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Old 21st July 2012, 01:39   #406
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Naah, a hatch doesn't tick all the options for me. Forgot to add, these 200-300km will be done only on weekend highway trips and/or long distances. So, a big boot is also necessary. Which among the mentioned cars would you select in this case?
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Old 21st July 2012, 02:36   #407
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by prateekm View Post
Dad is planning to buy a Cruze, so I'll be getting his Corolla. Now, I don't want to use a car with a boring 1800cc engine with a slushbox so I am planning to sell it and buy some good enthusiast's car.[/b]
Ahem..Ahem...some people just don't consider themselves lucky enough!

Skoda Octavia vRS
Be reminded of the horror tales of Skoda ownership. The vRS is a cracker of a car, but spares and reliability may bother you later. I don't know much about the user-experience but my friend had one of these, which used to give him headaches every now and then. He sold it later and bought a City Vtec instead.


Mitsubishi Cedia
It's a wonderful car. You will indeed get it for a throwaway price. Spares might trouble you here again. But there are mods aplenty on this car.


Honda Civic
If I were in your shoes I'd have put my money on this sweet Vtec motor. Unless you plan to go rally, this is going to keep you grinning from ear to ear every time you get behind the wheel. Spares not going to be an issue . You have Honda reliability. You can get a used one in mint condition for around 4.5-5 lacs. And I think it's one of the best sporty looking sedans in the country today. Mods will only make it yummier!


Optra Magnum
Diesel-power-plant. Efficiency and wheel-spin will go hand in hand. Mods available easily. But to my eye, it looks a bit outdated. Neither is it as sporty like other cars here. Also, as you have a Cruze coming home already, you can taste the monstrous torque in that too.

I ditched the Palio S10/GTX just because of the spare parts availability at my place. So choose wisely and sensibly. You don't want to be left stranded on a near-by hill-station when something goes wrong and nobody can fix it. That said, I think none of the above cars, barring the Skoda, will give you any troubles until something goes terribly wrong.

My suggestion- Honda Civic

Last edited by Shivank : 21st July 2012 at 02:44. Reason: Typo
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Old 21st July 2012, 02:44   #408
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Cutting short the descriptions etc,here's a list that you could check out.Many might have already mentioned them but nonetheless here they are.
In no particular order:
Honda civic, Honda accord v6, Honda city vtec, skoda Octavia rs, Chevrolet cruze, Mitsubishi cedia etc.
Besides these even a swift petrol is great to drive.You could even think of the Hyundai verna.Even a lancer would be an interesting buy.
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Old 21st July 2012, 05:05   #409
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

As @Shivank has said, if budget permits just go for the Civic, its a wonderful car which has not made it big in the Indian market. Driving Civic is pure exhilarating and repairs arent that expensive too.

The current one (Octagonal taillamps one) is better on suspensions and it does not scrape so often. If possible get that.
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Old 21st July 2012, 09:38   #410
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No, the Cruze will be at Gurgaon where dad is currently based. This car will be at Mumbai. I'm very confused between the cedia and the civic, because the Cedia is 2 lacs cheaper to buy and the Civic has the Honda reliability and a bit more snob value. It also is a segment higher compared to the Cedia.

Last edited by prateekm : 21st July 2012 at 09:39.
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Old 21st July 2012, 09:53   #411
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Like I said in the PM, avoid the vRS because I doubt you will get a clean car. And the Optra Diesel has its own share of issues, besides not being that much fun to drive.

The Cedia, now if you are getting a low km run car in good condition at a good price, go for it. It is reliable, and service costs aren't going to be bad. Also the part prices have come down over the years.

Civic again is a great car to drive, with a brilliant driving position. The low end torque won't be an issue for the amount of km's you will put on the car, city driving or not. Its quite manageable.

Again I say stick to these 2, whichever has the best example available pick that up and don't look back.
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Old 21st July 2012, 11:09   #412
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Prateek, go find yourself a good petrol Mondeo. You should be able to get one for max 3 lakhs. Spend the rest of the money on whatever little maintenece it will need when you buy it. I did this 2 years ago and trust me I have not regretted my decision even once and I plan to keep the car for another 2 years.

Pros
Amazing low end torque.
Superb handling.
Loads of space inside plus big boot.
The best seats I have ever encountered. Amazingly ergonomic.
Tons of hidden features, which I am still discovering. LOL

Cons
Low ground clearance, but I have not scraped the bottom anywhere yet.
Parts not available easily. But can be imported very easily and are still cheap compared to company prices.

What say Suhaas?

Last edited by vikram_d : 21st July 2012 at 11:12.
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Old 21st July 2012, 11:27   #413
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Post your corolla details on our classified, old men like me might be interested in a reliable family car.
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Old 21st July 2012, 11:49   #414
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shivank View Post
You have Honda reliability. You can get a used one in mint condition for around 4.5-5 lacs.
I doubt whether you'll get a Civic in good condition for that price. Should be around 6.5-7 lacs.
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Old 21st July 2012, 12:46   #415
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

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Originally Posted by Daewood View Post
I doubt whether you'll get a Civic in good condition for that price. Should be around 6.5-7 lacs.
The price is good enough to get him a good Civic, there was a parasi owned low mileage 07 civic was going for as low as 4.45 in our own classified.
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Old 21st July 2012, 13:01   #416
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by prateekm View Post
...I am looking only for used cars.

What matters:

Initial pickup: Yes, I'd love the 'thrown-back-into-your-seat' kinda feeling. A good 0-100 also matters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by prateekm View Post
a big boot is also necessary
Looking at your requirements and budget, IF you can wait and are willing to hunt around for some time - IMHO there is no car to beat the 2001 OHC VTEC.

It ticks all the boxes as per your requirements, except perhaps the availability of spares, existing owners of the Vtec in Mumbai on TBHP can clarify this!!

I guess what I am trying to say is that if I were you, I would not think twice about which 2nd hand car to buy in this segment and would be ready to pay a premium for it as well, that is IF I could find one - but then I would wait!!

Last edited by PGNarain : 21st July 2012 at 13:12.
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Old 21st July 2012, 13:24   #417
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

The Civic definitely! It ticks most boxes
- Good high-revving engine
- Good spares availability and easy to maintain
- Looks great! even though its not your priority.

PM me details of your Corolla AT, I might be interested
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Old 21st July 2012, 13:24   #418
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

You can also look at the Old fiesta 1.6 S or 1.6 SXI. The engine is a good performer and the handling is superb. The car is proven & not prone to regular niggles and high maintenance bills. Will be cramped in comparison to a VRs or civic, but you will be spared from high maintenance costs of the VRs and poor low end grunt of the Civic!
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Old 21st July 2012, 14:18   #419
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Well, you already have a 1.8L Corolla. How I wonder the other cars you've mentioned which fall in the same sector will make a difference.
If I was in your place I'd be blissfully happy with Corolla. And yes, I'd surely count on Civic in the higher end and Swift in the lower. Good luck anyways..
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Old 21st July 2012, 15:15   #420
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Re: Help me decide an used enthusiast's car in 4.5 lacs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by prateekm View Post
I am planning to sell it and buy some good enthusiast's car. First, I thought of restricting my budget to 2.5l, but with limited options, I increased it to 4.5l. Here's a short summary of what I'd like in the car. I am looking only for used cars.

So what do you guys suggest? This is my first car, so it will be a keeper for at least a few years.
There is no better car than the Fiesta S for this requirement.
The Civic has ground clearance and low end grunt problems,
The Cedia is passe,
the Octavia etc are best admired from far.
The Fiesta S is company modded for the enthusiast. Spares are cheap, the car has all the bells and whistles, is extremely low on maintenance.
The best drivers car south of a 3 series BMW.
Go for it maan.
However S owners are so possessive that it is not easy to get hold of a used one
Good luck hunting. Saw one in the classifieds though.
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