[avk]

Hello. We are looking for an automatic second hand car for my wife to practice driving.

Budget: Under 5 lakhs
Safety: The more the better within the budget
Brand: Open to all currently producing cars in India
Location: Bengaluru

Ownership horizon: Own it for 9-12 months and then sell it off before buying a new car.

Planning to buy within a month.

All suggestions welcome.

[Durango Dude]

Grand i10 automatic, not the AMT but the regular torque converter gear box it came with originally. Buy a good example and retain it, doesn't make sense to switch cars within a year.

[Joelinf]

3Rd gen Honda City makes good sense. You can get good one around 4 lakh. After a year you will get a good resale as well. Well rounded car and won't let you down. All the best for car hunting.

[Everlearner]

For short term, stick to Maruti stable and you won't lose much during resale. I suggest a WagonR AMT.

[avk]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

Grand i10 automatic, not the AMT but the regular torque converter gear box it came with originally. Buy a good example and retain it, doesn't make sense to switch cars within a year.

The reason behind going for a short term ownership is to avoid high maintenance cost that may come with a second hand high mileage out of warranty car.

Originally Posted by Joelinf

3Rd gen Honda City makes good sense. You can get good one around 4 lakh. After a year you will get a good resale as well. Well rounded car and won't let you down. All the best for car hunting.

Thank you. Preference is for a hatchback.

Originally Posted by Everlearner

For short term, stock to Maruti stable and you won't lose much during resale. I suggest a WagonR AMT.

How many years and mileage should be considered to reduce the likely occurrence of additional maintenance costs.

[narayans80]

I second Durango Dude's suggestion on 1st gen i10 AT. You could also look at A-Star AT. You might get a 10 year old example for 2-3 L. Both are small dimensions for newbies to manage. Only disadvantage I see with Hyundai petrols is awful FE, but given the use case its not.a big deal.

[adi.mariner]

We in a similar situation a few weeks back and got a MS A Star Automatic. The dimensions are perfect for city use and it has a proper automatic torque converter gearbox. Below is the link for the thread.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatch...4-6-lakhs.html (New or Used car for my sister-in-law | Budget 4-6 lakhs)

[ani_meher]

i10 1St gen and A star, both fail on the OP's requirement "Brand: Open to all currently producing cars in India".

WagonR, maybe Ignis can come in your budget.

[Everlearner]

Originally Posted by avk

How many years and mileage should be considered to reduce the likely occurrence of additional maintenance costs.

WagonR is a hot selling model. You can easily find a below 3 year 40k KM one within your budget.

[shankar.balan]

The A Star, of which many are available in the used market, would be the perfect car for you for this purpose according to me.it is compact, has a good engine and a nice AT gearbox, is stylish, trouble free and after all, being a Maruti, easy and inexpensive to service and maintain. It is a very nice little car to learn on and subsequently use for the shorty city commutes. Personally I ve always appreciated its distinctive looks and compact dimensions. The perfect Japanese KEI car, as per my estimation.

See these ads.
I've found this on OLX. What do you think? Maruti Suzuki A-Star Vxi (ABS), Automatic, 2013, Petrol https://www.olx.in/ad/1693152186

Also consider a Honda Brio AT.
See this ad
I've found this on OLX. What do you think? Honda Brio 2013-2016 VX AT, 2014, Petrol https://www.olx.in/ad/1692228792

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by avk

The reason behind going for a short term ownership is to avoid high maintenance cost that may come with a second hand high mileage out of warranty car.

The cars being suggested (A and B segment hatchbacks) were originally retailing at 5-6 lakhs to begin with. So maintenance costs are expected to be on par with the car's cost. As long you are sticking to the purpose intended (learn and sell, not rake serious miles), you won't lose much.

If it works well, you may even retain it as a secondary car (if there is an use case).

[Kosfactor]

I recommend not to purchase a vehicle at all now, use the services of a driving school , pay for an X number of sessions where she can practise with supervision. Once confident enough, go ahead with a new car. This whole thing would work out a lot cheaper and safer.

[Guna]

5 lakh is a good enough budget to buy a used AT in a fairly good condition which is good for few more years.
You can look at Grand i10 as many have suggested. You may find Baleno CVT or i20 Elite CVT as well.
Look for a car which is 2-3 years old with less than 30K on the odo and you can easily keep the car for 3-4 years.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The A Star, of which many are available in the used market, would be the perfect car for you for this purpose according to me.it is compact, has a good engine and a nice AT gearbox, is stylish, trouble free and after all, being a Maruti, easy and inexpensive to service and maintain. It is a very nice little car to learn on and subsequently use for the shorty city commutes. Personally I ve always appreciated its distinctive looks and compact dimensions.

I agree! I bought a A Star AT in 2018 and sold it earlier in 2022. My wife and my sister both learned to drive on it...I actually grew to love the little thing so much and we even took it on a family highway trip once.

The only drawback with the A Star as a learner car - you can't see the bonnet from behind the steering wheel. My wife had lots of trouble with judging the front and sides of the car; she hit an Uber on the front once and swiped an old man once with left RVM. We had to fix an ornamental antenna on the bonnet to act as a judgment rod of sorts for her.

In all other aspects, A Star AT is a perfect choice as a learner. We are still sad for having let it go for disuse (we barely drove it for 2000 Km a year).

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

I recommend not to purchase a vehicle at all now, use the services of a driving school , pay for an X number of sessions where she can practise with supervision. Once confident enough, go ahead with a new car. This whole thing would work out a lot cheaper and safer.

Yes, and it will save a lot of hassles too, involved with buying and selling a secondhand car (especially with selling).