[amrisharm]

Just putting my two cents, well if you look at a financial angle then absolutely keeping your maruti would make the best sense. But speaking from personal experience, after about 5 years, the car feels a little soft on the suspension, the engine feels a little slow during pick up, and you also get a few rattles and squeaks here and there. Add to the wear and tear that will appear in the interiors as well.

So if you can afford it then absolutely swap is my recommendation. yes it wont make financial sense, but then that is all worth it to feel the sensation of driving a nice new car. A new change from your regular ride which u have had for 5 years now.

Plus i guess you will still get a good price for your current car now rather than later.
Happy motoring

P.s I just bought a new santro for city use after discarding my other city car (alto) recently and thus the bias towards new lol.

[hsprabhu]

Thanks GTO for this wonderful article. Helped me not to to sell my Ikno 2 years back. But I am back to get-a-new-car mode again now.

I have a 2004 Ford Ikon 1.6 SXi. Have about 78K on odo. Car is in very good condition. But its a gas guzzler. And I miss the newer safety features. And thats prompting me to change the car now. Somehow I am not too keen on a pre-worshipped one. Not an expert in automobiles so dont want to take the risk. Seriously considering selling the car. But the car is a driver's delight so its a bit hard to let go of it. Do you think its a good idea to sell it now?

I know the Ford's can run much longer. Back in 2000 in US I bought a 2 yrs old used Ford Taurus for USD 4000/. The car had 100000 miles on it already. Used it for 4 years and could sell it for USD 2000 (Yes I have the right number of zeros in there)

[Adi_k]

Very nice article GTO.

I have a 2006 Indica Xeta GLX. The car gives me around 12.5 - 13 kmpl (with AC). When I bought the car my daily commute was around 8 kms to and fro. With change in job last year the commute is now around 42 kms. The car has run around 44000 kms till date. The car is in very good condition and had two major expenses one got the silencer changed and the second the AC evaporator coil was changed.

I am in a dilemma if I should sell off the current car and buy a new diesel car. With a new member in family I am also worried about the safety aspect.

The dealers are offering max 1.1 L for the car.

What do you suggest?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by hsprabhu

I have a 2004 Ford Ikon 1.6 SXi. Have about 78K on odo. Car is in very good condition.

Happy to help! By keeping the car for 2 more years than planned, you have saved quite a packet as the depreciation rate is very low in later years. But the thing is, no car in the Ikon's price range offers as much driving pleasure. If you decide to sell her now, I would only recommend a pre-worshipped buy. Look up my used car buying articles; stick to the guidelines and you'll be safe.

Originally Posted by Adi_k

I am in a dilemma if I should sell off the current car and buy a new diesel car.

Selling a nice, spacious reliable car (as yours has proven) for 1 lakh rupees to buy a diesel is foolhardy. Reminds me of the saying "penny wise, pound foolish". You are getting peanuts for your car. Why spend another 5 lakhs just to save 4,000 bucks a month in fuel? I say retain the car for another 2 - 3 years at the minimum.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Adi_k

Very nice article GTO.

I have a 2006 Indica Xeta GLX. The car gives me around 12.5 - 13 kmpl (with AC). When I bought the car my daily commute was around 8 kms to and fro. With change in job last year the commute is now around 42 kms. The car has run around 44000 kms till date. The car is in very good condition and had two major expenses one got the silencer changed and the second the AC evaporator coil was changed.

Adi_k, the expenses that you have mentioned are not uncommon with Indica Xeta, especially the silencer replacement. The earlier silencers were not made of Stainless Steel (SS), would rust & ultimately break sooner than expected. The new SS silencers don't fail that early. My suggestion to you is that if your car is in a good condition, then continue with it for 2-3 years more. Just a couple of days back I celebrated the 7th b'day of my Indica DLX & intend to bid adieu to it only after celebrating its 8th b'day (Refer my thread for further details --> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ndica-dlx.html )

Originally Posted by Adi_k

I am in a dilemma if I should sell off the current car and buy a new diesel car. With a new member in family I am also worried about the safety aspect. The dealers are offering max 1.1 L for the car. What do you suggest?

Better check on carwale.com to get a good estimate for your car. As mentioned above you would be better off keeping the car for 2-3 more years & then go for an upgrade.

Also my sincere thanks to GTO for bringing up this thread which made me stick with my car till she competes 8 years

[d_himan]

My story and dilemma!

Background:

1. Have a Swift Vxi 2006 (FFE+K&N+Tri-phase+nice ICE) with 45K done.

2. A year ago, wanted an Automatic with ABS+Airbags for my wife to learn driving - chanced upon an Accord Oct 2002 AT and bought it for a low price from a distinguished TBHPian after looking at our classifieds. The car has served its purpose beautifully - my wife loved the visibility/AT, got her licence and is now comfortable with peak hour commuting.

Now, she's unable to park the Accord in her office basement - really cramped.

3. I Have spent around 60K on sprucing the Accord up + a minor trans re-build. Also, I have begun to lust after this car for its creamy mid-range and lovely ride, especially in the highways.

4. I've spent quite a bit on the Swift too for all the mods - but the resale value is quite attractive.

5. Monday to Friday - 25KM commute for me; 12 KM commute for my wife. Bumper to Bumper almost ALL the way. Occassional highway drives + leisurely sunday drives. So, mileage is anyway bad, AT or Manual, and isn't a big concern.

Decision

Thinking of buying a small automatic for the wife. Have parking for 2 cars only.


Dilemma

1. Should I sell the Swift or the Accord?

The Accord has done 67K and feels way more better - suspension/brakes/safety/interior quality/comfort/power delivery/no rattles...I've spent some money on the car and dont' mind spending 40-50K a year for the next 3-4 years to keep it in first class condition. Plus, we need a sedan for the highway now, can't go back to hatches. Also, won't get too lose money in resale (I paid 2.8 for it, might get 2.3 for it now?)

The Swift has done 46K and I've spent quite a bit on it - clutch + suspension job/mods/ICE etc. Close to my heart but frankly, I'm also a bit bored by it now. Also, resale is surprisingly good - I paid 4.5 OTR for it and I think I can sell it for 2.6-2.9)

2. What AT for my wife?

I think it's either a second hand i10 or a first hand A-Star. Problem with both: I10 AT are tough to find, A-Star has atrocious delivery times...but there're no other choices I guess. Would be paid for in cash.

Any flaw with my reasoning/things I'm missing out on?

[oxyzen]

If you are okey with 50-60K on maintenance and the poor FE why sell the Accord. It is one hell of a car.
I suggest you keep the Accord AT for 2 yrs and sell the swift.
Get an I10 auto.

2 yrs later move to a Diesel (Vento/Cruze/Laura/and many choices to come).

[lancer_rit]

@d_himan, the Swift has a good resale value, so I suggest you sell that, and retain the Accord. Get a i10 AT or i20 AT for your wife, and you'll have a balanced garage of sedan + hatch :-)
Edit: You can also look for Santro AT if you find it difficult to get a i10 AT.

[Adi_k]

Originally Posted by GTO

Selling a nice, spacious reliable car (as yours has proven) for 1 lakh rupees to buy a diesel is foolhardy. Reminds me of the saying "penny wise, pound foolish". You are getting peanuts for your car. Why spend another 5 lakhs just to save 4,000 bucks a month in fuel? I say retain the car for another 2 - 3 years at the minimum.

Thanks GTO. Will get new boots for the car now . The car is definitely reliable as it had never stopped in middle of the road (or for that matter anywhere) and has served me well. This is my first car and I have practically learned driving on this car.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Adi_k, the expenses that you have mentioned are not uncommon with Indica Xeta, especially the silencer replacement. The earlier silencers were not made of Stainless Steel (SS), would rust & ultimately break sooner than expected. The new SS silencers don't fail that early. My suggestion to you is that if your car is in a good condition, then continue with it for 2-3 years more. Just a couple of days back I celebrated the 7th b'day of my Indica DLX & intend to bid adieu to it only after celebrating its 8th b'day (Refer my thread for further details --> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ndica-dlx.html )



Better check on carwale.com to get a good estimate for your car. As mentioned above you would be better off keeping the car for 2-3 more years & then go for an upgrade.

Also my sincere thanks to GTO for bringing up this thread which made me stick with my car till she competes 8 years

Carwale says somewhere in the range of 1.6 L to 1.93 L.

What should I expect in terms of maintenance going ahead?

[sridhar-v]

@d_himan

Keep the Accord. Get ur wife a Hyundai I10 AT (Asta option top end model.) So then u have 1 city car & 1 highway car. best combo.

Not that the I10 is bad on the highways - In my Santro AT I did Pune Bangalore non-stop (with fuel & eats breaks) in 12 hrs. Last yera had done a 3200kms drive from Pune to Chennai-Bangalore-Tirupathi-Pune. The I10 has about 15 hp more

Sridhar

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Adi_k

What should I expect in terms of maintenance going ahead?

Though this is not the right thread to discuss on Indica's maintenance costs vis-a-vis its age, I would say that it is not much different from other cars in its segment. In the link of my ownership thread that I shared above, you can go through the spreadsheet on page #1, worksheet, "Maintenance + Running Expenses" & you can judge for yourself. My maintenance expenses till date are slightly less than Rs 65K, which comes out to be Rs 0.68/km, which is quite reasonable. Your's would be even lesser than that if you keep your car that long

[Adi_k]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Though this is not the right thread to discuss on Indica's maintenance costs vis-a-vis its age

Thanks!

I was going through your thread as we speak or write for that matter.

How about creating a thread to post positive point of the Indica along with "Problems with Indica" thread.

This is my last OT post on this thread.

[d_himan]

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

@d_himan

Keep the Accord. Get ur wife a Hyundai I10 AT (Asta option top end model.) So then u have 1 city car & 1 highway car. best combo.

Not that the I10 is bad on the highways - In my Santro AT I did Pune Bangalore non-stop (with fuel & eats breaks) in 12 hrs. Last yera had done a 3200kms drive from Pune to Chennai-Bangalore-Tirupathi-Pune. The I10 has about 15 hp more

Sridhar

Hi Sridhar - it's getting tough to find used i10 ATs :( Saw a couple of Santro ATs but a thumbs down from the missus - too much grey plastic and frankly, a bit too long in the tooth now.

Originally Posted by oxyzen

If you are okey with 50-60K on maintenance and the poor FE why sell the Accord. It is one hell of a car.
I suggest you keep the Accord AT for 2 yrs and sell the swift.
Get an I10 auto.

2 yrs later move to a Diesel (Vento/Cruze/Laura/and many choices to come).

oxyzen - yes, keeping the Accord. Don't mind the FE too much - commute is around 200km a week max so doesn't matter too much. Bingo - was thinking of a nice pre-worshipped diesel auto after a couple of years of the Accord!

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

@d_himan, the Swift has a good resale value, so I suggest you sell that, and retain the Accord. Get a i10 AT or i20 AT for your wife, and you'll have a balanced garage of sedan + hatch :-)
Edit: You can also look for Santro AT if you find it difficult to get a i10 AT.

lancer_rit: i20 AT is a bit too big for the parking lot, so i10 is better.

Now, I'm also checking out the A-Star Auto. 1 new car + 1 old car might make sense in case something goes wrong...getting a 28K discount + 17k exchange in case I sell my Swift to them + would transfer my 50% NCB from Swift to A-Star....only issue is the delivery time...6 to 8 weeks.

This is the only option left in case I don't find a good i10 AT in the market.

[sridhar-v]

When a second hand Santro AT comes into the market the seller always wants a very high price for it & it makes more sense to buy a new one & keep it for 6-7 yrs(or 1,00,000 kms). The same case applies for I10 also.

This same thing happened to me when I was shopping around for my Santro. Price difference between a 5 years old car & the new car was only 1.5 lakhs. So decided to cover the difference by paying higher emi. It was a worthwile decision as I have been able to do over 32000 kms in 3 years without any problems.

Go for the Astar AT if it is going to be used primarily as a single person car. Its rear seats are a joke. If you can wait for some time - Hyundai is coming out with a 800cc car & the AGM of my service centre said that AT version of the same is expected. Likely launch sometime after Diwali. (was sept. end. /oct. initially but seems to have been delayed).

Sridhar

[HIGHNOON]

I thought the second hand AT cars depreciate very fast. I am surprised that they are being charged a premium in Pune for being AT.
If you try to gauge the market by trying to sell your AT in the market , you'll be shocked what you are offered.