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View Poll Results: Your choice?
1 expensive vehicle 173 26.62%
Multiple inexpensive vehicles 477 73.38%
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Old 2nd July 2020, 09:49   #1
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Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

If you had 11 lakhs, would you buy a Swift + KTM Duke, or a single well-equipped compact SUV?
If you had 20 lakhs, would you buy a fully-loaded Seltos, or a Rapid TSI + a used 4x4?
If you had 35 lakhs, would you buy a Fortuner, or a Compass + Figo 1.5 TDCi + Enfield Himalayan?

The above is pretty much the gist of this interesting thread. For a given budget, we usually tend to go for the most expensive car that is available. However, is it always the best call...in all circumstances? Given some thought, would you prefer to get a single expensive car, or bring home multiple cars + bikes for the same money? As an enthusiast, the choice is even more difficult as we can factor in pre-worshipped cars, bikes as well as those cars which you'd otherwise never have in a single car garage (e.g. Gurkha 4x4).

1. A Ford Endeavour for Rs. 40 lakhs, or a Jeep Compass 4x4 + Honda City Petrol for the same money?
Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-endycompasscity-copy.jpg

2. A Mercedes C-Class for Rs. 50 lakhs, or a Skoda Superb and a pre-owned Abarth Punto (or Polo TSI) for the same price? Here, you can get the comfort of the E-Class in the Superb on your weekday runs to office, and enjoy a fast, chuckable small car on the twisties.
Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-classsuperbabarth.jpg

3. A BMW 530d for Rs. 73 lakhs or a Skoda Octavia vRS 245, a Mahindra Thar and a Kawasaki Ninja 650? The 5 Series has always been a hot choice amongst enthusiasts and the latest gen has seen good demand for the 30d variants. However, there is no denying that it's obscenely expensive for a single car with a tight back seat. For the same cash, you can get the Octavia vRS 245, a sweet Thar to go on the offbeat tracks and a fast Kawasaki for solo touring trips.
Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-5series.jpeg

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Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-vrstharninja.jpg

4. A Range Rover Sport for Rs. 1.10 crore or a Jaguar XE, Mahindra Alturas G4 and a Hyundai Kona EV? While a Range Rover is a Range Rover, the Alturas G4 is quite luxurious too, and you'd also have a fast Jaguar + a top-class cutting edge EV in your garage.
Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-download.jpg

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Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-jagalturaskona.jpg

5. A Mercedes S-Class for Rs. 1.6 crore or a BMW 530d, Ford Endeavour and KTM 790 Duke? Instead of the single "best car in the world", you have 3 vehicles that are arguably the best in their respective segments.
Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-sclass530dendy.jpg

Last edited by Aditya : 2nd July 2020 at 17:42.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:12   #2
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Indian Car Scene. Thanks for sharing! Unique thread idea & I know this will lead to a deadly discussion .

I have always had a multi-car garage & have voted for "multiple vehicles". Would any day pick multiple cheaper cars (would add a bike to the mix, but Indian roads are too unsafe IMHO).

• I buy pre-owned, so get double the value .

• I have no parking issues at all and can easily accommodate 6 cars (even 8 with a squeeze).

• I love variety, not just with my own cars, but I also absolutely cherish driving a brand-new model every weekend (for Official Reviews). If I don’t make the weekly highway run with a fast car, I honestly get withdrawal symptoms.

Here's what my garage looked like till I sold the Civic. Instead of a single brand-new 530d for 73-lakhs, I got a pre-worshipped 530d, modded Civic, spacious Sunny & mountain-goat Jeep (all add up to approx the same 70-lakhs).
Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-153990.jpg

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Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?-cl.jpg

In almost each of the examples you have captured above, I would go with the multiple option.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:27   #3
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Interesting thread. Voted multiple (again expensive or inexpensive becomes relative)

In my opinion it primarily comes down to the requirements of the household. For example, at our home, we are two people who are working and parents are retired but we still need 3 cars. I drive the C200, wife has the Octavia with the driver and parents use the Innova ZX for local use and outstation travels and all are the top variants available at the time of purchase (going back to expensive vs inexpensive).

Post that it will be come down to whether each of those cars need to be an expensive one or can one or the other be a mid model of the same car or a top end version from a segment lower. And then of course is the dilemma of the option of going down the pre-owned route- something i am open to, but parents and wife are not. Honestly, apart from the budget, there are multiple factors at play here with never a clear answer.

So based on our specific requirements, it will always most likely be a multiple car garage with one of two bikes in it.

Cheers
Rohan
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:35   #4
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

It depends less on the cost and more on the need of the household. Currently I am the only driver and the kid/wife/in laws don't really need ferrying around hence a single vehicle is more than sufficient ( I am ignoring the Activas here).

Hence my next purchase ( atleast 2 yrs away) will also be a single vehicle, likely a 7 seater suv in the XUV/GRAVITAS range.

However in case the needs change as my kid grows and things change at work for my wife would instead go for an additional small vehicle in the Tiago/i10 range and retain the Verna for a few more years until the funds are secured for an upgrade.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:41   #5
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

If there are multiple reasonably priced good options in a combination available in my budget, I would certainly go for that rather than one expensive single car eating up the entire fund allocation.

Firstly, that would lend variety to my garage, and that is always a good thing. Secondly, a cheaper (but quality) vehicle at a lower cost would mean lesser maintenance headaches - the higher and more intricate the car, the greater the maintenance and reliability headaches. Reliability and ease of maintenance is an absolute top priority for me, as is the fun to drive quotient. I would always prefer multiple fun to drive but reasonably priced vehicles in my garage rather than one expensive behemoth.

Lastly, I have no parking issues as such, and afford to keep 2-3 vehicles without too much sweat.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:45   #6
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Maybe there is an assumption in the OP that there is only one driver at home. In this case, I would go with one vehicle and take the occassional biped mode of transport - walking when needed. No scooters or utility bikes for sure.

Considering we have two drivers at home and both cars are daily drivers ( pre covid ) , we need two cars and no other vehicles, just an good pair of shoes.

In this poll that would translate to Option 1. And in our garage the Wife gets the expensive one, that's clear and non negotiable

OT: I like motorcycles, I ride them on occassion, I may own some when I am not in this city.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:48   #7
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Multiple vehicles- My signature bears testimony

You can change/ upgrade one by one- costs lesser, continuity not lost. Variety is the spice of life.

You can afford down time- if you own something old/ needs restoration, spares are difficult to source (read Cedia)

Challenges- parking space and time

Last edited by moralfibre : 2nd July 2020 at 11:59. Reason: There are several typos in your post. Please proof read them before submitting.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:49   #8
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

My ideal garage will be two car Garage. One full blown SUV with all safety features along with all bells n whistles. A hot hatch for city driving only. Baleno or Swift will do for local errands. Hexa/Innova in top spec trim will be my family car for all highway runs, airport runs. This will be my current situation if I at all I need to return to India in near future. For bikes I will have a Himalayan or KTM 390 ADV will be primary along with a Suzuki Access 125 for grocery runs.

I follow the same concept here in US as well. Acura MDX is our primary car which is used by wife for her office commutes. My daily drive is a Nissan Altima which is run of a mill car with CVT transmission and great gas mileage. Given a chance, I will get rid of my Altima and move to 3 series or Lexus ES350 or Subaru WRX. My V-Strom 1000 will take care of satisfying the riding pleasure on the open highways and twisties.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:51   #9
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Voted for 1 expensive vehicle.
Its personal choice but i feel, for me, one expensive vehicle of my choice will give me sense of achievement and satisfaction, as i dont compromise on my "only" choice while buying.

It all boils down to heart vs mind. I can relate,
Heart says: 1 expensive vehicle.
Mind says: multiple inexpensive vehicles.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 10:53   #10
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Voted Multiple Inexpensive vehicles.
We were in the same dilemma 2 years back when the i20 was aging and we were looking to replace it with a bigger car. Dad had his eyes on Innova Crysta which required a budget of 22 Lacs in 2018. Dad had almost decided that he would quit driving and shift to Uber/Ola as parking in Mumbai is also an issue. I was a bit apprehensive about Crysta since I didn't want to drive that tank around in Mumbai when I am alone (which is more than 50% of the time and we don't have a driver).

Instead I forced Dad and got a Tiago automatic, so dad can use it and not worry much. Our office is just 2kms from the house and Dad is still using the Tiago and he has pretty much liked the idea as it gives him the independence. I bought an Scross in 2019 and we could stagger the 22 Lacs purchase over 2 years in owning 2 cars. Even in 2019 I once thought to get a Marazzo and Dad liked it a lot but I wasn't ok with the size of the vehicle.
My usage is very much within Mumbai and a smaller footprint vehicle makes practical sense. Plus, I can take the Tiago whenever I feel like driving an automatic. It has added flexibility to our commute. And helped us a lot in the lockdown as both cars are used heavily now.
Also, whenever I want to replace the Tiago, atleast I can do so without getting a big dent in my pocket. Maybe, after Dad quits driving completely then I may shift to 1 expensive car after selling off both.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 11:01   #11
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Voted for Multiple inexpensive vehicles

My requirements were simple. I drive a lot on the highways, prefer driving than taking flights when time permits. I needed a car which can take me anywhere and should be fast and comfortable on the highways. Most SUVs (btw for me 'Sports' UV means it has to have 4WD lock at least else its a bloated hatch or an UV) being body on frame, have immense body roll, not fast enough for the highways and not comfortable at all. Within 18 to 20L there are very very few options which a 4WD, is fast and comfortable. It's not just about how good the car is off-road, it's also about how fast and comfortable it is to get there. For 15 mins of off-road, I cant go through torture of 20 hours to reach my destination.

My choice was between a Isuzu Vcross and what I currently have, which is a Duster 4WD and a 2012 Civic MT. I was not really a diesel fan, and having a peppy, high revving petrol car was a necessity for the heart. Also VCross as a daily runabout in Delhi is next to madness. Now with this current combination, the hills and not so great highways are toured by the Duster, while pristine highways, YEW and weekend runs are delegated to the Civic. Best of both worlds for me.

P.S : I would love to add a twin cylinder bike to the equation, however that's a complete non negotiable 'NO' from my wife.

Last edited by Altocumulus : 2nd July 2020 at 11:11.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 11:06   #12
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Voted for multiple inexpensive vehicles.

I would like to have at-least 2 vehicles since my wife & I have very different tastes for vehicles. That said, with 1 expensive vehicle I would be extremely worried and having to take it to everywhere I go would make it tricky. I would like to keep the more expensive one for drives when I know I can park peacefully and the 2nd vehicle for city/local trips.

So always 2 vehicles at-least instead of one high end one.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 11:10   #13
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Multiple car / bike garage would work for me.

- Parking is a non issue, I have shaded parking for 3 cars and can build for 3 or 4 more if need arises . 2 wheelers have a room for themselves.

- I prefer driving a SUV out on the highways / work and a small peppy hatch for commutes, errands, school runs etc.

- For grocery / veggie runs, scooter comes into picture and for the pleasure of riding, you need a proper motorcycle.

So, if I have to replace one of the vehicle, I have to replace it with something similar.
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Old 2nd July 2020, 11:12   #14
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Well this is a very specific question and cannot be generalized. Depends on various factors, how many car parking you have, how many drivers are at home, number of folks in house, what business you are into etc. and of course how much moolah you have. The situation also changes over years. For example, when our family grows, you might want to give up the motorcycle and probably get a large vehicle! We have 3 drivers at home and need atleast 1 car for agriculture. In my case, one car garage simply doesnot make the cut!
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Old 2nd July 2020, 11:42   #15
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Re: Your ideal garage: One expensive car, versus many inexpensive cars & bikes?

Voted for multiple cars


My garage consists of :

1. Maruti Suzuki S Cross 1.6 Alpha 2017- pre worshipped bought in 2019

2. Hyundai Elite i20 CRDi Asta 2017 - bought new in 2017

3. Maruti Gypsy 1.3 MPFI 2017 - bought new in 2017

4. Suzuki Baleno Altura station wagon 2003 - bought in 2020 [lock down purchase]

5. Maruti Ritz 1.2 2010 - bought new in 2010



I love variety and different cars bring different kind of fun to my life.


S Cross and Elite i20 are our [me and wife] daily drives

Gypsy is my fun weekend car - almost exclusively used for trips/off roading

Baleno Altura is the fulfillment of my love for station wagons - it is a collectable car and I intend to keep this and Gypsy forever


Ritz is my beater car- grocery runs and stuff. But sometimes I take it out for long drives just to enjoy the 1.2 litre silky smooth K12 engine



So each cars serve different purpose for me and I cherish different experiences in life.


I will never go back to 1-2 car/garage. It will always be 5+
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