My "new" pre-owned '05 Baleno VXi EDIT : Pics added

Proxima · 24th March 2009, 15:08

Hello all

Yesterday evening, we took delivery of a '05 Baleno VXi. I will narrate the happenings:

Initially, we wanted to buy a second "small" "tall" petrol car for my mom to drive to work and back. Petrol because she car-pools, small and because we thought she would feel comfortable in a small car and tall because she felt it would be easier to drive.

We shortlisted Santro, Wagon R, i10 and A-Star. The i10 and A-Star do not fit in the "tall" category but we didt have a choice. We wanted to pay cash and purchase but many people said that if you buy a new car and pay full cash (or cheque), you might have IT problems later on. Is this true? We didnt want to take a loan because I have plans of taking a home loan later this year.

I drove the Santro and Wagon R and the i10. Frankly, these do not seem to be worth 4 lacs. I may be wrong though. Suspension is bad, pickup is not good and it looks very small. My mom liked the Santro and Wagon R. But after I drove a Wagon R on bumpy roads, found out that although the view is excellent, the ride is poor. Maybe it is a compromise between tall and the ride.

I had been on the lookout for a Baleno earlier because I think it looks great and all this while didnt understand why people said it looks bad. I think it's design is not fresh but is a well-designed "sedan". After much discussions with my mom and dad, decised that we will see if we can get a good Baleno within the budget. I secretly wanted a VXI but my head said "look at the engins, suspension and other basic stuff in the car, not the spoiler, alloys, etc." lol

Anyway, went and drove 4-5 Balenos on Sunday. Some were good and some were not great. Yesterday, I took my mechanic to 2 cars I had shortlisted:

A 06 Baleno LXi done 20000 km. My mechanic said that the body, chassis and stuff were very good but the engine had done about 60k kms. I asked the seller and he almost accepted. He didnt have any service records or so he said and just asked me to belive him. I decided that it is not wise buying from someone who tampered with the odo.

A 06 Baleno LXi done 12k. Yes, just 12k. I drove it on Saturday and it felt great but had some scratches around. It looked like a dog had scratched the bonnet. Not a big issue though. The dealer told me that he will finalise for a certain amount. I told him I'll come tomoro with my mechanic and finalise. When I called home on Sunday, he quoted 25k more than yesterday's price. I didnt feel like paying so much so I called it off.

A 06 Baleno done 43k. Was OK my mechanic said.

Just as was about to go back to office at 12 noon, the dealer said he has a 05 VXi done 30k. I asked him to get it over. It was scratchless! The windshield was like my new Ikon, no rust, had alloys, spoiler, Blaupunkt system and the works. Very well maintained from the outside, it looked to me. My mechanic drove it and gave a thumbs up. I confirmed with my dad and started negotiating with the seller.

This guy works in Bank of America and the car was in the Banks name. No hypothecation. My guess is that he wanted to sell it to get depreciation. Is this true? I agreed for 3k more than my quote and he came down by around 25k from his quote.

I said OK, confirmed with dad and paid an advance thru card. Gave an ICICI cheque for the remaining and the dealer said it would get cleared in 3 hours. Went home, told my boss I am working from home, ate and slept. Called the dealer back at 5 and he said all documents and stuff will be there in 10 minutes. went with my mom and dad, paid the balance thru cash (small amount) and took delivery. Dad drove it home.

It is a silver, VXI done 32k kms, everything working. But it didnt have the automatic climate contol. The seller told me it didnt come with it, I confirmed that the RC book said Baleno VXI, was not too unhappy because the other stuff worked fine. Any idea on this? Did 05 Baleno VXIs come with climate control?

Took it to out church pastor, prayed and went home. Only then did I drive the car and it felt great.

+ves
Tyres are new, goodyears (done about 5k)
Alloys dont have scratches
Car's body is great, maintained very well.
VXI looks waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy better than the LXI
Pickup is good
Brilliant driver position and great rear comfort with the seat contour and the hand rest.
Driver seat adjust is invaluable for my mom.
Very spacious.
I just LOVE the way it looks.

-ves
Suspension is OK, feels good, maybe not great.
Car "feels" slightly jumpy, maybe because the roads were bad. Felt good on good roads.
Slight rattle near the ICE HU, can be fixed I guess.
Not sure if the pickup is as expected.
Engine idle seems low, not sure though.

On the whole, am extremely happy, delighted would be a better word.

I have some questions in the above narration in bold and would like help on that.

Also, would like BHPians who own, have owned or are very familiar with the Baleno in Chennai to take a look at my car and test-drive and inspect it, I will bring it over to any place in Chennai this weekend for the same. I want to do this to benchmark against something, to see if anything needs fixing. I would sincierely request help on this.

I will put up pictures today. Sorry about that. Thanks all!

PS: Apologies for the typos and grammatical mistakes.

Proxima · 24th March 2009, 15:35

As for the price, kindly do not ask here. If really interested, kindly PM me.

24th March 2009, 15:47

Well if u are happy, and the drive makes u feel happy, then nothing like it/

U need to be satisfied with your purchase.

madhukar_n · 24th March 2009, 15:58

Welcome to the Baleno World !!!
05 Baleno did not come with a Climate control. i think it was release towards the end of 05 or early 06. Climate control and 14" alloys were the only diff i guess. (in 05 the Vxi came with a 13" alloys and not 14")

I have no issues with the suspensions or is not jumpy. just get it checked.
pickup with ac on is a little problem. (i still give all the other similar capacity cars on a traffic signal a run for their money

!!)

nitrous · 24th March 2009, 16:10

SupremeBaleno or Godseed1970 can help you out.

prince_pervez · 24th March 2009, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proxima

We shortlisted Santro, Wagon R, i10 and A-Star.

Congrats! Its a fast highway vehicle. Learnt it the hard way.
i10 and A-Star already in the 2nd hand market?

Proxima · 24th March 2009, 16:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by capri_cap

U need to be satisfied with your purchase.

I surely am.

Quote:

Originally Posted by madhukar_n

Welcome to the Baleno World !!!
05 Baleno did not come with a Climate control. i think it was release towards the end of 05 or early 06. Climate control and 14" alloys were the only diff i guess. (in 05 the Vxi came with a 13" alloys and not 14")

I have no issues with the suspensions or is not jumpy. just get it checked.
pickup with ac on is a little problem. (i still give all the other similar capacity cars on a traffic signal a run for their money

!!)

Thanks, will check it out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitrous

SupremeBaleno or Godseed1970 can help you out.

Thanks, have PMed them. BTW: It is godseed1670. Not godseed1970.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Congrats! Its a fast highway vehicle. Learnt it the hard way.
i10 and A-Star already in the 2nd hand market?

Thanks! No, was considering (half heartedly) the new ones.

supremeBaleno · 24th March 2009, 17:04

Congrats, man. Looks like you got yourself a well-maintained car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proxima

We wanted to pay cash and purchase but many people said that if you buy a new car and pay full cash (or cheque), you might have IT problems later on. Is this true?

IMO it is pure crap. And mostly it would have been the dealer who gave you this story - mine did. I guess they make quite some money on the finance deal and thus want us to opt for finance instead of paying in full.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proxima

Any idea on this? Did 05 Baleno VXIs come with climate control?

Mine is a 05 Lxi. I can check in the brochure and let you know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proxima

Suspension is OK, feels good, maybe not great.
Car "feels" slightly jumpy, maybe because the roads were bad. Felt good on good roads.

Air pressure is one thing that comes to mind first. Check that. Plus the Vxi has lower profile tyres than the Lxi - so slight difference possible there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proxima

Not sure if the pickup is as expected. Engine idle seems low, not sure though.

Pickup can be checked. Idle for the Baleno is pretty low. On starting, rpm hits around 1000rpm, then stabilises at 700rpm (with no a/c) or around 850-900 rpm with a/c on. With our Swift, on starting, the rpm hits 1600rpm or a bit more and stabilises in the whereabouts of 1000rpm. Ofcourse while at 1000rpm the Swift is close to useless, the Baleno is raring to go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proxima

Also, would like BHPians who own, have owned or are very familiar with the Baleno in Chennai to take a look at my car and test-drive and inspect it, I will bring it over to any place in Chennai this weekend for the same. I want to do this to benchmark against something, to see if anything needs fixing.

PM-ed you about this. We can plan something.

Proxima · 25th March 2009, 10:14

Thanks SB. Will discuss more when we meet up tonight.

Guys, here are some hastily taken pics.

Mods, can you please add "now with pics" to the title?

supremeBaleno · 25th March 2009, 10:26

Proxima, the car looks good. Neatly maintained.

Yeah, we will check out the other stuff when we meet today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Mine is a 05 Lxi. I can check in the brochure and let you know.

I checked the brochure and yes, the 2005 Vxis did not come with climate control.

pradkumar · 25th March 2009, 10:30

Baleno VXis from 2005 Nov would have climate control and 14 inch alloys. I bought the new LXi then.

Regards,

Pradeep

esteem_lover · 25th March 2009, 10:33

I am pretty sure the VXis came with ACC unless this was an option for a very short time.
Congrats Proxima, the car is a beauty. Yes, the spoiler does a lot for the looks of the car.

Proxima · 25th March 2009, 10:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Proxima, the car looks good. Neatly maintained.

Yeah, we will check out the other stuff when we meet today.

I checked the brochure and yes, the 2005 Vxis did not come with climate control.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pradkumar

Baleno VXis from 2005 Nov would have climate control and 14 inch alloys. I bought the new LXi then.

Regards,

Pradeep

I would tend to agree. This is a 05 Sept model.

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

I am pretty sure the VXis came with ACC unless this was an option for a very short time.
Congrats Proxima, the car is a beauty. Yes, the spoiler does a lot for the looks of the car.

Thank you.

kutlee · 25th March 2009, 13:07

very neat baleno. front bumper looks a bit misplaced after hitting a cow? can't see any scratches. get that done and yes....searching for used jems is a wonderful experience. enjoy revvinggggggggg....

Hurrycane12 · 25th March 2009, 13:30

Congrats Proxima on your buy; thats a neat looking Baleno.

Check on the last service details to see if there are any Oil changes needed.

24th March 2009, 15:08	#1
Proxima BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 910 Thanked: 302 Times	My "new" pre-owned '05 Baleno VXi EDIT : Pics added Hello all Yesterday evening, we took delivery of a '05 Baleno VXi. I will narrate the happenings: Initially, we wanted to buy a second "small" "tall" petrol car for my mom to drive to work and back. Petrol because she car-pools, small and because we thought she would feel comfortable in a small car and tall because she felt it would be easier to drive. We shortlisted Santro, Wagon R, i10 and A-Star. The i10 and A-Star do not fit in the "tall" category but we didt have a choice. We wanted to pay cash and purchase but many people said that if you buy a new car and pay full cash (or cheque), you might have IT problems later on. Is this true? We didnt want to take a loan because I have plans of taking a home loan later this year. I drove the Santro and Wagon R and the i10. Frankly, these do not seem to be worth 4 lacs. I may be wrong though. Suspension is bad, pickup is not good and it looks very small. My mom liked the Santro and Wagon R. But after I drove a Wagon R on bumpy roads, found out that although the view is excellent, the ride is poor. Maybe it is a compromise between tall and the ride. I had been on the lookout for a Baleno earlier because I think it looks great and all this while didnt understand why people said it looks bad. I think it's design is not fresh but is a well-designed "sedan". After much discussions with my mom and dad, decised that we will see if we can get a good Baleno within the budget. I secretly wanted a VXI but my head said "look at the engins, suspension and other basic stuff in the car, not the spoiler, alloys, etc." lol Anyway, went and drove 4-5 Balenos on Sunday. Some were good and some were not great. Yesterday, I took my mechanic to 2 cars I had shortlisted: A 06 Baleno LXi done 20000 km. My mechanic said that the body, chassis and stuff were very good but the engine had done about 60k kms. I asked the seller and he almost accepted. He didnt have any service records or so he said and just asked me to belive him. I decided that it is not wise buying from someone who tampered with the odo. A 06 Baleno LXi done 12k. Yes, just 12k. I drove it on Saturday and it felt great but had some scratches around. It looked like a dog had scratched the bonnet. Not a big issue though. The dealer told me that he will finalise for a certain amount. I told him I'll come tomoro with my mechanic and finalise. When I called home on Sunday, he quoted 25k more than yesterday's price. I didnt feel like paying so much so I called it off. A 06 Baleno done 43k. Was OK my mechanic said. Just as was about to go back to office at 12 noon, the dealer said he has a 05 VXi done 30k. I asked him to get it over. It was scratchless! The windshield was like my new Ikon, no rust, had alloys, spoiler, Blaupunkt system and the works. Very well maintained from the outside, it looked to me. My mechanic drove it and gave a thumbs up. I confirmed with my dad and started negotiating with the seller. This guy works in Bank of America and the car was in the Banks name. No hypothecation. My guess is that he wanted to sell it to get depreciation. Is this true? I agreed for 3k more than my quote and he came down by around 25k from his quote. I said OK, confirmed with dad and paid an advance thru card. Gave an ICICI cheque for the remaining and the dealer said it would get cleared in 3 hours. Went home, told my boss I am working from home, ate and slept. Called the dealer back at 5 and he said all documents and stuff will be there in 10 minutes. went with my mom and dad, paid the balance thru cash (small amount) and took delivery. Dad drove it home. It is a silver, VXI done 32k kms, everything working. But it didnt have the automatic climate contol. The seller told me it didnt come with it, I confirmed that the RC book said Baleno VXI, was not too unhappy because the other stuff worked fine. Any idea on this? Did 05 Baleno VXIs come with climate control? Took it to out church pastor, prayed and went home. Only then did I drive the car and it felt great. +ves Tyres are new, goodyears (done about 5k) Alloys dont have scratches Car's body is great, maintained very well. VXI looks waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy better than the LXI Pickup is good Brilliant driver position and great rear comfort with the seat contour and the hand rest. Driver seat adjust is invaluable for my mom. Very spacious. I just LOVE the way it looks. -ves Suspension is OK, feels good, maybe not great. Car "feels" slightly jumpy, maybe because the roads were bad. Felt good on good roads. Slight rattle near the ICE HU, can be fixed I guess. Not sure if the pickup is as expected. Engine idle seems low, not sure though. On the whole, am extremely happy, delighted would be a better word. I have some questions in the above narration in bold and would like help on that. Also, would like BHPians who own, have owned or are very familiar with the Baleno in Chennai to take a look at my car and test-drive and inspect it, I will bring it over to any place in Chennai this weekend for the same. I want to do this to benchmark against something, to see if anything needs fixing. I would sincierely request help on this. I will put up pictures today. Sorry about that. Thanks all! PS: Apologies for the typos and grammatical mistakes. Last edited by Proxima : 24th March 2009 at 15:12.
	() Thanks

24th March 2009, 15:35	#2
Proxima BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 910 Thanked: 302 Times	As for the price, kindly do not ask here. If really interested, kindly PM me.
	() Thanks

24th March 2009, 15:47	#3
capri_cap Posts: n/a	Well if u are happy, and the drive makes u feel happy, then nothing like it/ U need to be satisfied with your purchase.
	() Thanks

24th March 2009, 15:58	#4
madhukar_n BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 395 Thanked: 179 Times	Welcome to the Baleno World !!! 05 Baleno did not come with a Climate control. i think it was release towards the end of 05 or early 06. Climate control and 14" alloys were the only diff i guess. (in 05 the Vxi came with a 13" alloys and not 14") I have no issues with the suspensions or is not jumpy. just get it checked. pickup with ac on is a little problem. (i still give all the other similar capacity cars on a traffic signal a run for their money !!)
	() Thanks

24th March 2009, 16:10	#5
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	SupremeBaleno or Godseed1970 can help you out.
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 10:14	#9
Proxima BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 910 Thanked: 302 Times	Thanks SB. Will discuss more when we meet up tonight. Guys, here are some hastily taken pics. Mods, can you please add "now with pics" to the title? Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 10:30	#11
pradkumar BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pune Posts: 322 Thanked: 175 Times	Baleno VXis from 2005 Nov would have climate control and 14 inch alloys. I bought the new LXi then. Regards, Pradeep
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 10:33	#12
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	I am pretty sure the VXis came with ACC unless this was an option for a very short time. Congrats Proxima, the car is a beauty. Yes, the spoiler does a lot for the looks of the car.
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 13:07	#14
kutlee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,141 Thanked: 232 Times View My Garage	very neat baleno. front bumper looks a bit misplaced after hitting a cow? can't see any scratches. get that done and yes....searching for used jems is a wonderful experience. enjoy revvinggggggggg....
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 13:30	#15
Hurrycane12 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Puttur Posts: 459 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	Congrats Proxima on your buy; thats a neat looking Baleno. Check on the last service details to see if there are any Oil changes needed.
	() Thanks