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Old 4th March 2018, 16:36   #76
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

4. Trying to get covered parking space for 2 cars is a issue for many. It's fine at my Hyd home but a very big issue in my Mumbai home. Mumbaikars will know this better.

I feel a beater car makes sense for someone who made a impulse luxury purchase when high and after getting sober realizes it's difficult to use it daily. Now, he doesn't want to to get embarrassed by downgrading nor can he use it like a daily drive. Beater car suits very well in this scenario.

We have extensive threads on TBhp on why Using a car till end of life and Buying a used car vis a vis new makes a lot of $$$ sense. If you buy a 1 year old car with 30k on it you get to change it in 4 years versus 5 if you bought a new one.

My friend bought a Jetta Diesel but i see him in his Santro most of the times. According to him, the Jetta is reserved for parties, pubbing and long drives.

Last edited by bharatbits : 4th March 2018 at 16:59.
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Old 4th March 2018, 17:03   #77
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

I have not one but two beaters and this has resulted in a confusion.

I own three cars. One is for me and me alone, an A4 which I use only for outstation long drives with family. I rarely take it out in the city. 8K km a year.

A 12 year old Skoda Octavia TDI, 1.3L km on the Ido which is the every day car for my wife. 10-15km a year.

A 11year old chauffeur driven Innova 1.95L km on the ODO which does drives to the school and village. 10-15k km a year.

The advantage of these beaters is

Once a year service, reasonably procured spares, FNG service, cheap insurance NO EMI and park wherever you want and no matter how many dents scratches.

Now the wife wants a polo GT TSI in Red

now I am scratching my head on which one to sell.

Skoda looks like a no brainer but somewhere the heart says get rid of the Innova and Zoomcar an Innova whenever you need one.

What do you people say?
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Old 4th March 2018, 17:11   #78
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiddler View Post

now I am scratching my head on which one to sell.




Skoda looks like a no brainer but somewhere the heart says get rid of the Innova and Zoomcar an Innova whenever you need one.

What do you people say?

I’d say, let go of the Skoda. At 1.95 lakh kms, the Innova has a lot of life left in it. Maintenance and spare parts also would be cheaper for the Innova.

The Innova has covered ‘only’ 1.95 lakh kms which is very low considering the fact that it is a Toyota. The Innova will be cheaper to maintain and you would also have the option of ferrying 7 people around.

Sell the Skoda and get the Polo home.

Last edited by Prathiiik : 4th March 2018 at 17:12.
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Old 4th March 2018, 18:07   #79
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiddler View Post
I have not one but two beaters and this has resulted in a confusion.

I own three cars. One is for me and me alone, an A4 which I use only for outstation long drives with family. I rarely take it out in the city. 8K km a year.

A 12 year old Skoda Octavia TDI, 1.3L km on the Ido which is the every day car for my wife. 10-15km a year.

A 11year old chauffeur driven Innova 1.95L km on the ODO which does drives to the school and village. 10-15k km a year.

The advantage of these beaters is

Once a year service, reasonably procured spares, FNG service, cheap insurance NO EMI and park wherever you want and no matter how many dents scratches.

Now the wife wants a polo GT TSI in Red

now I am scratching my head on which one to sell.

Skoda looks like a no brainer but somewhere the heart says get rid of the Innova and Zoomcar an Innova whenever you need one.

What do you people say?
I'd say keep Innova:
1) the only 7 seater you have
2) it will last an eternity and has bulletproof reliability
3) skoda is a ticking bomb, the day it shows trouble, it may drain good Moolah

this way you will have a perfect trio: luxury sedan (Audi), a reliable 7 seater to do grunt work ( innova) and a sexy new hatch ( polo) .. best of all worlds !
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Old 4th March 2018, 18:18   #80
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pankaj_Ahlawat View Post
this way you will have a perfect trio: luxury sedan (Audi), a reliable 7 seater to do grunt work ( innova) and a sexy new hatch ( polo) .. best of all worlds !
That is a nice perspective. Thank you.
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Old 4th March 2018, 19:13   #81
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

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Originally Posted by irdevanand View Post
Ah finally I got a word to justify my purchase of Polo as a second car in the family. We are blessed to have reliable paid drivers (acting drivers) bcos of the company I work for and that made the decision in favour of Ola vs polo. We call couple of hours in advance and they come right in. 500 rs for 5 hours. Hospital runs, temple runs, inter city all in all 7000kms in 7 months so far. I got it for around 6.4 lakhs or so. Paid in full. My other car city has done 15k in 2 years !!!

Hi irdevanand,

You mentioned you bought the Polo before 7 months. Can you please check your RC book for the registration number. I guess it might be DH and not BH because when we bought our car in 2009, BH was the running series at TN-22 RTO. For the past year+ D-x was the running series. So there is a high chance of a mistake by the dealer.

Last edited by Shanksta : 4th March 2018 at 19:15.
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Old 4th March 2018, 21:28   #82
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

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Originally Posted by Shanksta View Post

Hi irdevanand,

You mentioned you bought the Polo before 7 months. Can you please check your RC book for the registration number. I guess it might be DH and not BH because when we bought our car in 2009, BH was the running series at TN-22 RTO. For the past year+ D-x was the running series. So there is a high chance of a mistake by the dealer.
You are right bro. BH 3808 is a moped DH 3808 has my polo’s VIN number. So I guess I just have to take it to the dealer or sticker shop and change B to D right? Or should I check my RC book now? . Anyway thanks a lot. Next time we meet I will buy you a cup of coffee !!! Now I have to tell this to me Dad without making him get a heart attack. That is tough.
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Old 4th March 2018, 22:14   #83
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

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Originally Posted by irdevanand View Post
You are right bro. BH 3808 is a moped DH 3808 has my polo’s VIN number. So I guess I just have to take it to the dealer or sticker shop and change B to D right? Or should I check my RC book now? . Anyway thanks a lot. Next time we meet I will buy you a cup of coffee !!! Now I have to tell this to me Dad without making him get a heart attack. That is tough.

Thanks for confirming that, glad I could be of help. It will be DH in your RC book, check it once. If your number plates are embossed get new ones made will hardly take half a day at any shop if you give the order. Also give a piece of your mind to the SA that sold you the car, being a Sales advisor he definitely will and should have known the current running series when he sold you the car. Atleast he should've noticed it before or during delivery even though it was a mistake. Looks like a silly mistake but can become serious in an instant.

But do get the number plates changed ASAP.

Last edited by Shanksta : 4th March 2018 at 22:17.
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Old 5th March 2018, 16:37   #84
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

Up until 6 months ago my main car was uber and my beater car, a 1.2 kappa i10 magna which the vahan app tells me today is 9 years 5 months and 21 days old. In nine odd years of owner ship I think my odo might be around 55K, half the time of these nine years I was away working abroad and scant interest to the car was taken by my dad or better half during my absence.

Mechanically sound, well maintained, cosmetically I was not too bothered, the car till recently sported a dimple on the rear bumper that my beloved BIL earned for me during the premier year of ownership.
I had even done a Mumbai Goa Manglore Kerala Bangalore Kolhapur Mumbai trip in it at the start of my ownership.

Along the way my pocket rocket i10 turned into a beater car partly due to the convenience uber offered, partly due to the parking nightmare in Mumbai, partly due to the traffic getting crazy and my patience running low.

I was going along life without a worry till my younger kid confirmed my own niggling suspicion that we needed a bigger car but wait there was nothing wrong with my i10, why would I need a replacement for her? Well then not a replacement but a highway mile muncher for the whole family, something the i10 couldn’t do.

I was following the Hexa for a long time well before it’s launch.
I was egged on partially by my kid’s request for a bigger car, the Govt’s benevolence with the GST, ofcourse the near to zero niggles on the Hexa thread and wholly by the wonderful TD of the Hexa XTA and lo six months ago I got myself a Hexa XTA and in the 3 short months that I got with my car (thanks to my job) did Mum – Nashik, Mum – Goa, Mum- Alibag, Mumbai – Vasind (Kalyan) trip.

Planning even these few Hexa trips involved accounting for the kids school and high command’s office holidays. There would have been many more trips if I could absolve myself of my need to escort my kids to/from their school bus, trying to compensate for the time I'm away.

I now had a beater car, officially a beater. But why did I ever buy the i10 when there was a swift frenzy at the time I got the i10?

My dear wife couldn’t drive at all when we got married, I always wanted her to drive so that she would feel empowered and I could enjoy parties and get a ride back home in my own car. The reason I got an i10 in the first place was because I felt the car had enough speed for me and compactness for my spouse’s first time driving sojourns.

Years of training by yours truly followed up with atleast 5 driving school instructors on their and my car was imparted to my dear. She is a good driver with zero confidence. She was able to drive the car in peak traffic from Goregaon to BKC, BKC to Phoenix Market city on the LBS road multiple times. She has good control on the clutch accelerator combination and is able to keep the engine from stalling even in the most taxing cases for a beginner.
Just when I’m happy with her driving, she will ask me the most unnerving question while driving, eg “Which signal am I supposed to look at now?” Hearing this sends a chill down my spine how can a state rank holder in MSc., MPhil holder and Phd aspiring Statistician ask this?

I then realize do we ever know anybody, just when you think all is discovered, all is known, it’s going to be boring henceforth, the mystery deepens.

I have now decided to give my dear i10 to my niece who I believe should learn driving while young and in college so that she has all the time to learn well. In turn my nephews and my own kids can learn, that is if the i10 can last another 8-9 years.

With the i10 gone my plan is to get an automatic hatch for my better half so that she doesn’t have to bother about changing gears and can concentrate better at which signals to look at. The plan to get an auto is always met with passive opposition as the brains of the operation, my better half by leaps and bounds believes that it will be a few wasted lakhs because she won’t be able to drive.
I can see the spark in my spouse and truly believe underneath all that resistance a talented rally driver is hiding, the jedi only has to accept the side, dark or light to realise the power within.

My quest is now to look for a woman friendly compact automatic preworshipped low maintenance beater car which can also be used by a self respecting man ever so often (implying no zen estillo type aunty cars - no offense to all estillo owners, I already ride a blue Scooty Zest just like advert with Anushka Sharma-Kohli) and all this under 3 lakhs if I may, 5 max.

Feel free to offer any advice towards the above described beater infact any advice is actively solicited and dearly appreciated.
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Old 5th March 2018, 16:46   #85
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

Here's my take on beaters:

1) You aren't that stressed when the driver drives them - I can't imagine sitting in the back of the C220D / 3 series with low profile RFT tyres on regular roads!

2) Perfect cars to give to guests / relatives when they need a car. At times when you know you're going to have to give the car to a Valet - a beater is just so much stress-free!

3) See that pothole that could cost your German a new tyre? Not a problem for the beater with high profile tyres

4) Road side parking, narrow lanes - perfect for a beater!

5) Beaters typically have better ground clearance, and boot space than premium cars - make's them perfect for an airport trip / work trip to areas where the roads aren't that great

6) Low profile for when you need it.

7) Can seat people that much more comfortably, as most premium cars are best 4 seaters owing to that huge transmission tunnel at the back seat. Whenever we're a full load - the Corolla & S-Cross are that much more comfortable than the premium cars.

8) Lower maintenance costs, and can handle a fair share of abuse! Best part - quicker turn around. When your premium car has gone in for an extended service, you know the beater is there to back you up!

9) More nimble - In the city, I am sure I can reach a destination quicker in my Etios D than a 530D - with less headache, more fun, and better fuel economy!

10) Lastly, premium cars are a more emotional buy. It hurts that much more to see a scratch on your premium car than one on the beater.

Heck, just writing this down makes me want to pick up one more beater for home to replace one of the Premium cars!

However, I would like to add that premium cars do need to be run! There is just no point buying a premium car and letting it stand there for a weekly outing - it's not going to help reduce the maintenance costs. You've bought it, and should enjoy it (it's not easy - I am still figuring it out myself)!
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Old 5th March 2018, 19:21   #86
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

Great thread.

Its interesting to analyze when a car becomes a beater car.
Does anyone buy a particular car thinking it will be a beater car? Yes maybe.

Each one has a different scenario from a requirement and financial point of view.

In my case, Nano became my beater car out of choice and below are some reasons behind it.
I have an emotional attachment to Nano, since it is my first brand new car.
We decided to keep Nano, thinking some day my wife would drive it regularly, I am still waiting for that day
Nano has poor resale, so it made sense to keep it as a second car and this way I could justify to my family that we need to keep Nano.

The other plus being it could be the cheapest beater car to maintain, take in to account insurance cost and maintenance.Insurance is only Rs4800 and maintenance costs me Rs3900 for 2 years ( With TATA's AMC package ).

The best part is, I take Nano to most places where parking is an issue for other cars, since I am confident of finding one for Nano.
So Nano is my City car, and Baleno it is for highways.

Last edited by silverado : 5th March 2018 at 19:25.
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Old 5th March 2018, 21:23   #87
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

This is a concept thats really popular, not just here but the world over, but the premise is the same.

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Old 6th March 2018, 12:28   #88
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

Interesting read...and a wonderful way of expressing the gratitude towards the "beater" cars which form the part of everyone's daily commute.

What immediately caught my attention was mention of Fiat Punto.....In my experience the service cost and maintenance cost hasn't come down even after 5 years. Parts are costly and since it is niche car outside service providers also can't do much to bring down the costs. I have another Punto in the family and story is same there as well. It's fun to drive though.
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Old 6th March 2018, 13:21   #89
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

For a beater car nothing beats the Alto K10. Peppy engine and rock bottom maintenance. Add to that narrow width and you can squeeze it into a parking slot in markets where other cars will never attempt.
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Old 7th March 2018, 09:47   #90
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Re: Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one

Honestly, the concept of a beater is not for all families.
Most people in India can only afford one car- I'm sure Sunny, Alto and Innova are primary cars for small families. Innova was our primary ride until recently.

But yeah- beaters are of tremendous value if you drive a lot in the city. Else- just use Uber/Ola
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