Knight

Fuel figures for Axela 2009 is about right. I get those figures on outstation (Colombo-Kandy) and city (8 - 10). It's a nice car and an enjoyable drive. I kinda felt like I cheated on Honda since had 3 Civics before but Axela really changed my mind. I was on the fence for FD1 but dashboard of FD1 is so boring and jurassic era compared to Axela. It was quite dissapointing. FD fuel is pretty much same as far as I know, if not worse than Axela. There was a time people steered clear from buying Honda's but now it sells like hot cakes. With Mazda's recent improvements I'm sure in couple years it will be a hot brand in SL as well.

I kinda like the old site as well. Granted it looked so old but the feeling you get when you want to search for a car to buy was simple & great. Maybe it's only for some of the users/fans who had been using the site nearly 10 years or so. BTW I saw another famous (kinda) car site trashing AL on Facebook for 'stealing' their design + graphics. Hope that's not the case. All the best AL!

I have a 2009. Does about 14-15 outstation (Colombo-Kandy).

I had the same issue when I had a EK3 back in 2007. I took it to a place in Delkanda (about 150m from the junction towards Maharagama) and they custom made (more like molded an existing one) a brass tank. Not sure if the joint is still there now but there are some radiator shops around. You must take the car so they can properly fix it, and make sure you can close the hood without issues once it's installed. Good luck.

@sasika - Hope you found enough info to tell your friend (from the looks of things it's going to be a well maintained EX).

There's a place in Nugegoda called C*r Ch*cks that finds if the odometer is tampered with along with many other inspections. Haven't used their services so this is not a recommendation. Always check service records. It's easy if it's from the 1st owner. Otherwise you never know what the previous owners did to odometer. Most of the time it's a hit or miss with used vehicles. EX vs FD - Don't know much about EX but FD does about 7-8 per liter so consider that as well, especially if this is for daily use in insane traffic.

Something I'd like to know as well from any Grand Vitara users

What I hear from some FD owners is FC is the same. Because of the weight, FD4 engine has to work harder to move, burning more fuel. FD1 got other features like sunroof, paddle shift, cruise control etc. Then again it might not be used often. If FC is a concern best would be a Toyota or 2009 FD3 IMHO.

I'd say go for a FD1. Prices are almost the same but more features. A bit hard to find though. I'm still looking for one as well...lol

I'm not an expert but shall I suggest 2008 Civic FD1 or FD4 since you have listed a civic? It can be slightly higher (like 1 lak more). IMHO I think it's best to go for a newer model (not Indian though).

Hard decision indeed I hear there's not much of a difference on fuel consumption between FD1 & FD4.

I'm in same boat as OP except FE is not a major concern. Still I would expect 8km/l. Stuck between Civic FD1 and Grand Vitara, both 2008 or later. OP I'd suggest Civic FD3 or FD4. Then again I'm biased towards Civics

Like with most Indian products (& programs), Indian cars are of cheap quality. I hope by now you have made up your mind to go for a Japanese or European car. For your budget, you can go for Nissan March (K11 or K12), Honda Civic EK3 ('99/2000 model), Toyota Starlet and many other cars found on AL. All the best!

Go to Facebook and search for Vtec Motors (Malabe joint). They post their paint jobs on the page so you can see their work. Looks decent. I haven't got any paint jobs done here so this is not a recommendation but an option.

I heard a company in Colombo (C*r Ch**ks) check the vehicle including mileage. They claim their tech can reveal the actual mileage. Something useful when buying a used vehicle with everything that's going on.