Options for a reliable car 6-8 M

NK96 · February 26, 2023

Hey all,

I'm looking to buy my first vehicle before going to my intern. It'll be used both outstation, highway and Colombo suburbs driving.

I'm not specifically looking either for something sporty to drive or something very fuel efficient so anything in the middle grounds would work well. No family burden currently so doesn't matter whether it's a sedan or a hatchback. Budget is 6-8 M.

I usually maintain any vehicle nicely but MOST IMPORTANT is that the vehicle should be reliable without giving me sudden hiccups.

I like the Axio NKE-165 but a little bit afraid due to shady practises in SL and cause of the poor maintenance by most Sri Lankans.

Would value your expert opinions very much. @Dee Jay @iRage

iRage · February 28, 2023

Okay...so if your heart is set on a E160 Axio, then you should get that since that is what will make you happy. At the end of the day..it is your car and you are the one who has to care for it and live with it day to day.

Having said that....yes..finding a good Axio is something you have to take very seriously. Being a Corolla and knowing the majority of type of people who bought them...everything from the Hybrid system to any body damage could have been hidden while the car being looked after in the cheapest possible way. But good ones do exist.

Having said that....take the following into consideration about the Axio. Out of ALL the Corolla generations, the E160 Axio is the least refined for its period. This particular Corolla is actually based on the Vitz platform (in fact the Japanese were quite saddened about the model and was embarrassed to call it Japan's car to the world but it sold well in Japan both as a fleet car and a family car for older couples). The interior is very simple. Space is not that much. You will feel it to be a lot smaller than the previous Axio model (in fact it feels small like a E80/E90 series Corolla in terms of space). Because of the lightweight body and the suspension setup, driving long distances is not that comfortable as you feel a lot of road fatigue (I hate to say this but for long distance comfort nothing beats proper Nissan sedans and MPVs with their zero-gravity seats). The Axio 165 is comfortable but the fatigue generating factors like in small cars is there. The steering is quite numb and the acceleration feels slow, so it is very lethargic to drive. Personally, I find it too dangerous for me to drive long distance as it easily bores me to a point of falling asleep.

Now....do you really need a Hybrid ? That depends on the amount of distance you will drive (in city limits and outside of city limits...). Based on how much and how often you drive on the highway compared to city limits, a gasoline car might be as efficient as a Hybrid car. So factoring in any probably Hybrid component replacement that might come up you might be better off with a gasoline car.

Car options would more or less be the typical.

1. (I can't believe I am saying this) Premio/Allion. The newest one you can buy for your budget will be a few years older than the Axio.

2. Mazda 3/Axela (BL series 2008-2013 and BN/BM series from 2013 - 2019). Mazda3 BN/BM series the are brand new cars imported by the agent and might not have the SkyActive engine but still very nice cars. You might find a few BN/BM series Mazda Axelas, i.e. JDM variants, as well)

3. Mitsubishi Lancer EX

and finally

4. Honda Civic (FD and FB series).

Some off beat choices would be a Bluebird Sylphy, and a Suzuki Ciaz. The models on this list, apart from the Allion/Premio, are typically owned by people who actually cared at least a bit about their cars. So you are most likely to find a car in better condition. The Lacer and the CIvic runthe risk of having had ricer boy owners in the past though.

Where hatches are concerned, again, it is the usual list:

1. Suzuki Swift Sport (or other trim level of a Japanese spec car).

2. Honda Fit

3. Toyota Vits (if and only if it is a 1.3 or above variant...you will seriously contemplate on self harm if you try to drive that 1.0L lazy dog on the highway or outstation on a regular basis).

Finally...your budget would put you in a 2011 - 2015 model car depending on the exact model. However, if you find a good car that is in really really good condition (at a cheaper price too), do not shy away from it. Have seen some really clean Corolla 140 Axios/Fielders, 240 Allions, Camrys (Camries ?) ,RAV4s and Vitaras come up and then sold off in a matter of hours.

Dee Jay · March 2, 2023

On 3/1/2023 at 1:09 PM, Thushara Rathnayaka said:

Best thing is to check the service history 🙂

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Yes, as @iRage has rightfully mentioned above, its bot the YOM of the car that matters but how it has been treated by it's last owner is what matters.

Check for service records, but don't just stop there and get the vehicle inspected by the respective agent for the brand or even #ar #hecks.. That amount spent would be an investment for piece of mind. This is a must as nowadays even people who loved cars can be having a tough time giving the proper attention the vehicle needs owing to the financial conditions of the country.

Even a periodic maintenance item like a suspension overhaul or tire replacements would cost a hefty amount due to the current market prices.

So, don't be fooled by the odo meter reading or the YOM since it could be 2018 imported at a reading of 50,000 km but might be needing tire replacements and shock absorber replacements which could land you with a bill of around 500k +/-.

On 2/26/2023 at 4:42 AM, NK96 said:

Hey all,

I'm looking to buy my first vehicle before going to my intern. It'll be used both outstation, highway and Colombo suburbs driving.

I'm not specifically looking either for something sporty to drive or something very fuel efficient so anything in the middle grounds would work well. No family burden currently so doesn't matter whether it's a sedan or a hatchback. Budget is 6-8 M.

I usually maintain any vehicle nicely but MOST IMPORTANT is that the vehicle should be reliable without giving me sudden hiccups.

I like the Axio NKE-165 but a little bit afraid due to shady practises in SL and cause of the poor maintenance by most Sri Lankans.

Expand

How many kilo meters are you planning on driving and how is the expected split of those kilo meters? Is it mostly city driving? Or outstation and highway?

Well any vehicle that is maintained nicely would be reliable be it 20 years old or a brand new one..

Since you mentioned you're not into something sporty nor a very fuel efficient car may I know why you picked the Axio NKE-165?

Well, to be frank the Axio isn't in the middle ground.. it is actually in the far end of the fuel efficient spectrum..

Fuel efficient as it can be but again like @iRage has mentioned a basic economy car with the basic creature comforts without any driving pleasure but with very good fuel economy.. I mean when it comes to the Axio it is programmed to be fuel efficient no matter how you drive it..

As alternatives you could look at the below:

1. Honda Grace : Fuel efficient and sporty (based on your mode the car would follow suite) and has better creature comforts and a cabin than an Axio.

2. Honda Fit : Again fuel efficient and sporty (based on your mode the car would follow suite) and has good options.

3. Toyota Aqua : Fuel efficient and can be quick and agile too when you need it to be.

4. Suzuki Swift Turbo : Since its a turbo car would be less fuel efficient than the hybrids but would have decent fuel economy and performance as well as options.

I've left out the older cars in your budget since @iRage has covered them comprehensively.

And coming back to the maintenance associated with an Axio, well Toyota hybrids of the era have battery that degrades around every 5 years of use. You do get brand new batteries here so if the one you select has an issue you can replace brand new or used battery packs. Then the brake accumulator replacement is there.. Those are the most common hybrid related repairs you should be concerned with on an Axio should you buy it.. Service records and an inspection would tell you the condition of the car

iRage · March 9, 2023

On 3/8/2023 at 4:47 PM, Thushara Rathnayaka said:

Will vehicle prices come down further as the $ rate movement are favourable?

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Hi..I am merging your two threads seeking comments on vehicle options.

As for the $ movement....although the dollar moves:

1. Vehicle imports are still restricted. The bottom line is that the economy is still in trouble so there really isn't money to be importing cars. Even if they open up imports it might be heavily restrictive because of that (but then if the govt wants votes they will just drag the country in to trouble further by allowing imports and make their voter bases happy). Even if they allow just EVs I still feel people will be attracted to ICE cars and still drive demand up.

2. Even if the dollar has improved, the economy is still not fixed...so whatever movement we see it might not necessarily be sustainable. Yes, the IMF bailouts, etc..will be coming in but that doesn't mean the country's economy is fixed (and that is the problem....once the money starts coming in our idiots are going to think everything is fine and will yell and scream wanting to go back to unrestricted imports and maintaining lavish lifestyles of politicians). Heck...petrol and gas supply became stable and most people think everything is actually fixed or is getting fixed.

Gummybr · March 9, 2023

Ok all that is OT, there was an article on bloomberg saying that the rupee will again start to depreciate by the end of the year. So where does the car market stand?

I say the car market is decided not by the consumer but by the car sales dealers. They ran the market up to make huge profits and then ran the market down when their stocks came down, now that they have restocked prices are on the rise again. Check adverts from last month Alto prices came down to 2.3mil and now back at 2.7mil. You can say that people are not buying due to the high interest and taxes applicable on households reducing the disposable income. There are still people and will be people who will buy a car for various reasons.

Thushara Rathnayaka · February 26, 2023

Hi all ,

I am planning to buy a car arround 7.5 m budget. My usage pattern will be once / twice a month long distance about 350km, and weekend short distance ( arround 20Km) travel with mild traffic, weekdays the car will mostly be idle. I will use the during weekdays very rarely.

I prefer the car to be not older than 2015. Reasonable fuel economy and considerable low maintenance cost also preferred. I don't mind whether sedan or hatchback,the design, and available space. Not an issue whether hybrid or petrol. But resale value is considered.

I have just saw these cars,

Vitz

Gp5

Wagon R

Axio

Kia Picanto

Aqua

Civic

Swift

I much appreciate your ideas on suitable car for me. May be one car among above or any other car. Thank you in advance.

Thushara Rathnayaka · February 28, 2023

Is it worth to buy a older car with high specifications ( before 2015, say old axio/premio/civic/Audi a1 ) or new car with ( after 2017, say new vitz/wagon R) with low specifications. Say the budget is same.

Hyaenidae · February 28, 2023

On 2/28/2023 at 1:53 PM, Thushara Rathnayaka said:

Is it worth to buy a older car with high specifications ( before 2015, say old axio/premio/civic/Audi a1 ) or new car with ( after 2017, say new vitz/wagon R) with low specifications. Say the budget is same.

Expand

Old horse vs new pony

Your choice

Thushara Rathnayaka · February 28, 2023

On 2/28/2023 at 2:14 PM, Hyaenidae said:

Old horse vs new pony

Your choice

Expand

Doubt whether old horse may experience frequent repairs compared to new pony 🐴🐎

Hyaenidae · February 28, 2023

On 2/28/2023 at 2:18 PM, Thushara Rathnayaka said:

Doubt whether old horse may experience frequent repairs compared to new pony 🐴🐎

Expand

Well that's a possibility

but isn't life too short to ride ponies 😋 besides ponies in SL are abused to death (rent-a-car etc) compared to personally used old horses

Edited February 28, 2023 by Hyaenidae

Thushara Rathnayaka · March 1, 2023

On 2/28/2023 at 4:29 PM, Hyaenidae said:

Well that's a possibility

but isn't life too short to ride ponies 😋 besides ponies in SL are abused to death (rent-a-car etc) compared to personally used old horses

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Yes. There's a point

iRage · March 1, 2023

On 2/28/2023 at 1:53 PM, Thushara Rathnayaka said:

Is it worth to buy a older car with high specifications ( before 2015, say old axio/premio/civic/Audi a1 ) or new car with ( after 2017, say new vitz/wagon R) with low specifications. Say the budget is same.

Expand

The answer to this question is going to be highly speculative and subjective.

On one hand...90% of new cars imported to Sri Lanka from Japan are piles of junk with quick and cheap paint jobs and rolled meters. So, just because a car is newer it doesn't mean that the car is good. Also, like @Hyaenidae mentioned, most of these Vitzes and Axios would have been ex rental cars in Japan, low auction grade cars, etc...

So given that, an old car with a good service history would and will be as good as most of the new cars in SL and even better.

The biggest fear for most people with old cars is mileage related preemptive maintenance. Well..that is what depreciation is for....an older car will be considerably less...in fact when I was looking at 160 Axios they were like 6.8mil but a 140 Axio was like a million less.

Yes..older cars will have their components reaching a point where it needs to be replaced. Unlike old cars..msot modern cars sort of spread the end of life so that not all parts need to be replaced in one go. So a proper and constant service history becomes important. Sadly in SL, 90% of the people do not do this and when they do they do the whole old fashioned way of doing it (wait for X km and do a whole lot of work). So..what is important is that you get a car that has a good service history.

Remember...it doesn't matter how new the car is or what the Japanese auction grade/condition was...any car is only as good as its last owner.

Thushara Rathnayaka · March 1, 2023

On 3/1/2023 at 1:10 AM, iRage said:

The answer to this question is going to be highly speculative and subjective.

On one hand...90% of new cars imported to Sri Lanka from Japan are piles of junk with quick and cheap paint jobs and rolled meters. So, just because a car is newer it doesn't mean that the car is good. Also, like @Hyaenidae mentioned, most of these Vitzes and Axios would have been ex rental cars in Japan, low auction grade cars, etc...

So given that, an old car with a good service history would and will be as good as most of the new cars in SL and even better.

The biggest fear for most people with old cars is mileage related preemptive maintenance. Well..that is what depreciation is for....an older car will be considerably less...in fact when I was looking at 160 Axios they were like 6.8mil but a 140 Axio was like a million less.

Yes..older cars will have their components reaching a point where it needs to be replaced. Unlike old cars..msot modern cars sort of spread the end of life so that not all parts need to be replaced in one go. So a proper and constant service history becomes important. Sadly in SL, 90% of the people do not do this and when they do they do the whole old fashioned way of doing it (wait for X km and do a whole lot of work). So..what is important is that you get a car that has a good service history.

Remember...it doesn't matter how new the car is or what the Japanese auction grade/condition was...any car is only as good as its last owner.

Expand

Thank you for valuable comment. Understood your point. Best thing is to check the service history 🙂

NK96 · March 3, 2023

Thank you very much for all your opinions. Well, I've got both the Axio and vitz in my family and have driven both of them pretty often. And I agree that both of them are way dull and boring vehicles. Dunno why but I kinda like the Axio maybe cause of its simple interior and exterior design and it has never given any trouble with proper maintenance despite both our axios are rented under companies and have logged around 200k km. Maybe that's why I wanted an Axio for myself 😅

Well with regard to the matter in hand @Dee Jay I might drive around 400km up and down once in a month and apart from that it's all close distance city logjam.

So with your answers I think I might start looking at Mazda 3, Swift sport hybrid/turbo, Honda grace or maybe stretch my budget for a civic. Vitz 1.3 is not easy to find.

Btw are there any inherent problems of honda civic apart from the fact that most of them are owned by race boys and has undergone thousand and one unnecessary modifications?

Thanks again

NK96 · March 3, 2023

On 3/2/2023 at 3:48 AM, Dee Jay said:

Yes, as @iRage has rightfully mentioned above, its bot the YOM of the car that matters but how it has been treated by it's last owner is what matters.

Check for service records, but don't just stop there and get the vehicle inspected by the respective agent for the brand or even #ar #hecks.. That amount spent would be an investment for piece of mind. This is a must as nowadays even people who loved cars can be having a tough time giving the proper attention the vehicle needs owing to the financial conditions of the country.

Even a periodic maintenance item like a suspension overhaul or tire replacements would cost a hefty amount due to the current market prices.

So, don't be fooled by the odo meter reading or the YOM since it could be 2018 imported at a reading of 50,000 km but might be needing tire replacements and shock absorber replacements which could land you with a bill of around 500k +/-.

How many kilo meters are you planning on driving and how is the expected split of those kilo meters? Is it mostly city driving? Or outstation and highway?

Well any vehicle that is maintained nicely would be reliable be it 20 years old or a brand new one..

Since you mentioned you're not into something sporty nor a very fuel efficient car may I know why you picked the Axio NKE-165?

Well, to be frank the Axio isn't in the middle ground.. it is actually in the far end of the fuel efficient spectrum..

Fuel efficient as it can be but again like @iRage has mentioned a basic economy car with the basic creature comforts without any driving pleasure but with very good fuel economy.. I mean when it comes to the Axio it is programmed to be fuel efficient no matter how you drive it..

As alternatives you could look at the below:

1. Honda Grace : Fuel efficient and sporty (based on your mode the car would follow suite) and has better creature comforts and a cabin than an Axio.

2. Honda Fit : Again fuel efficient and sporty (based on your mode the car would follow suite) and has good options.

3. Toyota Aqua : Fuel efficient and can be quick and agile too when you need it to be.

4. Suzuki Swift Turbo : Since its a turbo car would be less fuel efficient than the hybrids but would have decent fuel economy and performance as well as options.

I've left out the older cars in your budget since @iRage has covered them comprehensively.

And coming back to the maintenance associated with an Axio, well Toyota hybrids of the era have battery that degrades around every 5 years of use. You do get brand new batteries here so if the one you select has an issue you can replace brand new or used battery packs. Then the brake accumulator replacement is there.. Those are the most common hybrid related repairs you should be concerned with on an Axio should you buy it.. Service records and an inspection would tell you the condition of the car

Expand

On 2/28/2023 at 3:55 AM, iRage said:

Okay...so if your heart is set on a E160 Axio, then you should get that since that is what will make you happy. At the end of the day..it is your car and you are the one who has to care for it and live with it day to day.

Having said that....yes..finding a good Axio is something you have to take very seriously. Being a Corolla and knowing the majority of type of people who bought them...everything from the Hybrid system to any body damage could have been hidden while the car being looked after in the cheapest possible way. But good ones do exist.

Having said that....take the following into consideration about the Axio. Out of ALL the Corolla generations, the E160 Axio is the least refined for its period. This particular Corolla is actually based on the Vitz platform (in fact the Japanese were quite saddened about the model and was embarrassed to call it Japan's car to the world but it sold well in Japan both as a fleet car and a family car for older couples). The interior is very simple. Space is not that much. You will feel it to be a lot smaller than the previous Axio model (in fact it feels small like a E80/E90 series Corolla in terms of space). Because of the lightweight body and the suspension setup, driving long distances is not that comfortable as you feel a lot of road fatigue (I hate to say this but for long distance comfort nothing beats proper Nissan sedans and MPVs with their zero-gravity seats). The Axio 165 is comfortable but the fatigue generating factors like in small cars is there. The steering is quite numb and the acceleration feels slow, so it is very lethargic to drive. Personally, I find it too dangerous for me to drive long distance as it easily bores me to a point of falling asleep.

Now....do you really need a Hybrid ? That depends on the amount of distance you will drive (in city limits and outside of city limits...). Based on how much and how often you drive on the highway compared to city limits, a gasoline car might be as efficient as a Hybrid car. So factoring in any probably Hybrid component replacement that might come up you might be better off with a gasoline car.

Car options would more or less be the typical.

1. (I can't believe I am saying this) Premio/Allion. The newest one you can buy for your budget will be a few years older than the Axio.

2. Mazda 3/Axela (BL series 2008-2013 and BN/BM series from 2013 - 2019). Mazda3 BN/BM series the are brand new cars imported by the agent and might not have the SkyActive engine but still very nice cars. You might find a few BN/BM series Mazda Axelas, i.e. JDM variants, as well)

3. Mitsubishi Lancer EX

and finally

4. Honda Civic (FD and FB series).

Some off beat choices would be a Bluebird Sylphy, and a Suzuki Ciaz. The models on this list, apart from the Allion/Premio, are typically owned by people who actually cared at least a bit about their cars. So you are most likely to find a car in better condition. The Lacer and the CIvic runthe risk of having had ricer boy owners in the past though.

Where hatches are concerned, again, it is the usual list:

1. Suzuki Swift Sport (or other trim level of a Japanese spec car).

2. Honda Fit

3. Toyota Vits (if and only if it is a 1.3 or above variant...you will seriously contemplate on self harm if you try to drive that 1.0L lazy dog on the highway or outstation on a regular basis).

Finally...your budget would put you in a 2011 - 2015 model car depending on the exact model. However, if you find a good car that is in really really good condition (at a cheaper price too), do not shy away from it. Have seen some really clean Corolla 140 Axios/Fielders, 240 Allions, Camrys (Camries ?) ,RAV4s and Vitaras come up and then sold off in a matter of hours.

Expand

iRage · March 3, 2023

On 3/3/2023 at 4:28 AM, NK96 said:

Btw are there any inherent problems of honda civic apart from the fact that most of them are owned by race boys and has undergone thousand and one unnecessary modifications?

Expand

Vehicles this age will have more problems relating to poor maintenance than any design and engineering related issues.

Thushara Rathnayaka · March 8, 2023

On 2/26/2023 at 5:21 AM, Thushara Rathnayaka said:

Hi all ,

I am planning to buy a car arround 7.5 m budget. My usage pattern will be once / twice a month long distance about 350km, and weekend short distance ( arround 20Km) travel with mild traffic, weekdays the car will mostly be idle. I will use the during weekdays very rarely.

I prefer the car to be not older than 2015. Reasonable fuel economy and considerable low maintenance cost also preferred. I don't mind whether sedan or hatchback,the design, and available space. Not an issue whether hybrid or petrol. But resale value is considered.

I have just saw these cars,

Vitz

Gp5

Wagon R

Axio

Kia Picanto

Aqua

Civic

Swift

I much appreciate your ideas on suitable car for me. May be one car among above or any other car. Thank you in advance.

Expand

Will vehicle prices come down further as the $ rate movement are favourable?

Gummybr · March 9, 2023

On 3/9/2023 at 1:55 AM, iRage said:

As for the $ movement....although the dollar moves:

1. Vehicle imports are still restricted. The bottom line is that the economy is still in trouble so there really isn't money to be importing cars. Even if they open up imports it might be heavily restrictive because of that (but then if the govt wants votes they will just drag the country in to trouble further by allowing imports and make their voter bases happy). Even if they allow just EVs I still feel people will be attracted to ICE cars and still drive demand up.

Expand

Dont think you can make people go for EV's without the necessary infrastructure in place.

Dont think any of the manufacturer agents trained their staff on EV maintenance during this period (partially maybe, but mostly online no money and business to send people abroad for hands on training). Not everyone will be able to maintain EV's although they claim they can. Technology has moved far ahead after the Leaf and the i3's came into the country.

On 3/9/2023 at 1:55 AM, iRage said:

2. Even if the dollar has improved, the economy is still not fixed...so whatever movement we see it might not necessarily be sustainable. Yes, the IMF bailouts, etc..will be coming in but that doesn't mean the country's economy is fixed (and that is the problem....once the money starts coming in our idiots are going to think everything is fine and will yell and scream wanting to go back to unrestricted imports and maintaining lavish lifestyles of politicians). Heck...petrol and gas supply became stable and most people think everything is actually fixed or is getting fixed.

Expand

This is what I have been saying, what do we do after the IMF bailout? spend it and go with a begging bowl? We need to attract more foreign investments, to do that we need to have policies in place not just these ad hoc policies to suit some.

If you go the export processing zones see how many companies are still running, most have packed up and left the country, now you can understand why we are not raking in the foreign currency. Best example there is a garment factory near my home, for the last 10 years they had 4-5 owners and different names and still struggling. You need to make it easier for people to do business in Sri Lanka.

We have missed the boat on many things, we missed a MB bus plant because of commissions, am sure most manufacturers would have loved to come set up manufacturing plants in Sri Lanka, but they have now already set up in South Africa, Thailand etc.

Tourism, our guys just hark on the number of tourists coming in, have they looked at providing them a good service? You go to a museum or to the cultural triangle do they get more information on the places and the history for the price they pay? You go to a European country they have so many ways of informing people of the significance etc of the sites and running commentary. Instead of all that we hassle the tourists from the time they land.

iRage · March 9, 2023

On 3/9/2023 at 2:31 AM, Gummybr said:

Dont think you can make people go for EV's without the necessary infrastructure in place.

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Yes...so demand for ICE will remain. Granted the car importers are going ot play all kinds of tricks to stick car buyers with EVs. People will buy them (because our guys care more about lettered number plates and Japan gold badges). Then...cost of electricity , lack of resources to maintain them are going to mess up the entire market.

On 3/9/2023 at 2:31 AM, Gummybr said:

Tourism, our guys just hark on the number of tourists coming in, have they looked at providing them a good service?

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Exactly ! Compared to the experience in other countries, Sri Lanka is actually pretty low in terms of it. Compared to places like Bali and Maldives...we are not anywhere close.

On 3/9/2023 at 2:36 AM, Gummybr said:

Ok all that is OT, there was an article on bloomberg saying that the rupee will again start to depreciate by the end of the year. So where does the car market stand?

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Realistically...nowhere...car market is a market that the country cannot afford (sadly) so we are just a hop, skip and a jump away from being another Cuba when it comes to cars. However, I do see two things happening.

1. Once the dollars start coming in from the bail out, the politicians are going to harp of their success and open up imports for special kids of cars (EVs probably since they have been talking about it). This would mainly be because they are idiots and also to please the masses to win over votes.

2. Like you said, the car salesmen are going to pull out every lie and trick in the book to bring down as many EVs and sell it to everyone and anyone they can sniff out.

So...to answer the OPs question....the dollar fluctuation is going ot be temporary so do not think it is going to drastically reduce the price of anything. There will be dips but doubt it will be a huge drop that is sustainable. Keep looking for a good car....preferably something sold by the owner. Make a fair offer. See what happens. You can wait till you see prices drop in the market, but then the chances are that owners of good cars simply won't sell and will wait till the prices show an uptick. So it will be a never ending battle.

Boseth Minidu · April 9, 2023

On 2/28/2023 at 1:53 PM, Thushara Rathnayaka said:

Is it worth to buy a older car with high specifications ( before 2015, say old axio/premio/civic/Audi a1 ) or new car with ( after 2017, say new vitz/wagon R) with low specifications. Say the budget is same.

Expand

The answer comes all down to you,do you actually need those extra goodies?
Both have buyers but from my knowledge older cars like the Sunny,Corolla,Axio,etc… lost their value when KEI cars like Alto,Wagon-R got popular in the SL Market.

But the Premio/Allion had their market,since they were near the 5 mil range anyways. @Hyaenidae is right about the Wagon-R thing tho,most are used as cabs or in rent-a-cars.But I don’t see how renting a Wagon-R makes sense with th ridiculously high prices when you could rent an Indian alto for Rs.10,000 less haha.If you do choose a newer smaller car,go for a less preferred option like the Japhang Alto/Every-Wagon,Most Japan Alto’s are home kept with the owner either driving short distances or just left at home while the owner takes his motorbike or take the bus to work.If you prefer features just go for higher grades like the X-Hybrid in the Stingray,X-Grade in the Alto.They’re rarely abused by rent-a-cars or being used as cabs.Don’t worry about KEI cars having issues,I have a Japan Alto with 86K Kms and still running strong,but make sure to service it in time because they have soft engines.But with your budget I’d say go for a Swift RS or something,it’s new and it’s within your budget

Whatever car you decide to go with,I’d say get it checked before the purchases.Good luck with the buy bro. 👍

Boseth Minidu · April 9, 2023

On 3/1/2023 at 1:10 AM, iRage said:

Remember...it doesn't matter how new the car is or what the Japanese auction grade/condition was...any car is only as good as its last owner.

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True words said,I once went with a friend when he went to buy a Corolla 141 earlier this year.The car looked all good but the sketchy thing was it was only maintained in Toy#ta L#nka till 2020 and just have service bills after that,I thought this was due to financial issues of the previous owner.The other funny thing was it had a blue letters in the license plate meaning this was used by someone in the government som part of it’s life.The salesman said different bluffs like “Meka GLI,highest grade eka” and “Ara poddak ehen mehen gawila paint karala thiyenawa buffer ehema echcharai”,the good old tactics.Next day we plugged in the scanner and well as you expect,the Odometer has been clocked and the scanner started throwing different codes.Considering the car was 6.8 million which was about 1.3 million over other exmaples anyways,my friend didn’t even bother buying it.

Boseth Minidu · April 9, 2023

On 3/9/2023 at 1:55 AM, iRage said:

Hi..I am merging your two threads seeking comments on vehicle options.

As for the $ movement....although the dollar moves:

1. Vehicle imports are still restricted. The bottom line is that the economy is still in trouble so there really isn't money to be importing cars. Even if they open up imports it might be heavily restrictive because of that (but then if the govt wants votes they will just drag the country in to trouble further by allowing imports and make their voter bases happy). Even if they allow just EVs I still feel people will be attracted to ICE cars and still drive demand up.

2. Even if the dollar has improved, the economy is still not fixed...so whatever movement we see it might not necessarily be sustainable. Yes, the IMF bailouts, etc..will be coming in but that doesn't mean the country's economy is fixed (and that is the problem....once the money starts coming in our idiots are going to think everything is fine and will yell and scream wanting to go back to unrestricted imports and maintaining lavish lifestyles of politicians). Heck...petrol and gas supply became stable and most people think everything is actually fixed or is getting fixed.

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This is true about EV’s,no one will buy EV’s unless there are proper charging stations,and I don’t think SL people will be ready to wait more than 5 minutes to charge their car on the way to somewhere.Some cars like Tesla will be an exception but they exceed the budget or any ordinary Joe anyways.

I still find it funny that the fact people think everything will get better just because we got the IMF Bailout,people act like they don’t remember spare parts and fuel prices are still sky high which is why vehicles prices dropped,not just because interest rates for leasings and loans are sky high.Believe it or not I spent 200K in repairs on one of my Indian alto’s which would’ve only costed like 70-80K if spare parts prices weren’t sky high.

Boseth Minidu · April 9, 2023

On 3/3/2023 at 4:28 AM, NK96 said:

Vitz 1.3 is not easy to find.

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What about the Vitz 1.5 Hybrid? You may be able to find one for around 7.5 million if you still didn’t make your purchase. @iRage do correct me if this is a bad choice.

iRage · April 10, 2023

On 4/9/2023 at 2:13 PM, Boseth Minidu said:

What about the Vitz 1.5 Hybrid? You may be able to find one for around 7.5 million if you still didn’t make your purchase. @iRage do correct me if this is a bad choice.

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again...not easy to find. There aren't many hybrid Vitzes in SL and most of what is there came from UK. More or less has the same Hybrid system as the Aqua and the Axio.