In Cars, Honda, Local News, Proton / By Jonathan Lee / 14 December 2018 1:47 pm / 199 comments

It’s safe to say that Proton’s first ever SUV, the X70, is the talk of the town – and one of the questions on everyone’s lips is how much does it cost to run. The car’s pricing, which ranges from RM99,800 to RM123,800, puts it right in the middle of the hotly-contested B- and C-segment SUV markets, so we thought we’d compare the maintenance cost of the X70 to that of the segment’s big hitter, the Honda CR-V.

Before we begin, do bear in mind that the X70 is much, much cheaper to buy in the first place, as the CR-V is priced from RM138,308 to RM163,191 – that’s a difference of around RM40,000 model-for-model. Both cars come with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

We compared the price of each service interval for both cars in two-wheel drive form, with the CR-V being the 1.5 VTEC Turbo version. We calculated that, minus the cost of fuel and other consumables, the X70 would be just over RM1,000 more expensive to run over the course of five years compared to the Honda, at RM4,921.20 versus RM3,863.41. That’s not a huge difference, but the CR-V is cheaper, and here’s why.

First of all, the Proton requires five litres of engine oil for each change, rather than just four for the CR-V, and while its air and dust/pollen filters are significantly cheaper than the Honda’s, they also need changing more frequently. As such, even though the X70 has free labour for the first five intervals (Honda offers it for alternate services), only its 30,000 km service is cheaper.

The reverse is true for the transmission fluid – the CR-V’s CVT needs to be refilled every 40,000 km, but doing so costs a comparatively affordable RM141.50, whereas the X70 automatic gearbox hits you with a RM500.96 bill at 60,000 km. That’s also the interval for the Proton’s radiator coolant change, resulting in a rather painful sum total of RM1,269.66.

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The trend continues further down the line, as Honda utilises more expensive parts but delays the replacements of big ticket items for later on. The CR-V’s coolant refill (RM201.05), for example, doesn’t occur until the 200,000 km mark, while the use of iridium spark plugs (pretty pricey, at RM431.05) means that they only need changing at 100,000 km, rather than every 20,000 km as with the X70.

Running costs for the X70 are likely even more expensive when you consider that the Premium model runs on 19-inch wheels (17-inch for the Standard, 18-inch for the Executive), which would make tyre replacements much pricier than the CR-V on 18-inch rollers.

Of course, it should be noted that these are just cost estimates based on the manufacturers’ recommendations, and that actual prices may vary depending on usage. It also goes without saying that these prices are subject to change, especially as Honda is currently offering a 15% discount on parts.

Also of note is that the CR-V 1.5 VTEC Turbo’s engine oil changes are based on the condition of the oil, rather than mileage. We’ve taken the liberty of including the price of engine oil and oil filter for each service, but do bear in mind that these figures do not include labour charges for oil and filter changes.