[hserus]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

I don't want to give up on my Hyundai Elantra GLS all of 14 years old, got her serviced last week and A/C wasn't working so got that checked and the A/C filter was clogged and that was also replaced and she's running smooth as ever and A/C is working fine now. So I've got another year and then may have to have her re-registered or sold off. My NCB is intact. Spent ₹ 7724 at HMP for the service and spares.

Then do the fc and keep it. Spend on ICE upgrades, leather wrapped steering wheel, cr70 sunfilm etc if you like. And of course change the air and ac filters religiously every 10k km when you change your oil.

[shashank.nk]

I'm in a conundrum if I should upgrade from my 2011 Swift Zdi or use it for a few more years. The car is in perfect condition and still puts a smile on my face with the way it handles, esp since I'm running on 195 section tyres.I also like to replace cars once it's say 10+ years old.

However with the upcoming bs vi norms and most small cars going petrol only, I fear if a ban on diesel cars more than 10 years old is only a matter of time. If that happens, the otherwise good resale of my Swift will tank and I'll have to let it go for a pittance.

What do you guys recommend i do ?Retain and spend on ice+remap or upgrade to say a GT TSI

[hserus]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

I'm in a conundrum if I should upgrade from my 2011 Swift Zdi or use it for a few more years. The car is in perfect condition and still puts a smile on my face with the way it handles, esp since I'm running on 195 section tyres.I also like to replace cars once it's say 10+ years old.

However with the upcoming bs vi norms and most small cars going petrol only, I fear if a ban on diesel cars more than 10 years old is only a matter of time. If that happens, the otherwise good resale of my Swift will tank and I'll have to let it go for a pittance.

What do you guys recommend i do ?Retain and spend on ice+remap or upgrade to say a GT TSI

If you retain the car for a decade or more, it’s value is next to nothing anyway. Keep it till it lasts if you’re happy with it, and spend on ICE. Say a good Aliexpress deck and DSP might be vfm compared to Pioneer etc, and upgrade the speakers.

[Lambydude]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

I'm in a conundrum if I should upgrade from my 2011 Swift Zdi or use it for a few more years. The car is in perfect condition and still puts a smile on my face with the way it handles, esp since I'm running on 195 section tyres.I also like to replace cars once it's say 10+ years old.

However with the upcoming bs vi norms and most small cars going petrol only, I fear if a ban on diesel cars more than 10 years old is only a matter of time. If that happens, the otherwise good resale of my Swift will tank and I'll have to let it go for a pittance.

What do you guys recommend i do ?Retain and spend on ice+remap or upgrade to say a GT TSI

If you can afford it, buy a new one and enjoy. I see no reason why anyone should retain a 10 year old car when newer options, better engine, better gearbox ( read automatics) are available. Even if you upgrade certain features, a nip and tuck job is not going to give you the same happiness as a fresh new modern car.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by hserus

If you retain the car for a decade or more, it’s value is next to nothing anyway.

You're right, can't expect much for a 10 year old car anyway, but what I fear is a ban may drive the price from say ~2.5 lakhs to sub one lakh figures.

Originally Posted by Lambydude

If you can afford it, buy a new one and enjoy. I see no reason why anyone should retain a 10 year old car when newer options, better engine, better gearbox ( read automatics) are available. Even if you upgrade certain features, a nip and tuck job is not going to give you the same happiness as a fresh new modern car.

The only reason to retain is I'm still not bored of the car. Besides i dont see many options,save for the Polo GT in terms of a replacement as I'd like to replace it with another hatch. I'd have to spend 8+ lakhs for a car which though is way superior in terms of engine+gearbox,suffers from poor reliability. I use my Swift pre dominantly within the city so not sure if DSG+bumper to bumper traffic is a safe bet, especially since a few TSI have seen mechatronics failure.

[sandygordon]

I have a 1.3 S cross
It has run close to 70 k km in 4 years
In August, it will cover 4 years. Problem now is that my daily running is around 50km in congested roads in Cochin and suburbs. My monthly running is 1500km and occasioinally an additional 300km, a total of around 1500-1800km per month.

I am tired of my left foot exercise on the clutch
Would like to upgrade / downgrade to an automatic
My brain wants a new automatic, likes of Ecosport AT / Venue DCT or Polo GT TSI which are the only automatics in my budget. Would like to try Nexon AMT diesel as well. Rear seat space is not an issue as the kids occupy it 99% of the time.

My S cross is around 4 years old and would fetch close to 6-7 lacs if I sell it to the dealer, I could take an auto loan for the remaining amount pay it off in 2 years, which means negligible interest. I would definitely miss the S cross big car feel, plush ride and fuel economy (17kmpl).

What do the pundits feel? Keep my 1.3 S cross and continue my left foot exercise for another 2-3 years or change to GT Tsi / Venue DCT / Ecosport AT / Nexon AMT?

[adi.mariner]

Hello everyone.
I have a 2011 SX4 VDi. It has run close to 65000 km. Not a lot of running for a Diesel Car. The car was intended for my mother's office commute and hasn't been used much since her retirement. The primary use now is inside the city with occasional road trips. I was thinking of exchanging with a used Civic automatic (Primary reason is lack of Airbags and ABS in the VDi model, did not realize the importance during purchase). I am not very particular about the petrol bills as my running is going to be a maximum of 10000 km/year. Is it a good decision to laterally upgrade to a Civic (found some tempting deals under 5 lakhs) or should I continue with the SX4?

[hserus]

It is the ultimate driver's car - unfortunate that you're missing airbags and ABS in this model. A top end SX4 would be something to retain till it fell apart.

For your running it doesn't make sense to buy a new car at all. You can run it another 10K or so km before any significant service costs will turn up.

Originally Posted by adi.mariner

Hello everyone.
I have a 2011 SX4 VDi. It has run close to 65000 km. Not a lot of running for a Diesel Car. The car was intended for my mother's office commute and hasn't been used much since her retirement. The primary use now is inside the city with occasional road trips. I was thinking of exchanging with a used Civic automatic (Primary reason is lack of Airbags and ABS in the VDi model, did not realize the importance during purchase). I am not very particular about the petrol bills as my running is going to be a maximum of 10000 km/year. Is it a good decision to laterally upgrade to a Civic (found some tempting deals under 5 lakhs) or should I continue with the SX4?

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by adi.mariner

I have a 2011 SX4 VDi. It has run close to 65000 km.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to sell off a trouble free less driven car but that's a personal choice.

In my opinion, SX4 to Civic will not be a good upgrade considering your mother will use it in the city. Civic has a low slung design which makes ingress and egress a task for the elderly. Once seated, the vast dimensions will be another problem to manage in traffic. Moreover, that creamy 1.8-litre engine is best enjoyed on the open roads. You'll also miss how the SX4 can be driven over bad roads in a carefree manner with its healthy ground clearance. In the Civic, you will have to be very very careful over speed breakers and broken patches.

As someone has already suggested, it would be better to hold on to the SX4 for more time till it requires some major maintenance such as a clutch or suspension overhaul. You don't have much to lose in terms of resale value anyway.

In case you do want to change, check out more practical options such as a Grand i10 AT, Jazz CVT or Ecosport AT.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by adi.mariner

...laterally upgrade to a Civic (found some tempting deals under 5 lakhs) or should I continue with the SX4?

I think in your case- worth upgrading for Airbags and ABS alone. Since it'll not be used extensively, why don't you get a civic AT?
Do note that the Civic has:
1. A low slung design- might be difficult for ingress/egress.
2. Has to be driven more carefully on bad roads, uneven speed bumps etc.

[adi.mariner]

Originally Posted by self_driven

It doesn't make a lot of sense to sell off a trouble free less driven car but that's a personal choice.

Thank you self_driven for the advice. The healthy ground clearance has been a boon over bad roads. The clutch has been already changed at around 45000 kms due to gearbox synchronizer troubles (under warranty). Other than that, she has performed flawlessly over all the years without leaving us stranded anywhere.

Originally Posted by hserus

It is the ultimate driver's car - unfortunate that you're missing airbags and ABS in this model. A top end SX4 would be something to retain till it fell apart.
For your running it doesn't make sense to buy a new car at all. You can run it another 10K or so km before any significant service costs will turn up.

Thank you hserus for the advice. I guess I would retain the car for a couple of years more before thinking of changing.

The idea of a lateral upgrade was very tempting as I could get a much bigger car for hatch-back money. The current C segment sedans are not really an upgrade considering I will have to spend around 15 lakhs for almost the same amount of space.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

I think in your case- worth upgrading for Airbags and ABS alone. Since it'll not be used extensively, why don't you get a civic AT?
Do note that the Civic has:
1. A low slung design- might be difficult for ingress/egress.
2. Has to be driven more carefully on bad roads, uneven speed bumps etc.

Thank you landcruiser123 for the advice. I will test drive the Civic AT to get a better idea as regards to ingress/egress and the low ground clearance.

[vishy76]

Never thought I would be in this conundrum but here goes.

I own a 4.5 year old Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI. It has done 65,000 Km and served me well so far apart from a water pump and a wheel speed sensor going bad. (Amounting to only Rs. 10K).

Now comes the problem. I was experiencing a faint humming sound but no one else aknowledged it in my family. My dad said it was my mind playing tricks and there were no sounds whatsoever. This continues for a year and a half until finally, I decided to get it checked and asked the S.A to look into it along with an odd knocking sound coming at 1500 rpm.

Long story short, the bill has come to Rs.25K+ or whereabouts. Here's what is wrong with the car:

- The rims were bent and were causing the humming noise, but the bent rims also created vibrations which have prematurely worn the rear wheel bearings out

- The Gearbox mount is damaged. This is the first time I have heard of a gearbox mount failing so early on any car. Can this happen due to an external impact? The car has never seen anyhting above 4000 rpm till this day. (Barely sees 100+ Km/hr on even the best of roads)

My dilemma is simple. Current finances won't allow me to go for a Jeep Compass A/T or even an Octavia L&K or Style, let alone a BMW X1 or anything in that price range. My dad isn't open to pre-owned options either. Here are the alternatives:

- Honda City 1.5 I-VTEC: I loath the build of the City. Simple. I am ready to take the hit on the performance part, but the CVT and its rubber band effect is what is bothering me a lot.

- TATA Hexa XTA: Excellent car, well built, good equipment list and competent A/T. Downsides include TATA's cheap cost cutting tactics, heavy weight which dents performance and agility. The A.S.S support is also questionable in my city although it seems a new dealer is coming up.

Haven't considered anything else really. I have also invested 20K on a remap for the Jetta which has transformed the car, but my dad is still looking to sell the car. A few questions to sum things up (in order of importance):

- Does it make financial and practical sense to let go of the car now? Total bill to get every wear and tear item (even things about to wear out) is coming close to Rs. 35K (including brake pads too). The next big scheduled expense is at 1.05L Km if all goes well.

- If I do fix these gremlins, is it worth the risk of keeping the car further atleast till the 6 year mark or so. Current running comes to 10-12K km annualy.

- Are there any better alternatives in the new car market for a downgrade from the Jetta?

I personally want him to keep the car for atleast 6 years before selling it off. Forget finding an equivalent alternative, I haven't been able to find a suitable downgrade either. The max I can stretch to even if I wait for 2 more years will hopefully be the new Octavia, but that's for later.

Some advice both for and against this decision will be very much appreciated.

[Aditya_Bhp]

Spend 35000Rs and continue using the car. You will be losing much more if you go and buy a new car to save this Rs.35,000.
Jetta doesn't have a good resale value too. But no car in the D segment can match the Jetta TDI right now. The Octavia feels like a toy infront of the Jetta. Rest of them don't stand a chance. Don't even think about the City CVT.

[fiestarry]

The Jetta is a nice car with a wonderful 2.0 L engine. The problems that you have encountered so far are not threatening financially. The gearbox mount failure is a one-off case. A water pump and a failed bearing caused by the alloy imbalance are not significant failures at all.
The 35k towards a full service and replacement of brake pads, wear and tear parts and other consumables is a small amount compared to the loss you will incur in selling and buying a new car. It will run into several lakhs for an equivalent car.
This 35k expenditure assures you of two to three years of solid running. Keep the car and do run it over 4000 revs once in a while; the smile won't fade for a long while.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by vishy76

- Are there any better alternatives in the new car market for a downgrade from the Jetta?

I personally want him to keep the car for atleast 6 years before selling it off. Forget finding an equivalent alternative, I haven't been able to find a suitable downgrade either. The max I can stretch to even if I wait for 2 more years will hopefully be the new Octavia, but that's for later.

Some advice both for and against this decision will be very much appreciated.

I think it's bad idea to sell it. Also, in my view a downgrade should be done only if totally unavoidable. Especially with a solid D Segment car like the Jetta, which is no longer even sold here, I think you should not let it go so easily.

The issues you mentioned are neither recurring or large expense ones ( The kind that typically make you think of selling). So I would say do the fixes and continue enjoying what is a lovely car. Don't even think of options like the City to replace a Jetta.