Advice needed on used Fiat Palio 1.6/Petra

[idofsuresh]

Need suggestion for buying a used Petra 1.6 in Bangalore. I checked the Fiat India site today and Petra is not listed there. So, is it out of production ? Will the TATA provide service for Petras and will there be a problem for the spare parts ? A used car dealer is offering me a Petra 2005 for 3.0 lacs (21,000 kms). Don't know the model as I haven't visited him, but it does not come with alloys. AC/PS/PW are standard features. Is it a decent buy ?

Or is it better to go with a Palio 1.6 ? What is a reasonable price for a 2003 Palio 1.6 second owner in Bangalore ? Till now I am unable to find a first owner car.

Finally, if its a palio, should I opt for a GTX instead of a S10 because of the ABS ? Can anyone confirm whether GTX comes with ABS whereas 1.6 S10 does not ?

PS:
I am not particular about the boot
My budget is 2.5 lacs
I don't mind about FE so much. (I know what to expect in a 1.6 machine)
The car will be used mostly in highways

[greatDrive]

Yes, Petra is serviced by Tatas, Petra is nothing but a Palio1.6 +boot.
If you have a Family(&Kids) and likes to go on longdrives, 500litre boot really serve its purpose.
Petra 1.6 EL will not be having Alloys and Tubeless unless the owner had changed it. 3.00 lac petra in bangalore for 2005 vehicle is okay because Road tax in Bangalore is 50K for 5 lac vechile.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by idofsuresh

Need suggestion for buying a used Petra 1.6 in Bangalore. I checked the Fiat India site today and Petra is not listed there. So, is it out of production ? Will the TATA provide service for Petras and will there be a problem for the spare parts ? A used car dealer is offering me a Petra 2005 for 3.0 lacs (21,000 kms). Don't know the model as I haven't visited him, but it does not come with alloys. AC/PS/PW are standard features. Is it a decent buy ?
Or is it better to go with a Palio 1.6 ? What is a reasonable price for a 2003 Palio 1.6 second owner in Bangalore ? Till now I am unable to find a first owner car.
Finally, if its a palio, should I opt for a GTX instead of a S10 because of the ABS ? Can anyone confirm whether GTX comes with ABS whereas 1.6 S10 does not ?
PS:
I am not particular about the boot
My budget is 2.5 lacs
I don't mind about FE so much. (I know what to expect in a 1.6 machine)
The car will be used mostly in highways

Dont know about bangalore in particular. But, here FIAT cars have very poor resale value, and 3L for the discontinued Petra is over the top.

[namit]

Dont buy these stranded cars left with dealerships.
Their engines may show up complications very soon.

If at all you wanna buy then go for a second hand Petra from an existing owner who is using the car.

[rishibravo]

Originally Posted by idofsuresh

Finally, if its a palio, should I opt for a GTX instead of a S10 because of the ABS ? Can anyone confirm whether GTX comes with ABS whereas 1.6 S10 does not ?

I dont think either GTX or the s10 came with ABS. Guys please correct me if I am wrong

[ravibhat]

2005 Model Petra for 3 lacs is quiet ok price, since its out of production try to bring the csot down to 2.8 lacs.

Check about car condition and any past history. spare parts issue you might face but i feel in bangalore you can manage.

For highway use Petra is awesome car. it will give you FE of at least 12kmpl can give upto 15kmpl if ar is maintained well and driven with neatly.

I feel you can service petra at tata showroom but make sure they serviced Petra, I have heard only few TATA service centres do good job with fiat car's service.

Regards,

Ravi.

[swathyd]

Petra is a good car. It is well built and strong. Got excellent handling and ride. Mileage is ok if driven with a light foot( I ve got more than 16 on my adventure). Got a huge boot and very good a/c.

And spare parts wont be a problem as it shares 90 % of its parts with palio. In its segment it has got the cheapest parts. If you source it outside the dealership it will be more cheap.

And 3 lakhs is reasonable( the resale value of fiat has gone up after the tie-up with tata) if driven below 25000 kms. Check for its brakes, power steering, ecu( give more stress on it) ( do it from tata) etc.

[rapideffect]

Hi,

Check with whiteattraction as he is planning to sell his petra/sienna. He also based out of bangalore only. His is a 2003 model.

PM me for his contact details.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by swathyd

And spare parts wont be a problem as it shares 90 % of its parts with palio. In its segment it has got the cheapest parts. If you source it outside the dealership it will be more cheap.

True, but you'll have a nightmare sourcing the parts from the dealers itself. Such is the sad state of affairs.

I know a friend who sold his Sienna 1.2 for a mere 75,000. And GTX 2002 models are going for under 2L. So, be prepared to get zilch when you intend to sell the car.

[esteem_lover]

2002 GTX is available for 1.5-1.7 L here & certainly not worth it. The maintenance could turn out to be a headache. please consult fellow palio owners in your city (Who speak with their mind & not the heart) & then decide.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by idofsuresh

I checked the Fiat India site today and Petra is not listed there. So, is it out of production ?

Yes the Petra has been out of production after Fiat moved its factory to Ranjangaon (close to Pune).

Will the TATA provide service for Petras and will there be a problem for the spare parts ? A used car dealer is offering me a Petra 2005 for 3.0 lacs (21,000 kms). Don't know the model as I haven't visited him, but it does not come with alloys. AC/PS/PW are standard features. Is it a decent buy ?

Yes Tata will provide service for Petra's and there will be a problem of spare parts if the spare part is not something which requires replacement in regular services and scheduled maintenance like filters, brake pads, etc. If it is something like the radiator (which gets damaged mostly in case of accidents) then there is an acute shortage which happens for reasons which are unknown to us.

2005 Petra for 3.0 lakhs is too much of an asking. Anything between 1.5 to 2.5 lakhs is a good price no matter what the condition of the car is. Alloys were not standard in all cars but available on order.

Or is it better to go with a Palio 1.6 ? What is a reasonable price for a 2003 Palio 1.6 second owner in Bangalore ? Till now I am unable to find a first owner car.

Petra is a Palio with a huge boot which can take half my wardrobe and the computer included. Choice of boot requirements are yours. The Palio does have a decent boot. Considering traffic problem in Bangalore and parking requirements I prefer a hatch but if you have no parking problems then go for the Petra. Inspect the car thoroughly before buying it. Its a European car and poor maintenance lead to a lot of problems which seldom get resolved to satisfaction levels. Mileage on the problem is not a problem as long as the car is well maintained with all service records available. I have seen a 2002 Petra (Siena then) which had done 1,40,000 kms and was butter smooth with no problems whatsoever.

Finally, if its a palio, should I opt for a GTX instead of a S10 because of the ABS ? Can anyone confirm whether GTX comes with ABS whereas 1.6 S10 does not ?

Yes try for a GTX because the S10's are an abused lot. Atleast thats what I observed when I was hunting for a Palio. Poor maintenance was a problem with S10's and more commonly oil entering the engine head was a common problem. GTX did come with ABS and Airbags until 2002 but later these features were taken off since there were not many takers. It will be difficult to find a GTX with ABS and airbags and even if you find one stay away because finding spares will be a nightmare. S10's never had these features.

PS: I am not particular about the boot
My budget is 2.5 lacs
I don't mind about FE so much. (I know what to expect in a 1.6 machine)
The car will be used mostly in highways

Good choice with the Palio. Try looking for a GTX preferably the 2001 - 2003 lot which was registered in the same year. Negotiate and try to settle the car for 1.5 to 1.7 lakhs and with the remaining money, get a good music system and get a scheduled maintenance service done. For me scheduled maintenance would be, replace all fluids (brake oil, gear box oil, engine oil - Synthetic if possible, Coolant, etc), replace all brake pads, Replace clutch plates and pressure plates, Change wiper blades, check the AC for need of a service, inspect tyres and replace if worn out, get the interiors cleaned, get small dents and paintwork attended to and if you have some money left, take your girlfriend / wife out for a dinner (for tips contact Sam Kapasi).

[idofsuresh]

Thanks buddies for the information. A special thanks for MoralFibre for such a detailed and comprehensive response.

The 2005 Petra is already gone, they sold it for 3.0 lacs! Appears ridiculous to me as its a out of production car.

Let me continue my search for a decent Palio 1.6 or a VFM Petra if at all I get one. With the parking problems in my garage (not too worried about Bangalore roads) and probably good few thousands cheaper, I am getting more inclined towards a used Palio 1.6. If I don't get a good used one, I'll have to stick to my 2003 Indica (its still in an excellent shape) and enjoy it for some more time to come.

If its going to be a new car, then I prefer it to be a upmarket c segment car whenever I can afford it comfortably.

[metallica]

I bought an Aug 2002 55,000 KM well maintained Sienna in Delhi for 1.65 L and I am absolutely thrilled ....
Such cars do not really have a fixed resale value and the price varies from deal to deal.