Toyota Corolla 1.3XL

[Stevegring]

U meant u bought Delo in Malaysia? And can you elaborate more on badge engineering? Thanks!

[Jusnel]

How do i check if the dealer really did his job coz i wun be arnd to see them do the overhaul? they may simpy

 

call me 3 days later and say the overhaul is done but in actual fact they did nothing. Any tell-tale signs?

 

timing belt i know.. coz my friend kanna before on xpressway, his timing belt snapped.

 

 

well, 2 choice you have:

 

1. ask to see and keep the workshop receipt or invoice for the work done. anything happen to the engine in the near future. go back to that workshop and bang table.....

 

2. be present at the workshop when they are doing the work. see it with yr own eyes. this one, you need to make time to be there in workshop. Also, if you insist the dealer sent to AA or STAR for car inspection, be there also. make sure they do a proper check up and try to make friend with that mechanic who is doing the check up. he may kindly tell you honestly about the car.

[Octopus]

Other than the price difference, is there any other considerations? I understand from the Bobistheoilguy forum that Delo 400 has a better base oil while Delvac has better additive.....so if we leave out the costs factor, which one would be a better choice?

[Genie47]

Both are just as good.

Edited February 6, 2005 by Genie47

[Genie47]

GM has so many brand names, most cars are the same except for their badges.

[Gantan88]

thanks man for the advice

 

i guess option 2 will be a better choice because scali the dealer and the mechanic in cahoot and ask

 

him to print out a receipt for show, i also LL but option 2 is siong man got to stay there and watch him

 

do it... several hours isnt it

[Jusnel]

it doesn't take so long for the car to be inspected lah. maybe sacrifice half a day will do lah. 2-3 hours........

 

most impt thing is that you need to be present.

 

buying a car is serious decision. so better to be 'on' when doing the final decision on that car that you like.

[Gantan88]

u driving the esi right? can i know how much yr insurance a year? and how much is the road tax? I am going for G7 corolla.. insurance shld be cheaper than honda ride right?

 

gottaa do serious calculation... if too straining financially i may have to reduce to starlet...

[Jusnel]

my insurance is NTUC $500 for 3rd party with F/T. i got 30% NCD to offset. road tax is about $1200.

 

if you got family and all, starlet is too small lah...... no power steering, no power windows (unless changed by previous owner already).

 

IMHO, G7 will be just nice for you lah........ i'm sure insurance should be cheaper than ESI. Road tax should be the same, coz it's based on engine capacity.

[Gantan88]

If i use my mum's name would it be cheaper? but she hasnt been driving for donkey years......

 

also, wat do u think is reasonable depreciation for the g7 corolla?

[Pisces69]

no lah bro. i'm talking abt Corolla 1.3XL! it's a good car, coz it's a Toyota.

 

starlets are too small for you lah, since you got family and all.

 

the G7 is a good choice, and cheaper than ESI also!! you save more money! big cabin, big bootspace, power windows, auto or manual, reliable toyota engine.

 

just do some engine overhaul (or insist dealer do for you), add abit of soundproofing and viola! you got a good ride to last at least 4 years!!

========================

 

Why not consider the corona cd. Balance 4 years sud b about $16K only. Very spacious with super big boot. Smooth & quiet engine with enough power to reach top of Benjamin Shears bridge in OD for the auto.

 

Not much maintenance costs (Toyota reliability) and gets about 12 to 13km per liter.

 

I know bcos i'm driving one. Really don't want to part with it.

[Gantan88]

16k balance 4 years? how much is the coe and yr depreciation a year?

 

wat i heard from my colleague is corona cd is a bit of problematic compared to corolla..... wat parts have u changed thus far and how much have u spend? been driving for how long already?

[Pisces69]

Bought in 4/99 as a coe car for $49K. Depreciation supposed to be abt $5K/year but due to drop in car prices, it dropped a little more.

 

I did the normal stuff like new battery, tires & shocks which is normal wear & tear.

 

The only major repair was I re-built my auto box last year for about $2K which was a mistake.

 

I sud have just got a 2nd hand replacement from the scrap yard for about $400 incl labour to change.

 

Other than that the car has served me well. But i'm quite particular on regular servicing with good quality oil & parts.

 

I bought it with just under 200,000km milage & now have slightly more than 350,000km on the clock.

 

I'm very happy with it & will be quite sad when I have to scrap it in 4 years time.

 

When I bought it in 99, the corollas & honda civics,concertos & accords were all going for about the same price but I decided on the CD bcos of the comfort & spaciousness of the car & Toyota reliability & easy avaliability of cheap spare parts on the market.

 

If u decide to get an older coe car, always check it carefully as you don't know how the previous owners treated it. If u suspect it's got problems, better to look for another one.

[Gantan88]

The depreciation for coe car at that time is quite high... I had my eyes on corolla

 

personally because i like car with a boot and will be frequently fetching my parents and

 

probably nephews and nieces occasionally (not because i have a family.. i am not married

 

yet) And this car although old model, has power window... collapsible mirror...

 

 

I guess u have picked up a good deal back in year 99 as in the car is relatively ok. i am

 

discourgaed by many to get a coe car... they say the monthly instalment come out to be

 

abt the same as a first coe car... so y not get a first coe car... and lower maintainence

 

also....

 

 

What do u think is a reasonable depreciation for the g7 corolla now? The coe when renew

 

is only 18444...

[Pisces69]

Hi Gantan88,

 

The coe car market has changed alot since 99.

 

The ads nowadays are very tricky, if u know what i mean.

 

They actually seem to be selling for about $22-24K, but advertise prices of only $18K sometimes.

 

U have to b careful. It cud b a ploy by the 2nd hand car dealers to bang down the price when u want to sell to them (by quoting this fictious low selling price), but sell back to buyers at a much higher profit margin.

 

Take your time to look around for a good deal & walk away from anything suspcious.

 

Do not be "kan chiong" when buying such an expensive item.

 

Be very careful of the interest rate charged as there are several ways of calculating this, & what seems like a low interest rate might turn out to b quite high instead.

 

Always try to get a quote of the "effective" interest rate as this is actually what u r paying. Most dealers don't want to quote this & some will act "blur" when u mention this.

 

Remember, 2nd hand dealers are pretty desprate & bleeding alot now & they r looking for a newbie to make a killing.

 

Try to go with someone who has alot of experience in the 2nd hand market if u can.

 

Otherwise U become a guppy in a sea of sharks.

[Stevegring]

It's true that car dealers have become very cunning. One classic example was the dealer in Jalan Sultan Textile Centre. In the ad, he put $12.8K, but he quoted me $24.8K when I came to their place. I was turned off by his trick and did not come back after. As old car is no longer in demand, the price has dropped tremendously. So, take your time to negotiate with him.

Edited February 8, 2005 by Stevegring

[Stevegring]

Believe it or not, my present car's depreciation is $2.8k per year. I bought $18.5K this Jan and ends at 2011. Anyone bought 1.3XL lesser than $18.5K?

[Gantan88]

Eh bro.. the way u put it is so scary when u say i become a guppy in a sea of sharks...

 

everytime i walk in Ubi carmart, I got a feeling those dealers is ready to made a killing out of me... especially

 

when the carmart is already so few people and i jus walk in like that ... the feeling no good man....

 

 

1. But wat is a reasonable depreciation for G7? i need to have a gauge when bargaining isnt it? dun wanna let the dealer laugh at me when i ask for a ridiculous low price... 4k or 5k above the scrap value is reasonable?

 

2. Also u mention abt the 'effective' interest rate that i am truely paying... wat are other ways of calculating? Tot when they say 4.25% it means 4.25%? In wat way can they cheat me on interest rate?

Edited February 8, 2005 by Gantan88