Top 10 criteria for consideration:

1) Price
2) Safety
3) Specifications
4) Design
5) Interior space & comfort
6) Build quality / durability
7) Ride, handling, power
8) After sales service
9) Overall maintenance cost (not just periodic maintenance)
10) Warranty terms

Proton Jetta also included.

Hope i dont get salesmen contributing to the poll.

Let's go by elimination.

The Altis is out because there is no value there. Old tech meets premium price, most expensive of the lot puts it too close to Accord land.

Jetta is out too with service center issues with volume and reliability of the transmission. A 5 year warranty is no cure for being stuck at the side of the road alone at night, and losing your car to the workshop for the next 2 months.

If you only care about getting from point A to B, the Sylphy is good enough. Otherwise it may be a little too bland.

If you want a little more, it's between the Cerato and Civic. Civic has the better brand, but the Cerato has better value. Your decision on which is more important.

I voted for Cerato....but jayraptor say I am Proton salesman

For long term ownership, looking for smooth ride, good nvh, comfortable, additional safety features are good.. sylphy
civic -> unacceptable asymmetry + out of proportion dash (imo)... may consider only for civic hybrid for eco concern.
altis -> price is higher with some space advantage, and 2.0.. suppose 1.8 should be able to save some fuel.
vw -> not sure whether gearbox problem solved...
cerato -> somehow suspension still harder to personal liking.

cannot accept the look ...

Based on your criteria (which states the price as the first priority) of course one would choose cerato (if you don't care much about the RV)

I choose this...

1) Ride, handling, power
2) Build quality / durability
3) Safety
4) Specifications
5) Interior space & comfort
6) After sales service
7) Overall maintenance cost (not just periodic maintenance)
8) Warranty terms
9) Price
10) Design

cant stand a car that wont budge even at WOT or a car that needs braking 10 miles before a minor corner.... yeah...

Voted for the Civic as I just like it. Although yes the rest may have better value or cheaper or more power but in terms of looks, my vote goes to the Civic. I can have all the best stuff but if I hate the looks of the car, it doesn't count for nuts.

1) Price - Cerato.. cheapest there
2) Safety - Cerato... fully safety features packed
3) Specifications - Cerato - loaded with gadgets
4) Design - Cerato... the old Civics look better but oh well...
5) Interior space & comfort - Sylphy... long wheelbase and bid rear leg room (The real winner is Pug 408)
6) Build quality / durability - Civic...
7) Ride, handling, power - Cerato.. although it's abit underpowered..
8) After sales service - Civic / Sylphy
9) Overall maintenance cost (not just periodic maintenance) - Civic / Altis
10) Warranty terms - Cerato...

Why no love for the Mazda3?

I vote for Sylphy coz it is a massive improvement from previous model. The only weakness is the non foldable rear seats.

haha i have similar priorities

i guess the obvious difference would be price, sucks being poor man

i like Civic with modulo bodykit with ducktail lip 2.0.

the rim is sexayyyy

I chose Preve, and have 60k left over for other nice things in life. Otherwise, a Focus probably. Or maybe the upcoming Fluence?

if like that , i`ll take saga SV.

rest go in bank huhuhe

HONTA ada lima tahun bro

No. The Preve is a C segment car, offering similar levels of space, and it is safe, safer than some of the cars on the list, and as safe as the rest. Basically the Preve is a car that can compete with those other options, yet costs half as much.

The Saga SV is much smaller, nowhere near as safe etc.

Buy house lah...put in bank for what...Bijan untung and money goes to Kak Rosmah only.

Interesting that you choose Cerato for ride, handling and power, especially when Jetta and Civic is also in the list.

If you are looking at this segment, you cannot leave out the new Mazda 3.

I chose Civic too. In honesty, I do think the design nicest, abit sporty and classiest among the list...
& the 5 years

TS, i think you missed one important criterion; what other cars/vehicles a person have (in their garage).

This will affect the purpose of the to-be-purchased car and the buyers'decision. E.g. one may opt to buy a comfort-oriented car if he already have a "fun" car at home. And vice versa.

Unless, of course, we assume that this is a choice for people who only want to own a single car. Or just being hypothetical for the sake of lulz

cerato because of design

sc fc no clue

Jetta......yuhuuu

Jetta less than 2 yrs from 170k and sold at 100k also no ppl bother, in my ex boss 1 yr plus has gear an issue, wanna play on steering shift up down up down then just function.

Got any expansive car an same of it?

I think a key sub-aspect when discussing warranty terms is not the duration of the warranty but the ease in getting the company to admit to a fault.

Ive had a bad experience with Toyota. Getting them to admit to a defect was so darn difficult (but finally they did). BUt with Kia its a no issue. Even if they dont find out the cause of the problem, they just go ahead and replace the part for you. In that aspect, Naza Kia's customer service is a step above the rest i would say.

Yes i forgot about this.

Which Jetta costs 170K for you? CBU jetta was aprox 157K (OTR).

This is a personal criteria. I wanted criteria that can be compared on a level platform.

Lancer CBU? if safety is secondary ...

Yeah weird. In terms of ride and handling, the Jetta surely wins hands down. The Altis, Civic, Cerato, Sylphy, etc doesnt come close to the Jetta in terms of driving dynamics. Really well designed chasis i must say.

that is if u buy a car in cash...

hmm terms bro... it covers alotsa tings...
not oni the duration / length of the warranty period...

The old civic maybe but the new civic handling is dull..
The car understeer alot under heavy braking into a sharp bend...
Jetta yeah it rides better and provides better power than all of the stated but again handling is the issues...
Maybe the size of the tyres??? ayam personally put handling as no1 factor...
and there shld b a Ford Focus in the list too.. best handling atm..

Why no option for Mazda3?

Based on those option above, i would go for the Jetta

Altis 2.0 is my choice for comfort.

Cant consider performance coz none of the listed is a performance car.

Those arent performance cars but u have a turbo in the list above so performance is a criteria.

you're right there, but still they're still not a proper performance car or sport car. those are passenger car.

Now this is a performance car (entry level).

VW Jetta CKD 1.4TSI (160PS, 240Nm) for such power to move a 1.3T kerb weight car.
I'll say, ur car may end up more servicing intervals(or end up sitting in workshop), not to mention their dual clutch gearbox giving loads of problems recently.

I dont quite understand your statement. Are you saying the power is insufficient? The Jetta is 147kg heavier than the Civic.

Aiyoo friend. Ure bringing a 235K, 265HP, 360Nm torque car into the discussion vs cars like Altis, Civic, Sylphy and Jetta?

Maybe he has a way to get the car for RM120K.
If this is the case, please include it in the poll and I'll come by later for the downpayment.

Based on your list, I would rate #1 to last with main focus on reliability, durability, practicality, maintenance, build quality and safety:

1) Cerato (best value for money with cheap spare parts & maintenance with proven good reliability/durability. Build quality good but hate its weird headlamp, grille and rear lights)

2) Jetta (best performance & handling, build quality high but design is boring and dull inside out, should have used more Scirocco curves and design)

3) Altis (best RV, build quality has improved a lot with acceptable handling. Dislike the CVT which brings down reliability and practicality score)

4) New US Sentra 2014 not that narrow Sylphy '08 (CVT gearbox not that reliable & durable yet more expensive to maintain. Design is ugly, taken from phased out older Hyundai Coupe/Tiburon sides. New Lannia (Bluebird) could be its replacement which was unveiled in China.

5) Civic (obsolete tech and fragile gearbox known to be faulty in short term, build quality is rough. If it wasn't because of the "H" brand, don't think this can sell well)

The dual clutch issue happens only to first few batches of owners. The latter, no more such issue. Even VW already rectified the problem caused by wrong material not suited to our climate and had done recalled on affected earlier batches. Have you seen any new VW models breakdown lately ever since they had the problem rectified? I haven't seen any though I hope those owners whom I saw driving reckless would. But it just didn't.

The Jetta's 1.4TSI engine generates max 240Nm of torque is way more powerful than any 2.4L MPI engine on D-segment that usually generates around 220-230Nm. The Jetta weighs 1380kg because of the turbocharged unit, the size of suspension required for superior handling and the bottom weight for stability. Only empty shell like Civic and Sylphy only weighs light because they don't have anything much inside.

Your boss is also jolokia and feelfree boss. As far as I know, he is driven around in company's car that is Teana. What does that Teana have to do with VW? Besides, Teana gearbox is that fragile CVT, won't feel weird if its gearbox faulty for forgetting to change ATF at 60,000km mileage.

I did a similar poll too, had 10 cars to compare
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3201743

Of course Jetta is the best among the cars list above. And i drive this car everyday as my main car. I drive without hesitation with this car, and i am very often accelerate quickly flooring my gas pedal from traffic light till speed limit and DSG just superb and responsive unlike my previous Altis that i sold. I think Altis fit for girlish guy.
Jetta Really good car i must say. Driving and DSG seem inseparable.

Jetta is better in some aspects only. Not all.

Seems that Hyundai is offering the Elantra 1.8L Premium at about RM108K (OTR) after discount. This is the full spec model with sunroof, GPS, reverse camera, Napp leather seats, power driver seat, cruise control, push start, keyless entry, etc. 150PS, 178Nm. 6 speed auto. 2014 manufactured CKD model.

Is there a new model or facelift Elantra due soon?

Did i say among the car list above.

huh?

Bit surprised to see the Cerato getting most of the votes.

What's the ultimate purpose of your 'personal' criteria? As guide for purchase? As potential replacement for current car? For spouse?

Surprised to see Focus is not in the list. I'll pick it over others as driving satisfaction is more important for me.

Replacement for spouse

Yes driving dynamics its the best of the lot. Pricing vs kit offered is very good as well. But the super cramped interior and overdone dash are too big to ignore.

Any discounts being offered for the 2.0L Titanium +?

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: May 6 2014, 01:59 PM

Ok then. Voted. Sylphy. A Jetta would be wasteful.... unless she drives like a man.

She does. She's quite a good driver. Loves a fast drive. Doesnt want a boring looking car as well. Given a choice she would have gone for the Golf GTI

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: May 6 2014, 02:11 PM

Uh oh. If she has the gti in mind, then other cars on the list (apart from the Jetta) might not satisfy her.

Why not Mazda 3?

Sporty looks, better power than everyone else except for Jetta

Price is a hige factor as well. She doesnt believe in spending too much on cars.