Potential new owner - Importing vs Buying local

[Remillard]

I'm seriously thinking about selling my 2007 Matrix and getting a low km Delica. I bought the Matrix for multi-purpose/reasons: every day/around town car, picking up clients (outreach counsellor), weekend camping and trips in the summer, good on gas (I live 50km from work... drive from Vernon to Kelowna every day), etc.
I'd love to get a Delica as a second vehicle but that's not in the cards for now. I'm wondering how the Delica stacks up? Obviously a MUCH MUCH better camping vehicle but how's the 2.5 turbo diesel for mileage? Is it a good around town vehicle? etc.
Any and all input is welcome.

I've included my message from the "New User Intro" forum so you know where I'm coming from.
I see threads where people have imported their Deli then replaced (perhaps at a much later date) timing belts, pumps, etc, etc. I'm wanting a Deli that needs virtually no work (read, no further costs AND I'm not very mechanical) and am wondering if people think it's better to import or buy from someone here (BC... well Alberta is possible too). Do the prices locally tend to get much more inflated? How does one guage the quality of the vehicle when importing, how good are the import companies.. Terra2, etc... at vetting mechanical problems/needs of these vehicles, etc. I guess I'm wondering if I'd be best to focus my search on this side of the ocean or the other. Any other considerations I'm missing?
Any and all comments are welcome, including the quoted section above.

Cheers and happy driving!

[jessef]

If you are looking for a Delica with all the normal maintenance done to it, I would recommend a dealer here locally.

The cost of importing one yourself these days tends to be either at par or even higher than buying one locally.

[glenn]

Buy here. The popular dealers include a package that includes compliance, belts, tires. Plus they generally stand behind what they sell, up to a point. I imported mine and I payed as much as for one that is landed, plus I was on my own for compliance, belts, and tires. There are plenty of delicas here to choose from. . . . unless of course you have lots of time on your hands, or have very specific needs, and like to gamble on a vehicle you have not seen in person.

[Remillard]

Dealer recommendations?

Oh, is the Crystal Lite roof all that great/big deal? Also, also (sorry for ALL the questions), high roof vs regular?

[konadog]

For opinions about dealers go to this post: http://www.delica.ca/forum/delica-deale ... -3086.html
As for what bus to get option-wise, well, that's up to you. Me, I like a solid low roof. There are many here, esp. those with kids, who just love the crystal light windows and sunroofs. If I was camping in my bus lots I would consider a high roof for that bit of extra space (still no windows though!), but aesthetically I much prefer the straighter lines of a solid low roof. There are lots of other options too; do you want and auto or manual trans? Hot / cold box? captain's chairs or bench seat? Have a good thorough read through the forum here. If you have specific questions use the search function in the top right - use it just to poke around too - ie. try searching "crystal lights" or "crystal light windows" and so on. And take trialsmaster2 up on his offer to have a close-up look at his bus and ask him about or otherwise line up a delica savvy mechanic in your region. Good luck!

[Remillard]

Thanks for the input konadog, those are good points to ponder. Since I don't plan to camp IN the Deli I like your thoughts on the roof & crystal light questions and I don't think a hot/cold box is important (unless someone tells me it is... LOL). As for transmission, normally in a 4-banger I'd go for manual but I read on another thread that the automatic is the better choice, esp. with fuel efficiency.
I'll have a read through the link you provided and I will take Trialmaster up on his offer. Bit of good fortune that

Cheers

[jessef]

After driving my 5spd for a few months I am now much happier with it than the automatic.

Gas mileage is better in the city and now it's better on the highway after a good tune up.

Bigger tires, wider stance, firmer suspension gives it better handling and with the 5spd gearing, I now get 2-3 mpg better than my last two auto's with the same setup.

Three thumb's up for manual's.

After experimenting with different tires sizes, norm/advance timing, etc... I have my manual setup to have more power and better mpg (a bit but not much more) than my previous auto's.