Seeking car buying advices from experienced petrol heads at AL (Trust me, this aint's easy)

[GoldBugBee]

Hello  fellow ALs,

This is the first time I'm posting on the forum after using this as an unregistered visitor for quiet some times. I have this average looking question, which I came up with different answers each time I ran it through my mind. Therefore your expertise is strongly required & I seek your valuable advices.

I have bit of knowledge on vehicles as my famly owns few from time to time and now its time to grab one for myself. My budget is ranging from LKR 2 million to 4 million. This is the tricky part. I have first hand experience on used car repairs and sometimes I feel like I should go either with brand new one from agents or unregistered reconditioned one (With validated pre-shipment inspection sheets). Then as I found out my available options are Kia Picanto (Unfortunately they still sell 2018 model), Perodua Axia and other 600CC-650CC kei cars. I cannot justify myself buying a kei car at current price tags. And rear of the Axia is a big NO for my desires which left me with Picanto. It is a good option since it is brand new and comes with agent warranty but being the 2018 model keeps me doubting myself. I really likes the new Suzuki Xbee but unfortunately it is out of my budget. And I don't like to sit behind the steering wheel of a Vitz either.

Then I looked at used car market. Only thing keep me away from these are repairs. I love Mazdas and I always wanted to grab an Axela/3 or a Demio. Since manufacturing year is newer and since it is a beauty I looked at Demios and I could find 2008-2009 ones for about 2.6million (In average as a guide) These are normally clocked around 100,000 kms and I'm afraid of repairs which might occur in those if I buy these. Except that I really like the Demio (BTW I ready through all 8 pages of "The Demio thread")

Ford fiesta was another car I really love (Not the indian version) and I was thinking about importing one with 1L eco boost engine (Assuming custom duty is around 2million) but unfortunately I couldn't find any stock which was matching with custom requirements (Not older than 3 years old & RHD). ( I know my researching skills are not great, therefore kindly point me at right direction if importing used RHD Ford Fiesta (1L) is still a viable option.)

So above description sums it up upto some extent as how my mind works nowadays. Love the demio but afraid of serious repairs ?, Loves Picanto but buying 2018 model in 2020 is unjustifiable ?, Xbee is lovely but out of budget, FIesta 1L is superb but where to get one ?

Dear fellow experienced members, I'm expecting your valuable opinion/comment regarding this matter ?

[AVANTE]

Go for a slightly used Picanto? other than a bit of depreciation there is nothing to worry about (heck, most of the depreciation would have been absorbed by the first owner). Also, do a professional checkup at Kia, Carchecks, greasemonkey or any reputated service places for valuable peace of mind. Ask for service records too.

Fiesta is a decent car, but the agent (Softlogic) has a bad reputation so you might run into headaches. 

I thought the Vitz & Raize would be the craze. But it seems the picanto is gaining lots of traction here now. Finally the koreans are respected here.

Edited February 22, 2020 by AVANTE

[iRage]

What is wrong with a 2018 model for 2020 ? The 2020 model is the same as the 2018 model right ? No significant tech updates or a model change ?

What are the significant repairs you are worried of with a Demio ? Cars depreciate for a reason....so if you find a well maintained example and you do the required preemptive maintenance work with the money you save from your purchase...then I cannot see what the doom and gloom is.  There are plenty of people in the country who buy well taken care of used cars and do not have doom and gloom. Heck.there are plenty of people who buy crappy, dressed up used cars and do not have doom and gloom  

So..if a Demio is what you want...then go look for a good unit and buy it and do the pre-emptive repairs you should do irrespective of what used car you buy. Secondly....there should be Mazda 2 sedans (and maybe a few hatches) that were agent imported and maintained.

[Devinda_Z]

On 2/22/2020 at 12:07 PM, GoldBugBee said:

Hello  fellow ALs,

This is the first time I'm posting on the forum after using this as an unregistered visitor for quiet some times. I have this average looking question, which I came up with different answers each time I ran it through my mind. Therefore your expertise is strongly required & I seek your valuable advices.

I have bit of knowledge on vehicles as my famly owns few from time to time and now its time to grab one for myself. My budget is ranging from LKR 2 million to 4 million. This is the tricky part. I have first hand experience on used car repairs and sometimes I feel like I should go either with brand new one from agents or unregistered reconditioned one (With validated pre-shipment inspection sheets). Then as I found out my available options are Kia Picanto (Unfortunately they still sell 2018 model), Perodua Axia and other 600CC-650CC kei cars. I cannot justify myself buying a kei car at current price tags. And rear of the Axia is a big NO for my desires which left me with Picanto. It is a good option since it is brand new and comes with agent warranty but being the 2018 model keeps me doubting myself. I really likes the new Suzuki Xbee but unfortunately it is out of my budget. And I don't like to sit behind the steering wheel of a Vitz either.

Then I looked at used car market. Only thing keep me away from these are repairs. I love Mazdas and I always wanted to grab an Axela/3 or a Demio. Since manufacturing year is newer and since it is a beauty I looked at Demios and I could find 2008-2009 ones for about 2.6million (In average as a guide) These are normally clocked around 100,000 kms and I'm afraid of repairs which might occur in those if I buy these. Except that I really like the Demio (BTW I ready through all 8 pages of "The Demio thread")

Ford fiesta was another car I really love (Not the indian version) and I was thinking about importing one with 1L eco boost engine (Assuming custom duty is around 2million) but unfortunately I couldn't find any stock which was matching with custom requirements (Not older than 3 years old & RHD). ( I know my researching skills are not great, therefore kindly point me at right direction if importing used RHD Ford Fiesta (1L) is still a viable option.)

So above description sums it up upto some extent as how my mind works nowadays. Love the demio but afraid of serious repairs ?, Loves Picanto but buying 2018 model in 2020 is unjustifiable ?, Xbee is lovely but out of budget, FIesta 1L is superb but where to get one ?

Dear fellow experienced members, I'm expecting your valuable opinion/comment regarding this matter ?

The Demio is a pretty decent car all in all

I'd go out on a limb and say there are more Mazda's out there compared to Toyota's, Nissan's or Suzuki's that have been used by enthusiasts who are likely to have not cut corners on maintenance and even maintained records

 

Regarding the Ford, the Fiesta was Thai made not Indian (though they made in a number of countries, even China!). The bulk of the Fords imported by the agents are Thai made. The reconditioned grey market imports were from the UK. The bigger Focus of the same era was made in Spain right @Crosswind? The newer Focus was made in Germany.

The new (2016+) Fiesta is just a face lifted version of the old one going back to 2010 so it's not a new chassis. The platform was engineered with driving dynamics in mind so it has an edge over a lot of cars even those to which it's related like the Mazda 2/3/Demio which it shares many components with. The 1.4L Fiesta with the regular 4 speed transmission is a very decent car (comfy, quiet, spacious, easy to drive) and is the safest car you can buy in that price range and class with it's IIHS Top Pick rating as well as EuroNCAP 5* with 7 airbags, including a knee airbag to boot! 

The 1L Eco Boost is said to be nice engine but i'd avoid it for one simple reason - the 6 speed DCT transmission which is a global disaster for Ford is bound to be problematic if everything said about them overseas holds true here.

[Devinda_Z]

On 2/22/2020 at 1:26 PM, iRage said:

What is wrong with a 2018 model for 2020 ? The 2020 model is the same as the 2018 model right ? No significant tech updates or a model change ?

What are the significant repairs you are worried of with a Demio ? Cars depreciate for a reason....so if you find a well maintained example and you do the required preemptive maintenance work with the money you save from your purchase...then I cannot see what the doom and gloom is.  There are plenty of people in the country who buy well taken care of used cars and do not have doom and gloom. Heck.there are plenty of people who buy crappy, dressed up used cars and do not have doom and gloom  

So..if a Demio is what you want...then go look for a good unit and buy it and do the pre-emptive repairs you should do irrespective of what used car you buy. Secondly....there should be Mazda 2 sedans (and maybe a few hatches) that were agent imported and maintained.

A new/current generation Mazda 2 is a cracking car! Might be out of @Goldbugbee's budget at 3-4 Mn. 1.5L engine and 6 speed normal auto that is possibly one of the nicest conventional automatic gearboxes out there it'll make an excellent daily IMO. A little short on the safety kit for 2014+ cars with just 2 airbags and not much else bar ABS but still a worthy contender

Edited February 24, 2020 by Devinda_Z

[GoldBugBee]

Hi everyone. Thank you all for spending your valuable time to help me. All of your comments have helped me take a decision and as of now I have decided to let both my heart+brain speak and decided to go with Demio. As @Devinda_Z said newer Mazda 2 was stellar but its beyond my reach. Therefore I have decided to stick with 2007-2011 Mazda Demio and save some cash in the process. 

So if possible please help me to find a good car. What are the things I should look for before buying? Also is there any method to identify trim level of the vehicle?

[Crosswind]

44 minutes ago, Devinda_Z said:

The Demio is a pretty decent car all in all

I'd go out on a limb and say there are more Mazda's out there compared to Toyota's, Nissan's or Suzuki's that have been used by enthusiasts who are likely to have not cut corners on maintenance and even maintained records

 

Regarding the Ford, the Fiesta was Thai made not Indian (though they made in a number of countries, even China!). The bulk of the Fords imported by the agents are Thai made. The reconditioned grey market imports were from the UK. The bigger Focus of the same era was made in Spain right @Crosswind? The newer Focus was made in Germany.

The new (2016+) Fiesta is just a face lifted version of the old one going back to 2010 so it's not a new chassis. The platform was engineered with driving dynamics in mind so it has an edge over a lot of cars even those to which it's related like the Mazda 2/3/Demio which it shares many components with. The 1.4L Fiesta with the regular 4 speed transmission is a very decent car (comfy, quiet, spacious, easy to drive) and is the safest car you can buy in that price range and class with it's IIHS Top Pick rating as well as EuroNCAP 5* with 7 airbags, including a knee airbag to boot! 

The 1L Eco Boost is said to be nice engine but i'd avoid it for one simple reason - the 6 speed DCT transmission which is a global disaster for Ford is bound to be problematic if everything said about them overseas holds true here.

The 1.6 engines on Ford Focus mk 2.5 and mk3 both, were made in Ford's Valencia engine plant in Spain. The final assembly took place in Spain for the previous generation. Mk3 Focus was assembled in Cologne. All Ford Focus that came to Sri Lanka were made in Europe by Ford of Europe. 

Fiesta was made in UK for the European market only. Asian market Fiestas came from Thailand. Engines were also made in an Asian engine plant. 

Double Cabs were assembled in Thailand. Their diesel engines were made in Dagenham, UK. 

This is the info I got from a friend who was with Ford sometime ago.