When is the right time to sell your cars

[lamborghini]

hey guys
i was just womdering when the right time to sell your cars was as the cars that have done more then 50k start developing problems at that mark and then settle down and start after another 30k - 40k km
also when do you know that the car has outlived its life
thanx

[GTO]

Modern machinery, if maintained well, can go well beyond 50K without a problem. Shantanus Vtec and NC's Ikon are nearing the 50,000 mark and have not reported any problems. My well-maintained 130,000 kms Esteem has yet to have a breakdown or require significant work.

I use my cars till they fall apart..or in the whereabouts. When you decide to sell is entirely dependent on your situation or preferences (upgrades etc.)

GTO

[lamborghini]

just did a brief look at the used car buying thing in the ACI - ikon 1,6
i paid about 60k for getting my car back in shape at 50kkm which included new tires and all the other stuff which is supposed to last for about 25k - 30 kkm o in that case i guess that the going is good.
will replace my nexia asap depending on the price i get
i heard some people pay 1.7 - 1.8 for that car yet so no harm in trying

[wilful]

This thread is to know the views of BHPians on what (a rough indicative) time frame is ideal to keep a (new) car and sell it. It could vary I know, depending on ownership (corporate or individual) , usage etc but - is there a general thumb rule that an individual could look at either in terms of the number of years or kilometers run? A time frame that could limit the 'keep it for too long and you get nothing and keep it for too short a time and you lose heavily' principal. I have talked to some friends and the general feeling is at least five years and at least 75000 kms plus.

[svsantosh]

check out TSK's indica Thread. More than 6 digits ODO and 5-6 years later still going strong. i have heard a few 200K+ and still going strong.

[greenhorn]

Fiat and Tata cars tend to be keepers, the former due to their incredible built quality, and the latter (if they dont turn out to be lemons) due to cheap maintainence costs, and low resale values for both

[SLK]

If you remove the temptation to upgrade... i.e. even if you buy a new car, it would have to be the same model again and again. Then it would be a fair play.... (i.e. you don't have an option to get bored of your car)

In the above scenario, I'd keep my car for 2-2.5Lakh Kms... or 11-12 years (whichever's first)

[Jaggu]

5 years or 75k kms works well if you are not very caring type OR dont like too much investment in car maintanence type.

I personally know people who use cars for 25k kms and change them at 2 years mark irrespective of brand/model/cost, as well as people who have clocked 1-1.5 lakhs and still using them, one a 2005 model 800 1.25k kms and another 2005 city 1.15k kms.

So it all depends.

[arunmur]

My dad perviously held the 800 for about 5 years after 50k KMs it was a massage machine and not a car. The A.S.S. spoilt every thing like clutch and engine dynamics. Sold it off and he brought the WagonR, it was one of the best build car of that time(the current one does not feel the same).

Ownership experiance had been good, no squeeks or other irritating issues, very cheap to maintain and run. But reccently he had an 800 cracking the rear bumber and after that they replaced the bumber and its fitments. They offset a lot of things in the process. They somehow manged to short the speeker wire to the body so once in a while the Pioneer detect short and cuts power to the amps and you have to run without ICE. The fittngs on the bumper vibrate more than the engine itself. The engine originally was nice and peppy. But now some thing seems to have taken its soul out. Now, it just survives, if four drive in it, you can hear it crying. The car has done only 80k KMs, I expected this car to run fine atleast 100k kms, with all the latest engine and FI. This car is running its 7th year. It has done a lot of insane driving though, some through forrest dirt tracks and worst roads you can imagine. The car does not feel like its built like a tank but it definitely superbly built. Except for that irrtating bumper we had squeaking once from the passenger door fixed after inspection. Since the car does not need much of tuning and stuff, MSIL A.S.S have not been able to spoil the car too much. Still not looking to sell the car as we do not have the right upgrades.

So, finally I guess it depends on the car. And you have to sell it to the right person. We sold the first car to one of my neighbours family and since they use it only occasionally, they have no issues. The same will probably be done with the WagonR, when it is ready to be sold. Now keeping in mind what your buyer will want you can make a decision on when to sell.

[LLL]

I agree with 5 yrs & 75k kms threshold. Generally, maintenance starts to become expensive, risk of breakdowns increase, depreciation nearly flattens out as well as car starts to look old & outdated.

[ST7677]

Can't comment, I get attached to my cars, and just buy new ones when I get tempted
I still have and sometimes drive my first car M800....Initially I thought I would sell it off, but could never make that decision.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by ST7677

Can't comment, I get attached to my cars, and just buy new ones when I get tempted
I still have and sometimes drive my first car M800....Initially I thought I would sell it off, but could never make that decision.

My dad could not make a perfect decesion to sell of November 1992 800 after we bought baleno.

I think that the factor of keeping car for some time period will depend on a lot of factors.
We really, really love Baleno, but wont be able to keep because as soon as it comes private vehicle from presently owned company car because there is scarcity of parts as already experienced by us.

The other factor is financial situation, requirements changing.

However the precise answer is 5 years, because the life cycle of models is reducing in India also.

[PatienceWins]

If it is a new car, I would keep it for atleast five years or 50000 kms. If the car is in good condition and service is not an issue I would keep it for long as I get emotionally attached to my cars.

If it is second hand, it is better to sell it in 3 years depending on the usage, condition, service and kilometers clocked.

[gendarmee]

The more I use a car/bike the more I get used to it, attached to it, and find it hard to change.
Right now, I just don't connect with the Ikon as much as I connect with the 118NE, The feeling of,"come what may, I can handle it" feeling isn't there with the Ikon, cant be one with the car, unless I really get used to it.
Most ones i have have been there for a long long time.

Maintain the car regularly w/o procrastinating, treat them well and one wont have to worry about long term maintainence costs/dependability.

[SuperSyn]

There are two prominent lines of though I see on this subject.

From a depreciation point of view, it makes sense to get rid off the car sometime before a new generation is announced. To get best value, one must however buy a car model within 6-12 months of it being introduced, and then sell in 5~6 years, just before all new replacement is launched by the manufacturer. This also ties up well with the depreciation rates when the vehicle is bought in the name of business etc.

The other way is to look after the car well, and keep it for ~10+ years. in fact, once a model is replaced by a newer generation, it doesn't make much sense to sell your car and take a huge resale hit. The longer you keep, the more the potential savings, until it reaches a point that the spare parts plus and service expenses start to get too expensive. Or the car has a major accident etc.

Admittedly, we haven't had cars worth keeping that long in our market for long but, ego permitting, there's no reason why someone can't still drive the current Honda City or the Verna diesel ten years from now.