Help required on a used Palio 1.2... Urgent!

[extreme_torque]

Hi Guys,
I am a relatively new member here, bitten by the Palio bug. I have always loved Palio... it is still the best looking small car in india for me. Now that I am independent and earning, i thought of buying a car for my family. I shortlisted Wagon R and Santro, as anyone buying his first car would do... I had Palio at the back of my mind but due to financial problems of FIAT in india, horror stories of ultra low fuel efficiency and huge depreciation, kept me away from it. I test drove the santro and the wagon R, i found them to be feeling tiny, built for a purpose that is to commute from point A to B using minimum amount of petrol possible. They crashed and bumped on every more than average indian pothole. The cars appealed to the head, good fuel average, good aftersales service, nice resale value but not to my heart. I thought abt palio once more and the idea came, why not use the high depreciation on Palio to my advantage? I was ready to sacrifice 2-3 kmpl for a car that is 100 times better looking, safer, sturdier, a proper b+ segment and having better ergonomics than any of them and most importantly it appealed to my heart.
There was i looking for a used, well cared for Palio in delhi... I looked at various used car sites on the internet n have finally found one that i think is worth buying. The details of the car are as follows...
Its a 2002 model Palio 1.2 ELX, silver color and has done 55000 kms. I have not yet seen the car... will do it tomorrow but going by what owner has told me... there are few scratches on the car, no big dents or stuff. He recently changed to new tyres and overhauled the clutch and breaking system at 50000 kms. He also told me that he services his car every 5000 kms. The car has a Pioneer Mp3/cd player fitted with 4 speakers and a steering remote. I asked him abt the fuel average and he told me that it gives him around 13kmpl with AC off and 11-11.5 with A/C in delhi. The fuel average is fine with me. Now for my queries......
1. What should i look for in the car when i go n see it tomorrow?
2. Is the price that he has quoted, correct, coz used car dealers are quoting 1.2 or 1.3 lakhs max for this kind of car, also i came across this girl who sold off his 2003 Palio EL PS model with 21000 kms on the odo for 1.35 lakhs!!!?
3. How do i look if the clutch and the gearshift is working fine?
4. Any other thing that i should look for while driving the car, noises, engine noise, weight of clutch, brake modulation?
5. Where shall i check for oil leakages?
6. Whether i should bargain on the price or not?

Any help on this would be appreciated... thanx guys!

Mods: If i have posted this thread in wrong section, plz move it in the correct section... i need help on this urgently.

[adityapd]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Hi Guys,
I am a relatively new member here, bitten by the Palio bug. I have always loved Palio... it is still the best looking small car in india for me. Now that I am independent and earning, i thought of buying a car for my family. I shortlisted Wagon R and Santro, as anyone buying his first car would do... I had Palio at the back of my mind but due to financial problems of FIAT in india, horror stories of ultra low fuel efficiency and huge depreciation, kept me away from it. I test drove the santro and the wagon R, i found them to be feeling tiny, built for a purpose that is to commute from point A to B using minimum amount of petrol possible. They crashed and bumped on every more than average indian pothole. The cars appealed to the head, good fuel average, good aftersales service, nice resale value but not to my heart. I thought abt palio once more and the idea came, why not use the high depreciation on Palio to my advantage? I was ready to sacrifice 2-3 kmpl for a car that is 100 times better looking, safer, sturdier, a proper b+ segment and having better ergonomics than any of them and most importantly it appealed to my heart.
There was i looking for a used, well cared for Palio in delhi... I looked at various used car sites on the internet n have finally found one that i think is worth buying. The details of the car are as follows...
Its a 2002 model Palio 1.2 ELX, silver color and has done 55000 kms. I have not yet seen the car... will do it tomorrow but going by what owner has told me... there are few scratches on the car, no big dents or stuff. He recently changed to new tyres and overhauled the clutch and breaking system at 50000 kms. He also told me that he services his car every 5000 kms. The car has a Pioneer Mp3/cd player fitted with 4 speakers and a steering remote. I asked him abt the fuel average and he told me that it gives him around 13kmpl with AC off and 11-11.5 with A/C in delhi. The fuel average is fine with me. Now for my queries......
1. What should i look for in the car when i go n see it tomorrow?
2. Is the price that he has quoted, correct, coz used car dealers are quoting 1.2 or 1.3 lakhs max for this kind of car, also i came across this girl who sold off his 2003 Palio EL PS model with 21000 kms on the odo for 1.35 lakhs!!!?
3. How do i look if the clutch and the gearshift is working fine?
4. Any other thing that i should look for while driving the car, noises, engine noise, weight of clutch, brake modulation?
5. Where shall i check for oil leakages?
6. Whether i should bargain on the price or not?

Any help on this would be appreciated... thanx guys!

Mods: If i have posted this thread in wrong section, plz move it in the correct section... i need help on this urgently.

i think extreme, u've missed to quote the asking price for this car..

~A

[extreme_torque]

Oops!.... the asking price and i dont think it will go down is 1.45 lakhs.

[anoops]

ok 13 kmpl is a bit suspect for starters...the pre NV palios are a bit more peppy and the milage takes a beating. i get about 8.5 to 9 with my ac on 100% in city driving conditions. if the car has been maintained well you shouldnt have any probs..mine has done 45,000 kms and she still feels new. do check for body vibrations. also please check if there is any leakage inside the car when the AC is on. that is prob many of the palios have.

[extreme_torque]

thanx for the suggestions anoops.... but to me the low mileage is just a perception that ppl have abt palio.... afterall its a 1 tonne + car and has a bigger engine than others.
In ur case though i think FE is low, 8-9 kmpl in city is too low for a 1200cc engine.
Most ppl that i have come across have quoted the mileage of their palio's anything b/w 10 to 13 kmpl with AC.

[deepakhon]

I have been driving Palio NV 1.2 for 2 years. I average between 10-11.5 on a regular basis.

[RX135]

While we are on talking about FE, it would make more sense to check with local Palio owners who face similar traffic conditions. Depending on local road/traffic conditions, FE will vary greatly (apart from driving style). So please make sure that you compare only with car owners in your vicinity. Since you are going for used car,

• Check for rattles,
• Check a/c performance: Put it on high blast and take note of how quickly it can cool the car.
• brakes: Santro brakes are over-servoed, whereas Palio lacks such bite in braking. So make sure braking is proper. Check how comfortable you are with Palio's stiffer cluch pedal.
• If you can manage to drive it past 100-120 kmph, check for vibrations in steering column/passenger cabin. If it vibrates, it means wheel balancing may be required.
• As pointed out, check for leaks/oil stain on the floor where car is parked.

[extreme_torque]

Any info on clutch.... i know Palio has a hydraulic clutch hence it is heavier... apart from that can i check anything else.

[roms]

Hey extreme,dont know about Delhi.But I have a 2002 palio 1.2 elx done 16000kms only. in Mumbai.Just for the sake of it I got a quote for my car from a dealer for my car.He replied not more than 1,45,000/-.Its another thing that he would sell it for around 1,65,000/- after commission.
The car's done 55,000 kms.A lot of its parts may or may not require attention in future.So please be very sure about the car.Check for suspension,brakes,tyre wear,clutch and clutch bearing,any noise at idle.Good luck

[extreme_torque]

thanx everybody for their replies... how much fuel average should i expect since its a pre nv palio?... I drive very decently with a light foot.

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

thanx everybody for their replies... how much fuel average should i expect since its a pre nv palio?... I drive very decently with a light foot.

PM a team BHpian AMIT. He owns a palio S10 and will tell you how to extract better FE from a fiat palio.

[general_neo]

Wow!!! U think exactly the way I do....
I got exact comments for the comparison between Palio and Santro...
Currently I am using the Palio and santro...
Even though I feel the Palio very very sluggish compared to my santro... The moment it touches 100+ Km/hr its awesome... The oversteer, stability, the ruggedness beats all other small cars. I still love driving at 140 in 3rd gear....

I drive the palio thru a bad road and i feel its more strong and doent have rim bends and thud noise... Compared to santro. I feel the santro will fall apart after a nasty driving session. But the santro doesnt.

My palio hasnt been serviced properly. I see the front tires inners have worn out... I dunno why... I see the car is drinkin fuel like crazy once i press the throttle down. While in santro... any kind of driving will neva pull ur milage below 10, but in palio, u drive rash u get bad milage.

U cud keep an eyes for those head lamps filled with mist or water drops. Also look under the car for any damages to the plastics...

I am stunned to hear the price of a Palio, 1.25 laks... man thats sad... We brought tat car new. Cant think of selling it at that price.

[extreme_torque]

Even i was stunned after seeing used palio prices in market here.... that y i decided that it dosent makes sense going for a new one!

[deepakhon]

Originally Posted by general_neo

I am stunned to hear the price of a Palio, 1.25 laks... man thats sad... We brought tat car new. Cant think of selling it at that price.

Agreed. It is sad to think of such a price drop in the used car market. But I believe Bangalore is slightly better in that respect. I do not have the exact pricing, but expect it to be atleast around 20-25% higher than in Mumbai.