[thewhiteknight]

hey aalaap, any updates on this. I am looking at getting a lancer too but wondering if it's going to cause me too much heartburn in the maintenence dept. let me know how this pans out.

[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by thewhiteknight

hey aalaap, any updates on this. I am looking at getting a lancer too but wondering if it's going to cause me too much heartburn in the maintenence dept. let me know how this pans out.

Lancer spares and maintenance bills are expensive. IFF done at a Mitsu service station w/ OEM parts. If you can cope with it then go for it. Its a swell car to own. Check for Viduts threads on his SFXi. Will clear many of your doubts.

[somubj]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Lancer spares and maintenance bills are expensive. IFF done at a Mitsu service station w/ OEM parts. If you can cope with it then go for it. Its a swell car to own. Check for Viduts threads on his SFXi. Will clear many of your doubts.

This is a misconception, Lancer is not at-all expensive to maintain compared to other cars in its segment. i own one for 5 years now and i never paid any hefty bills. Moreover, the engine is super reliable, my car has touched 97k and still no problem with that. All that i have done recently after these many miles on the odo is a change of suspensions and clutch plate, rest all is still in good shape. Following is what a regular service costs: 1. Air filter change: 200-300rs 2. Oil filter change: 150-200rs 3. Engine oil change: depends on what oil you want 4. Top-ups for others which if required: 100-200rs That's it. All parts are not expensive as well. Check the new rate list that is posted on some other thread here. It's just the age old reputation that is killing the image of lancer and it is called "a high maintenance car". It was a high maintenance car when it was launched but now it is manufactured and assembled in India. Also, parts are readily available at any HM service station, availability is no concern since the car is still in production. (if you are comparing the prices to non-oem parts, then barring some exceptions, we all know how reliable can they be) Also, Vidut's thread that you are referring to can be an exception, we have similar threads for most of the cars on tbhp. That thread is not a benchmark of it at all. Also, you can't compare the build quality of lancer to any maruti, it doesn't have cheap plastics anywhere. Cheaply manufactured parts are cheap to buy (no offenses here, i own a swift as well and this is my personal observation.) Lancer is slightly outdated car now, but still looks good in design and has features like electrically adjustable mirrors, seat adjustments, tilt steering. Not to mention the unlimited possibilities of exterior modifications - no esteem can compare to a lancer, not even in dreams. Cheers! (Just realized that the last post was long time back, but felt like putting my thoughts here.)

[pgsagar]

Somubj, very well said. I can vouch for super-reliability of Lancer. I have a 2000 model diesel Lancer which has made hundreds, yes repeat hundreds of out of town runs. the odod stands at 1.6 lakh KMs and it still runs like new. absolutely no issues. Only, windshield got some scratches and shockabsorber seem to have hardened up a bit. still no suspension rattles.

Ok, I am thinking of changing my car but only because i am bored with it. after all you need a change in life, don't you? how long can you keep using the same car over and over and over again, no matter how good it is?

[somubj]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Somubj, very well said. I can vouch for super-reliability of Lancer. I have a 2000 model diesel Lancer which has made hundreds, yes repeat hundreds of out of town runs. the odod stands at 1.6 lakh KMs and it still runs like new. absolutely no issues. Only, windshield got some scratches and shockabsorber seem to have hardened up a bit. still no suspension rattles.

Ok, I am thinking of changing my car but only because i am bored with it. after all you need a change in life, don't you? how long can you keep using the same car over and over and over again, no matter how good it is?

Same here, planning to buy a jeep and head for some adventure. wish lancer had a 4x4, short chasis and better ground clearance :-).

[DudeWithaFiat]

Hey, bumping up an old thread guys.

I am looking at buying a used Lancer (diesel, ofcourse ) myself. I have seen Lancers with over 1.5L km on the odo running pretty good. What are the major expenses I am looking at if I am able to pick a neat Lancer from the market in Bangalore now?

[pras92]

Hi BHPians,

About me:

After enjoying reading countless threads here for about a decade, finally joined here to get your valuable advise.

I'm looking to purchase my first car and I've always wanted it to be a Lancer.

Intention is to practise my driving through daily use, as I've driven cars only occasionally. Keep this for 2 years before moving to a new vehicle.

About the car:
1. Lancer SLXi 1.8 Automatic - 2008
(While most would despise an Automatic, especially for a Lancer, I've never driven an automatic and see this as an opportunity. In-fact, didn't realize Lancer came in automatic, until seeing this one).

2. Odo: 50k KM. Seller is 3rd owner (2nd owner in paper) - Seller was honest about it being a demo car. i.e., 1st owner is showroom, so I do understand odo clocking & possibly rough use by them.

3. Per seller, it needs only tyre replacement, in the short to mid term. (I presume it'll cost 4k to 8k per tyre, for a tubeless radial)

4.From the photos, looks decent, with minor scratches that requires paint touch at worst, ignorable at best (no dents). I'll likely chose to ignore.

5. After 2 weeks of in touch, seller sounds genuine. Claims that it's a low maintenance model and he hasn't done anything other than general service + oil + filter, in his 1 year of ownership. To his knowledge, no mods were done. As I was hesitant on spare availability, he also suggested some shops in another town, which looks to be good based on reviews by other Lancer owner in GMaps.

5. Negotiating between 1.5L and 2.15 L, the best offer I get seems to be 1.65L. I'm wondering, does this seem overpriced in your opinion?

Oh, and this has a rear cam too. Did HM provide those back in 2008 itself?

Note: Tried getting opinion from 2 professional evaluators but, car being in a different/remote town makes it impossible, since seller wouldn't come to my town.

I'll of-course take friends that are experienced drivers for checking the car before buying.

Thank you.

[boniver]

Originally Posted by pras92

1. Lancer SLXi 1.8 Automatic - 2008 Odo: 50k KM. Seller is 3rd owner (2nd owner in paper) - Seller was honest about it being a demo car. i.e., 1st owner is showroom, so I do understand odo clocking & possibly rough use by them.

I find it quite hard to believe that a 16 year old car has run just 50k. It would ideally be double that for a petrol car.

Negotiating between 1.5L and 2.15 L, the best offer I get seems to be 1.65L. I'm wondering, does this seem overpriced in your opinion?

In other cities (not down South), someone would find it tough to sell a Lancer for even 30k. I'd suggest you search for something better for 1.6L, that is a healthy budget for a decent 10 year old car. Lancer would be tough to service, and you will most likely be the last owner of this car so keep in mind that you will barely get any money back if you were to sell it.

Despite all this, if you do end up going ahead with this particular car, please please do not pay so much for it, and ensure that the fitness and taxes are in order because they would've had to be renewed when the car turned 15 years old. Oh also, while it is difficult to source parts for Lancers in general, it would be more so for this specific variant (Invex AT).

[DicKy]

Not sure about the pricing, but for a first timer, the 1.8 Invex would be a risky buy. The normal 1.5 petrol may not need much maintenance, while the 2.0l diesel would be easier to maitain as it was quite popular (atleast in Kerala)

But the 1.8 invex? It had a gearbox that was way ahead for the time, based on Porsche tech n all, but it was early days of software based automatic transmissions. Not sure how it will hold up today, how it was maintained or who will repair the transmission if something goes wrong.