
محسن علي
Jul 8
This is my first car after graduation. I was looking for something affordable with a manual transmission to practice driving. I was originally planning to get the Chery Arrizo 1.5T manual, but it was discontinued by the time I was ready to buy. I looked at a few options and ended up choosing the MG 5, mainly because it came with a manual and had the space I needed. I sat in another (cheaper) car, but it felt too cramped — I'm 183 cm tall and on the heavier side, so interior space matters to me. The MG 5 felt a bit roomier and more comfortable for the driver. Exterior design? Honestly, I’m not a big fan — especially the sloped rear. It has a bit of a “sporty” look, which isn’t really my thing. I prefer boxier, more classic designs. But at the end of the day, I’m the one driving — I don’t have to stare at it! I was going to get the grey version, but under the sun, it had a reddish tint, so I went with white instead. Interior? There are a few drawbacks. I got the base model with fabric seats — which I actually prefer over leather. But the headrest leans forward too much and doesn’t support the neck, so I bought a neck pillow. The glossy surfaces around the center console looked nice at first, but they quickly started showing small scratches. There’s also a trim piece on the passenger side that reflects sunlight strongly while driving. Features? No key ignition — just push-button start, even on the base model. No sunroof either, which honestly I don’t care about. What annoyed me is that the radio starts playing automatically every time I start the car — I have to mute it manually. The phone connectivity system is also buggy; the built-in map app can’t find places that Google Maps or other apps easily locate. Interior space? Very good — definitely roomy enough for me. Driving? I’ve driven over 1,000 km so far, and at least 300–400 km of that was on mountain roads (mostly fishing trips). The road feedback is very direct — and honestly, at this price, I wasn’t expecting more. It does the job.
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7I’m someone who likes a car to be practical and comfortable, so I was looking for something with enough space. Honestly, the GLC surprised me! The rear seat space is excellent, and the trunk is more than sufficient without any hassle. Sure, it doesn’t have a spare tire, but personally, I don’t need one—especially since it’s a daily-use vehicle. When it comes to interior design, Mercedes is always ahead. I looked at cars like the S90 and Q5 before, but I felt the GLC suited my taste more—especially with the natural wood trim instead of piano black, which gets dirty and scratched easily. The only thing I didn’t like about the interior was the speakers—they look very plain and don’t have any branding, so they feel like something’s missing. Driving the car is comfortable and stable. The 260 model with around 200 horsepower is more than enough for my needs, and I didn’t see a reason to go for the 300 model. I also test-drove the C-Class, but I found it too stiff and not comfortable, especially over bumps. Fuel consumption is currently between 8 and 9 liters per 100 km in the city, and since the car is still in the break-in period, that seems reasonable to me for a 2.0 turbo engine. What really bothered me, though, was the downgrade in features due to the parts shortage—especially the Burmester sound system, which they removed from all the new trims! I was planning to get it, but it completely disappeared from the catalog. On top of that, if you want to install it later through the dealership, they ask for over 30,000! Honestly, I’m thinking of going to an aftermarket shop and getting a good sound system installed myself. I moved from an old BYD to the GLC, and I can say honestly: no car is perfect, but the one that fits your needs is the best car for you. Sometimes you should look for what’s most suitable, not necessarily the most luxurious. And when you find a car that truly gives you peace of mind, you feel completely satisfied with your decision.
8I've had the car for about a month now, and honestly, I feel like it's a great fit for younger drivers. The design is sporty, and the interior space turned out to be better than I expected, so I didn’t hesitate to go ahead and place the order. At first glance, the look is pretty standard — nothing too flashy — and the car sits lower than most other SUVs. So far, I’ve driven around 600 km. Fuel consumption is currently between 8.8 to 9 L/100 km, mostly city driving. I haven’t taken it on the highway much yet, but I believe the fuel economy will improve over time. Acceleration is quite strong — it uses the same engine as the Civic — though I don't push it hard often; I only tried flooring it once just to see how it feels. The rearview camera is clear, and I didn’t install a 360° system since I’m used to using the mirrors, but I might add it later — blind spots are always a risk. Friends and coworkers who sat in the back all said the space felt pretty good. What annoyed me the most is the infotainment system. Wireless CarPlay has a 1–2 second delay, which isn’t terrible but still noticeable. I’ve seen people online claim some versions have zero delay — not sure how true that is. The voice assistant is also a bit frustrating; it sometimes activates randomly in the middle of a conversation and starts talking out of nowhere! The horn also sounds cheap — one guy compared it to an electric scooter and honestly, I couldn’t agree more. Another weird thing: there’s no one-touch window up/down feature, which feels like a missed basic feature. And the sound insulation is weak — you can clearly hear wind and tire noise, especially at higher speeds. I usually end up turning up the music just to drown it out — maybe that's just typical for Japanese cars? Overall though, as my first car, I’m pretty satisfied. I don’t have much experience with other cars yet, so this is just my perspective. Hope it helps anyone considering this car — no offense intended to anyone!
9Since I got the car, I’ve driven it a few times on intercity highways and elevated city roads. At first, fuel consumption was quite high — around 12 L/100 km — but after some regular use, it dropped to 7.8. It hasn’t gone any lower since then, even though I’ve only driven about 500 km in less than a month. Honestly, every time I refuel, it stings a little 😅. This is my first car, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but driving feels smooth overall. Once you hit 100 km/h, tire noise becomes noticeable, but throttle response during overtaking is pretty decent. The thing that annoyed me most is the infotainment system. There’s no built-in CarPlay, so I bought an external adapter. While it technically works, Bluetooth is unstable, and the navigation voice won’t come through the car speakers. On top of that, the system randomly activates and starts saying weird things, and the voice assistant sometimes greets you with “Hi” and other times with “I’m here” — honestly, it feels awkward. I’m not sure if all Japanese brands do this, or just this one. As for interior space, the rear seat area is quite good, but the new car smell is still strong, so I’ve thrown in a bunch of charcoal bags to absorb it. Overall, I’m satisfied for a first car, but there are definitely things that could be better.
10To be honest, I didn’t buy the Corolla out of strong conviction at first. Back in April, I quickly bought a used car from the local market before the Eid holidays. Turned out to be a total disaster. I was in a rush and didn’t have time to go to a mechanic or deal with any hassle, so I drove it for a bit, sold it, and moved on. After that, I decided I wanted to buy something brand new, something I could stick with for 10 years without any headaches. I liked the look of both the Civic and the Corolla. I went to check them out, and while the Civic was really impressive, it was a bit too expensive—so I settled on the Corolla. Overall, the car is smooth and comfortable to drive. But when you're on an incline or waiting at a light on an uphill road, you can feel it struggle to get going—you have to press the gas harder, and the engine gets louder without the car really moving much. The front seats are good, but the rear bench isn’t very spacious. I was honestly disappointed to find that the rear seats don’t fold down, so if you want to carry large items, you’re out of luck. As for fuel consumption—those people claiming 5L/100km, I honestly don’t know how they’re getting that. In the city, I’ve been getting around 6.8 to 7.2, and I’m not a heavy-footed driver. From February 2 to early April, I drove about 4,600 km because I was using it for errands after work and even took a long round trip to Alexandria. One thing I really noticed is that the car doesn’t handle rough roads well—you really feel the bumps. In traffic, sometimes the car shakes a bit when moving slowly around 10 or 15 km/h—not always, but it happens. There's also a faint squeaking noise, like the A/C button is slightly loose—it only shows up on bumpy roads. Still, none of this changes the fact that the car is generally reliable and stable. It drives easily, and honestly, I’m quite content with it—especially after what I went through with that used car. For anyone thinking about getting a Corolla, just be realistic about what you’re looking for. It’s a great car for someone who wants something long-lasting, even if there are a few things that aren’t perfect.