Seeking opinion abt Opel Astra Club (Diesel) 2001 model

[flashy_vishy]

Hi all,

Am new to this site and am overwhelmed by the nature of the discussion fora here. Great going, people.

Coming on to my request: I am looking for a pre-owned car in the 2 to 3 lakh range. I found an advertisement for an Opel Astra Club (Diesel) 2001 model car on a website. I contacted the owner and have fixed an appointment for next week to check the car out.

The details are as follows:
- 82K kilometres done
- All original spare parts maintained
- All services done at a reputed authorised service center at Chennai (Records are in tact and open for inspection)
- Looks good - lustre is still in tact and car looks good as new (as far as I could make out from the photo)
- Third owner already (!!!)

How much can I offer for this car? The owner is asking for 3.5 lakhs! Initially I thought that was cool for a luxury car. But when I asked friends who know about cars they felt the price is way too high. Also, he is already the third owner (apparently the car was with his cousin and his friend earlier). Can you suggest the right price for this car?

Also do advice me on how to go about checking the car as I don't know much about cars.

This would be my first car if I buy it.

Advice please!

[Dippy]

Keep away from the Astra . It was a great car but is more like a white elephant now. Spares will be expensive as well. IMO look around for good old Honda City . I'm sure you'll find one in your budget

Plus 3.5 lakhs is too much for an Astra . They usually go for a song.

[esteem_lover]

2001 Astra, III Owner....hmmm... keep as far away from it as possible. i am pretty sure the car is in serious needs for a costly repair which is why the III owner wants to dump it on someone. as dippy has said it, there is no point in even considering the Astra even if it was in mint condition. get an esteem or even a 1000. will be worth it. cheers

[jyobeb]

If its a really good car and you really want it, don't pay anything more the 2 lakhs.

[F50]

Two words pal : Stay Away!!
This is your first car and you are choosing this car because you saw the ad in papers and this was the only car fitting in your budget.
First of all, its too high and regularly it will give trouble. These are the things I dont want in my very first car. I feel its not practical.
I suggest hunt for other cars. 2.5 - 3 lakhs range you'll get City, Esteems, Accent(high kms) etc.

[GTO]

Generally, any Astra looks good as the build quality is top notch. The body and interiors wear well in the roughest of use. However, the same cannot be said about the mechanicals and its a fact that used Astras are extremely high in maintainence. The parts are also very expensive.

With relevance to the diesel Astra : AVOID even further. It was tightly packed in the engine compartment and is pretty complicated to work on. The turbo lag is tremendous making city driveability a chore. The clutch, if I remember correctly, was very hard and required a considerable amount of effort.

If you want a premium used diesel sedan in the same price range, why dont you check out a Lancer diesel? A well-maintained piece will be more reliable and cheaper to maintain.

[flashy_vishy]

So many replies in an hour or so?!!? Thanks a lot people.

So the general opinion is to avoid the car eh?

The owner however is very confident about the condition of the car and told me he was leaving his car open for inspection by anyone from anywhere. He was also ready to submit the car for evaluation by authorized service centers. He says he's going abroad and that's why he is planning to sell the car which is otherwise "very dear" to him.

Ok, I know all these are what he "told" me; so until and unless I check the car out, I cant say anything.

And one more thing is that I won't be using the car daily. Maybe only once a week or so (because that's how often my family gets time to go out together). So, when I will be using the car so less frequently, I thought the Opel would be a good buy as it is a luxury segment car. Never knew anything about these maintenance issues.

If I decide for an OHC (Old Honda City, as I picked up from another post ) is that fine? What about the maintenance and spares then?

[Dippy]

You should find a decently used City in your budget flashy. 2001 models sell for around 3.5 here in Mumbai. Not sure about Chennai though. These cars generally have between 40 to 50 k kms on the odo. But thats not an issue for Honda cars. Their engines are virtually bullet proof and extremely reliable. They easily clock six figure mileage digits with a breeze. Just keep in mind to check the service history and you shouldnt have a problem. Maintainence is no issue if you service the car to schedule. A routine service for a City here in Mumbai comes to around 2000 - 2500 rupees that includes tune up , engine oil change brake cleaning, car washing and vaccuum.

Spares are cheaper compared to cars like the Astra or the other defunct Escort

Hope this helps

Good luck

[esteem_lover]

So many replies in an hour or so?!!? Thanks a lot people.

that is because no one in t-bhp will not want another t-bhpian to make a mistake. thats because we care flashy_vishy.

yes, it is worthwhile to look for a OHC, a far better option & also keep in mind to get a I owner car. 2000 OHC comes for 275 to 300k. check them out. read the automotive section in the Hindu classifieds on sundays. very very useful. you can keep track of the resale value of all cars. there are certain ads which say brokers excused. these are the people to get your car from, if possible. )

[himanshugoswami]

Vishy, I would also advise you to have a look at the Baleno. For around 3 L you can get a good condition 2003 Baleno with about 30-40 K on the clock.

The spares will be really cheap compared to teh OHC/Lancer?Astra and Maruti service is generally good. Moreover, since the car is still in production, availability of spares would be no problem.

With your kind of running, diesel makes no sense. stick to petrol dude.

[flashy_vishy]

Hmmm... If it is a Baleno, is it not better to go for one from Maruti TrueValue? Anybody has any experiences which support / go against True Value?

[rahul_intlad]

Originally Posted by flashy_vishy

The owner however is very confident about the condition of the car and told me he was leaving his car open for inspection by anyone from anywhere. He was also ready to submit the car for evaluation by authorized service centers. He says he's going abroad and that's why he is planning to sell the car which is otherwise "very dear" to him.

This is kind of becoming a trend in the pre-owned market,most car owners seem to be on these lines with prospective customers.

And yes stay away from the astra,it would just be a white elephant for you.

Its the OHC/baleno/lancer for you depending on your needs and requirements.

[Mpower]

We have an Astra Club Petrol and so far its been reliable (touch wood).

Its a great highway car but will kill you in traffic. Heavy steering, heavy clutch and tall gearing.

Diesel will be worse because its has tremendous turbo lag.

[filcord]

If you are going to use the car only once a week, you do not need diesel.
But first let me tell you my personal experience.
I bought an used Ford Escort diesel for the same reasons as you, luxury looks and cheap. The car was great to ride in, it looked flashy, and my kids still remember it fondly, as they could wallow in it's comfort.
The car was a slug to drive, and maintenance slowly started bugging me with it's cost. In these old legacy cars, most spares are imported, and cost a bomb. I bought the car in 2001 at 50k km for 3.2 lakhs, used it till 2005 and sold it at 115k km for 1.3 lakhs. I sold it finally since the car was no fun to drive, and the repeated trips to the garage were getting to me.
I switched to petrol, and believe me, it's a world of difference from the old diesel.
For your 82k Astra, I figure you would need suspension overhaul (30K), new tyres (12K), and new belts for the engine (3K), at the very least. I assume the engine is otherwise sound and you do not have to look at the fuel injection pump etc. Regular maintenace on a diesel Astra would cost you abt 3k average every three months. That Astra should still not be worth more than 2 lakh.

Again, for your limited usage, go for a good used OHC or Baleno Vxi. Maintenance is cheap and you'll have a blast driving these cars.

[flashy_vishy]

Ok. I've been considerably weaned away from the Opel which I actually fell in love with at first sight But am not unhappy. Thanks a lot for enlightening me ppl!

But anyone out there with aything to say regarding Maruti True Value? Or Automart?