[rishit9999]

As Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient Majrooh Sultanpuri once said "Main akela hee chala tha janibe manzil magar, Log saath aate gaye aur carvan banta gaya! (I set off alone towards the destination but, People joined by and by and lo! soon it was a caravan!)"
Fellow BHPians: I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful Caravan.
Admin/Moderators: It is actually an exhilarating experience writing the essay for becoming a BHPian. Took me back to school days where you eagerly await the outcome of everything you do. Thank you for having me over.

I am a Software Consultant with a multinational firm. I am based in Greater Noida currently. I like cars and am passionate about them but equally practical too. Practicality generally drives me and so while in US, I finally went for a Honda Civic after drooling over SUVs or Impalas.

When I came back to India, I again faced the dilemma over the choice of car. I had put up in Ghaziabad (a fairly congested old city). After much looking around and observing the area, I decided that only a small Car would serve my purpose.
Among small cars, I test drove many but nothing drew me closer until I stepped into the gorgeous and equally spacious WAGONR. It felt so roomy from within and with a comfortable ride I did not have to think twice after that.

I am hands-on with automobiles only to the extent that I give myself a thumbs up for replacing my punctured tyre, or filling up the fluids and know that sometimes the Engine Check Light comes on because you haven't closed the fuel tank cap tightly enough.

And now that I have moved to GNoida with awesome roads and the Yamuna expressway right beside me, I am thinking of letting go of my practicality to some extent and looking to buy the XUV 500. As and when I book and receive it, I shall update everyone.

A warm hello to all fellow TBHPians once again!

Rishit

[bhardwhu]

Good to know another newbie like me here Rishit.
BTW where were you in US?
I am presently doing my masters in US and your experiences would come handy for me.
Welcome on board!

[rishit9999]

Originally Posted by bhardwhu

Good to know another newbie like me here Rishit.
BTW where were you in US?
I am presently doing my masters in US and your experiences would come handy for me.
Welcome on board!

I spent most of my time in New Jersey and New York. As suggested by GTO, a used car would be beneficial but I doubt that you would get a good one for ~$3K in these days. Do look at all the cars but I generally found that cars in ~$5-6K range were in much better condition and very low mileage. These were the cars that people generally sold to move on to higher models. Also prefer family owned cars as they are "generally" well maintained.
Students in NJ/NY generally prefer off-campus housing as a)it is available in plenty and b) room mates are very easily available too due to large number of indians c) public transport is very efficient.
I don't have much clue about Cincinatti.

Hope this helps.

-R

[bhardwhu]

Originally Posted by rishit9999

Do look at all the cars but I generally found that cars in ~$5-6K range were in much better condition and very low mileage.

-R

Where do you look for the reliable vehicles in US - Craiglist / carmax or anywhere else?
Regards

[rishit9999]

Originally Posted by bhardwhu

Where do you look for the reliable vehicles in US - Craiglist / carmax or anywhere else?
Regards

Don't miss Sulekha for everything Indian. It's as useful as Craigslist both for buying and selling. Do take someone who knows cars along with you to get that "feel" of the car; otherwise you have Indian mechanics or Pepboys (or any service provider) to do a spot check for you. They charge ~$60-70 bucks for a 20-point check. But worth spending. Insist upon the seller to allow you to do that.
-R

[SaurabhSaran]

Welcome to Team-BHP Rishit, good to see another member from Greater Noida.

-
SS

[Traveller Nayak]

Originally Posted by rishit9999

I am a Software Consultant with a multinational firm. I am based in Greater Noida currently.

I am hands-on with automobiles only to the extent that I give myself a thumbs up for replacing my punctured tyre, or filling up the fluids and know that sometimes the Engine Check Light comes on because you haven't closed the fuel tank cap tightly enough.

Rishit

Originally Posted by SaurabhSaran

Welcome to Team-BHP Rishit, good to see another member from Greater Noida.

-
SS

Lucky are those, and you are, who have access to some of the finest roads in this part of India. For someone like me based in Dwarka it is a pleasure to drive on the Noida - Greater Noida expressway.