Selling Current Car – Need Suggestions for a 2-Year Upgrade (Budget: 14M)

[arunwij]

Hi All 👋,

I’m planning to sell my current car (2008 Allion 260 1.8). It has served me well, but it’s getting old and I want to move on.Budget is up to 14M.

Long-term, I’d ideally go for Harrier / CR-V, but that’s out of reach right now. So I’m looking for something to use for the next ~2 years and resell without too much pain.

I tried Toyota Raize already – front shoulder room and legroom felt tight for me. (I’m 6’1”). So space matters.

Priorities:
1. Reliability  2.Safety 3.Comfort (I’m not concerned about squeezing maximum fuel economy.)

I like cars like Camry I’m unsure about: Resale in our market after 2 years Known maintenance issues / cost of ownership here So my main question is: In the 12–14M range, what are the best options that offer good space, ride comfort, and won’t be a nightmare to maintain or resell later (car or suv)? Also it seems a new vehicle will depreciate more than a used one in first few years. What do you think? 

Would appreciate your feedback!

Thank you.

Edited November 10 by arunwij
clarity

[iRage]

10 hours ago, arunwij said:

Hi All 👋,

I’m planning to sell my current car (2008 Allion 260 1.8). It has served me well, but it’s getting old and I want to move on.Budget is up to 14M.

Long-term, I’d ideally go for Harrier / CR-V, but that’s out of reach right now. So I’m looking for something to use for the next ~2 years and resell without too much pain.

I tried Toyota Raize already – front shoulder room and legroom felt tight for me. (I’m 6’1”). So space matters.

Priorities:
1. Reliability  2.Safety 3.Comfort (I’m not concerned about squeezing maximum fuel economy.)

I like cars like Camry I’m unsure about: Resale in our market after 2 years Known maintenance issues / cost of ownership here So my main question is: In the 12–14M range, what are the best options that offer good space, ride comfort, and won’t be a nightmare to maintain or resell later (car or suv)? Also it seems a new vehicle will depreciate more than a used one in first few years. What do you think? 

Would appreciate your feedback!

Thank you.

For your budget you are going to be downgrading your car no matter what you do.

For a maximum of 14M you are looking at cars like the Raize, Yaris, etc...which are entry-level vehicles (interior feels cheaper, ride feels compromised and interms of safety features you really are not getting that much more). At the higher end of your budget you can pull off something like a Fronx/Taisor, Nissan Maglite, Nissan Almera or a Honda City. Even these cars would be a bit of a downgrade compared to the Allion you have (feel smaller, ride is not at as compromised as the prior models I mentioned but doesn't feel as nice as an Allion either) and the only noticeable gain would be that "new" feeling and a bit more tech.
Alternatively, you will be looking at used Vezels, etc...that are slightly older than your current car. You cannot even go for something like a new Corolla sedan (petrol variant, which buy itself is an entry level sedan)

I would strongly suggest you keep your Allion for a few more years, especially if it doesn't have any serious mechanical issues. Just give it some TLC, maybe do some modest upgrades (new streo, wheels, good deep clean, etc...) and keep it for a few years until you can actually go for the car you want (Harrier, CR-V, etc...or even something a bit more substantive like at the very least a JDM Yaris Cross or Corolla sedan type vehicle).

[arunwij]

@iRage Thank you for the response! 

Yeah with 14M budget i'm in the no man's land when it comes to good options 😂

I am also interested in Civic Sedan and there are listings for that around that range. What do you think about that vehicle? Any major problems / the things I should know of? 

[iRage]

31 minutes ago, arunwij said:

I am also interested in Civic Sedan and there are listings for that around that range. What do you think about that vehicle? Any major problems / the things I should know of? 

Well..the Civic has a wet belt so there is that...how that will effect you is a hit/miss sort of situation. Either way you will have to at the very least do regular preemptive maintenance. On top of that it did have some minor niggles.There is a thread on the CIvic with some good info on maintenance and use of the Civic by actual owners of the car in here.

The Civic is a more engaging car to drive than the Allion. But you are still buying a car that is almost as old as your Allion. Old cars come with issues and is quite a risky proposition when it comes to SL (most Lankans are absolute @#@$## when it comes to selling used cars). So in essence you are trading in one set of problems for another. Worst yet..you are trading in a set of problems of a known car for a set of unknown problems with an unknown car.

You should think real hard and deep about what you want to gain by selling the Allion. If the whole issue is "the Allion is just old and starting to get probelms" then fix the problems and keep it until you have enough money saved up for the car you actually want (for the down payment atleast). If it is just for the sake of having something different...then you are just asking for trouble by going for another old car. You can change the feel of your Allion quite easily. If it is because you want a newer car...then you need to be either willing to downgrade or be patient to make that downpayment for the car you want. If you buy a temporary car until you can afford that Harrier or whatever, then it is going ot take longer for you to hit your ultimate goal because you are wasting money on a temporary car.

[arunwij]

I replaced my gearbox about six months ago, and it’s been running fine since then. I’m just a bit concerned about what could come up over time. The only issue I’ve noticed is a noise during cold starts, it goes away for subsequent starts after engine warms up. But when engine gets colder I can notice the sound again. Could that be the timing chain?

My other options are Toyota CHR (but not sure about the space. I haven't driven one) and Toyota Camry and Mitsubishi Eclipse. 

Yeah, I’ll need to think this through a bit more, but I wanted to hear what others think as well. Thanks a lot for the insights.

Edited November 11 by arunwij

[matroska]

Given that you have been using a 1.8 L Allion, I get a feeling that a larger car with a bit of oomph and better driving dynamics is what you're looking for. Have you considered

a) Mazda 6 - It's in your budget most of them have been well maintained. On the downside they are around 10 years old now.

b) If you're into the Civic Sedan - the 1.5L variant is a solid choice. It does not have the much-feared wet belt setup. Spacious car and pulls well. I saw a classified yesterday for one and i remember it was quoting 14M.  P.S : The 1.0L Civic Sedan goes under your budget

Edited November 12 by matroska

[arunwij]

Hey 👋 @matroska

Actually I have thought about Mazda 6. (also honda Accord) Car looks great and spacious. It seems a not a common vehicle and I do not have knowledge about common issues or parts availability of the car. I was a bit hesitant because of that.

Do you know any information like reliability, hybrid issues of the vehicle?

1.5 Civic sedans seems a possible option too. Could you please share model and year of it?

TIA! 

Edited November 12 by arunwij
additional questions

[misnad]

On 11/11/2025 at 10:12 AM, iRage said:

There is a thread on the CIvic with some good info on maintenance and use of the Civic by actual owners of the car in here.

Amen to that Civic 2018 thread. Also, if you’re looking for a good FK6 Tech Pack, I’ll be listing mine for sale in a week or two. Low mileage and given I’m OCD about any issues, it’s almost a new car now with a complete overhaul of the AC system and Suspension 😀. Thread explains it all.