Need help buying a lancer lx

ijeff · 24th April 2010, 02:14

Hi Guys, am new to Team-BHP.

Coincidently am looking out to buy a good condition used lancer, so thought let me seek your help / advice. In Mumbai, one of the used car dealers has 2 brand new Y2005 petrol lancers LX (driven under 100 kms) the dealer said that he had a showroom which closed down a few years back in Vashi, and he had an inventory of about 10 lancer LX, and now only 2 are remaining. I visually inspected the cars, looked pretty neat (didn't drive it though), dealer mentioned about 4.5 L for a car, said he would have to freshly register the car in buyer's name, since the car is part of his unsold inventory with temporary registration.

My concerns:

1) A car lying unsold / unused for almost 4 plus years - is there possibility of wires being chewed by rodents? certain rubber components getting hard and cracking? tires would need replacement ?

2) Since cars are meant to be driven, I didnt feel quite upbeat about buying an long unused car.

3) 4.5 L seems pretty high, I hinted to the dealer 2.5L max should be it for a 2005 LX model. Due to low resale for lancer.

Am clear I want a lancer though. The cars are pretty neat, clean and inside of the car looks as good as new. The car I liked has a black color.

Any suggestions , can you please help me with the buying decision, pros and cons. Thanks in advance.

ajmat · 24th April 2010, 05:59

Carefull, you many not be able to register car in metro due to new pollution norms

Ripper · 24th April 2010, 11:34

Its a Lancer LX your getting, and if im not mistaken its the base variant HM-mitsu had launched to be in the competition. You'll be missing a lot of features the earler lancers had such as power windows, power mirrors, cig lighter, clock, rear demister(not sure), Cabin lights etc etc. And paying such a high price if you ask me it really makes no sense. Even if its a new vehicle standing for a period of 5 yrs, will have a lot of areas to look into so have the car thoroughly checked before taking the plunge and ya 4.5L is a lot of money, haggle a bit if your keen on picking it. Just for your info during my hunt for a first gen lancer i had come across some 2004 model examples at a dealer in Andheri, dont remember his name thought, He had a white 2004 Lancer (top variant) with decent aftermarket alloy, leather interiors etc etc for 2.4L nego. I wasnt interested in the type 2 so let it pass.

ijeff · 24th April 2010, 17:49

thanks ajmat and ripper. In my mind I was thinking even after getting the car thoroughly checked etc. I don't think paying more than 2.5L makes sense . I think thats the maximum its worth.

Thanks for the advice though esp. ajmat's point on registration and ripper - the features part . Thanks guys ! will keep you posted..

one quick question - would the tires need replacement ? One expert guide mentioned tires shelf life is typically 5 years max from mfg. date.

procircuit_234 · 24th April 2010, 22:18

post 2003 lancers are really bad.just check it out yourself.you can easily feel the differance.if you are willing to spend 5 lacs,you can get good cedia.

ijeff · 25th April 2010, 03:15

thanx procircuit 234,

oh i would never pay 5L for it...as I said, 2.5 L would be max or I will opt out.

one quick question - would the tires need replacement ? One expert guide mentioned tires shelf life is typically 5 years max from mfg. date.

lifeonwheels · 27th April 2010, 17:40

Ijeff - My personal advice would be to stay away from a car parked for about 4 years. It could have a lot of problems with plastics, rubber and electrical parts. Tires would certainly ask for replacement since they moght have developed flat spots and the rubber would have beocme harder thereby rendering them unsafe for usage.

Also it makes very little or no sense to me to go for a Lancer EX even for 2.5 lakhs and miss out on features which are standard on most hatcbacks today. Maybe stretch your budget and try getting a Cedia.

lamborghini · 4th May 2010, 05:52

DO NOT GET THIS CAR!
We got a Lancer LX in 2005, that had been lying around for 6 months and we were very disappointed. The rubber quality, and suspension was extremely poor when we had got the car, as was the paint.
What resulted was that the car was sent off to be used in the office within a year and replaced with the Fiesta.
Instead, do look around for a pre-2002 Lancer, with low miles. Trust me, you would be much more happier and the car would be much more reliable.

I recently drove the lancer around when I was in Mumbai, and we had to fix most of the parts to get it into the shape it was in right now.

Here are a few threads dating back to the time we had gotten our Lancer:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...cer-query.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...er-review.html

GTOs review of the lancer:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/37363-post2.html

P.S.: one of the other problems that was not mentioned in my thread was that the trunk wasn't fully colored in the inside.

ijeff · 5th May 2010, 00:54

Thanks for your advice and esp. for sharing those links Lamborghini ! Indeed very helpful. Now that you brought the topic up for pre-2002 lancers, let me share.

I recently saw 2001 Limited Edition (LE) Lancer, it was single owner mostly used by a firms' MD and since last 4 months it was lying unused. I used to pass that car almost everyday and happened to ask the security person who said that the firm is interested in disposing of this car. Spoke to the admin guy , he showed me the car papers, insurance etc. Everything looked ok. Then I took it for a drive (note the car is not driven for 4 months, lot of dust, was exposed to open sun, saw some rats jump out from the bonnet when I wanted to inspect the hood). The car AC was not working (probably some electrical snag) and even the power windows had the same issue. I drove the car for a few kms and its alternator belt snapped. Luckily i was close to a mitsubishi service center but I got the car back to its original place somehow with a spare battery, told the owner the alternator belt mess. He said probably the rats chewed it off.

I didn't care to go back to that car again. The owner had earlier quoted me 1.15 L for the car (that was a month back), even now I see the car in the same spot (for lack of the alt. belt) My feeling is the owner will let go the car for maybe 80 K or 85 K.

Some more details about the car : it is metallic beige color, Limited Edition 2001 model, electric side mirrors (functional), original alloys similar SFXi, leather seats (does it have adjustable steering, I didn't check that)
The onwer was forthcoming he said I will have to spend on the car, get the AC repaired, give it a fresh coat of paint, new tyres, new battery, get the electricals fixed and it should be ready to go. The car odo reads 92000 kms. It was serviced at 91,000 kms.

Whats say ? what do you recommend I should do ? is it worth buying at 85k?

Note that I would keep this as my second car. My primary car is an Esteem for daily office commute. Have always been a lancer fan and probably this car is the closest I get to buying one..intend to use it for a few years and sell off. I don't like the way LE looks esp. its front bumper. Can I fit something decent (regular lancer bumper?)

Looking forward to your suggestions.

ijeff · 6th May 2010, 01:38

See attached pics of the car for your reference

lamborghini · 7th May 2010, 22:00

Avoid that Lancer. Looks like it was not maintained well.
When looking around for used cars, do check out the previous insurance statements for any accident information and call up the service center for information about service history.
Go to sites like New Cars, Used Cars, Buy Cars, Sell Cars, New Car Prices, Used Car Prices - CarWale.com for used lancers.

Ripper · 7th May 2010, 23:41

@ijeff: Are you 100% sure its a 2001 model car? coz it seems to be a later model, do correct me if im wrong. The car looks good in the pics cosmetically, bringing it back to its original pristine condition would set you back by another 50K max which would include tyres, battery, an overcoat and some misc. expenses. Id recommend you have the car checked thoroughly by a competent mech, get an estimate from him and decide. If you are getting it for 85k just grab it.

khoj · 8th May 2010, 01:32

Go to the classifieds in the forum and hunt for a red Lancer put up for sale some time back if it is still around you need to look no further.

devarshi84 · 29th May 2010, 07:20

wasnt the LE model brought out later in life? 2002-2003?

24th April 2010, 02:14	#1
ijeff BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 27 Thanked: 22 Times	Need help buying a lancer lx Hi Guys, am new to Team-BHP. Coincidently am looking out to buy a good condition used lancer, so thought let me seek your help / advice. In Mumbai, one of the used car dealers has 2 brand new Y2005 petrol lancers LX (driven under 100 kms) the dealer said that he had a showroom which closed down a few years back in Vashi, and he had an inventory of about 10 lancer LX, and now only 2 are remaining. I visually inspected the cars, looked pretty neat (didn't drive it though), dealer mentioned about 4.5 L for a car, said he would have to freshly register the car in buyer's name, since the car is part of his unsold inventory with temporary registration. My concerns: 1) A car lying unsold / unused for almost 4 plus years - is there possibility of wires being chewed by rodents? certain rubber components getting hard and cracking? tires would need replacement ? 2) Since cars are meant to be driven, I didnt feel quite upbeat about buying an long unused car. 3) 4.5 L seems pretty high, I hinted to the dealer 2.5L max should be it for a 2005 LX model. Due to low resale for lancer. Am clear I want a lancer though. The cars are pretty neat, clean and inside of the car looks as good as new. The car I liked has a black color. Any suggestions , can you please help me with the buying decision, pros and cons. Thanks in advance.
	() Thanks

24th April 2010, 05:59	#2
ajmat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14,866 Thanked: 27,981 Times View My Garage	Carefull, you many not be able to register car in metro due to new pollution norms
	() Thanks

24th April 2010, 11:34	#3
Ripper BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 260 Thanked: 35 Times View My Garage	Its a Lancer LX your getting, and if im not mistaken its the base variant HM-mitsu had launched to be in the competition. You'll be missing a lot of features the earler lancers had such as power windows, power mirrors, cig lighter, clock, rear demister(not sure), Cabin lights etc etc. And paying such a high price if you ask me it really makes no sense. Even if its a new vehicle standing for a period of 5 yrs, will have a lot of areas to look into so have the car thoroughly checked before taking the plunge and ya 4.5L is a lot of money, haggle a bit if your keen on picking it. Just for your info during my hunt for a first gen lancer i had come across some 2004 model examples at a dealer in Andheri, dont remember his name thought, He had a white 2004 Lancer (top variant) with decent aftermarket alloy, leather interiors etc etc for 2.4L nego. I wasnt interested in the type 2 so let it pass.
	() Thanks

24th April 2010, 17:49	#4
ijeff BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 27 Thanked: 22 Times	thanks ajmat and ripper. In my mind I was thinking even after getting the car thoroughly checked etc. I don't think paying more than 2.5L makes sense . I think thats the maximum its worth. Thanks for the advice though esp. ajmat's point on registration and ripper - the features part . Thanks guys ! will keep you posted.. one quick question - would the tires need replacement ? One expert guide mentioned tires shelf life is typically 5 years max from mfg. date.
	() Thanks

24th April 2010, 22:18	#5
procircuit_234 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: mumbai Posts: 223 Thanked: 16 Times	post 2003 lancers are really bad.just check it out yourself.you can easily feel the differance.if you are willing to spend 5 lacs,you can get good cedia.
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 03:15	#6
ijeff BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 27 Thanked: 22 Times	thanx procircuit 234, oh i would never pay 5L for it...as I said, 2.5 L would be max or I will opt out. one quick question - would the tires need replacement ? One expert guide mentioned tires shelf life is typically 5 years max from mfg. date.
	() Thanks

27th April 2010, 17:40	#7
lifeonwheels BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 90 Thanked: 2 Times	Ijeff - My personal advice would be to stay away from a car parked for about 4 years. It could have a lot of problems with plastics, rubber and electrical parts. Tires would certainly ask for replacement since they moght have developed flat spots and the rubber would have beocme harder thereby rendering them unsafe for usage. Also it makes very little or no sense to me to go for a Lancer EX even for 2.5 lakhs and miss out on features which are standard on most hatcbacks today. Maybe stretch your budget and try getting a Cedia.
	() Thanks

4th May 2010, 05:52	#8
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,114 Thanked: 5,763 Times View My Garage	DO NOT GET THIS CAR! We got a Lancer LX in 2005, that had been lying around for 6 months and we were very disappointed. The rubber quality, and suspension was extremely poor when we had got the car, as was the paint. What resulted was that the car was sent off to be used in the office within a year and replaced with the Fiesta. Instead, do look around for a pre-2002 Lancer, with low miles. Trust me, you would be much more happier and the car would be much more reliable. I recently drove the lancer around when I was in Mumbai, and we had to fix most of the parts to get it into the shape it was in right now. Here are a few threads dating back to the time we had gotten our Lancer: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...cer-query.html http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...er-review.html GTOs review of the lancer: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/37363-post2.html P.S.: one of the other problems that was not mentioned in my thread was that the trunk wasn't fully colored in the inside. Last edited by lamborghini : 4th May 2010 at 05:56.
	() Thanks

5th May 2010, 00:54	#9
ijeff BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 27 Thanked: 22 Times	LE Lancer 2001 Thanks for your advice and esp. for sharing those links Lamborghini ! Indeed very helpful. Now that you brought the topic up for pre-2002 lancers, let me share. I recently saw 2001 Limited Edition (LE) Lancer, it was single owner mostly used by a firms' MD and since last 4 months it was lying unused. I used to pass that car almost everyday and happened to ask the security person who said that the firm is interested in disposing of this car. Spoke to the admin guy , he showed me the car papers, insurance etc. Everything looked ok. Then I took it for a drive (note the car is not driven for 4 months, lot of dust, was exposed to open sun, saw some rats jump out from the bonnet when I wanted to inspect the hood). The car AC was not working (probably some electrical snag) and even the power windows had the same issue. I drove the car for a few kms and its alternator belt snapped. Luckily i was close to a mitsubishi service center but I got the car back to its original place somehow with a spare battery, told the owner the alternator belt mess. He said probably the rats chewed it off. I didn't care to go back to that car again. The owner had earlier quoted me 1.15 L for the car (that was a month back), even now I see the car in the same spot (for lack of the alt. belt) My feeling is the owner will let go the car for maybe 80 K or 85 K. Some more details about the car : it is metallic beige color, Limited Edition 2001 model, electric side mirrors (functional), original alloys similar SFXi, leather seats (does it have adjustable steering, I didn't check that) The onwer was forthcoming he said I will have to spend on the car, get the AC repaired, give it a fresh coat of paint, new tyres, new battery, get the electricals fixed and it should be ready to go. The car odo reads 92000 kms. It was serviced at 91,000 kms. Whats say ? what do you recommend I should do ? is it worth buying at 85k? Note that I would keep this as my second car. My primary car is an Esteem for daily office commute. Have always been a lancer fan and probably this car is the closest I get to buying one..intend to use it for a few years and sell off. I don't like the way LE looks esp. its front bumper. Can I fit something decent (regular lancer bumper?) Looking forward to your suggestions.
	() Thanks

6th May 2010, 01:38	#10
ijeff BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 27 Thanked: 22 Times	Lancer LE car pics See attached pics of the car for your reference Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

7th May 2010, 22:00	#11
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,114 Thanked: 5,763 Times View My Garage	Avoid that Lancer. Looks like it was not maintained well. When looking around for used cars, do check out the previous insurance statements for any accident information and call up the service center for information about service history. Go to sites like New Cars, Used Cars, Buy Cars, Sell Cars, New Car Prices, Used Car Prices - CarWale.com for used lancers.
	() Thanks

7th May 2010, 23:41	#12
Ripper BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 260 Thanked: 35 Times View My Garage	@ijeff: Are you 100% sure its a 2001 model car? coz it seems to be a later model, do correct me if im wrong. The car looks good in the pics cosmetically, bringing it back to its original pristine condition would set you back by another 50K max which would include tyres, battery, an overcoat and some misc. expenses. Id recommend you have the car checked thoroughly by a competent mech, get an estimate from him and decide. If you are getting it for 85k just grab it.
	() Thanks

8th May 2010, 01:32	#13
khoj Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Dilli Posts: 2,718 Thanked: 1,287 Times View My Garage	Go to the classifieds in the forum and hunt for a red Lancer put up for sale some time back if it is still around you need to look no further.
	() Thanks

29th May 2010, 07:20	#14
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	wasnt the LE model brought out later in life? 2002-2003?
	() Thanks