Choosing used car option @ 7.5Lacs EDIT: Bought 2007 Corolla

[liberal]

Have finalised the car at 7.4L Corolla H1 2006 December reg:2007 Feb. Shall take delivery today..

The following thread helped a lot as well: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...-mistakes.html (Buying a Second Hand Car - Learn from my mistakes!!!)

1. In my search saw few other better priced used corollas before (mostly 2004/5 model), they were not in good condition in comparision to this one. Dealers were avoiding service history/details. Was shocked to see a damaged '2004 Optra 1.8LT 18000km' being repaired before sale which made me very cautious. Further I was concerned of altered kilometer reading.
2. Most of the ones we saw were Thane/Vashi registered (cheaper as reg outside Mumbai octroi limits) whereas I wanted only Mumbai registered & first user car.
3. Car came with service history, no dents (few scratches though) & good interiors.
4. Car has another 1.5 yrs of warranty remaining + 1 free service.
5. The middleman is a vehicle consultant to corporates and not a regular used car dealer. Felt genuine in the dealings.

Lastly my family is very happy with this Corolla & particularly champagne colour.

Self financed as the interest rates for used car were quoted at 16.5% (ICICI) & 15.5% (HDFC).

What a journey, I had booked Dzire (later cancelled) and had never thought then that this would be my next car.

Originally Posted by kaush666

U could go a bit higher on a budget and get a brand new honda city vtec though...but if you're dead right on a used car then the corolla fares better over all the three...try bargaining harder and reduce it to about 7.2 / 7.3 lacs....even that is way too high for a 2006 h1 though...correct me if i am wrong

I considered Honda city but IMHO its not Value for Money further it's commonly owned sedan in my complex. I prefer used car for ones above 10L range due to the quantum of price depreciation in first 1-2yrs.

Here are few pics to share:

[narayan]

good buy liberal. car looks real neat...

and i think the self financing was a good choice bcos at 16.5% u mite has well go for a new car with lower financing cost - EMIs would be almost similar to the used car..

[kaush666]

Congrats on your new ride liberal...Enjoy your drives on your new ride. If you're gonna drive fast pls do but don't forget with control..Cheers.

[AkMar]

Thats really a good looking car. Appears well maintained too. Congrats. What is its odo reading?

[karanraheja]

Congrats Liberal ! Looks like an awesome deal. The car looks neat for that price.

[hrman]

She looks great. Congrats. I thought someone mentioned earlier that it did not come with alloys. Those look like alloys . Good purchase. Interiors look new too.

[liberal]

Originally Posted by narayan

good buy liberal. car looks real neat...

and i think the self financing was a good choice bcos at 16.5% u mite has well go for a new car with lower financing cost - EMIs would be almost similar to the used car..

Absolutly right, in the case of 3yrs and above finance, EMIs were quite close as no discount/payout for used car coupled with high interest rates. The banks give little room for negotiation on used car interest rates.

Originally Posted by kaush666

Congrats on your new ride liberal...Enjoy your drives on your new ride. If you're gonna drive fast pls do but don't forget with control..Cheers.

Thanks, with this car I am driving slow, may be for a month more but always careful, I agree with the saying "speed thrills but kills".

Originally Posted by AkMar

Thats really a good looking car. Appears well maintained too. Congrats. What is its odo reading?

Yes, The car looks as new, odo 23340kms, a bit on the higher side but maintained very well.

Originally Posted by karanraheja

Congrats Liberal ! Looks like an awesome deal. The car looks neat for that price.

I feel the right price could have been around 7.2L but for the awsome condition + Stanley Leather seats (40K) + Vkool (20K), did not find any better used option in the market, I believe it's worth the price.

Originally Posted by hrman

She looks great. Congrats. I thought someone mentioned earlier that it did not come with alloys. Those look like alloys . Good purchase. Interiors look new too.

Alloys are 10 spoke design instead of th 6 spoke on earlier Corolla and looks very cool indeed.

My wife is thrilled and thanking me for this choice as I was earlier gunning for a diesel car purchase. Life is good.

[nkapoor777]

Congrats liberal on the purchase. IMHO you got a great deal on this one. Looks in pristine condition and with the Stanleys and V-kool thrown in, it is a killer deal. Not to forget, the bullet-proof reliability and peace of mind in car ownership is priceless.

Drive safe mate!

[Jeep]

great buy, liberal.
The only thing that looks 'used' are the tyres.. otherwise, it looks like a brand new one!

[smack_himanshu]

Congrats on your corolla liberal.
Great deal.

[GTO - Touring]

Clean looking car, great buy as well as price. Congratulations! Keep her well, stick to Toyota recommended service intervals and the Corolla will be your faithful companion for atleast the next decade.

[CorsaLove]

Congrats on your Corolla. I guess the price is good and the car looks rather clean too.

Drive safe and Enjoy!!cheers:

[liberal]

Thanks for all the approving feedback & comments. we have driven the corolla over 200 kms, and enjoying every bit of it.

Later, shall post more pics along with review in appropriate section.

[SRShrikanth]

A very well-judged decision there Liberal. Perfect blend of head & heart and the car is in very good condition as well.

Our family had a Corolla in Dxb and even after 6 years & about 80K kms, it still ran as if she were on a song. It certainly is a trusted entity.

Must be quite a shift from the Indica as well.

Safe Drivin'

[shankar.balan]

well done- the toyota used car comes at a bargain - great cost vs benefit ratio!
in fact the latest issue of "What Car" - clearly enunciates this.
and yes, it is proven, reliable and excellent - it is also a fact that these Corollas were the vehicles of choice for the plantation companies in Africa for their executives for years -largely because of their reliability and maintenance free running!