[deepclutch]

Odometer tampering.Some geeks forgot to remove the last wheel balancing/alignment sticker mostly pasted on the side of the dash(usually on RHS/Driver's Side).Yesterday ,I found a car like this(a Indica v2 DLS).Odo Read 38K;while the Sticker Read ~47000K (Yeah ,It was with a used car dealer).

Few things I heard from Mechanics(True with Kerala Vehicles). KL-7 Vehicle Gets a better resale value.Alappuzha/Kollam Registered Vehicles are somehow blamed for Rusting(if not all of them are!) due to proximity to sea.Underside Rusting(way too much) is what is meant.So ,Resale value will be a little low.

[buz]

Hi ppl,

The thread is fairly comprehensive about things to check in buying a used car. I am going tomorrow to check out a 2009 model Civic AT from the owner himself. The car has done 5000 kms and the asking price is a little below 13 L. The owner says that he is moving out of the city and hence plans to sell the car. Have checked the technical and structural checks that need to be made. I could not find any advice on checking the automatic transmission if it functions smoothly. Any particular thing I need to keep in mind? Also, any comments on the asking price of the vehicle will also help. One last thing - are there any payments to be made to the RTO, etc. over and above the asking price of the owner? Will really appreciate if you can kindly respond today. Thanks.

[spnaik1973]

Have been looking at a Pajero 2006 model with around 45K on the odo. The tyres look a bit worn and the suspension seems a bit tight. They are quoting around 12 Lacs for the same.

Wanted expert advice on what all would need to be checked and if the price is too high?

[dareshiva]

Post Deleted by the Team-BHP Support : SMS / Slang is STRICTLY prohibited on this community. We would much appreciate your using full & proper english in posts, for the benefit of other forum users.

Please view our board rules carefully before proceeding any further.

[akas_chauhan]

Originally Posted by spnaik1973

Have been looking at a Pajero 2006 model with around 45K on the odo. The tyres look a bit worn and the suspension seems a bit tight. They are quoting around 12 Lacs for the same.

Wanted expert advice on what all would need to be checked and if the price is too high?

New one costs around 23 Lakh. A 45K for 12L looks decent to me, may be you will put another 1 Lakh for tyre and other small service related stuffs.

[GTO]

Note from Support : This is not a "what used car" thread. Please use the "What car" forum section for car-specific questions. This article is only for a discussion pertaining to the procedures in buying used cars.

[navan49]

Hi Shiva,
We used it in The North Eastern on the Himalayas. We were all crazy for the Getz and imported from Korea directly. It had a good A/c heater for the High altitude. But the FE was not as expected. On the hills it was giving around 8 to 9kms. The other problem was that we were lacking professional service team. The model which we had to be started with pressing the clutch. When it came to India it could not with stand like Santro, I1o or i 20. You might get problems of spare. So better go for a running model than a least prferred model. After Getz we went for SantaFe diesel which was a wonderful car for the hills as well as plains. So whether limited use are long distance use think again about your resale value and the one or two probs mentioned here.

Finally I am not much aware of iyts worthiness in Chennai. Myself and my student went and checked the used car in Porur just to get soome idea. But on negotiation they came down to 160000. We did not go for the real so we left that and came.

[Delta Wing]

It's a good thread with fail safe measures. Good starting point. But I bought my car before I even knew of TBHP, simply my ignorance. And that would be the case with most Indians I tend to think. I just inquired a little, went to a broker guy with known background one fine morning, stated my requirement, he showed me 4-5 vehicles and recommended me one which was the oldest in the lot ('take it blindfolded and use it for 10 years', his very words. Also, he would not say the same of some of the other vehicles he showed me). So with the comment that I would plonk the car on his head if his words failed, I bought the car, no duplicate keys, nothing. On trust. Drove away in the car the same afternoon with some costmetic changes (seat cover, ICE etc). About a fortnight later, he tells me the transfer is complete and I collect the RC. It's been a long time now and my car runs fine (with required maintenance). Point: TRUST. If you don't feel trust, don't go for it. When buying, keep the trust-o-meter at max sensitivity. Nothing can persuade you to buy when you don't want to. A way not to give in to pressure for soft people, don't carry any financial means with you (no card, no cheques, no money worth a booking). I'm loath to think today what would have happened if the guy had tried to swindle me back then. It would have turned me back from used cars for good. Always know the person you're dealing with more than the car you're buying from him. A genuine person will not sell fake items whereas a con will sell either a genuine car or a bad car, so long as he gets a profit. Enough horror stories on the forum. Lastly, NEVER ever give a single paisa without seeing and testing the vehicle (and documents related) you're supposed to buy.

[GTO]

It's been a long time now and my car runs fine (with required maintenance).

DeltaWing, I agree that the trust factor plays its part, especially if you know the guy since a long time. But, for the car treating you well, give the previous owner some credit will ya . It's an outcome of his efforts and not the dealer you bought it from.

[Delta Wing]

Originally Posted by GTO

...for the car treating you well, give the previous owner some credit will ya . It's an outcome of his efforts and not the dealer you bought it from.

Of course. Only that it was the broker's job to know the owner's treatment of the car and that's why he was confident of selling it at an (as it appeared to me) inflated price. I never even saw the previous owner (very wrong thing to do), only that he was good to his car from the car's condition. And I had no knowledge of second hand cars market then, nada, so trust was my purchase pivot point. It's only extensive use that showed me that it was a good deal. An elaboration to my previous post: trust should factor in going for a deal but any sign/feel of distrust should factor more in acting as a veto to a deal. I once lost a good amount of money in a real estate deal because I ignored signs of a cheat in a broker, it's a different matter that the deal turned profitable later in time.

[shishir_bn]

Originally Posted by deepclutch

Odometer tampering.Some geeks forgot to remove the last wheel balancing/alignment sticker mostly pasted on the side of the dash(usually on RHS/Driver's Side).Yesterday ,I found a car like this(a Indica v2 DLS).Odo Read 38K;while the Sticker Read ~47000K (Yeah ,It was with a used car dealer).

Few things I heard from Mechanics(True with Kerala Vehicles). KL-7 Vehicle Gets a better resale value.Alappuzha/Kollam Registered Vehicles are somehow blamed for Rusting(if not all of them are!) due to proximity to sea.Underside Rusting(way too much) is what is meant.So ,Resale value will be a little low.

@deepclutch,you are right.For cars in Mangalore/near coastal regions the value will dip more due to the salty weather and the vehicle getting rusted at all the joints. I feel all vehicles near all coastal regions tend to get less value due to saline environment

[4nd3r50n]

I hope this is not an off-topic post. This is probably premature, but here goes...

I want to buy a second hand car and this is what I have on my mind.
I am a complete, absolute novice when it comes to a car. I don't know how to drive and will start taking lessons starting March, 2010. It has been my dream to buy a car and thankfully I think this year, I will.
I am not a Santro or Maruti (small car) enthusiast, somehow they don't inspire much confidence in me. I prefer sedans for that matter.
But my dream car is the Safari. I want to buy a used Safari DiCOR (3.0, 4x4) and have a budget of about 4L for that (dunno if I will get one for that small amount, but I'll search). Now, here are a few questions that I need help with.

1. Being a complete noob with cars, am I thinking right when I say I want my my first car to be the Safari? If I am not, then what other options should I look at? I am looking to buy a used car and keep it with me for the next four years, at least.

2. Compared to other cars, will the learning curve be more or probably difficult in driving a Safari?

3. Are there any issues that I absolutely need to be prepared for if I buy a Safari?

4. What is the monthly maintenance amount that I would be shelling out for this car, compared to say a Ford Fiesta (my second favorite)? I am mostly looking to drive in the city with a probably a long drive (to Lonavla, Pune) once or twice a month.

I have a friend who's been driving a Tata Indica for quite a few years now and he has been dissuading me from thinking about buying a Safari. According to him, it's a "white elephant". As he has more experience, he is probably right. But, somewhere my heart doesn't want to listen to him.

I have been reading tsk1979's very informative long-term Safari ownership thread (currently am on page 53) and am scared of the kind of issues that he faced. I do not have the tenacity or resources or depth of knowledge that he has about cars. So, I'd really like some advice from all of you.

I know this has been a long post, and I'm probably rambling incoherently, but I'd really appreciate everyone to help me buy my debut car.

Thanks.

P.S. @mods, I tried to find the section where I could submit my post and landed up here. If this post does not belong here, then I request you to please re-direct this to the proper section/thread. Thank you.

[shishir_bn]

Originally Posted by 4nd3r50n

1. Being a complete noob with cars, am I thinking right when I say I want my my first car to be the Safari? If I am not, then what other options should I look at? I am looking to buy a used car and keep it with me for the next four years, at least.

2. Compared to other cars, will the learning curve be more or probably difficult in driving a Safari?

3. Are there any issues that I absolutely need to be prepared for if I buy a Safari?

4. What is the monthly maintenance amount that I would be shelling out for this car, compared to say a Ford Fiesta (my second favorite)? I am mostly looking to drive in the city with a probably a long drive (to Lonavla, Pune) once or twice a month.

I have been reading tsk1979's very informative long-term Safari ownership thread (currently am on page 53) and am scared of the kind of issues that he faced. I do not have the tenacity or resources or depth of knowledge that he has about cars. So, I'd really like some advice from all of you.

After reading tsk1979's thread your 3rd and 4th point should have been answered. For 1st and 2nd point-->There is no hard and fast rule that you have to start from a small car.As fas as you have the control and know the road/dimension of your car it is not a problem IMO

MOD's please move this and 4nd3r50n post into relavent threads.

Note:I am in no way trying to fight the Safari owners. Just my thoughts.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by 4nd3r50n

I want to buy a second hand car and this is what I have on my mind.
I am a complete, absolute novice when it comes to a car. I don't know how to drive and will start taking lessons starting March, 2010. It has been my dream to buy a car and thankfully I think this year, I will.

To put it straight : Get a used Maruti 800, Alto, Santro or Indica (any will do). Take driving lessons, practice, practice and more practice. Use that used car as a beater; a new driver has many tricks to learn. Better to experiment on a 1 lakh rupee car than one that costs 10 lakhs. After 6 - 12 months of driving, sell the cheap hatchback and get yourself a Safari.

Also, do search through the forum for the many threads on driving tips & ideal first cars.

[Delta Wing]

Originally Posted by 4nd3r50n

1.I want to buy a second hand car..
2.I am a complete, absolute novice when it comes to a car. I don't know how to drive and will start taking lessons starting March, 2010...
3.I am not a Santro or Maruti (small car) enthusiast, somehow they don't inspire much confidence in me. I prefer sedans for that matter....
4.But my dream car is the Safari...
5.Am I thinking right when I say I want my my first car to be the Safari?...

1. Good decision for a newbie. Be sure to buy a reliable second hand car.
2. This makes the purchase of Safari untenable. Maybe after you are experienced.
3. Prefer sedans, learning to drive, not much budget: you can go for a used Icon, Esteem, Accent or a Lancer (or something on these lines). These come affordable in second hand market, go for around 1-2 Lakh Rs car for a year. Actually, best for you would be a hatch like Zen, Alto, Swift etc as GTO said.
4. Decide about that Safari 1-2 years later.
5. No you're not ready for a Safari if you need to ask this question IMO. Judgement in a bigger vehicle is harder.