Mitsubishi Lancer CS3 or Yaris ?

[Radar]

Dear All,

I have been reading lots of threads and almost all the things I have learned about cars because of your valuable and unbiased reviews.At the moment I'm ready to buy my very first car and have managed to fund maximum of 2.8 Mil.

Please give me your kind advice to select a car from below mentioned cars which I have selected with my knowledge.If you can suggest me any car otherthan them, highly appreciate it.

My main concerns are,

i). Reliability

ii). Fuel efficiency (I prefer go for a manual since I'm living in Badulla and less traffic )

iii).Im not think much about resale value since I don't have any idea about funding again for a apgrade in the future with my other plans (like construction of my own home etc..)

Here are the models I have selected with my knowledge.

1.Mitsubishi Lancer CS3 manual 2011/2012

2.Toyota 121 Manual 1500CC 2003

3.Toyota Yaris 1300CC 2008

4.Toyota Vios 2005

5.Mazda Axela 2003 

Think to go for a manual and looking for your kind advices I have no enough experience about cars and only expertised about motorcycles.

Thank you.

Radar

 

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by Radar

[iRage]

Well.....I am going to say opposite to what Gayan said....if you are going to keep this for a long time....you buy what you want irrespective of what we in the forums say. So if a manual makes you happy....go for a manual....take a few test drives...see what makes you feel better. Don't forget you are the one who will have to live with it.

Pros of an automatic...well..an automatic is easier in traffic and you do not have to bother yourself with balancing the clutch on hills etc...also...for the vintage of the cars you are looking at, automatics are much easier to come by.  Cons, well....if not taken care of the transmission might be having issues

Pros of a manual : more fun to drive...a little bit more forgiving in terms of maintaining it....

As for your budget...DO NOT spend all 2.8mil on purchasing the car. Save some for some mandatory fix ups as soon as you buy it and some repairs ha may come up after you use it for sometime. So out of your 2.8mil..your actual car buying budget is about 2.5mil. Maybe that will reduce the number of choices in your list.

With the Yaris/Vios and the Lancer you have the benefit of finding permit imports (even first owner ones) that have some sort of maintenance history with the agents, so that helps a little but with finding an honest vehicle. Some are actually pretty good. The Lancer is a bit more fun and more refined in terms of ride quality than the Yaris/Vios...so I would go with that.

The 121...well....robust, economical, well put together and comfy car. BUT finding a good one is quite hard...most of the ones around are dressed up for a quick sale and are harshly used. However, I have seen a few really good agent imported brand new units for sale but those are very rare.

As for the Axela...well...good ones hardly get sold....

 

 

[Hyaenidae]

1 hour ago, K.o.N.o.S said:

@Davy @trinity @Hyaenidae Any inputs?

You already know what I'm gonna go with if I'm the OP

Huge lancer fan because once you own one you are hooked. Even if you enjoy far sportier and comfier cars that is one car that has the ability to secure its place in your heart.

It's the newest car in OP's list, and all CS1 and CS3s were imported brand new.  Although, finding one that has been well taken care of is gonna be somewhat of a challenge because the kind of owners who take well care of the car wouldn't sell it easily; yesterday I saw a Lancer advertised for sale that has been run 190,000kms and it was the 1st owner who was selling the car! The ad said the car was maintained by the agent throughout, it looked like an absolute minter.

that, and the small number of imports means a long wait for a decent one to pop on adverts.

The agent for Mitsubishi is quite agreeable. They don't charge exorbitant "service charges", have quite reasonable prices when it comes to consumables (oils, filters, that kind of stuff -  spare parts too, when compared with other agents)  they don't push you unnecessary repairs, let you be near the car when they're working on it if you want to, has an islandwide network of workshops. They're quite good when it comes to service recalls too, I had mine called in for a minor recall once,  I remember cars sold in 2005 being recalled in 2016.    

It's reliable as much as any Japanese car out there, it's a time-tested and proven car under harsh Sri Lankan driving conditions. The deciding factor is how the car has been taken care of. I've seen many CS1 cars that were absolute minters, like Sampath's CS1 and the CS1 I found for a fellow autolanka member . If you can find a similar CS2 or a CS3 you'll have no reliability issues. 

Fuel economy wise, it's similar to any non-hybrid sedan in 1500CC-1600CC range.

All in all, my 2 cents is, go for the Lancer if you can find one that has been reasonably taken care of.

[iRage]

14 hours ago, Radar said:

Yes..Thanks for the idea.I will try to find one with low mileage since I don't have any idea to sell it within next 5/8 yrs.

Since you are looking for a long term car...do not be in a rush to buy a car just because you need one ASAP. The last thing you want is to buy something you will get tired of after a few months....

As for the Yaris....well it is a decent A to B car...does pretty much all the things a sedan in its category supposed to do in a fairly okay manner but does not do anything really well (day to day Toyotas have always been the jack of all trades but master of none kind of cars)....most people love Toyotas just for that....

As for Mitsubishis....they are like the the neighborhood dog that you have accidentally adopted and can list a 101 million things you hate about it but then forget all that and start loving it because there is this one thing that it will do to put a smile on your face. Mitsubishis are plasticy....body feels like a solid block of metal (close the door in one you feel like you shut the door of a bloody 30 year old tank). In some models the seats are benchy and you just slide off all over the damn place...the cabin is noisy like a 90 year old choir singer is singing its last note over and over and over again and not just dying off...but there is this think that it will get you hooked on and you over look every other damn bit of annoyance and defend it to death (Mitsu-fan boys echo in here). I had one of thos much loved Pajeros....it drank petrol like crazy...the interior was plasticy..seats were benchy...the engine sounded very high pitchy (lets not even talk about the tak tak noise from the injectors)...but the damn thing moved liek a bloody bat out of hell and when it did..I just forgot everything else. The Lancer is no different. Used my colleagues EX in SL for may work trips...hated the noise..hated the ride...hated the interior...but loved driving it

So....if your heart is set on a Lancer...then be patient and see what comes up....

[Davy]

12 hours ago, K.o.N.o.S said:

@Davy @trinity @Hyaenidae Any inputs?

Well... Like @Hyaenidae, I too am biased towards the Lancer purely because owning one for five years gives you a good impression about how reliable and great cars they are. I only have good things to say about the CS3 I had, and I only sold the car because I'm not in the country anymore and my father who was using the car wanted an automatic hatch for ease of driving daily to work.

The only car that's comparable with the Lancer's handling in that list is the Axela IMO. The Yaris and the Vitz is the same thing underneath and the rear torsion bar compared to the Lancer's multi link suspension dwarfs in comparison. 

The question is, can you get a 2011+ CS3 for your budget of 2.8M. From what I can see, they go for a little over 3M?

[trinity]

On 7/22/2019 at 7:17 PM, K.o.N.o.S said:

@Davy @trinity @Hyaenidae Any inputs?

@Radar

 

As Davy, I too am biased towards the Lancer. But it doesn’t mean that we insist on omitting every other option and going for a Lancer every time this kind of a thread pops up. But looking at the list of cars you have put up, it seems the best car for you would be the Lancer CS3.

Since I've spoken about pros and cons of CS Lancers in many previous threads I believe listing them all again is pointless at the moment. However, I'd like to point out few facts that I observe in the car models stated in your list.

1.Mitsubishi Lancer CS3 manual 2011/2012

I've rarely seen CS3s with manual boxes that have been manufactured in these years. Most of the cars that were for sale had automatic CVT transmission. One of my friends had a manual one but bugger sold it to be cut for an Evo conversion.

CS3s with manual transmission are one of the most fun cars I've driven in this segment. The best part with the manual Lancers is that the clutch is very soft and smooth. Anyhow finding a manual car made after 2010 would be very difficult IMO. The down side of the CVT is that if it’s not properly maintained, it would cause issues. And if that happens, you are in bit of a trouble cuz finding a recon CVT box will be difficult as JDM of CS came with a 4 speed auto box. 

By these years almost all of the cars were bought and used by companies rather than individuals. The car being a brand new import and being a 12 year old model made it pointless for an individual to buy it for that price at that time. So, if you are going for a car that were manufactured in the years you've stated, you have to consider this fact as well. Nothing wrong with company used cars as long as they've been used properly and carry all service records (this is a long shot though). Mine was a company used one and it was pristine when I bought it. 

Last year I saw several CS3s in the marked which had done over 150k kms, one car had 205k on the clock. So be mindful about the mileage. Also few months back, Unit#d Mot#rs too sold some units that were used by their staff. 

Other than these, the ride quality, handling, power, ground clearance, leg space in the cabin and durability of this car is best in its class IMHO. 

Lastly finding parts for a Lancer around Badulla area would be difficult when compared to a Toyota.

2.Toyota 121 Manual 1500CC 2003

This is fairly an old car. But a solid one. The most concerning part about this car is that finding well maintained genuine car. Since these are goon on fuel, most cars by now should have been to the moon and back. These cars were very popular with cab companies before Axio’s and Hybrids took over.

So if you are going for this, you’d have to be very careful.

3.Toyota Yaris 1300CC 2008

No driving experience with this car, however I’ve been a passenger several times. It’s not specious. I don’t like how it looks. Whether this car is powerful enough to be used in hill country is a question you have to consider about.

4.Toyota Vios 2005

No experience at all. AFIK this is not a Japanese made car. Wonder what happened to these cars as I seldom see a one in Colombo nowadays. Back in the day these were very popular. This was the car for people who could not afford an Allion 240.

Since this is not a JDM you might have to think about availability of spares. However I remember there was a regular member who spoke very fondly of Vios in general. 

5.Mazda Axela 2003 

If a car could compete with the Lancer CS3, this would be it. The only downside is that the car is now bit old. I remember some weird issue with these cars where flies get stuck inside the rear tail laps. There was a thread about it also if I remember right. Again Im unable to comment much as I haven’t used this car.

One of the best cars which I believe might suits you that is not there in the list is the Honda Civic ES8. Please consider that one as well. One of my cousins had an ES8 RS manual, absolute fun to drive car. That’s a Ripper if you could find a one. Even an auto is superb. The car pulls like a train.

Hope this (plus all the input given by the other members) helps to make you the correct decision.

Best of Luck

Cheers!!!

[alpha17]

I don’t think that you want a manual for the  fuel economy. But anyway manuals make the driving more engaging, but sometimes a bit annoying, specially in a hilly area with traffic. But most of those cars are imported with automatic transmission (cvt or automated 4 or 5 speed gearboxes), you’ll have a very narrow margin of finding a good one. Most cars with manual transmission are probably (but there are G grade 121s available) a base or a lower grade of that model, so you’ll get lesser options and less demand (I know two people who struggled to sell their G grade manual 121s). With increasing traffic I always advice you to go with an auto.

So I’ll share my experience with the models you mentioned.

Lancer CS3 - This is one of the most comfortable cars in this class. I once rode as a passenger in a 1300cc variant which had done over 200,000kms with horrible maintenance, and that car was really comfortable on bad roads than 121s and Axios. The seats are soft and rear end has independent suspension which would be much better in comfort and cornering. Go for a one with those teak panels and all the options, as the base grade with grey plastics looks dull and too much plasticy.

121 - had one for 7 years without any issue. Solidly built and more comfortable than a Vios or Yaris. Easy to drive with light steering and good lower end torque. Very reliable and good fuel economy. Highly recommended but the problem is there are only a very few number of good examples left in SL. If you go for a well maintained car, you’ll be on the safe side on maintenance. Better to drive than most of the newer Toyotas such as Axio, Allion and Premios.

Vios - Manual version might be the best in terms of acceleration among this bunch. Thailand made with horrible leather seats and cheap looking interior. Good fuel economy. Good ground clearance. Engine is the same one from the 121. Might be equally reliable as a 121 but, build quality is not up to the standards that of a japanese, as you get more rattles and creeks from interior parts with the time being.

Yaris/Belta - No nonsense basic car for daily use. Belta is a bit better in comfort side than the Vios or the Yaris. Cheap looking interior, but reliable and very  economical. I personally find that the design is awful.

Mazda Axela or 3 - Best handling and driving pleasure of the bunch. I test drove one to check whether it fits my requirements. For me the ride is a bit harsh and the seats are sporty with less comfort oriented. Interior space also lacks if you are closer to 6 feet. Another problem is the low ground clearance. It definietly feels sporty but not smooth, so I went for a Toyota as I prefer comfort over sportiness at the moment. But the Axela has some options that are yet to available with newer allion and premio models such as tiptronic transmission and rain sensing vipers. Axela has the best look of the bunch.

[GayanR]

I would say get an automatic.After few months you'll appreciate it.Because non of the above cars worth a manual other than axela.axela 2003 is a no brainer you'll find it hard to get a well used one.Get a yaris 1.3 automatic.You can find good number of very well looked after ones.

[Radar]

16 minutes ago, GayanR said:

I would say get an automatic.After few months you'll appreciate it.Because non of the above cars worth a manual other than axela.axela 2003 is a no brainer you'll find it hard to get a well used one.Get a yaris 1.3 automatic.You can find good number of very well looked after ones.

Thank you so much for quick response.Thats absolutely true about Yaris availability.There are lots of them available with first owner permit imported for my budget.Definitely I will think about a auto then.

What about Lancer CS3 auto ?? I think its possible to find a  2012 one with around 100k Mileage.

[Radar]

1 hour ago, iRage said:

Well.....I am going to say opposite to what Gayan said....if you are going to keep this for a long time....you buy what you want irrespective of what we in the forums say. So if a manual makes you happy....go for a manual....take a few test drives...see what makes you feel better. Don't forget you are the one who will have to live with it.

Pros of an automatic...well..an automatic is easier in traffic and you do not have to bother yourself with balancing the clutch on hills etc...also...for the vintage of the cars you are looking at, automatics are much easier to come by.  Cons, well....if not taken care of the transmission might be having issues

Pros of a manual : more fun to drive...a little bit more forgiving in terms of maintaining it....

As for your budget...DO NOT spend all 2.8mil on purchasing the car. Save some for some mandatory fix ups as soon as you buy it and some repairs ha may come up after you use it for sometime. So out of your 2.8mil..your actual car buying budget is about 2.5mil. Maybe that will reduce the number of choices in your list.

With the Yaris/Vios and the Lancer you have the benefit of finding permit imports (even first owner ones) that have some sort of maintenance history with the agents, so that helps a little but with finding an honest vehicle. Some are actually pretty good. The Lancer is a bit more fun and more refined in terms of ride quality than the Yaris/Vios...so I would go with that.

The 121...well....robust, economical, well put together and comfy car. BUT finding a good one is quite hard...most of the ones around are dressed up for a quick sale and are harshly used. However, I have seen a few really good agent imported brand new units for sale but those are very rare.

As for the Axela...well...good ones hardly get sold....

 

 

Wow ?.Thank you so much for your valuable time taken for this fantastic explanation.You guys are amazing and even hard to believe that how can be this much generous with sharing expertised knowledge in any field.One of my favorite thread is B.R.A.T.T thread and it made me a lancer fan.

I will be a long time member of this forum and will share anything I know in the future as you all do here.

Thank you !

[K.o.N.o.S]

1 hour ago, Radar said:

.One of my favorite thread is B.R.A.T.T thread and it made me a lancer fan

I can sense another lancer thread is on it’s way. Eagerly awaiting.❤️

[Radar]

4 minutes ago, K.o.N.o.S said:

I can sense another lancer thread is on it’s way. Eagerly awaiting.❤️

??

[Radar]

Actually my dream car is Lancer EX.But they have priced around 3.5 Mil (2008) and its over my budget.Now im looking for a Lancer CS3 but there are only few have advertised.I think I'm having enough skills to enjoy the ride of a manual since I have been driving my company owned L200 manual for 3 yrs.But I think CS1 is not having enough power for use in my area (Badulla)

If I could not find a decent CS3 for my budget I will have to get a Yaris 2008.There are few brand new imported ones have advertised.

Thanks.

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by Radar

[GayanR]

You can find yaris model vios too with a 1500cc engine.Resale wise yaris got the upper hand though.

[K.o.N.o.S]

1 hour ago, Radar said:

Actually my dream car is Lancer EX

@Davy @trinity @Hyaenidae Any inputs?

[Radar]

1 hour ago, GayanR said:

You can find yaris model vios too with a 1500cc engine.Resale wise yaris got the upper hand though.

Yes..Thanks for the idea.I will try to find one with low mileage since I don't have any idea to sell it within next 5/8 yrs.

[Radar]

1 hour ago, K.o.N.o.S said:

@Davy @trinity @Hyaenidae Any inputs?

People who rescued me from Toyota mania..Waiting for their comments..

Edited July 22, 2019 by Radar

[K.o.N.o.S]

@Hyaenidae Nice. If your explanation does not convince the OP to buy a lancer then what will? 

[Radar]

22 hours ago, Hyaenidae said:

You already know what I'm gonna go with if I'm the OP

Huge lancer fan because once you own one you are hooked. Even if you enjoy far sportier and comfier cars that is one car that has the ability to secure its place in your heart.

It's the newest car in OP's list, and all CS1 and CS3s were imported brand new.  Although, finding one that has been well taken care of is gonna be somewhat of a challenge because the kind of owners who take well care of the car wouldn't sell it easily; yesterday I saw a Lancer advertised for sale that has been run 190,000kms and it was the 1st owner who was selling the car! The ad said the car was maintained by the agent throughout, it looked like an absolute minter.

that, and the small number of imports means a long wait for a decent one to pop on adverts.

The agent for Mitsubishi is quite agreeable. They don't charge exorbitant "service charges", have quite reasonable prices when it comes to consumables (oils, filters, that kind of stuff -  spare parts too, when compared with other agents)  they don't push you unnecessary repairs, let you be near the car when they're working on it if you want to, has an islandwide network of workshops. They're quite good when it comes to service recalls too, I had mine called in for a minor recall once,  I remember cars sold in 2005 being recalled in 2016.    

It's reliable as much as any Japanese car out there, it's a time-tested and proven car under harsh Sri Lankan driving conditions. The deciding factor is how the car has been taken care of. I've seen many CS1 cars that were absolute minters, like Sampath's CS1 and the CS1 I found for a fellow autolanka member . If you can find a similar CS2 or a CS3 you'll have no reliability issues. 

Fuel economy wise, it's similar to any non-hybrid sedan in 1500CC-1600CC range.

All in all, my 2 cents is, go for the Lancer if you can find one that has been reasonably taken care of.

Thank you so much @Hyaenidae for your valuable time and the shared information. Thats absolutely true about the availability of  CS1 and CS3 with mint condition. As you mentioned owners who taken well care of the car are not going to sell it easily. I saw that EX with 190,000Kms and it was in great condition and hard to believe that it has a mileage more than 100,000 kms. Quoted price was 3.7 Mil and its beyond my budget at the moment (But definitely my next car will be a Lancer EX).

Also thank you so much for sharing experiences and information about Mitsubishi agents.After looking at Sampath's CS1 now I have an idea is what an absolute minter is.Thanks again for linking it here.I think i'm bit afraid to think about CS2 since you guys have mentioned that EFI is reliable than GDI.And also most of you have praised the CS1 and CS3 than CS2.

Now I have only 2 choices.CS1 and CS3. Since they are hard to find I will have to wait for a decent one to pop on adverts.

[Radar]

11 hours ago, K.o.N.o.S said:

@Hyaenidae Nice. If your explanation does not convince the OP to buy a lancer then what will? 

That convincing part have done and dusted by @iRage .

Edited July 23, 2019 by Radar

[Hyaenidae]

10 minutes ago, Radar said:

I think i'm bit afraid to think about CS2 since you guys have mentioned that EFI is reliable than GDI.And also most of you have praised the CS1 and CS3 than CS2.

2

All CS2s are not GDI, CS2 EFI versions are as reliable as CS1 and CS3 versions

Refer to this thread:

http://www.elakiri.lk/forum/showpost.php?p=24037798&postcount=1

[hrm]

33 minutes ago, Radar said:

Thank you so much @Hyaenidae for your valuable time and the shared information. Thats absolutely true about the availability of  CS1 and CS3 with mint condition. As you mentioned owners who taken well care of the car are not going to sell it easily. I saw that EX with 190,000Kms and it was in great condition and hard to believe that it has a mileage more than 100,000 kms. Quoted price was 3.7 Mil and its beyond my budget at the moment (But definitely my next car will be a Lancer EX).

Also thank you so much for sharing experiences and information about Mitsubishi agents.After looking at Sampath's CS1 now I have an idea is what an absolute minter is.Thanks again for linking it here.I think i'm bit afraid to think about CS2 since you guys have mentioned that EFI is reliable than GDI.And also most of you have praised the CS1 and CS3 than CS2.

Now I have only 2 choices.CS1 and CS3. Since they are hard to find I will have to wait for a decent one to pop on adverts.

Was that 190K Lancer Ex is a black manual one by any chance? Such car was on sale for 3.4 mil when I was checking it a year ago.

[Radar]

4 minutes ago, hrm said:

Was that 190K Lancer Ex is a black manual one by any chance? Such car was on sale for 3.4 mil when I was checking it a year ago.

Here it is.. https://i k m a n. lk/en/ad/mitsubishi-lancer-ex-gls-2011-for-sale-colombo-9

[Radar]

29 minutes ago, Hyaenidae said:

All CS2s are not GDI, CS2 EFI versions are as reliable as CS1 and CS3 versions

Refer to this thread:

http://www.elakiri.lk/forum/showpost.php?p=24037798&postcount=1

Thank you for the informative article !

[hrm]

54 minutes ago, Radar said:

Here it is.. https://i k m a n. lk/en/ad/mitsubishi-lancer-ex-gls-2011-for-sale-colombo-9

It's not the one then. One I mentioned wasn't in this pristine look either.

[Hyaenidae]

16 minutes ago, hrm said:

this pristine look

IKR? Except for the rank amateur paint job on the rear bumper, everything looks awesome af.