Help Me To Select My Daily Runner

[madjay]

An interesting trend to note here, Much like the general public believes that a toyota corolla is the best buy of em all, there seems to be an overriding impression among people who dont want a corolla and are perhaps mildly interested in cars, that the Honda Civic is the best car to buy....

Now this isnt me "hating on" civics, as i've said before my family has used several over the years and have an ES1 even now, they are generally decent cars.. all im saying is for the kind of money any civic is going for these days, the discerning motorist can find so much more entertainment elsewhere. In this particular price bracket, the Primera P11 is the stand out star.

P.S. at the current state of the market, the Peugeot 406 is also now available at Ek3 money... for people who dont mind being a tad brave, that car is in a completely different league to even the Primera!

hmmm anyway I'm not a Corolla fan or die hard civic fan. So far I'm thinking of buying the best deal out of those 2 cars. (civic and primera) If I will get a VERY good deal will go for primera for sure.

I love Peugeot 406 but have heard its not that reliable car. Correct me if I'm wrong here. One of frinds had that car for sometime. And reselling value also a main factor machan.

Edited July 8, 2009 by madjay

[YALA]

An interesting trend to note here, Much like the general public believes that a toyota corolla is the best buy of em all, there seems to be an overriding impression among people who dont want a corolla and are perhaps mildly interested in cars, that the Honda Civic is the best car to buy....

Now this isnt me "hating on" civics, as i've said before my family has used several over the years and have an ES1 even now, they are generally decent cars.. all im saying is for the kind of money any civic is going for these days, the discerning motorist can find so much more entertainment elsewhere. In this particular price bracket, the Primera P11 is the stand out star.

P.S. at the current state of the market, the Peugeot 406 is also now available at Ek3 money... for people who dont mind being a tad brave, that car is in a completely different league to even the Primera!

machan reckon you could add the old audi a4 to the list as well....

[Supra_Natural]

hmmm anyway I'm not a Corolla fan or die hard civic fan. So far I'm thinking of buying the best deal out of those 2 cars. (civic and primera) If I will get a VERY good deal will go for primera for sure.

I love Peugeot 406 but have heard its not that reliable car. Correct me if I'm wrong here. One of frinds had that car for sometime. And reselling value also a main factor machan.

The "not a reliable car" story is a typical generally held sri lankan myth... The dashboard electronics on some cars were a bit wonky, but they had nothing that would cause you to be stranded by the side of the road or any such nonsense, which again is something the general public is unaware of... much like yourself they "have heard" from somebody that the 406 has problems and avoid it.

The true story is that the car is mechanically very solid, and the only things that go wear out are general items like O2 sensors and such, which also wear out on jap cars btw. Like any car, as long as you get hold of one with a reasonable mileage and service history, you'll be fine.

As to resale value, the 406's have pretty much dropped as far as they can go IMO... they will probably level out at 1.3-1.6 million, which is bang in the middle of civic territory, and stay there. Of course since we DO live in the land like no other, where a ten year old corolla is worth more than it was when new, one can never be too certain about these things...

[VPJ]

machan reckon you could add the old audi a4 to the list as well....

i spent 1.62 m. it was recon imported and regitered in 2001/02. you can get a status report from the agents. there can be other places as well. anybody reading this can help?? make sure you buy the VI or vti since it has the econ and sports mode on the steering which is a joy to ride. you can find a good unriced ek if you go through the sunday classifieds.

[jaga]

i spent 1.62 m. it was recon imported and regitered in 2001/02. you can get a status report from the agents. there can be other places as well. anybody reading this can help?? make sure you buy the VI or vti since it has the econ and sports mode on the steering which is a joy to ride. you can find a good unriced ek if you go through the sunday classifieds.

Better go for a Vi recon english plated one and go to the agent or Upul (0777735251) at Malabe for a condition report. It is not expensive and careful if the gear box is CVT.

good luck bro.

[Jayathu]

Thank you so much for your feedback guys.

@Jayathu> Mate that figures are not that bad actually. But it seems bit hard to find 1.8L Primera right?

Yes, for me the figures are more than satisfactory because the pleasure in driving is much more worth than a few kmpl which we would be spending for something else anyway.

As you said, it is somewhat difficult to find even a 2.0L P11 let alone a 1.8L one. Consider yourself lucky if you could find a Camino for sale, since most owners who have one are very reluctant to sell theirs..

Regarding maintenance, you have nothing to worry as long as A*W are there. They have all necessary parts and the prices are not higher than for a average Sunny. Also their service is excellent and if you are a regular visitor there, you can look forward to some discounts on both parts and labour.. If you are not happy about the taking the car to the agents, then you can easily source your parts from places such as "Pi*ne*r M*t*rs".. That said, the car is not prone to regular breakdowns in any way, so nothing to worry mate.

[xXx]

An interesting trend to note here, Much like the general public believes that a toyota corolla is the best buy of em all, there seems to be an overriding impression among people who dont want a corolla and are perhaps mildly interested in cars, that the Honda Civic is the best car to buy....

Now this isnt me "hating on" civics, as i've said before my family has used several over the years and have an ES1 even now, they are generally decent cars.. all im saying is for the kind of money any civic is going for these days, the discerning motorist can find so much more entertainment elsewhere. In this particular price bracket, the Primera P11 is the stand out star.

P.S. at the current state of the market, the Peugeot 406 is also now available at Ek3 money... for people who dont mind being a tad brave, that car is in a completely different league to even the Primera!

very good observation machang. i have a feeling the fond for Civic is due to the whole sporty persona surrounding the brand.

regarding your analysis on the 406, you are correct they are technically sound cars but the biggest concern among people is if the car to run into some sort of a out of the ordinary technical issue it'll cost an arm or a leg to sort it out. then you also have the whole issue with the agent.

[Supra_Natural]

very good observation machang. i have a feeling the fond for Civic is due to the whole sporty persona surrounding the brand.

regarding your analysis on the 406, you are correct they are technically sound cars but the biggest concern among people is if the car to run into some sort of a out of the ordinary technical issue it'll cost an arm or a leg to sort it out. then you also have the whole issue with the agent.

The concern is understandable machan, but really i think people take it a little bit too far... Like most any other car, a well looked after 406 will not give any undue hassle to an owner, just as long as the basic things have been done on time. And as for the agent, its true they are a write off, but there is an excellent UK trained peugeot specialist in pellawatte, and from what i've heard his work is good and his charges are quite decent.

Still, its hard to change a widely held myth in Sri Lanka, so the 406 will just have to remain the bargain that it is for the discerning buyer.... I for one am not complaining about that!

[VVTi]

VVTi also has a P11 if im not mistaken... if some body can modify the topic to include the two cars, primera owners will notice it and head over to comment..

Sorry guys for not contributing earlier. Yes, I do own a P11 and yes, it is a lovely car to own. You can get a good P11 somewhere for around 12-13.

I will breakdown my opinions so anyone can pitch in agree/disagree/

Mine's a 1997 P11 Agent sold car with 3 previous owners. No ABS, no Air Bag.

2 litre/5 speed/ with Disc brakes on all 4 wheels.

PROS.

The venerable SR20DE. The AK47 of Engines. Abuse it, misuse it and it still forgives you and still works. (Not recommended if you love your car)

Nissan's Multi-link suspension, makes you feel like running on rails. The only other car I have pushed at corners hard was a Evo 6 in NZ and those in the know , will know what I am talking about.

The comfort factor, albeit a bit stiff on our roads due to the suspension.

The build quality.

Cantilever Boot Lid (LOVE IT OR HATE IT)

5 Speed Gearbox, over engineered to handle 3 times the BHP the engine produces. (140bhp)

The timeless design, makes it stand out in any crowd.

Idiot proof mechanicals. Any idiot with a spanner can fix most issues.

Parts availability. I had a run in with a truck that took my side view mirror clean off and it took only 15 mins in Delkanda to find a replacement for Rs 3500. Replaced a cracked brake light, again in the same shop for Rs. 2500

Basically if you run it sensibly, look after it with some attention, it will not fail you. My one has NOT ONCE failed me, and I do run a lot.

CONS.

Multilink Suspension has many components that are expensive to replace. Needs genuine parts. (In 2007, front suspension cost 80k to replace)

Ride is a bit low for some roads, having said that I drove to some Godforsaken estate in Dickoya and never once hit the bottom.

Radiator tends to crack after a while. I replaced mine with a copper tank.

AC compressor makes an annoying rattle. (Close to that din the Mazda 323 compressor makes)

The door panel rexine sheet tends to warp and come off the door. (Minor annoyance)

All in all, I have had no complaints about her for the last 3 years. Occasionally get the urge to go for another car once in a while, yet she has a subtle way of making you change your mind.

I get close to 9.5kmpl and outstation I have measured 12. Full tank 52 Liters and ran 627Kms in one trip. 2 Passengers with AC on most of the way. Colombo-Galle-Tangalle-Weeraketiya- Hambanthota and back.

You can drive sensibly and get this or really go crazy and bring it down to 6. I have done both.

I am running on 90 Oct fuel with normal mineral oil, service religiously every 5000kms with new filters. Air Filter is a K&N Box filter.

That is my 2 cents worth on the P11.

All in all, more bang for you bucks compared to other cars you can get in that price range.

Besides the P11 beat Audi, BMW and AlfaRomeos in the 1998/1999 BTCC with Tiff Needel at the wheel.

[Ripper]

Yes, for me the figures are more than satisfactory because the pleasure in driving is much more worth than a few kmpl which we would be spending for something else anyway.

As you said, it is somewhat difficult to find even a 2.0L P11 let alone a 1.8L one. Consider yourself lucky if you could find a Camino for sale, since most owners who have one are very reluctant to sell theirs..

Regarding maintenance, you have nothing to worry as long as A*W are there. They have all necessary parts and the prices are not higher than for a average Sunny. Also their service is excellent and if you are a regular visitor there, you can look forward to some discounts on both parts and labour.. If you are not happy about the taking the car to the agents, then you can easily source your parts from places such as "Pi*ne*r M*t*rs".. That said, the car is not prone to regular breakdowns in any way, so nothing to worry mate.

errr.... when i was in the hunt i found about 3 caminos for sale mate... only one was manual though...

there were 2 caminos for sale on AL few months back.... one manual and the other auto if i'm not wrong...

i went and checked out the manual one but wasn't too happy with the mechanicals and the body condition... that owner was saying that it was a bit tough to sell cos folks get scared of the 2L motor

[VPJ]

hmmm anyway I'm not a Corolla fan or die hard civic fan. So far I'm thinking of buying the best deal out of those 2 cars. (civic and primera) If I will get a VERY good deal will go for primera for sure.

I love Peugeot 406 but have heard its not that reliable car. Correct me if I'm wrong here. One of frinds had that car for sometime. And reselling value also a main factor machan.

by the way, why donty you consider mazda BJ5 W hatch back new face?? i think its the coolest hatch i have ever seen....mates what do you all think?? got a decent pick up too...and ample spares!!

[VVTi]

errr.... when i was in the hunt i found about 3 caminos for sale mate... only one was manual though...

there were 2 caminos for sale on AL few months back.... one manual and the other auto if i'm not wrong...

i went and checked out the manual one but wasn't too happy with the mechanicals and the body condition... that owner was saying that it was a bit tough to sell cos folks get scared of the 2L motor

That's true. AL itself has a few for sale. Its not that uncommon.

[GihanFX]

regarding your analysis on the 406, you are correct they are technically sound cars but the biggest concern among people is if the car to run into some sort of a out of the ordinary technical issue it'll cost an arm or a leg to sort it out. then you also have the whole issue with the agent.

what abt the 2nd hand value ?

[Jayathu]

Sorry guys for not contributing earlier. Yes, I do own a P11 and yes, it is a lovely car to own. You can get a good P11 somewhere for around 12-13.

I will breakdown my opinions so anyone can pitch in agree/disagree/

Mine's a 1997 P11 Agent sold car with 3 previous owners. No ABS, no Air Bag.

2 litre/5 speed/ with Disc brakes on all 4 wheels.

PROS.

The venerable SR20DE. The AK47 of Engines. Abuse it, misuse it and it still forgives you and still works. (Not recommended if you love your car)

Nissan's Multi-link suspension, makes you feel like running on rails. The only other car I have pushed at corners hard was a Evo 6 in NZ and those in the know , will know what I am talking about.

The comfort factor, albeit a bit stiff on our roads due to the suspension.

The build quality.

Cantilever Boot Lid (LOVE IT OR HATE IT)

5 Speed Gearbox, over engineered to handle 3 times the BHP the engine produces. (140bhp)

The timeless design, makes it stand out in any crowd.

Idiot proof mechanicals. Any idiot with a spanner can fix most issues.

Parts availability. I had a run in with a truck that took my side view mirror clean off and it took only 15 mins in Delkanda to find a replacement for Rs 3500. Replaced a cracked brake light, again in the same shop for Rs. 2500

Basically if you run it sensibly, look after it with some attention, it will not fail you. My one has NOT ONCE failed me, and I do run a lot.

CONS.

Multilink Suspension has many components that are expensive to replace. Needs genuine parts. (In 2007, front suspension cost 80k to replace)

Ride is a bit low for some roads, having said that I drove to some Godforsaken estate in Dickoya and never once hit the bottom.

Radiator tends to crack after a while. I replaced mine with a copper tank.

AC compressor makes an annoying rattle. (Close to that din the Mazda 323 compressor makes)

The door panel rexine sheet tends to warp and come off the door. (Minor annoyance)

All in all, I have had no complaints about her for the last 3 years. Occasionally get the urge to go for another car once in a while, yet she has a subtle way of making you change your mind.

I get close to 9.5kmpl and outstation I have measured 12. Full tank 52 Liters and ran 627Kms in one trip. 2 Passengers with AC on most of the way. Colombo-Galle-Tangalle-Weeraketiya- Hambanthota and back.

You can drive sensibly and get this or really go crazy and bring it down to 6. I have done both.

I am running on 90 Oct fuel with normal mineral oil, service religiously every 5000kms with new filters. Air Filter is a K&N Box filter.

That is my 2 cents worth on the P11.

All in all, more bang for you bucks compared to other cars you can get in that price range.

Besides the P11 beat Audi, BMW and AlfaRomeos in the 1998/1999 BTCC with Tiff Needel at the wheel.

Well said VVTi.. Can't agree more.. Specially on the handling. The car is amazingly stable and never makes you feel that you are lacking control even at speeds over 100kmph. Even if you try to push down on a P11, you will not be able to budge it unlike other cars which tend to be a little bit bouncy. The ride can be a bit bumpy if the road is uneven, but on a good road it is just pure pleasure.

Also agree on the radiator cracking scenario.. Mine also did and had to replace the top from Rad*a*or Hou*e. Should think about a copper one if it fails again, which I hope not. My car is also 1997 model, 1.8L, but with dual air bags and ABS. No sun roof though. As VVTi said, has never quit on me except once when the alternator quit while driving in the middle of the night. Just took about an hour and 6K rupees to fix that issue.

Can't agree about the ride being too low, cos the EK3 barely clears the ramp to our garden while mine has quite a bit of clearance. Maybe due to the 17" tires, but still I do not think the ride is lower than most cars in SL.

In short,it is a really good car and for me it is very difficult to make up my mind to go for a newer one as in one way or the other a P11 has a special place in the heart..

[Jayathu]

That's true. AL itself has a few for sale. Its not that uncommon.

Oops.. how did I miss those.. I always open the P11 in a new tab so that I can enjoy the pics after work.. Must have seen the ones you mentioned but failed to notice that they were Caminos.. My bad.. Sorry.

[Randhiv]

My good friend, the EK3 is a wise choice keeping re-sale and fuel in mind but its as common as an i-Pod and boring as going on a date with your sister..

Primera Hyper CVT M6 is a gem but dont touch it, its plagued with a terminal illness that would not give up until the 'box is dead.

Go for the Primera 2.0, manual shift SR20DE engine, now that is a real race-bred powerplant.,

I know its a sacrifice, but cars are things that are best enjoyed when chosen from the heart and not from the head.

Besides, imagine the feeling when you eat an EK3 for breakfast each morning at a traffic light..

I'm sure you'd make the right choice..

[Gummybr]

Besides the P11 beat Audi, BMW and AlfaRomeos in the 1998/1999 BTCC with Tiff Needel at the wheel.

Are you sure on the above mate, I thought that the late David Leslie, Anthony Reid and Laurent Aiello drove them, and the opponents were Volvo S40, Honda Accord, Renault Laguna, Ford Mondeo and so on right....? Unless your talking about the German Touring Car Championship where it competed against the Beemers.

[milindu]

Hi guys,

after some effort I sold my Toyota Cynos and now looking forward to buy a car for my day to day run. I’m kinda thinking about following cars and I have listed those according to my preference.

1. Honda civic ek3, v-tech 1998-2000 YOM (prefer VIRS but seems its lil bit over for my budget )

2. Primera HP11, CVT, 2000 YOM (I like this because this is a very good car can buy for lesser amt of money )

3. Mitsubishi Lancer or Cedia 2000 or above YOM (Like the look and don't know much abt the car )

The car should have English plates as it’s a turning point when it comes to reselling. My budget is 1.6 mil. (can be adjusted slightly) Reliability and performance are other factors.

Please shed your expert ideas here which will help me to select a good car for me.

Thanks in advance guys.

I had a 2.0 96 model Camino Auto from '99 till this year (Our company also ran a manual SR20DE which was a bit quicker due to the manual box). Have driven all the above. Its Primera hands down having driven all three be it handling, torque and sheer driving pleasure.

As far as I was concerned, the only downside was the relatively harsh ride (stiff suspension). Resale is also not so easy in this market.

The Honda will be easier to sell though.

The SR20DE also has better lower-end torque thant the SR20VE (M6 Version) btw.

The 406 is in a league of its own when it comes to driving pleasure. Smoother ride with better insulation and a richer drive overall. I won't be buying one in a hurry though.

Shoot if you have any particular questions.

Edited July 9, 2009 by milindu

[madjay]

Multilink Suspension has many components that are expensive to replace. Needs genuine parts. (In 2007, front suspension cost 80k to replace)

Thank you so much mates. So much info but worth every bit of it. Well… I really like Peugeot 406 and Audi A4 mates (2 of my favorite cars) but I don’t want to be too brave in this time. From Cynos to Primera or Civic gonna be fine for me. Again… that’s only for this time.

Well… from your feedback I thought I should go for Primera but that 80k front suspension replacement news shook me a lil bit (urr actually not lil bit) . Before hear that my preferences are like 90% for Primera and 10% for the civic. But now it has been changed a lil bit. btw how abt the cost for a new cvt gear box guys?

I’ll try to finda manual one but not sure it will be cheap like cvt one right? (I think its going cheep 'cos cvt is lil bit problematic) If I go for a cvt one will goto agents and will chk the whole system.

Hmmm anyway to be honest the place for the civic in my heart still not completely gone so If I get a very good deal for a very good Vtec 98-2000 will consider it as well. Will try a virs if it would fit into my budget.

I don’t want to talk abt Lancer\cedia thing.

One of my friend’s dad has a red primera p11 (cvt) which is very well looked after and which I can trust. I know they maintained it from the agent and only used genuine parts. And pumped 95 oct only. For some reason, they gonna sell that in august and didn’t tell me the figures yet. Anyway I also have to wait 1-2 months (personal reason) and have a temp car these days to drive so im not in hurry.

Thanks again guys, if I would have any questions farther will shoot in no time.

Edited July 10, 2009 by madjay

[madjay]

guys... I saw an advert of a Premera P11 for 14.75k. (2L, CVT) Its been some time there. What do you guys think specially abt the price?

Edited July 9, 2009 by madjay

[VVTi]

guys... I saw an advert of a Premera P11 for 14.75k. (2L, CVT) Its been some time there. What do you guys think specially abt the price?

Machang, my advise is to go for a manual. CVT are no fun at all.

[VVTi]

Are you sure on the above mate, I thought that the late David Leslie, Anthony Reid and Laurent Aiello drove them, and the opponents were Volvo S40, Honda Accord, Renault Laguna, Ford Mondeo and so on right....? Unless your talking about the German Touring Car Championship where it competed against the Beemers.

Ah... you could be right mate. I read it on some G20 forum where there was an argument. I was quoting from that. remember reading that Tiff Needel was the driver on many occasions it won.

[Jayathu]

Machang, my advise is to go for a manual. CVT are no fun at all.

Agreed.. And also since you need to look after it really well.. Don't think there is much of a price difference between a manual and a CVT.

[Gummybr]

Ah... you could be right mate. I read it on some G20 forum where there was an argument. I was quoting from that. remember reading that Tiff Needel was the driver on many occasions it won.

No probs machang, a certain local channel used to show the BTCC in the late 90's, but sadly no more, and no Nissan's running

[pradfred]

Yes, for me the figures are more than satisfactory because the pleasure in driving is much more worth than a few kmpl which we would be spending for something else anyway.

WELL SAID SIR !

I think we can even start a thread on this topic and see what cars elicit this reaction .(in the Sri Lankan context obviously) .