milindu

I'm also on the lookout for a commercial deodorizer or an odour neutralizer. Right now we use a chemical supplied by a place called Ecolab (Same building as Dwellings on Dharmapala Mw) and a chemical called Power Floral by Excel Holdings (bathroom fitting and tile company) on Duplication Rd. Not sure about obtaining retail quantities. Wurth offers a small spray bottle deo as well but it is not cheap (around Rs. 1,650 per bottle).

Should be quite nice with the 4.0 VVTi on the TZ/ VX. Just noted an additional letter VX.L or something like that in the picure. Any idea about the specs? Engine, Suspension etc?

You will miss the smooth ride of the Harrier. Yeah....the Montry is definitely bang for the buck and you can sell it off someday. We did most of the repairs including the suspension work at our company garage with spares from New Indik@ M*t*rs. There was a power steering pump replacement which cost about 200k at the agents since the spares were not available in Singapore (Singapore doesn't have any big SUV if you noticed - I haven't seen anything bigger than the Rav 4s and the X-Trails.). Body parts are easily available in Delkanda. Not sure about other garages that handle Montys. I actually moved from the Monty to a Prado TZ. The difference is fully worth it if your budget permits.

The V6 suspension is stiffer than the JDM version so the ride does get relatively bumpy. The V6 gets about 4-4.5km/l in the city while the GDI in mint will do 5.5km/l. Its when the system gets old...the problems start. If you can live with the ride and the fuel, the V6 would be the option to go for. Had a 3.5 V6 B.New version with the works. Sold it for 47.50 with 100k on the clock mainly due to the bumpy ride and the rattling. Have you looked at the Harriers?

2700cc version as the others mentioned is slow to drive and can be a bit of a pain to drive in traffic having to shift often (tends to knock due to its power to weight ratio). No major problems with the 120 series as such. Some of the dashboards crack when being parked in the sun for extended periods. Fuel in the city will be 5ish km/l. They go in the range of 6.8-7.5 mil for manual GX versions for the non VVTi (pre 2005 models). A 2003 auto went for 7.2 about a year back. Our company runs a new Hiace with a 2.7l VVTi engine with an Auto box which does about 6km/l with line A/C for 10 passengers. So the VVTi version packs a bit more power and is nicer to drive, but the fuel economy factor is a bit over-rated. I have a 120 series 3.4 V6 which is quite smooth and pulls well. You can do 3km/l or 6km/l in the city depending on how you drive. I have managed 9km/l on a flat run to Bentota and 8.5km/l to Galle. They are pretty reliable vehicles and most of the spares are reasonable (not the hydro-electric shocks on the TZ though).

Pre-facelift Carinas (96/97) also have the same issue. Noticed this in several vehicles (Carinas) from different origins. Not see in in newer vehicles though.

I had a 2.0 96 model Camino Auto from '99 till this year (Our company also ran a manual SR20DE which was a bit quicker due to the manual box). Have driven all the above. Its Primera hands down having driven all three be it handling, torque and sheer driving pleasure. As far as I was concerned, the only downside was the relatively harsh ride (stiff suspension). Resale is also not so easy in this market. The Honda will be easier to sell though. The SR20DE also has better lower-end torque thant the SR20VE (M6 Version) btw. The 406 is in a league of its own when it comes to driving pleasure. Smoother ride with better insulation and a richer drive overall. I won't be buying one in a hurry though. Shoot if you have any particular questions.

Mang This daahak dennam!

As Supra pointed out the EFi vehicles would be best. You will have to do some looking around to find an unmolested car in good nick under a million. I have seen English numbered ones go at around 11-12.50 range in fairly good condition. They are good hardly cars, parts are relatively easy to find and relatively cheap. Haven't come across any under a million in recent times. Just check up on the Autolanka links that Supra has posted, the news papers and the car sales outside central Colombo. Goodluck and keep us posted on your search.

1.9 is a bit on the steep side for a 2002 pre-facelifted (facelifted model is 2003 onwards). I would say 17-18 for a 2002 in mint. The 2003 onwards sells around 2 million btw.

The car arrived a few days back. It runs well with almost everything in working order. A bit of tidying up to do with the cosmetics. Supposed to pump 112bhp according to Wiki. Its an odd shade of blue which we might consider changing somewhere down the line. Will post pictures soon.

Speaking of Fiat. We just picked up a 132 2000cc GLS. GTAm knows the car. Looking forward to keeping up with the Alfa boys!

I drove from London to Edinburgh (Scotland) and back in a 2008 1.9 TDi manual around August last year. Amazing power, great handling and superb fuel economy (18-20km/l on the motorway for sure). Felt like a mid sized euro car and stable at high speeds on the motorway. Considering a mix of economy, re-sale and pleasure to drive (the torque figures) the TDi would be the best by unless your friend is looking for sheer performance.

Our company ran a couple of SV40's (1996/7 models Camry). To put it in one line its ... Carina 212 comfort and economy for AE 100 money. I have a friend who gets about 9/10km/l driving mostly in Colombo off peak on a Camry manual 1.8 litre. Auto should do 7-8 with careful driving. While the Camry parts are still available (body and trim)...the Vista was a little rarer. I suggest a jaunt down Delkanda just to check. Anything in particular you need to know? Only thing though is that most of these cars are quite hacked by now. Have it checked before picking it up.

Its 4-5km/l. None of the V6 versions that came brandnew do well on fuel. This includes the normal Monty, the IO and the Sport. GDI versions usually do about 6km/l provided the engine is maintained.

Dear Parak, A car in Sri Lanka is a status symbol which holds relative investment value, means of comfortable transport and an aspect people aspire to (like hopes and dreams of owning a house etc.). So those who can (and some who cannot) affoard to run a car in general will always look towards that direction. There has been many initiatives by the government to improve public transport. But due to limited investment and lack of demand, they have died natural deaths i.e. Luxury and Semi Luxury Bus schemes, BOI City Taxi Scheme. They have recently launched a park and ride facility which is yet to prove itself. There are also so many factors that make a private vehicle more desirable. In contrast to large and congested cities of the world, even with the current security, its still relatively easy and cheap to park a car in Colombo. Travel time by private vehicle is also relatively short even in peak traffic. Personally I'd love a 4.2TD LC100 (2005) as a daily drive.

The boring yet sensible options: Corolla Wagon EE 102 Nissan AD Wagon Y10 Maruti 800 Maruti Alto Pre-facelifted Nissan Doctor Sunny Starlet EP 82 Corolla AE90 Corolla CE81 Corona AT 170 Daihatsu Cuore Daihatsu Charade G200 Mazda 323 (96/98 series) Hyundai Accent Pre-facelift Hyundai Getz March K11 Bluebird U13

One of our spare part suppliers bought a Hybrid Harrier for 13.5 million about a year back. It does 16km/l in the city accodring to the owner. But considering the standard version is nearly half the cost, its not worth the extra that you pay. Also heard that the ride is firmer to handle the extra weight of the batteries.

Here you get mainly the Harrier 240/RX240 and the 300G/ RX 300. A few Hybrids and AirS models. The standard RX330 is rare if at all. The current model goes (2003 on) goes around 6.5-7.5 regd. and around 9-9.5 for unregd. The previous model (pre 2002) goes in the range of 3-4.5 million.

Our company ran a few U14 cars but sold them off about a year and a half ago after doing a good 200k+. All the cars were auto SR20DE versions with the SSS kit and all that. Same engine as the Primera but slightly different tuning (economical and smoother) I think you are looking at the 1995-1999 models while the post 2000 models (G10) came in the N16 shape. Nothing particularly wrong but they do tend to give problems with age and mileage as with any car. A lot easier and more economical to run and own that the A32 but not as comfortable. Second hand prices are low so they make good buys used. We sold the fleet for around 9.50-1 mil. Doubt they would have appreciated much over the years. They used to do about 7 in the city (auto) and around 10 out. Spares were a plenty a few years back.

The SR20DE feels better than the VE though on low to mid range torque so a better daily drive. Worth considering

The Korean cars of the previous generation got a bad rap mostly due to the majority of cars coming after high fleet usage in Singapore and Malaysia with the mileage adjusted 20's and 30's. The build quality of these cars werent up to Jap anyway. As Le Sabre noted and through feed back from a lot of fleet operators, the Elentra seems to be the best of the lot. The Indian built Accents are also pretty solid. The larger cars including the Sonatas suffer from horrible fuel consumption (becomes worse when sensors weaken - and most of our chaps don't know how to detect or fix). The H Matics also suffer from a lot of electrical glitches which can become a pain. All these cars will be quite cheap to buy but at the sametime, not easy to sell. On the plus side, you get a newish, good looking and fairly comfortable car for what you pay. As long as you don't mind holding on to it for awhile, you running is minimal and you find a well maintained car (pref. a B.New import or Indian model) the purchase might make sense to some extent. These days, Toyota 2C diesel engine conversions are all the rage with the Trajets and Sonatas (It fits in perfectly apparently). One of my friends who did a conversion a few months ago was quite happy with it.

Hi Vitz, The sludge formation only pops up after 100-120k with a 4-5000km oil change intervals (with the standard mineral blend). I suppose you can run for much longer with personal use and shorter intervals. For what its worth, speak to Ravi at Kundasale (he is quite experienced) and may be just to put your mind at ease...pull out the tappet cover and see if there is any buildup.

You can check with the current President of the, Mr. Clive De Silva as to the requirements for membership and associate membership. He can be reached on: segroup AT sltnet DOT lk If you are unable to get a response, please mail me on milindum AT gmail DOT com

We get our fleet vehicle steering wheels covered with artificial leather/rexene (Cost is Rs 1,500-2000). Mail me if you need the contacts of a few places on milindumATgmailDOTcom N@w@la Cus#1on Wrks does a brilliant job with leather (on par with the original) but they quoted something like 18k last time i checked. Fully worth for a high-end vehicle though. You can pick up the standard after market covers from Darley Rd, places in Panchikawatte, The shop near the Bayrooke Place Round A Bout or at better known Car Seat places. If you have a common model, buying the wheel might be a good option from Delkanda.