[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by Tgo

Best to avoid the Duster altogether if you have no experience of the maintenance costs for a car in quite a while now.

Agree with Tgo! Any specific reason to be so specific for a car, especially in the used car space?

6 Lakhs is a decent budget for the used car market.

[RGCST]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Agree with Tgo! Any specific reason to be so specific for a car

Like I said, I want a Compact SUV. Duster seems to fit the bill - it is tough-looking and powerful, plus all the reviews I have gone through praise the ride quality. I am yet to test-drive the car as I have been stuck due to some issue or the other over the last few weeks and unable to get the time. I'm hoping to manage that somehow over the next month amd finalise the car.

6 Lakhs is a decent budget for the used car market.

Any suggestions for an alternative?

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by Tgo

Best to avoid the Duster altogether

Cost of the spares your listed were at par with Creta IMO
Couple of examples,
11k for Brake rotor & Pad
8k for Clutch master & slave cylinder

This is more or less same for every car in that segment

[viXit]

Welcome to the forum!

6L is a good good budget for the pre owned market. There are a plethora of options for you, pre owned market is like a blackhole, everything you could ever want, but equally risky if not an informed buy. Shortlist some cars and try to read through the respective review threads on the forum. Search with keywoed "problems" on each thread to know what could go wrong. 6L for a compact SUV says initial batch cretas since I can't think of anything more reliable, not that the creta is the first name in reliability,

Have you thought about buying a car that is still in warranty? you won't get an SUV like you're looking for, but you'll be able to have a car which will give you peace of mind. And you can learn along the way about maintaining these boxes of metal we lust upon. If you're good with maintaining cars and have your heart set on the duster, don't let anybody stop you. But otherwise, I'd strongly recommend spending some time with a trouble free relatively newer car. 6L will only get you old SUVs nowadays, they could be a pain in the wrong place.

TeamBHP is quite pro-"pre-owned car" but I've seen the ordeals people face when a pre owned deal goes wrong. It takes a lot of time, patience and knowledge to go that route, teamBHP will surely help/

[govigov]

Originally Posted by RGCST

I have a budget of around 6L (might stretch a bit if i get a good car) for the car.

A used s-cross 1.6 is about 6 to 7 lacs depending on where you are located. You should seriously look at this car. Good Power, reliable, and good service. Parts / service are costlier than typical maruthis. However, I understand that costlier spare parts now have locally made variants available in the online and offline markets.

[RGCST]

Originally Posted by viXit

Welcome to the forum!

Have you thought about buying a car that is still in warranty? you won't get an SUV like you're looking for, but you'll be able to have a car which will give you peace of mind. /

1 thing i forgot to mention is that I'm looking for a diesel with good torque. I have been driving a petrol over the last few months (lease from Revv) and I'm not at all happy with the performance, after having driven various diesels from Zoomcar's stable over the yrs (Figo, Swift, KUV, Creta, I20, each car multiple times) and I've never had any problem since all of the engines have good torque. With BS6, many diesels have been discontinued and the ones available are costlier, hence I decided to go for a used diesel option. Duster is 1 car that no longer comes in diesel option and I figured now is the best time to buy it while spares would still be available when needed.

While on the topic, I was also wondering if I could consider a Terrano since it is essentially a Duster under the skin. If I do go for one, are parts interchangeable with Duster?

[Kosfactor]

Duster = Renault! The thing is expensive to maintain once the odo crosses 70/80K kms. The clutch, suspension, Injectors (110) replacement comes up around that time followed by timing belt and associated parts afterwards. Anything that breaks out of the ordinary will break your bank.

It is very nice to drive on highway and an excellent vehicle to have while it's on warranty. It is however difficult to drive in the city thanks to the heavy clutch, poor gearing and those bulging fenders are not traffic friendly either.

My friend has a 110 and I drive it pretty often, we absolutely loved it when it was new

Bhpian Tgo probably knows more about Duster than anyone else, read through his posts for more information before you decide.

[RGCST]

Originally Posted by govigov

A used s-cross 1.6 is about 6 to 7 lacs depending on where you are located. You should seriously look at this car.

I don't care much for S-Cross frankly (looks ugly imho).
The other cars I have considered are Honda WR-V & I20 Active. The Active only because I have driven the engine and like it but it still basically looks more like a crossover. I did consider Nexon for a while but read about the stiff ride and decided against it. For the Honda I will have to stretch my budget though.

[satishchugh]

Hi, I am looking to buy a pre-owned Brezza or S-Cross and want to get it evaluated at M.A.S.S. However the dealer I am talking to is asking me to make payment and then take it to M.A.S.S. If I find any issues, he is happy to return the money.

I of course don't want to commit to a deal without getting it checked first. Who knows there is a minor issue, that I can live with but then want the price to be reduced.

Need your guidance on how to deal with this. What's the "norm" on dealers allowing perspective buyer to get the car evaluated/ECU scanned at A.S.S.

[rachitarora1985]

Originally Posted by satishchugh

Hi, I am looking to buy a pre-owned Brezza or S-Cross and want to get it evaluated at M.A.S.S. However the dealer I am talking to is asking me to make payment and then take it to M.A.S.S. If I find any issues, he is happy to return the money.

I of course don't want to commit to a deal without getting it checked first. Who knows there is a minor issue, that I can live with but then want the price to be reduced.

Need your guidance on how to deal with this. What's the "norm" on dealers allowing perspective buyer to get the car evaluated/ECU scanned at A.S.S.

When I visited different dealers while looking for a pre owned car, all of them were ready in getting the car evaluated by me without paying any money. I would personally not pay anything before I'm sure of the car and it's condition. It would be very difficult to get the money back in case the dealer decides to take you for a ride.

[satishchugh]

Originally Posted by rachitarora1985

When I visited different dealers while looking for a pre owned car, all of them were ready in getting the car evaluated by me without paying any money.

So how does this work - they give you the car to be evaluated on your own. Do they send one of their staff with you?
Because if they send somebody, then cost of their time is to be accounted. If they don't they its a risk for them that I will run away with car.

It will help if someone can tell me what's the norm in the market with a bit of detail as its practically my first "used" car purchase.

Apologies for back to back questions.

[rachitarora1985]

Originally Posted by satishchugh

So how does this work - they give you the car to be evaluated on your own. Do they send one of their staff with you?
Because if they send somebody, then cost of their time is to be accounted. If they don't they its a risk for them that I will run away with car.

It will help if someone can tell me what's the norm in the market with a bit of detail as its practically my first "used" car purchase.

Apologies for back to back questions.

While I did not take any of the cars for evaluation (when visiting the dealers) but whenever i told the dealers that I'll get the car evaluated, the dealer was ready to send their person along with the car. If the dealer is confident of the car condition, they will happily send their staff. Obviously, as you pointed out, they will not give the car to you without their staff accompanying. Consider it a part of their commission/ operating cost. In an unorganized market, there is no "norm" as such. Keep in mind that you are spending your moolah and you should be comfortable before putting down any amount of money. If the dealer is pushing for money first, for me, it is a sign that he is aware that something may pop up during the evaluation from A. S. S. and he may probably try to convert this into a sale as some part of your money is already stuck. Be patient while looking out for a used car. It took me around 8 months finding a car with which I was satisfied.

[woof]

Hi All,

I've been searching for compact SUV since last few weeks, and have found one Hyundai Venue SX 1.5 Diesel. The car odometer shows just 6200 kms and was bought in Aug 2020.

- From the exterior, the car looks in pristine shape - there is just one minor scratch on the back.
- The interior looks as good as new
- I have checked the RC and Insurance papers - they look okay too.

My questions are:
- What should I be extra careful about, specially when buying a vehicle which has not even completed 6 months?
- Is there a way to directly check with Hyundai for the car's service history? How?
- What should be good price for this car considering that a brand new Hyundai Venue SX 1.5 costs roughly 11.5 in Gurgaon?

[crazy_coyote166]

Hello everyone, I am looking to buy a pre-owned car for myself with the following constraints:

Total Budget <= 4L . This should include all registration/transfer of ownership costs, cost of the first service after purchase, any mandatory replacements(tires etc) I have to do based on the mileage, etc. Will to stretch this by like 10% if there is some insane option available

Running costs: My usage would be 60% highway and 40% city with a fair bit of ghat roads as well. (I plan on going on a lot of road trips to the mountains). Would prefer the total cost of owning the car to be around 6-8 Rs/Km or lower on an average including maintenance/insurance etc. I would probably drive some 6-10k KMS a year.

Drive experience: Would prefer to have something fun and sturdy like a Polo( haven't driven one but going by the reviews here. It's also confusing that they have 9 engines over the last decade and I can't be picky in the used car market) but I can settle for anything with decent highway manners. Should be easy to drive around in a city but at the same time shouldn't be boring on open roads either.

Don't care much about fuel type (maybe diesel cars are more expensive to maintain? ) or transmission type (doubt I can get an AT for this price range anyway),

I am a new driver and have driven < 500KM in my lifetime till now. This will be my first car. I am also relatively new to the automotive scene, so, I don't know much about judging vehicles. I have already read the threads here on evaluating used cars and things to consider but it would also be nice if people could add car specific advice (if any). I would be taking more experienced friends with me (and probably a mechanic) to evaluate the car but it might get tricky if I have to travel to a different city for the purchase. I am based out of Jaipur at the moment but don't mind making a trip to Delhi or anywhere nearby for the purchase.

I am guessing hatchbacks would make the most sense for me but I am not opposed to the idea of a Sedan as well. I have made a small shortlist with the kind of cars I think would be a good fit for me:

1. Polo ( 2011-12 model 1.2TSi ) ( concerned about low mileage/high maintenance costs though especially in a almost ~10 year old vehicle)
2. Swift (Zxi 2013-14 models)
3. i20 (around 2012 model)
4. Fiesta 1.6s or the Ford Figo diesel (can't find these online anyway )

I am 6'ft tall so some smaller cars may not work for me. I am not a big fan(looks) of Alto/i10/WagonR but willing to consider them if they make sense based on my requirements/get some killer deals.

Please advice me on how to approach this.

PS: I got to know about team-bhp just about a month ago and have been having a great time binging on the various ownership threads, technical stuff and the travelogues. Looking forward to make my own post here with my car soon.

[tsr_83]

Folks - sharing inputs from my misses and hits on my journey in buying used car of above 8 years old (cars of 2013 and earlier). Minimum car accessories are considered (reverse parking alarm, audio system, fog lamps).

Priority1: Check the Heart & Brain: Engine & ECU - It's ok if the color is non-charismatic, few dents, low cost accessories not working BUT ensure to go for city/highway kind of ride, 5-10km and check for below:
How is the acceleration in overbridges on climbing?
Any noise while driving?
How is the braking efficiency?
How is the slow speed gear range?
How is the Dashboard signal for all systems working fine?
Check the engine no (should be viewable under bonnet) and chassis no (should be viewable below driver seat) especially when the vehicle details are not available digitally (in parivahan)

Priority2: Check the eyes and legs:
Look for any minor cracks on windshield as it may cost you INR8k atleast.
Check the Head lamp (High, Low beam), Parking lamp, Tail lamp, Indicators working
Check whether the car has fog lamp provision, if yes - check whether it is working (you need to turn on high/low beam and press fog lamp switch)
Check whether the car has reverse parking alarms and its working?
Check when the tyres were replaced?
Is it normal tyre or tubeless?
Check the tyre condition (ask whether the owner filled nitrogen or normal air)
Check when was the wheel balancing & alignment done
Ask what was the tyre rotation pattern?

Priority3: Check the bones: Front, side, back and underbody structure
Look for any custom welding joints (this may change the vehicle suspension while passing speed breakers/bumps)

Priority4: Check the nose:
Check Air filter: it's easy to open the air filter and look how clean it is (can indicate when was the last service done)
Check AC filter: Again, with little bit of home work, you can find the AC filter position and its look
How is the AC effectiveness?

Priority5: Check the face and pockets
How is the wiper function?
Check the engine oil, brake oil, steering oil, coolant levels (this is also an indicator of whether the car was just readied, you should connect the dots by striking balance with these and with your driving feedback)

Priority6: Check the spine:
Check the seatings, seat adjustments/height adjustments
Check whether the car has screw jack, spare tyre, tools bag
Check whether the owner has spare key
Check the belt tension
Check the clutch plate

Priority7: Check the birth certificate
Check the Registration Certificate, Insurance
Any other documents (sale receipt, service records) are good to have

Check accessories functioning as available in the car. Hope this helps.

Thanks