[av8er]

This is a very interesting thread. I voted for 'I love pre-worshipped cars'. I used to fall under the 'I want only a new car' but over the years have realized that a used car is as good as a new one if you find/get the right car.

Have bought 2 of them and have been very happy with them. Looking forward to buying more used luxury cars in the future.

My take is whats the use of being a team-bhp member if you cannot spot a good used car

[srikanthmadhava]

I simply prefer "brand new" and am willing to pay a premium for it

I prefer pre-worshipped. The value proposition is immense. A great opportunity to punch above one’s budget.

The risk (being cheated, reliability, accident / flood damage etc.)

I prepare heavily to counter the risk. Multiple threads reviewed multiple times and as I had read in of those threads, luck favours those who prepare more. The risk is well worth it.

Too much effort to find a car, TD it, get it checked...

True, it is lots of effort. The positive, at least for me, is that I am ready to put in that effort. In fact, I am currently going through the grind.

Social image / stigma in my circle

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"

Used car loans are difficult and / or pricey

Yes, to my horror personal loans seem much better. But I have 75% of my budget sorted through 0% interest loans from my friends and family.

My company will get lower depreciation benefits

Not applicable for me.

Worried about the maintenance costs

Going to do thorough checks before purchase including paid certification from OEM

I don't have the knowledge or expertise on used cars

I too don’t have enough knowledge. But hope I can get help from people with expertise.

The model I want isn't available used (e.g. Hector / Triber)

I do not have an exact model preference. I have a target segment (higher ground clearance) and transmission (TC or CVT automatic) in mind. Open for both petrol and diesel. I don’t have a timeline restriction too. I am open to most of the colours. I need height adjustable driver seat and headrests.

Try convincing my spouse / family!!!

I convinced my wife. Easy-peasy. Only a cheap car with 'Sunroof' can come between my wife and our pre-worshipped car.

Are you kidding? I LOVE pre-worshipped cars

From my above responses, by now it would be clear that I LOVE pre-worshipped cars. I have seen my friends buy 3-year-old Verna in 2016 for 50 percent of the on-road price. I am inspired by "sweet deals" while buying and discouraged of "silent killers" while selling.
But in spite of the best of my efforts, I have not been able to land a good (not even thinking about sweet) deal. The cars that I see around seem to be grossly overpriced in used market. Maybe it is a 'Bangalore' trait, as others have pointed out.

Cars that satisfy my requirements are:
Creta, Hexa, Brv, Ecosport, Duster, Seltos. May be Corolla and Ciaz too with a bit of relaxation on ground clearance. No Verna (too congested) or City (ground clearance). I prefer max 3-year-old and 30-40K odd Km run models.
Maruti in used market is too hot to touch. I better buy new and enjoy the resale. I might be forced to buy a new Brezza or S-Cross when the petrol auto is launched, if I can’t get hold of used car by April 2020 (this is a deadline that I have decided to call it quits. Not necessarily that I cannot live without a car beyond April, but a car would make my travels much easier. And I have been holding on for a long time).

Insane prices are quoted in olx for Creta. I am even afraid to contact the ads looking at prices being quoted. Not even 20 percent depreciation for a 2-year model as per some olx ads. I am really interested in the actual resale values for those, do people really buy them at (or near) those quoted price in used market. I would rather buy new Creta (SX Diesel Auto) for 18 lakhs after discounts compared to buying 2-year-old ones for 15 lakhs.
Hexa and Corolla are Out of budget for sure (I am trying to hold on to 8lakhs budget. Problem is that I can (and tempted to) stretch, but I would not like to). Don’t need a big 7-seater as well. But heart says "have a look, do shortlist them" in case you can stretch. I am open to a well maintained 7 odd year Corolla as well. Duster CVT is barebones and hence dropped.

I expected BRV to be a resale disaster considering its packaging and sales figures. But most of the ads I see are from dealers who are not ready to budge. I expect at least 40 percent depreciation for Brv in 3 years, but the dealers don’t feel that way. This is in spite of the same ads being there in olx for the 3rd month now, they are ready to wait for that one rich guy who do not care to spend that 1 or 2 lakhs more.

I have lost hopes for good deals, either the used car market has changed drastically or I am just not lucky enough. But never say never. Long story short, my search continues.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Eddy

For me, it is a combination of the risk of being cheated (because I am not very skilled at used car evaluation & resulting in a higher/repair maintenance cost)

For me its pretty much these 2 and the cars I am looking for in pre-owned (mostly D segmenters) are well out cash budget

Plus, I am a high miler (25K plus km/year). The pace at which I rake up miles accelerates all these.

Once bitten! And no thank you.

Originally Posted by RevJ

1. For the money of buying a new Creta or Seltos- used Innova anyone that too Crysta
2. For the money of buying any small hatchback as new- Used sedan Verna, Rapid, Vento

1. Most Innovas I came across during my search had 150K to 250K on clock and came less than 10L. Personally I don't see the worth.
2. Vento yes. City yes. Very less of Verna and Rapid seen in use market. Am scared to pick an out of warranty Vento. City maybe, but 4th gen issues thread was one major reason revved away from City. Verna, Rapid wasn't in consideration.

[JBIBS]

Let's start with the vote - obvious choice of option for me - The last one

Reason - Simple. "Enjoy more for less" . Or should I say, Hell Lot More ?

I love cars and I am quite ambitious as a person. It is difficult for me to settle for less, and there is no way I can live with something that does not really appeal to me. So when it comes to my machine, it got to be something that I can be proud of. Don't get me wrong. I don't believe in showing off in any aspect of life. Just that I must enjoy my machine which is extremely important to me. I enjoying can either come from the brand and segment I am driving, or from the sheer power of the machine.

I bought my first used car in USA and that was a Mazda CX9 Grand Touring, for 12K USD. Pretty much a luxury class . Drove it for thousands of miles, made umpteen number of long drives, yet it never ever failed me. No breakdown whatsoever. Sold it for 9K before I left. Felt as if I never spent.

When I returned to Hyderabad in 2015, bought a used 2009 Corolla Altis AT VL, for 4.5 lacs. Progressively spent around 1.2 lacs for upgrading Tyres, ICE enhancements, Suspension overhauling, Noise deadning, and other accessories. Almost 5 years now, and car runs as good as new. Breakdown!! ah you must be kidding.

In 5.7 Lacs, I drive a D1 with crazy reliability. Leather seats, Auto Headlamps, Electronic Driver seat with Lumbar adjustment, Acres of space inside, with half an acre in the trunk. Suits my professional position in my circle. My peers who have spent more than double to buy a new premium hatch (for rest all reasons), or a C segment, are still in awe everyday that I drive an Altis to office. Everyone in the team prefers my car for a drive to nearby restaurant when bosses arrive, instead of their newer cars. Give me a reason that I am at a loss even for the little pain I took to search, and the risk I took to purchase a used ?

If an Altis can have such value even for a fairly old one, I imagine how much I will enjoy when I upgrade next to a bimmer may be ?

I assume, when I sell it, I the yearly depreciation rate for me will be around barely 50k !! Could I have spent any less to enjoy so more ??

Yeah there is still but one strong reason for not buying a used car. Just that there is no point of return to lower cars, once one tastes blood with higher segments. This means more spend and slightly more risk.

[jithin23]

I wouldn't go for a used car in Bangalore especially due to the ridiculous prices the used car market demands and this is controlled by used car dealers who usually hide history of these vehicles and it's a gamble in Bangalore though. Loan interest rates and life span of the car is lesser as well especially if the car is driven in city primarily.

A new car will give peace of mind though you're spending more. If you're going for a Luxury brand or cars above 30L, then going the used route makes sense.

[Biker Ram]

I agree with almost all posts here - both in favour of and averse to used cars. Very logical reasoning.
I for one am not a fan of used cars as far as my personal buying decision is concerned. I'd prefer a brand new car and use it for long term.

Recently a friend was relocating so he wanted to sell his 2014 model 85ps Duster. Cars24 quoted 6 lakhs. I was tempted to sell my Ritz which might fetch me 3L, put in 3L extra and buy the Duster from my friend. But then selling my car, paying 3L extra for a 5 year old Duster that had already done 70k kms, had a change of tires, had a change of windshield, clutch, front suspension, most of the brake parts - didn't really appeal to me. The replaced parts of course had plenty of life still, but what worried me was the maintenance cost. Duster's maintenance cost was way too much for me to be ok with. And importantly except for a bigger boot it wouldn't add much value over my current car.

Assuming I'm in the market today looking to replace my car with a hypothetical budget of say 12 lakhs what would I choose? Brand new Seltos or a pre owned XUV500/Hexa/Compass etc? I'd happily pick up a new Seltos.

On another note, I have sold 2 of my bikes. Negotiating with the dealers/purchasers, answering a number of calls/texts, waiting for many days for an acceptable offer - I can deal with these but definitely not something I enjoy or look forward to. That's the reason a lot of sellers just go with exchange offers when they go for new cars or just sell it off at portals like Cars24.

[rajushank84]

I am reminded of an analogy someone once told me when this topic came up: "A used toothbrush would be much cheaper than a new one too; you should see what some people do in their cars".

While it is an exaggeration, it holds some truth.

[fhdowntheline]

Show me a moderately priced (less than 10 lac) , well cared for Offroader and I am ready to buy one. But finding one is a bit of a pipe dream, just like affording to buy a brand new 4wd AT Fortuner. I am surprised that the car stills sells as much post demonetisation

[Heart_Revs]

I love the value proposition offered by pre-worshipped car though there is no denying the fact that it's a gamble.
I will narrate my experience buying used car.
Saw an ad on OLX for Toyota Fortuner 50000 kms 7 yrs old by a private seller.
My wife usually does not agree on used car but seeing the photographs okayed it.
Went on the location to find that the guy owns 7 car in a family of 4 and having garage space restrictions now since he is planning to buy new fortuner. Has a dedicated servant for everyday dusting and cleaning of cars he owns.
His oldest vehicle is a toyota Corolla 11 yr old and looked spic and span.
After a test drive it appeared to me that he is a genuine seller. Gave advance, shook hands, took the car for inspection to Toyota workshop, all okay, balance paid , RC transferred. DONE.
Car running extremely well as good as new . Money spent on changing tyres, suspension repair, any other repair what-so-ever = Zero. Spending other than routine service = Zero. TILL DATE.

What helped:-
1. Dealing with a GENUINE SELLER.
2. My Willingess to pay more and not care for -+ 10K for a genuine car. I was decided in my mind that my search will end as soon as I find a genuine car no matter what the price.
3. His preference for new fortuner and my liking of old fortuner.
4. It's a toyota so that also helped.

What could have gone wrong:
1. Everything that has been listed in the options.

So, my dear friends for a 13.5L spend I am driving a white scratchless dentless 7 seater SUV with proper 4×4 hardware. Neighbours envy, owners pride.
So my deduction is that used car market is a case by case gamble. One has to carefully choose which table one wants to play.

[JBIBS]

Originally Posted by Heart_Revs

I love the value proposition offered by pre-worshipped car though there is no denying the fact that it's a gamble.
I will narrate my experience buying used car.
Saw an ad on OLX for Toyota Fortuner 50000 kms 7 yrs old by a private seller.
My wife usually does not agree on used car but seeing the photographs okayed it.
Went on the location to find that the guy owns 7 car in a family of 4 and having garage space restrictions now since he is planning to buy new fortuner. Has a dedicated servant for everyday dusting and cleaning of cars he owns.
His oldest vehicle is a toyota Corolla 11 yr old and looked spic and span.
After a test drive it appeared to me that he is a genuine seller. Gave advance, shook hands, took the car for inspection to Toyota workshop, all okay, balance paid , RC transferred. DONE.
Car running extremely well as good as new . Money spent on changing tyres, suspension repair, any other repair what-so-ever = Zero. Spending other than routine service = Zero. TILL DATE.

What helped:-
1. Dealing with a GENUINE SELLER.
2. My Willingess to pay more and not care for -+ 10K for a genuine car. I was decided in my mind that my search will end as soon as I find a genuine car no matter what the price.
3. His preference for new fortuner and my liking of old fortuner.
4. It's a toyota so that also helped.

What could have gone wrong:
1. Everything that has been listed in the options.

So, my dear friends for a 13.5L spend I am driving a white scratchless dentless 7 seater SUV with proper 4×4 hardware. Neighbours envy, owners pride.
So my deduction is that used car market is a case by case gamble. One has to carefully choose which table one wants to play.

As you said, it's a choice of table. Absolutely.

Even the brand new cars breakdown ! Don't they ? Yeah, but the only thing that comes to rescue is warranty, which is again at a considerable premium, if one does the math on how much was paid for the new, vs what will be the resale after a few years; while factoring the most important one - sacrifice in terms of a car the person falls for, vs compromise made due to the incline towards a new car. Many end up with the notion that barely anything was spent since the car was under warranty, which is barely the case.

More importantly, those who still argue that it's a hassle maintening a used car, how many of those are still driving their own 5+ year old cars which was "new" once upon a 'day' ? Just that many are sacred to trust others, who could also be one among us; another passionate owner.

Coming to trust - "One needs to take a leap of faith first. Trust part comes later". Not my line, but such an important one.

But then some dear one compares a 30 bucks toothbrush to a 30 lac car too, and yet finds it a mere exaggeration

But then I understand importance of toothbrush. My maid uses them for cleaning my car alloys; though I always give new ones only.

[advenk999]

Voted for the "risk of being cheated, reliability, flood-damaged and accidental vehicle."
Used car prices in Bangalore as already mentioned by some are quite ridiculous. Especially in the small car segment.
Cars like the Swift Vdi and Gi10 still go at the range of 5-5.5L for almost 5-6 year old models! That is an extreme premium and these almost overlap with the base/mid variants of the newer models. The small segment doesn't make sense here.
However, there are juicy deals on vehicles such as the Civic and the Laura TSI although they'd be about 7-8 years in age (Bangalore).
I'd really love to take the plunge of acquiring an S Cross 1.6, yes you read it right but its extremely hard to come across one as it is a niche model and the one that I came across was involved in a major accident. Hence, the fear has kept me away but I know that I'm missing out on a lot of good stuff!

[pnredkar]

Voted for the following options:
- I simply prefer "brand new" and am willing to pay a premium for it
- The risk (being cheated, reliability, accident / flood damage etc.)
- Worried about the maintenance costs
- I don't have the knowledge or expertise on used cars
- Other (please specify in your post)

The main reason is that I buy cars for a particular need and tend to keep them long. My first car, Opel Corsa was with me for almost 10 years before maintenance started becoming an issue. We have the first generation Honda Activa that is now 18 years old and still running. I upgraded from Vento to Passat just after 6.5 years because I needed an automatic car. I intend to keep the new one for a long time.

If I buy pre-owned, the car has already lived part of its life and I would not be able to hold on to it for that long. Also since I am no expert in evaluating a car, I have the fear of having to deal with maintenance issues later. Hence, I stay away from pre-owned.


Off-topic: I absolutely hate the term pre-worshipped used on this forum. The car is my companion, not someone I would hold on a pedestal.

[xway]

In Delhi NCR the entire calculation is different -

Here goes -

Lets say you buy a Diesel Vehicle for 12 lacs - out of which the nett vechicle cost excluding registration insurance is 10 lacs nett.

Now, in delhi NCR the diesel vehicle is allowed for 10 years so in essence you should depreciate life value of vehicle by 1 lac each year.
Apart from life the actual condition and hardware of vehicle is also subject to depreciation so lets take another 10% so another 1 lac each year.

Technically the vehicle value should go down by 2 lacs each year.

Now after 5 years if one is reselling it - the fair value should be way lesser,

But in reality such 5 year old vehicles are being sold at 6-7 lacs

So by spending 6-7 lacs you are getting a vehicle which is 5 years old hardware and also the remaining use period is 5 years only

Financial calculation suggests after 5 years the 10 lacs vehicle life value is 5 lacs
Lets depreciate (not compounding it) 50% of hardware depreciation which is 50%
of 5 lacs i.e. 2.5 lacs

So, after 5 years the 10 lacs vehicle value computed is
10 Lacs - nett cost of vehicle
5 Lacs - remaining 5 years usage
2.5 Lacs - Depreciated value of hardware e.g. engine, body, parts
--------
2.5 lacs - Calculated Value after 5 years

But in reality the resale is for 6-7 lacs, which makes it very expensive considering you can only use for 5 years.

It does not make sense in this case to buy a used vehicle in this case.

This is true for Delhi NCR region.

I will never buy such used vehicle for such high price.

Note - this is as per my own financial analysis

[skarthiksr]

I voted for these options:
The risk (being cheated, reliability, accident / flood damage etc.)
I don't have the knowledge or expertise on used cars

The biggest concern for me is also that I don't know to evaluate what is the correct price for a used car and if I am getting cheated because of lack of negotiation and evaluation skills. May be going to a reputed used car dealer instead of buying it directly from an owner might help, but that would also mean that I will have to pay significantly more.

[rakesh_r]

I voted for "Risk of getting Cheated". I also have a fear of ending up with a lemon. We have a very good example where a fellow Bhpian AutoIndian picked up a used Innova first gen which he came to know almost a year later that the entire roof of the car was replaced at the dealer level after going through a very bad accident by the previous owner. The car was almost a total loss.
I would "think" of buying a preowned If I knew the owner pretty well else I wouldn't mind paying a premium for a brand new car.
For me, a preowned would also make sense If I am moving out abroad for a temp assignment (2-3 years) where spending on a new car would make no sense.