For those who want to achieve better FC in the Preve Turbo, you may want to try driving in Manual mode instead of D and maintain the speed at around 80km/h (rpms at 2000+/-) in both city and highway driving conditions. Use the paddle shifters to upshift to the highest gear possible. I find the fuel economy to be slightly better if driving appropriately in Manual than in D, but you have to play with the pedal. Avoid stepping on the accelerator for too many times and be gentle with the footwork.

Of course, it gets tired after a while and back to D.

Yes, the rpms are lower in D when compared to Manual at specific speeds but though I think the main idea is not to let the rpms go above 2000 in order to achieve good or better fuel economy. In gear 7(manual mode) at 80km/h the rpm is at about 2000. To achieve good FC, the speed has to be capped at 80km/h and not higher.

The impact on fuel economy between driving in D and Manual mode may be more into city driving where acceleration in low speed or constant change in gears 1 to 7 are present. I don't know about your car but in my car, when you accelerate in D, say from 0km/h to 30km/h or 10km/h to 40km/h, I find the sound or growl from the engine to be slightly louder than accelerating the vehicle using the paddle shifters. Although the rpms in D are lower during acceleration, somehow the louder low frequency growl from the engine during acceleration suggests that the gearbox may be hunting for the appropriate gears before it upshifts to a higher gear. If on Manual mode, you can upshift to a higher gear using the paddle shifters say gear 2 to 3 once the rpm is around 1500. The engine doesn't growl too much in Manual mode when the gears are upshifting(at low rpms), but in D, even though the rpms are low, the engine growls louder when the car is accelerating.

From the observation above, I am not sure if there is a correlation between low rpms(in D) and better fuel economy. IN other words, the rpms in D can appear low on the speedometer, but in real life the engine may be using more petrol.

If one does a lot of city driving, bumper to bumper crawl, it can be useful to compare between D and Manual mode to see which mode will register better fuel consumption. My few driving sessions in Manual mode suggests that it is able to register slightly better FC than D in mixed driving conditions.

As for cruise control, I am not aware that it has raised the rpms by 100~200. However, even if it does, one has to take into consideration that there are no spikes in the acceleration and the rpms remain rather constant throughout since there is no sudden acceleration initiated by the driver. In other words, the computer controlled cruise control may register better FC than the human footwork on the accelerator.

D mode is surely the best as it is hassle-free and most convenient to use. With paddle shifters you have to constantly upshift the gears at the lowest rpm possible during acceleration. The vehicle has to be traveling at around 60km/h before 7th gear can be activated as the rpm below that speed is too low for the gear to engage.

In crawling bumper to bumper traffic or traveling on roads with many traffic lights and a constant change in speed from say 0 to 60km/h the fuel consumption of the Preve Turbo in D is bad. My short experience with Manual mode in these driving conditions is it registers slightly better FC than the D. Though as most have acknowledged it may not be most practical way for everyday driving.

Does anyone notice, for the Preve Turbo, the acceleration from standstill 0 to 40km/h with the paddle shifters in Manual mode is more effortless than in D. In bumper to bumper crawl in traffic jams, the acceleration from 0 to 40km/h in D is lethargic in the sense you need to exert more force on the accelerator/pedal in order for the car to move. In this sense, the sound from the engine when accelerating from standstill is always louder, and you feel a "dragging" sensation. In other words, it is a "heavy car" feel when you accelerate from standstill in D. There is a slight lag from the moment you press the pedal from standstill, hear the engine sound roaring then only the car moves forward. But in Manual mode using the paddle shifters, the acceleration is more instantaneous and there is little drag. The car felt lighter and not as heavy as in D. The moment you step on the accelerator in 2nd gear the car surges forward and the acceleration is uniform.

The sound from the engine between D and Manual mode is different. A louder low frequency (sustained) drone from the engine in D, and a more throaty(less drone) in Manual. Does anyone feel the same?

In Manual, when the car stops at the traffic lights, sometimes the vehicle will auto select 1st gear. However, users may choose to upshift to 2nd gear to accelerate the car from standstill (the design of the car still allows 2nd gear to be selected even though the vehicle is stationary). In Manual mode using paddle shifters, I usually use 2nd gear to accelerate the vehicle from standstill at traffic lights.

FWIW I do not like characteristics of the vehicle in D when it is engaged in bumper to bumper traffic crawls, or when traveling on roads with many speed bumps due to the "heavy feel" and dragging of the vehicle when accelerating from low speeds. Say when you approach a speed bump, you slow down your vehicle and then after the speed bump you step on the accelerator, then you repeat the same again when you approach the next speed bump further ahead of the road. I prefer the characteristics of the Manual mode when the vehicle is subjected to these (repeated) driving conditions, ie. accelerating the car from 0km/h.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Sep 12 2014, 07:58 AM

In contrary to your belief that Manual mode uses more fuel, my experience proved otherwise. It may be useful not to judge purely on the lower RPMS you are getting in D alone, but in actual real life driving conditions. You have to bear in mind that even if Manual mode registers a higher RPM than D in any given speed, just by keeping the RPMs below 2000 in Manual mode will register good fuel economy too, and in my experience better than D.

I have been driving the Preve Turbo for 13 months now and the petrol will need to be refilled in the 4th day(about 100km+/- left of petrol). For the whole of last week I was on Manual mode 95% of the time, I refilled on the 5th day with about 150km left.

Also, as a rough check, one may look at the "km left" on the display screen to judge whether D or Manual mode is more economical after a routine day's trip. With Manual mode, I seem to have more kilometres on the meter left after one day trip(more fuel left in the tank).

A disclaimer that since traffic conditions and driving patterns are not fixed variables, the comparison is not an entirely accurate assessment but still, the results do show.

Well, it is horses for courses in your comment that it is not practical to use Manual mode in stop go stop go traffic. I have been driving a Proton Waja manual for more than 10 years in traffic jam situations and although it is quite a chore, it is not too bad in most driving situations. Only more work required during bumper to bumper traffic that stretches up to 30 minutes. With the paddle shifters in the Preve Turbo, changing gears manually is much easier than a vehicle with Manual transmission since there is no clutch pedal and you don't need to change gears using the manual stick but just a flick on the paddle shifters.

I have been on Manual mode for the whole week last week, and I am getting used to it now. Only problem is I need to limit the speed on the highways to 80km/h on Kesas(the highway speed limit is rated at 90km/h) and buses and lorries sometimes overtake my vehicle. But the mileage is great when traveling at these speeds. The mileage meter(km left) on the display goes down very slowly.

Actually as others have mentioned, D is usually more than sufficient for all driving conditions. The Sports mode is able to maintain the speed when going downhill too, though the RPMs will usually be higher. Personally I think the Manual mode is useful for those who want to have some fun with their vehicle, or those who like to tinker around with such stuff. For myself, I don't particularly like the acceleration from low speeds or standstill in D, hence my preference to use the Manual mode nowadays. I have no issues using the Manual mode in everyday drive and have been using it for 2 weeks now. Only when i intend to drive faster than 80km/h I switch from Manual to D.

Yes, one may find the steering of the Preve to be light. However, when the steering of the Preve is compared to other vehicles such as Nissan Sylphy or Ford Focus, these steerings are significantly lighter. Of course, it is all relative.

The first generation Cefiro must be quite a difficult vehicle to drive since you mentioned the steering is heavier than the Preve.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Sep 12 2014, 11:30 AM

Yes, Sylphy's steering is very light. That is where my comment on the heavy steering of the Preve had come by. I have owned the 1st generation Sylphy for more than 5 years before selling it for the Ford Focus. Initially I have no complaints on the steering of the Sylphy although I do find the feel to be lacking, but when I experienced the steering of the Focus, that is where I realised the steering of the Sylphy cannot match the feel and control of that in the Focus. Despite the steering feel which is subjective since it depends on personal preference, the strengths of the Sylphy is in the ultra-smooth CVT gear which is miles ahead of the CVT in the Preve Turbo in terms of smoothness, refinement and quietness. No sound at all from during acceleration and just a smooth acceleration. Engine sound is much quieter, and as a matter of fact the whole car is quiet.

NO experience with Cefiro. The new Teana cannot match the performance of the Cefiro? As far as I can recall the Cefiro comes in V6 too, and I have read that it is a fuel drinker.

I have test-driven the new Honda Accord 2.4 just last month. Steering is light too and lacking in feel which is typical Japanese handling(other than Mazda). Nissan and Honda vehicles have light steerings that are lacking in road feedback and feel. It will appeal to some who prefer this kind of steering feel but not so much to others such as myself.

I recalled the Cefiro V6 model. It is a Brougham. The Cefiro V6 Brougham used to be my "dream car" once 15+ years ago. Read good reviews on the car in most Auto magazines. But it didn't materialise as the car got phased out before I settled for a newer Nissan model.

Well, I am not sure on what grounds you have based your reasoning that Sports mode registers the best acceleration, followed by D and S, whether you have taken 0-100km/h times for all these driving modes. The CVT is supposed to be nice in terms of providing a smooth jerkless acceleration due to its infinite gear ratio. However, the CVT in the Preve Turbo isn't the most refined not only in terms of noise but the dragging and heavy feel of the car during acceleration from standstill. Sure, the D may be quicker than Manual mode in a 0-100km/h dash, but we are not talking about outright speed here. Whenever someone accelerates from standstill or out from a speed bump, it is not about slamming on the pedal to achieve great acceleration. It's more to the drivability aspects which for me is in having a smooth and quiet acceleration without the dragging or heavy vehicle feel.

In city drive, especially roads with many speed bumps or traffic light, for me, I stress for me only as others will not feel the same, the drivability is not very good due to the things that I have mentioned earlier in my posts(heavy feel of the car, the dragging feel coupled by a louder low frequency engine growl from the engine). You have to step on the accelerator harder for the car to move forward(you exert too little force on the accelerator the car won't move). And after you step harder on the accelerator, the engine sound gets louder and there is a lag of 0.5s to 1.0s before you feel the car moving forward. All these processes give the driver a sense of a heavy car, a "dragging" feeling. There is no doubt the Preve Turbo is a fast and powerful car that is able to register 9.6s in 0-100km/h where most similar segment vehicles cannot match, but we are not talking about outright speed here but the drivability aspects at low speed acceleration from standstill.

Don't get me wrong -the Preve Turbo is still a good car at its price point. Every car has its own strengths and weaknesses as no car is perfect. The Ford Focus is not entirely free from issues either. Although the Powershift transmission is silent and doesn't exhibit dragging during acceleration like the CVT in the Preve Turbo, there are jerks at low speed acceleration coupled by a grinding sound (akin to a bunch of metal gears grinding against each other) at low gear upshifting 1 to 2. Although the CVT in the Nissan Sylphy is a smooth operator and almost faultless(despite a lag when accelerating from standstill), the handling and steering feel are lacking.

All of the above just show that there isn't a perfect car, and there is car for everybody. The Preve Turbo is surely value for money at a shade below RM70k, but at the RM100k mark and above, the quality and refinement of vehicles usually get higher with the exception of some vehicles such as the Honda CRV 2.0 low spec(which at RM150k+/- the interior feels cheaper than the Preve Turbo)

For item no. 1, I have sound from my seat but in my case it is more to the seat itself, I suspect something that is inside the seat. And yes, everytime the vehicle goes over speed bumps, there is this noise. Not sure if the "ktak" is the same sound we are referring to as it may be different. The noise from the seat in my vehicle sounds like there are air pockets in the seat, not exactly steel knocking against steel kind of sound.

For item no. 2, no issues with the driver's windscreen.

For item no. 3, for the first few months I experienced the same rattling sound from the right hand side of the dashboard when the car is accelerating. Seems like coming from inside the air-cond vents. After a while, the sound disappeared by itself, so no more issue. You may live with it for a while and see if the sound disappear by itself after 1 or 2 months. I would suggest not to dismantle the dashboard or anything to rectify the rattling sound if it is not so serious. Otherwise, there may be more sound that pops up later due to other loose parts, from my experience.

Thanks. Good to know that you feel the same with the Suprima S. In crawling bumper to bumper traffic jams, or roads with lots of speed bumps, it is a bit dreadful to drive the Preve Turbo. It is indeed a juggling trick in exerting the right amount of force onto the accelerator during crawling traffic. Step on the accelerator with too little force and the car won't move much, step slightly harder and the car only starts to move forward at a more constant acceleration but at the expense of the low frequency drone (and louder sound) from the engine. The sound from the engine during harder acceleration from standstill is not very pleasant to the ears.

Having said that, the Preve Turbo/Suprima S' performance when the car is already cruising at speed is excellent due to the Turbo engine. A tap on the accelerator when the vehicle is in motion and you will feel the Turbo power at work as the car accelerates quite effortlessly.

I now use Manual mode most of the time even on the highways as the acceleration during standstill (in Manual mode) doesn't feel as lethargic as in D. There is less dragging feeling. In Manual mode, the gear automatically downshifts by itself so the driver only needs to do the upshifting via the paddle shifters and nothing more. A lot less hassle when compared to a conventional manual transmission vehicle.

One thing in Manual mode is to always use 2nd gear to accelerate from standstill. As khairilyazit mentioned, the pre-fixed ratios of the Manual gears are too close together. The car will auto-select 1st gear most of the time when the vehicle comes to a halt at the traffic lights ie. stationary. One can use the paddle shifter to upshift to 2nd gear. Accelerating with 2nd gear from standstill is more practical than in 1st gear as the ratio between the two gears is too close together.

When accelerating from standstill (0 km/h) in Manual mode using 2nd gear vs. D, the difference is there is less dragging heavy vehicle feel as the acceleration is more instantaneous in the former than the latter. The slight lag in acceleration in D when accelerating from standstill is not felt in Manual so much as in Manual, the car responds better. With a slight step on the accelerator, the car will move forward, unlike in D where there is a lag coupled by the low frequency drone from the engine.

Yes, I share the same sentiment that gears 1 to 5 are too close in the ratios. Should spread them further apart. The gear ratios between 5 to 7 are acceptable for me though. If Proton can spread the ratios in the lower gears (1st to 4th) further apart, then perhaps 7th gear can used at a higher rpm, say 90km/h @ RPM2000. (currently 80km/h @ RPM2000 in 7th gear). In would more practical to drive in Manual mode if the gear ratios are spread further apart.

Anyway I guess there may be reason Proton adjusted the gear ratios to that manner.

Not too sure on the air filter vibration sound when the rpm is at around 2500. Do you mean the loud low frequency drone or humming of the engine at those rpms?

If plastic box vibration sound, then I don't have this. The sound doesn't come from inside the vehicle but from the engine itself which is outside. It is the sound of the engine that I am referring to.

THanks for the information. Hopefully this "plastic" vibration sound in the non-Turbo variants can be sorted out. The vibration sound I am referring to is predominantly the sound from the engine.

Yes, accurate description which I experience in my vehicle as well. This is the vibration or "low frequency drone" from the engine I am referring to.

The vibration and low frequency drone are most prominent during full throttle acceleration(depress fully to the metal). Of course there will be sound in other cars during full throttle but the sound from the Campro Turbo engine of the Preve Turbo is different in an unpleasant way.

With light footwork, the sound of the engine during acceleration at low speeds is still bearable though at mid-speed acceleration the low frequency drone is louder.

Ok. I presume this is a trait of the Campro engine which emits a louder and unpleasant growl when compared to a more robust and linear growl (rather pleasant) from other Japanese and European engines. And softer growl too even if depressed to the metal in full throttle.