We finally did it.
After months (almost a year!) of agonizing, we went ahead and bought a Proton Persona Special Edition.
I know what you’re thinking. A Proton? Why spend your hard-earned money on a Proton?
Believe me, I’m one of the biggest Proton skeptics you will find.
But after looking at the features and specifications, I found it to be a great offer.
The price for the Proton Persona SE came up to RM 59,800.
What!? Why don’t you topup 20K and get a City or Vios instead?
The short answer is, I can’t afford to pay 80K for a car.
Anyway, the car was delivered some time in March. And what a wonderful surprise we got.
She’s Got The Looks
The car is fitted with a sporty body kit, making it look really sleek and sexy. There were two colours, hazy blue and fiery red (I think). We chose blue but it looks more greyish.
Actually I think the car looks like an elongated version of the Gen2.
The car is about the same size as a Honda City. I kid you not because I have washed it (once) and it took a looong time to wipe it dry.
She’s Got the Space
One of the things you will not notice from the exterior, is the boot space. It has 440 litres of boot space, which is similar to what the Honda City and Vios have.
Look at how it can fit my baby stroller length-wise and all our luggage. Still some space for me to climb inside if necessary! I suppose if I ever play golf, it would fit my golf bag without any problem.
The interior of the car cabin is so spacious that it actually echoes when I talk. Of course it’s not the exagerrated echo but you can get the sense of space.
The height is really comfortable and there is plenty of leg room even in the back. For a relatively tall person like me, it feels comfortable. No more airplane-like seats during outstation travels!
Don’t believe me? Go to a showroom and check it out for yourselves la.
In this photo you can see how spacious it is inside. (Sorry about the angle, I was taking it while stopped at a parking lot, and it was too hot for me to go outside).
You can see baby Rachel’s Britax Royale car seat at the back (which costs RM1200 but it is sooo comfortable!)
She’s Got The Whole Package
The Persona SE comes fitted with synthetic leather seats (as you can see from the previous photo).
It comes with free window tinting.
It comes with ABS and air bags for driver and front passenger.
It’s a 1.6 litre automatic transmission.
It comes with digital odometer (can calculates your fuel consumption for you!)
It comes with GPS (not very user friendly, and not very reliable).
You can open the boot by remote control.
It has radio controls on the steering wheel.
It has cup holders and plenty of storage compartments.
It has electric adjusting side mirrors.
It has a set of low lights on the front bumper.
The thing that really inked the deal for me was auto cruise control. Yes! No more tired feet after driving long distance!
She Glides Like an Angel
Driving the car is by far the most pleasant surprise. I’ve driven a Honda City and I can tell you that the Persona SE feels the same, if not better.
The acceleration is smooth and responsive. It achieves highway speed without straining. You won’t realize that you’re driving at 90 or 100. It hardly reaches 3500 RPMs (unless you floor it).
My only complain is the pickup when the car is loaded with passengers and luggage. On the highway I found that I can’t get from 100 to 120/130 fast enough during overtaking. End up I have some angry BMW / Mercedes tail gating me when I try to overtake.
Maybe I’m just too used to the pickup of a manual transmission car.
It’s also quiet (compared to my previous car). Poey Chin can actually hear my low mumbly voice! It sure is nice not talking like we’re riding in a bus.
She’s Got Some Quirks
The only problem we’ve had was an alarm system warning after driving in a heavy rain. Somehow water got into the electrical wiring. It was fixed after drying the wiring off with compressed air.
Other than that, I haven’t encountered any other problems. Proton really takes their QC seriously. They inspected every component of the car and put a ‘Pass’ sticker on it. I spent a few days finding and removing all the stickers!
The rear of the car is also quite high, making it difficult to judge the distance behind you when parking. Care also must be taken when changing lanes as I notice a bigger blind spot.
I’m Happy
I’m really happy with my purchase. It has all the features of a City or Vios at an affordable price. The driving experience is something you will never expect in a Proton. It actually gives me confidence in the car.
In terms of quality (which was Proton’s weakness) I can definitely see and feel the improvement. No more ‘Milo tin’ feel on the body. Even the doors close with a satisfying ‘whumph’ instead of ‘clank’.
I have nothing but praises for Proton for a job well done. It is a good buy because you get so much value for your money.
You won’t find the same space, the improved quality, and the same features for any car priced at RM 60000.
May 11, 2009 at 23:15
what’s in a name? it looks like great value for money. it looks real classy too
Adino: Really good value. Of course, time will reveal the quality of the car. Still crossing my fingers
May 13, 2009 at 13:07
New car! Wheeee!
Nice to hear that you’re enjoying your new ride, adino. I’ve got meself a new set of wheels too, and having seen the Persona in the Proton showroom, I’d agree with the points of your review.
Adino: Yup, I saw your latest blog post
May 14, 2009 at 00:19
sounds like a good buy. let’s have an update in 6 – 12 mths – i’m curious about the petrol consumption & service costs.
Adino: Sure, no problem. The petrol consumption is around 7.5 litres / 100km. I would say that’s not bad for an auto car.
May 16, 2009 at 14:35
Wao~ The boot space is quite big ya… I am still driving my little Kelisa and I feel its boot so small, haha~ Congrat for owning a new car~!
Adino: Thanks. The boot space quite surprising, because from outside you won’t be able to guess it’s so spacious.
June 14, 2009 at 00:22
hey,
Thanks for the review… am considering a car to buy for family use…. does it come in manual? i love manuals and find auto’s kinda a lag when driving….
Adino: The Proton Persona Special Edition doesn’t come in manual transmission, but the normal Persona does.
June 16, 2009 at 14:10
cool… LOL kinda stuck with manual feel… more POWER!!!! wahahahaha!!!!
Adino: Yeah I guess
June 18, 2009 at 15:37
Hi! i’ve booked my persona SE last week. From ur experience, hows the quality and feel of this persona? any know problems either minor or major that i should weary of?
thanks in advance!
Adino: Congrats Khairil!
From my experience so far, the quality is surprisingly good for Proton, and the feel is goood
The only problem I encountered is, it is easy for water to get into your wiring in your engine compartment. You might want to avoid those engine wash for this reason, or may want to look into some better wiring water proofing.
June 19, 2009 at 14:51
thanks mate! really appreciate ur prompt reply!
Adino: No problem!
June 25, 2009 at 12:15
What!? Why don’t you topup 20K and get a City or Vios instead?
stupid la..vios is cheap car…real cheap car..
Adino: I’m not sure what to make of your ambiguous comment.
If you’re saying that I made an unwise decision, then I have to strongly disagree with you. You won’t get the same features from a base line Vios.
Also do understand that a Vios may be cheap for you, but it is beyond the reach of many people (including myself).
August 3, 2009 at 17:17
I’m going to have a Persona SE too, your review helps a lot to make me do this decision =)
Adino: Hope you have a great experience with your car! Are you getting blue gray or getting a red one?
August 9, 2009 at 16:23
hi adino u mention that water can get to the wiring when heavy rain, i also read this problem in a another blog. So how to overcome this? What u did then? did proton repair for U? thanks, i’m planning to buy one also.
Adino: At the time it happened, have to take to my local mechanic to dry the wires using compressed air.
When I mentioned to the Proton service men during scheduled servicing, they were checking the door sensors instead!?? Maybe I was not too clear in describing the problem.
But it hasn’t happened again since. I guess will have to wait for the next monsoon season to see if it becomes a problem again.
I read in Motor Trader forum that some Persona owners DIY to use silicone sealant to waterproof the wiring. But I’m not really sure where to apply sealant.
August 23, 2009 at 20:47
Thanks Adino for your opinions about Persona SE. I am also willing to buy it.
Adino: That’s great! Hey Proton should be paying for all this free promotion!
September 1, 2009 at 13:03
ah, The persona SE, i recently got one aswell, and im very happy with it. Though, i did experience several more problems than you have…
My Breaks makes some kinda noise after i drive for sometime and i wasnt even stepping on the breaks. The boot doesnt open with remote control, and my reverse sensors were retarded the day i got the car. they constantly beep even when theres nothing behind. i had to wait almost a month to get my sensors replaced.
Gah, Maybe im just unlucky.
Don’t get me wrong, i love the driving experience and everything else of this car, but im just noting that maybe proton doesnt have such good Quality Control after all.
Adino: OMG looks like your car had more problems than mine. I guess Proton has failed yet another customer.
Proton, please improve your consistency.
September 9, 2009 at 19:19
Hi Guys Am Amr Abdulkader from Egypt.
I booked a Proton Persona 2010 Auto H-Line yesterday.
i really like it alot and wish more success for Proton.
Just wanted to share this with you all
Adino: Hope you enjoy your car!
September 24, 2009 at 01:25
Hi Adino.. i plan to buy Persona SE bcoz of its design. But my friends suggest me to buy Gen 2 cps bcoz of performance.. what do u think?
Adino: I think you should go for what you like, if performance is important, and what you can afford. After all, it’s you who will be spending most time with the car.
October 14, 2009 at 13:58
hi Adino..
nice car..hows ur ride after experiencing it for a few mths?
would like to know whether u put a dwnpyment when u booked this car..hope u can share.thanx!
Adino: Hi Naddy, thanks for your commment.
After using the car for a few months, it is still performing well. No issues encountered so far
I placed a minimum down payment for booking, and the balance was paid when car was delivered.
November 21, 2009 at 23:51
one more thing is that the turning radius is so big.
Adino: Yes, the turning radius is bigger compared to other cars. The car seems to be ‘longer’
December 14, 2009 at 23:49
Hi Adino…
I am planning to buy Proton Persona SE bec price cheaper n car design look nice.But as get from other source info say that there have some engine noise problem which cause by the Campro IAFM Engine(Persona n Saga also) after few month drive.”….After the 10,000 km service, the engine started to make noise. It’s kind of wind sound (like water boiling sound) when the speed reach 110 km/hour. Not only that, when the vehicle slow down after the ‘high-speed’ run (just to describe this scenario..ahem), the sound can be heard clearly too especially when the vehicle started to move…..”"So hw about ur opinion/comment about this Campro IAFM engine problem?
Adino: Hi! Thanks for visiting my site.
My car has not reached 10K km yet, but so far so good. I also notice the ‘wind’ sound (reminds me of a TIE fighter from Star Wars). I’m not sure if its the type of water boiling sound you heard about… but to me it sounds like a normal engine idling sound.
The engine sound cannot be heard from within the car, unless you open your window or door.
Personally I still feel the Persona SE is a good buy, unless you have a big family. Then you may want to consider the Exora or Alza.
January 15, 2010 at 10:54
It comes with digital odometer (can calculates your fuel consumption for you!)
hi adino..
i already get persona se…
how digital odometer work?
how to setting to calculate fuel cosumption…
Adino: Yay, congrats Daus!
On the dashboard there is two button right? If you press the right button, it will switch the display. I think it will show:
Total km since last reset
Total km
L/100km -> This is the fuel consumption. Should be 6 – 7.5 range
Estimated Km until zero fuel
Estimated time until zero fuel
Pressing and holding the left button will reset the numbers on the display.
I think you can check the user manual for more details (in case my memory fails me)
January 22, 2010 at 18:42
Hi Adino
I’m now a Iswara A/B user..but soon gonna change to Persona SE (Brilliant Red).
Already book it..maybe gonna get it next week..
I also like Vios or City but I just can’t afford to pay 80K for a car.
Hopefully I’ll love it just the way you did:)
Adino: Yay, welcome to the club Rina! Red is a very nice colour for the car.
thanks for your review
January 27, 2010 at 02:10
Wazzup adino..
Ur ride sure look nice.. I’ll get mine own Persona SE in a few days coming.. Just want to know.. How fast have u got?
Adino: Wazzzupppp! Hehe.
Welcome to the Persona SE club! I think I got my car within a few weeks.
What colour did you get?
February 19, 2010 at 02:16
hey adino…
i’m just thankful that i happened to come across your blog, before making up my mid on what car to get… well, I’m in a similar situation as you was, where i really want a vios or a city, but my gut tells me that it isn’t worth it spending 80k on a car when i don’t earn that much…. i recently went to the proton showroom, and was really attracted to the persona SE… I still have some doubts though, but referring to your experience, I hope mine will be the same, if not better!! thanx
Adino: Perhaps you could try to ask for a test drive, so you can see how it handles on the road. Some people may like it, some people may not.
Thanks for leaving your comment and good luck in your car hunt!
February 20, 2010 at 19:16
Hye adino..
i choose a brilliant red(prefer a black persona se if they ever made one).. what a beauty.. well, can’t wait to take it for a long ride.. he3..
even i discover small problem after a day i got it (power window sound like rattling), but still i think it is worth it.. will send for repair or replace a new motor if possible..
Adino: Red is a great colour! You should get the window fixed during your first free service at Proton. Should be under warranty?
March 6, 2010 at 10:44
Hi, i also bought mine, for more than a month, actually the drive is good, firm n solid that i expected, n the auto cruise is just a kick ass if driving on highway to kuantan, u can basically lift ur legs up, lol (dont do this, its dangerous…), the onli porblem i encounter is the shock absorber seems to b not so good for mine, got squeky sound when goes over bumpy roads or holes (even a small one), will wanna sound this on my next service. Btw, the alarm key sometimes fails to respond directly, not sure does this happen to u as well….
Adino: Yeah, I love auto cruise!
I don’t have any problem with my shock absorber, probably should complain and get it replaced in your next service. I have problem with my alarm key also, after I dropped it a few times.
March 9, 2010 at 13:09
KS…ur problem same like me..adino u got 1 or 2 floor mat?
Adino: I got two floor mats, one is the normal type, the other type I found wrapped in plastic inside my boot, which is the ‘bulu’ type hehe
March 23, 2010 at 15:29
Hye adino..
Have you see the new persona facelift??? what do you think man?
actually, i just got my persona in january.. n after three month they launch a new one.. even the salesmen doesnt know anything about it.. all i can say is, the H-line price is almost the same with SE.. just wanna take my hand on that new side mirror..
Adino: Hi! No I haven’t seen it, don’t have much time to go look it up. But I’m sure it looks sexy!
March 31, 2010 at 21:38
Hey Adino, u mentioned that u can open the boot by remote control. But my Persona SE 2009 don’t have that button to open the boot by remote control. How many buttons do u have on your remote control? If u don’t mind, can u post a photo of your car remote control?
Thanks!
Adino: My remote has two buttons, a big one (for lock/unlock), and a small one. If your car is locked, the small button will trigger the alarm. If your car is unlocked, the small button will open the boot.
July 8, 2010 at 11:21
hye again adino..
long time have i not reaching you.. he3.. after frustrated with proton unleashing the new persona after 3 month i bought it.. huh, but one thing i realize the different is the persona old grill still look more “garang” then the elegance.. but still, i envy the new elegance.. by the way, my adik just bump into a divider and got the first scracth.. a big one.. wa..
Adino: The new elegance really looks nice, with many features from the SE. I love the new colours too!
Aiyo, must be really ‘heart pain’ to get the scratch. Any luck repairing it?