2003 Palio, worth it?

[e1t1bet]

I have almost made up my mind for the silver.
How bad is 74000 Kms though? Can I expect the car to run for 2.5-3 years without spending more than a lakh on maintenance?

I have been telling my friends about my new venture and I all I get in return is "d000d...why PALIO?".
It's probably not the best hatch on the Indian roads, but the driver seat just feels so awesome.

[rudrah]

Originally Posted by roms

Palio D is a much better choice than the 1.2. Its so much more easier to drive in he city than the 1.2. It does get a bit boomy at high speeds though.That said, check from your Tata-Fiat if spares for Palio D are easily available.

Hi Roms...not sure if you remember me?

Could you put some light on this...whats the problem with the spares for Palio D? Is spares too scarcely available for it?

I've come across a Fiat Palio D 1.9 Elx, November 2003 Model, Run 60,000 Kms, First Owned, well equipped with Power Steering, Air-conditioner, Alloy Wheels and Grey Interior, all original: Sale @ Rs.1.65 Lac

Also FIAT PALIO 1.6 S10, Passion Yellow Colour, April 2004 Model, Run 38000 Kms, First Owned, well equipped with Alloy wheels and Mp3 Player, Non Accidental, for Sale at Rs.1.99 Lac.

What would you think for the above 2? I havnt yet personally checked the vehicle.

At a confusion, which one should I opt for if i've to go for any one...wanna go for a Palio thats for sure!

Cheers~

[ravibhat]

I suggest search more for only Petrol driven Palios rather than LPG one. I was thinking to buy Palio but settled for Matiz because congested bangalore traffic and i couldnot find good drivers for me so decided Martiz with AC, Power Windows is best one because it had excellant space features and very comfy for my family (2 + driver) use as well. I expect 15,000/ as maintanance cost per year and i plan to keep the car for 3 years.

You can easily get better Palios, search for 2003 onwards, I feel you can find one for 1.6 lacs.

Out of those 2 cars :

Silver makes more sense, What you do is Switch on the car with Petrol then switch over to LPG. Remember onething LPG driven cars would give less FE when ran on Petrol. Its better you continue to use LPG in city and on highway use Petrol.

Transfer work make sure you are also present in RTO office during paper work or use agenet you know, The reason taking clearance from RTO office is very important during transfer. If there is any case pending on that particular car RTO won't give cleranace.

Regards,

Ravi.

[roms]

Originally Posted by rudrah

Hi Roms...not sure if you remember me?

Could you put some light on this...whats the problem with the spares for Palio D? Is spares too scarcely available for it?

I've come across a Fiat Palio D 1.9 Elx, November 2003 Model, Run 60,000 Kms, First Owned, well equipped with Power Steering, Air-conditioner, Alloy Wheels and Grey Interior, all original: Sale @ Rs.1.65 Lac

Also FIAT PALIO 1.6 S10, Passion Yellow Colour, April 2004 Model, Run 38000 Kms, First Owned, well equipped with Alloy wheels and Mp3 Player, Non Accidental, for Sale at Rs.1.99 Lac.

What would you think for the above 2? I havnt yet personally checked the vehicle.

At a confusion, which one should I opt for if i've to go for any one...wanna go for a Palio thats for sure!

Cheers~

Oh yes Rudrah, I do remember you. Well, from the two cars you've shortlisetd, I would choose the S10, unless ofcourse I have a lot of kms to cover each day.

The S10 may have been puchased in 2004, but it will most probably be manufactured in 2002 or beginning of 2003 at the most. Do check this when you get to see the cars. When you open the hood, there will be a metal badge near the radiator area up front carrying the manufacturing date, engine & chassis no. and the fact that the car belongs to the 'Fiat Auto Spa, Italy'. Now with the S10, you get a hatch that will set your pants on fire when you hit the pedal. It also is an eye candy, with people wanting to look over at the car at traffic lights. Seriously, someone will start pointing out at the 'Sachin Tendulkar' stickers and show it to others too. I have had people asking me questions like " does this car belong to Sachin?' !!. And your neighbours will be envious.All this at roughly 2 lakhs!

Apart from all this, dont forget that the 1.6 is the only one of three original choices, i.e. 1.2,1.6 & 1.9D, that is still available off the shelf. So you are better placed where availability of spares are concerned. The only downside to buying the S10 is that the things that make the S10 so special in the first place... side skirts, spoiler, the S10 stickers & monograms, chrome tipped exhaust, red stitching on the gear knob and steering wheel may not be available in the spares list. Though I did get the "Sachin Tendulkar' stickers last year.

The Palio D, on the other hand, is a great car too. but I'm not too sure if buying a Palio D with 60K kms done would be a great idea. Though I cant comment much on the spares bit, I can guarantee you that getting spares two or three years down the line for that car may become a problem. Fiat cant provide adequate spares for its current line up, so the chances of getting spares for an engine that has been stopped a long time back are bleek.

I think you should personally scrutinise the cars well, check the underbelly for damage or rust, drive and see for yourself, and then go ahead with the deal. I think the S10 should be it. Good luck Rudrah. P.M. me if you need to know anything and I'll try my best to help you out.

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by e1t1bet

I have almost made up my mind for the silver.
How bad is 74000 Kms though? Can I expect the car to run for 2.5-3 years without spending more than a lakh on maintenance?

I have been telling my friends about my new venture and I all I get in return is "d000d...why PALIO?".
It's probably not the best hatch on the Indian roads, but the driver seat just feels so awesome.

Eveyone has his own point of view.
Do what you feel right and go for the car which you feel will suit you the best.

FYI, I had been searching for User Palio 1.6 and these were easily avalable between 1.60 to 2.30 Lakhs.
So spending 1.98L on 2003 Palio 1.2 and that also a second owner is just waste of money. You will get a lot better Palio in that amount.

[rudrah]

Originally Posted by roms

Oh yes Rudrah, I do remember you. Well, from the two cars you've shortlisetd, I would choose the S10, unless ofcourse I have a lot of kms to cover each day.

The S10 may have been puchased in 2004, but it will most probably be manufactured in 2002 or beginning of 2003 at the most. Do check this when you get to see the cars. When you open the hood, there will be a metal badge near the radiator area up front carrying the manufacturing date, engine & chassis no. and the fact that the car belongs to the 'Fiat Auto Spa, Italy'. Now with the S10, you get a hatch that will set your pants on fire when you hit the pedal. It also is an eye candy, with people wanting to look over at the car at traffic lights. Seriously, someone will start pointing out at the 'Sachin Tendulkar' stickers and show it to others too. I have had people asking me questions like " does this car belong to Sachin?' !!. And your neighbours will be envious.All this at roughly 2 lakhs!

Apart from all this, dont forget that the 1.6 is the only one of three original choices, i.e. 1.2,1.6 & 1.9D, that is still available off the shelf. So you are better placed where availability of spares are concerned. The only downside to buying the S10 is that the things that make the S10 so special in the first place... side skirts, spoiler, the S10 stickers & monograms, chrome tipped exhaust, red stitching on the gear knob and steering wheel may not be available in the spares list. Though I did get the "Sachin Tendulkar' stickers last year.

The Palio D, on the other hand, is a great car too. but I'm not too sure if buying a Palio D with 60K kms done would be a great idea. Though I cant comment much on the spares bit, I can guarantee you that getting spares two or three years down the line for that car may become a problem. Fiat cant provide adequate spares for its current line up, so the chances of getting spares for an engine that has been stopped a long time back are bleek.

I think you should personally scrutinise the cars well, check the underbelly for damage or rust, drive and see for yourself, and then go ahead with the deal. I think the S10 should be it. Good luck Rudrah. P.M. me if you need to know anything and I'll try my best to help you out.

Glad you recognised me....

yeah as u said i dont have much driving...just for family purpose and to pamper myself in a month for long drives! I was much looking for a 2004 beyond Palio 1.6 Sports edition which came along with the 1.2 NV edition however its too hard to find one...

Regarding S10..i am bit reluctant because of the obvious reasons you mentioned of the external spares...Stickers as such not imp to me...but yeah the spoilers n side skirts and internal parts of the engine bay is a concern if anythin happens in between!

Since its might be a 2002 or 2003 make, how long the original parts survive more , the cost of the spares and later if available is a big question..!

If they are are sustainable for long and parts available easily then nothing as good as it looks....also I heard the FE of S10 ranges from 8-9km/ltr only? Can you confirm this?

Since Palio 1.2 and 1.6 gives the FE nearly/fairly same..i thought why not then 1.6v...tommorow i might convert it to CNG also...

Also what would you think the appropriate price for the S10 to go for...

Do let me know your views about the same....Roms!

Cheers~

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by roms

.... Though I did get the "Sachin Tendulkar' stickers last year....

Where in Mumbai did you get these? I need a set too. Also, by any chance can we get the 'black oval' sticker that is put on the C-Pillar? One of mine has come off and is missing.

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by rudrah

...
also I heard the FE of S10 ranges from 8-9km/ltr only? Can you confirm this?
...

Rudrah. I purchased a S10 2 months ago. I can safely say that 8-9 kmpl is what you can expect from a S10 in city. On highway I was able to get 13kmpl.

Having said that; nothing, I REPEAT, nothing comes close to the 1.6 considering the price (~2L) that these are available for. The sheer joy of driving the 1.6 S10 is unbelievable.

Don't worry about the spares etc. everything is easily available. If you prefer a 'drivers car'then the 1.6 S10 is the perfect choice at a price point of ~2L.

[rudrah]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Rudrah. I purchased a S10 2 months ago. I can safely say that 8-9 kmpl is what you can expect from a S10 in city. On highway I was able to get 13kmpl.

Having said that; nothing, I REPEAT, nothing comes close to the 1.6 considering the price (~2L) that these are available for. The sheer joy of driving the 1.6 S10 is unbelievable.

Don't worry about the spares etc. everything is easily available. If you prefer a 'drivers car'then the 1.6 S10 is the perfect choice at a price point of ~2L.

Thanks for your inputs..Khan. I've read your thread when you were looking for a Palio S10.

I'm more to a driver mode than a customer who wants to sit back and wait to let the vehicle reach his destination at his time and fuel!

How are the spares costing and as Roms mentioned about the spoiler, side skirts, exhaust, have you checked if they are still available? Does the FE decreases as the car gets older?

I'm also still waiting for Roms feedback....

Cheers!~

[WhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by e1t1bet

To begin with, I came across some of the worst and most hostile salesmanship EVER.

After reading you post "Honest" seems a better word than "Hostile". Afterall he is not a FIAT salesman. Poor fellow was trying to help you. Anyway he turned out to be a bad salesman, as he missed an easy pray.

Originally Posted by e1t1bet

So I just asked him "Can you write down your statement for me? I think lawyers at Fiat would be really interested to hear what you have to say about them"

That was hilarious. And that poor sould might be wondering since when FIAT got interested in hearing complaints.

Jokes apart, it is true that Bangalore used-car prices are high, but not much. Scratch beneath the surface and negotiate hard, and you'll get a much better deal.

[khan_sultan]

Spares are reasonable. As mentioned earlier, S10 shares the engine/mechanicals from the 1.6, so the same price point would apply. Even the side skirts can be sourced easily and
would cost approx 3k. The chrome tip of the exhaust is the ONLY things that you would have problems sourcing -- but it's very rare that you will damage it.

I don't think that as the car gets older the FE will decrease. However I leave that for the experts to comment on. I think 30-50k Kms are nothing for a engine..

[rudrah]

Well the S10 I was talking about has been sold off...I found another..that too gone :(

Seems every delay in deciding is someones gain somewhere!

1. Spoke with another dealer on phone, he has a another S10. The details as he says are below:

2002 Model

• Insurance Available

• Very Well Maintained

• Second Owner

• Fully loaded A/C, Power Steering, Power Windows, Central locking and Original Music System from the company, well maintained in immaculate condition, 6 Months labour free service, Fitted with original accessories.

- around 40000Kms running

- Dealer Price: 1.75 Lacs


2. Another Dealer for S10 has a 18000kms mileage with comprehensive insurance but quoting 1.95Lacs!

Now this is bit confusing...

first part: since its a "second owner", whether to check it out or not. I mostly avoid looking for second owners cars.

Second Part: What can be the ideal price since i'm buying from the Dealer?

Also how to get the car verified from Tata service center once I decide to go for it? I mean how and at what point can we ask the Dealer to get it done?

Too many questions in one go..Sorry! Hope you guyz can help me out..

Cheers~

Note: Hey e1t1bet, I dont mean to hijack your thread but just that thou your choices is different than mine but our hunt (Palio) is the same!

[roms]

Originally Posted by rudrah

2. Another Dealer for S10 has a 18000kms mileage with comprehensive insurance but quoting 1.95Lacs!

Get some more info on this one. 18000 kms and 1.95 L price tag sounds pretty reasonable to me. Get the car cheked at an ASC before closing the deal.And get this one before its gone. Dont worry about the mechanicals like khan_sultan said. The S10 is a GTX with different gear ratios and a lot of make up on the exterior. Off late, I have seen a problem with non-availability of alternator for the 1.6. But most spares available of the shelf. I got new struts, strut mounts, new brake pads for the front, brake cylinders for the rear , all available readily at the ASC.

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Spares are reasonable. As mentioned earlier, S10 shares the engine/mechanicals from the 1.6, so the same price point would apply. Even the side skirts can be sourced easily and
would cost approx 3k. The chrome tip of the exhaust is the ONLY things that you would have problems sourcing -- but it's very rare that you will damage it.

You might not damage the exhaust tip, but if your muffler needs replacement due to rust or otherwise, there is just one remedy for it - cut the tip off the muffler and get it welded onto a new one. I will have to do that very soon for my car.

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Where in Mumbai did you get these? I need a set too. Also, by any chance can we get the 'black oval' sticker that is put on the C-Pillar? One of mine has come off and is missing.

I think you could call Shaman auto and ask if they still have any of the stickers or monograms available. Call them on 24135252.