Swift First Gen, Demio Mazda2 Second Gen in 2023

lsampath · March 28, 2023

Hi all,

I am currently looking to purchase a Japanese hatchback within a budget of 4 million. The car will be used for a weekly commute from Deniyaya to Colombo, and needs to be capable of handling hilly terrain as well as city traffic. To meet my requirements for both fuel economy and engine power, I am considering purchasing a car with a 1000CC+ engine and a fuel consumption rate of 12-18 km/L.

There are two options in my mind,

1. Demio 2008-2010

2. Swift 2007-2009 (Swift second generation cars won't be affordable in my budget)

What do you guys think about buying a pre-2010 Japanese car these days? Or should I go for something like Perodua or Hyundai?

I went through old threads for both of these cars. But there are few questions they won't address in those threads

1. Most of the discussions I found were from the years 2010-2015, but those cars are now around 15 years old. I believe that expert opinions and answers may have changed since then.

2. Given the current fuel restrictions and expenses, I am concerned about the fuel economy of most cars and whether they will be cost-effective in the long term.

3. I am also curious about the impact of import restrictions on spare parts for these cars. Is it still possible to maintain older cars these days, or will it be difficult to find parts and keep them in good condition?

Thank you.

matroska · March 28, 2023

On 3/28/2023 at 2:06 AM, lsampath said:

There are two options in my mind,

1. Demio 2008-2010

2. Swift 2007-2009 (Swift second generation cars won't be affordable in my budget)

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First of all any particular reason for selecting hatchbacks such as limited parking etc? if you do travel long distance a slightly larger car will be a bit easier on your body. Also how many passengers would you have on an average trip?

Your choices of car are interesting and non-mainstream.

The Demio - is quite a decent car and for a small hatchback it has a fair amount of space and is quite nimble.

Swift - more common than the demio and you will have an easier time sourcing parts etc. Mind you I always found the rear seats of this particular model to be very cramped and very limited storage space. But overall it's quite nimble and a fun car to drive.

If your requirement is to haul 2 passengers and if a lot of boot space is not a concern, out of the two the swift would be the more practical choice - given your concerns on spares availability etc. It's a common car. Nothing wrong with the Demio either.

Couple of other options I can think of

Honda Fit GD1 - non hybrid predecessor of the GE6 and GP1. YOM ~ 2007 would be in your budget. If space is a concern and maybe you want to carry luggage (since you mentioned you travel once a week) would be a good option.

Toyota Vitz (~2007/2008) would be in your budget as well. On the plus side you will not have any concern regarding spares as it's as common as a damro washing machine. On the negatives - most of these cars are 'currency' as they trade hands and finding an honest properly maintained car is as difficult as finding an honest politician. Also with a 1.0L engine it can be a bit underpowered.

If Sedan's are in your scope - there's a lot more options.

CNX · March 28, 2023

The vitz is probably more fuel efficient than the other two and will easily achieve your target of 12 to 18 kmpl on long journeys. It is also probably more comfortable. The demio and swift will handle a bit better and will be fun to drive than the vitz if you enjoy driving.

matroska · March 29, 2023

On 3/28/2023 at 3:40 PM, lsampath said:

Thank you for the reply.

Honestly, reason for hatchback is more of a personal choice than parking issues. But I would like to consider sedans as well, but arent they less fuel efficient compared to hatchbacks?

Normally i will be traveling with two passengers and a luggage is not a big concern for me?

And regarding vitz, arent they less fuel efficient? I heard it is not comfortable as swift or demio.

Please suggest me some sedans as well if have something in your mind, which can cater my requirements.

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Hatches being fuel efficient is not always true - for instance the March K11 is quite thirsty for a hatch.

Eitherway since you only drive long distance with a bit of light footed driving you will be able to acheive 12+KMPL on a generally good 1.5 L Sedan as well.

Vitz is actually a bit more fuel efficient than the other two options. It might be a bit underpowered when overtaking etc.

Since you mentioned luggage and space is not a concern - and you have already set your mind on the swift - it's a decent car will check all your boxes.

There are many Sedan's in your budget off the top of my head - Vios (2003-2005) will be an easy to live with car but again very difficult to find well maintained cars. Generally you have a better chance of finding good condition Mazda3/ Honda Civic ES5 for that budget slightly old but good solid cars.

iRage · March 30, 2023

On 3/28/2023 at 3:40 PM, lsampath said:

Thank you for the reply.

Honestly, reason for hatchback is more of a personal choice than parking issues. But I would like to consider sedans as well, but arent they less fuel efficient compared to hatchbacks?

Normally i will be traveling with two passengers and a luggage is not a big concern for me?

And regarding vitz, arent they less fuel efficient? I heard it is not comfortable as swift or demio.

Please suggest me some sedans as well if have something in your mind, which can cater my requirements.

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1. Swift....be weary of buying an Indian version. Stick to the JDM variants.

2. Sedans being less fuel efficient than hatchbacks is not a constant thing. It depends on the vehicle's size, engine capacity, driving style, etc...

3. Vitz being less or more fuel efficient. Again, depends on the type of Vitz and what it is being used for. the 1L Vitz will be very fuel efficient than the Vitz, Demio or 1.3L Vitz just sitting around in traffic. But driving outstation our under load it will be the otherway around. The cars with the larger engines will perform better and be more efficient than the little 1L engine (because that has to work hard).

4. Of the three hatchbacks, the Vitz will be the least refined in terms of how the interior feels and how the car drives. In SL you do not get the high grade Vitzes that come with a barely decent interior (the 1L variants in Japan are budget Vitzes sold to companies as fleet vehicles or to University kids as a cheap first car, it is the 1.3 and 1.5 L variants that are for families, etc..).

5. The Demio and the Swift have better handling. This also means that the suspension is setup to be a little hard. Some people do not like it..some do.

6. Yes..the 3 cylinder old engine is not very refine and there is some vibration. The 3 cylinder engine in the new Vitz (i.e. Yaris) is a lot better. So 3 cylinder engine does not always mean vibration and noisy.

CNX · March 31, 2023

On 3/30/2023 at 2:30 AM, lsampath said:

What do you mean by Vitz is more comfortable but not as good as swift/demio when it comes to handling?

Comfortable means better suspension and interior quality?

And does Vitz 1000cc model has higher vibration due to 3 piston engine design?

And is it true Vitz 1300cc is more fueld efficient than 1000cc model, cause 1000cc model has to run on higher RPM most of the time.

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Vitz has softer suspension set up making it more comfortable for the passengers. The downside of this is relatively poor handling. Interior depends on the grade.

You may notice more vibration in the 3 cylinder vitz when idling but its hardly noticeable when on the move or if you rev up a bit.

The 1.0 will be more fuel efficient around town and cruising on the expressway. Outstation it depends on how you drive. If you drive like a granny the 1.0 will still be more efficient. If you prefer a spirited drive the 1.3 will be better.

iRage · May 7, 2023

On 5/6/2023 at 2:50 AM, lsampath said:

Hi again,

Thanks for your help, everyone.

Last week I bought a 2009 manufactured Demio.

A lady owned car with only 88K milage for 37.50 laks. Felt like a good deal, so I immediately bought it. But there are some maintenance issues and I need to work on them.

Thanks again.

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Congratulations ! Please please please start a new thread with plenty of pics of the car and about the things you have to do ! We love seeing pics of cars.

There will always be maintenance things that you will have to do no matter what car you buy. So don't be too freaked out or be upset about it. I hope you got it inspected and there were no serious issues.

lsampath · March 28, 2023

Thank you for the reply.

Honestly, reason for hatchback is more of a personal choice than parking issues. But I would like to consider sedans as well, but arent they less fuel efficient compared to hatchbacks?

Normally i will be traveling with two passengers and a luggage is not a big concern for me?

And regarding vitz, arent they less fuel efficient? I heard it is not comfortable as swift or demio.

Please suggest me some sedans as well if have something in your mind, which can cater my requirements.

lsampath · March 30, 2023

On 3/28/2023 at 4:08 PM, CNX said:

It is also probably more comfortable. The demio and swift will handle a bit better and will be fun to drive than the vitz if you enjoy driving.

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What do you mean by Vitz is more comfortable but not as good as swift/demio when it comes to handling?

Comfortable means better suspension and interior quality?

And does Vitz 1000cc model has higher vibration due to 3 piston engine design?

And is it true Vitz 1300cc is more fueld efficient than 1000cc model, cause 1000cc model has to run on higher RPM most of the time.

Edited March 30, 2023 by lsampath

lsampath · May 6, 2023

Hi again,

Thanks for your help, everyone.

Last week I bought a 2009 manufactured Demio.

A lady owned car with only 88K milage for 37.50 laks. Felt like a good deal, so I immediately bought it. But there are some maintenance issues and I need to work on them.

Thanks again.

lsampath · May 7, 2023

Thank again.

On 5/7/2023 at 4:45 AM, iRage said:

Congratulations ! Please please please start a new thread with plenty of pics of the car and about the things you have to do ! We love seeing pics of cars.

There will always be maintenance things that you will have to do no matter what car you buy. So don't be too freaked out or be upset about it. I hope you got it inspected and there were no serious issues.

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Yeah I had the same feeling of starting a new thread to share maintenance details. At least until I fix those initial repairs. So here it is...