Car for 9.5 million

KP48 · July 25, 2021

Hi guys,

Can I pick your brains please?

I need a car and the following were the ones which crossed my mind.

I'm looking for a low mileage car ,2017 or newer

1.Vezel 2018 or 2019

2. Toyota CHR probably 2017

3. Toyota Raize 4. Mazda 6

I'm leaning towards Raize, mainly coz it's probably the cheaoes if the lot right now, has fairly good features.

Any other cars which I may have missed, in this price bracket?

Is Raize good? It's price is hugely posted, I know, but I don't think there is anything we can do about it at present.

Thank you in advance.

iRage · July 27, 2021

1. I am pretty sure a majority of the used Vezels in Sri Lanka have botched up clutch packs or have cheap repairs done to it. So finding a good one is going ot be tough (buying one with a clutch pack going out is fine if the price is low enough so that you can fix the thing properly). Similar chances with the Hybrid system....out of all the vehicles the Vezel is the most practical and usable and even the most engaging to drive.

2. If you can find one that does not have any carbonizing issues and everything is fine...then you will be fine but you will have to take care of it in order to make sure the carbon deposits and injectors do not get spoilt (although there seems to be nothing much you can do about it). Not very practical compared to the Vezel.

3. Just realise that it is as small as a Vitz, i.e. its a large hatchback crossover with a boxy body...okay...slightly larger. Its dimensions though give it more space than most of the hatchbacks out there. I think 75% of the Raizes in SL are base models just dressed up (the high grade Zs are expensive). Personally, at least in Japan, it is the Z that makes the most sense as the other grades are simply poorly equipped and when you add the required options it becomes the same price as a Z. The Raize is the most hyped up car in the list at time of introduction in SL. Now people have gotten hit hard with reality.

4. Mazda 6 is the most refined (being a sedan and with Mazda's newer designs) and funnest to drive in your list. GO for a 2.5L if possible (which is quite rare)...sadly most of the ones that come up for sale are not in the best of shape and the good ones hardly come up for sale.

If you can live with a Raize, you can :

- live with a hatchback...so may I ask why you want Raize or even a crossover for that matter ? The likes of the Vitz are over hyped for what it is...but cars like Minis, A1, A3 should fit the bill (albeit they will be a bit older than 2017)

- Look at the new Vitara/Escudo. Much more interesting than the Raize and you get a lot more no-nonsense car for the price. Most of them are grey imports from Japan but a few agent imported ones are there as well.

- Cars like the Hyundai Venue should also be within your budget. Again...more car for the money than a Raize and all of them are imported by the agent and new enough to still carry the manufacturer's warranty.

If you must get a Raize, you can always get a Rocky instead and save a bit of money as it does not have the Toyota tax added on to it by the car brokers. However, someday when ou sel it you will get a whole bunch of pundits lecturing you and willing to do you a favor by taking it off your hands for cheap (ROcky and Raize are EXACTLY the same car with different trim bits)

KP48 · July 27, 2021

56 minutes ago, iRage said:

1. I am pretty sure a majority of the used Vezels in Sri Lanka have botched up clutch packs or have cheap repairs done to it. So finding a good one is going ot be tough (buying one with a clutch pack going out is fine if the price is low enough so that you can fix the thing properly). Similar chances with the Hybrid system....out of all the vehicles the Vezel is the most practical and usable and even the most engaging to drive.

2. If you can find one that does not have any carbonizing issues and everything is fine...then you will be fine but you will have to take care of it in order to make sure the carbon deposits and injectors do not get spoilt (although there seems to be nothing much you can do about it). Not very practical compared to the Vezel.

3. Just realise that it is as small as a Vitz, i.e. its a large hatchback crossover with a boxy body...okay...slightly larger. Its dimensions though give it more space than most of the hatchbacks out there. I think 75% of the Raizes in SL are base models just dressed up (the high grade Zs are expensive). Personally, at least in Japan, it is the Z that makes the most sense as the other grades are simply poorly equipped and when you add the required options it becomes the same price as a Z. The Raize is the most hyped up car in the list at time of introduction in SL. Now people have gotten hit hard with reality.

4. Mazda 6 is the most refined (being a sedan and with Mazda's newer designs) and funnest to drive in your list. GO for a 2.5L if possible (which is quite rare)...sadly most of the ones that come up for sale are not in the best of shape and the good ones hardly come up for sale.

If you can live with a Raize, you can :

- live with a hatchback...so may I ask why you want Raize or even a crossover for that matter ? The likes of the Vitz are over hyped for what it is...but cars like Minis, A1, A3 should fit the bill (albeit they will be a bit older than 2017)

- Look at the new Vitara/Escudo. Much more interesting than the Raize and you get a lot more no-nonsense car for the price. Most of them are grey imports from Japan but a few agent imported ones are there as well.

- Cars like the Hyundai Venue should also be within your budget. Again...more car for the money than a Raize and all of them are imported by the agent and new enough to still carry the manufacturer's warranty.

If you must get a Raize, you can always get a Rocky instead and save a bit of money as it does not have the Toyota tax added on to it by the car brokers. However, someday when ou sel it you will get a whole bunch of pundits lecturing you and willing to do you a favor by taking it off your hands for cheap (ROcky and Raize are EXACTLY the same car with different trim bits)

Thank you very much.

This was very informative.

I looked for Suzuki Vitara and Escudo but new ones are very hard to find.

Hyundai Venue is also hard to find.

I tried Rocky, but they have bumped prices too. Just seen a 2020 registered Rocky for 10.25 million.

I had heard of some of those issues with Vezel. Understand it will be challenging to find a good one. Very hard to find a reasonably priced low mileage vehicle.

Totally live Mazdas with last experience. But no Mazda 6 in good condition is available for sale.

I actually preferred back of Raize compared to CHR. CHR may not be very practical if you have kids who want to see outside while in the back seat.

I'll keep on looking.

Thank you again.

iRage · July 27, 2021

I saw two or three new Vitaras and Venues on the quick site...so they do come up.

Yes....the Raize is more usable than the CHR. As for the Vezel...if you are lucky enough to find one of the very few petrol models then all those issues of the Vezel do not apply (as i does nt have a DCT and it does not have electronics connected to the Hybrid system).

Finally, do not pick a car based on mileage. In SL you cannot trust mileages...99.9% of the cars would have rolled back mileages. Registered or unregistered. So always get a car check done. Secondly....don't be afraid of cars with 100,000, 50,000 etc....its only natural for a 10 year old or a 5 year old car to have such mileage and cars, if properly taken care of, wil do that with no issues.

KP48 · July 27, 2021

20 hours ago, iRage said:

I saw two or three new Vitaras and Venues on the quick site...so they do come up.

Yes....the Raize is more usable than the CHR. As for the Vezel...if you are lucky enough to find one of the very few petrol models then all those issues of the Vezel do not apply (as i does nt have a DCT and it does not have electronics connected to the Hybrid system).

Finally, do not pick a car based on mileage. In SL you cannot trust mileages...99.9% of the cars would have rolled back mileages. Registered or unregistered. So always get a car check done. Secondly....don't be afraid of cars with 100,000, 50,000 etc....its only natural for a 10 year old or a 5 year old car to have such mileage and cars, if properly taken care of, wil do that with no issues.

Thank you.

All cars have further gone up this week.

A 2.5 Mazda 6 ( 2015) advertised for 12.5 million..

Sigh..

iRage · July 28, 2021

1 hour ago, KP48 said:

All cars have further gone up this week.

A 2.5 Mazda 6 ( 2015) advertised for 12.5 million..

Sigh

This is pure speculation...my feeling is that this is going to be the case for the next year or so at least..worst case scenario until the whole forex reserves and and inflows get sorted out which no one knows is going to be when.

Prices went up..then stabilized as people could not afford them..and then once people feel the prices have stabilized and tat they really need to buy a car it sort of creates a buying frenzy which affects demand (with low low supply) and then the prices go up again.

RWD · July 28, 2021

A car sale owner who happens to be a good friend was saying that business has never been this good for them. He was saying a C Class which was going for just over 10 mil was going for over 17 mil and people were fighting to buy it. Despite the situation we have enough money to buy cars!

iRage · July 28, 2021

1 hour ago, RWD said:

A car sale owner who happens to be a good friend was saying that business has never been this good for them. He was saying a C Class which was going for just over 10 mil was going for over 17 mil and people were fighting to buy it. Despite the situation we have enough money to buy cars!

No we don't....everyone is buying these cars in "credit" which is money they don't have but hope to make...but the hope that it can be made (in terms of value) is pretty much lost now.

I am pretty sure at face value they are raking in a lot of money...they hoarded up cars at pre-covid pries and now giving it away at new market prices. But this is the problem...our people are quite..stupid...that they only take things at face value. 17mil is not what it used to be jsut 1 year ago...and 17mil is not going to worth that much in a few months time. The only way these mudalali types will understand is to show them that if they were to import a 1 year old base Premio it would now cost them nearly 11.5mil at least....so the 10mil that they flaunt about for a merc is now the same as what 6mil used to be.

Edited July 28, 2021 by iRage

KP48 · July 29, 2021

18 hours ago, iRage said:

No we don't....everyone is buying these cars in "credit" which is money they don't have but hope to make...but the hope that it can be made (in terms of value) is pretty much lost now.

I am pretty sure at face value they are raking in a lot of money...they hoarded up cars at pre-covid pries and now giving it away at new market prices. But this is the problem...our people are quite..stupid...that they only take things at face value. 17mil is not what it used to be jsut 1 year ago...and 17mil is not going to worth that much in a few months time. The only way these mudalali types will understand is to show them that if they were to import a 1 year old base Premio it would now cost them nearly 11.5mil at least....so the 10mil that they flaunt about for a merc is now the same as what 6mil used to be.

I'm just thinking, will this bloat of prices continue?

Surely car sales would not let it come down?

Sorry for my ignorance, but in the history, had the market been bloated like this and suddenly come down again?

iRage · July 29, 2021

4 minutes ago, KP48 said:

I'm just thinking, will this bloat of prices continue?

Surely car sales would not let it come down?

Sorry for my ignorance, but in the history, had the market been bloated like this and suddenly come down again?

Yes...many times...it has been..again..because of poor policies driving taxation and preferential treatments towards certain tech (eg. when owered taxes for Hybrids and EVs were introduced..or when tax brackets for 1500cc cars were revised in the 90s or anything with a 2000cc engine was classified as "Luxury vehicle" from the previous 1800cc definition in the late 90s). When the policy changes it comes down to an unnatural level over some time then picks up again to a more realistic level which is closer to the pre-crash inflated levels. But they have never come down to pre-inflated price period prices.

So will it come down ? yes but no...if and when the market opens prices would mostly likely come down a bit..but then it is highly unlikely that the price would come back down that much (to pre-covid prices). This depends on what restrictions and controls are enforced (to be honest they need to be enforced as opposed ot the free for all approach the country had) and where the Rupee's exchange rate decides to stabilisize at.