Owner Review: I planned to drive it frequently in Sepang but gave up - 2017 Toyota Vios J M/T (Dual VVTi)

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Basic information about my car

2017 Toyota Vios J M/T (Dual VVTi)  

Reasons why I bought this car

After ending my workplace which provided the use of a car, it was time to get my own vehicle as the new workplace does not have public transportation that allows me to commute from my home. Sharing the similarities with many readers here, I am also a keen driver and thus still have some joy in driving around, the freedom to move from places to places as well as the overall convenience of owning your own car.

Car Selection Process

• I had a budget of RM 80,000 and a new vehicle was the preferred option

• Model(s) that I have considered include: back in 2017, there was the Honda Jazz Hybrid, Mazda 2 Sedan (the Mazda 3 was a stretch), and Honda Civic FB (used)

Reasons why I chose this car:

I chose the Manual transmission of the Vios model (J variant) as I did have plans to drive it frequently in Sepang. Being an avid fan of motorsports, the Vios Challenge one-make race really excited me and further made me decided to go with the Vios J. I had the thought of converting my Vios to something similar (exhaust, bars, stickers, the usual suspects).

Unfortunately, the parts were incredibly expensive plus the engine is not exactly something associated with spirited driving/dragging the gears (fuel-cut red line is just 6,200 rpm). It is an eco-engine, made for the Asean region with specific consumer targets and sporty driving is not one of them. Thus, after two track drives, I decided to not pursue the path of ‘more focused Sepang drives’ and other dynamic improvements.    

I also really like the 3T6 Crimson spark red colour.

User Experience

• I have already done 97,000 km

Since the purchase, my thoughts about the car are:

The vehicle (and the UMWT fitted accessories: USB chargers and DVR) has been reliable and incredibly fuss-free. Just change the engine oil at the stipulated intervals.

Being a manual transmission, the clutch pedal has a much harder spring action (takes a lot of effort to depress it). Further to add to the not-so-great driving experience is the relatively high bite point. The clutch only starts biting nearly 70% of upward release.  

Driving in traffic congestion is incredibly tiring, especially at roads with ascends where all the negatives (heavy pedal, high bite point, no hill-start assist) just create ‘the perfect storm’.

The engine revolution is hovering at 3,100 RPM at the speed of 110 km/h. It does sound noisy (audible to occupants) as compared to vehicles these days with ultra-efficient CVT-type transmissions (only 1,950 rpm at the same speed).

The factory-filled MT fluid was replaced at 40,000 km too, as it felt difficult to slot into first during cold starts. It is now filled with fully synthetic MTF and this eliminated the issue.

Rev-matching with the factory accelerator pedal was not pleasing, as it is quite a distance from the brake pedal (excuses by a not-so-good driver :P). A friend managed to get an accessory set from Thailand that offered direct replacement from rubber to aluminum covered A, B, and C pedals.

I also changed the trim panels in the interior as I felt, since it is easily available, why not. They are widely available in Thailand.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Front seats offer good support thanks to the shape and hardness of the cushion

• UMWT-added driving video recorder and USB charging ports, so far so good (this was back in 2017 ya)

• Standard 2-DIN audio has plenty of equalizer settings (many stock 2-DIN doesn’t offer this much of spectrum)

• The new Dual VVTi (2NRFE) engine is very fuel-efficient and a whole lot quieter than the outgoing 1NZ. This was also mentioned by ‘Dugong’ owners.

• Fitment of VSC and works incredibly well, almost transparent

Cons

• No Multi-info Display for 'Range to go', 'Current fuel consumption' and 'Average fuel consumption'. (missing in J and E variants)

• No telescopic-adjusting steering column (nearer-further adjustment). The seating position is always compromised as the wheel is too close to the meter

• With the combination meter having three individual covers/buried deep, it gets difficult to read (due to lack of light) even at 5 pm or past 8 am

• Severe lack of storage spaces (no secured area for a current-day smartphone)

• Relatively slow steering speed (over 3 turns lock-to-lock)

• Clutch bite point is pretty high up the pedal, plus it is rather heavily spring-weighted too

• The accelerator pedal is tiny, making rev-match a little tricky (fortunately found a solution)

• Same experience with other owners: rear damping is too soft; lateral brace-bar will scrape the tall humps

• The handling does not offer confidence. the long-stroke suspension is still tuned for daily comfort

• No Hill Start Assist absolutely will notice (and want) it when you drive along Jalan Maarof Bangsar every day

Ratings

• Total Score: 3.75

• Performance: 3.5

• Quality & Features: 4

• Space: 3.5, lacking in storage spaces

• Ride Comfort: 4 (but handling 3)

• Fuel Economy: 4

• Price & Cost: 4

Summary

A well-equipped modern vehicle (start-stop button, Vehicle Stability Control, USB charging ports) for keen drivers who still want to change their own gears with Toyota durability.

Interesting events that happened to my car

It is now being used as a Grabcar and the thin paint doesn’t seem to stand the abuse from passengers’ egress/ingress :P

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