. It's good that the car can be restarted. What if it can't, would be a hassle to get it towed back to the SC.

As for the starting of the engine, do you press it only once or twice? The proper method is to press the start button once without stepping on the brakes after the key is inserted into the slot, then step on the brakes (at this moment the light on the start button will turn green) and press the start button the 2nd time (with the brakes still depressed). If you are following this method and still the engine takes (a massive) 5 seconds to start, then something is wrong. Usually it's just about 1 second. 5 seconds is just wrong and quite taxing on the engine. May be harmful to the engine in the long run too. Better get it checked next time when the car is in the service centre.

I don't experience the issues that you have but I have some minor issues that I will highlight to the SC once the vehicle is due for service. My Preve Turbo is about 3 months old.

You won't hear wind noise at above 110km/h as the loud noise from the Turbo engine will overwhelm/dominate any other noise in the cabin - wind and tyre/road noise.

As for rattling sound in the vehicle, I believe any vehicle will have rattle. It's just a matter of time. With some new vehicles, rattling sound may be non-existent but going into the 1st or 2nd year there will surely be rattling sound from loose parts. It's just a matter of how loud is the rattling sound in the cabin.

As for my Preve Turbo which is about 3 months old, so far there is minor rattling sound from both front doors, though it is quite faint and not really loud. I find it acceptable. My ears are very sensitive and I can pick up even the slightest rattling sound. Others may not hear the rattling sound that I have picked up.

Sound from the suspension when going over bad or uneven roads, the Preve Turbo scores well here. The noise from the suspension is well damped. The sound is a soft solid thud instead of a louder thud when the vehicle is going over bad surfaces.

In my case, I open and close the rear seats like more than dozen times, and the nyek nyek sound is finally gone. You can give it a try though.

But now, there is rattling sound from the front left passenger door of my vehicle, and a whirring turbine sound from "dont-know-where" location of the vehicle. More sound popping up here and there for a less than 5 months vehicle.

Not in my case. CVT whining sound/aeroplane taking off sound, it's audible from acceleration from standstill, and it just gets louder at higher speeds up to 100km/h. The CVT sound is at its peak at 60km/h to 100km/h. Once above 100km/h, the Turbo engine sound takes over from the CVT whining sound. In other words, the CVT sound is still there at speeds in excess of 100km/h, and it's just that the Turbo engine sound is louder than the CVT sound and drowns it at higher speeds.

These are the sounds that I currently have in the vehicle :-

1) Rattling sound from front left door. The rattling is gone if we press the top plastic panel.
2) Some turbine whirring sound. Not sure where is the source of the sound. Could be from inside or outside.
3) Tak tak sound from the passenger seat. The sound reappeared recently once it was gone for several weeks. It can be due to the faulty lock button of one of the passenger seats as the back seats couldn't secure properly due to the button.

I can get the faulty lock button fixed in my next service that may eventually resolve the "tak tak" sound foor good as in item 3, but for the rest of the sound I am not sure if they can successfully address them.

For 2, it is not the CVT whining sound. It is something else. The "turbine whirring" sound. It is heard when the car is moving slowly to a stop, or at low speeds. Annoying. Is this the sound that you are referring to?

Nevermind about the tak tak sound. I'll get the rear seats lock button fixed anyway. The seats are loose and can be opened and closed by itself sometimes as the car is moving. Since the seats are not locked. Imagine that.

Another thing I forgot to mention is the airbags at the driver seat. This one I will definitely need to get the guys to fix it. THe airbags in the seat are making sound everytime I move my body, or the car goes over bumps. I can feel the airbags behind my back. There are air pockets in the seats where the air bag is located. Really shitty quality.

Good to hear that the new Preve has addressed some of the shortcomings in the older Preve model. I think now it is the test of time whether the parts would hold before rattling sound starts to appear in the vehicle.

Thanks for the response. I will always go to COSE along Kesas highway. Those small SCs, I only sent my car to one of these SCs once just to fix a loose number plate. All services and major faults such as those highlighted above, it will definitely be COSE.

Thanks for the information. I will take note on Sec 13 service centre though COSE is nearer to my house. May I ask if they changed the seats right on the spot, meaning they already have the spare seats in the service centre, or you need to go another day for the replacement?

From the front, but not sure whether it is left or right. It feels like it's coming right under my feet, or just below me. Not sure if it is inside the car, or outside. Sounds like the front wheel, sounds like some friction sound or something. Can't really pin-point exactly where is the sound or what it is.

From the front, but not sure whether it is left or right. It feels like it's coming right under my feet, or just below me. Not sure if it is inside the car, or outside. Sounds like the front wheel, sounds like some friction sound or something. Can't really pin-point exactly where is the sound or what it is.

From the front, but not sure whether it is left or right. It feels like it's coming right under my feet, or just below me. Not sure if it is inside the car, or outside. Sounds like the front wheel, sounds like some friction sound or something. Can't really pin-point exactly where is the sound or what it is.

From the front, but not sure whether it is left or right. It feels like it's coming right under my feet, or just below me. Not sure if it is inside the car, or outside. Sounds like the front wheel, sounds like some friction sound or something. Can't really pin-point exactly where is the sound or what it is.

Where is the sound coming from? If it is from the airbag inside the seat itself, where to put the lubricant? Just rub on the fabric seats? Just kidding. If the seat itself is the culprit as in my case where there are air pockets in the seat itself where the airbag is located, then there is no other way other than to change the seats. Unless they want to cut the fabric and replace the air bag or something.

If they asked you to put lubricant and tighten, I presume it is the mechanism below the seats where you adjust it front and back, up or down? Even if that why do they ask customers/owners to do that when in actual fact the technicians at the service centre should rectify it? The service advisor you got there surely is not very professional.

With the quality of the seats, I wonder if the airbag mechanism would even work properly when the conditions call for it. I'd rather have the airbags taken out from the seat rather to have the airbag making noises behind my back. Apart from the annoying sound, it is uncomfortable to have the airbag wriggle around behind my back when my body rubs against the seat.

So there is a lead time of 1-2 weeks for the airbags to arrive, and about 4 days for installation. Great. More time needed to visit the workshop and we will be without the vehicle for several days.