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-   -   ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying-car/78612-article-beauty-lateral-upgrades-getting-more-car-less-13.html)

With the Forester, not only is it hard to find one, but the probing effort continues when you need spare parts!

Hey, thanks :)

A Pajero is the perfect pre-owned SUV for 10 lakhs. Decent diesel engine, robustly engineered, simple construction, rides well and can manage medium-level offroading too. It's a truck that's built to last.

Good news for you is, HM manages to sell between 100 - 200 Pajeros month after month. End result for us : Lots of used examples just waiting to be picked up. As long as you work hard in screening the market, it shouldn't take more than a month to find a good piece.

It's a currently produced model and hence, spares should be the least of your worries. Plus, due to the grey market imports, you'll find whatever you want from after-market shops.

A pre-purchase inspection from a Mitsubishi showroom (or an expert independent) is a MUST.

GTO- this is OT but i see your VTEC everyday on my morning run- I guess someone who lives close to my house has bought it :)

Hi,
I am looking at buying a brand new corolla or a used accord which is driven about 15-20K kms and will cost more or less equivalent to a new corolla.

I am bowled down by the features and comfort of the accord. Not sure how much it will cost for maintainence, but I am worried about the warranty, hence thinking for a new corolla.

Let your thoughts flow.

Rgds

It's a no brainer this one :)

Go for a brand new Corolla Altis - it's a fantastic car and although the Accord is definitely a notch higher it's just not worth getting a second hand one.

The New Accord which sells currently is almost 20 lacs and if you can get one of these for about 12 - 13 Lacs in good condition then I'd say go for it.

The older generation Accord - you can easily find plenty for 7 - 8 Lacs.

As a proponent of pre-worshipped cars, I cannot recommend the used Accord enough to you. 20,000 kms for a Honda is nothing, the car is practically brand new. The Japs are known to serve reliably till 2,00,000 kms (and then some more). You are effectively getting a car that's run 10% of its life for 40 - 50% less. Car for car, the Accord has substantially more to offer and will keep you satisfied for a long time to come.

Of course, you need to ensure that you go through our detailed used car guides, and follow the recommendations to the T, for a smooth experience.

@GTO - well said. But I view this as a bit of a complex problem.
Let me say why....
Scenario A) Which is the happy path... the car does not have any sort of dodgy history etc. and the owner is well known to the buyer.

Scenario B) More likely - wherein - the buyer does not know the history of the car (maybe no service record), does not know the owner, and finally does not know about possible problem areas of cars in general.

In some countries they do try to make Scenario B) as less intimidating to the buyer as possible - e.g. for a small fee one can check if the VIN was involved in an accident etc.

But in India - unfortunately that is not the case. Also many owners don't maintain a file of service history. So even if one takes a trusted mechanic to check the car out - there's always an iffy bit - i.e. what if this car turns out to have problems later on.


Which is why some people shy away from the lateral upgrade at less Rs and instead prefer to invest in a brand new but less expensive car.

To each his own.

Well, there has to be some disadvantage to buying used. That's precisely why they go so cheap. For the layman, I agree that new cars make more sense. But for an informed Team-BHPian, used is clearly the way to go if you want the max bang for the buck. Adhere to our detailed used car guides and you have all your grounds covered.

Like CARFAX® Vehicle History Reports™ - used car VIN check, auto history search, VIN number lookup I've used it, but it has limitations. Good, though not absolute. Our pre-purchase-inspections & insurance company verifications are better.

Everybody,

I have a theory that once a car has run something like 80,000 kms, it is time to replace expensive parts like timing belt, suspension and perhaps even the AC compressor & other AC components as they go kaput. So, a car that has run around 80,000 kms might not be a good buy.

However, a car that has run something like 110,000 kms most probably has new components. So according to me, it is better to buy an used car at 110,000 kms on the odo at a lower price than to buy an used car at 80,000 kms at a higher price.

Is this theory valid?

Note from Mod : Please do NOT use more than 2 smilies per post.

Amazing thread GTO.:thumbs up Excellent. How did I miss this? Anyway, i am getting ideas, too. After all, if you are a car nut, then you wouldn't like to be tied down to just one car for years and be bored ( no matter how good it is ) with it. Variety indeed is spice of life!!! :D Know what I mean, yeah? Since you can't do that with your women, why not with the cars.

Hi all, esp bargain hunter GTO!

what would be the right price for a 2008 NHC Vtec +, silver color Madurai (TN) reg 20K run car?, Single owner.

Cheers,

Makesh.

Yep I agree completely :thumbs up

Many people go by this and even here in the local classified in Sweden people try to push of cars with around 90-100 000 kms on the clock so that they don't have to pay for the "full service" where several components are replaced costing a lot of moolah.

I wouldn't apply it as a blanket rule at all. Best solution : Whether the car has run 80,000 or 110,000 kms, check the service history for replaced parts. E.g. If a car is running its original clutch at 100,000+ kms, you know what bill to expect sooner rather than later.

Personally, I'd never buy a car with 100,000 kms on the clock. Sure, if it was my car with over 100,000 kms on the clock, I may continue to use it. However, there is a difference between continuing with your own 100,000 km car (and knowing its history) versus buying someone elses 100,000 kms (high mileage + uncertainty of usage, maintenance etc.).

Going down the pre-owned alley makes all the more sense to those who change their cars often.

Please post your query in the used car price check thread.

GTO and other used car buyers - I need your advice. Basic questions.

I'm looking for a used AT - Civic, Accord, Altis - but only if less than 10K kms.

What do you think about my price expectation?
Civic: 8-8.5L
Accord:10-10.5L
Corolla:8.5-9L(Mainly due to lower inventory)

I see numerous AT Civics under 10K - but they're all quoting above 11L - do you think negotiation room is high?

GTO - can you please share your dealer sheet? I, and others, could greatly benefit from your organization.

Also called Tejas, but he didnt want to puruse, when I told him under 10K kms requirement

Amit

Mods: Please move this to relevant section if necessary.

Folks, I had said that i would start a thread to put in my thoughts about buying a used car. More than thoughts these are the situations I went through which I would just narrate while at the same time point out possible mistakes that I did, which you can avoid and work on. This way I want to help ensure that all those of you who do want a lateral upgrade get their cars in a smooth fashion avoiding unnecessary confusions that occur in between.

I am not orderly when it comes to speaking out my mind, so i ll randomize my thoughts as they occur. This thread will run for a few days before I conclude on what I have to say. This thread is not about what to check for in a car, but rather how to maintain a composed mind while looking out for a used car. I have a direct reference to ToyotaUTrust here, so without any beating round the bush, I ll say my experiences as they occurred.

Casual vs Serious vists

Many a time while we are in the thought process of buying a new car, we also casually think of why not an old car at that mouth watering price perhaps, and enter a used car showroom. Here there are two types of people, one who have money for the deal, and one who dont, and haven't yet contemplated on how to source the finance for such a deal, worse even - those who don't even understand what is involved in such finances for used cars.

Lets assume your car is atleast 3 months to go along the horizon, you would perhaps be on the border line between a serious buyer and a casual one. Further if i take the liberty to assume you are a casual buyer then your mind will simply want to take a look at whatever comes your way. You could look at a D segment, or a c+ or even a small car since the end result is always the same - you are going to walk out of the car showroom without even caring to buy one.

Now lets come to the case where you are a serious buyer but do not have the cash ready for a second hand deal. And you dont have a car to sell in return. I go into the showroom freezing on one type of car and see many of those, nicely washed and dried shining parked there. My inquisitiveness takes over and I start checking out the cars one by one. Price is never at the top of your mind when you are doing this. Its more of finding a good vehicle - good meaning either with less mileage on the odo, or greatly maintained interiors, or the ownership status, with almost zero scratches or dents. Until you spot one of these your mind wont tick asking you to go to the next step - the price.

If you do not spot such a vehicle, then your mind begins to look for other vehicles around the one you wanted, but are in better shape. These might cost more to confuse you more, or cost less to make it easy for you. You come out confused out of the showroom in such a case and would revisit later when you are more clear on your requirements, keeping in mind what you just saw/visualized at the showroom.

On the contrary assume that you did find a spotless vehicle of your liking, the mind immediately elevates you to the next level of a discussion on the pricing. Here is where the dealer takes over your mind. In my next post I will explain dealer tactics for the category of people who are just looking for a used car (without their own car to sell).

Waiting, waiting... !