The Inspira Dairies: What the Inspira is Not.

[Dirty dirty, which is why you never follow a truck in the rain especially long distance driving]

The Inspira is not an economical car in Malaysian standards of car ownership. In Malaysia, the best car to buy on a budget is the Perodua Myvi (based on 2013/2014 car launches). It's practical, cheap to maintain, consumable parts are relatively cheap, runs great, have good fuel economy and basically everyone (or a relative) has one. The reason I said that the Inspira is not an economical car in Malaysia standards is because most people are used to Myvi prices of ownership.

Based on 1 year of ownership, these are the reasons I can think of.

1. It's has a 1.8/2.0l engine which requires roughly 4.3l of engine lubricant. You may think you can just grab any cheap motor oil to run your engine, but be ready to face bad compression and premature engine failure with high viscosity oil. Manufacture recommends engine oil specifications that to keep the engine running at the optimum performance with minimal tapet wear and valve distress (basically keeping your engine from failing), low viscosity fully synthetic motor oil is required. Do you know how much does the low viscosity fully synthetic oil cost? Brands or classification are typically Shell Helix Ultra or Castrol GTX3 which is about RM55++ per liter. For an oil change, it would require a 4l plus a 1l to fill the sump and engine compartment. And you know what? There is no saving the excess 0.7l of extra oil since opened unused oil starts to deteriorate in 3 months, therefore under normal usage or oil change at 10,000km/6 monthly interval changes would make it impossible to utilize the extra oil, unless you have another car which could utilize the excess. Total oil change with labour and filters would usually cost up to RM400 or thereabouts.

2. If you were to follow the manufacturer recommended service and maintenance specification, it would be very costly and usually in the price range of Honda Civic type maintenance prices. Cabin air filters cost around the best part of RM150 or thereabouts and the engine air intake filters cost about RM170++. These items are required to be changed at 1 year interval. Why? For the cabin air filter, since changing, the air from the AC was much fresher and a noticeable difference. In Malaysia with the humid climate, you would get mold growing in the cabin air filter. If not properly replaced, it would spread to the internals of the air ducts and spread into your lungs. Your decision, but in a car like the Myvi, you could probably get the cabin air filter for less than RM100. And for the engine air intake filters, they are just for optimum engine maintenance and performance.

3. Tyres cost are more than standard 13" to 15" tyre sizes. The Inspira starts with an 16" to 17" inch rims. That translate to tyre cost from reputable brands to be start at RM350 a pop for the lowest rung. Expect to pay for RM400 to 450 for good ones. That would cost at least RM1600 for tyres.

4. (This is based on Internet forum discussion) If you have the manual, you need change the clutch pads and the gear lub/oil at 80km interval (user recommendation). Lube are the super low viscosity type and expect it to more pricy than ecomonical alternatives. And there is a possibility of the hydraulic assisted clutch master and slave cylinder to be replaced especially the seal failure under spirited driving and clutch flogging. Cost are around RM1000++ for the set of master and slave cylinder. The problem for the slave and master cylinder might not be the cost, but rather the delivery time of the parts. (Personal note: it is the associated cost of enjoying a car with manual transmission where it is more fun)

5. Parts from Mitsubishi are expensive. Those body panels, items do come at an import tax and are expensive or basically not what you would expect from a Proton brand. Small items that might seem simple cost a lot. They are practically at the same price point as Honda parts at the Civic level. Don't expect Proton prices for this as the other items are Mitsubishi prices. Basically, you buy the car at Proton prices but maintain it at Mitsubishi/Honda price levels. I'll give a brief of items from Mitsubishi in another post.

Are this enough for me to regret my purchase? No!!! It's a fun car, a manual and that is how I like it. If you want something cheap and Godlike, get the Vios. I recommend it for people that couldn't be bothered about cars. Really, the Vios is a good car, just not what I would ever buy, just like some people would never buy Proton. See?