[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by MacBa

The owner is quoting 7L (its an August 2012 mfg car regd in Jan 2013) but given the above facts, I feel it should be lower. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

Too expensive in my opinion, and this example doesn't seem that well taken care of.
With VW parts being expensive - you may end up spending 80K - 1L on just replacing the HL + roof trim + rattles + other minor work to bring the car up to scratch. Not to mention another huge amount when the clutch is due for replacement.

Would be better to negotiate the price down, or look for another alternative vehicle.

For reference - better maintained Laura TSi's with the bigger 1.8L engine and similar Odo reading, etc. can be had for around 5-6L.

[Aaron:)]

I currently drive a 2009 Honda City S M/T. The car has performed flawlessly for the past 8 years, but now the upgrade itch has begun.

The current value of my car is around 4-5 lakhs. A new City costs almost 16lakhs, and doesn't feel like much of an upgrade from my car. Point is, the cheapest car that's a proper upgrade costs at least 17 lakhs. Which is why I'm considering going the pre-worshipped route.

The car needs to be as reliable and fuss free as my City, and have some amount of snob value as well . Also, the car shouldn't be older than 2013-14.

My budget is 10 lakhs, any suggestions?

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

I currently drive a 2009 Honda City S M/T. The car has performed flawlessly for the past 8 years, but now the upgrade itch has begun.

The current value of my car is around 4-5 lakhs. A new City costs almost 16lakhs, and doesn't feel like much of an upgrade from my car. Point is, the cheapest car that's a proper upgrade costs at least 17 lakhs. Which is why I'm considering going the pre-worshipped route.

The car needs to be as reliable and fuss free as my City, and have some amount of snob value as well . Also, the car shouldn't be older than 2013-14.

My budget is 10 lakhs, any suggestions?

A used VW Jetta would fit the bill perfectly. A 2013-14 model is a bit of a stretch to your existing budget. The car is a marvel and the Built-to-last built quality is just so good and there's a tinge of German Engineering in every bit of the car which you'll like.

The car is very reliable and this is the only German Executive Saloon I can think of which is very reliable and is a hoot to drive. The 2.0 TDI is a hoot to drive and you just can't stop to grin about this beast when you're behind the wheel. Though the dieselgate fix has messed that FTD factor of the 2.0 TDI but a remap can get that FTD factor back (which hardly costs 20-30k).

If you're a petrol guy, the 1.4 TFSI wouldn't disappoint you either. The proven drivability of the 1.4 TFSI is too good to be ignored and the urban drivability is said to be a lot better than the 1.8 TFSI and 2.0 TDI.

The Jetta is known for its ride and handling. The multilink rear suspension shows its true colours when you're at the corners.

The car overall fits your bill IMO and is an ideal upgrade to the City and top of it, it's a segment higher up from the City and this will really make you feel like a proper upgrade and the More-For-Less VFM quotient of this car is maintained in the used car market.

All the best with your future upgrade,
Varun

[namanchaudhary]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

I currently drive a 2009 Honda City S M/T. The car has performed flawlessly for the past 8 years, but now the upgrade itch has begun.

The current value of my car is around 4-5 lakhs. A new City costs almost 16lakhs, and doesn't feel like much of an upgrade from my car. Point is, the cheapest car that's a proper upgrade costs at least 17 lakhs. Which is why I'm considering going the pre-worshipped route.

The car needs to be as reliable and fuss free as my City, and have some amount of snob value as well . Also, the car shouldn't be older than 2013-14.

My budget is 10 lakhs, any suggestions?

I agree with Varun for Jetta, it's a fantastic car. Period!

Another alternative I could think of is an 2014 Elantra. It'd really feel like an upgrade to you over the City

[MacBa]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Too expensive in my opinion, and this example doesn't seem that well taken care of.
With VW parts being expensive - you may end up spending 80K - 1L on just replacing the HL + roof trim + rattles + other minor work to bring the car up to scratch. Not to mention another huge amount when the clutch is due for replacement.

Would be better to negotiate the price down, or look for another alternative vehicle.

Told him 5.5L but the owner still wants at least 6.5.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Tell him 6 lacs; take it or leave it. Unless you don't mind paying so much money and still being left with a car with not only faded (which can in a few cases be buffed out) but broken lights, torn roof-lining (entire thing will need to be replaced), misaligned bumper meaning clips are bust, scratches all over and a cheap set of tyres. This car has clearly been owned by people who cannot drive it properly, and also cannot afford to keep it in good shape;

Take it or leave it, it is!

Originally Posted by acemanhiflier

I agree with FM above. 6-6.5L should be a fair pricing for this. I paid 7.5L for my car which is mid 2014, 27K kms, original tires, impeccable condition (other than door rattle, minor scratches and one missing AC vent tab), in extended warranty and 0-dep insurance till mid 2018.

You did get a pretty sweet deal. Hope to find a nice TSi soon!

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

I currently drive a 2009 Honda City S M/T. The car has performed flawlessly for the past 8 years, but now the upgrade itch has begun.

The current value of my car is around 4-5 lakhs. A new City costs almost 16lakhs, and doesn't feel like much of an upgrade from my car. Point is, the cheapest car that's a proper upgrade costs at least 17 lakhs. Which is why I'm considering going the pre-worshipped route.

The car needs to be as reliable and fuss free as my City, and have some amount of snob value as well . Also, the car shouldn't be older than 2013-14.

My budget is 10 lakhs, any suggestions?

The Jetta 2.0 TDI will fit the bill perfectly. Even post the dieselgate, the initial torque because of the displacement of the engine is just phenomenal. Multilink suspension is something you only find on Audis and guess what, no other diesel sedan currently on sale, offers this setup below 20 lacs.

The Jetta is truly an Audi A4 in Volkswagen clothing.

Originally Posted by Varun_HexaGuy

A used VW Jetta would fit the bill perfectly. A 2013-14 model is a bit of a stretch to your existing budget. The car is a marvel and the Built-to-last built quality is just so good and there's a tinge of German Engineering in every bit of the car which you'll like.

The car is very reliable and this is the only German Executive Saloon I can think of which is very reliable and is a hoot to drive.

If you're a petrol guy, the 1.4 TFSI wouldn't disappoint you either. The proven drivability of the 1.4 TFSI is too good to be ignored and the urban drivability is said to be a lot better than the 1.8 TFSI and 2.0 TDI.


Varun

Stretching the budget is not a problem, but the Jetta (like any other car, Japanese or German) has a few issues which might prove to be irritants more than costly fixes.

These are the things you need to look out for:

- Water pump: A known issue for all the 2.0 TDI engines in the VAG stable. If caught on time, it will set you back by about 7.8K. If not, it might damage the timing kit and will cost you upwards of 20K.

- A/C compressor: Not many cases of a failed compressor, but a solenoid valve is known to go bust. Cheap to fix at FNG, will be ripped by the A.S.S

Additionally, I would suggest going only for the 2.0 TDI. The 1.4 TSI doesn't do justice to the dynamics of this car. Moreover, I am suggesting the TDI because you come from a City, which is one of the best N/A petrols in the industry.

One thing I would like to point out is that the 1.4 doesn't have the explosive nature of the 1.8, and thats where it loses out. The I-vtec is just beautiful up in the rev range and if you want to upgrade from it, then the TDI is the only valid choice IMHO.

Originally Posted by namanchaudhary

I agree with Varun for Jetta, it's a fantastic car. Period!

Another alternative I could think of is an 2014 Elantra. It'd really feel like an upgrade to you over the City

None of the two engines in the Elantra impress to be honest. The 1.8 N/A petrol doesn't have the explosiveness of the TSIs and the 1.6 CRDi is shared with the Verna. Dynamics are something which was a sore point for the previous Elantra.

Final advice: The Jetta is the best car in the D-segment pre-owned market, but it has to be the 2.0 TDI, not the 1.4 TSI for me. I prefer the 2.0 TDI only because you are upgrading from a Honda City. Stretch for a post October 2013 Highline, since it had all the Bells and whistles. Bi-xenons, Headlamp washers, Dual zone climate control etc, were only available on the Jetta after late 2013.

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Originally Posted by vishy76

The Jetta 2.0 TDI will fit the bill perfectly. Even post the dieselgate, the initial torque because of the displacement of the engine is just phenomenal. Multilink suspension is something you only find on Audis and guess what, no other diesel sedan currently on sale, offers this setup below 20 lacs.

Stretching the budget is not a problem, but the Jetta (like any other car, Japanese or German) has a few issues which might prove to be irritants more than costly fixes.

Additionally, I would suggest going only for the 2.0 TDI. The 1.4 TSI doesn't do justice to the dynamics of this car. Moreover, I am suggesting the TDI because you come from a City, which is one of the best N/A petrols in the industry.

One thing I would like to point out is that the 1.4 doesn't have the explosive nature of the 1.8, and thats where it loses out. The I-vtec is just beautiful up in the rev range and if you want to upgrade from it, then the TDI is the only valid choice IMHO.

Final advice: The Jetta is the best car in the D-segment pre-owned market, but it has to be the 2.0 TDI, not the 1.4 TSI for me. I prefer the 2.0 TDI only because you are upgrading from a Honda City.

Plus one to Vishy. Wish VW had given a 1.8 TSi from the Octavia under the Jetta's hood. It would've been a perfect match.

Some research in the used car market can get a 2014-15 VW Jetta for about 11-12 Lacs or so which is worth it IMO. Recently was looking out for a used one for my cousin and it was just then I realised that they're heaps of Jetta's available in my city's used car market priced dirt cheap.

Here's one I found from Mumbai. It's a 2.0 TDI : http:// https://www.olx.in/item/volk...-ID1fehmz.html

All the best with your upgrade,
Varun

[prakashutosh]

I am in a severe dilemma and after losing all my friends, my wife threatening to leave me and my family disowning me, since I can only talk about one thing...which car to buy.

To give you a brief history, I have a Scorpio LX mHawk BS4 that i bought in 2009. So 8 years and 102000 kms later, I think it may be time to change my daily ride. I have maintained it as well as possible, it was easier in Delhi where Koncept did a great job but in Mumbai, post a horrible experience at NBS, i have left it to the capable garage of Mr. Shahnbaug. However, my brakes did fail once due to the brake oil leaking and that was scary, post which I haven't really had the confidence to take it out of town

I drive about 20 kms a day now, from and to office and about 70-80 km on the weekend from town to the suburbs. So that is about 700-800 kms a month. That is because I have also not driven out of town owing to the lack of confidence in the vehicle and that it will pack up somewhere and I will be stuck. If it did not have a tainted history I would be doing at least a couple Mumbai Goa runs a month.

SO whats the dilemma?
Option 1- I refurbish the car. Hand it over to SK Karzone or Mr. Shahnbaug. Spend whatever needs to be done to get it into some sort of shape and then hopefully get back the confidence that the car is driving fine.

Option 2- Simple answer...buy a new one. But that presents another dilemma. New or used and is so which one. My budget is 25-30 lac and hence that puts me square in the middle of the luxury used or D segment new.

My wants- Automatic, 4wd, Diesel. A car that I can run for another 5-7 years without feeling it to be a compromise

The used car market is posing to be a bit of a struggle since I can't get that right mix of the car I want with the right price and mileage

What all I have considered
Used Fortuner- Pros- Rock solid reliability and longevity. Cans- Price
Used Endy- Pros- Big and powerful. Cons- Not very sure about ASS and maintenance cost
New Tucson 4wd- Pros- What power, smooth engine, loaded. Cons- Not sure about ruggedness and hence longevity, GROUND CLEARANCE!!!

These are my options. The reason I have harped on ground clearance is because I stay in Mumbai. Potholes, bad roads and the yearly floods. The only reason I have survived here is because the Scorpio is adequately high and given its age, I am not too worried about throwing it around now.

So what would you do if you were in my place. Option 1 or option 2.

Please help, because I wake up thinking I have made up my mind about not buying a new car and getting this once done up only to spend the whole day searching for used cars.

[SmartCat]

I had a brake failure once in my old Optra, thankfully at around 10 kmph. So there were no Bollywood scenes playback (in my head) of car rolling down a hill and blowing up in a fireball when it happened. And there was no loss of confidence in the car once the problem was fixed - because it was rats nibbling on the brake hoses that caused the failure.

In your case, what caused the brake oil leakage? If it is something like poor quality materials that have degraded over time, then you have reasons to worry. But if there was some kind of damage because stone impact (for example), then you have no reason to lose confidence in your car.

But going by your opening lines, it is obvious that you need a new car.

[car.lover]

Go for a new one.. with the budget you have (and the 5-7 yr horizon) makes no sense in buying used.
Tucson or even the Innova Crysta will be good options.

Alternatively - save yourself 10L and buy the Hexa XTA.

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by prakashutosh

I am in a severe dilemma and after losing all my friends, my wife threatening to leave me and my family disowning me, since I can only talk about one thing...which car to buy.

Jeep Compass my friend. Jan/Feb should see the launch of the diesel auto. Wait on.

It will be worth the wait and you get to keep the wife.: It is one car that has managed to please both the enthusiasts as well as their women.

[Aaron:)]

Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson are two cars that come to mind, given your budget and criteria. I suggest you take a test drive of both the cars and choose one.

If you're open to the pre-worshipped route, a used Toyota Fortuner is a choice you can't go wrong with.

Alternatively, if you cannot wait for a few months, the upcoming Honda CR-V with the diesel engine and 7 seats could be the car for you.

[get2bid]

You should definitely go for a new car.
Hyundai Tucson is one which matches all your criteria. My uncle has one and has withstood some of the bad potholes and no road situations when driving from Hyderabad to Varanasi.

[drmohitg]

I will go with option 2 too. Buying a used Fortuner makes no sense as the prices asked are mind boggling. It is better to buy a new one, drive it around for as long as you want and still sell it at the same price as you bought it, well almost. If you want to plonk 30L on a car then go ahead and choose between the Fortuner or Endeavour. Both are rock solid and abuse friendly and would not create any issues for your period of ownership. Alternatively look at XUV/Hexa as this option saves you a lot of money compared to the Fortuner/Endeavour option. I wouldn't be too eager to put my money on the compass. It is a fairly new product and the service support is questionable. Also long term reliability on our roads is not known either. Lastly it isn't really spacious on the inside when you compare it to the other options listed above.

Alternatively what about the Pajero since the thread is about lateral upgrades. You might find a good piece in the used market and the resale is not great which means you will get a good deal on it.

[saurabhkum]

Originally Posted by prakashutosh

I am in a severe dilemma and after losing all my friends, my wife threatening to leave me and my family disowning me, since I can only talk about one thing...which car to buy.

To give you a brief history, I have a Scorpio LX mHawk BS4 that i bought in 2009. So 8 years and 102000 kms later, I think it may be time to change my daily ride. I have maintained it as well as possible, it was easier in Delhi where Koncept did a great job but in Mumbai, post a horrible experience at NBS, i have left it to the capable garage of Mr. Shahnbaug. However, my brakes did fail once due to the brake oil leaking and that was scary, post which I haven't really had the confidence to take it out of town

I drive about 20 kms a day now, from and to office and about 70-80 km on the weekend from town to the suburbs. So that is about 700-800 kms a month. That is because I have also not driven out of town owing to the lack of confidence in the vehicle and that it will pack up somewhere and I will be stuck. If it did not have a tainted history I would be doing at least a couple Mumbai Goa runs a month.

SO whats the dilemma?
Option 1- I refurbish the car. Hand it over to SK Karzone or Mr. Shahnbaug. Spend whatever needs to be done to get it into some sort of shape and then hopefully get back the confidence that the car is driving fine.

Option 2- Simple answer...buy a new one. But that presents another dilemma. New or used and is so which one. My budget is 25-30 lac and hence that puts me square in the middle of the luxury used or D segment new.

My wants- Automatic, 4wd, Diesel. A car that I can run for another 5-7 years without feeling it to be a compromise

The used car market is posing to be a bit of a struggle since I can't get that right mix of the car I want with the right price and mileage

What all I have considered
Used Fortuner- Pros- Rock solid reliability and longevity. Cans- Price

You already have a good budget to go for a new one. You can look at Hexa or Xuv 500 or Compass. All of them in New car segment fill fit your budget and needs. In used I'll only suggest Fortuner as it's one of the most reliable one available in used car segment. In your budget you can get a very well maintained fortuner.