[zealous123]

Excellent thread sir...after going through your thread even am tempted to buy another used car. I had terrible experince buying used maruti car from reputed car dealer even after claiming that car is certified..

The car being sold was an accidental though job was nicely finished unless the car was shown to some mechanics&also maruti dealers..

i literally had terrible experience buying used one..but this time i will be lot more careful,also get it thoroughly inspected by some known mechanic...Sorry for this off topic discussion..

now am planning to buy an alto for daily office commute&my budget is around 1.5lks..now my questions...

shall i buy it from maruti true value(though i was being suggested this name last time by my friends but i didnt bother to listen

Any other reputed secondhand car dealer in mumbai you would suggest?

also am getting more than 5yrs old maruti alto from true value,which am bit apprehensive to buy..

how much should i actually pay for 2007 above model alto with <40,000kms on odo?

thanks for reading...

[DilPat]

I am looking to upgrade from my agein Accent to a couple of classes higher. Budget is appro 8-9 lakhs. I test drove a 2008 Sonata Embera CRDi MT with 32k on the odo. I loved the drive. Price quoted is Rs.8.45 (marginally negotiable) in Hyd.

Worth it?

[GTO]

First & foremost, this thread is NOT a price check discussion. Please use the dedicated price check thread to verify asking rates.

Originally Posted by zealous123

Excellent thread sir...after going through your thread even am tempted to buy another used car. I had terrible experince buying used maruti car from reputed car dealer even after claiming that car is certified..

The car being sold was an accidental though job was nicely finished unless the car was shown to some mechanics&also maruti dealers..

That's precisely why we highly recommend getting the car checked up from an authorised showroom, for a paid fee, and with a written evaluation. You will also do well by calling up the insuring co and checking for any large claims.

shall i buy it from maruti true value(though i was being suggested this name last time by my friends but i didnt bother to listen

You can get bad cars from good dealers, and vice versa. Remember, its not the dealer, but the previous owner who deserves credit for a well kept car. That's why I recommend giving more importance to the car rather than dealer. You should certainly check out Maruti True Value (do NOT trust them blindly though), and other dealers / sources as well. Keep searching through our classifieds too.

Originally Posted by DilPat

I am looking to upgrade from my agein Accent to a couple of classes higher. Budget is appro 8-9 lakhs. I test drove a 2008 Sonata Embera CRDi MT with 32k on the odo. I loved the drive.

The Sonata Embera common-rail is a superb automobile, and would be my choice within the segment. I'd say its the perfect upgrade to an Accent, especially if you have a lot of highway driving.

[highsteem]

Dear GTO and moderators, considering that we get so much worth of insight and we share so much of information in this team-bhp, can you make some of the threads as members only threads? That way we can keep some of our secrets to ourselves I guess this is one of such lovely thread. The other threads can be team-bhp ride reviews. We can make these threads public in due time. What do you guys think?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

I have made a lateral upgrade, but may not be a perfect one.

Our 99 M800 which was bought for around 2L was sold after 7 years for 97k. With another 2L, we got a 2 years 27k kms old WagonR VXi (Price was a bit high, but it was from True Value with warranty and except for the tyres, the car was in good shape.)

It is still in good health at 60k kms. Considering my parents are driving it around since the past 1 1/2 years, it has made a lot of difference with the high seating position, easiest entry/exit, light steering, power windows, superb glass area and visibility etc. All this would have been missing if we had gone for an entry level Alto with a bigger OTR tag.

However, now i cannot perform lateral upgrades anymore due to space constraints. Any bigger than a WagonR/ i10, the car cannot be reversed in front of the house, and has to be reversed a long way from the main road. So, our next upgrade has to be another small car! This is one situation where lateral upgrade is not feasible.

Originally Posted by highsteem

Dear GTO and moderators, considering that we get so much worth of insight and we share so much of information in this team-bhp, can you make some of the threads as members only threads? That way we can keep some of our secrets to ourselves I guess this is one of such lovely thread. The other threads can be team-bhp ride reviews. We can make these threads public in due time. What do you guys think?

Considering India's population, and the number of vehicles on the road, Team-Bhp'ians (even though a large number) is still a rare thing.

Also, reading through a thread does not guarantee a good deal. A lot of homework/ time/ effort/ sometimes luck is needed.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by highsteem

can you make some of the threads as members only threads? That way we can keep some of our secrets to ourselves

We firmly believe in the saying "knowledge is nothing if not shared". That's precisely why our entire knowledgebase is open to guests, and entirely searchable by them too. Sharing is caring (clichéd but true ).

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Our 99 M800 which was bought for around 2L was sold after 7 years for 97k. With another 2L, we got a 2 years 27k kms old WagonR VXi (Price was a bit high, but it was from True Value with warranty and except for the tyres, the car was in good shape.)

Smart lateral upgrading, Crazy Driver. You even got 50% of your M800s original price after 7 years of usage! The cheaper a car, the less it loses in depreciation (percentage & $$$).

However, now i cannot perform lateral upgrades anymore due to space constraints.

You could consider lateral upgrading to a premium hatch? Say, an an i20 or a Jazz when they start hitting the used market 2 - 3 years from now?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by GTO

Smart lateral upgrading, Crazy Driver. You even got 50% of your M800s original price after 7 years of usage! The cheaper a car, the less it loses in depreciation (percentage & $$$).

Originally Posted by GTO

You could consider lateral upgrading to a premium hatch? Say, an an i20 or a Jazz when they start hitting the used market 2 - 3 years from now?

As i mentioned, anything above WagonR/ i10 size is asking for trouble. I may be able to able to handle the reversing, but i am sure parents wont be (WagonR has enough scratch on the bumper edge! )

Just a small figure (Excuse the poor execution. Just used quick paint) to show what the limitation is-


The car has to be reversed through the red, into the black designated corner, and turned to go forward through the blue. And the space is just about enough for a WagonR/ i10 and tight to squeeze through may be, a Swift. Hence, next car should also be a small car (like WagonR, i10, Beat). Buying used does not make sense since the budget wont become much of a constraint for small cars.

EDIT: Coming to think of it, highers versions (Specially the ones with sunroof, ABS, AT) of small cars loose value much faster than lower end variants. (Lack of educated buyers, perhaps?). Hence, buying the higher versions used may make sense afterall, even though its not a lateral upgrade.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

As i mentioned, anything above WagonR/ i10 size is asking for trouble. I may be able to able to handle the reversing, but i am sure parents wont be (WagonR has enough scratch on the bumper edge! )

A Jazz is hardly much wider than a WagonR. Take a test-drive (oops, parking test) in your compound. It'll make for a heck of a used buy.

Coming to think of it, highers versions (Specially the ones with sunroof, ABS, AT) of small cars loose value much faster than lower end variants. (Lack of educated buyers, perhaps?). Hence, buying the higher versions used may make sense afterall, even though its not a lateral upgrade.

Mostly the case. The used market doesn't really pay a premium for extra fittings (whether factory-fitted or after-market). The buyers who do value them will pay a slight premium (read = fraction of the original cost). I never saw the slightest difference in pricing of Civic S & V variants in my search.

[zealous123]

Originally Posted by GTO

That's precisely why we highly recommend getting the car checked up from an authorised showroom, for a paid fee, and with a written evaluation. You will also do well by calling up the insuring co and checking for any large claims.

sir, thanks for referring the used car price check thread...i didn`t get the above post...should i ask for a person from authorised showroom to get the car inspected from dealer?

[lamborghini]

@zealous - generally, if you know a good independant mechanic from whom you have carried out work with earlier, you can always ask him to come with you and test the car out.
If not, ask the dealer from who you intend on purchasing the car to allow you to take it and show it to an authorized dealer.
Heres a tip - generally most cars have stickers on them, pasted by the dealer from whom they get the car serviced. Call them up, or when the car is being inspected, and ask them for information about prior services including - date last serviced, what was replaced (shows how the car was treated), km reading of last service (to see if the car was clocked), and any accident repairs or insurance claims.
Also, call the insurance company and ask them about accident repairs.
It is best to not ask the dealer you are buying the car from to get the car checked as they can hide certain information.

Also, make sure that if you are buying a more expensive car, that you can afford the service costs (like some cars require synthetic oil which can cost Rs 1,000/liter), and replacement costs. When getting the car serviced, inquire about these costs as well.

@crazy driver - Do not forget the premium cars entering the market. Like the Fiat 500, VW Beetle. How is that for a lateral upgrade? Fits all your requirements as well. However, searching for one will be difficult.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Heres a tip - generally most cars have stickers on them, pasted by the dealer from whom they get the car serviced. Call them up, or when the car is being inspected, and ask them for information about prior services including - date last serviced, what was replaced (shows how the car was treated), km reading of last service (to see if the car was clocked), and any accident repairs or insurance claims.

Bingo, very valuable tip. Just to add, its still important to get a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) done. Service history is good to have, but so is the PPI.

[mukeshgoel]

Originally Posted by GTO

A Jazz is hardly much wider than a WagonR. Take a test-drive (oops, parking test) in your compound. It'll make for a heck of a used buy.

Honda Jazz has started to appear in used car market. Today, saw a listing of Jazz Active with 15k on the odo at carwale.com for 5.75L in Gurgaon. Looks as good as new in pics at least.

I am looking for hatch but spending this much is not worth (for me) for a stand-by 2nd car. Else, it would have been a great buy.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by vinay_ss

I am now looking out for a sparingly used Chevrolet Forester, and sell my Dad's Corsa (7 year, 55 k run) . I know this may not sound as sweet, but lets see whats in store

It is going to be tough to find one. I had purchased one after long hunt but sold it under some strange circumstances (I can't believe I sold it) and ever since has been looking for one again. You do see Foresters which have done above 50 K in Bangalore but the sellers think they still command 6-7 lakhs!

[Puffdamgcdragon]

Hi GTO,

The threads u have started in this forum and the test drives are fantastic and very professionally done. Also all your posts are lucid, to-the-point and sensible. Am really impressed.

This particular thread has inspired me and now I've taken back my booking amount from Toyota (I had booked an Innova V) and am contemplating a Pre-owned Pajero.

I always wanted to upgrade to an SUV after my Baleno. Fell head over Heels with the Safari but the poor fit and finish of the interiors,the abysmal resale value, large turning circle and most of all, the complaints and quality issues faced by the owners gave me cold feet...

The Scorpio looks good but i tried several of my friend's vehicles and found it a bit cramped for such a large vehicle and the handling was really bad, going slightly fast in the Ghats.

Also, I own an independent automobiles Workshop and we get a lot of practically new Scorpios and Boleros with suspension, alignment, clutch-wear and brakes issues, so am not too impressed. Surprisingly, not too many Safaris land up here, probably the Tata workshop is doing a better job at resolving their issues.

So, the Innova was a "sensible" buy, even though I was really not passionate about it. Spacious, reasonable GC, Fantastic quality, Good ride and excellent handling. It just never got my blood flowing..

I live in Sikkim and here the roads are hilly, narrow with lots of bad patches, esp when U go to the interiors. A lot of my clients from up North still swear by the Gypsy!

So, in my case, a used Pajero would be ideal. But my budget would be 12-13 lakhs, 14 max, if I get a really good example. I'm keen on the later model- the SFX version with ABS, Airbags and the flared haunches.

I checked up a few used car sites for Delhi rates (Bigger market than Kolkata plus am comfortable there) and the Dealers are asking anywhere from 12.5 to 16 plus. Asked a few of my friend at Delhi to keep a watch for private sales.

What else would U advise me? What about spares? If I do manage to find a good Pajero, do U think i should take it to the Mitsubishi Dealership and get everything checked -up and do a full servicing? Do they have a complete check-up facility like Hyundai and Chevrolet? The Basic running work like Clutch plates, brakes,alignment etc, can be done by my boys here itself.

What else should I watch out for?

Thanks a ton.

Puffy.

[harjeev]

Originally Posted by Puffdamgcdragon

So, in my case, a used Pajero would be ideal. But my budget would be 12-13 lakhs, 14 max, if I get a really good example. I'm keen on the later model- the SFX version with ABS, Airbags and the flared haunches.

I checked up a few used car sites for Delhi rates (Bigger market than Kolkata plus am comfortable there) and the Dealers are asking anywhere from 12.5 to 16 plus. Asked a few of my friend at Delhi to keep a watch for private sales.
Puffy.

Hey puffy
After reading your post I have just sent a PM/email to you, with a reference of a Pajero SFX for sale in Delhi. the price and other relevant details all are in the respective email/PM. I hope it works out for you. I could have posted it here but then it would be ir-relevant to the topic being discussed on this thread.

I too am on the hunt for a pre-owned vehicle (read a SUV Fortuner or a Grand Vitara (2.4)) but the time horizon is 1-2 years or if required longer, till I find a vehicle in my price range.
Cheers