[oxyzen]

Fun to drive.
The beemer it is. No questions asked.

[Ym-enjn]

Look out for Montero, Prado or Land Cruiser in Suvs or Beemer in sedans. If you thinking for old model Fortuner then it will get a price hit after few month when the New Fortuner is seen on roads. Better go in for the New Fortuner 4x2 it is just a little over 20 lakhs (a stunner in looks) and will hold its value better than most of second hand cars in range of 20 lakhs.

[mayankjha1806]

I guess you need to first decide what do you want to buy, for 20big ones you could get used Fortuner, used BMW/Merc (hopefully), not sure about others.

On Fortuner i was advised by another owner which i felt was apt as to not to buy a used one, as you never know what kind of driving was done using different settings of the AWD lever. This has the potential to spoil the gear box and would not be reliable in the longer term.

[Durango Dude]

My premise is why buy a used car for 20L, when you can get a spanking new one. Be sure of the service history of the 3 series and other high end cars, get it thoroughly checked before you plonk your money. The galore of choices would include Cruze, Captiva, Laura and Jetta. If I buy a high end car for 20L it would have to be a used 5Series/Eclass/old S class/A6. Why buy a used Fortuner for 20L when you can get a new one for a little more?

[flipsyde]

I am not sure how the prices are in Kerela but 2008-9 A4/3 Series will surely fall in the 20L bracket. Maybe a slightly older 5 even.

[over.drive]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. A lot of people I spoke to have advised against the Toyota Fortuner. Did contact a few people around and these are the options I could find:

1. I am very surprised that I can get a used 2008 BMW 520d for my budget. If I shell out a few more lakhs I would probably find a less used 2009 or above 520d. I think I should try and find a vehicle which has the BMW service package option taken, even if I have to pay a bit more. I also came to know that a friend of mine bought a 530d recently for 25L. Very tempting indeed .

2. A couple of 2011 BMW F10 520ds are available for 31L and 33L. A 2010 525D is available for 35L. Out of my budget anyways and I still love the looks of the E60 more than the F10.

3. I could not find many A4s, but the ones that I found seemed to have a very high asking price. 2009 vehicle with 23,000kms on board at 23.5L. A 2010 A4 with 20,000kms on board with asking price of 26L. For that money, it would be a 5 series any day.

4. Managed to find a number of used 3 series. Corporate edition vehicles from 16 to 19L. Highline models from 23 to 30Lakhs.

5. Fortuners ranging from 16 to 19L. I am told, white and black color Fortuner is a good 50k expensive than the other colors.

6. Captiva LTZ which has run 38,000km for 15.5L.

As of now, I am trying to find the best deal I can for a BMW 5 series. I also adore the looks of the Audi A4. I think I will end up with one of these two. 3 series is really short of space on the inside. I don't think I'll go for that. So right now I am on the hunt for a 5 series or A4.

[ashish22]

The Possible two options for a driver's car and FTD perspective is:

1. BMW 320D Highline
2. BMW 520D/525D

Try and see if you can squeeze a 525D at the cost of 1-2 lakhs extra. The 520D and 320D will be almost equally fast. Get a 525D if you want to have a 5er which is considerably faster then the 320D.

[over.drive]

Thanks for the reply ashish22. I think with a few Lakhs extra I should manage to get a 525d or 530d, 2008 model maybe. The option is very alluring, but to be honest, on most Kerala roads even the 520d would be very quick. There are very few roads in Kerala where I would be able to experience the brutal power and speed of the 3.0L six cylinder engines. Nonetheless, I will still try and get the most powerful 5er I can without exceeding my budget by much.

Just a while ago got a call from a dealer about a 2010 530D Highline for 30L. Right now, I am taking my time to find the best deals around. Most premium car dealers I call have at least 3-4 BMWs available. I found the best prices from dealers in Cochin and Kottayam.

[dreamtheater39]

why buy a used car? I think getting a new BMW 320d would be the best choice in your current price point. You can get one for around 32L and also get yourself a 3 year 0% scheme right now. So technically, you would be getting it for 28L if you subtract the interest you would otherwise end up paying!

Comparing a 3 to a 5 - I feel a new 3 is any day better! At the end of the day - both have the same 2.0l diesel engine and the 3 feels more driver oriented imo. And yeah, i'm talking about the 320d dynamic - which comes with the iDrive (with communications package retrofitted)

[over.drive]

Hey Guys,

Was busy with work for the last few months. Been traveling a lot and the car buying decision got postponed. Anyways, back to car hunting mode now. Am looking to buy a car, a 5er, without any more delay.

Rang back all the agents I had called a few months before. I am surprised I can't find any good 520Ds in the market. A couple of 2009 530Ds asking above 30L, a 2009 525D which has run 60,000km asking 30L and a 2009 520D which has run 57,000km asking 25L. Thats about it.

If anyone has numbers for any good used car dealers in and around Trivandrum or Cochin, please let me know!

[over.drive]

Hey all,

Been playing the waiting game for some time now. Did not manage to find any good deals around.

I was just going through one of the threads in the Indian Car Scene section and I found out that the new BMW 3 series (F30) is being launched on July 19. I am already in love with the looks of the car and everything about it seems so perfect. The more I read about the car, the more I want one.

I've decided I'll wait till July 19 for any super tempting deals on a used BMW 5 or else I'll get a new F30 320d.

Will keep you posted!

Thanks

[saketa]

Hey,
Could you give me some more detail about what the approximate asking prices were? I'm in Delhi so im guessing i will probably find a wider pool of used cars for a 1-2 maybe 3 Lakhs lesser. Atleast, thats what im hoping for

The hunt begins tommorrow!

[over.drive]

@saketa, the asking prices in Delhi for used cars seem to be reasonable. Depending on the model the price differences can be up to 4 or 5 lakhs from the ones I have mentioned. If you are considering a car around 30L, I greatly urge you to consider the new 3 series (F30) which will be launched in a month.

[saketa]

As GTO has already mentioned in numerous posts/articles... New cars are a resale/depreciation disaster. So while conventional wisdom would say that a Skoda superb new of a 3 new makes more sense, im pretty sure i would want to dispose of the car in 1-2 years. Therefore i just feel it makes most sense to buy a 2010/2011 3 or 5 which is within BSI coverage for the next 2 years atleast. Going to pass by Bird and Deutsche Motoren tommorow to see what they have an offer before deciding on what I really want. Probably visit Audi as well. I wouldnt mind paying a 1 lakh premium as long as there is some sort of warranty covering my purchase.

[over.drive]

Well, I was also thinking along the same lines until I came to know about F30. In fact, I was advising others to go for a used car to avoid the depreciation hit. People who have seen or know about the F30 say that the car is a game changer for the segment.

Anyways, if you plan to go for the 3, get a 2010 facelift model. 2011 or 2012 not recommended because the model is phased out and will drop value in your hands faster.

The best buy would be a used F10, preferably a 2010 525d or 2011 520d. Came to know about a few cars here last week:
- A PY registration 2010 525d asking 35L
- A 2011 520d which has done just 5000kms with 3 year BSI package asking 37L
- A 2011 520d done 6000kms asking 38L
- A 2011 525d done 25,000kms asking 40L

It should be cheaper in Delhi and you should be able to find a 520d for around 31-32L.