[misquitas]

Hey Team-bhp brethren, need your advice URGENTLY on a query.

My uncle intends to purchase a used car here in Goa. But since his intended usage is minimal (he is based in Bombay and will be in Goa for about 2-3 months in a year), he prefers a used car within Rs 2.5 lakh.

Uncle had informed me that his choice of vehicles were cars in production like Santro, Spark, i10, Estilo, Indica and Alto K10, as more of them would fit in within his budget. Hence, non-production cars like Getz, old Zen were ruled out, though hey were available within his budget.

After much scouting -- I checked eight used car depots and numerous advertisements over the past few days -- we finally shortlisted two finalists this evening.

1. Oct 2006 SANTRO: PS/AC, front power windows, single owner, done 45,000 kms and has complete service history (verified by me) with Goa Hyundai at Verna. Interiors clean, dent-free silver-coloured vehicle.

In addition to regular maintenance, owner has done/installed in the following:

* New battery
* 4 New radial tyres (Yokos)
* 4 alloy wheels
* Fog lamps
* Central locking
* Music player with 4 speakers
* Insurance done in Oct 2010
* Service done at 38K kms

Condition of the car is very good. The car ran very well and minor adjustments were immediately attended to by a service technician in the Goa Hyundai showroom, where it was kept for a day.

Price expected: Rs 2.3L

2. 2006 INDICA: P/S, AC, Single owner, done 9,000 kms, lady owner claims to have service history (unverified by me) at Tata authorised service centre at Mapusa. Interiors clean, dent-free maroon-coloured vehicle.

Owner has done/installed the following:

* New battery
* Insurance done in May 2010

We went for a test drive and noticed the following:

* Horn was not working properly. Would work only if pressed at the centre and not on the sides.
* Sidelights were not working.
* Front left tyre was bald.
* Steering was making unsual sounds when turning. Something I have not noticed in my Alto or i10.
* Slight rattle below the car when travelling.

It appears that the car has been left unused with the owner at her house for a considerable period of time.

Price expected: Rs 1.5L

Now, which of these two cars would make a better deal? Please assist me as soon as possible as the deal may have to be done tomorrow (December 23). I am more inclined towards the Santro as I believe that a known devil (car may have been used more, but it drove better and it was in better working condition) is better than an unknown angel (we don't know what to expect with the rattles, bald tyre, etc.) But, I could be wrong and hence, we would consider your views in the matter.

Many thanks.

[carwatcher]

Its a no-brainer, go for santro. Your uncle wouldn't like to spend his short period of use running for repairs.
But at the same time, price is on higher side (should not be more than 2). Insurance in Oct'10 means Insurance chgs extra.
Don't want to suggest discontinued models but Getz is an exception as it was discontinued solely because Hyundai wanted to use the production capacity for i20. Santros and Accents are still sellíng. In this budget Getz can be considered and it is miles ahead of Santro.

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

Its a no-brainer, go for santro. Your uncle wouldn't like to spend his short period of use running for repairs.
But at the same time, price is on higher side (should not be more than 2). Insurance in Oct'10 means Insurance chgs extra.
Don't want to suggest discontinued models but Getz is an exception as it was discontinued solely because Hyundai wanted to use the production capacity for i20. Santros and Accents are still sellíng. In this budget Getz can be considered and it is miles ahead of Santro.

Thanks for your inputs. A correction from my side. Both cars had their insurance done in 2011 and NOT 2010 as I had inadvertently mentioned earlier.

Regarding the price, we too felt it was on a higher side, but we kinda attributed it to the additional stuff the owner fitted on the Santro, like the alloys, new tyres, fog lamps, etc. Besides, the car was in great working condition.

The other Santros that we saw were in much inferior condition (body and engine), despite being newer models and were priced in excess of Rs 2.4L.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Thanks for your inputs. A correction from my side. Both cars had their insurance done in 2011 and NOT 2010 as I had inadvertently mentioned earlier.

Ditto here. Santro it should be. Even if the car conditions were opposite, I would have asked you to still go for the santro. A 5 year old Indica is a risky option - you are out of warranty by a long margin, but the niggles can come up anytime. Santro is a safer bet.

For the additions, the price tag seems just ok. And 38k kms is nothing, the car can easily take in another 20k kms minimum if not more.

[misquitas]

To be honest, the only two things that attracted us to the Indica was the low odo reading (9000 kms) and the fact that it would be cheaper than the Santro by Rs 80k.

[carwatcher]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Thanks for your inputs. A correction from my side. Both cars had their insurance done in 2011 and NOT 2010 as I had inadvertently mentioned earlier.

Regarding the price, we too felt it was on a higher side, but we kinda attributed it to the additional stuff the owner fitted on the Santro, like the alloys, new tyres, fog lamps, etc. Besides, the car was in great working condition.

The other Santros that we saw were in much inferior condition (body and engine), despite being newer models and were priced in excess of Rs 2.4L.

Isn't it contradictory that car is being bought for short-term use and you are ready to pay more for bells and whistles. If uncle is not in a hurry than wait for new year, then you can negotiate with the buyer saying it's already six years old against it's five year old as on today.
At the same time, you are paying extra as the seller is known to you, then it's ok.
And yes newer Santros are reported to have thinner metal bodies than older ones.
Its not clear whether the Indica is diesel or petrol. Petrol Indicas are known to have poor resale values.

[90BHP]

You have not mentioned which type is the Indica ? Diesel or Petrol ?
Looking at your choices, I would go with the Santro as I can vouch for their car's longevity when compared to a Tata vehicle. Also, the said indica here if was unused for a long time will have some amount of corrosion or rust formation in some parts which may or may not be visible right now but, when you start using it, it will have a tendency to weaken the structure & create either seapage or irritating noises. Santro is a workhorse & can honestly take more abuse than the old TATA cars. The new ones are step higher yet not completely reliable in the said conditions.

Why are you looking at a comparison in this 2 cars, is it the cost factor ?
You may also be able to look up some good used cars from the MSIL Tru Value centers. You may pay a higher price but, will defenitely have a worthy car. Mind you there is no point in paying more than 2.0L for a car of 2006. The going rate in Mumbai for a 2007 car of that class is around 2.1-2.2, so the Santro deal looks a bit over priced regardless of the condition of the car. (Talking from experience as I recently sold my 2007 Wagon R for that price)

Best of luck !!!

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

Isn't it contradictory that car is being bought for short-term use and you are ready to pay more for bells and whistles. If uncle is not in a hurry than wait for new year, then you can negotiate with the buyer saying it's already six years old against it's five year old as on today.
At the same time, you are paying extra as the seller is known to you, then it's ok.

Truth is, we were more than happy to do away with the bells and whistles, if we could have got a similar or better working car at a cheaper rate.

My uncle is coming down on Dec 27 and wants a car during his holiday here in Goa. He despises the public transport system here in Goa, especially the lack of it after 8 pm. Hence, the urgency to get one soon.

EDIT: Sorry that I forgot to add in my opening post. Indica is a petrol car.

We did check up company owned used cars (Maruti True Value, Sai Service Used cars, Alcon Hyundai used cars). What surprised me was that most of these cars were in quite ordinary condition. One car's battery was not working, another had dirt and small leaves all over the cabin.

In contrast, private used car dealers had better kept used cars.

[carwatcher]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Truth is, we were more than happy to do away with the bells and whistles, if we could have got a similar or better working car at a cheaper rate.

My uncle is coming down on Dec 27 and wants a car during his holiday here in Goa. He despises the public transport system here in Goa, especially the lack of it after 8 pm. Hence, the urgency to get one soon.

I think you might have noted my location.
Fully agree with that. Have you checked Mahindra True Value at Verna. Though I feel their prices are high but they seem to have good stock and its the year end too.

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

I think you might have noted my location.
Fully agree with that. Have you checked Mahindra True Value at Verna. Though I feel their prices are high but they seem to have good stock and its the year end too.

We checked with...
- Alcon Hyundai used cars at Porvorim.
- Sai Service sed cars at Porvorim.
- Private used car dealer in Merces
- Maruti true value at Miramar and Margao.
- Private used car dealer in Panjim. Margao, Davorlim.

Mahindra did not have small cars of our choise when we checked there at the time.

[torquecurve]

Santro seems to be a good buy but I am skeptical about the fact that the owner is selling the car with new Yokos and if the alloys are also not too old. I wouldn't have done this if I was intending to sell unless there were other issues and I was using this to sell the car. Somewhat like putting makeup on an old hag to make her look beautiful.
If you have the service history look for clutch replacement, brakes replacement, spark plug replacement etc. Most of these parts start going bad about the 45000 mark and you could end up spending for this later.
Also seems to be overpriced.

9000 kms and a bald tyre also sounds fishy almost as if there is a suspension issue, which can also explain the rattling sound.

It will be better if you look for something else. You should be able to get a Diesel Indica (2006 - 2007) for close to the price you are expecting. Also, you can look for the Accent.

Another choice could be the A-star which has a poor resale for an otherwise good car.

Why not look at a Zen Estilo, the new basic version is almost as cheap as you get! Probably you could get a good deal (December, cash payment, etc).

[Lalvaz]

Santro should be a no brainer.

Your uncle's usage is'nt much as you mentioned. And the Santro will give you many kms of tension free usage, especially since it seems like a very well maintained specimen. Even in case of repairs, its fairly easy and aftersales is a pleasure with Hyundai.

With Tata, what can I say? The car and your impression during the TD says it all. Might be cheaper now, but be sitting in the garage all the time man. Thats if it does'nt break down in the middle of nowhere.

But bargain hard, you should be able to get the Santro a tad cheaper, what with the cost of a new car being so cheap these days.

[anekho]

Of the two the Santro seems to be the more sensible choice.

Misquitas, one question; will the car be used at all when your Uncle is not in Goa or will it be left idle? We're in a similar situation and need purchase a car for only 2-3 months use in Chennai. Considering the 2012 Nano right now.

[mayankjha1806]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Condition of the car is very good. The car ran very well and minor adjustments were immediately attended to by a service technician in the Goa Hyundai showroom, where it was kept for a day.

It appears that the car has been left unused with the owner at her house for a considerable period of time.

I was going to suggest Indica as its just at 9K and can painlessly serve you till at least 50-60k easily until i saw the lines above specifically around owner has not used this car much.

Also it seems like you liked the santro more as it has held itself better over the years. recommend you go with Santro.

[vaisakhr]

I would recommend you to stick with the santro even though its expensive. From the TD itself you got some problems with the indica, trust me its gonna get no better with time. Its better to go for santro for a problem free life.

Rgds.