[golfdude]

Hello,

I am looking for a 2nd car, my first one being the E8 Xylo. This 2nd car is only for local driving in Pune and I do not expect to drive more than 600 to 800 kms per month.

I came across the 2001 Honda Accord 2.3 VTI L Automatic. It is in excellent condition and has only 32,000 km. Price is Rs. 3.5 lacs.

I am much more inclined to buy this instead of something like a new Ritz which I was looking at recently.

Is it a good idea considering that it is a 2001 car ? But for some reason after you drive something like this, you don't want to drive a hatchback even if it is a new one.

Secondly the New Ritz is almost Rs. 2 lacs more than the used Accord.

Please advice,


Thanks.

[Sahil]

If FE is not a concern then go for it. I have owned two of these and can vouch for it's reliability. The engine loves to be revved and would last for decades.
You might find the gearbox a little slow when compared to the modern day slush boxes such as the DSGs etc but thats def not a deal breaker.

[lamborghini]

@golfdude: Since this car is only for city driving in Pune, I would avoid skipping it.
We had a 2001 Accord Vti - M/T and the car was superb. In fact, I found it better to drive than the newer accord.
The steering was well weighted, and was a lot of fun to drive, and very comfortable to be driven in as well. However, the odd parts that did require replacing were very expensive!
The electric drivers seat motors got stuck a couple of times, and the A/C vent broke. While I am not sure the cost of the seat, the A/C vent cost us around Rs. 16,000 to replace! However, apart from that, the car was very reliable and still had loads of life left when we sold it a couple of years ago.

Even though the car is very tempting at the price, I would suggest you give it a go. Here's why:
- Old car would have some wear and tear. Would be expensive.
- How convenient would it be to drive within Pune? With the lack of parking and crazy bikers.

While the first point can still be nullified with the 2L you save over a new Ritz, the second point is something you should seriously consider.
Instead, why not look at a more recent pre-owned car? Some options within 5L (keeping Rs. 50K aside for refurbishing and maintainance) are:
- 2006 NHC ZX - A superb city car. Very light controls and easy to drive. Good FE too and is very spacious.
- Toyota Corolla - If you want reliability and a big car feel (not as big as the accord, but better given the only city requirements). Superb engine, and all the safety features. Try getting the face-lifted model (2005 onwards IIRC) in your budget as it has a better suspension.
- Skoda Octavia - The most reliable Skoda sold in India. The diesel is superb in terms of performance and FE. Very well built and very sturdy. Look for a good service center (not necessarily authorized) and you would be set. IMO, the interiors reek of better quality than the Accord.
- You can even look for a 2003 OHC/pre sept 2001 Lancer/2006 Baleno/Palio 1.6 GTX. Available cheap, lots of fun to drive, and you will save lots of money which can be used in refurbishing the car and even some mods. Heck, even with the mods, you will still have funds to pay for fuel!

If you aren't interested in the above, and want a new car, look at the Ritz, and even the Figo. The Figo TDCi IMO is a superb city car. It has superb visibility, good FE, superb city driveability, ABS and Airbags (for titanium models), better build quality than the Ritz. However, the A.S.S. may not be as good as Maruti's, and the car might be more expensive to maintain also.

[gautamkhadse]

I drive a punto in pune and belive me I sometime feel punto is pretty big for city driving . I would have preferred a car like i10 to drive around in pune . Look for a brand new i10 oreven a second , I've seen a lot of people giving up Gen 1 i10's to buy the new model and a lot of people going abroad and stuff so a lot of fresh i10s available and for pretty cheap would make a lot of sense to buy one of these . Just my opinion .

The Honda , like everyone says , reliable . however theres that .1% probability of things going wrong and then you wouldnt want to keep it at the mechanics to get it fixed , you'd rather have it with you and drive around . A relatively new car would pose lil threat as compared to a car from 2001 .

At the end of the day its your call . And plud I've heard i10 AT is a joy to ride and easy for women to manage as well and occassionally good for long drives also .

[golfdude]

Thanks for all your inputs.

I have lived in US for a long time and so am still not comfortable paying Rs. 6 lacs or so for small cars like Ritz, I10 etc. I feel it is absolutely no value for money compared to what we used to get in USA.

Thats the other thing I like about the Accord. Its a lot of car (and nice) for Rs. 3.5 lacs.

I am not too much concerned about FE because my driving is less as long as I don't have to pay high maintenance or repair costs. Thats the only thing which concerns me. But it looks like Honda Accord starting from 2000 have been very reliable cars.

I will hope for the best and go for it.

[rahuls]

Hi i have a accord 2002 vtil manual vtec model and i am selling it for 2.60 if interested check the ad in mumbai quikr .