[ByDesign]

The topic name more or less summarizes what I need. I'll try my best to outline all my search criteria

Budget - Lowest possible but you know the drill, if its second hand it needs to be reliable etc.
Driving needs - air con, power steering would be a plus, I need to drive a 100 km a day. Fuel efficiency would be one of the main things here.
Other Info - I need a low maintenance cost car. I've just started off as a trainee where I work and I need to stand up on my own two feet now. Enough of 'baap's money' so I'm looking more at an 800/alto kinda thing though good 2nd hand deals are never a bad idea either. At the moment I drive an i10 and an Accent CRDi (3 cylinder wonder haha) which both belong to my parents so I really need another mode of transport to get to work and back as well as site visits in and around Delhi. I have been looking at Maruti's true value website as well as read a few reviews and forum discussions through Google and it seems there's a 50 50 opinion on this. While most people think the odometers are tampered with, some say True Value gives you good value for money. I also noticed some very tempting 800's on sale on their website for 65,000 upwards. How safe do you think an 8 year old 800 would be?

I'd like to keep the overall price at around 2 lacs, and I think I'll have to go for an EMI option (I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to finance, and an even bigger noob when it comes to buying used cars). So whatever info would be useful, and thanks a lot in advance you guys. cheers:

PS: I'll update my post as soon as any questions arise.

[aaggoswami]

True value is something one can trust. Generally they are not the one to cheat customers.
Can you please mention your budget ?
I think that going in for a brand new Maruti 800 is good. If budget permits, you can go in for Alto also.
If budget is not as high as a brand new Maruti 800, look around for second hand alto or Maruti 800. Look for Maruti 800 that is not more than 6 years old. In case of Maruti 800, the chassis will age faster than powertrain.
How long do you intend to keep the vehicle ?

[Bubby]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

I'd like to keep the overall price at around 2 lacs, and I think I'll have to go for an EMI option (I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to finance, and an even bigger noob when it comes to buying used cars). cheers:

Go for a brand new M800 with company fitted AC or else it has to be a Maruti True Value or may be Mahindra First Choice ( they deal in used vehicles, multibrands ), here you may get a used INDICA Diesel for under 2 lakhs, as your running 100kms a day a diesel will be a good option.

Do visit Maruti True Value or Mahindra First Choice in person, as there websites are not always up to date, you may find better deals.

Also a used ESTEEM with CNG makes a good combo, you have a plenty of options to choose from.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

My choices:-

1. Push up your budget a wee bit and go in for an Alto variant.
2. If budget is very important, go for M800.
3. Wait for the nano.

Edit:- If you want to go in for used cars, I guess look around for a friend / known person looking to sell his car. I find True value prices to be 20-25% higher.

Only positive they probably have is that the vehicles are less likely to be stolen ones.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Can you please mention your budget ?

Please refer to my initial post for budget.

Originally Posted by Bubby

Do visit Maruti True Value or Mahindra First Choice in person, as there websites are not always up to date, you may find better deals.

I'm taking a day off from work either tomorrow or the day after to visit these two places. I'll follow up with a post here soon after.

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Only positive they probably have is that the vehicles are less likely to be stolen ones.

haha!

Thanks for the responses so far guys. What I also gathered from people at my office was to look into the Chevrolet Spark. Apparently its very similar on most aspects to the alto but they offer tubeless tires, 3 years free service and better build quality. Thats another thing to add to my list of visits tomorrow.

[gkrishk]

True value is something one can trust. Generally they are not the one to cheat customers.

I beg to differ. I bought a Maruti 800 from TrueValue without subjecting it to the sort of scrutiny I should have.
The tyres were bad-they had enough tread but the tubes had been replaced with bad patched-several-times ones and I promptly had 2 punctures.
The battery had to be replaced after two months.
(conveniently these items are outside the warranty)
The clutch failed and had to be replaced.
A funny thing was, the passenger seat belt buckle would not fit. On detailed inspection I found the car had been fitted with an Esteem belt.
I now believe the mechanics at these True Value outlets switch around parts from different cars in order to hitch up the asking price of some of them.
Only good thing is they give a warranty (of sorts) and as mentioned they (hopefully) wont sell you a stolen car. Their ethical standards are only as good as those of their sales staff who operate on the commission they make.

[AirWind]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

What I also gathered from people at my office was to look into the Chevrolet Spark. Apparently its very similar on most aspects to the alto but they offer tubeless tires, 3 years free service and better build quality. Thats another thing to add to my list of visits tomorrow.

Up your 2L budget to pick up the Spark (guess it costs 2.7L OTR NCR). Look no further!

[raj_5004]

either push your budget and go for a spark rather than the alto or buy a second hand santro.

the spark would not be comfortable if you are a tall person.

[aaggoswami]

[quote=ByDesign;1128316]Please refer to my initial post for budget. /quote]

My mistake. I think either you can raise budget for a brand new Maruti 800, or go in for a second hand Alto. If you go in Wagon R/Santro segment, then the maintenance cost could rise as compared to Alto.

Originally Posted by gkrishk

I beg to differ.

I think that it depends upon true value dealer to dealer. When we visited Amar motors for friend's search for second hand alto, the response was very positive.

[gaddiwale]

@ByDesign
I would say go for a MPFI Maruti Zen LXi from TrueValue. You'll get a 2003-2004 model at around 1.7 - 2.0 lakhs with one year warrenty and 3 free servicing from MASS. The cars are certified by Maruti Service Engineer and my experience says it's really peace of mind. No hassel about RTO transfer and other paper work, they'll do every thing for you. You'll get the driving pleasure of Zen along with good fuel efficiency.
Happy buying.

[CtrlAltDel]

wait a minute...if you are driving 100kms a day and want good fuel economy, diesel is the most sensible choice for you. however good a petrol car is, running it 100kms a day would run your wallet dry.

for new diesel cars, you can look at lowend Palio MJD SD or the Indica V2 DLS which is still being sold. both carry lots of discounts and are very comfortable to drive long distances.

if you are looking at used cars a well maintained Indica V2 DLS/DLG/DLX would come for not more than the price of an Alto or low end spark. maintenence is also very cheap if you buy from reliable used car dealers.

[pradeepdayanand]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

The topic name more or less summarizes what I need. I'll try my best to outline all my search criteria

Budget - Lowest possible but you know the drill, if its second hand it needs to be reliable etc.
Driving needs - air con, power steering would be a plus, I need to drive a 100 km a day. Fuel efficiency would be one of the main things here.
Other Info - I need a low maintenance cost car. I've just started off as a trainee where I work and I need to stand up on my own two feet now. Enough of 'baap's money' so I'm looking more at an 800/alto kinda thing though good 2nd hand deals are never a bad idea either. At the moment I drive an i10 and an Accent CRDi (3 cylinder wonder haha) which both belong to my parents so I really need another mode of transport to get to work and back as well as site visits in and around Delhi. I have been looking at Maruti's true value website as well as read a few reviews and forum discussions through Google and it seems there's a 50 50 opinion on this. While most people think the odometers are tampered with, some say True Value gives you good value for money. I also noticed some very tempting 800's on sale on their website for 65,000 upwards. How safe do you think an 8 year old 800 would be?

I'd like to keep the overall price at around 2 lacs, and I think I'll have to go for an EMI option (I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to finance, and an even bigger noob when it comes to buying used cars). So whatever info would be useful, and thanks a lot in advance you guys. cheers:

PS: I'll update my post as soon as any questions arise.

Considering your requirement, I would suggest you to go for Tata indica or Fiat palio (Both diesel).

Since you are driving 100 kms a day, I would vote for a used palio which is having nice build quality and excellent driving comfort.

Also, heard from my friends that turbo diesel indica's are also having heavy demand in the used car market (So, please keep an eye on it).

Hey, I forgot to ask about the following
1) how long you are planning to keep this car?
2) Are you expecting good resale value?

All the best for your car search!!! Keep us posted!!!

Thanks,
Pradeep

[BenjiRoss]

If you are from Delhi there are some cars on the classifieds at TBHP.
Eg:
1.3, 8valve engined zen 1.6 lacs
Team-BHP Classifieds - 1.3, 8valve engined zen - Powered by PhotoPost Classifieds

[sukrit7]

Go for true value, my altura is from their stable & apart from usual maintenance all's great.
Maruti's also installing cng these days. I got a msg from them the other day:
cng is the way to go,fuel of the future get it fitted by msm.

[BenjiRoss]

So have you made any decisions about your car?