21 Things The Axia (E) Manual Doesn’t Have (Part 2) – 2018 Perodua Axia (E) Manual Review

Life is an interesting experience and one should cherish it.
Sometimes it requires you to do things you don’t want to do and sometimes you
get to do what your heart wants. It’s the latter that we usually appreciate
more.
I finally have time again to write the second part of the
Axia review. I believe we have 11 more things to cover regarding what the car
doesn’t have. Having driven the car more and more, I’ve come to realise that
there are more than just 21 things lacking in the Axia (E). So, I’ll be
focusing on things that matter more to make a short list of 21.
How has the ownership experience been?
Pleasant (so far) since I’ve been the only person driving
the car with at maximum, one passenger only at a time.
Is it fun driving a stick shift?
Through B-roads, yes. Through highways, yes. Through KL Traffic, no. I really am trying to be as gentle as I can on the clutch so it doesn’t wear out so soon. That means I don’t try to balance the clutch and throttle at a hill, I don’t stay in first gear with the clutch fully depressed at traffic lights, and I keep a safe distance in traffic to avoid unnecessary downshifts and upshifts.
See the first 10 items from Part 1 here
Let’s get back to the list with number 11..
11. The Axia (E) Has No Reverse Sensor…
…and so does the Mazda Mx-5 (At least the one belonging to
Beng from EvoMalaysia). So that makes the Axia a little similar to a little
Japanese roadster. The Axia deserves a little street cred for this. It’s a small
car with very little rear overhang so it doesn’t really matter most of the
time.
But sometimes it does.
When?
When you’re reverse parking in an area with parking safety poles.
They can be hard to see when reverse parking and in some
parking spots, they can be a little shorter than average. The ones at the Kg.
Sg. Penchala Petronas station are not painted yellow and aren’t very tall. Yes,
they do prevent you from reversing straight into the Mesra store but they could
use a bit more visibility.
One more case where a reverse sensor would be useful is when
you’re trying to parallel park at a busy street in town. Kids and dogs come out
of nowhere and so do adults glued to their smartphones. Kids and dogs
especially, are harder to see in the mirrors.
Want
or Need?
‘Need’. I don’t give a damn if some little Japanese roadster doesn’t have it either. They both need reverse sensors for obvious safety reasons.
12. The Axia (E) Has No Foot Rest
In an automatic, it’s fine to not have a foot rest because
your left foot can be anywhere. You could even put it on the seat if you were
that reckless. Having a foot rest allows you to rest your left ankle,
especially in busy traffic. It’s still fine, I take getting to rest your ankle
as being a luxury. You’re also not going fast in an Axia, so you won’t be
needing that extra edge for fast shifts. Now, most entry level cars don’t have
footrests, especially if they’re a B or A segment car. My guess is that there
is just not much space to fit one in there.
The Mazda 2 I drove the other day had a footrest, but it
fits nicely in there because there is no clutch. So that’s fine. But I’m sure
most you manual drivers prefer having a footrest in your car.
Want or Need?
‘Want’. It’s just a matter of having your foot 0.2 seconds faster to the clutch anyway.
13. The Axia (E) Has No Radio/Audio unit & Speakers
You’ve probably heard of the Axia with no radio and this is the
car. It’s the most common way to describe the car yet I left this out in the
first part, because most of you would have known anyway.
Does it matter that there is no radio?
No. At least not to me in the beginning. Since there was no
tachometer and I had to get used to listening to the sound of the engine, it
didn’t bother me. But now that I’m used to it, it does get a bit boring when
I’m stuck in traffic or when I’m on a long drive.
You could always get a radio unit installed at an
accessories shop and it won’t cost you much. Definitely not RM10,000, which is
what you’ll be paying more for the Axia (G) Manual with sport rims, a radio,
and a few more features.
Want or Need?
‘Want’. A radio
is a luxury item and an aftermarket radio won’t cost you much. For now, I just
play something on my phone and put it in the cupholder.
14. The Axia Has No Seat Height Adjuster
When was the last time you adjusted the seat height in your
car?
Exactly.
Want or Need?
‘Want’. Seat
Height Adjusters are barely used.
15. The Axia (E) Has No DVVT or VVTi
Remember when Perodua was really riding on the DVVT Feature
in the early 2000s? Well not any more. Variable valve timing is usually there
to provide better fuel efficiency and give you better performance at higher rev
ranges. It was something spectacular a few years ago but now it has become
pretty standard. Even the 3-cylinder engine in the Viva had variable valve
timing.
The Axia (E) just doesn’t have it. Heck, all the Axia models
don’t have it.
Remember this ad?
Has the lack of DVVT affected my experience with Axia?
Let’s talk fuel efficiency
Well, the Axia claims 22.5km/l in the brochure. We must
understand that these claimed figures are usually obtained by conducting tests
in very controlled environments.
I filled up RM50 of Ron 95 when it was at RM2.33 per litre.
That makes it 21.46 litres and I managed 409km with that.
So I get a fuel range of 19km/l. That’s 3.5km/l shy of the
claimed figure. But to be fair I was driving a rather aggressively and I was at
a lot of traffic lights.
Fair enough?
Well I was hoping to get over 20km/l at least. I’m not very
satisfied, but fair enough. Better than my 2007 Persona at least. (10.4 km/l in
standard KL conditions)
Will we get better fuel economy with VVT? I’m pretty sure we
will.
How does the lack of
variable valve timing affect the performance of the Axia?
It feels a little strained at high speeds.
Will VVT make it faster or more powerful? Maybe, but then
we’ll have to upgrade the tyres and suspension to be able to handle the speed.
Want or Need?
I’d say ‘Want’ if
it’s performance that you’re seeking. I’d say ‘Need’ if the VVT is capable of improving fuel economy. It depends.
You could have a well-engineered 3-cylinder engine with no VVT. But it will
either be optimised for performance or be optimised for fuel efficiency. You
have to choose.
16. The Axia Doesn’t Have Front Corner Sensors
It’s a small car so it doesn’t matter.
Want or Need?
‘Want’. This feature is for fancy people.
17. The Axia (E) Has No Assist Grip or a Coat Hanger..
..and neither does the Tesla Model S.
Does it matter?
It does to me. As mentioned in Part 1, for most of us, a car
is a mobile office or storage space. You go about a working day with the help
of your humble little car. Most of us only use the assist grips as passengers
in a car cornering at high speeds. It rarely happens, but it does.
Most of the time, we use the assist grips to hang a fresh
set of clothes. Whether they come with coat hangers or not, this seems to be
the main function of this particular feature for cars in Malaysia.
Want or Need?
‘Need’. It’s 2018.
Tesla sent a car to space. Coat hangers/Assist Grips should be standard for
cars.
18. The Axia (E) Doesn’t Have a Clock
This one’s a bummer. The only three information you can get
from the digital display are:
1.
Odometer
2.
Trip Distance
3.
Distance to Next Service
Maybe information on fuel range and fuel consumption rates
are luxury items, but a clock shouldn’t be one. I can’t look at my phone while
I’m driving so unless I’m driving around a clock tower, I can’t tell the time.
Want or Need?
‘Need’. Not everybody wears a wristwatch.
19. The Axia (E) Has No ABS with EBD
Image Source (Screenshot from Youtube Video)
ABS = Anti-lock Braking System; EBD = Electronic Brake
Distribution
My first experience with locking wheels (No ABS) was this
one time when I was going stupid fast in the rain on the Federal Highway near
the Subang Airport Exit with my Proton Persona (2007). It was fast moving
traffic heading into slow moving traffic. I braked hard and my car started to dive
to the right heading towards the divider. I was lucky enough that the overtaking
lane was closed off with traffic cones so I didn’t hit anything or anybody.
My second experience with locking wheels (also in my
Persona) would be in Port Klang. There was this traffic light with the
countdown timer with 5 seconds left for green. I was under the impression that
the car in front of me was going to make a run for it, but he changed his mind
at the last minute and slammed his brakes. I had no choice but to do the same. My
car didn’t swerve but there was a definite loss of control near the end of the
stop. I was lucky enough not to ram into the back of that 1999 black Honda Accord.
The point is, if you don’t have ABS, don’t drive like an
idiot. I did, but I was super lucky. Twice. This doesn’t mean you can drive
recklessly if you have ABS. It’s just that in an emergency, your chances of
collision would be higher in a car without ABS. I no longer drive like an idiot
(I think) and have never encountered a similar experience again so far.
Does ABS cost a lot to integrate with a car? I don’t know.
It certainly adds cost but I wouldn’t know how much it would be. We’d have to
ask someone with relevant experience
Is it bad that the Axia (E) has no ABS?
Well, it is the cheapest brand-new car you could buy in
Malaysia now. I’m not bothered with the lack of it. The majority of cars on the
road today (Malaysia, 2018) don’t have ABS. Just don’t drive it hard. Take it
easy and it will serve its purpose as a car that takes you from point A to
point B.
Want or Need?
‘Want’ for the
time being. It depends on the percentage of cars on the road with ABS. We’re
talking about the cheapest baseline car here.
What features the Axia (E) has should be the definition of a
baseline car in Malaysia.
This is just my opinion, but maybe if 75% of cars on the road have ABS, then all new cars (regardless of price) should be made mandatory to have ABS. It should be a product baseline for safety.
20. The Axia (E) Has No Centre Console
The A-segment and B-segment cars that I’ve been in so far
have no armrests. I believe it’s a size thing – smaller car means less space
for armrest. You can always buy these at Brothers anyway. I don’t, but you
could.
The Axia (E) takes this further by not even having a center
console. Usually smaller cars would have a place for you to put some stuff here
or they’ll have cupholders in this area. You can see the handbrake coming out
of the floor carpet and it’s pretty crude.
Do I care?
No.
Maybe you do.
If this was a Porsche 911 RS or some track prepped Aston
Martin, fancy people would call it ‘Spartan’. But since it’s a Perodua Axia so
most of us will just go “Ughh” instead.
It’s a matter of personal opinion.
Want or Need?
‘Want’. You barely look here when you’re driving.
21. The Axia (E) Doesn’t Have a Cover for the Vanity Mirror
This wasn’t in the list initially but after more than a
month of ownership, I’ve decided to add it. Some cars have a vanity mirror on
the passenger side and some have it on the driver’s side. Some cars even have
vanity mirrors for both driver and passenger.
I’m fine with none because I can always use the side mirrors or rear
view mirrors to see if anything is stuck between my teeth.
My problem with this vanity mirror is the fact that it doesn’t
have a cover.
When does one pull down the visor?
When it’s glaring.
Having something reflective on the visor doesn’t help make it
easier on the eyes.
I can also see my eyeballs in the mirror and it’s very distracting.
Glare and distraction are no good for safe driving.
Want or Need?
‘Need’. Either
remove the mirror or cover it. Having a shiny surface on an item that is
supposed to block glare is counter-productive.
Conclusion
It has been more than a month of ownership and the Axia (E)
will soon be passing the 2,000 km mark on the odometer. The Axia has been
driven through backroads, highways, busy city streets, and thunderstorms.
I certainly can live with it and that’s coming from a late 20s married man living in Petaling Jaya. This is also my second car for the family. For family trips, I use an old 2007 Proton Persona (automatic).
Is it comfortable?
Decent enough, it’s
just a bit noisy
.
Is it fuel efficient?
By my standards, yes.
It uses half the amount of fuel my Persona does when driven carefully
Is it sporty?
No.
Is it good value for
money?
Yes, if you can drive
a manual.
Is it beautiful?
Yes. To me at least. To
each their own. I fancy it as a little junior rally car.
Will it help you save
money in the long run?
We’ll have to see.
Should Perodua make
the Axia (E) automatic?
A brand new automatic
car for under RM25,000? Hell yeah. There are tons of middle class dads out
there who would get this as a second car for the family. The wife could use it
for the grocery run or the school run.
And you see those
families crammed up on motorbikes? They could use an affordable new automatic
car too.
Who else?
Young people starting out
in their careers. An automatic Axia (E) would be great. Don’t buy a car that
costs 3 times your yearly income. Find something you can more than just afford.
Remember, there’s going to be monthly payments, engine oil changes, battery
changes, tyre changes, transmission fluid changes, gas money, road tax,
insurance, wheel alignments, shock absorber replacements, brake replacements, unexpected
breakdowns, cooling system failure, and accidents. Just be financially and
mentally prepared for these things.
Some of you are good with cars and are competent enough to
own a used car. I salute you, my friend. But when purchasing a used car, always
remember that a car consists of many systems. Definitely not as many as the
human body but just enough to cut a hole in your pocket if you don’t know what
you’re doing. Each system has a potential for failure that could lead to a
bigger failure. Be sure to have a thorough look at the car.
Will I write more on my Axia (E) ownership? Maybe. I believe
there will more things to talk about in the future. But for now, let’s stop at
Part 2.
Until then.
What do you think about this one?
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