srajendr

I own a 2002 City Vtec, manual, it was brought down from Singapore. Manufactured in Thailand. Fuel economy on the Vtec will be between 12-14Kmpl, good performance too. A 2000 model City Vtec, with English plates should go for between 13-15 depending on mileage & condition. You won't be disappointed with either car but stick with the Vtec. And if possible get one that's 2000 or newer. Newer the car, less maintenance you'd have to do.

The City was/is manufactured in Thailand & India. The car you checked out was probably imported re-con from Singapore, if so, would have been manufactured in Thailand. Fuel economy will get you 12-14Kmpl, the car is very reliable too. I own a 2002 model, regular maintenace & petrol is all it needs. Mine's a manual, pick up is good - not sure how the auto's are though. As for spares, haven't had any problems getting any - Panchikawatte has a place that sells all Honda stuff, Stafford is a bit more expensive but not as much as generally thought. Don't know about the price though. Best of luck with the car shopping...

Captured somewhere near Ohiya... the 'Montero' 3wheeler (check above the wheel well)

Give room, allow people who're travelling faster than you are to overtake you. If you don't give room, there's an excellent possibility that the guy behind will do something to overtake you and that 'something' might just be crazy. And signal well before you turn, NOT as you're turining. I notice this from lots of driver who slow down and only switch on the turn signal as they are turining - the vehicle behind you won't know what you're doing. Its best to ensure that everyone behind you know what you're planning on doing. So, signal early & if you will be slowing done considerably before that, tap the brakes lightly so that the guys behind understnad that you will be slowling down shortly. And here's something that works perfectly, if you do something wrong like cutting off someone unintentionally, raise you hand and apologize - this tends to cut any tension and prevents road rage. Smiling while you aplogize also work, specially if you're of the fairer sex.

What's the 'low' fuel consumption figure you're looking at? 15-16kmpl Petrol? If you're looking at diesels, you need to consider the additional capital you'll need to spend to buy a diesel model over a petrol one (some research I did indiacted that it wasn't worth shelling out the extra cash for a diesel, of course that was for my drive distance). Also keep in mind that 150km/day's means that ay vehicel would probalby need a fair amount of maintenance (spare parts, service etc.). I have a 2002 City, gives me 12 in heavry city traffic and 14 otherwise.

Yup, the City is a pretty decent car. I'd suggest you check the Sunday papers and the ads here on Autolanka. There are plenty of City's on sale these days. Good luck.

Hey Le Sabre, I've got a 2002 City, bought recon a few years back. Mine had been imported from Singapore (hence manufactured in Thailand) by the dealer I got it from, manual, leather interior, 1.5l vtec. I think the going price is around 13-14 depending on condition. It's a great car, but there are a few options missing since this model was created only for the developing markets (eg. no tilt control on the steering wheel, windshield washer doesn't auto operate the wiper, etc). I drive ~60km/day and get 14kmpl regularly. However, if you're stuck in traffic in Colombo the whole time, expect 12kmpl. Anything less should indicate some problem with the car. Bought with 40k on the clock, currently has 109k. It's a great car to drive, great pickup, behaves well on curves. The only issue is resale value, they don't seem to hold up as well as other Japanese cars. btw - my car does have some marking under the hood and a few parts like the radiator that says made in Thailand. Maybe the Indian manufactured ones have some other markings inside. Let me know if you want any specific information, will be glad to provide anything I can.

Anyone out there drives or knows someone first hand who drives a Sorento? Need some information on fuel consumption. Web research seemed to indicate 8-10Kmpl but a friend recently stated that in SL, the Sorento only get around 4Kmpl!! Seems extremely low for a midsize SUV. If you have any info, please post. Thx.

Was looking at an upgrade and was considering a 320d until lately. Read on the web that some cars experience a turbo failure causing all the engine oil to splurt out causing engine damage. Took it out of my list once I read that. There are some cars for sale in the 3-4mil range. Anything we should watch out for in looking at BMW diesels? Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread.

We bought a Black & Decker model that sold for about Rs.12,000. Had it for almost a year, broke down twice. It was fixed once on warranty the first time, the company said it was a broken seal. The second time the motor seized up, company said it can't be fixed and refused to replace the unit. That said, washing the car was a breeze. Saves time and water as well - excellent tool tool to have at home. Just make sure you get a good warranty.

Finally, got things organized a bit. Bought the F1 race ticket, booked the flight out as well. Reservations at a hotel on Middle Rd, from the map looks like right across from the race track. It's going to be exciting!!

Hey Dilesh - thx for the pics. Couple of places I'm looking at are near Bugis... which from the looks of the map are pretty close to the track. There still are many place availalbe in Geylang, not sure I want to stay there though. However, really just need a clean, safe place to sleep and where my bags will be safe. The motorshow sounds like a great idea. Hopefully, I can get everything arranged before the race.

Never been to Singapore before, want to be close enough to the circuit park, near the bay where the race would be. Also, need to check out some phone, so close to the electronics shopping too. But I guess Singapore is fairly a small place and getting about shouldn't be an issue. Where would you recommend?

Anyone heading to Singapore for the F1? Still some race tickets available for the grandstands and plenty available for the walkabout areas. Will be getting the air tickets sorted out within the next day & heading over to be at the first ever night race. Need to do some research on the hotels though. Any idea/thoughts would be appreciated.

Don't have a Subi but had a similar problem when I bought my Honda. Spark plug wires were bad - worth checking them out before changing anything. Good luck!

Have you considered a Honda City? I have a 2002 (same model form 2000-2002) VTEC and drive about 80Kms/day. Get 12kmpl in city/traffic & upto 14kmpl outstation. Driving conservatively will get you even more. Not sure of the market price though. The car has been a tank so far.

When I was in Minnesota - had to take the written test + the practical driving test. SL dl did allow me to bypass the mandatory 6 month temp license. Just read the booked they have once & you won't have any problems with either test. Stop at the stop signs BEFORE the white lines, if crossing any sidewalks (like when exiting car parks), stop before the side walk starts, check your blind spots, etc. The only thing added after 9/11 to my knowledge is that the new US dls now shows when your visa expires. Not sure if it's in all states, but was true in MN, even way back in 2004.

HID definetly make a big difference to the look as well as visibility. Pet#o has HID for 20k something, including installation. Saw a car with the conversion and it looked great. No idea about long term durability though. Also agree with Dilesh, modifying the body of an MPV seems pointless (just my opinion). Wouldn't you be better off getting a car? Heard the new Corolla 141 is around 2.5 for the permit but there a huge waiting list already. There are apparently some 200 booked by mostly doctors.

You might already be doing this..... when you find that the car won't shift into reverse or is real hard to get into the reverse gear, let the cluth out completly (ie take your leg off completely) and then re-engage the clutch. Now shift into reverse, you should have no issue. At least that works for me.

I think you'll be alright doing your regular 3000-4000Km service locally and small stuff like changing brake pads etc. However, anything to do with the engine, take it to Stafford. I wouldn't let any local mechanic mess with the engine or transmission. Normal services local places are good, but for anything more serious, the company should be the only place to go to. Knowing Honda's you shouldn't have any major problems for many years more.

From driving about the same daily distance Vista intends on driving (~50Kms one-way), I'd say fuel economy is pretty darn important. When you're looking at shelling out close to Rs.4,000 every week on petrol, everything else starts blending into the background. However, do agree that the condition of the car should be good regardless. It would be great to get a car that drives great with the same fuel economy/reliability though - maybe some suggestions on what he can check out will help.

Thoughts based on the 2000 City. The new model is different…so my comments may not be valid for that. Lots of people figure that since it’s assembled in Thailand, it must not be good, however, my experience has taught me otherwise. Things I don’t like about it, - seatbelts can’t be adjusted for height - steering wheel can not be adjusted - windshield washer does not automatically activate the wiper - no alarm when door is opened or headlights on What I like about it, - Fuel economy, avg. 12Km/lt - Very reliable - Decent pickup/stability - All four wheels have disk brakes (although tiny disks & calipers) - Decent leather interior - Easily manageable size with moderate room in the back - Full size spare wheel

Vista2007, was in the same situation you are in now about a 11/2yrs ago. I drive 48Kms one way everyday to work. So, first started off looking at used Diesels but couldn't find a good one fitting my budget. Finally after many months, settled on a 2000 Honda City unreg recon - I get about 12Kms/ltr driving up/down from near Kochchikade (north of Negombo) on the Colombo-Chilaw road to Kirullapone. Got it for 1.65mil. No complaints after a year & a half yet. However, if I could do it all over again, I'd find the extra money to get a unreg recon Civic or a Corolla, solely for the higher resale value. Probably the most important thing is to get a vehicel that is reliable and won't break down on you. Plus whatever you do end up getting, make sure it has excellent brakes and tires.

My car came with a Momo steering wheel when I bought it, which is much smaller that the normal one. It looks great, feels great and also is easier to use... but the one drawback is that it takes a bit more effort than the bigger, normal steering. Other than that, I haven't found any difference.

Although notwhere near being an expert, let me try to explain what I learned quite recently. 15", 17", etc. - refers to the rim size, ie would tbe the size of your alloys. Tires would generally have a measurement such as - 185/55R14 - (ie) 185 is basically the width of the tire in mm, 55 is a measurement of the height of the rubber and R14 is the rim size (14"). As for tire pressure, it's usually measured in pounds per square inch (psi). For your tires, I think you should go with 30psi. If the car feels too bouncy, reduce it to 29psi. If that doesn't help, try 28psi. If you run less than 28psi your tires will probably wear out faster. My car runs on 205/45R16, basically is 17" tires and use 28psi.