2003 True Value Baleno for 3.8L

[flipsyde]

hi fellas,

I went to Cars India, True value showroom in adyar, chennai hunting for an esteem. came across this well maintained baleno.

its done a little more than 40k kms. the tires wont last more than another 5k kms. its got all the toys. music system, alloys, security system, powered windows and steering. the clutch seems to be giving way.

i felt 3.8L was too much for this car. please tell me ur opinion. i am picking up a 2003-2004 baleno/esteem which will replace my 2000 m1000. I wont be keeping this car for more than 2 years. i only had the esteem in mind till i drove the baleno. sooo much torque it can get addictive.

whichever car i pick up. it will run on a gas kit which i plan to install soon after.

[mclaren1885]

Tell them about the tires and the clutch. 3.5L would be the last I would stretch to.

[rjstyles69]

i only had the esteem in mind till i drove the baleno. sooo much torque it can get addictive.

One more falls prey and joins the club.Welcome home mate.
flipsyde , as mclaren said talk to them about the tyres and the clutch part.Also the car has been phased out, so do the talking .

[flipsyde]

@mclaren1885 : i did mention the tires and the clutch. he says this is expected of a used car and would not bring down the value much.

i soooo wish i hadnt driven a baleno! i'm so in love with it now!

@rjstyles69 : actually i started the negotiation with the phasing out bit.....they are smarter than they look. he tells me one has to drive a baleno for less than 10 mins to fall for it. I really hate him for being right!!!!!!!!!!!

[esteem_lover]

I dont think true value would budge much. If you are going to keep the car for only 2 years, get the esteem & LPG it. I am not sure howm any takers will be there in 2 years time for an already phased out baleno with LPG kit. Moreover, the esteem would cost much lesser.

[flipsyde]

@E_L : could u suggest me any used car dealers in chennai i could check out. I have heard quite a few 2nd hand car purchase horror stories!

esteem is what i always had in mind. until a certain test drive changed everything. but your point about the esteem makes total sense.

[rareone]

Hi...

One of my friend recently got his hands on Baleno Vxi for 3.3L in Navi Mumbai...

He has also joined Team-BHP would tell him to put some feedback to help ya out...

According to me 3.8L is way to much...

[flipsyde]

@rareone : thanks would be gr8 help if your friend can give me some feedback. but 3.3L in mumbai seems appropriate. used cars are cheaper up north aren't they?

My biggest worry is that i have to look at a tyre change in less than 5k kms. and good tyres don't come cheap!!

[rjstyles69]

flipsyde check with mclaren, he had put up his friends baleno for sale.Might be of interest to you.
Else come down to bangalore you can find umpteen number of baleno's.

[aNiLdEv]

Hey flipside,

I bought my 2003 Baleno (fully loaded) for 4 Lakhs, two months ago. It had run less than 26K kms and was in very good shape. Though the car is phased out, I bet you won't have any problems servicing it or finding spares. After all, its from the Maruti stable

Coincidentally, my story also goes in the same track as yours. I too upgraded from an Esteem which is another Mr.Dependable!! But, am sure once you get behind the wheels of a Baleno, you'll fall for it.

Good luck for your hunt!!

Cheers,
Dev

[BWN]

Boy... seems like lots of people are trading in their balenos for sx4's... loyal to MUL it seems.

Never mind...... Even i have come across 2000 baleno for 2.75 in truevalue and as said, everyone falls prey to its magical torque and responsive engine.Truevalue guys will not budge for normal negotiations as they have blind takers atleast in south.Any yes, resale is much much higher in south,especially in TN except Chennai and Cbe.

[flipsyde]

@rjstyle69 : there are surprisingly quite a few balenos up for sale down here too. but the prices seem a little steep.

what would be the problem in getting a car from mumbai and re-registering it here. is it worth all the hassle?

@anildev : glad to know your enjoying your new car. but i didn't expect prices of baleno to be up so high.

i just called up alphazee used car dealer who wants 4.3L for 2004 baleno. he says its a fully loaded model run 36k kms. he offers no warranty but assures me the car is in great condition.

i cant afford that right now! looks like i'm back to looking for an esteem :(

[flipsyde]

ok guys i came across this 2005 nov. esteem vxi. great shape. run 13k kms. dealer asking for 4.15L but he is ready to give it away for 4L. he wont come down below that. it is still way out of my budget. but i am going to keep it in mind.

P.S : Esteem_lover has been real helpful in locating cars and giving me tips on what to look out for in a used car.

[rjstyles69]

what would be the problem in getting a car from mumbai and re-registering it here. is it worth all the hassle?

Me thinks its only the road tax which you need to be paying.

Let me not try to coax you into buying a baleno .
Come to think of it filpsyde, something that could catch your eye and win your heart with 1 drive. BALENO is the way to go .hehehehe..

edit : If you are game on spending 4 lacs for an esteem, look at other options also.

[spadival]

IMO,At face value, the Baleno 2004/36k KM @ 4.3L sounds like better deal than an Esteem 2005/13k KM @ 4L. But it all depends on the condition these respective cars are in.

On a related note, the words "Fully loaded" seems to be the favourite among the used car dealers, even if the car has stupid casette player, terrible speakers and cheap alloys.