Proton Impian 1.6 GLS

The Impian is a mid-sized family saloon made by Malaysian firm Proton. I recently bought a 2003 model from a used car dealer and I have to say that despite the mostly negative reviews floating around on the internet, I have found it to be a delightful vehicle. I previously owned a 1999 Vauxhall Vectra SRi and thought it was a great car, but the 2 litre engine was very fuel hungry and so I decided to down-size on the engine front. Being used to having a roomy car, I went for the Proton Impian because in terms of dimensions, it is quite similar to the Vectra. A lot of the reviews I have read elsewhere on the net claim that the Impian is a poor clone of other vehicles in it's class - namely the Mondeo and the aforementioned Vectra, but this is quite unfair. It's true that the Impian scrimps on the bells and whistles - there is no trip computer, for example - but it has all the features you could want in a car in this class. It has traction control, ABS brakes, alloy wheels, a brilliant 6-speaker sound system and front and back passenger airbags. To drive, the Impian is also perfectly acceptable. The 1.6 engine will not allow you to break the land speed record, but it is more than capable of accelerating quickly and comfortably maintaining 80mph for long periods without so much as a hiccup. The engine can be a bit loud at times, but this isn't really an issue for me as I drive with the radio turned up quite high anyway. Handling is very smooth and responsive, and the Lotus-designed suspension gives a very comfortable ride. All in all, I have found the Impian to be a great car. It looks nice too, and the clean lines give it an air of distinction. Indeed, at first glance you could be forgiven for thinking the Impian was a much more expensive brand of vehicle - one of my friends thought it was a Mercedes when he first saw it in the car park. To be honest, I really can't see why the Impian has attracted so many poor review scores - it's a really nice, clean looking car and the fuel economy is great. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a budget family saloon.