Best car to buy these days for 2.1 Million

[d7K]

Hi All,

I'm a new member to this forum. I considered these vehicles, BJ5P. FB 15 , N16 and AE110 which goes around this price range. Can anyone plz explain what is the best choice. We have 4 people in my family. It want be a daily run. The car should be easily maintainable(parts). Cant waste much time on garage in the weekend so it should be reliable ;). This is our first car to my family. Please help me.
*Never had any vehicle previously. 

[madushan.a]

Welcome to the forum. Few years back I also in the same situation. 

It is good to see that you have decided to go for a used Japanese car instead of buying a new Indian/ Chinese crap. A wise decision. But the key point here is finding a well maintained car. 

All cars you mentioned are really good cars and proven.

In my opinion (and little experience) N16 is not that good with petrol and less comfy compare with others. 110 is a great car but these days highly overpriced. With 2.1 mil you may find a 1997 one most probably with a mileage above 150,000 km.

So IMO it will be  BJ5P vs FB15. Probably you can find 2000 or 2001 cars with more options and mileage just above 100,000. You don't need to worry about maintaining and finding parts for both models. But well maintained BJ5Ps and FB15s are still overpriced or owners will stick to them for sometimes. There will be plenty of them in that quick site and but finding a good one may be quite hard.

I have used both BJ5P and FB15. Both are equally good and great cars. Good looking, reliable and comfy. I can't say this is better without being bias to one of them though BJ5P may have the edge when it comes to handling and driving pleasure.

Fellow AL members with more experience and knowledge may contribute you with more details.

Good luck!

[Crosswind]

This thread is a classic example of blind leading the blind.

• There's nothing really wrong with N16. If I had these options, my first choice will be BJ5P. Second choice will be N16. BJ6P (Mazda 323, which is not JDM) isn't bad either. I have personal experience with a Mazda 323 (BH-model) which had a Malaysia-made engine. The car started in one-go every morning and didn't leak a drop of oil even after 360,000km on the clock.
• Any average car which was made around Year 2000 would have done a minimum of 150,000km. A more likely figure would be 200,000 - 300,000. If you drive only 1000km a month, a 16-year old car would have hit 190,000km. So finding a BJ5P or FB15 with 100,000km on the clock is hilarious.

 

 

[Vengeance]

I wouldn't advice any of these vehicles for daily use, but I know a few who still use these as daily runners. They're reliable vehicles, but considering the age (15+ years) and the abuse they have gone through you're likely to experience repairs and will have to spend a considerable amount of time in the garages once in a while. Parts are easily available. If you would like to settle with one of these, AE110 > FB15 > BJ5P > N16. 

Its personal preference in the end that matters. Do take a trust-able mechanic with you have the vehicle inspected thoroughly, almost all vehicles of this age are clocked so don't bother with the mileage.

The N16 and FB15 do have some suspension issues, you may have to replace certain suspension related parts every 20-40k kms, nothing major though. Please do search the forum and you will find a lot of information on these vehicles as they have been discussed extensively.

How many kms do you plan on running every month? Doesn't a newer hatchback suit you?

If you're into hatchbacks: Viva Elite, Passo, Kelisa, Swift are some options you can consider.

[hrm]

If this is your very first car I would suggest going for a bit newer one like Viva Elite. No doubt that FB15,110, BJ5Ps are good daily runners but still you might need to do some occasional garage trips due to their age and wear-out. (That's how I started btw).

[matroska]

2 hours ago, Vengeance said:

I

If you're into hatchbacks: Viva Elite, Passo, Kelisa, Swift are some options you can consider.

@OP - Those are some pretty decent rides - the Elite will be the newest. The Passo is a very bland car but still you can live with. The kelisa is a tad small but a very lively car but i'd recommend it for your daily office commute than a family car.Out of that bunch  Swift is a decent family car with good ground clearance and is more of an allrounder. 

[mission]

Also checkout nissan March k12 

[LashNeo]

@d7K. It seems like you want to own an old used car with minimum maintenance effort Therefore, I would like to give some general advice for you.

All the cars you have specified above are aged nearly 15 years or more. So, what you need to realize is that they won’t be bulletproof by any means. You should expect one or two hiccups now and then. If you need a trouble free ride for a long period, best option would be buying a brand new one. But, as per current market dynamics, you know that it’s not possible to buy a decent brand new ride for that budget. So, you have to live with options such as the ones you have specified.

However, All the models you have specified above are decent and reliable rides as per my honest opinion. They have been running around in our roads for a long time and have built their good reputation among local car buyers. If you treat them well, they will serve you for a long period. Different people will have different opinions on these models based on their preferences. But for me, there’s no such significant difference among these models.

Hence, what you should do is find a well-kept specimen from the above models; preferably with maintenance history and complete any pending repairs before putting it to daily use. Try to find a user manual of the model you buy and check out for any parts that may require replacement based on the age and mileage of the car as specified in the service schedule of the user manual. Just don’t cut corners on this and replace any parts that may start malfunctioning in near future (old horses and other cooling system components, filters, suspension parts etc.).  It will save a lot of time and hassle if you are not willing to sacrifice weekends at garages.

Furthermore, find a good place which provides preventive maintenance services to service your car. Servicing does not mean just changing engine oil and giving a good wash. It should also include procedures that check other critical systems of the car like the brake system, cooling system, electrical system, suspension system etc. Replace any worn out parts of the above systems immediately. Don’t wait until they finally break up and leave you wondering in the middle of know where on a rainy night.

By following the above procedures, you will be able to keep your car in good daily running condition.

This advice comes from a bloke who has used a 17-year-old car for almost 7 years as a daily runner with few issues .

[shirand]

Better to avoid n16 from your list. 110 is also expensive and not worth that price tag because it's old and high mileage.

If i was you i'll go for the bj5p. 

fb15 - there are 2 editions Ex Saloon and Super Saloon. Ex saloon doesn't have back head rests and less options. Super saloon has some more options and for that you will have to pay a considerable extra price. Maintaining may be a higher effort

bj5p - will have all the options fb15 super saloon got for a lesser price, much better curvy look than fb15's boxy look. Fuel efficiency is almost same as fb15 and maintenance almost same or lesser. Reliability also almost same. For your budget you can get a much better bj5p than fb15 with lesser age and mileage.

If you go ahead with bj5p better to go for a familia new model (not a 323) because it is a jdm. 

Edited October 4, 2016 by shirand

[PreseaLover]

55 minutes ago, shirand said:

Better to avoid n16 from your list. 110 is also expensive and not worth that price tag because it's old and high mileage.

If i was you i'll go for the bj5p. 

fb15 - there are 2 editions Ex Saloon and Super Saloon. Ex saloon doesn't have back head rests and less options. Super saloon has some more options and for that you will have to pay a considerable extra price. Maintaining may be a higher effort

bj5p - will have all the options fb15 super saloon got for a lesser price, much better curvy look than fb15's boxy look. Fuel efficiency is almost same as fb15 and maintenance almost same or lesser. Reliability also almost same. For your budget you can get a much better bj5p than fb15 with lesser age and mileage.

If you go ahead with bj5p better to go for a familia new model (not a 323) because it is a jdm. 

Dude seriously?

@NRX will share some insights on the N16

 

Edited October 4, 2016 by PreseaLover

[LashNeo]

4 hours ago, shirand said:

Better to avoid n16 from your list. 110 is also expensive and not worth that price tag because it's old and high mileage.

If i was you i'll go for the bj5p. 

fb15 - there are 2 editions Ex Saloon and Super Saloon. Ex saloon doesn't have back head rests and less options. Super saloon has some more options and for that you will have to pay a considerable extra price. Maintaining may be a higher effort

bj5p - will have all the options fb15 super saloon got for a lesser price, much better curvy look than fb15's boxy look. Fuel efficiency is almost same as fb15 and maintenance almost same or lesser. Reliability also almost same. For your budget you can get a much better bj5p than fb15 with lesser age and mileage.

If you go ahead with bj5p better to go for a familia new model (not a 323) because it is a jdm. 

My personal preference would also go towards the BJ5P due to its looks and sportier nature in terms of handling and performance. But I would definitely not rule out a well-kept N16. It’s a comfortable and spacious ride which looks decent too.  It may do less on fuel compared to the FB15 & 110 but that’s not a huge deal. May I know why you say that it’s better to keep away from N16??

[shirand]

2 hours ago, LashNeo said:

My personal preference would also go towards the BJ5P due to its looks and sportier nature in terms of handling and performance. But I would definitely not rule out a well-kept N16. It’s a comfortable and spacious ride which looks decent too.  It may do less on fuel compared to the FB15 & 110 but that’s not a huge deal. May I know why you say that it’s better to keep away from N16??

 

 

@LashNeo

Actually i said to avoid n16 "from your list". That does not mean n16 is a bad car. But when consider other 3 n16 is the first one to drop while short listing. Anyway it is my personal opinion based on;

• n16 is bigger and heavier that will clearly give a lesser fuel consumption than other 3 (only advantage is the slightly larger space than other 3)
• both fb15 and bj5p are comfortable than n16. I have used all 3 cars with fabric interior. n16 seats felt like bit harder when compare to other 2. if the family has kids this is a factor to consider
• when it comes to handling n16 is nowhere when compare with bj5p which is the clear winner
• look - this is very subjective thing. But in my opinion n16 has an inflated ugly "mudalali look".
  • Many of my friends/ colleagues are saying n16 is ugly some of my friends/ colleagues are saying n16 is looking beautiful (75/25)
  • Some of my friends/ colleagues are saying fb15 is boxy and ugly and some of my friends/ colleagues are saying fb15 is looking beautiful (20/80)
  • None of my friends/ colleagues have so far said bj5p is looking ugly, very few has said there is no special look other than a typical japanese car in early 2000s, but many of my friends/ colleagues has said bj5p is looking beautiful with it's curves may be they think it's a kind of sporty look
  • (for me except n16 all other 3 are looking beautiful)

[PreseaLover]

12 hours ago, shirand said:

 

• But in my opinion n16 has an inflated ugly "mudalali look".
  • (for me except n16 all other 3 are looking beautiful)

Hilarious piece of shit.. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.. The OP had asked what's the best choice out of the 4, not what's the most beautiful, so you giving him advice based on your perception of the look of the car is bloody wrong... plus, it is because of people like you that certain car models go underrated in this country.. and you should know that fuel figures from car to car differs even if it's the same model.. 

[shirand]

@PreseaLover

I have clearly mentioned in my 2 posts why i would select bj5p as the best choice from above 4 based on handling, comfort, comparative fuel efficiency, price vs options, look.

Anywhere it does NOT imply selecting the best choice based ONLY on the beautiful look - may be it accounts for only 10%.

Also i clearly mentioned beauty is a very subjective thing and different people have different opinion. My opinion also a personal and subjective and it's not the only thing considered.

Can't help you couldn't take the posts as a whole.

 

[LashNeo]

15 hours ago, shirand said:

 

@LashNeo

Actually i said to avoid n16 "from your list". That does not mean n16 is a bad car. But when consider other 3 n16 is the first one to drop while short listing. Anyway it is my personal opinion based on;

• n16 is bigger and heavier that will clearly give a lesser fuel consumption than other 3 (only advantage is the slightly larger space than other 3)
• both fb15 and bj5p are comfortable than n16. I have used all 3 cars with fabric interior. n16 seats felt like bit harder when compare to other 2. if the family has kids this is a factor to consider
• when it comes to handling n16 is nowhere when compare with bj5p which is the clear winner
• look - this is very subjective thing. But in my opinion n16 has an inflated ugly "mudalali look".
  • Many of my friends/ colleagues are saying n16 is ugly some of my friends/ colleagues are saying n16 is looking beautiful (75/25)
  • Some of my friends/ colleagues are saying fb15 is boxy and ugly and some of my friends/ colleagues are saying fb15 is looking beautiful (20/80)
  • None of my friends/ colleagues have so far said bj5p is looking ugly, very few has said there is no special look other than a typical japanese car in early 2000s, but many of my friends/ colleagues has said bj5p is looking beautiful with it's curves may be they think it's a kind of sporty look
  • (for me except n16 all other 3 are looking beautiful)

Ok. Now it’s clear. When you said ‘Avoid N16 from your list’ I thought it had the meaning like "Don’t Buy It! Don’t Buy It !! it’s crap !!" etc. But your explanation is quit understandable now. Cheers!!

[shirand]

38 minutes ago, LashNeo said:

Ok. Now it’s clear. When you said ‘Avoid N16 from your list’ I thought it had the meaning like "Don’t Buy It! Don’t Buy It !! it’s crap !!" etc. But your explanation is quit understandable now. Cheers!!

 

Cheers for getting my point clearly! 

"All ladies are good, but you can chose only one!" (at leaset legally )

"All japanese cars are great, but you can buy only one!" (for the majority of sri lankan people)

At the end it's all about choices.

[samishka]

Any piece of junk is "great" as long as it is "MADE IN JAPAN" and called "Reconditioned". 

[d7K]

thanks all for ur keen reponses.  love u all. im still looking for a car

[aamarakoon]

Aren't you interested in a Carina 212 which is a class above your choices and meets all your criteria. I'm not aware of the current prices, but they were within your budget earlier. Had one for 5 years. Still love it and wish I had kept it!

 

[Niroshana Punchihewa]

On 03/10/2016 at 11:31 AM, d7K said:

Hi All,

I'm a new member to this forum. I considered these vehicles, BJ5P. FB 15 , N16 and AE110 which goes around this price range. Can anyone plz explain what is the best choice. We have 4 people in my family. It want be a daily run. The car should be easily maintainable(parts). Cant waste much time on garage in the weekend so it should be reliable ;). This is our first car to my family. Please help me.
*Never had any vehicle previously. 

Me too the same...I also having same question.

[NRX]

On 10/5/2016 at 4:38 PM, samishka said:

Any piece of junk is "great" as long as it is "MADE IN JAPAN" and called "Reconditioned". 

Says the guy who has a Renault Kwid as his profile picture

[kusumsiri]

14 hours ago, NRX said:

Says the guy who has a Renault Kwid as his profile picture

May be one of these guys.

 

[The Stig]

18 hours ago, NRX said:

Says the guy who has a Renault Kwid as his profile picture

Don't you get it?  It's an inferiority complex thing, someone is trying to justify their purchase.