16th Jan 2006, 04:07

I bought my Iswara on August 2004 and I think its fuel consumption is very high. The belting is also noisy, especially on wet roads.

23rd Feb 2006, 19:29

Just bought the Iswara 1.3 recently and for the price during the Feb. promotions, its' great value.

The dash is quite updated although everything is obviously plasticky.

Body is as rigid as anything that came out of the 80s.

But the engine, at 90 bhp with new extractor and rubber-less rear windscreen, it tipped the scale over the 50% mark for a sure buy.

Compared to the base 850cc Kelisa or a Kancil, it beats the rest for size itself.

Surprisingly, I was convinced to buy one after first rejecting it totally.

28th Apr 2006, 10:28

Hello!

I will be returning home very soon and am planning to purchase my first car. As a young lawyer, I am only able to afford a car that is worth about RM 32,000 and am planning to set aside every month the sums of RM 500 (for installment payment) and another RM 250 (for maintenance and petrol). Having set this budget and thanks to the NAP, it appears to me that I would be able to afford an Iswara 1.3 (A) Aeroback.

Would this be a wise choice for me? I would be very appreciative if other readers could share their views with me. Many thanks.

2nd May 2006, 02:10

You are looking at economical versus quality when you plan to buy iswara auto. In my opinion it is worth your pocket money because it is one of the most affordable car in the market (1.3 cc Class). Quality wise is just average. I would not say it is poor. Proton cars are more easy to manage because we can get spare parts almost anywhere. I was always told that maintenance is the most important no matter that car you are driving. Be it a proton or any other branding. For people with many monetary commitments, I truly suggest that you go ahead and purchase it.

2nd May 2006, 22:17

I am currently driving a 4WD and planning to purchase an Iswara A/Back 1.3 NPS which cost about RM31K++ because my work do not need me to travel off-road anymore. Please advise me on this matter. I understand that the fuel consumption of the Iswara is not high. What about maintenance and spare parts? I understand the NPS model is without power steering. Can I install the system later? Please advice. Thank you.

16th May 2006, 20:49

Hi.

Can anyone help me by indicating the make (just brand name will be a great help) of Proton Chancellor, Proton Gen 2, Proton Savvy, and Proton Arena fuel tanks.

Thanks in advance.

26th Aug 2006, 22:03

I'm using 1.3 M Sedan. Year 1996. Second hand car. But after did a few MOD especially braking system, a bit engine part, Power Side mirror (taken from Nissan Sentra B13), 16" Rims, and finally paint all the car body (inside/outside), it's still quite nice to drive. For fuel consumption, please change the carburetor kit (for 7 year's old cars), so your fuel will save again. All the part's still cheap and easy to get at Auto spare-part shop. So my rate to this car is 80% good compare to other's proton model such as Wira, Satria, Perdana and Waja. The new one Gen2 and Neo still in discussion to buy it.

9th Sep 2006, 05:40

I'd just bought a Proton Iswara 1.3 A/B (2004) second hand. I am very grateful to have this car that really satisfies me.

I had the same problems as others mentioned before. I don't think it's a big deal. As a second hand car, I feel like I'm driving a new one. No problem whatsoever with the engine and fuel consumption. I think it depends on the way you drive; if you drive your car roughly, the fuel consumption will be higher as well.

Overall, it is a good car to fit your budget, and the space is not too bad.

8th Dec 2006, 00:17

I owned a 1998 Iswara A/B 1.3M and already used for 8 years. It is an economical car in terms of low fuel consumption (12KM/litre) and very cheap maintenance fee. The engine is quite reliable even after 8 years old. Off course, basic sustaining (follow service schedule/taking care the hardware exterior/interior) is the only way to extend the life cycle. The big problem I have now is the rusty starting pop up over the body (door/roof/bonet). But this can be fix easily to paint over the entire body (cost RM2,000).

I believe this is a good car for a family.

24th Dec 2006, 10:16

I owned a Iswara 1.3 A/B (1994). Well it’s about 12 years I owned it, yes, I also have the same problem that mention before, but not a big deal. This is a carburetor engine, not injection engine, so this engine is reliable in it’s class. Yes, a little bit high in petrol used, but low cost in service. For the young one, you can make Iswara in ‘sporty’ way, and for the family ones, it’s suitables for the whole family…..

12th Mar 2007, 14:44

I am writing as of 12th March 2007. I bought a brand new Iswara sedan 1.3 on Nov 2002 for Rm 40k. It's the "extra" model with thicker carpets and cloth door trim. Now the market value is around Rm 15/16k, a used car dealer willing to take it at Rm 12/13k. Recently Proton just announced the new price of Iswara A/back starting at Rm 26k!! I guess the market/used car value now must be Rm 13k/10k!

My point is : When bought new, my loan was Rm 30k (down payment 10k), settlement figure now is 14k. So, I need to top-up 1k-4k to dispose of the car. I am Malaysian buying a Malaysian product, I earn Rm 1.5k/month, paid a down payment of 10k, used the car for more than 4 years, & at the end I lose, the Malaysian buying the Malaysian product!!!

The funny thing is I got the Rm 10k for the down payment from a Magnum 4D strike... he, he.

Just imagine you're a fresh local university graduate, buying a new Iswara for 9 years loan. When you finish the loan payment, you're married with 3 kids! So what will be your next car replacement? Another new Iswara? No dear, we'll use the existing car for another 10 years & buy the low cost house instead!

The truth is I feel cheated, honestly... the car is only 4 & half years old, can't at least I get back Rm 4k?

OK, enough of my sad story, let me tell you guys about the car. When new, the boot & rear carpet leaked (after heavy downpour), the alarm triggers if I park under the sun for more than 5 hours, usually before I go for lunch. It's due to a melting/sticky boot light switch (as though a door is not closed properly - triggering the alarm). I could see sparks whenever I opened the boot at night. I dare not open the boot if the car is wet/rain! The "low fuel" warning light remains on even with a full tank. The driver's door window nearly came off when winding up/close.

Surprisingly, the car has some good points. It could reach 180Km/h, but only for less than 5 minutes, because above 160Km/h, the engine temperature gauge starts to rise & the trees by the roadside are a good wind indicator - stay below 100Km/h if the branches swing violently. Be warned, it may catch you by surprise - a scary one!

A full tank costs Rm 82. Mine is a manual transmission, so town driving it does an average of 550-600km, and on the highway I manage 750-800km! Now that's cool! The original battery lasted me 80k (3 years old). It's the Century brand & it doesn't produce that white rusting powder. It lasted so long maybe because I leave it idle after every 1st start of the day. The original Sime tyres also lasted a long time; replaced those at 100k! Yeah, I can't even believe it myself, & that's without a single alignment done in its lifetime; just the routine tyre balancing from time to time. The replacement tyres are those imported Japanese brand (Falken) at Rm 90/pc!

Now it has covered 120k & is still on its original brake pads! I always keep the spare brake pads, which I bought a year ago in the boot - only costs Rm 30 (OEM).

The windscreen cracked 2 years ago - never got bigger (this usually happens when you start the car, switch on the air conditioning to the max, & drive off immediately after parking the car under the hot sun the whole day).

The car serves me well... it's a pity the value doesn't.