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Well you're in the right path to NOT buy a hybrid... while I'm not a hybridphobiac - aquas did develop battery issues more frequently than the others. So, the best option would be get yourself a normal ICE car - if a used hybrid is a must the least troublesome out there would be a fit shuttle. For 3.5 you could manage a 2010 Axela... the FD1 will be marginally out of range - those are my top picks for that price range you can get a nice CS3 for well below your budget (2011+) - Lancer EX will be out of range. Or if you are not afraid to die of boredom a 2011-2012 Yaris is also possible - boring but generally reliable car : there's a 2011 model for 3.3 on the quick site as we speak.

If you take the cars inOP's range it's mostly Honda Fits (GP1-GP2-GP5) and aquas. There are a lot more aquas that GP2's but if you combine the total Honda Hatches that's more of an equal number. Of the lot aquas developed a lot of hybrid battery related issues compared to Honda's. (I work in a IT company. IT folk love hybrids - and most of us bought hybrids during the middle of the last decade - during the last two years the aquas started serially getting hybrid battery problems)The problem with the Hondas are almost always not the hybrid battery but other stuff. GP5 - DCT, GP1- the famous oil burn issue. These are inherent issues. Despite the GP2 having the same IMA setup as the GP1 , there is no recall on the oil burn issue on the GP2. If i was asked to buy a hybrid right now with that budget I'd buy the GP2.

Does it just say G or G with a number ? If it just says G it is hard to say how bad it is...it could be a small crak or a chip and it depends on there is as well....ask your agent to get pictures of the crack/chip

Okay..so I am going to go the other way.... For starters you say fuel efficiency is not a concern but you hint that you are.....so what actually is it ? I am guessing you don't want something that does 4kmpl but as long as it is an average family type car that does 8+ would be okay ? Secondly...do not believe any of the adverts....go look at the car...and if you think it is worth a 2nd or 3rd look..take it for a proper check up yourself (this applies to gasoline and hybrids). Then decide if the vehicle is worth considering the after purchase fix ups you will have to do. Remember...there will be after purchase fix ups no matter what you buy..only a very very very few cars that have been taken care of like a baby (usually by an enthusiast) will truly be buy-and-drive without any serious fix-ups. Thirdly..about Matroska's comment about the Fit Shuttle....not true...it is a numbers game. You get 1000s more of Aquas and standard Fits in Sri Lanka than the Shuttle. Therefore, you hear about the normal Hybrid battery issues a lot more frequently than with the Shuttle. Also....I do not believe these are "ïssues" with the car, but consequences of using a car in an environment it was not designed for with no resources to properly take care of them (both from the owners side and from garages/service centers). Note that these cars have no issues in Japan. Finally, what should you buy ? Well...for starters...if you come across a really good, honest and loved Aqua do not turn away from it in fear of "what-if" issues and then opt for a Axela or a Fit Shuttle or something that is just average. The same applies other way around too....first and foremost go for the most honest and well taken care of car. The Aqua is a good choice....so is the fit shuttle....they are both different categories of cars. The Aqua feels lively although the steering is dead and light. The Shuttle has a better driving feel but the body dynamics suck....The FIt, which shares the same Hybrid system and platform as the Shuttle series, does have the DCT issue. But can you find a gasoline variant of it ? Also..there are a few 1300cc Vitz and the 1300cc Vitz a completely different feeling car than the 1L variant (added benefit is that it seems like the 1300cc variants were typically purchased by people who actually wanted a decent car and not a cheap set of wheels with a Toyota badge on it). There are a few 1500cc RSs as well.

"Fuel efficiency is not a big concern, but a good efficiency is most welcome." why a hybrid then? With so many hybrid issues and battery issues there are ways to fake the battery health so beware they way aquas are depreciating due to battery concern u may have issues getting rid of it.

Drove a Mahindra Truck yesterday - absolute automotive minimalism. Zero sound insulation + an absolute racket but that engine packs a punch.

But its blue ne (picture courtesy: @Sampath Gunasekera)

Yeah. De-ionized water would be much better. When de-ionized water is made, all salt ions dissolved in water are removed through an ion exchanger. Thus, free of some dissolved salt ions. But, distilled water retains some salt ions after the distillation process. The use of RO water could also be an option, but keeping in mind that drinking RO water plants add some essential minerals after the RO process. If you could find laboratory RO water, a good replacement for de-ionized water. The problem is unless someone has contacts with a lab (I am privileged :)) it would be difficult to find out de-ionized water.

Some very good points above. I know of such a part time buying selling guy ...what he does is source cars in colombo and buy them for a rather competitive price. Then he takes them outstation where the prices are not that competitive and sells for a margin. He also has contacts in Leasing companies and insurance so he arranges those for the buyer too. It's all about networks. This is a good point BUT bikes are currently very difficult to sell. Due to the small price margin people always opt for a new bike and old bikes are tough to sell. Classic cars are also usually money pits ( from experience) BUT I know an old gentlemen who specializes in buying and selling older cars ( Beetles, KE30s, AE80s etc) the fact that his son runs a garage kind of helps. The point is you need some other contacts/ a network like a mechanic for instance who will give you leads on a potential buy etc. The 3Million range is tough.. this is the First owner hybrid vs unregistered Kei zone : grey area between used vs unregistered. Rather you can focus on the lower end : 1.5-1.8 range be alert for a good deal on an old corolla or a carina, FB14 etc.and then try to resell. People still tend to buy these cars and folks who cant afford a wagonR will still go for these. Be prepared to travel and act swiftly.