[HooghlyBoy]

Yes, I do agree that shelling out some more money to buy a better car always pays in the long run. In 2007 when I was searching for my 1st Car, I had Alto in my mind. My Dad & Mom accompanied me for test-drive and on seeing the newly launched Zen Estilo persuaded me to go for it. It had a more powerful 1100 CC engine (same as Wagon R) and power-windows. It was in our family for 13 long-years and I had upgraded to alloys in 2012 and just sold it few months ago with 90000 Kms on the ODO as We got a Hyundai Aura with all the bells and whistles. Safety is a big concern and Estilo lacks the ABS, EBD, Air Bags etc. which give you peace of mind and confidence behind the wheels for Highway long-drives.

[SN88]

In our present garage:
2008 Honda city ( Kms 145k ) Going strong perfectly and decided to keep until 2023. Chose the city over the cheaper Baleno.

2009 Chevrolet Uva ( Kms 95,000) Going reasonable well and decided to keep until 2022. Chose the Uva over the i10, almost same price at the time.

2014 Hyundai i10 Auto ( Kms 45k) Perfectly fine used only for kids and the market etc. Will keep until 2025. Had to buy an a/t for wifey to drop the kids and go to the salon etc

2018 VW Tiguan ( Kms 35000 ) First experience with a VW lets see how it holds up, too early to gauge. Chose over the ford endeavour against my wishes as family vetoed :(


I surely feel the above is money beyond well spent if you calculate the usage.
We have not spent any money on any of the above other than regular servicing and replacing of parts as per usual wear and tear.

[krishnakumar]

Is there a general thumb rule to fix the budget of a car? I have done some budgeting for a new car that I intend to buy and it seems like I can push it to a level which is a little "over the budget" as a mental blocker. On paper though, I'm still able to save considerably and leave enough liquidity for emergencies.

However, being from a middle class family and growing up with financial prudence instilled, I'm at conflict with my "enthusiast driver" self.

And this thread hasn't helped one bit and I mean that in a good way

What should be the monthly expense of car (EMI, Fuel etc.) be as a % of net monthly income (after taxes)? Are there general thumb rules around this? Needless to say, I intend to keep the car for as long as it'll serve me well. I still own my 2012 Yamaha FZ-S and have no plans on selling that sweetheart.

The contenders right now are:

1. Seltos/Creta

+ Fits comfortably within my budget

+ Has all the creature comforts that I'm looking for

+ Overall performance is good

- Concerns over safety of the monocoque

- Concerns over reliability issues over the period (the Jeep SA in his pitch had this to say of Hyundai/Kia - "they use internal components which are cheaply sourced and which can fail. Nobody talks about them and nobody cares. This is how they keep their prices low. Jeep uses components which are best in class like Bosch and hence the prices are high, but so is their performance long-term". I have no way to verify this but took his word for it. Senior BHPians can comment on this.)

- No 4x4 (this is something I'd prefer to have as an explorer roadtripper more than just a highway cruiser)

2. Jeep Compass

+ Excellent build quality and plush interiors. The "thud" from closing the door swept me off my feet. Everything feels solid.Just feels nice to touch everything (kinda important for me)

+ Euro NCAP 5 Star (Indian version not tested but my assumption here is that the chassis is same?)

+ Excellent driving dynamics

+ Has 4x4 option

- The facelift version, especially the one with 4x4 is VERY expensive. Concerns over "financial prudence"

- Concerns over maintenance costs and service availability (I'm mostly going to be between Bangalore, Mumbai and Trivandrum - so not sure how much of a concern service availability should be)

3. Mahindra XUV700

Since it is too early to say anything, I'm just waiting for the launch and price details. However, I do have concerns over the build quality and initial launch niggles.

My biggest gripe with Jeep Compass is just its price. If I can validate and benchmark myself to generally accepted thumb rules, it'll greatly help my purchase decision.

Can the experts on the forum help me with some guidance?

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by krishnakumar

Is there a general thumb rule to fix the budget of a car? I have done some budgeting for a new car that I intend to buy and it seems like I can push it to a level which is a little "over the budget" as a mental blocker. On paper though, I'm still able to save considerably and leave enough liquidity for emergencies.

How fit the purchased vehicle is for your utility eventually decides your satisfaction with it, if you do not need a 7 seater, do not get it , the increased up keep cost of a larger vehicle wont be worth it unless there is frequent use for it.

You can save a lot of money by buying an Alto800 but it wont suit very well if you are a frequent highway traveler. Likewise If you purchase a very expensive vehicle by stretching too much and now you are left with little money for making good use of it as well as its proper upkeep, again that wont work too.

This is a balance, you get it right and the vehicle is a keeper - for long.

Thumb Rule? Fit for purpose is ideal but with cars there are many temptations. Thar being around, even the most sensible of people I'm aware of has asked me about buying it as a family car - Good luck.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by krishnakumar

Is there a general thumb rule to fix the budget of a car? I have done some budgeting for a new car that I intend to buy and it seems like I can push it to a level which is a little "over the budget" as a mental blocker. On paper though, I'm still able to save considerably and leave enough liquidity for emergencies.

The thumb rule is: If you can afford what the heart wants, then go for it.

Looks like your heart is set on the Jeep Compass. Only you and perhaps your immediate family will know whether you can afford it or not. Maybe a financial consultant can also tell, provided he/she has the complete picture of your financials. But, if you can afford it, then definitely go for it. You don't want to be sitting and sulking in a Seltos every time a Compass passes by, do you?

[crazy42]

How about buying a secondhand car now which I keep for 1-2 years and then replace it with a better car? As opposed to waiting for another 6 months to accumulate the budget needed for the car and purchase it then? There is also option of retaining the car and going all in for a second car.

I have not yet finalized on "the car to buy". Currently I'm planning for a honda city vx but have doubts as next year there will be a newer city. I'm also waiting for xuv700 and new sedans for VAG for which I would want to wait for initial ownership reviews.

Few things that keep running in my mind are that this will be my first car and am a bit nervous with owning a new car. I have driven various rentals and friends cars and my wife also knows driving so preferring an automatic.

[heydj]

I am very confused so please help. I agree to theme of this thread and have a question.

I love Fortuner and wish to get petrol AT, however its a car I cannot afford right now. Maybe in 2-3 years but knowing Toyota they would have priced it high by then.

What I can afford today is car till 20 - 22 Lakh OTR. Fortuner is 36L OTR. Difference of 14L.

Only cars I like are Thar AT and Fortuner AT. Choice is between these two. For me more space of Fortuner is irrelevant as its going to be 2 seater usage mostly. However i love both Fortuner & Thar looks.

If I buy thar today will it be a mistake in long run? Should i buy Fortuner? Is Thar or Fortuner a car I will be happy with for next 10-15 years? Will they make me smile?

Between these two which do i buy to keep for long term? Which will keep me happy for atleast 15 years?

I love doing long drives for pleasure and dont use car much so mileage is not a concern.

Btw please dont recommend any other car. Choice is between these two only.

[Jatin247]

Originally Posted by heydj

I am very confused so please help.
What I can afford today is car till 20 - 22 Lakh OTR. Fortuner is 36L OTR. Difference of 14L.

14L is too much of a price difference. I would suggest you to look at less used Fortuner’s from 2019/20. In my opinion the changes made by Toyota are negligible and I have seen videos on YouTube in which people have converted old fortuner into legender too.
If you are not keen on getting a used car Thar would be a better choice. Spending extra 14L on fortuner wouldn’t be financially sane decision. If you are afraid that Toyota might increase the price of vehicle later then I would suggest you to invest the extra money in good mutual funds and stock market. You can also consider XUV 7oo if you don’t mind the waiting period, offers much more value for money.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by heydj

What I can afford today is car till 20 - 22 Lakh OTR. Fortuner is 36L OTR. Difference of 14L.

This is a very subjective thread and the definition of 'more' expensive differs from one person to another. Since you have already calculated and figured out that you can afford max of 20-22L then 14L more is almost 75% increase.

The suggestions provided in this thread is more to do with upgrading to a higher variant of the same segment or to the immediate next segment. Fortuner is 2 segments above Thar.

If you go for a Thar, the waiting periods are long so may be you can invest the 22L in Mutual Funds or strong stocks (check with your financial advisor) and target returns of 50% in the next 1 year. This will help you get a car you desire along with a high satisfaction of investing for a specific goal.

If you cannot absolutely live without Thar or Fortuner for another year, then go for the Thar Petrol AT.

[wildsdi5530]

Originally Posted by heydj

Maybe in 2-3 years but knowing Toyota they would have priced it high by then.

You are very right. Fortuner launched 10 years back at 19L is now 50L on road. In 2-3 years, it will be 70-75L. My advice would be if you're going to hold the car for 15 years, but the T-fort now. Before the next price hike.

Thar may not last you that long, or will at least have become expensive to maintain.
Your requirements would have changed in that time.
You may end up selling the T-fort at close to buying price in few years time, if you decide to sell it.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by heydj

Only cars I like are Thar AT and Fortuner AT. Choice is between these two.

The upcoming Scorpio could be the perfect middle ground between these two! Certainly will be one of the last mid-segment ladder frame SUVs in the market.

[heydj]

Originally Posted by Jatin247

14L is too much of a price difference. I would suggest you to look at less used Fortuner’s from 2019/20. In my opinion the changes made by Toyota are negligible and I have seen videos on YouTube in which people have converted old fortuner into legender too.
If you are not keen on getting a used car Thar would be a better choice

Is used Fortuner reliable? I am assuming given a choice between used Fortuner and new Thar preferences should be T-Fort?

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The upcoming Scorpio could be the perfect middle ground between these two! Certainly will be one of the last mid-segment ladder frame SUVs in the market.

I am currently driving Skoda Rapid. I am kind of done with living in fear of issues and need something good and reliable. New Scorpio would have niggles.

Btw folks is Thar a vehicle that is reliable and can be kept for 10-15 years? I am ok with little bit of risks but not Skoda level risks, at some point in life person does not want too many hassles.

[Blue_Pearl]

I have booked a Seltos GTX DCT recently (by stretching my budget by a few lakhs) . I want to use it for about 8 to 10 years.

I am the kind of person who does not frequently change my drive. My first car was a bare-bone Alto std. which was bought by my mother when I was still in college. That car had nothing, no AC, no power steering, not even a CD player , but still we used it for 9.5 years (about 44,000 kms) In 2014, when the Celerio was launched I wanted to opt for the model which has everything in it, hence bought Zxi(Abs) version. Now it's been almost 8 years (62,000 kms) and though the car is still in great condition, I want to upgrade to a car with a bigger and comfortable space and boot.

Again I want to buy a car which has everything in it (and it should be automatic) so that I can keep it for a long term (8-10 years). That's why I have booked a GTX DCT. My question is regarding the reliability. Is the DCT version the right choice for keeping the car long term? I do not want to buy a Diesel and sadly, Kia does not have a TC gearbox for the Petrol top model.

I did consider the S-Cross, but found very little difference compared to my Celerio (regarding dashboard and features) and also the 4 speed gearbox is mediocre. I also considered the City and thought it is a great car, but did not feel premium compared to the Korean twins.

[Viper21]

Hello All,
I am in a dilemma and hope this wonderful community can help.
I have a 2009 tata Manza petrol which is still going strong. Only turnoffs being a slightly heavier clutch and less torque on road trips
I am considering a new car with 6 to 7 seats.

Option 1: but the Innova crysta gx auto for 26.5 L period. As you can see I have the Manza for about 12 yrs now. Only consideration is what if i don't drive that much to justify an Innova at that price. Also I don't know if XUV 700 will be a better choice few years from now.

Option 2 : go for the XL 6 auto for now, wait for a few years and hope by then XUV 700 or safari with awd will come out and will be relatively niggle free. Probably upgrade then. I didn't like the power delivery on the XL 6 as we usually are 5+ and travel with good amount of luggage. Lesser torque on hills means stares from faster drivers .it's not gonna make me extremely happy on road trips but my wallet will be happier

Considering my financial situation and commitments it's a stretch for the Innova whereas the XL 6 is an easy buy.

With the context of this thread will an Innova and the difference of 11 L be cheaper on the long run than XL6 + and another upgrade to safari / XUV few years down the road? I am extremely confused, please help

Any perspective is appreciated.

[chaosengine]

This post and also the subsequent thread has been an eye-opener. Thanks GTO for sharing your wisdom!

I have a question with respect to execution though -

• In retrospect, it seems obvious to most of us that a City would be a better car over a Swift Dzire. Certain iconic cars like the Swift (maybe not as great as it used to be), City, Creta, Innova. However, in the ongoing scene when there are so many changes - at the time of purchase, how does one decide what's "better"? Because this is extremely subjective, and expensive does not always imply better. Can anyone shed some light on how to do this evaluation on what's "better"?
• Where do we stop? For example, today I can afford an Ignis, in another 12 months a bigger and better Nexon, and in 2 years time a Honda City, and in another 5, maybe an Octavia. With every couple of lakhs and a bump in segment, while we get a much better car, the question of how much car do we need, and also the question of diminishing returns - so where is the sweet spot of waiting so that the delayed gratification seems worth it?

Originally Posted by GTO

Disclaimer: This thought-process is entirely based on you retaining the better / more expensive car for a longer period than a “regular” car. But if you still want to change your car every 5 years, this thread isn’t for you.

Ever wondered how & why I keep my cars for so long? It’s simple = I buy the better car, even if it’s more expensive at the start, but retain it for 9 – 10 years (it's very EASY to hold onto a top-class car for longer). Yes, this might work out costlier initially, yet it's cheaper in the longer run. Why so? Read this thread - Depreciation - The Silent Killer (Resale Value - The Silent Killer).

Thread summary: Buy a 'great' car and use it for 8 – 10 years instead of buying 'good' cars & replacing them every 5 years.
.