[Guna]

Originally Posted by silverado

When does a person buy used car?Below are some points that come to my mind.

1) Short on cash
2) Wish to buy a high end car.
3) Second/Third car in home.
4) Parking is on road ( Scared of buying a new car )
5) Newbie driver wants to do his "Haath Saaf " on old car before buying one.

One more reason:
6) Specific car you are eyeing is not available as new

[deehunk]

I recently saw the ad posted by a used car dealership for 2008 Hyundai Accent. When I went through the details, it turned out be my own car. The car was sold to CARS24 for Rs.80K, the odometer reading on the day of selling was 1,10,000 kms. There after the car odometer was tampered to 67K and vehicle was completely repainted. The new ad said "low running vehicle and very well maintained".

[dr_davis97]

I voted for 'The risk' and most importantly 'Try convincing
my family'.

We had been living in the UAE a few years back and the used car market there was just so awesome. My dad had infact preferred going the pre-owned route and his daily driver was an immaculately maintained '92 Lexus LS400.

However back to India, pre-owned cars are just a complete "NO" to him. The uncertainties and risks outweigh the advantages according to him. But the number of mouth watering deals and the experiences posted by BHPian's here have convinced me that going pre-owned, is infact one of the best ways to get your money's worth, provided you are willing to do your homework and research.

Now I am left wondering how the equation changes when it comes to bikes. I have decided to upgrade to a big capacity motorcycle. I have a budget of 5 lakhs and my logical choice for the upgrade would be a bike having around 100BHP(Keeping in mind the purpose and my experience). Meanwhile, my budget restricts me to a small 300cc twin or the RE 650 twins.

But the number of mouth watering deals available on pre-owned Benelli 600i's, Triumph Street Triple 675s, Kawasaki 650s and even few Z800's have me really confused. Any suggestions on the implications on going the pre-owned route (for big bikes) will be appreciated.

P.S. I know about the maintenance costs and the rider capabilities required for these bikes.

[InControl]

For me it is the risk and too much effort

I was driving a 9 yr old Ritz in Bangalore but the itch to upgrade was there since the last 2 years. My Ritz did not have abs, airbags and MT in Bangalore city traffic was very taxing.

Started the new car hunt last year, took a test drive of Honda city AT and Hyundai Venue both of which looked really overpriced, one was 18 lakhs on road and the other had Ritz like space for 13.85 lakhs. The only way to get an upgrade(engine + safety + automatic) was via the preowned route.

Then started looking around for used Honda city AT. Came across few VX automatic's 2016 for around 8.5 lakhs which looked really overpriced as well as had red flags (Accident car, bad engine, suspension noise, no NCB on insurance, Stepneys missing. no history) which kept me hunting around for something that clicks. This went on for quite sometime.

Starting of this month found a silver 2014 SV CVT with 50% NCB, insurance running. It had bald tyres, few scratches, had run for 54k kms but the engine was in good nick. Got the car verified and history checked from Honda and bit the bullet for 5.8 lakhs(Yes. i know, bangalore + AT + Honda!!!).

After a 12000 rupees service and 52000 set of wheels, Car is an absolute pleasure to drive.



But, due to my previous experience with the used cars explored, that fear of unknown is still there at the back of my mind. This will go only with time, i guess .

[chaturgaurav]

Originally Posted by deehunk

I recently saw the ad posted by a used car dealership for 2008 Hyundai Accent. When I went through the details, it turned out be my own car. The car was sold to CARS24 for Rs.80K, the odometer reading on the day of selling was 1,10,000 kms. There after the car odometer was tampered to 67K and vehicle was completely repainted. The new ad said "low running vehicle and very well maintained".

This says it all. I feel vindicated! my fears of buying used vehicle are not really unfounded.

Not only the reduced miles on ODO, but if you were to buy it back, you will now have to pay more than what you got from cars 24

[pavi]

I prefer to buy new cars, yes I am also following my own father here. The new car smell is something to die for (for me). Also I would wholeheartedly reveal that I don’t have deeper knowledge on engines, suspensions etc. Hence checking a used car itself is a herculean task for me. Another issue with used car is a good car + colour combination is very difficult to find if you are someone who loves non-white colours especially black. It would be a completely different case if I buy a used car from GTO

[vijayshouree]

I still remember that day I handed over INR 2000/- as an advance for used Santro Xing XO (2006 Model) (Exchanged for a NEW Rapid in April 2017). I and my friend went for the test drive. We both only have knowledge of cars and never driven one except for the driving school cars. Yes, I feel bad that I got cheated by an old man who looks like a gentleman. I found out that the car was bought from Pune to Hyderabad but it had some RTA issues to be sorted out, the car was into multiple minor accidents and the panels got repainted, the AC has some issues, Suspension was in a bad state, tires were worn out, etc.. etc..

But I am a kind of guy, once the decision is taken, I'll stick to it and never back out. All these negatives never affected me in any way to take very good care of my car. I got all the issues sorted out mechanically and aesthetically. I got her a new set of alloys and painted them black and Yokohomas, got her audio upgraded, blacked out the lights, new seat covers, 3M noodle mats, etc.. etc.. to name a few. Aah, so many memories, so many credit card bills . Back then, my credit card bills were full of booze (roommate's) and car(mine) expenses. My friends used to say that except for the car's registration number, everything was new, I got her new number plates too. We have been to so many places, so many night drives, times changed, I got married, ordered new light assemblies for safety reasons (as per my wife's advice). All those years, it never put me down and vice versa. While exchanging, when I had a heavy heart filled with those memories, I have seen my wife's eyes with tears rolling out when I handed over the car. Here is the pic of my car. Sorry for bad picture quality as it was shot on my iPhone 4.

[RonXRi94]

Voted for "Are you kidding? I LOVE pre-worshipped cars"

GTO's numerous posts about pre-worshipped cars have opened my eyes to the beauty that they are, especially in terms of depreciation. I don't think I would ever buy a new car again. However, I prefer to stick to cars that are simple (no thousands of failure-prone sensors for every small function like the Skodas & VWs), easy on maintenance, and have a stellar reliability record.

Case in point: I reside in Canada, and bought myself a 9th gen Honda Civic (Review coming soon ). This is a 2013 model, run for 140,000 kms when i bought it last year. Being a reliable car, the odometer now sits at 179,000 odd kms without a single issue except for routine fluid changes. I picked it up for approx 10,000 CAD, whereas a new one would set me back by around 22,000. I know if I sell it now, after a year of fun driving it, I can still get 9,000 for it. No huge depreciation hit like a new car.

Although GTO recommends buying 1-2 year old vehicles with a very low odometer reading, I was confident about this purchase for 2 reasons:

1. It's a Honda Civic, known worldwide for its reliability. It had proper service records and drove like a dream when I test drove it. It doesn't feel like a 7 year old car at all. In the same breath, I'd like to add that cars in North America aren't as badly abused as Indian cars, due to the amazing roads there. Heck, 2004 civics are still running aplenty on Canadian roads. Would I buy a 7 year old/140,000 kms car in India? NEVER.

2. Even if something goes wrong, fixing it will not be an expensive affair, due to the simple electronics in the car, and the well-known reliability of the 1.8 iVTEC. Given the popularity that the car enjoys, parts are very easy to come by, and most repairs to the car involve Amazon Prime + YouTube tutorials. This is how I myself carry out oil changes, battery replacements, new spark plug installations etc. No hassle of finding parts, no paying atrocious labour charges to a shop. If at all something does come up that I can't handle, 3 Honda Dealers are a stone's throw from my place. Fuss-free ownership experience.

I don't think I'll ever be buying a new car ever again

Here's a picture of my baby, chugging across snow-covered country roads with a smile on her face.

[adneeraj]

I voted for:
The risk (being cheated, reliability, accident / flood damage etc.)
Too much effort to find a car, TD it, get it checked...
Try convincing my spouse / family!!!

I am sold to the idea of buying a used car. The fact that you can buy a segment or two higher in the same price, someone else has taken the depreciation hit already etc. are all healthy arguments.
But the "risk" and time involved in finding a good example almost takes it all away. There are so many used car dealerships who'd keep a car squeaky clean and we wouldn't know if it has a major mechanical problem underlying that you may be able to find within 1-2 TDs.
Also, with the age of the vehicle, replacement of specific parts are a given - that means, you start spending thousands on your maintenance in the first year itself. Specifically true with Germans including the regular Skodas and VWs.

My wife saw the Hyd flyover Polo crash video and swore on me that our next car has to be a German. A woman at the bus stop lost her life there but the folks in the car came out okay - injured, but alive.

Now, I'd not even touch an unknown person's German with a long pole. The trio are specifically abused (100% if they are chauffeur driven) unless the owner really cares for them.

[livetodrive]

Voted on "Others". Just like it is tedious to buy a good second hand car and risky too, its equally painful to sale it off to the 3rd owner.

I have purchased 2 pre-worshipped cars and in both cases getting a prospective buyer was difficult. Cars were in good condition, one Chevrolet Aveo and other Honda City ZX, both 5 years old and had run 50K KMs odd. Both cars I bought as stop gap usage, either I did not have funds to buy a new one, or I needed one for few months since my primary car was heavily engaged (This is before the Uber-Ola-Zoomcar era).

In such cases, it becomes painful to get rid off the car when its utility has reduced. Bargaining is rampant and test drives with heavy scrutiny cannot be avoided.

Also, after buying 2 second hand cars, I am sure any car below 3 years old and not exceed 30K in odo is good to buy. But these cars are so closely priced to their ex-showroom prices that it becomes illogical to buy them second hand (Hardly a margin of lakh or two for ~10 lakh rupee car).

Is there any transparency through which one second hand buyer for any brand can know the actual service history of a car ? That becomes another blocker to buy a second hand for sure.

[carfreak]

I voted for ‘Too much effort in getting a used car’. Although I must say, I am a fan of used cars provided I get the one I want in the city I live in.

I feel it is much easier buying used cars in metro cities but in smaller cities, availability of good used cars are not that easy. Which means, having to visit metros more often to check out used cars. While this was fine when i was younger, with increasing job demands, it has become a lot tougher.

In smaller cities, used cars come in 2 types- either they are in extremely good condition but you have to pay an amount which makes buying used not at all worthy, or you have totally abused cars. Many a times this makes it easier to buy a new one than a used car

Nevertheless I haven’t given up totally on used cars and I do keep a watch out for good examples in places close to where I stay.

[livetodrive]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Used cars don't work in most cities in India except for Mumbai and Delhi. Mumbai and Delhi market is larger, people buy and change cars often there vs other cities and resale prices in Delhi and Mumbai are ridiculously lower than other cities.

Not sure about Delhi, but for Mumbai, isn't the price lowering because of salt and rust on cars?

Price in Mumbai is mouth watering no doubt. In Pune, there was a dealer who used to sale cars whose lease got over and the owners used to keep them in top notch condition because maintenance bills were paid by company.

[sajands]

Voted for "Are you kidding? I LOVE pre-worshipped cars"

So far I had 3 Fiat's and all of them were problem free and well maintained.

To me its whether new or pre owned its all about one test ride, visual inspection and checking the service history in the service station against the chassis number that makes one decide on go or no go.

Best part with the pre owned is, its ready for any modifications, as with a new one, people are very careful with the warranty period and all.....

[sam_babushka]

For me, I will always buy a used car. The rider is that it has to be from someone I know personally, and trust. I bought a used Corolla in 2008 (2006 model) from a work colleague who had impeccably maintained her, and had all the service records in place. I did not even enter the said car until after the payment was made and the gent in question had moved to his international posting, which was the reason for selling the car in the first place. It's 2020 now, and I have happily added over 1.2 lac kilometres, made multiple 1500+ kilometre road trips, and is now my daily ride

[kalyan_hyd]

To start with, I didn't believe in making a great deal by buying a used car. And also, there was this risk of getting cheated and/ or getting a lemon, etc. So, the first two cars we bought in the family, Santro Zing in 2005 and Honda City in 2009 were brand new ones.

As a habit, I expect a change of car every 5 years and have therefore always sought to sell off our cars. In 2015 when it was time to sell the Honda City and get a new car, I got inspired by GTO's posts and his experience with used cars. Also, the read-up on TBHP had made me more confident in identifying a bad deal vs a good car. There was still a lot of doubt/ fear in my mind. But, I went ahead and got a used BMW X1. As someone said, used car deals in Hyderabad and Bengaluru are usually exorbitant as compared to cities like Delhi and Mumbai. But, people usually also are able to sell used cars at a premium as compared to those cities.

I used the BMW for 4+ years and sold it in 2019 to get a used Creta. Its been almost 6 months since I got the Creta and I am absolutely happy with the car. It was 'like new' when I got it, run about 6k kms in 10 months time. Maintained very well with 5 years of warranty and 2 free services remaining. The owners were moving abroad for good and wanted to sell the car. No doubt I paid a premium by not getting the car from a dealer but the owner directly, it was still a good deal, I reckon.

My mom is getting a car soon and I tried to use my experience to convince her to go for a used car but she has this "Social image/stigma in my circle" for the moment so we are going for a new car for her.