Mazda Axela (2008) vs. Toyata 141 (2008) vs. Peroduo Axia (2016)

Lavindu Ranasinghe · June 20, 2023

I want to know among the cars I have mentioned; Mazda Axela (2008), Toyata 141 (2008), Peroduo Axia (2016) which car is more reliable, easy to maintain with less repairs, comfortable and has more value per price. The reason why I chose these cars are as below,

Mazda Axela - Really like the sporty look, has a lot of features despite being old, have enough space and legroom.

Toyota 141 - Heard it's a reliable car, looks elegant for the budget I have (4 -5 mil), have enough space. Also can be commonly seen everywhere, so assuming it's a good car.

Peroduo Axia - Main reason why I chose this is because it's quite recently manufactured and has good fuel efficiency.

Any expert review and suggestions are highly appreciated.

iRage · June 21, 2023

I have said this many times, which car is more "reliable" (and even easily re-sell-able) depends on the condition of the specific car you are looking at. It doesn't matter how good and how well these cars were designed and engineered out of the factory if the past owners have simply neglected and abused them.

Also, when you say Toyota 141...are you talking about the Corolla Axio 141, which was the Corolla variant available only in the Japanese local market or the export model Corolla 141 which was sold brand new through the agent ?

matroska · June 21, 2023

On 6/20/2023 at 11:07 AM, Lavindu Ranasinghe said:

I want to know among the cars I have mentioned; Mazda Axela (2008), Toyata 141 (2008), Peroduo Axia (2016) which car is more reliable, easy to maintain with less repairs, comfortable and has more value per price. The reason why I chose these cars are as below,

Mazda Axela - Really like the sporty look, has a lot of features despite being old, have enough space and legroom.

Toyota 141 - Heard it's a reliable car, looks elegant for the budget I have (4 -5 mil), have enough space. Also can be commonly seen everywhere, so assuming it's a good car.

Peroduo Axia - Main reason why I chose this is because it's quite recently manufactured and has good fuel efficiency.

Any expert review and suggestions are highly appreciated.

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These cars are not in the same league so it depends on what you need this for. Also the pro's and cons of these have been discussed separately.

1.reliable => depends entirely on the specific unit you buy there are no inherent issues with these cars

2.easy to maintain => non of these cars are complicated - the axela may need a bit of TLC than the other two. Peroduas generally are very honest hardworking cars. The 141 is tough old school toyota.

3.with less repairs => see (1),

3.comfortable => 141 >Axela > Axia

4.more value per price => Tie between the Axela and the 141 - the Mazda is a more stylish suave car. The 141 a rugged tank of sorts

On a general note : The axia, is newer so generally there is less wear and tear on parts that naturally wear out with age. The other two cars a lot older. The axela feels the more refined and modern car. The 141 is an old school corolla and has it's own appeal.

Assumption : 141 refers to the international variant the 1.6L Corolla with traditional Auto tranny 141 as opposed to the JDM Axio with 1.5 L engine and CVT

As i said, this depends on your need for example if I personally had to buy a car and these were the only 3 options I had and the need was a car to run to the supermarket, run errands and drive to office daily and I had no long distance travel needs i'd pick the Perodua and call it a day. If I needed to travel a bit I'd pick I'd lose some sleep between the axela and the 141 and pick the corolla.

iRage · June 21, 2023

On 6/21/2023 at 2:09 PM, matroska said:

The axia, is newer so generally there is less wear and tear on parts that naturally wear out with age.

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Okay..so...a newer car has less wear and tear and should be better is not necessarily an accurate statement and is very subjective.

1. A new car used harshly can and will have a high level of wear and tear.

2. It also depends on the parts being used. Certain models of cars (depending on the market, etc..) are comprised of parts that have lower use-lives than that of some other models. E.g. the original brake pads, clutch, etc...would be designed to last lesser mileage than that of a Corolla.

matroska · June 22, 2023

On 6/21/2023 at 11:42 PM, iRage said:

Okay..so...a newer car has less wear and tear and should be better is not necessarily an accurate statement and is very subjective.

1. A new car used harshly can and will have a high level of wear and tear.

2. It also depends on the parts being used. Certain models of cars (depending on the market, etc..) are comprised of parts that have lower use-lives than that of some other models. E.g. the original brake pads, clutch, etc...would be designed to last lesser mileage than that of a Corolla.

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Yup which is why i mentioned

1. depends entirely on the specific unit you buy

and 2.'generally'

(and i have not mentioned the newer car is better. )

not considering a scenario where there is an Axia that is rented or used for uber and hacked it's guts out and a permit imported 141 with first owner that has sparingly been used (that's an outlier : my comment is for the average/majority/usual scenarios) - it's just that if I were to consider a car that has run in Sri Lanka regularly for 15 years and a car that has run in Sri Lanka for 6/7 years (most axias came out in 2016/17 afaik) If I were the buyer I would anticipate/expect/not be surprised if things like the mirrors/windows/wiper motors developed a few niggles. I'm not talking about consumables. I know that budget cars like peroduas age a bit sooner than Japs - BUT we're talking about a 6/7 year old budget hatch vs a much more durable car which at the end of the day is still 15 years old.

Edited June 22, 2023 by matroska

Lavindu Ranasinghe · June 22, 2023

On 6/21/2023 at 9:46 AM, iRage said:

I have said this many times, which car is more "reliable" (and even easily re-sell-able) depends on the condition of the specific car you are looking at. It doesn't matter how good and how well these cars were designed and engineered out of the factory if the past owners have simply neglected and abused them.

Also, when you say Toyota 141...are you talking about the Corolla Axio 141, which was the Corolla variant available only in the Japanese local market or the export model Corolla 141 which was sold brand new through the agent ?

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The export model 141

matroska · June 22, 2023

<<double post>>

Edited June 22, 2023 by matroska

iRage · June 23, 2023

On 6/22/2023 at 11:13 AM, Lavindu Ranasinghe said:

The export model 141

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Aha ! Now that changes a bit....now...where the petrol variant is concerned, the first release of this model is not known for its fuel efficiency (they did not update the engine from the previous model but stuck the engine with a heavier body). They later made technical updates so it got better (this does not apply to the 1.8 or 2L petrol variants but those are not there in SL). The diesel is better.

Apart from that the car is a typical Toyota car..not the most exciting car to drive..not the most luxurious car to have but it gets the job done. Being the export model finding used body parts is not as convenient as the Axio 141 or even the Axela. The Axela is a much nicer car to drive. Being a Japanese domestic model it is a lot more refined than the Corolla. Comfort wise...the Axela has a firmer ride due to its sportiness. The Corolla on the other hand has soft suspension which makes it feel like a boat to drive. The Axela is also more responsive.

Perodua...well..it is an entry level hatchback. Gets the job done. Feels small and budget-friendly.

You need to keep in mind that a 1000cc engine has to work harder than a 1600 or 1500 cc engine to get certain tasks done. So depending on the context the car has been in used in, the smaller hatchback may have had more wear and tear than the larger car (even if the car has been maintained). Also, not consumables as some have mentioned, but different segments of cars have differing tolerance levels for its components. Suspension bushings, strength and rigidity of control arms, metals used for small engine components, etc... are lesser for these kinds of hatchbacks (as they are intended to be used as city cars. Needless to say as you go up the segments, the tolerance levels improve (e.g. a SUV's suspension components are more robust than that of a Corolla or any other sedan...) This does not mean that the little hatchback will wear out and fall apart at 200,000km whilst the Corolla keeps running. Just means that you may have to do some additional preemptive maintenances.

So..maintenance being equal, although a car (Viva, Alto, etc..) is newer it does not mean that the car is going to be less worn out than a car like a Corolla that is older. So do not take that as a constant and the only thing that matters (as stated in my first comment) is the condition of the car you are standing in front of.

One thing that can make a difference is a newer car (depending on the car) may have better emissions controls and more importantly safety equipment. However, considering you are comparing an entry level hatchback against mid-sized sedans, the newer Viva might not have an age advantage. I would guess the Axela would have the better safety equipment and design in this context.