[androdev]

Originally Posted by Krish1771

Ok having gone through all your comments, I am sort of getting inclined towards purchasing a 'new' car as opposed to a pre-owned one. I am willing to stretch my budget a bit to purchase the cheapest car which has the following 'must have' features .

A Looong car!
Spacious rear seats
Petrol version
Good resale value after 4-5 yrs
Extremely good safety features
Panoramic sun roof
Hill stop/start assist
Attention assist
Boot opens through a switch located under the driver's seat!
Programmable memory for driver seats
Gps with clear display
Tyre pressure loss warning system
Spare wheel
Good ground clearance

I know the Merc E class is the only one which as all the above features. Can you recommend any other 'cheaper' car which has all or most of the above features?

Many thanks

You have listed some really really top-of-the-line specs my friend :-)

Nissan Teana has panoramic sunroof I think and it is a good package overall. The only other Sedans with Panoramic roof come from Mercedes - but in their top-end trim only.

Not sure who has GPS except for the new BMWs and new BMWs don't have spare wheels. I say go for the usual map-my-india stuff for GPS - this is one hard feature to get in Indian cars.

At your budget, I would probably not venture into used 5/E-class range. They are not cheap to own.

I would look at new (or near new) Superb, Teana, Accord, etc. New Sonata and Camry are on their way as well?

Resale is bad for cars that costs 30L+ especially if they are petrol so you have to be realistic.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Krish1771

A Looong car!
Spacious rear seats
Petrol version
Good resale value after 4-5 yrs
Extremely good safety features
Panoramic sun roof
Hill stop/start assist
Attention assist
Boot opens through a switch located under the driver's seat!
Programmable memory for driver seats
Gps with clear display
Tyre pressure loss warning system
Spare wheel
Good ground clearance

I know the Merc E class is the only one which as all the above features. Can you recommend any other 'cheaper' car which has all or most of the above features?

Many thanks

How about the C200 CGI Avantgarde? It has most of the features you mentioned besides the ones in bold. I think for the features you want it is the best choice. The rear seat is better than the 3 series, though not as spacious as the E class its not that much smaller than the E60 5 series.

I'm sure you can get it for less than 35 on the road Mumbai with the 2/3 year maintenance package.

[elantracrdi05]

Pre-owned BMWs and Mercedes - the difference in prices to the new ones is actually quite low considering the discounts you get on the new ones. Additionally, as a lot of the members have mentioned, petrol counterparts are depreciating faster than you want to believe.

Also, you mentioned that 3 people would be sitting in the back - this really narrows down your list and completely excludes the 3, A4 and the C. Try the old version of the Passat (saving you a few lacs from your budget) or even a new Superb.

The Teana is an under-rated car as well - current offers include one for 18.xx lacs ex-showroom (Makes a lot of sense at that price since the depreciation expected over the next 4-5 years is pre-factored in by a lower entry cost).

Happy shopping!

[dipen]

Originally Posted by Krish1771

My requirements are not that long. All I need is a good looking car (preferably
long!), sun roof, spacious rear seat (where 3 full sized people can sit very comfortably) and with a mileage of at least 10kmpl. And yes, only petrol version!

PS: I stay in Mumbai and I drive not more than 20kms in a day which may stretch to 60kms on weekends.

BMW 3, 5 series, Superb tsi, Merc C, E petrols --> None of these will return you more than 8 at max in the city.

The max bang for your money would be a BMW 530i which you can have for 25 lakhs tops. Set aside 1-2 lakhs for maintenance , repairs and you are a happy man. A 3-4 year 530i will come home near 25 lakhs. If the car has a 5 year plan, you are nearly safe in this case.

Coming to sitting 3 at the rear. None except the Accord feel comfortable for 3 at the back. Superb has excellent leg room.

As someone suggested, look at Teana for rear seat and big car feel. You maybe able to retain the City at the price at which a used Teana will come home.

[seedyk]

Originally Posted by Krish1771

Ok having gone through all your comments, I am sort of getting inclined towards purchasing a 'new' car as opposed to a pre-owned one. I am willing to stretch my budget a bit to purchase the cheapest car which has the following 'must have' features .

A Looong car!
Spacious rear seats
Petrol version
Good resale value after 4-5 yrs
Extremely good safety features
Panoramic sun roof
Hill stop/start assist
Attention assist
Boot opens through a switch located under the driver's seat!
Programmable memory for driver seats
Gps with clear display
Tyre pressure loss warning system
Spare wheel
Good ground clearance

I know the Merc E class is the only one which as all the above features. Can you recommend any other 'cheaper' car which has all or most of the above features?

Many thanks

Thats indeed a long list.

May be you should state how much you mean by stretching the budget by a "bit" as the options suggested are no where close to the 20 + mark for a new car.

And as akshay stated, the c class is a good bet which would provide you most of it.

The a4 and the 3 is also a good buy considering the discounts given to clear stocks before the launch of the facelift.

[Abhinav667]

Originally Posted by GTO

Hardly. I'd buy used at any price point, be it 10 / 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 lakhs. 12 lakhs can get me a reliable 2.xx year old Accord, 20 a 5 series, 30 - 40 an S Class and 50 lakhs a <2 year old Landcruiser or Porsche Cayman S.

You are effectively getting a luxury car with 80% of its useable life left at 50% of the cost. That's hardly stupidity IMHO. Nothing beats the pre-owned market for maximum bang for the buck.

Well, deals on second hand wheels can be very tempting, as you get something bigger than what your pocket can afford. But then if things go bad, you'll end up with a hole in that very pocket.

Be it a Mercedes or a Manza, the first 20% of a car's life will have limited problems. Its only in the remaining 80% of the life that a car starts giving out troubles and this is the period in question here.

A new car has it own charm, and it keeps the smile on your face for a much longer time. I am not going to draw any parallel's here, but the overall appeal of a new car is enough to make it a more justified buy.

[barcode]

Originally Posted by Abhinav667

Well, deals on second hand wheels can be very tempting, as you get something bigger than what your pocket can afford. But then if things go bad, you'll end up with a hole in that very pocket.

Be it a Mercedes or a Manza, the first 20% of a car's life will have limited problems. Its only in the remaining 80% of the life that a car starts giving out troubles and this is the period in question here.

A new car has it own charm, and it keeps the smile on your face for a much longer time. I am not going to draw any parallel's here, but the overall appeal of a new car is enough to make it a more justified buy.

I am a devil's advocate, but lemme add a lemon of a car would have more problems in the first 20% of life, and if well taken care of 80% of the following life would be much nicer. It's an edge case, but definitely possible.

For the past 10 years, I have been buying refurbished products from Apple. I do not buy the latest, always buy one year old (or get a college discount whenever applicable thru friends in the west; and now here too) - have I had a problem - never.

Add the cost of interest of financing the extra 40% of the car value that you pay, add the cost

Having said all of the above, I would never recommend preowned cars for the weak hearted and specially not to those who can afford a new car anyways and don't want to cut corners.

You can smell the freshness of a car many a times, and there are enough tests, warranties available for the pre-owned (or as GTO says pre-worshipped) cars

Lastly, companies who maintain their cars well keep buying and selling cars to avail of depreciation. Unless you are buying a car on business books, let the richer (and sometimes weak/foo hearted) pay the depreciation.

Great deals are always available. You just gotta look around, hard and be patient.

[krazyking]

Looking at your requirements and taking into consideration of other members opinions, I would suggest you to go in for the 5 series. It's a luxury boat of its own. The rear seating isn't the best but it is deff better than that of the 3 series, C-Class, etc. It has a beast of an engine for the Indian roads and offers all of what you want in a car.

I suggest you call BMW Infinity Motors and ask what they have to offer in the pre-owned department. Don't just show up at the showroom as as a lot of the time the car is still with the original owner and is just being sold through BMW.

I speak from experience as I test drove a 525 two years ago and made a deposit for the car the next day. And even today I am happy with my purchase. The only thing I wish for is the service aspect, which needs to be drastically improved. Will give a detailed account of my experience in my ownership thread tonight.

Goodluck with your purchase!

[Abhinav667]

Originally Posted by barcode

I am a devil's advocate, but lemme add a lemon of a car would have more problems in the first 20% of life, and if well taken care of 80% of the following life would be much nicer. It's an edge case, but definitely possible.

For the past 10 years, I have been buying refurbished products from Apple. I do not buy the latest, always buy one year old (or get a college discount whenever applicable thru friends in the west; and now here too) - have I had a problem - never.

Add the cost of interest of financing the extra 40% of the car value that you pay, add the cost

Having said all of the above, I would never recommend preowned cars for the weak hearted and specially not to those who can afford a new car anyways and don't want to cut corners.

You can smell the freshness of a car many a times, and there are enough tests, warranties available for the pre-owned (or as GTO says pre-worshipped) cars

Lastly, companies who maintain their cars well keep buying and selling cars to avail of depreciation. Unless you are buying a car on business books, let the richer (and sometimes weak/foo hearted) pay the depreciation.

Great deals are always available. You just gotta look around, hard and be patient.

While I do agree with what you have said, I am still not convinced on how a pre-owned car is better than a new car. Had cars been refurbished like the Apple products you mentioned, there wouldn't have been an issue. Its only because majority of the pre-owned cars in India are rather ill-treated than being "worshiped." A refurbished Apple product before being handed over to the buyer, gets a new battery and a brand new outer-shell, but a used car doesn't.

Having owned 2 used cars in the past 8 years, I have never felt as great as I would have with a new car (except for the first few days obviously ). A new car carries a charm of its own and I think it is not often that one gets to experience it. I would anyday choose a new car over an old, just to experience the wrapping on the seats, the warranty, the smell of the plastic's and all those small little things that make a new car a "new car!"

Having said all of the above, I do think a pre-owned car is worth considering as an option if a good deal comes through. There are a few enthusiasts who maintain there cars well and hence deserve to be rewarded with a good price for their "worshiped" cars. But at the same time, one shouldn't forget that we are living in country where people dont even bother to change the engine oil in their cars, so forget about the service-record! This is what makes buying new a much safer/better option.

Lastly, are refurbished Apple products available in India? If yes, then I would love to go for a refurbished i-Pad 2 or perhaps even an iPhone 4. I would be grateful if you could give me a link to the website. Thanks

[over.drive]

Hello Krish1771. I am in the same Dilemma as you are. I was first considering a used 5 series or A4 around 20L. I could extend my budget to 25L if required. Frankly, like GTO said, it makes so much more sense to buy a less used luxury car than go for a new one. The depreciation hit is very high in the initial years. If you change cars every 1 or 2 years then you save so much by not going for a brand new car.

I did find a lot of used 5 series (mostly 520ds) for around 22L 2009 or above model and run under 30,000kms. A4s that I found were 2010 or above models with around 20,000kms on the odo and an asking price of above 24L. Very lately I came across a 2009 530d run 25000kms "asking" 25L.

Anyways, for 20L I would have gone for the 5 or A4, with slightly more preference to the 5 series over A4. A4 is simply lovely gorgeous and the 5 is the ultimate driving machine at ultimate value for that price. It is down to your personal preference. But do make sure that you do proper checking of the vehicle before you buy it and try to find a vehicle which is still under BSI.

[prithvi53]

With the kind of budget you have I would say get a used A4 as its more spacious than the 3 and the C class. I wouldnt reccomend a used E or a 5 simply because you will only get the previous generation which makes it very difficult for you to sell although you may get it at a good price. I bought a one year old A4 diesel almost a year back and have not faced any issues with it till date although the car has done close to 45000kms. German cars generally age very well.
If you are keen on a new car then maybe you can even look at the Honda Accord. Considering your requirements it may be a good option and being a honda reliability should not be an issue.

[PPS]

Guys, need some help. A friend has been offered a 2nd owner, 2010 Mercedes C250 Avantgarde V6 Petrol done 33k for 15 lakhs here in Mumbai. I know the resale on used petrol cars have dropped but doesn't this seem too low? Car won't be used much, since its out of the 2yr warranty what would be the yearly expenses on this car? Also any problem areas for this car? I read on this forum that earlier C classes had AC issues?