So after much hunting by wife and daughter I got a little frustrated and took daughter to look (again) at Mitsubishi Colt and we were offered what I think is a pretty good deal on a 1.1 (3cyl) CZ1 5dr with a/c for £7500. Daughter liked it and wanted to buy it so we went ahead.
Trouble is, turns out my wife had decided (but not told us) that she thought Yaris T3 would be a better bet. The unknown nature of the Colt (there really aren?t many around here) plus the Yaris T3?s nine! airbags were significant factors in her mind. OK, you?re looking at more like 10 grand than seven and a half (which is significant to my daughter but neither here nor there in my wife?s mind) but I?m now having restless (I don?t do sleepless) nights wondering if I?ve let my daughter do the wrong thing?
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No
Both are perfectly fine cars and the new Yaris is just that - new and consequently now a little bigger, heavier and more expensive. The difference might only be £2,500 but that's 25% of the price of the Yaris. That puts them in different markets to my mind.
Of course if money were no object (or being sensible if the difference was de minimis in terms of your bank account), then go for the Yaris, but you will not be making a mistake by buying the Colt.
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In your situation I would have bought the Colt
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I think for a local run-around, the Colt looks amazing value - the model we bought looks almost exactly like a Jazz (staggeringly, the Colt is slightly bigger) and isn't very diferently spec'd but is tons cheaper. We could have had the 3 door model for under £7000. I'm just hoping that there isn't a good reason why it's so cheap!
Wanting a/c (unthinkable not to have these days, in my opinion) makes the choices amongst small cars very awkward - like having to go to T3 for the Yaris (yet it's available on the Aygo) , or 1.4 SE for the Jazz. I thought about the Suziki Swift too, but again only the 1.5GLX had a/c.
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I think the only mistake you've made is to get a car with a/c more trouble than it's worth, complicates and takes space in the engine bay making repair more difficult, puts extra load on the engine, needs to be serviced and switched on regularly year round.
And at the end of the day an open window and air vents is sufficient, I have a/c on my little car but I never use it.
The only problem with modern cars is that the air vents only work with an electric fan, in the old days the air vents worked with a ram-air effect. no need for fans, and the airflow was faster and cooler by modern standards. - IMO
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Cars are often sold with A/c no sunroof, or with sunroof no a/c.
I hate both, I don't want a sunroof, which in later life could become a weak spot for water ingress. Again my little car also has a sunroof, the only time I see it is when I get into the car, inside the car I have the 'carpeted' cover pulled forward all the time. I don't see the point of sun roofs.
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Now on my 5th car with aircon. Never had a problem with it, never had to have it serviced, no problem switching it on regularly as we never switch it off. Wouldn't be without it and a two day test drive in an Aygo without it confirmed my thoughts that it's a must have. Car became very stuffy very quickly.
Too many believe it's just a way of keeping cool - i.e. your comment about opening a window. The other serious safety benefit is it stops the windows steaming up on wet days and for that reason alone it's worth the money.
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The other serious safety benefit is it stops the windows steaming up on wet days and for that reason alone it's worth the money.
I think cars that have a/c do tend to steam up easier (if it's turned off) than those that never had it fitted in the first place.
I wouldn't have a car without it now, and there's quite a lot of glass area in a 5 door Colt.
I have to say that I do miss sunroofs too - our Jazz has one, although it's an option on new ones. My last few company cars have had both sunroof and a/c, but the car I bought when I opted out doesn't have a s/r. I think it's great to open the roof on the last few miles home across country at the end of the working day.
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At the risk of hijacking this thread, I too agree that these days a/c is vital. It is far more humid out there than it used to be and a/c is now a safety feature in my opinion, especially to clear misted up screens.
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You'll find it hard to resell without a/c.
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Horatio is talking absolute rubbish, in my opinion, but of course he is intitled to hold his misguided views if he so wishes.
I would not dream, now, ever driving around in any car unless it had a/c whether that be the simplest system or climate control. To my mind it transform the often irksome and fraught activity that is driving today on our crowded roads, especially and obviously during the hot summer months and damp winter months (hardly ever need to turn on the heated rear window elements).
In th last 9 years all my cars, bought from new, have been specified with both a/c and a sunroof, the latter being used for quite different purpose to that of the a/c - happens to give a nice light and airy feel to the interior, if nothing else.
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I can't be talking rubbish if what I said was true.
I gave myself as an example, I have a/c but never use it except once every 2 weeks for 5 miles or so. Proving that you don't need it. And I had it on an Omega before, I removed the whole system including the compressor from the engine bay - very satisfying work to get rid of a cluttering uneccessary network of pipes and pulleys.
I said it takes up extra space in the engine bay - true
I said this makes access to other part of the engine for repair more awkward - true
I said it needs to be used regularly - true
I said it requires servicing - true if you want it to be kept in tip top condition.
I said it puts extra work onto the engine - true.
Where I suspect you disagree
I said an open window/air-vents achieves the result (of cooling) - true for me and 1000's of other motorists
What I did not say was the winter/wet misting issue which has now been brought up by some people, well for me that is dealt with perfectly well with the blowers on full with some heat thrown in.
So to describe what I said as "absolute rubbish" is absolute rubbish.
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Overall I would say you (or your daughter) made the right choice billpayer.
My sister drives a Colt - she has had it about a year or so and it's been great.
I am not totally convinced by Toyota's build quality and reliability at the moment (from experience) and would say that whilst it's probably a good car - the Yaris is poor value in comparison to the Colt.
Enjoy - oh and I would not do without aircon either.
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I have an old Micra that has a sun roof, but no air con. The simplest way to avoid misting up is to open the sun roof by the rear tilt. You get no draft, unlike opening a window. Air con is a must on any new car from the resale value point of view, but using it all the time (like my wife does) uses lots more fuel.
BTW I would choose the Yaris if money wasn't in the equation, but the Colt if it was (and it always is:-(
Johnny
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Thanks for all the positive comments about the Colt.
I have to say that the money isn't really an issue for me, but my daughter is anxious for the car to be 'hers' and probably wouldn't have welcomed our contribution.
I think the airbag issue is making me feel bad - you do what you can for your kids but there wasn't even the option to upgrade the Colt's airbag package. Of course an airbag package to the Yaris T3's standard must be pretty expensive, so you can see where a lot of the value is.
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Proving that you don't need it.
So to describe what I said as "absolute rubbish" is absolute rubbish.
Well - you said it yourself!
"Proving that you don't need it"
Fair enough - you don't need it. I do, I find it - shall we say - invaluable.
It takes all sorts......................
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I too think you and your daughter got it right, BP. My elder daughter is on her second Yaris and has loved both, but (a) both have been 1.3s, and (b) she buys on a PCP, and we got a good deal.
The 1.0 Yaris is sluggish compared to the very nippy 1.3, but the 1.1 Colt that I had as a courtesy car a few weeks ago was very lively. Noisy, but it's quite a pleasant noise. The 5-door is a better bet as the 3-door has huge doors and rear visibility is poor.
Mitsubishi should sack their PR people. They make good cars that for some reason are a well-kept secret,
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Horatio - you REMOVED your a/c? I nearly choked on my dry white. That's the most mental thing I have ever heard. I absoutely love this forum - there's always someone to express a view the opposite of my own. However, tonight Horatio, you have for me taken it to new heights. However, it's your car, your opinion and I wouldn't change that for anything.
Dilbert
(A/C convert)
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The 1.0 Yaris is sluggish compared to the very nippy 1.3, but the 1.1 Colt that I had as a courtesy car a few weeks ago was very lively.
Thanks for your other comments. If we had got the Yaris it would have been a 1.3 - there's a special edition (adds metallic paint and alloys) based on T3 called Zinc, which is only available with 1.3 engine but costs same as 1.1 (dealer salesman didn't know this and told it was same price as T3 1.3).
Mitsubishi should sack their PR people. They make good cars that for some reason are a well-kept secret,
I think it's a lot do do with how nearby the dealers are. It's really noticeable around where I live that there are 2 very well regarded Honda dealers quite close together and there are absolutely *loads* of Jazz's around here. On the other hand there isn't a Seat dealer for miles - our other daughter has an Ibiza and it's a rare sight to see another Seat in the area.
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Horatio, anything else you consider surplus to requirements?
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With a Colt, just bear in mind that Mitsubishi parts and servicing can be VERY expensive - more so even than Toyota. This could be an issue if you plan to keep the car beyond warranty. Parts supply is generally good though - they can usually get most things within 48 hours.
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With a Colt, just bear in mind that Mitsubishi parts and servicing can be VERY expensive -
Thanks for that. The salesman (sales director) we dealt with volunteered the information that people thought Mitsubishi's were expensive to service. He told me he ensured that his dealership kept the servicing prices as low as possible.
So we checked the costs, and they alternate minor / major with the prices being £160 / £240 (I have a feeling now that those prices may not include VAT). The major service including brake fluid change.
I must admit that he told me the two prices as if they were hardly anything at all, but they're about the same as our Jazz (and a lot cheaper than my C Class!).
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Yaris service costs : £100/£220
yes I have aircon: and I would not do without it.. and a sunroof (compulsory on a a/c Yaris or I would not have it..).
As for opening a window for ventilation, I gave that up 20 years ago: disliking the noise and breezes..
And my diesle still does 56-58mpg average on Short journeys.
Build quality? Well it IS built in Japan not by a bunch of garlic eating wine swizzling furreners :-))) so nothing has fallen off so far and it goes very well and quietly.. and £50 tax...
I like the driving position: SWMBO likes it for the back support...
madf
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Yaris service costs : £100/£220
Grrr...
yes I have aircon: and I would not do without it.. and a sunroof (compulsory on a a/c Yaris or I would not have it..).
I noticed the latest Yaris doesn't even have a sunroof as an option.
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"I noticed the latest Yaris doesn't even have a sunroof as an option."
iirc you have to buy a top of the range T Spirit for aircon...
madf
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iirc you have to buy a top of the range T Spirit for aircon...
ION nowt & no option
T2 nowt & no option
Zinc (special edition) A/C
T3 A/C
T Spirit climate control
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iirc you have to buy a top of the range T Spirit for aircon...
>>
No - it's on the T3, but isn't even available as an option on T2 (which, bizarrely, is the entry level). Yet it's abvailable as an option on most Aygo models.
Bad marketing really by Toyota (IMHO) - we'd have probably looked more seriously at a T2 with a/c, but most likely would have ended up with a T3 due to extra air bags. As it is, there wasn't the right combination to draw us in.
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Routine servicing of most volume cars (and I would include BMW's etc in that) tends to be fairly reasonably priced because the manufacturers know that people compare service costs when buying a car. The issue I was talking about was really **non-routine** servicing - i.e. what is it costing you to fix when the warranty runs out.
I service a few older Mitsubishis and whilst they are reliable, the cost of parts can be astonishingly high. For example we wanted a door card for a Galant and it was over £600; air filter about £40, fuel filter likewise. The idle stepper motors are regular failure points on most Mitsi's and they are priced at over £400 in the UK - I actually bought one from a New Zealand dealer and including air shipping it was not much more than £100.
Some other brands are also incredibly expensive. Chrysler, for example, are not as reliable as Mitsubishi (most are complete sheds in fact) despite being financially related to Mitsi. Would you believe that I had to replace a pair of rubber CV gaiters and they were £120 the pair!! Front hub bearing over £300 and headlamps for an old Jeep were something like £350 each (I managed to source s/hand). A just-out-of-warranty low-mileage Voyager auto has been bought to me this week stuck in second gear. Nothing I could do so told the lady owner (4 kids) to take it to my mate who rebuilds autos - looking at a £2500 repair....Oh dear.
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