kush

I don't think it is a big issue. Your engine will perform best if 10W/30 5W/30 is used, this is what they recommend for Suzuki K12B engine. I use Toyota 10W/30 and found that the oil degraded by 5000 km or so, planning to chanege in to Shell Helix which was the oil used previously in the car according to the service stikers found in the car.

Depends on the vehicle and your average running. If you are running over 20K Km/ year and wants a SUV, diesel will still be a viable option

In my openion centre antena should be cheaper cos you cant use automatic car wash. Ooops I just remembered automatic car washing places are rare in SL. I wonder whether you could retro fit a centre antena

Poor guy would have dozed off at the wheel trying to keep the speed below 100 kmph on empty road with hardly any driver involvement. If he was speeding at least the adrenaline would have kept him awake. Paid with his life for not wearing the seat belt, good lesson for others including those travelling in the rear seat. (remind me of Lady Di accident)

Top speed : 185 KM/h Road : Green Path (1991) Machine : Yamaha Fazer Mods : None. What prevented you from going further : End of the road

Your engine K12B is dual VVTI, Suzuki is the only Jap brand i know of that don't harp about this fact.

These are prices in uk, different specs and including vat. If you compare even the E90 prices were somewhat in the same range. They got down the E90 320d auto for US$ 25,000/-, expected price jump from E90 to F30 is 3-5% so at least F30 318d Manual should be a feasible option. I'd rather go for that than waiting for god knows when in a Korean SUV

There is provision in the standard CD radio for AUX input, only issue is you have to get the correct cable/connector I'm searching for it will post details if I find one.

When you compare the two models on offer 318i & 320d, I agree with poscher diesel is better it has more power double the torque not to mention the higher km/l. I was told that the diesel is better car to drive. Only thing that kept me going for the 320d was F30, hope they will be able to get it down at US$ 25k, I will be the first in the que.

Permit cars are not transferable so no one can give leases cause they cant register them as absoulute owner of the vehicle. However almost all banks, finance co.s give loans to buy these vehicles to the permit holder. You will have to prove to them that you have the capacity to repay the loan by showning your income details.

Any idea on the fuel economy in sri lankan cnditions, i heard that 320d gives 10-12 kmpl in Colombo and 16-18 kmpl out station.

Check ebay, some sellers will ship to SL, since it is a small item shipping cost will be less and most probably will come to your home by post with out any duty.

1.8L is better on fuel cos it has more efficient dual vvti engine instead of vvti you get in the 1.5L I have a colleague who has a 1.8L which does 10 kmpl in Colombo and 15-16 kmpl outstation, which I think is same as what you get with the 1.5L, however you get more power with the 1.8L so it is a better car to drive.

IMO best is to get a car which is already imported cos you can personally go and have a look and decide and also you have the option of getting the darn thing checked by a expert or the local agent for that matter who will be happy to give you a full report for a fee which I think is worth the money. Personal import is ok if you someone personally known to you is shipping the thing, however it involves whole heap of paper work and for common models it is not worth the effort.

I had a go in E01 on 31st afternoon around 5.00 p.m very little traffic and the journey was very peaceful. Only issue was keeping to the speed limit of 100 kmph couple of times it went past 130 kmph without even noticing. IMO I think the speed limit should be increased to 120 kmph at least for cars. There were cops in 3 places with radar guns, and like in other roads you get the signals from people coming towards about them, so watch out for flashing lights. At the Galle end there were traffic cops with a sheet of paper looking at the number plates of the cars, hope they will not get smart and charge you on an average speed. (mine was 108 kmph) My Colombo – Matara journey which usually takes 3.5-4 hours took only 2.5 hrs with average fuel consumption of 15 kmpl instead of 12 kmpl which almost compensate the toll cost.

Isuzu Gemini although very popular sometime back is no longer in production. Sourcing parts will be difficult/ expensive. However I must say it was a excellent car at that time when you compare performance/economy/handling (this is compared to Japs Toyota/ Nissan/ mitsubishi) I suggest Nissan FB13 (Doctor sunny) or Lancer CB8 this might be within your budget if you are keen on a diesel.

Some times Corolla wagons skip generations, you want find a wagon for 80, 110 series 70 and 100 series wagons continued. You will find that AE/CE 100 wagons were manufactured till 1999.

You might be able to source the parts from UK, original engine for your vehicle was a 2.0L 115bhp Check on the cost, there will be a substantial duty on the engine and the RMV charges. It might not be worth the conversion.

Manual will be difficult to sell than Auto and will be fetch less, hope you factored this in to the purchase price.

Fuel requirement varies due to several factors other than the compression ratio. Most newer models has the capabilities to adjust the ECU mapping to compensate for octane rating. Only in the case it goes out of range you will encounter knocking. There could be a slight reduction in power/ economy but i doubt this will be noticeable in real life situations. I had used a Lancer EX and Suzuki Swift 1.2 both with compression ratio of 11:1 and both were happy run with 90 octane without any noticeable difference in power/ economy. My opinion if your car is ok with 90 octane save that extra Rs. 18.00

Most of the branded does not have inbuilt TV tuners, you will have to buy a seperate tuner and hook it. They are expensive and also check the compatibility with our broadcasting system.

I have tried 90 & 95 on all my cars past/ present and has not seen a variation in the km/l 95 gives less economy cos it cost more. ie if you calculate Rs/Km.

Dude, if want a Jap you will have to either increase your budget to 11-12 lacks or go down on the age 1988 Maruti 800 is a lousy car but i dont think anyone has lost money on them, for your budget you will have economical reliable A-B motering This will be better option as you are planning to sell in one year. l

Maruti 800 will meet all your requirements.

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