matroska

Welcome to the forum and I must say it's a pleasure to see that you have already started on the right path. You will get a newer car if you go for a Mazda 3 - so If i were you i'd look for the Mazda and at the same time keep my eye open for a FD4. If you do by any chance stumble upon an absolute peach of an FD4 then go for it or else look for a Mazda 3. Both are nice cars.

Ok let me be a bit brief (and not type what I intend to type in the next blog post ) and i think we are going OT - simply put it handles well. The car is very well 'planted' especially at high speeds and taking corners the low seating position gives you good feel of the road . Steering is a bit on the lighter side more in the premio/axio league (which is a big downer). And it's actually quite spacious and allows the driver to stretch out nicely. Less toll on the body compared to my previous car (a fit)

see this is why some factors vary depending on the user - some folk acquire certain automotive tastes. Some like cars that are like libraries others like me find it dead boring. The most enjoyable ride i had ever was in an ancient VW doing 80-90 KMH rattling like hell and screaming like a banshee. It's good to have guys like you on the forum to get unbiased opinions on cars with mass-appeal.

1. Lancer 2. Fit 3. Demio 4. Wagon R 5. Every

I have not driven the A1 but when i closely inspect one I feel kind of let down - it's not in the same league as your average Audi ..true even though the A1 is a poor example for a euro.

100,000 + for the prius is a bit risky imho (same goes for the other hybrids) however if you compare the prius with the vitz it's like chalk and cheese - the ride quality comfort etc of the vitz are well below what you would get in the prius (or the aqua for that matter) if you really want to go for an unregistered car you can try a swift RS it has a lot more in it than the vitz. Personally I wouldn't spend 4.5 M on a very very basic car like the vitz. If you're a little open to other models you have lots of options for that price range. for example - Lancer Ex 2013 + , Mazda 3/Axela 2013 + , and a load of korean suv's ~2012 yom.

When I read about the car last year I expected this to be the next vezel of sorts since it really does look like a very good brand new option for the price you pay. However the car has been met with very lukewarm response in the country surprisingly. I have nothing against the looks and it does seem to be a very well put together car. The engine is of course the 1L boosterjet shared with the Baleno, Swift as well as the new 1L Vitara. However for some reason even the baleno has not quite caught on yet - A*W are too happy with their Maruti's and wagon R's i guess to care about these and the fear of spares might be the reason holding people back (contrast this with the new civic since the honda agents are also bringing down the same model parts will probably be not an issue) You have to get the car weighed and some measurements done to be stated as 'New' in the CR - plus clearing charges from port (for an import) is a bit higher.

Let's first address this - I'm personally against throwing in everything into a car - if 3.5 is your max you might target for around 3.2 keep a small buffer just in case. You're looking at rather old suv's at this price range - Koreans from the early-mid 2000's not much newer than your 2001 Honda. If you want to tick both Honda and SUV boxes then a 2000ish CRV might be eligible.A 2006 FD1 will cost you about 3.4 - really decent car and also fulfills your Honda requirement. Both these Honda's are a bit thirsty. Yes - there's a bunch of importable Unregistered and maybe new cars for this budget. The Kei's are readily available at this range starting from the Mira's, Suzuki Altos, Hustlers, upto (god i dread to say this) Wagon R's, The mira's and altos are well in your budget (2.5 mil + range - sometimes even lesser if you directly import and manage to get a good specimen for a decent price) but of course they're not in the same league as a Sedan/SUV. Same goes for the new Axias and Picantos. You can't get an unregistered vitz unfortunately for below 3.5 the newest you can import is 2016 and a decent vitz will cost you 3.6 + a sale uncle might be able to find you a really basic 2015 Vitz that has been rotting away in their sale (he might show you a 4.5 auction sheet from an axio - yeah that happened to someone I know) Of the 2 I'd say the Fit Hybrid but 2012 Fit's are now suffering from the infamous oil leak issue (please search the forum) and many aquas have had their batteries flipped out. If you can get a GP1 not in the chassis recall number range (please search the forum this is very very well documented) and get the battery tested for 4500/- you have a decent car. Also suggest the Honda Fit GE6 non hybrid, relatively fuel efficient, spacious and nippy. Good overall car

There's a bunch of cars - Hyanidaes quote of Crosswinds reply covers the usual suspects. Personally early 1990's Familas/Lasers are a good bet - Mazda's are reasonably priced compared to say Honda's For example you can see 1992 Eg8's (even with carb engines go for eye-watering prices due to the ricer mass appeal) if you can fork out a little bit more the lancer CB series (CB1/2/3)(which is what the proton is based on ) can also be gettable (~1.3 Mill) The zen is more or less a typical Maruti. Sonata's are comparatively cheap due to them being rather thirsty (high fuel consumption) other than that they are ok cars but this particular generation of Korean cars do not have the same level of durability and refinement of modern Korean equivalents. Good cars - but Starlets (new and old ) are ridiculously overpriced

It's normal. I guess it's the CVT. Had something similar on my GP1 too but in the civic it's a bit more severe. A friend of mine was so worried about this I took him on a ride in my car and he realised that it was normal.

Personal Preference - I hate these lace-like additional covers on the seats. Thankfullly they're not that popular nowadays -in the early 90' i remember many cars also had this - specially the lancer boxes.

Ok that's weird - can you post a pic of the current setting/s you have might be able to help

@dexter this is probably the best thing you can do. As far as I know buses aren't included but just check. If you really want to get a bus then sell the permit use whatever other funds and import a bus. unlike cars where you can only import a car less than 3 years buses have a longer time period.

well the Charade is a nice car - in it's heyday very popular. Don't base buying decisions purely on fuel economy cos it can change based on the car, the driver and many factors . the 90's Ford lasers shared the same platform as the Mazda BG 's so parts were not a big deal for them - the festiva was also built by mazda but I don't know exactly about parts availability etc. @Crosswind might have an idea about the ford...

Just adding my 2 cents here- 3.8 for the Insight is a Little bit too much IMHO it comes with and old school CVT so you don't have to worry about DCT if you do get it make sure you get the battery tested at agents (applies to all hybrids anyway) The GP5's are pretty cheap nowadays if you can nail a good specimen for a decent price it's a good deal...go for one with proper records so that you know that maintenance has been properly done. Not all Vezels, GP5's develop DCt. as @iRage mentioned its due to driving conditions . I have 2 friends who have been driving a Vezel and GP5 since 2014 without any issues at all. this is not a bad idea either there are properly looked after 141's also consider the Axio 161 (non hybrid that came in 2012-2013 bought by govt servants on permit) generally ok car that you can get for around 4 Mill. During the last permit rush there were many out there and most of them were in really good condition.

Depends on what you want out of your car ? Just to add to what the others have said before - If it were my choice i'd go for the Mazda simply for the following factors. 1. Toyota's are overpriced in SL and the Premio is on the top of the overpriced list - yes they are usually very reliable but paying exorbitant amounts of money for what is a essentially a decade old car is not something I'm happy with. 2. Due to the whole resale mentality Premios and Toyota's are subject to a lot of fakery by Buyyas (Buying and Selling people) including running on open papers, poor maintenance , odo-tampering etc. 70% of the time if you go to buy an Allion/Premio/Corolla you'll find out the seller lives in Kohuwala, but the last entry on the book is a doctor from Badulla and the guy will say ' meka ape aiyage father in law ge car eka' and that he mistakenly threw away all the maintenance records and emission certificates.

Well Price is subjective specially for something 25 years old - BUT generally this is the range these cars go for but a lot depends on the condition of the car. Out of the lot the Familia for that price looks decent value for money. But if the Charade is an absolute minter then yes it's a decent option too. As TT mentioned make sure to get whatever you settle for is really well inspected with the aid of a trusted mechanic. BTW are you sure that Mazda is a BJ? and it was from 1993? As far as I know it's the BG series that came in 1993.

The non hybrid Fit is a very versatile car - doesn't have the greatest ground clearance - my cousin has been using a 2009 one for 8 years now and running smoothly. Spacious car and great head-space specially since you mentioned you're tall. Ideal car for family use, quite nippy as well. OP - please check Hyaenidaes link - there is a series of VIN #'s and manufacture dates - probably 2011-2012 bunch would be affected. look for one outside the range and you're good to go - I think anyway 2008, 2009 ones are unaffected majority of gE6' in sri lanka were 2010 models imported in around 2011-2012.

Now that everybody seems to have ditched the Audi: its down to Swift vs Vitz, a topic that has been discussed numerous times since the November 2017 budget. There are multiple threads around. Since in this topic used Mazdas and Honda's too have come up randomly, Here's what any potential buyer should do 1. Spend a weekend or two and checkout used cars in your budget. 2. If you realize they are not upto your expectations visit a car sale and check out new/unregistered options. And then make a decision. 3. At the end of the day your car should please you - there's no point of the car appealing to the local car market if you simply hate it. Go with what appeals to you.

Amen to that...my father in law has a 2004 cruze the trips we've had on those are countless specially in poor roads. He travels a lot and he travels a lot on horrible outstation roads and I'm stunned how that car keeps going. I'm 5'11 and weigh 85kg didn't find it too difficult in the front. But the car is NOT comfortable. If you think of a Colombo-Trinco trip for example its not very pleasant. Overall a Lancer CS will be a good option. If you can't fit into a swift/cruze these two are big no-nos. If comfort is a concern maybe a Bluebird sylphy circa 2002?

One of my closest friends owned one. I have on numerous occasions dropped him off at garages and as per him it was nothing short of a nightmare. It was an orange 2006 manual one.

The A1 despite being an Audi is not quite in the same class as the other Audis and imo does not justify it's price tag. The Swift is a really nice ride - has some really nice features and has loads of pickup. The Vitz is a very basic simple A-B car. The interior in the Swift and the Vitz are like chalk and cheese and at times you have to really step on the gas to overtake etc in the vitz ( remember unlike the swift it does not have any fancy turbo). What you should buy depends totally on the type of driver you are . If your primary purpose is to get from A-B then by all means the vitz is for you - it'll be relatively cheaper to maintain too in the long run. If you're a little more of a petrol-head and all the bells and whistles excite you then the swift. I strongly recommend you take a test drive in both and decide what really appeals to you. For the majority of Sri LAnkan drivers the vitz would be a simple no frills A-B car that will fulfill most of his motoring needs. A Friend of mine asked the same question from me - after all the initial explanations he wanted to go for a vitz but he eventually checked out both a Vitz and a Swift and immediately fell in love with the swift. Nothing major - cosmetic differences. This is a whole different league of car - look if you're not overly concerned about fuel consumption, and care more about comfort and basically enjoying your drive (you did mention that you mostly drive on weekends) then this is a nice option - the car is a bit thirsty but it will be a really nice experience as long as you properly get the car checked and find a good well maintained specimen (unlike the older civics Eg8/Ek9 the newer ones are not hacked or abused generally so you will stand a chance of finding a good specimen)

? and there's another guy inside the car as well.... ?

looks awesome my friend! As Davy said not too many black cars around and that color brings out the cool 90'sness in the car. as for keeping it for your grand kids....knowing you that's a big IF ? time will tell.