alpha17

C-NCAP uses economical materials for the obstacles, such as cardboards and plastics. That’s why this DFCC is having 5 stars. When you run a proper euro or jap car through the course, the C-NCAP facility can be awarded 1 or 2 stars, not the car

I haven’t driven one yet. Yes, it has the Skyactive engine, which would give you a slight bump of power over the Axio, but 2-3 kmpl less. They are really good cars but the 3 which is the brand new imported version of the Axela gives less options(not even automatic climate control). For sure they are nicer to drive than a Toyota.

It’s the non hybrid version that he wants mate

Is it worth 4.1 million? - Yes, when compared with other Toyotas it’s better. Common problems - No any serious problems. But look if the CVT gearbox is maintained properly by changing the fluid on time (40,000km intervals). If the car has done over 100,000km, some running repairs should be done such as engine mounts, suspension, steering rack and AC compressor. Fuel economy - If carefully driven, 11-12 kmpl in traffic,16-17kmpl in long trips and around 20kmpl in highway can be achieved.(There might be 1-2kmpl differences, but trust me, the 161 is a fuel efficient car) There are some downsides I noticed. -The interior is a bit of a let down. Cheaply built, but would stand the test of time. Meter panel looks like taken out from a Vitz. -The engine is a bit unrefined and noisy when stationary, but can’t be heard when driving (This is when compared with cars like Allion and Premio) -Boring to drive with numb steering, but easier Overall I find it a bit better for long time usage than the Hybrid variant. Hybrid versions might be in their past breaths of the battery. Most of the 161 non hybrids are brought down under permits, so they have been properly taken care by the owners. That’s going to be a huge plus point when compared with the 2007 Allions and Premios which have been hacked. Any recommendations - There are Allions and Premios for the same price manufactured in 2007-2008 where you would be having an extremely narrow chance of finding a good one. They share the same powertrain, but are noticeably more comfortable and refined. The 161 is a good car for just A-B transportation with good fuel economy and less hassle for maintenance. Then you’ll have the 141 2011-2012 variant which are brand newly imported and most of them have been maintained from Toyo ** Lan**. They are designed for SL road conditions and have normal automatic gearbox (not CVT) so requires less maintenance. I prefer the look of the 141 varian over the 161 due to looks, but that’s my personal taste. Also you’ll get no Smart Key and Push start in the 141, but the interior is a bit better in the 141. The 2011-2012 version engines are a bit different than the older version, which would be better in terms of fuel economy and performance (1600cc). There are some other good cars like Mazda Axela 2009-2012 model which is more sporty to drive, but would be a bit harder to sell and harder to maintain if you are far away from a main city like Colombo, Kandy, Matara or Kurunegala.

The thing is you are trying to market your company’s SUV here, where no one would be able to believe you. To cover up that you are not a marketing guy, always brings up the point that you are going to buy this, but no fair reasons are given to avoid it. Please do your DFCC marketing somewhere else. Maybe your village’s “handiye the kade” or “linda laga” people might believe you. Then bringing up the NCAP rating. Micro panda was labelled the safest compact car. But now no one buys it now. Whatever so please stop this nonsense marketing. Most of the members around here have plenty of experiences about vehicle in SL and overseas. So no one is going to believe what you are saying. Go open yourself a blog and then brag about this DFCC. @iRage shall we stop this tread? Otherwise this marketing guy would not stop posting till death.

වෑව්!!! ඩී.එෆ්.සී.සී ඊස් ඕසම්! Nice try of marketing! Why don’t you advertise it on a weekend paper rather than in a forum where no one believes you?

With your requirements, you’ll have to look for a Toyota. Allion and Premio will fit into your budget, facelifted 240 series or 260 series. Go for a one with all the service records, but good examples are pretty hard to come by. They are good cars for fuel economy and comfort but if you’re a person who enjoys driving, you’ll have to look elsewhere(Honda or Mazda, but your requirements would not be met). Be patient and find one. Also you’ll be able to get a 1000cc unreg Vitz, which is not a bad car either, as it would be less of a hassle to maintain. When going for a car like Allion/Premio always set aside at least some money for the running repairs such as AC compressor, engine mounts, steering rack or the suspension. In that case Vitz is better, as you’ll get a newer car. Don’t go for a hybrid if you don’t do at least 1500km per month. If so, go for a one with a newly replaced hybrid battery. Again, you’ll have the 2007-2010 Axio. This shares most of the mechanical parts with the Allion/Premio, so the same story applies here. Always make sure that the mileage is correct. Ask for the service records and eco test reports to confirm the mileage. Patience is the No.1 requirement when buying a used car in SL. Make sure to get the help of a person who can assure you that the car has not been met with any accidents. Never be in a hurry to grab one. Again, if you prefer buying an unreg Vitz from a car sale, make sure to get a help from a friend to check whether the auction sheet is true, as most of the unreg cars sitting in sales might be repaired ones with altered auction sheets. There is an page is fb who search whether the auctions sheet is an original one. Good luck!

That’s some job?. Still I even don’t have the guts to take off the doors of my 5yr old car. I installed a Bose spare tyre subwoofer from a Mazda 6, but didn’t ran the wires from the battery. A crossover is needed to squeeze out the max, so plan to get a passive FMOD one.

First of all, the review is a joy to read with a bit of humor sprinkled. Really enjoyed reading it!!! Totally unbiased... Thumbs up for that??? There were some interesting facts I came to know about this new kid on the block. One is that it has JBL sourced speakers, which really makes me eagerly waiting for one to be tested out. What are the modifications you did to the Bose system in the Leaf? I’d really like to know? Again, a great and honest review??

I would personally stay away from the 3008. The car is still new, so we cannot guess how it would held up against SL weather. Also the Peugeots are famous for not-being-reliable. But design wise Peugeot wins. Montero would be the safest bet, because the 2013-2014 models have been here since 2006 with being subjected to minor changes. Another fact is that it is built to last. I personally don’t like the interior designs and materials used(too plasticy and the interior is not plush when compared with something like a prado). But I would held up well against a lot of abuse for a long time. The engines and gearboxes have been here for decades so maintaining one in any place around SL would not be a problem.

The 260 would be slightly better because the CVT keeps the engine spinning at the most efficient rpm. During long trips the 260 would definitely give better fuel figures. There are few points that you should be aware of: A budget closer to 4million is the territory of the lowest priced 260s show up and highest priced 240s show up. So you’ll be having a marginally better chance of getting a good 240, but you might be paying closer to that of the price of a 260. Again getting a newer car is always the best thing, but most of the 240 and 260 are beaten to death by now. So you’ll have to be extremely careful. Considering the 260, it’s a bit harder to maintain than the 240(cvt gearbox requires oil changes at every 40,000km, otherwise the unit will fail)and the AC compressor, engine mounts and shock absorbers require replacements around 100,000km. But most of the 260s might be well over 120,000kms so you’ll only be having some minor fixes to be done. 240 is easier to maintain in every way, because the powertrain is simple and parts are a bit cheaper. But 260 is a bit more comfortable and powerful than the 240. I had a 121(which shares most of its parts with the 240 such as engine and gearbox )previously and now I own a 260. 121 was cheaper to maintain. Both 240 and 260 are good cars for what they are (comfort and economy) but they are boring to drive.

I would go for a Panda in a heartbeat, even though it fails on 1,2,3 points, because Nano is like a matchbox compared to the Panda. Also the panda might be safer during an accident. But remember Panda totally sucks when compared with other vehicles, but here it’s the Nano which I believe, isn’t a proper car at all. Just a four wheeled three wheeler with AC?.

@Roshan321 dead friend, you’ve got many points wrong in comments. First is that you are saying we are not expecting China to make High-end, solidly built luxury cars. Just google Hongqi L5, which is the proper chinese rolls-royce (not a copy cat) with a price tag closer to two phantoms. China makes good cars. But this DFCC 580 is not one of them. I mean you are paying over 6 million for a chinese made car which is going to give you lot of problems and would likely to loose value closer to 50% in another 2-3 years. Then you are saying that about weight of the doors comparing with a Lexus?. I won’t say a word. Please, buy this jeep. We hope your FD1 will sell soon. Then get this DFCC 580 whatever but don’t try to think that we would believe what you are saying about this vehicle. Most of the members here in this forum have plenty of knowledge and experiences regarding automobiles. We know what you are saying. Just don’t show your “teenage mentality” and buy this vehicle. Good luck! p.s- I still remember how I used to hate Toyotas, when my dad’s double cab crashed onto the back of a Hiace when I was a kid. The accident ended up causing just a dent on the Hiace’s rear door and a considerable amount of damage to our double cab making me really upset about Toyotas.(not relating the DFCC story, but kind of relates in some ways ?)

Oh dear, I can’t believe an owner of a FD1 behaves like this?. Yes, like you said 3 years warranty is very important for a DFSK. Aren’t they giving you accomodation closer to the service center? Because you’ll be visiting that place very often. You are saying that everyone is complaining about the build quality of the vehicle. Yes, build quality is a top reason to avoid or buy a particular vehicle. A relation of mine owns a BAIC x25 (a car from chinese company similar to DFSK) but it has an engine from something like a SAAB and the gearbox is from Aisin. But the build quality is horrible. Shows the signs of a jap car used for more than 200,000+ kms even after doing 15,000kms. You need the whole strength to close the driver’s side door. You can hear many creeks and noises throughout the cabin when travelling on a bad road. That’s what you get for the low price. I won’t trust DFSK. I have driven the Glory. You get a huge list of options and 7 seating (most important thing for you) for a pretty low price. Everything is cheaply built. People like you are trying to convince yourselves from saying others that you are going to buy a chinese crap, and it’s good. So you’ll expect others to say “wow, congratz” and then you can make up your mind a go for it. You came here to ask for the opinions of the members. They said about what they know about the brand, but you are continuously saying it’s better. So there is no point of asking for the opinions. But no one is stopping you. Just go for the DFSK whatever model. Enjoy the repairs! Good luck.

I am neither an euro car expert, nor a user. But Peugeot is not a reliable brand as Japs or Euros like Mercs and Bmws. I have seen most of the interior parts are failing in Peugeots, typically older ones. Don’t know about the newer ones. If you are far away from Colombo, sourcing parts for a Peugeot would be a bit difficult. So the best decision might be the CRV, even thought it might not be eye catching.

There are many other choices, but the safest bet might be the Vitz. Most of the toyotas, such as Allion 240, Corolla 121 are beaten to death by now. So you’ll be having a hard time searching for a good one. There are nicer to drive cars such as the Civic ES5, Mazda Axela. Most of these cars have been owned by people who really enjoy driving, so you’ll be able to find a good one. But it’ll be a little bit problematic if you are away from a main city, such as Colombo, Kandy or Kurunegala, as parts are a bit harder to find. When we talk about reselling, yes, people say Hondas and Mazdas are harder to sell than a Toyota, but depends on the condition of the car and your luck.

Mention the model number and I’ll be able to find some details.

If you like a Vitz, go for it. It’s a no-nonsense, good car for A to B transportation

yahoo japan is a famous site, but you’ll have to translate the pages, so better off using a pc to search. You can inspect the cars, but, better to go to a good place for the bidding process. Sometimes there are guys who asks you to inspect auctions sites (sites that they use) by yourself till a suitable model comes up for sale, and then you should inform them to inspect and bid for it. A guy I knew imported an Outlander PHEV a few year ago by this method. Toyo Lan also imports vehicles from japan from auctions, so better to contact them and check their prices. Might be a bit more expensive but you can trust them, plus you might get after sales services.

hope so buddy?

I was expecting the repairs. Bought the car from a relation of mine. Went for the car due to the main reason that it was not hacked or met with major accidents (as almost all the cars I went to inspect had met with major accidents). Other than that I got the car for a bargain. Total service history from day 1, owners manuals, 2 smart keys are there. He even reduced 50k for a new set of tyres. I knew that those repairs would come but I was reluctant to let her go at that time. The problem is I had to extend my budget to the max, so I had no money set aside for the repairs to come. Now my financial side is a bit better, so I started sorting out the problems one by one. He had replaced the AC compressor, which is a known issue in those cars.

OMG!! Yes buddy. I agree with you. We could've reduced those costs by going for cheap alternatives, instead of using genuine parts. The mounts were bought from TL and installed by a trustworthy and skilled mechanic who always did a great job to my cars. Shock absorbers are ordered 2 days ago through my friend in japan. My tail light was damaged by the gate, but still waiting to be replaced using a japanese one. One was found but there is an unnoticeable crack in the plastic surround which would not affect its usage, but refused putting it. They are pretty rare here. Previous owner had pumped 95 and I also continued but still monthly cost for the fuel seems to be reduced by a significant amount.

It works fine. But the camera cannot cover the corners. Due to maroon colour, using side mirrors is a bit tricky. Mostly in areas with bad lighting, the car also blends into the dark. Not a huge issue, but it’s there. And then keeping it clean...Just a 10km journey is more than enough to ruin a body wash.

@hrm @Hyaenidae @GayanR @Davy Thanks buddies. I’ll check the gear oil level, condition and will change it. Now just sorting out the running repairs one by one. Cost 70k for buying the genuine mounts. Then ordered the shock absorbers from japan and would likely to cost me around 150k. For tyres (bridgestone) ready to buy anytime required for 70-75k. And finally the petrol filter change and a complete tune up waiting to be done. I’m really disappointed about the car(even all of them are running repairs). Seems to me that bought the car during the wrong time. My good old 121 never gave me this amount of trouble or running cost(even though I did all the above mentioned replacements). Above all that parking and keeping the car safe is a real burden for me. Reversing during night in areas with bad lighting is really hard due to the dark colour. Sometimes feel like getting something like a Mark X grx120 and a jap alto for daily run.