General Suzuki Celerio

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General Suzuki Celerio

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I recently test drove some used cars at a local dealership on a boring afternoon. The Honda Jazz and the Suzuki Celerio, two cars that have always caught my eyes as alternatives to the Panda.

The Jazz was the king of the small car really, but it’s in and around £10,000 for a decent used one. And as nice as it was it wasn’t very comfortable even compared to my Panda.

The Celerio I was really curious about. They’re so damn cheap second hand. You can take your pick of colour and still pay nothing for a nearly new <3 years one.

The one near me is an SZ3 for about £4,995 (though they go on autotrader for about £4,300). It had 36,000 for a 2015 car. The dealer said he could work on the price, and sure enough, I’m keeping the vaguest interest in it open to them to see what they can do...

The Celerio is an ugly duckling. It okay from the front but it’s a bit plain and ugly compared to a Panda. But it does remind me of my Panda because it’s so tall and narrow looking. I’m not a big fan of sharp look in a car anyway, an object to take a beating and extremes of weather and other people.

The car only comes with two speakers and the door panels are wafer thin. The dashboard plastic is cheaper than my current Panda but looks robust. Got a ‘wipe clean and carry on’ sort of feel to it which I can forgive the cheapness for.

The engine felt pretty quick to me. It was quicker than my Panda 1.2!!! The gears were surprisingly smooth and it had pull in 4th and 5th where my Panda would be catching itself up. Stark contrast to my mums 208 1.0 which is dead in every way possible!

I do like Japanese cars, though I know we often bash them on here for being dull and bland, like German cars. But if the one good thing about them is reliability and holding up a bit better over time, then I can appreciate that! I like Toyota and Honda but they’re quite expensive for what they are and a Jazz and Yaris are nice looking sculpted cars that I’d lose sleep over any dent etc.

The safety is another concern but a thread on here dispels the myths of the 0* Panda rating and though the Suzuki scraped 3 stars it would likely have missed two because of lack of equipment. Which, it lacks in a big way versus the Panda too.

Whilst it does lack fancy equipment, it’s only going to be around £4,000. It has Bluetooth radio, digital radio, alloy wheels, air conditioning and steering whee controls. That’s a slight upgrade for me, anyway. I’d be stripping the door cards and lifting out the glass to tint the windows in the back as well as fit a really good Sony speaker system to it and maybe some sound proofing. The car is just so basic like the Panda!

It will likely do me 5-6 years until it’s nearing old age and by then I hope to have a house under mortgage and be more advanced in my job. Maybe then it’ll be time to get a bigger car, or if the small ones appeal and do the job stick to it.

My Panda is holding up well, but in that time frame of 3-4 years I know I want to buy a house and by then, it’s highly likely something major will come up that perhaps Is the end.

I considered buying an Alto three years ago, as it seemed a bargain too. But that car was full of just downright cut corners and poor quality in ways a Panda isn’t. so I binned the notion after reading a former Panda owners bad experiences with an Alto online. I’m sure the Celerio is probably better.

One more small thing is Brexit. If the EU are going to be bullies and companies jump on the bandwagon increasing prices why not just cut them out completely and buy a Japanese car. I am usually loyal to Fiat but to be fair they aren’t seemingly doing much.

Am I overlooking anything here? I’m aware there’s compromises as with all small cars but the great price and ‘getting a new car out of the way’ for other things is tempting.
 
Italy is not the EU so I don't see Italian companies being less keen to trade after Brexit than before. In fact with the Euro screwing their economy they will be looking for all the business they can get.

If we think the last 2 years of Brexit has been bad that was just to get a withdrawal agreement (which frankly we could do without). The real negotiations on trade start after we leave. We ain't seen nothing yet regards EU bad attitude.
 
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drove a Splash with the 1 litre engine


feels more perky than my 1.2L Panda


the only negative is reversing. You don't really use the small square rear windows. However when its very tight they do help to keep you centred
 
The Suzuki Celery is built by PAK motors in Pakistan, it's as Japanese as a Seekh Kebab.

It's ok for a cheap new car, but all their similar cheap cars from the past few years seem to be a bit "disposable" to me, they don't tend to last too well.

Saying that I have had a base spec Alto on hire and it drove rather well after we removed the various trim panels rolling around the footwells, I did at the time try to buy it, though I had forgotten my hat and my head had been in the hot sun all day!

I would rather buy a Sandero, in fact I'm on the look out for a left hooker, perhaps the Logan estate version or the Lodgy MPV van thing that are based on the Sandero.
 
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Dacia is owned by Renault because VW had already grabbed Skoda and Seat. To be honest if I wanted a Renault I'd buy full fat rather than skimmed and have at least some residual value when its time to sell.
 
To be honest if I wanted a Renault I'd buy full fat rather than skimmed and have at least some residual value when its time to sell.

It's worth checking out the depreciation figures of Dacias a bit closer.
The Duster was the 4th slowest depreciating car of 2017.

Cars generally depreciate at a set rate, it's why finance companies can work out GFV's so well on PCP deals.

They are worth around 80% after one year, between 60 and 70% after two and between 60 and 50% after three.

Take a mid spec Sandero at worth case loss.
Costs £7795 and loses 50% after three years, so is worth £3897

Now a mid spec Clio at best case loss.
Costs £14815 and loses 40% after three, so it's worth £8889.

One car has lost £3897 and the other £5926.
Sure one has depreciated less as a percentage, but it has also lost you the most money so effectively has higher depreciation.

The Sandero would need to lose 76% to match the loss and they just don't lose that much in three years.
 
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Dacia was building Renaultbased cars (R12) long before the fall of the Iron curtain. Check facts please.

gr J
Yup. One sunny day a long time ago, my then boss came through to where I was working and said, "There's a Renault out on the forecourt with a flat tyre and blowing exhaust. They're on holiday. Leave this for now and see what you can do for them". The car was in fact a Dacia Denem. (Renault 12) Whilst I was doing the puncture the factor delivered a rear box for a Renault 12. My recollection (now a bit cloudy) is that it fitted just fine.
 
One more small thing is Brexit. If the EU are going to be bullies and companies jump on the bandwagon increasing prices.

The EU are not being bullies.


They have stated from the very start what is and isn't possible with regards to what the UK government wants (unicorns). It's our stupid arrogant side that have tried bully, slander and soon beg. The EU is looking after the interests of 27 countries, we're the ones that wanted to leave. When we become a third party country not in the EU, well of course prices will go up, that's because of trade tariffs. This is really simple economics.

This entire **** show is what leavers wanted. They wanted to "take back control" and "sovereignty". Well here it is. This is what it looks like.

Also for whatever strange reason this mess makes you want to look to Japanese cars, consider that Japan have just signed a huge trade deal with the EU, which was TEN YEARS in negotiation (yes, global trade is complex and takes time) which will see their trade tariffs cut to nothing for cars. They've also started pulling resources out of the UK (see Nissan).
 
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Above link shows why prices shouldn't rise after leaving EU but being RIP off Britain people will want to make a killing at our expense
 
The EU are not being bullies.


They have stated from the very start what is and isn't possible with regards to what the UK government wants (unicorns). It's our stupid arrogant side that have tried bully, slander and soon beg. The EU is looking after the interests of 27 countries, we're the ones that wanted to leave. When we become a third party country not in the EU, well of course prices will go up, that's because of trade tariffs. This is really simple economics.

This entire **** show is what leavers wanted. They wanted to "take back control" and "sovereignty". Well here it is. This is what it looks like.

Also for whatever strange reason this mess makes you want to look to Japanese cars, consider that Japan have just signed a huge trade deal with the EU, which was TEN YEARS in negotiation (yes, global trade is complex and takes time) which will see their trade tariffs cut to nothing for cars. They've also started pulling resources out of the UK (see Nissan).
IMO Politics on a car forum are not the right place to air your personnal grievances...go see your MP :mad:
 
I went down and looked at the same Celerio. I noticed the following;

- no rear wheel arch trim
- flimsy panels all around
- dash board top can be pressed down easily
- sun visors are made out of cheese string material
- doors are lighter than the Panda’s rear door


The dealer wants £5000 for it. No way. Identical spec and year and mileage card on autotrader are £4,400 give or take.

He said it was because they’re a Suzuki franchise. But I found two SZ4 specs for £5000 with only 20,000 miles on the Suzuki site from franchised dealers...

They aren’t willing to do a better price.

The same garage has a general used car section across the road. Looked at two used Pandas there, one Pop with parking sensors, air con and roof racks. £5,800. Another Easy for £5,300 but the front bumper is missing paint with black spots and a cracked daytime running light. He said there’s nothing they can do to reduce the prices because they’re ‘already priced competitively’.

I went and looked at a Yaris then, priced at £6,500 but was a 2014 with 40,000 miles. Thats what I’m leaning towards again.

But if I do stay bargain it’ll be a Panda without a doubt.

This is why I don’t understand the motoring Press, the Panda (my model) and the new model is a full fat car, made smaller but robustly.

These other ones; Celerio, Aygo/C1/108 , Up,Mii,Citigo they’re just real cheap excuses if cars missing serious parts like parcel shelves and interior door trim etc.
 
anyone had a drive of the IGNIS?

I know the current version is ugly, but it was something I was looking at when searching before settling for the Panda (glad In did by the way:))
 
anyone had a drive of the IGNIS?

I know the current version is ugly, but it was something I was looking at when searching before settling for the Panda (glad In did by the way:))


nope


I looked at them as the rear seats slide for either boot space or rear passenger space


A lot turn up cheap due to a faulty gearbox bearing

MPG is worse than the Panda.
 
Above link shows why prices shouldn't rise after leaving EU but being RIP off Britain people will want to make a killing at our expense

It's nonsense. Brexiteer propaganda.

Unless you have a trade agreement with a country, why the hell would you charge a lower tariff on imports than you would on exports?

Unless 'taking back control' means rolling over and accepting any crappy deal put on the table so as not to lose face and alienate the Brexiteers, who'll soon turn on their UKIP heroes and declare "Nobody told us we were voting for this".

If we leave without a deal, we are going to see tariffs on all kinds of things you didn't think would attract one.

Turkeys. Christmas.

I do find it ironic that those areas with the strongest Brexit support are going to suffer the most from the result of a no-deal Brexit.
 
It's nonsense. Brexiteer propaganda.

Unless you have a trade agreement with a country, why the hell would you charge a lower tariff on imports than you would on exports?

Unless 'taking back control' means rolling over and accepting any crappy deal put on the table so as not to lose face and alienate the Brexiteers, who'll soon turn on their UKIP heroes and declare "Nobody told us we were voting for this".

If we leave without a deal, we are going to see tariffs on all kinds of things you didn't think would attract one.

Turkeys. Christmas.

I do find it ironic that those areas with the strongest Brexit support are going to suffer the most from the result of a no-deal Brexit.

Oh Dear. (yet) another who has not researched the implications of the EU's Withdrawal Agreement. There was never any need for a agreement at this stage. Article 24 of the WTO agreement provides all that is needed for a smooth transition. Along with the 2 years of EU Lisbon Treaty Article 50 that gave FOUR years to sort out the technical details while UK/EU trade ran on exiting terms and conditions.
Instead we had idiots at the top of UK government who thought they could be IN and Out at the same time. Some things really are a binary decision and Brexit is a classic case. The EU took advantage (childish but who could blame them) and result is the unholy mess we now have.
 
All the reading I've done says that, as of our position today, we will be on WTO tariffs from 11pm on 30th March.

We can, of course, make amendments to these - but we only have 6 weeks to decide what amendments we will make.

Remember - making an amendment will impact our relationship with various partners - if, for example, we reduce the tariff on citrus fruits, someone elsewhere will be offended we didn't reduce the tariff on their widget.

My industry is preparing emergency plans right now as there's a very real threat that we will not have enough fuel to move goods around anyway.
 
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