[auto-one]

I think it depends on various factors like:--
1) If you have deep pockets and wish to have the latest models in your garage, or your car has many problems and you are willing to bear the depreciation, you might end up selling the car in 1 year or so.
2) If you wish to get a proper resale value of your car, 3 to 5 years.
3) If your car is reliable, serves your purpose and you are attached to it, you may not consider selling it untill it becomes an item of scrap.
4) In Some circumstances ( e.g urgent need of cash ) you may end up selling your beloved car, irrespective of it's age and running.
5) Accidents, or other happenings assocaited with your car ( superstitious thinking ? ) might make you sell your car, irrespective of the age and the running.

As mentioned above, the right time to sell a car is depends on various factors and it could be one or a mixture of many factors.

[drmohitg]

When is the ideal time to sell your diesel car with the NGT ban in force

There has been a lot of discussion on when to sell your car, how to do it and if it is better to do some cosmetic upgrades and keep driving it.

My question is a bit different. As we all know, the NGT has banned 10 year + diesel cars from Delhi NCR and the ban is here to stay as with worsening air pollution, I don't see our courts/government bothering about reversing this rule anytime soon. So now the question that pops up is that what is the ideal time to sell off your diesel car in Delhi NCR with this ban in place.

[sharninder]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

When is the ideal time to sell your diesel car with the NGT ban in force

There has been a lot of discussion on when to sell your car, how to do it and if it is better to do some cosmetic upgrades and keep driving it.

My question is a bit different. As we all know, the NGT has banned 10 year + diesel cars from Delhi NCR and the ban is here to stay as with worsening air pollution, I don't see our courts/government bothering about reversing this rule anytime soon. So now the question that pops up is that what is the ideal time to sell off your diesel car in Delhi NCR with this ban in place.

I am going through this right now. This is the 5th year of my diesel ecosport and its doing absolutely fine but the itch to change is high! The NGT ban is also on my mind and I think it makes sense to sell after around 5-6 years especially diesels in the NCR area. After that might become a bit too difficult to sell or fetch a decent price.

[hema4saran]

I voted for 5 to 10 years. This is by considering the normal driving like 1000 to 1500 KMs every month. Most of the modern cars can run for 1 lakh KMs without much issues provided we service it on time as per the manual.

Anyone willing to sell your car within one year, please let us know. Many of our folks can take that car gleefully .

[N4Nikunj]

I have voted for 5 years. But the scenario will be different if someone's usage will be very high or vice versa.

Personally i will change cars at 1.5L kms. with no time limits as all cars can run 1.5L kms comfortably without any issues.

[SJM1214]

Voted for 3 years.

IMHO, The right time to sell a new car is three-year or 100,000km. In other words, Sell the car after the loan period is over. A three-year-old car would be still in its prime and fetch a nice resale value.

[Sebring]

My Nexon has 4-year warranty post which will go on sale, again depending on vehicle Condition. If it continues to perform the brilliant way it is, right now, maybe I'll not consider selling it at all. The family is too attached to it right now!

[igp_79]

Have voted for 4 years and the reasons are

1. Extended warranty is one issue that should figure in the selling decision and six months prior to expiry is a good time to put it up for sale.Warranty is usually over by 4 years for most brands.

2. A buyer typically looks at a car with 40000-45000 kms on the clock as a reasonably sparsely run vehicle, as it is below the psychological 50000 km mark.

3. The model is perceived as relatively new if the buyer looks at a 4 year vs the commonly available 5 yr old cars in the resale market.

4. While the EMI for a 3 year tenure car loan is a little steep, a 4 year term somewhat cushions the monthly commitment. So terminate the loan and sell the car in 4 years

5. The depreciation of the car is steepest during the first 3 years of a car's life. After this, there is a gradual plateauing. The 4th year is a good compromise as you can sell it at almost the same price as a 3 year old car while holding on to it for a year more

In other words the fourth year is a good saddle between the three year old car selling decision and the five year old car selling decision. You can gift yourself a swanky new car before the old one gets too long in the tooth, without feeling too guilty about it

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Right to time to sell a "new" car? Lol, but then will it remain new anymore when you sell it?

I agree with what Zappo says here. I read the title of the article and misunderstood the intent behind it or misjudged the direction this thread is going in.

I even voted wrongly based on this confusion.

I understood the title to imply a situation where a car has been bought and the owner hates it for some reason. With that said, what's the best time to sell it off? I voted "3 years" based on the ~ 40% depreciation that occurs between years 1-3, so that the owner won't take too bad a hit. In the first year, new cars depreciate around 20% approximately.

The poll choices on the other hand include 10 years and beyond...that's weird when talking about a 'new' car. Anything beyond 3 years is weird in fact, when talking about a 'new' car.

Is it just me and Zappo or does anyone else feel that the title is a tad misleading?

[lamborghini]

I had started a similar thread years ago!

To be honest, I think it all depends on the car in question. At home we've replaced cars in a little over a year (purpose changed) to a little over 10 years.
Generally the beaters at home are changed a lot quicker (5-6 years) - more to do with the abuse & kms they rack up, and that new features are constantly added in those segments making them feel all the more outdated). For instance, if there was a spacious diesel automatic beater that could replace the Etios, we would jump on it as for a car that spends 99% of it's time in the city - you need an AT.
Sadly the Vento/Rapid/Creta all had some compromise or the other compared to the basic needs the Etios fulfills (boot space, headroom, passenger space, ease of maintenance).

The second reason I would change my personal car every few years (5 years with the Laura) is to do with either an upgrade / external factor / or simply put - boredom. In the case of the Laura it was to do with external factors such as the dieselgate scandal after which the car wasn't working as nicely as it used to, and I really missed having a free-revving quick petrol!

With the more expensive cars though, we keep them that much longer - say 8-10 years - because they feel that much better built (in terms of ageing), and are up to date with most features (for example the A6 only misses out on a rear view camera after 6 years of ownership).

Though if someone asked me - I think 6 years is a good time frame for an upgrade for most users keeping in mind changing requirements (bigger family / longer commute / medical reasons etc.).
We are trying to keep our cars for 5-7 years on an average because it doesn't make financial sense to sell it earlier, and now with 3 Japs in the garage, I hope the number of years increases.

[vasudeva]

I have a 11-year old Corolla and for a long time decided to keep it for at least 15 years. Reasons:
1. car is still running smoothly.
2. no EMIs. Financial cost of maintaining this car is lower than buying a new one.


As we age, maybe our priorities also change. A functional, trouble free, low cost (EMI or maintenance) car is higher in priority for me than the latest or the newest. Also since my driving is only around 500-700 km per month, the car ages later.

[Hawkeye269]

I concur with most of my fellow Team-BHPians: 3 to 5 years is the sweet spot as far as I'm concerned, depending on the mileage of the car. This not only ensures higher resale value, it also usually translates into lower maintenance costs (most niggles and big-ticket maintenance issues generally occur after this period, when the car is usually out of the extended warranty phase).

A little off-topic, but my late grandfather would never keep a car for more than 2-3 years. Not only was this a function of the reliability of vehicles (or rather the lack thereof!) sold back then, but also the fact that he used to get almost as much for the pre-owned Padminis as he had paid for them when new, due to the long waiting lists during the Licence Raj era!! I should also mention that he used to modify and accessorise his cars religiously, most notably by flattening the anachronistic tail-fins of the Padminis he owned...

[Jebs]

Hi All,

Planning to sell My Elite i20 1.2 ASTA 2015 May model which completed 32K Kms so far. Though I'm not facing any issues with i20 except the sluggishness, Itch for new car started after seeing the new S-Cross and moving towards Diesel this time. Showroom exchange price I'm getting around 5 lacs. Is this the right time to sell?

[vasudeva]

After owning cars for 25 years, my priorities have changed. This is my ownership in years of all cars I have owned"
1. M800: 3 yrs, 6 mths
2. Zen: 5 yrs
3. Corsa: 8 yrs 6 months (could have sold earlier because it was giving trouble after 3-4 years)
4. Etios: 3 years (no problems, but upgraded to City Automatic for my wife)
5. Corolla: 11 years and still going
6. City: 3 years and still going.


At my age (51 years), my present horizon for ownership is at least a decade which is up from around 3-4 years when I was in my 30-early 40s.
Mileage is as important as years of ownership. 100000-150000 km seems OK to me for a bigger engine, more reliable car. My family driving is omly around 600-700 km per month so hardly makes sense to change every few years.