Lancer Or Axio? Update: Bought A Lancer! (Aka The B.r.a.t.t. Thread)

[Bracket]

Hello Experts,

Excited to join Autolanka forums Waited almost for month for an admin to approve me ... anyway, whoever the admin that approved me,

Last December, I sold my good old Maruti WagonR ( 2008 model, 5yrs old, driven for 30000+ Kms) For 1.6mil. I was searching for a good car to buy ever since. ( that's how I ended up on autolanka) So now that I finally got approved I thought it's time to get expert ideas on buying my new vehicle.

My budget is 3.5mil - 4.0mil. I wanted to buy a japanese car and browsing the internet, Finally I decided that there are two contenders:

1. Toyota axio 161 1.3 X Grade (2013)

2. Mitsubishi Lancer EX 1.6 GLX (2013)

Both the cars ( Brand New ) are being sold for 3.5 mil. for the permit. ( Lancer : 3,460,000 to be exact)

My priorities are:

-RELIABILITY
-Fuel Economy

-Spare Parts Availability

-Safety And comfort

-Handling

-Looks

- Resale value

Axio Dealers are mainly bragging of TOYOTA Reliability and Spare parts availability. They assured me I'm in deep trouble if I choose a mitsubishi because there are no spare parts in local market and I would have to buy spare parts only from agent paying a huge amount of money and I have to wait till eternity for mitsubishi agents to import parts from japan. And they also mentioned that unlike axio, I won't be able to sell the mitsubishi for a decent price. (if I wanted to, of course)

I called mitsu agents and they say they have spare parts for any vehicle they sell and I don't have to worry. However the sales guy said he have no idea on 3rd party parts availability.

So as you all can see i'm in a dilemma here. If you were in my position which car would you buy? And please be kind enough to mention why..

This is my first post on autolanka, so please go easy on me if I have offended any rule.

Thanks in advance.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Bracket

[Bracket]

By the way, here's the link to the full specifications list of Lancer EX GLX.

https://mega.co.nz/#!xpQQHRjA!GEUqbX1s2c7wSGk47ehDqBCjV2lpgmcMj7bZDcwucBo

[The Don]

Welcome to Autolanka.

Your question is a difficult one to answer for a number of reasons.

1. The Axio in question is quite new and we have no idea how this car will perform both in terms of the market and as a vehicle.

2. The vehicle in question is also a 1.3L which isn't very popular in SL due to the fact we have air conditioning run constantly in our vehicles which make 1.3L sedans feel a bit under powered.

3. The Axio in question is not brand new, and you have no gurantee of mileage or condition buying from a used car dealer.

4. The last generation of Toyota Corolla the 141 and Axio did not do as well as the previous 121 as they were bigger cars and did not return the same fuel economy figures. They were very reliable, the hall mark of Japanese cars.

5. The Lancer in question is now a couple of years old, but has not proven to be as popular as previous generations. I have not heard of any serious faults but it is somewhat linked to the slow down of the used automobile import industry as most Lancers on the road are brand new imports.

6. You can be sure of the mileage and condition of a brand new vehicle and Lancers have always been good to drive and very reliable.

7. Spare parts availability is relative to the number of cars on the road and whether the same was sold in the Japense market where most used body parts are imported from.

So another few key questions to answer would be

1. How do you plan to use the car?

2. How many miles would it do per year?

3. How long do you plan to keep the car (5 years until your next permit?)

[Bracket]

Welcome to Autolanka.

Your question is a difficult one to answer for a number of reasons.

1. The Axio in question is quite new and we have no idea how this car will perform both in terms of the market and as a vehicle.

2. The vehicle in question is also a 1.3L which isn't very popular in SL due to the fact we have air conditioning run constantly in our vehicles which make 1.3L sedans feel a bit under powered.

3. The Axio in question is not brand new, and you have no gurantee of mileage or condition buying from a used car dealer.

4. The last generation of Toyota Corolla the 141 and Axio did not do as well as the previous 121 as they were bigger cars and did not return the same fuel economy figures. They were very reliable, the hall mark of Japanese cars.

5. The Lancer in question is now a couple of years old, but has not proven to be as popular as previous generations. I have not heard of any serious faults but it is somewhat linked to the slow down of the used automobile import industry as most Lancers on the road are brand new imports.

6. You can be sure of the mileage and condition of a brand new vehicle and Lancers have always been good to drive and very reliable.

7. Spare parts availability is relative to the number of cars on the road and whether the same was sold in the Japense market where most used body parts are imported from.

So another few key questions to answer would be

1. How do you plan to use the car?

2. How many miles would it do per year?

3. How long do you plan to keep the car (5 years until your next permit?)

Don,

Thanks for the reply.

My daily driving will be limited to 20 km a day (approx) And yes, I'm planning to keep the car for 5 years.

[iRage]

If I were you I would go for the Lancer, albeit I am a huge fan of old Toyotas. Why ? well the Axio is the ultimate definition of boring and it is b*tt ugly to look at ! but then that is me. and the Lancer is exactly the opposite of that

EDIT : Presuming the Lancer B/N is from agents...

Also, for the first few years I get the Mitsu agent's warranty so I would not worry about buying third party parts as it would void the warranty anyway (i hve no first hand expereince with Mitsu dealers in SL but in most cases it does). Where the Axio is concerned, well I seriously doubt (in fact I am 99% certain) that Toyota Japan would transfer the JDM warranty to Toyota Lanka. So I might not have a warranty for the Axio at all. Even if I do, it would be one from a car salesman rather than the agent.

Now the Axio had a warranty in Japan where technically it ceases (except for certain recalls, etc...) once the car is out of Japan (although there are ways to get around complete void of warranty), so if the car salesman was to give you replacement parts under his/her warranty it is hard to imagine how they could supply an actual Toyota Japan warranty replacement (NOTE 1) more efficiently than Mitsu dealer over here..unless of course they get buy something from a parts store either locally or get it couriered.

NOTE 1: usually Toyota Japan dealerships require the repair be handled by them so they don't necessarily give the warranty part over the counter so getting over that usually takes time.

Edited January 6, 2014 by iRage

[kush]

-RELIABILITY Probably Toyota
-Fuel Economy Toyota

-Spare Parts Availability Toyota

-Safety And comfort Toyota has more air bags

-Handling Lancer

-Looks Lancer

- Resale value Toyota

161 is 1.3L if you need to compare this with the 1.5L

Lancer is a old model which most probably will be replaced soon where as the 161 will be the current model (Shape) when you want to sell in 5 years time.

I would also look at the new Mazda 3 which i think is within your budget

[Bracket]

iRage,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, the lancer EX is brand new from Unit*d moto*s.

The problem is, Will I be able to sell Lancer in 5 years for a bargain? Because to buy a new vehicle in 5 years I will have to sell the car I'm buying now for a decent price. Toyota dealers (Ind*a Moto*rs) are claiming that I'll be able to sell the axio for atleast 4mil in 5 years.

Assuming i won't be able to sell this vehicle in 5 years for a good price, which car should I buy for long - term use (say 10 years or more? )

[Bracket]

Kush,

Thanks for your reply.

Mazda agents are ca*mart and since their showroom and workshop is situated in colombo, I will have to travel a long way for servicing as there are no authorized workshops of ca*mart in Matale or Kandy. They say that if I fail to do servicing in their workshop I will lose my warrenty. :/ Buying spares from agents will also be a pain I guess.

[Komisiripala]

Don't ever go buy what the sales people say.

Just buy the Toyota.

If you're the adventurous type, go for the lancer.

[Bracket]

Don't ever go buy what the sales people say.

Just buy the Toyota.

If you're the adventurous type, go for the lancer.

Don't ever go buy what the sales people say.

Just buy the Toyota.

If you're the adventurous type, go for the lancer.

Komisiripala,

Thanks for your reply.

So that If you were me, you'll buy toyota? +1 vote to the axio

Assuming I'm adventurous, What is your opinion about the spare parts issue? as Kush mentioned above, if they discontinue lancer, will I be able to find spare parts when I need?

[Hoonigan]

Welcome to AL!

Don't have personal experience with either but I was considering the lancer GT 18 months back. My vote is on the lancer. While toyota is reputed to be reliable, that does not mean a brand new mitsu is shabby by any means.

One thing to keep in mind is not to buy into everything the car sale guy tells you. For one, he can NEVER guarantee that you can sell the car for a particular price in 5 years. The way our government policy changes happen make it impossible to place a value on a car 5 years from now.

Therefore do your own research independent of what he tells you and decide based on your requirements.

Going with the mitsu via the agent of course, you get the warranty which will cover most of your ownership period. So parts wise, I wouldn't worry too much.

[Bracket]

Hoonigan,

Thanks for your reply. +1 vote for lancer

Assuming I won't be able to buy a car within 5 years, what is the better car to use for 10+ years? Mitsu or Toyota? Will they have spares then?

[Hoonigan]

Dang it! my phone has been double posting all day!

And about parts, the number of Japanese cars running around 10-15-20 years old should be an indication.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Hoonigan

[Bracket]

But what will happen AFTER the warrenty period? the warrenty is valid for 2 years. ( mitsu ) The axio is not under warrenty as I won't be able to import it via the agents.

What is the better one for long term usage ( say 10 years? )

[iRage]

The problem is, Will I be able to sell Lancer in 5 years for a bargain? Because to buy a new vehicle in 5 years I will have to sell the car I'm buying now for a decent price. Toyota dealers (Ind*a Moto*rs) are claiming that I'll be able to sell the axio for atleast 4mil in 5 years.

Assuming i won't be able to sell this vehicle in 5 years for a good price, which car should I buy for long - term use (say 10 years or more? )

Considering the Sri Lankan car market you have better odds at predicting the lottery numbers and actually getting it right than figuring out what a price of a car would be in 5 years time. Also...like Komi said..don't go by what a car salesman says. I am pretty sure these guys sold Premio/Allion 260s claiming they would be at least 5+mil in a few years after buying it.

Axio -> boring, ugly, a bit more plasticy inside than the Lancer

Lancer -> more fun to drive and to me it is prettier

True, in Sri Lanka you can sell in piece of $h!7 as long as there is a Toyota badge on it.

But if you are looking at 10 years down the road...the Lancer. Plus the added benefit of getting a warranty from the Mitsubishi AGENT as opposed to a car dealership with an "illustrious" past.

But at the end of the day you should buy what you will enjoy owning and having on the road and not have it deterred by:

1) thinking of how much you can get for it resale wise even before you have bought it.(although I can appreciate one being concerned about this)

2) what a car salesman says (in 99% of the world they would tell you whatever to make a sale)

3) how many "wow"s you would get from the neighbor and their aunts.

But if you are concerned about (2) and (3)...the Axio would be the only buy. If you are concerned about (1) well the Axio is a safer bet but THINK HARD about how far off the Lancer would be.

To give some credit to the Axio, Toyota did try to make it feel a bit more dynamic than the previous model. To me it still feels a bit dull underneath and a bit jittery rather than dynamic.

EDIT: Since you are concerned about parts availability in 5-10 years, what guarantees do you have that parts for the Axio (gasoline version) will be there given that the whole world is going bonkers with hybrids and right now the Axio Hybrid is selling as much as the gasoline variant and soon to surpass it in the JDM market ?

and since you are tallying votes... my vote goes for the Lancer.

Edited January 6, 2014 by iRage

[Bracket]

iRage,

Thanks a lot! , another vote to the lancer

Almost every friend of mine who have got the permit is going with the Toyota because it is "popular" and they say toyotas are way more comfy to drive when compared to mitsubishi.

Only members here in AL are giving me reasonable explanations.

Thanks fellas!

[The Don]

Bracket, over the course of a 10 year period the Lancer if well maintained is unlikely to give you more hassle than the Axio. With your daily mileage I don't think fuel economy is a key factor.

If you can either get the brand new Axio for around the same price or the 1.5L in Sri Lanka I would say go for the Axio.

But if its 1.3L which are harder to sell I'd say go for the Lancer. In the SL market you rarely lose money on cars bought on permit, but remember inflation will still hurt you (You won't be able to buy in 5 years what you can buy now for the same money).

And with a brand new car you have the opportunity to maintain it well and make it your own and it won't suffer any issues due to previous neglect. And I have to admit I am a bit biased towards the Lancers. If you want to know why, you need to put it on a hoist, lift it up and look at the suspension. Also the new Lancer has a lot of road presence.

[Bracket]

EDIT: ... and Don's vote goes for the lancer too! +1

Hey, any other lancer users here?

would anyone like to share their experience with the lancer? did you ever had a hard time searching for spares?

Edited January 6, 2014 by Bracket

[Bracket]

Don,

Yes, but here in matale, axio 141 cars are very, I mean VERY common. I think reason is the TOYOTA badge..

Axio seems to be the most popular car, but after reading all your comments,I'm feeling that lancer is the better car...

[Magnum]

I dont think it'll be that easy to sell the 161 either given the fact that there's a hybrid version of it, that is the 165

[dieahrd]

In 5 years, you may make lot more money than now and whatever the amount you may lose in resale value should be neglible. Afterall you are moving from a 1.6 Mil budget to 3.5 - 4 Mil budget right now..

My take is that you should buy the Lancer, if that fits your other requirments of the desired vehicle (handling, fuel etc). When I was buying the Lancer Ex sometime back, there were number of cars that owners who couldnt sell for months. Some of them were "Used and abused by doctors/judges/professionals" or the owner expected more money than what it would cost to buy a brand new car..

Well maintained car will be sold within a reasonable amount of time..

[Bracket]

I dont think it'll be that easy to sell the 161 either given the fact that there's a hybrid version of it, that is the 165

Thanks Magnum, I think you're correct there. I take it another +1 vote for the Lancer

[Bracket]

In 5 years, you may make lot more money than now and whatever the amount you may lose in resale value should be neglible. Afterall you are moving from a 1.6 Mil budget to 3.5 - 4 Mil budget right now..

My take is that you should buy the Lancer, if that fits your other requirments of the desired vehicle (handling, fuel etc). When I was buying the Lancer Ex sometime back, there were number of cars that owners who couldnt sell for months. Some of them were "Used and abused by doctors/judges/professionals" or the owner expected more money than what it would cost to buy a brand new car..

Well maintained car will be sold within a reasonable amount of time..

Dieahrd Thanks for the advice and recommendation man, Happy to see a lancer EX owner and I can see you are happy of your car...

... and another +1 vote for the Lancer!!!

[The Don]

Don,

Yes, but here in matale, axio 141 cars are very, I mean VERY common. I think reason is the TOYOTA badge..

Axio seems to be the most popular car, but after reading all your comments,I'm feeling that lancer is the better car...

Corolla's always sell, it doesn't have the same reputation of the AE100, 110 or 121 which delivered class leading fuel economy.

[Komisiripala]

Whoa hey, don't get me wrong here bracket, my vote is not on whether the axio or the lancer is the better car. I don't even consider the axio a car to begin with. It's just vanilla flavored boredom on 4 wheels.

My vote is purely, and entirely on which is the better car for your requirements. Which should be the denominator here, not the numerator. You worry about after sales service, parts availability and resale value in ten years time even before you've bought the car. While in no way condemning that (my dad would've been proud to have a son like you) the only sure fire bet you can take on a brand with those requirements is Toyota. Nothing else.

For an example, my brother bought a Toyota carina recon for 700,000 on the permit in 1997. He sold it in 2012 for 1.8 million. 300- 307,000km, single/first owner.

But if you, like most of us here, wanna live a little more dangerously, and actually have the hairs on your rear end tingled a little on the ride home, go for a civic! Or the lancer. Or even the new impreza.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Komisiripala

[whatever]

Don't believe agent's comments. Do your own research.

Both cars being mainstream Japanese cars, spare parts should be more or less equally available.

Besides, unlike your previous Maruti, you would hardly need spare parts other than serviceable parts, at least for the first 5 years .

If I'm in the same situation, I would obviously go for the Lancer.