[YashD]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Thanks a lot!

Hatch mainly because I don't need the space of a sedan and I really didn't find a <4 year old example at around 5 lakhs.

Thanks for suggesting the Jazz, I think right now it makes real good sense when you put it that way.

My 1st cousin has been driving the 1st generation Jazz since 2010 now, an absolutely delightful owner. No niggles or anything expensive broken down till date. Just the regular services & consumables. Yes! The Jazz doesn't sell well nor is the most popular choice but that's all due to it's expensive price tag. If Honda prices it at par Baleno, it cannot be ignored as a Value for money proposition it offers. The package offered when you compare it to the competition, Jazz is hard to ignore, especially in the pre-owned market.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Thanks a lot!

Hatch mainly because I don't need the space of a sedan and I really didn't find a <4 year old example at around 5 lakhs.

Apart from the options already suggested (they are perfect), keep an eye out for a well-maintained Honda City as well. Not for the space, I would recommend this car for its beautiful engine and frugal upkeep (maintenance, FE, etc.).

You can find options which might be slightly older but within your budget and which you can retain for the next 5 years or more (skipping your next upgrade).

OT: Happy to know you still have your white WagonR, just like me. And I would agree, avoid MS now and look for something better this time.

[aayusht]

Disclaimer: Long post
Hi Everyone, my in-laws are planning to replace their almost 9 year old VW Vento TDI. The car actually is doing pretty well, but with Delhi's 10 year limit for Diesel cars, the need for replacement is more forced than desired.

Dear Moderators: in case my query is not posted in the relevant thread or section, please let me know how it can be done; alternatively, please tag / move it to the relevant thread or section.

A little bit background:
My in-laws stay in Delhi and already have a relatively new Honda CRV petrol (the CRV replaced the 7 year old Duster that had done ~1.5L KM).
The other car they currently have is a 2012 VW Vento TDI Highline. The car is still doing great, but as with VW, the maintenance costs are not the lowest. The Vento usually gets driven by the driver for running errands or dropping my in-laws to their work places. Lately, since Covid, I have been staying with my in-laws and my i10 also gets used for running errands. However, when Covid settles down a bit (relatively), my wife and I will be moving to our own place with the i10.
So, in a couple of months, my in-laws (both 60+) will need a car that can play the role of a beater car, a car that my in-laws can take to work and the car that we can let the drivers take unsupervised. My father in law (FIL) is very strict about how the CRV gets driven.
Of course the Vento was purchased in 2012 with a different objective and now the requirements have changed for the second car in the house. Yes - the Vento is a great car, Yes - the ingress and egress is a bit of a challenge. Thats why the low ingress and egress are not going to be deal breakers, but preference may be towards a better seating position. The Vento is comfortable to sit in the back seat also and preference might be a bit towards a car that can offer a decent backseat comfort.

The timeline for this decision making is 3-6 months. Also, due to Covid, we are not keen to go to too many showrooms. Even if the car is requested for a test drive at home, we would want to go forward a bit cautiously. So far, no car has been test driven and that process will start in another 3 months or so. They plan to retain the new car for close to 10 years.


Key Considerations:
1) Should be under 10L - 11L (on-road and not counting the trade in value of Vento)
2) Should be new (they are not comfortable with used cars)
3) Should have decent brand value (despite recent improvements, they are not keen to consider Tata or Mahindra at all)
4) Should not be ugly (subjective of course), but lets say - considered decent looking by many people
5) Should not be expensive to maintain or repair (we have come across incidents when the driver may possibly have been a bit negligent esp. when unsupervised. this car will some times double up as a beater car)
6) Should be Petrol (Delhi rules)
7) Should not be a tin can
8) Though not a key criteria, a decent resale would be nice to have

Which cars has he expressed interest towards:

1. Swift / Dzire
   Pro: Well within budget, easy to maintain, palatable looks
   Cons: though unsure - it might seem a bit compact inside for him (he is about 6ft and slightly on the healthier side). Also there are just too many out there. Lastly: not the sturdiest options
2. i20
   Pro: my FIL is a fan of the new i20's looks, lots of tech/features
   Cons: Low seating and ingress-egress challenges for my FIL; maintenance may not be cheap, not sure of the visibility from the driver's seat (I didnt quite like the previous gen i20 seating position)
3. Brezza/UC
   Pro: Comfortable seating (height), acceptable looks, likely to be cheaper to maintain
   Cons: decent version may cross the budget, interiors are not be great
4. Sonet/Venue
   Pro: Comfortable seating (height), acceptable looks, feature loaded
   Cons: decent version may cross the budget, not likely to be cheap to maintain
5. Polo
   Pro: comes from the same Vento family - he is happy with the build quality
   Cons: not likely to be cheap to maintain, Low seating - though not exactly a criteria to reject

Options that are within the budget but my father in law is not keen:

1. Rapid: Skoda A.S.S
2. Aura/Xcent: He has conveyed this doesn't look great
3. Altroz/Nexon: Despite my attempts, he is averse to Tata
4. XUV300: Same story: no Tata/Mahindra
5. Jazz: While he has not shared specifically why, he doesnt seem to be keen for a Jazz. I dont think he has experienced the underpowered engine; another possible challenge could be ingress/egress and initial cost for a decent spec model
6. Baleno: I have strongly advised against it due to the build quality

Thoughts on other features/factors:

1. Sunroof: preferably avoidable
2. Seating position: Preference for slightly higher seating, though not averse to something thats not too low either. he finds the seating position in my old gen i10 quite appropriate. Seating of i20 has not been checked, but if its too low, it might be a deal breaker (to be confirmed once test drives start)
3. Other gadgets such as LED headlights, push start/stop: Not a key decision criteria
4. Driving pleasure: Not a key criteria - primarily to be driven by driver and occasionally by my FIL or my wife
5. Safety - high on priority, but not necessarily the top trim ones. Also - they are likely to go for a mid or top variant and not the base variant of any car
6. Automatic / Manual transmission : This is a bit tricky. We are strongly advising them to consider an automatic since occasionally my FIL would also drive this car, but he is suggesting manual transmission - for the relatively lower initial cost and lower cost of maintenance (considering that the driver would be doing 95% of the driving)
7. It will not be taken on a loan

Cars that we have not explored / discussed yet:

1. Ford Figo/Aspire/Freestyle: not sure why, they have not come up in the conversations yet. Dont have much visibility of how the experience among owners has been. I still need to do a bit research on these. Feedback on this would be helpful
2. Magnite: Again, not sure why, they have not come up in the conversations yet, however based on preliminary thoughts from videos/reviews, may not be in the top of the list
3. Amaze: we had briefly spoken about it and I think he finds the looks ok, but since the decision making is still a few months away, we didnt discuss this in detail. Feedback on this would be helpful

Since the timeline is still 3-6 months, I would look forward to suggestions and inputs on what can be a worthy replacement to the Vento.

Please let me know if I have not considered any good option among the cars listed above. Happy to answer any queries as we go along.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Since safety is an important criteria, I would recommend you to not look at the Figo range. This car scored only 3 stars and the body shell was rated as unstable.



I would also give the Hyundais and kias a miss, because their 15 lakh rupee Seltos scored only 3/5, so I wouldn’t expect the lower end models to do any better. Of course, it’s up to you to decide whether you’d want to consider them guilty until proven innocent or not but all their lower models that have been tested(Santro, Nios/Aura) have not scored well, so I wouldn’t expect much better from the Venue and Sonet. Also, they have been having some SERIOUS quality issues in the recent past.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-response.html (Hyundai India - The occasional serious quality lapse and apathetic manufacturer response!)

Based on the given set of requirements, I feel like the Brezza would be a great option. The top of the line ZXI plus costs just about 11 Lakhs. 4 star safety, all the usual Maruti attributes, high seating and good ground clearance, only issue being the fact that it is a little dated, and likely to be replaced soon.
Even the Ciaz is a great option. I can personally vouch for its spacious cabin, silent engine and fuel efficiency. The only trouble is that the build quality is a little light, but not as bad as the Baleno.

[Tgo]

Options for him considering he has never driven an underpowered car and the current budget is 10L OTR.

Option - 1: Get him to drive the Nexon EV. Say you want him to just experience the next generation of cars.

He will be sold on Tata after that. Get the NEXON XM. 5 star safety rated from the base model. Sufficiently powerful too.

Option - 2: KIGER when launched with the 1.0 Turbo MT. It will have a 4* rating from the go since it shares the platform with the Magnite. Plus he’s familiar with Renault (cars and ASCs)

Option - 3: Ciaz/XL6/S-cross

* i20, Venue, Sonet and Altroz (turbo versions) are already in consideration, so not suggesting these solid option again.

[cs_rajesh]

Originally Posted by aayusht

Key Considerations:
1) Should be under 10L - 11L (on-road and not counting the trade in value of Vento)
2) Should be new (they are not comfortable with used cars)
3) Should have decent brand value (despite recent improvements, they are not keen to consider Tata or Mahindra at all)
4) Should not be ugly (subjective of course), but lets say - considered decent looking by many people
5) Should not be expensive to maintain or repair (we have come across incidents when the driver may possibly have been a bit negligent esp. when unsupervised. this car will some times double up as a beater car)
6) Should be Petrol (Delhi rules)
7) Should not be a tin can
8) Though not a key criteria, a decent resale would be nice to have

Meeting these criteria, I can suggest the following options:

1) Honda City 4th Generation Petrol VX MT: quite spacious proper 5 seater, 1.5 liter i-VTEC reliable and long lasting, and price : 9.99 lakhs ex show room

2) Toyota Glanza V CVT has awesome 1.2 liter engine and a CVT from Toyota (not Maruti Suzuki - as confirmed by the Toyota salesman), 30kgs more than the older Maruti Baleno after Toyota started to share the Baleno and called it Glanza. Toyota offers additional warranty for 1 or 1.5 lakh km post standard warranty. Toyota service is far lesser cost at 2800 per service (against 5000 per service with Maruti Baleno as mentioned by Toyota salesman). Last but not the least, Glanza sells around 7.5 lakhs ex show room, slightly less than the Maruti Suzuki Baleno of same feature. You may also opt for manual gearbox too and save money.

3) Toyota Urban Cruiser or Maruti Suzuki Vitarra Brezza, you may pick any brand. Also when it comes to the variant you may choose the one that is affordable. What is fantastic is the 1.5 liter petrol engine that has enough oomph and glides effortlessly. With the auto gearbox the ride is too pleasant. Both Toyota and Maruti offer good service, however Toyota offers better additional warranty. And you may get a discount of upto 30000/- on exshowroom + some additional discount if you happen to trade in your earlier car with the dealer.


regards
Rajesh

[Abhi5868]

My preference for you would be the 5th Gen Honda City. I'm taking the liberty of adding the trade in value of Vento, that should take you to the mid VX-manual varient/V if you want CVT. The reliability is certainly on par with Vento and the rear passenger experience best in the segment. If your FIL enjoyed the Vento he'll certainly enjoy the City.

[rdst_1]

How about something like a Nexon EV if it is only going to be used for city use.
Edit - My bad. I didn't notice you had said no Tata or Mahindra. Tata cars are really great from the safety perspective though.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by YashD

My 1st cousin has been driving the 1st generation Jazz since 2010 now, an absolutely delightful owner. No niggles or anything expensive broken down till date. Just the regular services & consumables. Yes! The Jazz doesn't sell well nor is the most popular choice but that's all due to it's expensive price tag. If Honda prices it at par Baleno, it cannot be ignored as a Value for money proposition it offers. The package offered when you compare it to the competition, Jazz is hard to ignore, especially in the pre-owned market.

I absolutely love the Jazz for the package it is! A friend too drives the first generation Jazz and it still feels tight and solid. I'm on the hunt.

Originally Posted by ashis89

Apart from the options already suggested (they are perfect), keep an eye out for a well-maintained Honda City as well. Not for the space, I would recommend this car for its beautiful engine and frugal upkeep (maintenance, FE, etc.).

You can find options which might be slightly older but within your budget and which you can retain for the next 5 years or more (skipping your next upgrade).

OT: Happy to know you still have your white WagonR, just like me. And I would agree, avoid MS now and look for something better this time.

Oh god, my temptations are kicking in! I just love the 3rd gen City and am seeing a few pieces around. The main attraction would be the gem of an engine compared to the 1.2 available in all the hatches. My only concern was if I'm getting a hatch for 5 - 6 lacs, it's still under 5 years of age whereas a 3rd gen City will already be 8 years old minimum. If I find a good example, it shouldn't be a worry, is it? Time to go and read all the City threads now

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Oh god, my temptations are kicking in! I just love the 3rd gen City and am seeing a few pieces around. The main attraction would be the gem of an engine compared to the 1.2 available in all the hatches. My only concern was if I'm getting a hatch for 5 - 6 lacs, it's still under 5 years of age whereas a 3rd gen City will already be 8 years old minimum. If I find a good example, it shouldn't be a worry, is it? Time to go and read all the City threads now

That engine is the main USP when compared to a hatchback!

While reading through the reviews, look at owners who have held (and still holding on) to their Citys after 10 years and it will give you an idea of what to expect from the 'old lady'.

And while hunting for cars, you can find 4-5 year old examples within your budget, especially the lower trims of S and SV. Honda City had enough standard features even in the lower variants and it will be a good buy. You get the opportunity to spruce up the ride with alloys and ICE as and when you feel like

[aayusht]

Hi everyone, thank you for your inputs.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Since safety is an important criteria, I would recommend you to not look at the Figo range. This car scored only 3 stars and the body shell was rated as unstable.

Thank you. will keep this in mind. Plus my FIL is not very keep on the fords incl. Ecosport

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

I would also give the Hyundais and kias a miss, because their 15 lakh rupee Seltos scored only 3/5, so I wouldn’t expect the lower end models to do any better. .

He is keen to consider the new i20. though I doubt if the new i20 would score well on the crash ratings, still, I will highlight these points to him.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Based on the given set of requirements, I feel like the Brezza would be a great option. The top of the line ZXI plus costs just about 11 Lakhs. 4 star safety, all the usual Maruti attributes, high seating and good ground clearance, only issue being the fact that it is a little dated, and likely to be replaced soon.
Even the Ciaz is a great option. I can personally vouch for its spacious cabin, silent engine and fuel efficiency. The only trouble is that the build quality is a little light, but not as bad as the Baleno.

Ciaz and any other sedan in that category may not be considered since the new car will be running errands. A smaller car (read: easier to maneuver) might be prioritized here.

Originally Posted by Tgo

Option - 1: Get him to drive the Nexon EV.

Option - 2: KIGER when launched with the 1.0 Turbo MT. It will have a 4* rating from the go since it shares the platform with the Magnite. Plus he’s familiar with Renault (cars and ASCs)

Option - 3: Ciaz/XL6/S-cross
.

While I have been suggesting the Nexon, he is not keen for TATA or Mahindra. On the other hand, I am planning to get the Harrier for myself (might wait for Petrol or else buy the Diesel). Not sure if he will be open to Nissan or Renault with their India strategy slightly hazy. XL6 is too large for the requirements. Ciaz is a proper sedan - lower in the priority since this new car will run errands and soon become the beater car. Same for S-cross (though I have told him of the solid build quality), but he does not like the looks of the S-cross.

Originally Posted by cs_rajesh

Meeting these criteria, I can suggest the following options:

1) Honda City 4th Generation Petrol VX MT

2) Toyota Glanza V CVT has awesome 1.2 liter engine and a CVT from Toyota (not Maruti Suzuki - as confirmed by the Toyota salesman), 30kgs more than the older Maruti Baleno after Toyota started to share the Baleno and called it Glanza.

3) Toyota Urban Cruiser or Maruti Suzuki Vitarra Brezza, you may pick any brand. Also when it comes to the variant you may choose the one that is affordable. What is fantastic is the 1.5 liter petrol engine that has enough oomph and glides effortlessly. With the auto gearbox the ride is too pleasant.
regards
Rajesh

While he loved the new Honda city (both of us test drove it when we picked up his CRV recently), being a sedan 4th gen city may not be considered right now as the preference is for a car with smaller dimensions. the likelihood is he will be keen to try the UC/Brezza. Is the UC gearbox better than Brezza?

Originally Posted by Abhi5868

My preference for you would be the 5th Gen Honda City. I'm taking the liberty of adding the trade in value of Vento, that should take you to the mid VX-manual varient/V if you want CVT. The reliability is certainly on par with Vento and the rear passenger experience best in the segment. If your FIL enjoyed the Vento he'll certainly enjoy the City.

Unfortunately, City might not get shortlisted for the above mentioned reasons as well as overshooting the budget. He does acknowledge 4th gen and 5th gen city are really smooth.

Originally Posted by rdst_1

How about something like a Nexon EV if it is only going to be used for city use.
Edit - My bad. I didn't notice you had said no Tata or Mahindra. Tata cars are really great from the safety perspective though.

Plus Nexon EV is over the budget. Also, with the range concerns, he will not be keen, but Nexon EV might have been a good option as a differentiator.


The way my in-laws love the Vento, they would be keen to retain it beyond the 10 year limit if there was a way to do so. we checked and could not find options for extension for diesel.


Will keep everyone posted when I have another round of discussion with him soon. Thank you once again for your inputs.

Regards
Aayush

[aayusht]

So, the latest update is - he will prefer a smaller car (read: hatchback) since the car would do errand runs and become the beater car.

Most likely contenders: Swift and i20. Cant seem to think of any other similarly priced option

considering that its likely to be just these two contenders, I will push him for the top version with all safety features (unlike an Altroz where I would still be confident with a middle variant)

Originally Posted by aayusht

Disclaimer: Long post
Hi Everyone, my in-laws are planning to replace their almost 9 year old VW Vento TDI. The car actually is doing pretty well, but with Delhi's 10 year limit for Diesel cars, the need for replacement is more forced than desired.

Dear Moderators: in case my query is not posted in the relevant thread or section, please let me know how it can be done; alternatively, please tag / move it to the relevant thread or section.

.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Based on the given set of requirements, I feel like the Brezza would be a great option. The top of the line ZXI plus costs just about 11 Lakhs. 4 star safety, all the usual Maruti attributes, high seating and good ground clearance, only issue being the fact that it is a little dated, and likely to be replaced soon.

Originally Posted by Tgo

Options for him considering he has never driven an underpowered car and the current budget is 10L OTR.

Option - 1: Get him to drive the Nexon EV. Say you want him to just experience the next generation of cars.

Originally Posted by cs_rajesh

2) Toyota Glanza V CVT has awesome 1.2 liter engine and a CVT from Toyota (not Maruti Suzuki - as confirmed by the Toyota salesman), 30kgs more than the older Maruti Baleno after Toyota started to share the Baleno and called it Glanza. Toyota offers additional warranty for 1 or 1.5 lakh km post standard warranty. Toyota service is far lesser cost at 2800 per service (against 5000 per service with Maruti Baleno as mentioned by Toyota salesman). Last but not the least, Glanza sells around 7.5 lakhs ex show room, slightly less than the Maruti Suzuki Baleno of same feature. You may also opt for manual gearbox too and save money.


regards
Rajesh

Originally Posted by Abhi5868

My preference for you would be the 5th Gen Honda City.

Originally Posted by rdst_1

How about something like a Nexon EV if it is only going to be used for city use.
Edit - My bad. I didn't notice you had said no Tata or Mahindra. Tata cars are really great from the safety perspective though.

Originally Posted by aayusht

Will keep everyone posted when I have another round of discussion with him soon. Thank you once again for your inputs.

Regards
Aayush

[crazy_coyote166]

Hello everyone, I am looking to buy a pre-owned car for myself with the following constraints:

Total Budget <= 4L . This should include all registration/transfer of ownership costs, cost of the first service after purchase, any mandatory replacements(tires etc) I have to do based on the mileage, etc. Will to stretch this by like 10% if there is some insane option available

Running costs: My usage would be 60% highway and 40% city with a fair bit of ghat roads as well. (I plan on going on a lot of road trips to the mountains). Would prefer the total cost of owning the car to be around 6-8 Rs/Km or lower on an average including maintenance/insurance etc. I would probably drive some 6-10k KMS a year.

Drive experience: Would prefer to have something fun and sturdy like a Polo( haven't driven one but going by the reviews here. It's also confusing that they have 9 engines over the last decade and I can't be picky in the used car market) but I can settle for anything with decent highway manners. Should be easy to drive around in a city but at the same time shouldn't be boring on open roads either.

Don't care much about fuel type (maybe diesel cars are more expensive to maintain? ) or transmission type (doubt I can get an AT for this price range anyway),

I am a new driver and have driven < 500KM in my lifetime till now. This will be my first car. I am also relatively new to the automotive scene, so, I don't know much about judging vehicles. I have already read the threads here on evaluating used cars and things to consider but it would also be nice if people could add car specific advice (if any). I would be taking more experienced friends with me (and probably a mechanic) to evaluate the car but it might get tricky if I have to travel to a different city for the purchase. I am based out of Jaipur at the moment but don't mind making a trip to Delhi or anywhere nearby for the purchase.

I am guessing hatchbacks would make the most sense for me but I am not opposed to the idea of a Sedan as well. I have made a small shortlist with the kind of cars I think would be a good fit for me:

1. Polo ( 2011-12 model 1.2TSi ) ( concerned about low mileage/high maintenance costs though especially in a almost ~10 year old vehicle)
2. Swift (Zxi 2013-14 models)
3. i20 (around 2012 model)
4. Fiesta 1.6s or the Ford Figo diesel (can't find these online anyway )

I am 6'ft tall so some smaller cars may not work for me. I am not a big fan(looks) of Alto/i10/WagonR but willing to consider them if they make sense based on my requirements/get some killer deals.

Please advice me on how to approach this.

PS: I got to know about team-bhp just about a month ago and have been having a great time binging on the various ownership threads, technical stuff and the travelogues. Looking forward to make my own post here with my car soon.

[IshaanIan]

Considering it is your first car, I would put value and reliability above everything else. There is nothing wrong with the cars that you have mentioned but the hatchbacks you listed are popular models that don't depreciate nearly as much as you'd like to make buying them second hand a good idea, and the Fiesta 1.6 while it is a gem, may not be the best car for a first time car owner merely in terms of spares costs. I would suggest something like the Jazz, Ritz, or even a Chevy UVA all make for reliable and excellent deals. The Chevy might surprise you with how cheap and easy its spares are to source (it is no captiva or optra). If a sedan is what you want then check out used SX4s they can be had for cheap as well

[Shreyans_Jain]

Your requirements scream WagonR. The current model with the 1.2K series should be available in the 4-4.5L range. No point going for old cars when you are a newbie and don’t know the nitty gritty. Buy something that is less than 3 years old or under 30000km.

Alternatively, you can consider the Tiago. You’ll get both petrol and diesel cars in your budget and this is definitely a safer car, which will be more peace of mind on highway journeys.