AVANTE

Are both of them quoting the same price and from your area? Because earlier when I advertised my 121 about 3 people came from your area saying various reasons but all were offering the same price. One is saying that he sold his Axio blah blah blah so he needs a good car for his family immediately. But that bugger didn’t want to see the records or even the book. It was clear that all of them were sent by somebody to grab it by discouraging me by quoting low price.

Anyway if the price is right don’t mind about selling it!

This is an important topic to talk about: people these days (the majority in my perspective) don't give much value for service records & your enthusiasm/knowledge of the car. The offers had a 25,000/- difference but what you mention has happened before for our Stingray 3 years ago. Our area is notorious for that too!

There is this broker network (basically an underworld mafia except they deal with vehicles, not hitmen) they know alot about a car, tell them the color/area/number plate and they will go 'aaaaah that car? It had this problem, and that problem'..scary but true: when I came here from abroad, I was not the most social, so I didnt know many people. So imagine my shock when people come asking "hey did you sell your vezel? You had a stingray before this nah?"

They even talk like pedos sometimes : "hey machan, this fellow? He is a good lad. He even has a vezel now, a genuine example" (note that this is the first time I have ever seen them)

Good thing you understood the situation when it came to your car. If it's an enthusiast car like an Alfa, BMW, Mark II, Mercedes, etc.. your service records will be worth it. Meanwhile when it comes to a toyota, honda, or any typical jap, they just go 'supiri car eka, enjine 100%, tiyer 100%, gud condisan' and it gets sold ; which disrespects anyone who tries to keep documentation/records of his/her car.

Believe it or not, none of our previous cars had their service records checked during inspection.

I never knew it was going this much! Now I get it!!!

Anyway, there are some car electronics which are really useful when you get used to them. Some of them are not that useful, in-fact, they just ruin the experience.

I find the Smart Key system in the Toyota(there are slight differences from other manufacturers) very useful. I don’t need to pull out the key at all. Then the adjustable lumbar support. It seems like just another marketing gimmick, but it really help me in long journeys, as it rectifies the back pain occurred during long journeys. The park sensors, adaptive high beam, adaptive cruise control(if highway travel is frequent) are useful in day to day driving, specially in long journeys. Another thing is the reverse tilting side mirrors.

+reverse cameras for larger vehicles like pickups and SUVs

Toyota smart keys....oh boy...they got good only after huge huge huge pain the ass type failures....again..look through one of my old post where I talked about how my kid got locked in thanks to the Toyota smart key. When it first started coming out (12-15 years ago) it was a stupid key. But yes...now they have improved a lot

@AVANTE, I'm not sure of the MotorMag part but yes that's him. 

Yes, I remember there was a few owners in here, and just like they said, most of them are silent. I agree with you AVANTE. Now most people are going for sports cars or super cars just to show off, but not to enjoy. It seems that the window we had to enjoy driving has certainly narrowed during the past few years. Now the roads are flooding with tuk-tuks, WagonRs, Altos and of course Scooters driven by ladies(Those ladies always twist the accelerator to the max when something happens and ends up climbing lamp posts and trees with the scooty) which reduces those moments to enjoy driving. I mean with this amount of vehicles, there is no point of owning a supercar without a place to floor the throttle...It’s pathetic

@alpha17 Not just supercars..buying anything with 2 doors seems like a bad idea these days. Seeing all the S660, copens & RX8s up for sale for months with no caring owners to take them home. Even in my life, everyone around me talks about anything & everything thats not a car, which makes me a weirdo.

And like you said..the road is flooded with 2-wheeled/4-wheeled 'appliances' that depreciate like heck..so no one appreciates a good car anymore.

@alpha17

 'good condition' 

'Immediate sale!'

I don't understand what you're talking about. Yeah it doesnt have a signal light & cracked seats with a cheap crap steering cover. My plan to use it like a japanese vehicle has backfired...but hey, it is in good condition & for immediate sale!! Good no? What more do you want in life?!?!?!?

BTW if you love euros...may I suggest a W124 E-class? Bulletproof cars, fun to travel in (Even the backseats were an awesome experience!). Also, respect is a standard option of the car. The last generation of good-to-own mercs before they became electronic headaches whose repair bills shadowed the true value of the car.

W124 is one of the most over-engineered cars in history. But my all-time favourite id the W140 S class in a black paint without any modifications, which has that unbeatable “mafia boss” look?

Most probably that euro would be a W211 (which are not as reliable as the pre 1995 models) or W212 (reliable, but have to pay around 10million for the face-lifted version, which has the best look for a Merc ever!). The f10 520d is also a car that catches my eye, but famous for the timing chain issue, So If I have around 8million, my choice would be a W212 pre-facelift + Chevy Cruze or a Swift (Jeep model?) for round the town driving.

For that Volvo, listed for 975,000, I think the whole body has to be replaced?

W212? Reliable? Really?

It does look cool, agreed. But I can never stop myself from looking at a W205 C-class, it's so beautiful.

BTW, if you are going for the swift:

Aim for the zuki if you want a slightly better resale and easier to find body parts. Chevy is like 200k cheaper I think in the 2nd hand market. Also make sure you check the suspension & steering setup as those are 'relatively' the most prone to failure. I say relatively because it's a reliable gadget after all.

Well...different manufacturers have different ideologies that they build in to their cars. Honda and Mazda have always been in to the spirited driving experience. Toyota's idealogoy has been to be conservative and trustworthy A to B transport. In Japan people do not buy a Toyota to be flamboyant or anything (except for the flagship models). Even the Century....it is quite understated in everything. The disconnected, light steering where you have no idea where the wheels are pointing, the quiet numbness inside the cabin has always been there....even with the Mark X....the steering was light (relatively)....even with the Carina and the old Corollas and the AE85...steering is light (by default). It is just that in the past these cars had a certain thing about them that we forgave the light steering and the dead-ness. However, what is interesting about Toyotas is that you change one small thing the car changes completely.  For example....take the Aqua....really nimble and chuckable frame but delayed and disconnected steering....put a few extra welds and a few strut braces the car changes. My BZ Touring....when I put the thin wheels it feels light and imprecise...but when it goes back to the Toms wheels the steering gets a nice weight to it. Same with the AE85. This is the same reason why in the past Toyota was able to make a fun variant of standard cars like the Corolla and the Carina...

@alpha17 the beetle feels a bit more planted (less body roll) than the jeep. Both are similarly fun to drive and a manual is just the cherry on top of the cake! The clutch on the indian variant is a bit weak tbh (feels like stomping on a beetle when I use the clutch? but that doesnt bother me) 

Honestly tho, I'd prefer a nice teak interior with a neat layout from time to time (toyota)..but can never think of sacrificing the fun aspect.

The vezel steering was decently precise but numb of course, but that sound when you put it in sport mode! I was feeling a bit rebellious with a bit of eurobeat playing in my head as I rowed through the paddle shifts..only to see that I finally reached 100kmh ? same would go for the grace & Fit but I'd believe the fit will have relatively less body roll. Would be nice to test drive the new Civic!

@iRage after your reply, I'm going to pay some attention to the Aqua and see if it's worthy to drive because I do love the looks of the G-touring & Urban variants! Is the G-touring just a different dress or is it a slightly different Aqua to drive?

Like I said...you drive the Aqua the body feels nice and nimble like you want to just chuck it in to the corners. At low speeds the steering is fine and precise although numb and then at speed you feel that the steering is a bit too lagging.

The the various G and S tourings and packages are simply the standard grade with dressup kits and accessories...not much of a different. The X Urban is also the same but with a slightly different suspension setup for the height.

If you want to feel some real feel..you need to look at the G's or the GR Sport. Those come with extra welds, upper and lower strut bars, stiffer suspension and wheels with a wider foot print. Makes a HUGE difference. As an option TRD offered special steering bushes, etc..

I don't think there are many GR Sport Aquas in SL. Saw one that had the badges being done up by a certain doc but not sure if that is a legit one or not. There are a few G's around though.

If not...get a standard G or what ever grade and mod it.....strut bars, suspension kit and steering bushes, etc...