Is it worth considering CL7 2003 as your only family car?

[chordz]

I am currently looking to buy a car within a budget of ~15L, and saw multiple ads on the site for CL7. I want to use it as a family car, daily drive to the office and back, and then on occasions, out of city.
I currently own a beautiful Lancer96 which i bought in 2017, but with the parts for it not being available readily, and mechanics here ruining more than improving/fixing, it has come to stage where the car is no more reliable, specially traveling with family. The fuel consumption is somewhat in the range of 8~10 within city. which mentioned on some CL7 ads, i see is somewhat similar.

As in the title of this topic, Is it worth considering CL7 as your daily car, or am I too stupid to even think about it? Considering the only other options I could possibly go for are,
- Reborn (know a lot of people with very bad experiences)
- City (2009~2011, Manual, slightly above budget)
- Suzuki Swift (2013~2015, Manual) - no safety features
- <1300 - Hard no from my dad
- Don't want to go on bank or installments (personal reasons)

[Xulfiqar]

Its a nicely designed and well riding car but also keep in kind that its a 19 year old car now and it was not a cheap car when brand new.

Meaning the cost of spare parts will be quite high and almost all suspension parts of it would be dead/shot/worn by now. Expect to spend close to Rs 200 to 300k for new genuine Honda suspension parts like all the control arms, joints, bushings, struts, cv axles (dont try installing chinese cv joints in this car as it will make you cry), rear suspension arms, subframe bushings, brake discs and pads, and for sure the rear calipers would be siezed/frozen as no one changes brake fluid in Pakistan.

And then finally, if its automatic transmission, be prepared to face the stupidity of Honda automatics.

[omaruser156370259465]

Frankly speaking, all the accords are badly badly abused so be ready to spend some money on it after buying it and some visits to the workshop to make it come into good running condition where its actually reliable for even long journeys. After doing that, you're absolutely good to go as its a very good car otherwise. If you're not able to find a CL7/9, also look into Mark II from same year models.

[UAHMAD]

Corolla SE Saloon is a better option. All its parts (OEM, Japanese, Thai, Taiwanese, Chinese) are readily available. Can be brought up to spec with lesser effort. Resale is also good.

A good value for money in this budget.

[shayanfeb1]

The list you provided seems you won't mind a car being a hatchback/ABCD sedans or what not. Personally, I like CL7/8/9 the most, as it is still comes close to the brand new cars with all the goodies. However, the parts are way more expensive, and sometimes, availability can be an issue (You know it pretty well what happens when Lancer owners feel left in a lurch due to it.). Ummmm.... 150k may get you a 2003-4 corolla. Now, it is up to you if you want XLI, GLI or SE. I think you should compromise on the looks of the car and think of getting any of these, considering the fuel average, parts availability and soft suspension (though it lacks a better road grip on high speeds). Top of that, no mechanic will turn you down, God-forbid, when it breaks down in the middle of road. City can be a second option, but 2008-10 with your budget. Best of luck!

[chordz]

Thank you for the response,
I do hear on several posts / review videos, that the maintenance cost for it is similar to reborn. (probably similar to lancer96), even the cl9 review on pakwheels youtube. But i do lean more towards your post, since its more elaborate and informative (thank you for that).

I understand that its 19 years old, but even then, the features / comfort it offers, compared to the other options in this range, are quite a lot. Having said that the maintenance cost you mentioned above combined with its depreciating price, its slightly hard to make a case for it

[chordz]

Thank you for the response. This exact point was brought up by a friend of mine as well. But i thought what if, before making any decision, i get the car inspected. and then make a decision on it. But what should be the inspection benchmark for a car which is 19 years old?
Also i did check Mark II but I see very few ads for it in Lahore! and ones i see for model 2003 and +, are way above budget, the rest of ads are a month old!
But thank you for brining that into my attention as well

[chordz]

Thank you for the response. The problem i have with SE saloon is the looks. Its not that i dont like it, but i think traditionally in pakistan, when we buy a family car, its not just our opinion which matters ,
i understand the good value factor for it, since i absolutely want to consider it, but wouldn't it be better if i can find an XLI/GLI from 2009 above (manual, new shape). What do you think?

[chordz]

I dont mind any car as long as its comfortable, and reliable. And you are absolutely right, one thing which i dont want is to go through the same issues i went with lancer, with respect to parts.

I do hear on several posts / review videos, that the maintenance cost for it is similar to reborn. (probably similar to lancer96), even the cl9 review on pakwheels youtube, and parts for it being readily available, but i dont know much about the market, so i cannot make a guess.

I also thought of an XLI / GLI 2009+ or a City from the same time. Both of them manual, How do they compare with lets say a swift from 2014+?

[Xulfiqar]

Whoever told you that a civic and an Accord have same maintenance costs is clueless.

Real genuine Honda parts for that old accord are quite pricey, and Installing afternarket chinese or other far eastern parts on it is a waste of money.

And thats just the tip of the iceberg, e.g. if you get a car that was owned by a youngster who wanted all lights and sound system in it, it will be a massive mess behind the dashboard.

With a cheap corolla, you can piecemeal it together for a reliable car result which is easy to own.

[omaruser156370259465]

Swift has no benefit except a bit of power in Manual version and easy to handle as its a hatchback, otherwise it returns the fuel average of a Civic. Corolla and City are much easier to maintain due to cheap spares and availability as well, plus they don't have any modern features which can go bad like Accord. I've kept a 2013 GLi before and one thing I can vouch for is easy maintenance, good fuel average (12-13) and comfortable ride even in the worst of roads.

[chordz]

@Xulfiqar @omaruser156370259465 As you guys mentioned it seems that realistically there are only 2 options for a middleclass family sedan, A corolla or a city, regardless of your range. I mean its 2022, and we have 2 cars to select from! ,,,, khair thank you for the help, i have currently narrowed it to just one car, and would be searching for it, Corolla xli or gli from 2009 onwards.