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-   -   ARTICLE: YOUR 5 year old car : Keep, Upgrade or Swap? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning-car/44804-article-your-5-year-old-car-keep-upgrade-swap-68.html)

I agree, the Santro Xing is one of the most robust and reliable cars which were available in the market. The driveability of the new Santro is no where close to the Xing. But the main thing is that we feel the best resale value can be received right now. According to me, the resale value will depreciate by almost 25-35% in next 2 years and 45-50K kms. Also, with implementation of the BS VI norms, the car costs will get higher. Am I thinking in the wrong direction?


In Delhi NCR, you can not get your RC renewed after 15 years and due to this, we are getting really bad resale value of cars which are more than 12-13 year old. This is a major concern as dad and I, both want a significant resale value. Since my dad is also into business, his concern is similar as that of yours about the depreciating economy but since our loan will not be more than 2.5 lacs, he says that the EMIs can be managed.



Although the car has been extremely reliable, small niggles which appeared in the past such as radiator fan relay going kaput made us lose confidence in the car. Since my sister too will be here next year, we want a car which we can depend upon. Also, its been long since we have the car with us and somewhere, even dad wants a change and thus I too am supporting him with this decision. Since the car will be used mostly by dad in the Delhi NCR traffic, we are looking for a car with the smallest footprint and cheapest on road price and thus, NIOS is not even being considered. Dad does not want an AMT car but yes, I am trying to push him for the Santro AMT.

Dear everybody. I own a 2011 wagon r k 10 CNG. Maintained spotlessly. All regular service and replacements done, run about 75000kms. I know if I sell it now it will get me, optimistically speaking 1.5 lk. Thinking of going for the Baleno. Am having thoughts on whether to keep the old workhorse which by the way performs flawlessly or spend 7-8 lks more on a new car.
Any inputs anyone?please:

Consider the safety and comfort factors.
A 2011 Jetta or Civic would be ok for a few more years but the WagonR doesn't have any airbags, Traction or Stability Control and might not even have ABS. In addition, older Marutis have rather weak body shells as seen in some of the crash tests. Considering these factors, I would recommend moving to a newer, safer and more luxurious vehicle.

I don't get the "upgrade in 5 years" thing at all. If the car is showing problems that don't look fixable, get a new one, regardless of age. But if it's working well?

My car (2010 Punto) has done 86000 km and works flawlessly. Just last week we drove it 1500km including ghat roads. Takes potholes etc in its stride, breezes along on smooth highways. Its resale price is essentially nothing (maybe 1 lakh optimistically?), a comparable new car (say VW Polo) would be about 6 lakhs. What would be the point of "upgrading"?

If you own a Fiat and car is performing well, just dont think about upgrading. Not worth at all. The market gives you peanuts for your car. But the driving pleasure and sturdiness of Fiats cannot be matched by any car unless you upgrade to a VW or Skoda which will easily blow a Rs.10 lakh hole on your pocket. Just enjoy and drive them as long as you have no major issues with the car. They are well built and expected to last longer. Dont give in to market temptations of purchasing a new car. Not worth it.

From what I see from people around me, I think most people upgrade because they feel that a certain stage in life (and a certain income bracket) corresponds to a certain type of car. The car is still a status symbol in India and a lot of people judge you based on what you drive (whether you should worry about what those type of people think is another debate :)). Some upgrade because their families have grown so they need the extra space, comfort. There are very few enthusiasts that actually upgrade because they want a better handling, better performing vehicle and enjoy driving.

In our family, we've hung on to all of our cars for 10 years at least before selling. Typically most have had very low odo readings and are working absolutely fine at the time of sale. But also, after a decade between cars, the new car definitely feels like a significant upgrade in terms of safety, features, efficiency, etc. even if it is from the same 'segment' or price bracket as the old one. Just the effect of a decade of advances in the market.

There are many reasons for upgrade. Some may want AT due to exponential increase in traffic, some may want a car with higher seating or comfort due to health issues, or a safer car due to increased highway travel etc. The list of reasons can be endless.

Another case of 5 year(or even lesser) upgrade phenomenon, is for those who couldn't afford a car that they aspired for. This may seem foolish, but a significant percentage of the buyers fall under this category. Imagine if everyone could afford a Honda City, XUV or a Duster or some very good car about 5-7 years back, then there should be no reason for upgrade unless the car is troublesome in any of the factors mentioned previously.

We have a 2011 December Model 45000 clocked Chevy Beat Diesel at home. The ownership experience was pleasant till 5 years of ownership and later some issues has popped up during the last 3 years. The major replacements includes AC Compressor and Break Boosters. The car has been burning some oil for past 7000Kms, and it should be the compression getting weaker. We needed a reliable car and more space for family use and managed to get an used 2016 BRV iVTEC to our garage in Kerala. I may barely fetch 1L on selling off the Beat. I work in Chennai and was planning to buy atleast a 2 wheeler for occasional runabouts. The monthly average will be 200 to 300 Kilometers maximum.

I can either fix the compression issue for another 30 to 50k and use the Beat in Chennai , use it as it is with the oil being monitored periodically till it stop running or sell it off for the current market value. What would you guys suggest?

Sell it off for a lakh and get an electric 2 wheeler :) for your running it makes perfect sense

So guys, here's my case!

Currently have a 2014 Vento diesel with 99k on the odometer. The original plan was to keep it for 7 years. It's already 5.75 years. I know it's 1.25 years too early but there are two primary issues

1) This model is famous for fuel injector failures! Although our car is supposed to be under the rectified batch, there are some 2014 cars with similar failures, although very few in number. We do quite a number of long drives and thus getting stranded in the middle of the highway is not an option, especially at night.

2) We're now 5 in the family and the back seat space in terms of width is quite less which is felt during long drives. Also no headrests and 3-point seatbelts for the middle passenger which is a safety issue.

One of my dad's colleagues was getting a new ride and we helped him check out some cases . Didn't like anything and had come to conclusions that the Vento is one very difficult car to replace.

The one's we liked are really expensive! Seltos DCT, Elantra and Octavia ( we were refused any test drive though). Nevertheless, these cars are way above our budget! Spending 20 lakhs on a car is too difficult to justify especially in these extremely uncertain times! Vento TSI was good but then it's the same car and issue 2 will stick out apart from DSG woes!

Anyway, getting a new car is out of the question!

1) Get a used car like Octavia or Jetta ( parts will be difficult to get) decent examples are expensive. The rest are too old.
2) Retain the current car till the 10 year mark. Maybe do a suspension upgrade, change the brake pads to EBC yellow stuff and get the engine remapped. Rear seat space can be compromised as 5 on board is once in a blue moon. Not sure about seatbelts and headrests. And yes, replace all 4 injectors at once( ₹1 lakh) because it's still cheaper than depreciation of a new car.

The current resale value stands around 4 lakhs I believe ( maybe).

I've been spoilt by the performance and character of the Vento. Tough to accept a people mover or suv with compromised standards.

Any other suggestions? Whatever happens, I can't compromise on the FTD aspect stupid:

Retain it.

In terms of driving dynamics, Vento is one tough nut to crack. You won't find that level of connect in C-segment sedans anymore. SUVs, Seltos and the like, will be good for your space requirement but again no match to the Vento's character. As you move higher up the segments, a lot of cars (except the Europeans) are biased towards luxury and comfort.

My advice would be to keep the Vento for another 2-3 years. If the car has been reliable for 1 lakh kms, it will continue to be so for the next 50-60k kms at least.

But if you've made up your mind, wait for upcoming launches such as Creta, Verna and City before taking a call.

Why replace injectors if there isn't any issues yet?

We have a skoda rapid in our circle with 1,60,000 km on the odo, still in stock injectors. We had to just do a suspension overhaul and the car is back to its new shape.

Moreover new vento isn't worth the extra 12 lakhs you have to shell out now.

I just spent 52k on my 4.5 year old ciaz. 27k for new set of tyres and 25k for clutch replacement. Now the car is as good as new. The market value is 5.5 to 6 lakhs for a 1.1 lakh km run diesel ciaz. A new car means I have to shell out at least 8 more lakhs whether it's a decent sedan or a small SUV, which definitely isn't a wise decision. I am holding the ciaz against my family's constant push for a new car as the 6 digits on odo does some magic with the elders in a negative way. I guess they still believe it is the 80s and cars beyond 1,00,000 km on the odo belong to the scrapyard.

After all car is an utility and a liability. Your car will last easy 1 more lakh km. Enjoy the dynamics until then. :)

Honestly, the heart says to stick with the Vento while the mind says to get a second hand Toyota. But what you said makes sense-if the injectors were faulty, it would've failed already!

I was thinking replacing the injectors as a precaution would be better because one breakdown and the resulting trauma may result in premature disposal of the car. Happened with the above said colleague in my post wherein he sold his Polo 1.6 GT TDI after an injector failed.

Otherwise I am confident the car will last beyond 2 lakh kms.

Thanks for the replies and reinforcing my gut feeling of retaining the car! :)

Instead of replacing, why not get it checked and cleaned if needed be? Possibly from an independent garage post an evaluation from a VW. If the reports match, you have an answer.

The FNG I go to advised against cleaning the injectors as it will fail again very quickly. Haven't been able to verify that.
So far, we've tried to ensure the injectors are in top shape by filling in diesel from reputed places. As a precaution at the 5 year mark, we've tried LiquiMoly diesel purge too.