Belta 1000Cc Or 1300Cc Advice Please.

[jimzum]

Hi Guys,

I'm planning to buy a Toyota Belta 1000cc but some of my friends told me 1000cc is not good and go for the 1300cc. I'm buying this for day to day use within colombo. So what do you guys think? 1000CC or 1300CC ? Also what would be a good price for 1000CC and 1300CC.

Really appreciate your replies.

Cheers

[heavyD]

Hi Guys,

I'm planning to buy a Toyota Belta 1000cc but some of my friends told me 1000cc is not good and go for the 1300cc. I'm buying this for day to day use within colombo. So what do you guys think? 1000CC or 1300CC ? Also what would be a good price for 1000CC and 1300CC.

Really appreciate your replies.

Cheers

Bigger engine equals more power equals easier to drive in traffic and possibly better on fuel since the Belta is a sedan, unless the 1000cc isn't too underpowered.

[jimzum]

Bigger engine equals more power equals easier to drive in traffic and possibly better on fuel since the Belta is a sedan, unless the 1000cc isn't too underpowered.

Thanks for the advice mate. 1300 seems better!!

[jaga]

Thanks for the advice mate. 1300 seems better!!

Vits 1000 cc one has got only 3 cylinders 1300 cc one has got 4 cylinders.I don't know about belta. Always 1300 is better on fuel and second hand market..

I also think 1300 cc is the best.

[nexus]

Vits 1000 cc one has got only 3 cylinders 1300 cc one has got 4 cylinders.I don't know about belta. Always 1300 is better on fuel and second hand market..

I also think 1300 cc is the best.

+1

[jimzum]

Thanks everyone for the advice!!

[jdnet]

Vits 1000 cc one has got only 3 cylinders 1300 cc one has got 4 cylinders.I don't know about belta. Always 1300 is better on fuel and second hand market..

I also think 1300 cc is the best.

The 1000cc engine on the belta is also a 3 cylinder.

[jimzum]

Only issue is there is a price difference of 8 Lakhs(1000cc -26/75 and 1300cc 34/75) !! Is it worth paying that extra for the 1300cc?

Edited December 8, 2010 by jimzum

[Sifaan]

Only issue is there is a price difference of 8 Lakhs(1000cc -26/75 and 1300cc 34/75) !! Is it worth paying that extra for the 1300cc?

if you can afford it (i.e. you have the cash and wouldn't have to live on bread and water for the next 5 years) then the 1300cc is probably worth it.

you will "recover" a good portion of the premium you paid when you sell the car (i.e. when the car is 3 years old you will be able to sell the 1300cc for more than what you could get for the 1000cc). the rest of the price difference is what you pay for better fuel efficiency (how much money that saves you will depend to a large extent on how much you will use the car) and better performance (e.g. when overtaking). however if it's going to be mainly used in colombo traffic then that better performance is not going to be much use

and if you don't have the cash and have to borrow, then the additional interest you would have to pay would further reduce some of the benefits listed above

[jimzum]

if you can afford it (i.e. you have the cash and wouldn't have to live on bread and water for the next 5 years) then the 1300cc is probably worth it.

you will "recover" a good portion of the premium you paid when you sell the car (i.e. when the car is 3 years old you will be able to sell the 1300cc for more than what you could get for the 1000cc). the rest of the price difference is what you pay for better fuel efficiency (how much money that saves you will depend to a large extent on how much you will use the car) and better performance (e.g. when overtaking). however if it's going to be mainly used in colombo traffic then that better performance is not going to be much use

and if you don't have the cash and have to borrow, then the additional interest you would have to pay would further reduce some of the benefits listed above

Probably I have to get a loan if buying the 1300cc.. Even though the resell value is low I have spent 8lakhs less than the 1300cc.

most probably I'll go with 1000cc due to my budget and I think extra 8 lakhs for 1300cc is totally unacceptable. If its a 3-4 lakhs difference I would have gone with 1300cc. I have to settle for a 1000cc.

Thanks a lot for your advice guys!!

[gpmac]

Considering that the 1300cc swift goes for around 2.6M, the belta 1000cc for 2.675M looks overpriced

[kalana]

Considering that the 1300cc swift goes for around 2.6M, the belta 1000cc for 2.675M looks overpriced

1.3l swift can be bought for 2.4 mil

[The Don]

There is also the option of fitting a 1300cc engine into the 1000cc car. This shouldn't in theory require a lot of work, probably ECU, possibly wiring loom (though I hope Toyota is better than that), engine (obviously) and possibly drive shafts ....

What do you guys think?

[kalashnikov]

I would suggest you to go for a brand new Yaris 1300.I and my cousin bought cars together.I bought a B/N Yaris.He went for a recon Belta with 5000km on the clock.Now both cars have done around 22000km.Except for the regular servicing I spent nothing for my car.He had to do two wheel alignments and a tire replacement.Yaris is made for Srilanka and Belta is not.

[jdnet]

I would suggest you to go for a brand new Yaris 1300.I and my cousin bought cars together.I bought a B/N Yaris.He went for a recon Belta with 5000km on the clock.Now both cars have done around 22000km.Except for the regular servicing I spent nothing for my car.He had to do two wheel alignments and a tire replacement.Yaris is made for Srilanka and Belta is not.

1. The belta probably had a lot more KMs and the odometer was fixed. 5000KM is extremely low mileage for a car.

2. Just because the alightment went off twice doesn't make the Thai version better than the JDM. I am almost willing to bet it was the drivers fault. Not sure he/she needed a tire replacement but if it was due to a puncture or got torn up while hitting the curb then it's the drivers fault and not the manufacturer.

3. Some components in the JDM are of higher quality than the thai built yaris.

[kalashnikov]

1. The belta probably had a lot more KMs and the odometer was fixed. 5000KM is extremely low mileage for a car.

2. Just because the alightment went off twice doesn't make the Thai version better than the JDM. I am almost willing to bet it was the drivers fault. Not sure he/she needed a tire replacement but if it was due to a puncture or got torn up while hitting the curb then it's the drivers fault and not the manufacturer.

3. Some components in the JDM are of higher quality than the thai built yaris.

Your point 1. may be correct,but he got all the certificates from Japan to prove it otherwise.Then the Yaris I bought was built in Japan and imported from Japan.I have all the documents.True, bad driving habits play a role there.But in this case, my cousin is a careful driver.He hardly exeeds 60km/h.On the other hand he drove his car mostly on good roads,while I drove my car on poor roads.When I told this problem to a tech guy at Toyota, he said that the cars that they import to Srilanka are made to suit our road conditions.For example, he said that B/N Yaris has a 47% stiffer suspension system than the JDM,stronger plastics which could withstand very high temperatures etc,but our people do not care about such things, instead they ask for DVD's and winker mirrors.

[kalashnikov]

There is also the option of fitting a 1300cc engine into the 1000cc car. This shouldn't in theory require a lot of work, probably ECU, possibly wiring loom (though I hope Toyota is better than that), engine (obviously) and possibly drive shafts ....

What do you guys think?

What will happen to the resale value of that "transplanted" car.In Srilanka such things matter.

Kalashnikov.

[Sifaan]

When I told this problem to a tech guy at Toyota, he said that the cars that they import to Srilanka are made to suit our road conditions.For example, he said that B/N Yaris has a 47% stiffer suspension system than the JDM

I was told the same thing by A*W (stiffer suspensions and more ground clearance) on models for Sri Lankan market vs. JDM (he didn't mention a number though).

(btw the discussion was not because they were trying to sell us a car; they were giving us a brief...)

Is there anyone who has driving experience in the export and JDM versions of the same car (e.g. 121) comment on this? If what the marketing people say is true then the JDM should be more comfortable on good roads (the softer suspension dealing well with the minor imperfections) but less comfortable in average/bad roads?

[Ruslan]

There is somewhat truth in what Kalashnikov said but not about the interiors. since I've driven both 121s (JDMs and Brandnew imports) there's a different in suspension and Interior. in brand news ground clearance is bit higher than JDMs and Shock absorbers are different in both cars (2 different part numbers). Brand news equipped with Sump guards and extra undercoating. mostly these are called "Tropicalized" or "Rough road packaged" vehicles. most of these brandnew imported fitted with cheap Interior stuff so that they can imported with less tax brackets (Overall build quality is crap!!). hence agents can sell them for a reasonable price. I've seen many Brand new 121s imported for Hotels and large fleets are without ABS and only with Driver side airbags to prevent get taxed. to answer Sifaans question.. yes JDMs feels more comfort than Brandnew imports.

[heavyD]

There is somewhat truth in what Kalashnikov said but not about the interiors. since I've driven both 121s (JDMs and Brandnew imports) there's a different in suspension and Interior. in brand news ground clearance is bit higher than JDMs and Shock absorbers are different in both cars (2 different part numbers). Brand news equipped with Sump guards and extra undercoating. mostly these are called "Tropicalized" or "Rough road packaged" vehicles. most of these brandnew imported fitted with cheap Interior stuff so that they can imported with less tax brackets (Overall build quality is crap!!). hence agents can sell them for a reasonable price. I've seen many Brand new 121s imported for Hotels and large fleets are without ABS and only with Driver side airbags to prevent get taxed. to answer Sifaans question.. yes JDMs feels more comfort than Brandnew imports.

Do you mean the quality of the build materials is cheaper? How can that affect taxation?

[Ruslan]

Do you mean the quality of the build materials is cheaper? How can that affect taxation?

Cheaper stuff = overall value of the vehicle will be lower when imported. hence low taxes. compare the seat materials, Upholstery in Brand new imports and JDMs. you can clearly see the difference.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Ruslan

[The Don]

I think you can actually select the interior trim when you are buying a brand new car (as in put one on order instead of selecting one from the showroom). The brand new imports seem to fare better on the long run (less issues underbody rust, suspension issues and plastic deterioration, and also things like suspension bushes and mounts would be more resistant to deterioration through high ambient temperature and heat) though have less bells and wistles and would be more comfortable, but to be honest you can swap the suspension over (its just coils and shock absorbers, which you can buy used).

Personally when you're getting the car recon, you would probably like the JDM better (nicer interior, more comfortable ride) but if you're buying a 10-15 year old car you'll prefer the brand new one better (It would have survived our weather better, I should know, because I have a JDM at home and it seems dashboard plastics seem to just decintegrate, but fortunately I've been able to find replacements )

As for the resale value of a transplanted car, I guess it will be lower than if it came out of the factory as 1.3CC, but then again your overall cost is less, and for all intensive purposes there should not be a difference (because except the engine and a few electronics the car is more or less the same). And in SL we do a lot of transplants as its sometimes cheaper and more reliable than engine rebuilds (like for like transplants of course) and these work reasonably well. But I am talking about hypotheticals here, a closer look would probably be necessary to estimate the amount of work required and analyse whether its worth the hassle or not.

Edited December 13, 2010 by The Don

[amawilmada]

Hi All

I believe I am bit too late to reply to this thread, but I will reply any way as it would help anyone who is reading this post in the future.

When I was ordering my vehicle from Japan auction I had the same doubt about 1000CC. but I took a risk and imported any ways.

I am not an expert about vehicles, but I will explain my own experience after driving it for 3-4 months around Colombo and Kandy.

Fuel consumption

around Colombo (Rajagiriya , Borella, Nugegoda, Town Hall, …) is 11Km/l, I still didn’t test on out station but I would assume it would be above 11km/l obviously.

Acceleration

previously I had a Toyota Marino (1500/Manual). I feel the small delay in the acceleration, may be its coz I had a manual car before but I have driven Vitz , Fit and still I feel a small delay in the acceleration. But once it comes to some speed its normal and I can over take any vehicle I prefer (not tuned civics , Subaru ) as any auto car.

Pulling power

As I said before there is a small delay in the acceleration and after that it’s all ok. And I have put 6 people including myself (each 60-70Kg) and driven in hill areas around Kandy (from Gatabe through Gohagoda road to Katugasthota – people who have driven on this road will know about the slope) and drives without any issues. I didn’t not hear any unusual sound (screaming ) from the engine and the RPM was below 2000.

And have gone from Kandy to Nawalapitiya and back, from Colombo to Kandy and back. Was all ok according to my experience.

I hope this information is helpful, and hope not too much info

Cheers

A

[heavyD]

Acceleration

But once it comes to some speed its normal and I can over take any vehicle I prefer (not tuned civics , Subaru ) as any auto car.

Looks like you haven't met the quicker non Civic/Subaru cars on the road....

[MrCat]

As I said before there is a small delay in the acceleration and after that it’s all ok. And I have put 6 people including myself (each 60-70Kg) and driven in hill areas around Kandy (from Gatabe through Gohagoda road to Katugasthota – people who have driven on this road will know about the slope) and drives without any issues. I didn’t not hear any unusual sound (screaming ) from the engine and the RPM was below 2000.

And have gone from Kandy to Nawalapitiya and back, from Colombo to Kandy and back. Was all ok according to my experience.

Hill area, 6 people (360kg ++), RPM below 2000 in a 1000cc car? were you going up-hill or down?