[supercars]

Is it a sensible car to buy second hand in today's world? I want a reliable car as a backup car.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by supercars

Is it a sensible car to buy second hand in today's world? I want a reliable car as a backup car.

Yes it will be a sensible beater car or a backup car. You can pick a model from a later year like 2017 onwards. Petrol or diesel will depend on your running. Both are very reliable.

Just make sure the car has a neat service history & get it checked from Toyota before proceeding.

Etios is a mechanically robust yet simple car. So these cars are very easy to maintain. Even if anything goes wrong, it can be fixed without much complexity. The spares are easily available. The engine is old school without much electronics, so any mechanic can fix this car. Plus as the Etios is common in the cab segment, most of the mechanics are quite well versed with this car.

So if you can manage to get a Etios in decent condition, it will definitely serve you well. Plus the petrol Etios is fun to drive whereas the diesel Etios is a very practical choice for those who have higher running.

[Samba]

Etios crossed the 120,000 km mark on its odometer.

Took the car for yet another 750 km road-trip to Purulia. This was a family trip with four of us on board, so Etios was the default choice due to the comfort and space it offers.

I drove the car on smooth, six-lane highways to jungle trails with little off-roading. It took everything in its stride and performed flawlessly. With four of us on board and constant usage of the AC, the car returned a mileage of 14+ km/l.

No niggles or any kind of rattles have cropped up till now. It's been roughly 3,000 km since the accidental repair work. So far, so good. As of now, things look to be quite positive.

Sharing a few pics from the trip-

[Samba]

140,000 km service done at 121,000 km.

This time, the service was done at H.B.AutoNeeds (FNG) instead of Toyota. All OEM parts from Toyota were used, & the service was done as recommended in the owner's manual. At 140,000 km, the replaceable items are- Engine oil, oil filter, brake oil, 4 spark plugs, and air filter. 10 months back, when I drove the car through a waterlogged street, the air filter, brake oil & gear oil were replaced. So this time we replaced the following

Parts replaced-

Engine oil (Full synthetic, Shell Helix 5w30, SN+)
Engine Oil Filter
4 Iridium Spark plugs

Damage to pocket - Rs 3,500

A couple of pics after the service.

All shiny & clean!





As of now, no issues with the car. It's running perfectly.

The overall maintenance cost over these 12.5 years and 121,000 km -

Parts replaced outside the annual scheduled maintenance-

1) 6000 km- To replace the fuel hose, as it was a recall from Toyota.
Cost - 0.

2) A leaked shock absorber at 18,000 km. Cost - 0 (Changed under warranty).

3) Upgraded the stock front shock absorbers to the stiffer shock absorbers under warranty at 22,000 km. Toyota gave their customers a choice, and I opted for it. Cost - 0.

4) At 23,000 km changed one tyre due to a side sidewall cut. Cost Rs 3,400 (fng).

5) A blown-out fuse at 22,000 km due to using a faulty mobile charger. Toyota changed the fuse for free.

6) The stock horn was replaced at 27,000 km due to a malfunction. Cost - Rs 100 (fng).

7) At 34,290 km, the following parts were changed- Front disc pads with rotors, rear left shock absorber had a leak, so I replaced both of them. Cost - Rs 11,599.

8) At 34,700 km an anti-rattling kit was installed due to a kat kat sound coming from the dashboard area. Though the sound vanished on its own, we still installed the anti-rattling kit. Cost Rs - 501.

9) At 44,000 km, changed all 5 tyres to Yokohama Earth 1 (185/65/R14) Rs 22,000. New Exide mileage battery - Rs 3,200 (fng).

10) At 45,000 km there was a recall from Toyota to change the front seat belt Pre-tensioners. Cost - 0.

11) At 51,000 km front left shock absorber was changed. Cost - Rs 2,200.

12) At 64,000 km, upgraded the horn to dual Minda jalwa horn. Rs 1,200 (fng).

13) Changed a headlight bulb - Rs 220 (fng).

14) Got an extra check-up done just before a long trip and stocked 1L engine oil and coolant, along with washing and cleaning. Rs 2,500.

15) Got the right-hand side rear-view mirror glass changed as the original one fell off by getting hit with the ORVM of another car. Rs 1,065.

16) Got the front right wheel bearing changed with the hub at 79,800 km. Rs 2,900 (fng).

17) At the 86,000 km mark, rats chewed the left side headlight holder. Replaced with a new one. Damage to pocket - Rs 150.

18) At the 86,000 km mark replaced the wiper. Damage to pocket - Rs 524.

19) Got the left wheel bearing changed with the hub at 88,000 km. Rs 3,100 (fng)

20) A minor denting and painting job in an FNG. Rs 4,000

21) At the 93,000 km mark, four new Yokohama Earth One tyres were installed. Rs 17,000

22) At the 96,500 km mark, a new Exide Matrix Battery was installed. Rs 4,400

23) At 103,000 km needed a headlight bulb (left) replacement was needed. Rs 200

24) At 104,000 km, rear boot-lid alignment for a minor hit from behind. Rs 470.

25) At 107,000 km, a small repair for a rat bite. Rs 1,000.

26) Two new headlight bulbs. Rs 400.

27) Ac gas top up at 110,000 km. Rs 2000.

28) Wiper blade- Rs 550.

29) Replacing a broken tail lamp- Rs 2000.

30) https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5837209 (Toyota Etios 1.5L Petrol : An owner's point of view. EDIT: 10+ years and 100,000+ kms up!)

31) https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5896307 (Toyota Etios 1.5L Petrol : An owner's point of view. EDIT: 10+ years and 100,000+ kms up!)


Scheduled 1 year/10,000 km services with other wear & tear part replacements -

1) 1,000 km- 1st service. Cost- 0.

2) 10,000 km- 2nd service- Changed engine oil and oil filter. (synthetic oil.) Cost - Rs 2,800.

3) 20,000 km- 3rd service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, 4 spark plugs, rotation of tyres, and greasing the side walls of the tyres. Cost - Rs 3,400.

4) 30,000 km- 4th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, ac filter, wiper blade. 30,000 km service inspection cost, rear brake shoe assembly both side inspection, front disc brake pad both side inspection cost - Rs 5,240.

5) 40,000 km- 5th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, 4 spark plugs, Brake fluid. Cost - Rs 5,500.

6) 50,000 km- 6th service. Engine oil (Synthetic oil) and oil filter change, Wiper washer fluid top up, 3M under body check up, Foam wash to the exterior body, Premium interior clean.
The only added attention the car needed was the change of the front left shock absorber. It developed a leak. Got the air filter and ac filter cleaned too, Brakes shoes/pads checked and cleaned. The total bill amount was Rs 8,500.

7) 60,000 km- 7th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, ac filter, wiper blade, 4 spark plugs, Clutch cable, left rear tail lamp, rear brake shoe assembly, both side inspection, front disc, brake pads, both side inspection. Cost - Rs 8,500.

8) 70,000 km- 8th service. Changed engine oil (synthetic), oil filter, and front brake pads. Rs 6,591.

9) 80,000 km- 9th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, 4 spark plugs, Brake fluid, and air filter. Rs 6,700.

10) 90,000 km - 10th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, Ac filter, fuel filter, and right wheel bearing. Rs 11,540.

11) 100,000 km service at 96,600 km mark- Changed engine oil, Oil filter, 4 spark plugs, Gearbox inner oil seal, Transmission oil, Clutch plate assembly (Excluding the flywheel). Rs 20,355

12) 110,000 km service at 104,000 km- Engine oil, Oil filter, front two shock-absorbers, Lower arm (both sides), wheel balancing and alignment, front brake pads and discs, rear brake shoes, spare wheel retaining screw. Rs- 32,186

13) 120,000 km service at 110,000 km. Engine oil (Fully synthetic), Engine oil Filter, Air Filter, AC filter, 4 spark plugs, Changed the brake oil, Wiper blade, AC gas top up. Rs 8,317.

14) 130,000 km service at 115,000 km. Engine oil (Fully synthetic), Engine oil Filter, Brake check up, & interior and exterior cleaning. Rs 6031

15) 140,000 km service at 121,000 km. Engine oil (Fully synthetic), Engine oil Filter, 4 new spark plugs. Rs 3500

Due to a couple of unforeseen incidents in the last one year, Rs 1.60 L was spent on the car to restore it.
So I am sharing the cost per km for both. One excluding the accidental repairs, and one including the accidental repairs.

Incident 1-

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5837209 (Toyota Etios 1.5L Petrol : An owner's point of view. EDIT: 10+ years and 100,000+ kms up!)

Incident 2-

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5896307 (Toyota Etios 1.5L Petrol : An owner's point of view. EDIT: 10+ years and 100,000+ kms up!)

Total cost over these 14 years, including yearly services, spare parts replacements, 10 tyres, a couple of batteries, body work (minor denting & painting, a couple of tail lights) = Rs 213,248. This comes to approximately Rs 1.76 per km.

If I include the accidental repairs, then the total spent will be Rs 373,248.
Cost per km- Rs 3.08

[LeoSam]

Gem of a car. Used a G variant from 2011 to 2018 and sold it at 93k kms. Purchased a Ecosport TDCI and changed it last year with VW Virtus GT DSG. Still Etios remains in our heart for fuss free ownership, its space and comfort. Happy to see that you are still maintiaing the car in Pristine condition!

[ranjeet_sam]

One of the few cars that can comfortably seat 3 adults in the rear. Its not simply that this car was a hit with the taxi operators, a no nonsense, comfortable and reliable work horse. Congratulations on maintaining the car well. Toyotas are known to outlive their owners just by ensuring regular maintenance. You will never get fed up with a Toyota, only bored.

[mack.mehul]

This car is prime example of toyota's mechanical & engineering prowess. No wonder the cab operators used it enmasse when it was selling. Even my brother in law had the Etios Diesel, which was run for almost 3 lac kms and he had to sell it due to the 10 year rule in Delhi. A simple 'fill it and shut it' kind of car.