[Hells Bells]

What would be your feedback for a E250 Petrol 2010 model with 32K on odo? It is a company owned car and this is being evaluated by a friend of mine. I did not find any particular reviews but I did read that there have been 18 recalls for the Mk4 model of E class globally! The asking price is 18L which is definitely high as I understand it should be ~14-15L.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

I'm a pre-worshipped fan myself! But with organised outlets, apart from the fact that you get your paperwork done smoothly, isn't the cost very much on the higher side. For a 10 lac rupee used car, the costs are costs are at least 10-15% higher?

The fact that they brush up to hush up the tiny details of wear and tear is a separate issue for novice car buyers.

I somehow prefer to buy from the owner directly, even if it means 10 times more hassle.

Just saw this post, and could not help but reply. I agree with you 100% and have first hand experience.

When I bought my i20 from a friend in 2015, I did all the paperwork and got the car serviced/checked out at Hyundai ASS on my own before buying the car. I spent around 10k and several visits to RTOs in the first month of ownership. Also it being the known car - my friend did not try to hide any details or history. Result of that, I still have the car and I havent put any extra money on it apart from usual maintenance. Totally peaceful ownership and we still plan to keep the car for 3 more years.

Whereas when I bought the Duster from a dealer, this guy tried to hide all the details about previous owner, hid quite a few things about the cars and took six months to transfer the car on my name. I spent first 3 months fixing several small issues related to it and getting it road-worthy. It was looking great and car was detailed before delivery but had so many hidden mechanical issues. I regret a lot that I bought it without checking other things. Result -I sold the car in two year with a great loss.

[fordday]

Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXI ROCAM.

I bought and started my driving on a Ford Ikon in 2007.
It was preworshipped 2001 model and when I bought, it ran 40K kms.
Nordic Green is the official colour name.

To be honest I didn't have much of a need for a car. But like the crowd, I just wanted a car to drive. With no knowledge of cars I decided buying Maruti 800. Soon my friend bought one and I rode along frequently in city trips. That made me realize it was small, it was noisy and uncomfortable and never felt safe inside. It also made me realize what I wanted in car.

It was then I decided to go a for a sedan. Money being an issue and with very little experience of driving a four wheeler and my driving needs being mostly weekend only, I decided to go for a used car.

Hyundai Accent seemed like a good car in that category. But compared to Ikon, Accent's were always priced higher. It may have its reason but I felt Ikon could give me the same comforts and safety as in an Accent.

Finally found an Ikon that was lying around unused for 6 months.
The car belonged to a maverick Wipro QA guy who wouldn't sell to anyone if he dislikes him. When I approached him, he must have found me to his liking. I drove the car for 5 kms around Koramangala Sony World junction area and we agreed on a price. It had a 6 CD changer which the owner refused to part with, under any condition.

Brought home the Ikon and started taking it around the city. I was mostly a weekend driver as my office was a 2 km commute.

Ikon has been exhaustively described car so no point in doing it here again.

I particularly started liking its exteriors for its rounded shape. There were no lines or edges in the body. There is a little bulge in the front fenders and the doors are curved inwards as in this shape (), when viewed from front/rear. This makes the car look lean and mean.

OEM headlights look dull, changed to clear lens headlamp which made a marked difference to the front face.
Replaced the OEM wheel caps with WagonR's. They are still on and my favorites.
Fitted a Pioneer CD player with speakers in the rear parcel tray, but don't remember playing a CD ever. It was mostly FM.
Fitted on fabric seat covers as leatherette ones make me sweat.
Fitted on a leather steering grip at Konark (shop at Jayanagar 9th block). The fit a finish was very good and it still looks as new as ever.

My wife started to learn driving on it after taking a month's class in a driving school. However she couldn't get a better view as the seating was low (normal for this type of cars). Then I did something which I regret it till today. I myself inserted extra foam under the seat cover to raise the seating height. This did the job but severely compromised the comfort for me. The tightly held bucket type feeling was gone. The ease of ingress was gone. Gap between knees and steering wheel was reduced resulting in discomfort. Overall it was a disaster. On a drive from Ooty to Bangalore I suffered shoulder, neck and hip pain. Only after throwing these out, it was back to normal and at ease.

It never occurred to me to find out what is good handling or a good steering response. What the Ikon gave I thought was universal.
Until I started reading about other cars. Then came TeamBHP upon my world.
Like most of us, I got hooked to it day and night. Learned so many things about cars in general and Ikon in particular. And still do everyday.

My Ikon had its usual share of troubles but nothing unusual.

• The evaporator coil packed up. Got the plumbing shorted so that now only cold air was pumped to the cabin.
  
• Battery was dying when I went on a drive to Yercaud. On the way back my wife felt sick on the ghats and we waited on the side for sometime. There were monkeys all around so we had to roll up the windows. It felt stuffy inside so I switched on the AC blower. After twenty minutes when I tried starting the car battery failed on me. Luckily I was on a down slope. I did what was best under the circumstances. Disengaged the clutch, slotted to 2nd gear and let it roll and engaged the clutch. Engine started within a meter of rolling.
  
• Tyres got punctured when family was in hospital. Replaced with Goodyear. Next replacement was with Michelin XM1.
  
• Radiator hose pipes hit a protruding drain cover slab and punctured on the way to son's sports competition.
  
• Rats bit cables. Metal net was fixed in the engine bay at the junction where the cable bunch comes into the firewall.
  
• Lower arms and suspensions packed up and were duly replaced.

But it sure was fun to drive. Sharp steering response, less body roll and instantaneous throttle response makes it best FTD car in its category still today.

Once took a friend along to show its might and we reached 180 kmph during a very early morning drive on the new airport road after the trumpet exchange towards Devanahalli. It was risky yet a once in a lifetime opportunity and it was only for a few seconds. Traffic was comparatively less.

Seeing the speedo at 180 my friend's jaw dropped. But that moment was also a realization for him. He being an Maruti Alto driver realized how it felt safe and how the car handled itself with poise. That was some 10 years back.

Have noticed (or it could be my mind playing tricks) that people in small cars have a hatred towards it.
Maybe because it carries the reputation to be fast and the original Josh machine. In the city they tend to cut and overtake very often and then feels happy that they could beat the josh machine which makes them feel their car is better and faster.

I always let them beat me. My mantra is, my life is more precious than theirs.

Of course highways are a different thing.

Cruising at around 110 speed during one of my initial and careless drives on to Mysore, I suddenly came upon a sharp curve.
For a moment consternation touched my face but then confidence reasserted itself.
Car took the curve easily without breaking a sweat and without the passengers feeling anything out of place.

Highway drives in an Ikon always brought a smile.

It still has that legendary Ikon pickup. It lunges on 1st and 2nd gear, like a leopard, if you are a little careless with the throttle. This can be troublesome in bumper to bumper traffic.

The push back into the seats in second gear acceleration can be addictive. Third gear is somewhat like an automatic. Can be used whole day pottering around town.

Dump the clutch and press the accelerator, the wheels always spin.
Just a few days back the security guys standing at the gate of our apartment ran for cover when the car was climbing up the gate slope. The surface was a bit sandy. When the car started on the slope the wheels spun. After getting traction the car lunged forward.

One thing that I always check for is if there is any visible smoke in the tail pipe. There was never any in all its time with me. To credit the Mexican (or is it Brazilian) built engine, it still throws out water from the tail pipe to this day. This is sign of a healthy engine. However it has its drawback. This water accumulation causes the silencer to rust soon and Ikons are notorious for it. The leaking end can makes an embarrassing roar. I have replaced the middle and rear silencer part around a year back.

Fuel efficiency has always been 14 kmpl in highways and 9-10 in city.
The car mileage is now at little over 70k kms.


Skoda Octavia 1.8 Turbo Petrol

Now I moved to a preworshipped Skoda Octavia. Milecruncher's Octavia.

What made me buy it.

With the family growing my need was for a more safer car. I want all the safety kit along with a big car. But I can't afford a new one.

So went looking for used cars with an open mind without any specific brand or model.

But few things were in my mind.

It has to be a petrol. I hate diesels.

It was in my mind when someone mentioned in this forum somewhat like 'these are last days of IC engine cars as Electric vehicles will be very soon upon us, so now is the time to buy a turbo petrol'.

Way back in 2006 my manager bought a Octavia Turbo petrol. Being a noob then, I thought turbo comes only with diesel. Embarrassingly, then and even now, I work for the company who claims to have invented the turbo. He with his Octavia was like a hero to us then. This was always in the back of my mind.

So when in came Milecruncher (TBHP id) with his offer to sell his Skoda Octavia turbo petrol some of the things fell in place.
Being the gentleman that he is, he accepted the first offer I made. There was no backtracking for me then :-)

Took it home and read the user manual end to end first. Then got used to the controls slowly.
Driving the Octy gives you the feeling of sitting in a sofa, even when cruising at 100. The solid feel is like you are in your home and it is moving.

Only now I understand what people meant when they used to say built like tank or vault.
With all round discs, brakes are very confidence inspiring. You can be sure that it will stop within a measured distance without any sweat. In comparison Ikon brakes, by design, are a weak point.

The space inside the cabin seems less than an Ikon. The boot is like a 2 bedroom house.

Finally the turbo. It is a completely different experience red lining in 1st and second gears. The definitive surge when the turbo kicks in. It cannot be described it can only be experienced. I am still showing off to my friends how the turbo feels like when it awakens.


In between, I drove my bro in law's Honda City GXI (dolphin shape).
Its interiors are spacious and all beige makes it feel more spacious. The soft leather seats makes one feel like king.
But drive it and you will be disappointed. Especially for people like me where I come from.

The steering is like freewheel. It does not give any feedback whether the wheels are turning or not. One actually has to look out to see the car boundaries to ascertain that steering input was executed.

The brakes are sharp but not linear in its action. First 20% of it movement does not have any action. In the next 5% i.e. between 20 to 25% of its push, braking happens 100% and wheels may get locked. It was scary to say the least.

The doors are again without any reassurance of its closure. No thump no final click that it closed.

Suspension, less said the better. It is soft, so the potholes are conquered to some extent.
But it has body roll which makes the passengers tend to sway laterally as if riding in a carousel
I felt it causes under steer. And I think it may cause oversteer in high speed turns or lane change.

All these things I have only read in TBHP earlier in many of the threads and never experienced until I drove the City. I used to think people exaggerate but then experienced it myself.

Between my Ikon and Octy:
Keeping two cars in a city like Bangalore does not make sense when there isn't enough road space to drive one car.
So I took a call and the Ikon is up for sale.

I will not put it on public websites as I experienced all kinds of riff raffs come in with their ridiculous offers.

I hope someone who values a good fun to drive car and willing to purchase one will arrive on this thread some day.
My expectation is very reasonable considering the present condition of the car.

Going forward will update this thread more on the Octy.

Two of the pictures of my Ikon.

But seriously I don't have any pictures of Octavia. I will try to post some more pictures but I am very bad at photography.

[Swapnil4585]

What would be a lateral / parallel upgrade from an Altis?

Though I have absolutely no problems with my current Altis, family members want to sell it and buy a new car in the ballpark of Tiago, Swift, etc. And having been used to the Altis, I won't drive anything substantially below the Altis. We use it only for highway trips and that has proved to be quite economical to us. However they are firm on selling it, and therefore when one car was sufficient, there would be two cars in the garage. They will buy a hatch and I will buy a used sedan.

One of my client wants to sell his petrol Altis of 2010 for 3L. However, apart from Altis, what other options can be considered? I would buy only a petrol and MT, falling in the equation big engine producing less power. Budget up to 5 lakhs. Whether the Altis model from 2011 to 2014 come with a 6 speed GB?

[shravan2k2]

So my Hyundai i20 CRDi is already 6+ years old with 92000 kilometers on the ODO. Even though (touchwood) it has never visited the service center except for regular service.

Its been long owning this beauty now and is getting old. Even though there is no problem but its getting boring and low on tech to own now. I am in a dilemma what to do?

1 - Retain it for another two years? (but, the 10 year diesel ban)
2 - Buy a reliable certified used car (by adding another lakh to the value of i20)

Help me on the decision and what options do i have for certified used car as well.

[2000rpm]

A Hyundai is typically fairly advanced when it comes to tech.

So a used car will need to be from a segment above and much lower vintage. For example: City from 2017 onwards (anything earlier will not be better than a Hyundai on tech)

I am assuming you have a ASTA, completely different ball game if you have an ERA or Magna or even sports.

[shravan2k2]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

A Hyundai is typically fairly advanced when it comes to tech.

So a used car will need to be from a segment above and much lower vintage. For example: City from 2017 onwards (anything earlier will not be better than a Hyundai on tech)

I am assuming you have a ASTA, completely different ball game if you have an ERA or Magna or even sports.

I have the Era variant and is bare bone. Plus the road noise for some reason is slightly increased now.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by shravan2k2

So my Hyundai i20 CRDi is already 6+ years old with 92000 kilometers on the ODO.

I am in a dilemma what to do?

1 - Retain it for another two years? (but, the 10 year diesel ban)
2 - Buy a reliable certified used car (by adding another lakh to the value of i20)

Help me on the decision and what options do i have for certified used car as well.

"Certified used cars" is a gimmick to make you part with more money than you would otherwise - unless you are a total noob at assessing used cars, or do not have a reliable mech to check out your car for you, avoid certified used cars.

There will be a slew of changes in regulations (BS6 coming in, focus on hybrids, diesels being registered for 10 years only) in the NCR region within the next year. Since you do have some time before you are forced to sell your i20 CRDi, hang on to it for another year, watch for the changes, and then decide to change your car - perhaps to a new one that can be used for 5-10 years on a minimum.

I am waiting for new launches, as yet unannounced, from a variety of manufacturers; everyone is holding their collective breath as to how the government would take the BS6 launch forward, but Delhi-NCR would certainly be the first city to be affected by it.

[shravan2k2]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

"Certified used cars" is a gimmick to make you part with more money than you would otherwise - unless you are a total noob at assessing used cars, or do not have a reliable mech to check out your car for you, avoid certified used cars.

There will be a slew of changes in regulations (BS6 coming in, focus on hybrids, diesels being registered for 10 years only) in the NCR region within the next year. Since you do have some time before you are forced to sell your i20 CRDi, hang on to it for another year, watch for the changes, and then decide to change your car - perhaps to a new one that can be used for 5-10 years on a minimum.

I am waiting for new launches, as yet unannounced, from a variety of manufacturers; everyone is holding their collective breath as to how the government would take the BS6 launch forward, but Delhi-NCR would certainly be the first city to be affected by it.

Certainly waiting for BS6 to kick in and then decide should be the ideal way forward. But what value would i get for a 7 year old i20 at that time?

I recently got an offer from a senior management personnel where i was previously working for a 4 year old Vento diesel with just 40,000 on ODO for 3 lakh. Reason for sale was he had too many cars and was not driving Vento much. Till i could decide it got sold off. I thought of selling my i20 and getting that for almost no additional cost, knowing it was from a known person and well maintained.
I am highly doubtful what would happen after 7 years of running!

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by shravan2k2

Certainly waiting for BS6 to kick in and then decide should be the ideal way forward. But what value would i get for a 7 year old i20 at that time?

Well I don't know about the i20, but my 7 plus year old Swift VXI petrol with 56000 kms on the clock got sold for a handsome amount of Rs. 3.55 lakhs. Given that I purchased it in 2012 for a price of Rs. 5.75 lakhs, that is a pretty sweet deal. Of course, my car had some extras such as music system, alloys and Yokohama rubber. However, it is anyone's guess how the used car market would play out after the BSVI norms kick in.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by shravan2k2

I am highly doubtful what would happen after 7 years of running!

This is exactly the reason so many car dealers from across India are descending on Delhi-NCR, preying on such doubts and driving down the resale value of cars here. It's a bonanza for folks from other cities who want to go for lateral upgrades. There are cars available here at half the price they would sell in other metro cities like Mumbai or Chennai. Even accounting for the road tax to be deposited in the other state and the cost of transporting from Delhi, the net purchase price is at least 25% lower than buying a similar car in those cities. NOC is issued easily for any car which is being sold to another state, with a wait period of exactly 30 days, and there are thousands upon thousands of BS4 vehicles on sale in good condition, just because the owner is apprehensive about what will happen to prices after a year.

[xcentrk]

Recently bought a 2013 Etios Petrol which done only 43000 kms. Company registered, with complete service history and no accidental damages. Paid 4L(tried to negotiate to 3.8L but owner didn't budge!) and bought it home. The car is in immaculate condition.

But my cousin has some apprehension about the price. Can someone confirm if this is a good deal or we paid more than the market rate?

[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by xcentrk

But my cousin has some apprehension about the price. Can someone confirm if this is a good deal or we paid more than the market rate?

Assuming that it's a V/VX version, registered in Bangalore it should be a fair enough price. But, when buying used never mind paying that little premium for the pristinly maintained pieces as they save as a lot of time and money than the ones that are cheaper to buy and costlier to maintain/repair.

[xcentrk]

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

Assuming that it's a V/VX version, registered in Bangalore it should be a fair enough price. ...

It's a V. Registered in Coimbatore, in immaculate condition(hardly say it's 6 years old). Then I believe this is worth the price.

[babhishek]

Originally Posted by xcentrk

It's a V. Registered in Coimbatore, in immaculate condition(hardly say it's 6 years old). Then I believe this is worth the price.

I think you overpaid - if it was Bangalore it might be justified but petrol etios should be lower. Nothing beats a well maintained car though so enjoy the experience!