[Warhound]

Originally Posted by highway_star

I think my calculations are correct.

Dear Highway,

I would love to see your calculations. Depreciation has to be a factor in both scenarios. You cannot put a depreciating number on the new car and none on the first. Even a second hand BMW used over a period of 5 years should reduce its market value by half. That should be a factor in the life-cycle cost of the vehicle !

[Warhound]

Edit: You know what, I think I realized my mistake. I was using the original car worth money when calculating depreciation and free ( value =0) when calculating the running cost of a new car.

Basically, GTO calculates the value of a car in todays terms and then bases his calculations on that.

you can have a totally different set of calculation if you assume the car holds no value in todays terms but has a value 5 years down when you sell. That is how you were getting a positive net flow. Assume the car is worth money in todays terms and you will get exactly the same thing GTO did.

[basky]

Get your Old car Detailed

Too much of cold economics flying around - better to deal with the heart. A five year old car would be boringly familiar and chances are that you would be less inclined to put in the time required to keep it in good shape.

Get your car a professional level (can be done by keen amateurs too) detailing job and you can restore the visual beauty which you once admired. if you like it, keep it, else you will get far better value when you sell it. The new owner will love you for it.

[highway_star]

Originally Posted by Warhound

Assume the car is worth money in todays terms and you will get exactly the same thing GTO did.

That's right, and I agree with GTO up to this point. My disconnect is on the opportunity cost of the EMI. In my opinion it is 3 lakh, not 15 lakh. This has a huge impact on the final figure.

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by basky

Get your Old car DetailedToo much of cold economics flying around - better to deal with the heart. A five year old car would be boringly familiar and chances are that you would be less inclined to put in the time required to keep it in good shape. Get your car a professional level (can be done by keen amateurs too) detailing job and you can restore the visual beauty which you once admired. if you like it, keep it, else you will get far better value when you sell it. The new owner will love you for it.

This the first sign of the 5 year old itch: giving your car a once over and behold this itch gets unbearable, in say 6 months time and you'll be driving home a new car and spending time clicking pics and put on your writers hat start to think what to name your car how to sweep TBHP members of their feet with a fantastic write up & travelogue. I have been resisting that itch for 6 years now, that is because my car gives me no cause for complaint to change and has endeared itself to me and family. There is stiff resistance from my family even if I take TD (they know where that leads).

[rrsteer]

Hi Everyone,

This is a question I am asking myself a lot for the last couple of months and I am unable to come up with an answer. I tend to quickly straddle both ends of the answering spectrum, depending on how well the car performs on some days and when it makes me shell money on other days.

I own a Safari LX, bought in December 2008 , run 1,12,000 kms. I have maintained it well and so far it has never skipped a heart beat. But lately I have spent a lot on preventive maintenance of this car.

In December I spent a cool amount of Rs 35,000/- refreshing the suspension and the front brakes. And last weekend, about 45 days later, I had to shell out Rs 5000/- on a pair of new horns and a new battery and a set of new headlights. .

Now, as I write this there are some more problems which have developed in the Safari and that need attention.

1) Extremely (I should say EXTREMELY) hard gear shift
2) The above point combined with the fact that a clutch change is impending (I am still on the first clutch, which feels ok, but I fear perhaps point 1 is due to a problem with the clutch?)
3) The car makes thuk thuk noise from the left front wheel as it goes over bumps - ( perhaps the front shocker gone?)
4) Rear drums need attention. When i did the suspension , the mechanic advised to get them replaced after about 20k more kms. Though I am still another 10K from that mark.
5) Seat covers need to be replaced ( A decent set will cost me upward of Rs 4k)
6) The indicator stalk doesn't return to its original position, so that whole assembly needs to be replaced
7) The Safari's Continentals, have run 35k kms already, so in another 35k kms, I need to get new tyres again (though this cost is still some distance away)

Given the above points, I may again end up spending in the range of 40k to solve the above problems. And then something else may crop up.

So my question is this the right time to do away with the Safari? I get a new vehicle, with a warranty & peace of mind for the next 3 -5 years ( my Safari's extended warranty is void)
Or, after taking care of the above points, I can expect another 100,000 kms of carefree driving like I could for the first 100,000kms?

A point to note is while I notched up 100,000 kms in 3 years, I expect the next 100,000 kms to take much more, may be even double the time. So a new vehicle with warranty or a tried and tested but still an uncertain Safari?

Also if I do look at replacing it, for my needs and budget, I can look no further than the usual suspects: Innova, Safari, Scorpio.

Note from Team-BHP Support: Thread merged. Please use the search feature before creating a new thread on a topic that might already exist. Please continue your discussion in this existing thread. This will keep all the relevant information in one place and make it easier for readers in the future.

[pushkark]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

So my question is this the right time to do away with the Safari? I get a new vehicle, with a warranty & peace of mind for the next 3 -5 years ( my Safari's extended warranty is void)
Or, after taking care of the above points, I can expect another 100,000 kms of carefree driving like I could for the first 100,000kms?

As I look at it, if you are planning a run of about 1400 kms a month(100000 kms in 6 yrs). It would be better to stick with the current car.

My Reasons:

1. Tyres: As you are going to use safari for about 16000 kms in a year the tyres will still last for another 2 years. So the tyre change will happen only abter 2 years from now. Cost 20-22000.

2. Seat Covers: The 4000/- that you plan to spend on the seat covers will have to be done even for the new car that you will buy.

3. Amount already spent: The good 35000/- that you have spend recently has added quite a bit of life to it. The new battery will last another 3 years(approx).

4. Resale price: Safari if sold in current condition would be fetching a lower resale price than what it deserves. The noise while test driving will arise many question in the mind of buyers.

5. Current Expenditure Required: Around 20000/-. If you reduce the expenses for tyres (20-22000/-) and seat covers(4000/-) the amount required to be spent now will come to Rs 20000/-. That is what a clutch change, Shock absorber and Rear drums change will cost you. And about the indicator stalk, check if that can be repaired (may be a some refurbishing will help) else that can be replaced too.


My Recommendation: If you are using it for 100000 kms in next 6 years better stick with The Safari that you have instead of buying a new Innova, scorpio or another Safari.

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please avoid quoting an entire large post. It inconveniences our small screen & mobile readers.

[raj_5004]

What is your max budget?

I would say consider replacing the vehicle, since you have already clocked 1 Lac kms & now maintainence costs would only keep increasing. Also, knowing how Safari is, expect some more "preventive maintainence" expenses.

You can consider the XUV W6 (if you can extend your budget), a Scorpio SLE or you could wait for the Storme.

Although I would not recommend you one, but since you are comfortable with TATA & its A.S.S., you can also give a look to Aria 4x2 Pure or Pleasure variant. But you can have a look around the forum, it is plagued with many issues.

Lastly, I know everyone here would recommend you an Innova. Even I have one. But personally I feel you wont like a van after driving an SUV for so many years. I did not.

[mayankjha1806]

A Lakh and 12k Kms spread over 3 years is quiet fast by any comparison, but i would advise you to move on. At this reading the car has served its purpose and from here on there will be problems on-and-on. Not that they cannot be fixed but its quiet painful and never close to original.

Not sure what kind of budget you have but you could look at new Safari Storme as a replacement.

[supremeBaleno]

The maintenance expenses are only going to increase, given that the SUV has already clocked 1lakh+. Sell it and get an Innova (not an SUV, but should be good to try out a niggle-free experience) or get another Safari (known devil) with extended warranty.

[zenx]

(Funny, I saw this in another thread, and responded - and then got a PM that my accidentally created new thread was deleted!)

I'd say keep it. The draw of the new car is strong, of course, but you've tested this enough. And after a 100k, spending 20-25k is no biggie. The extra you shell out for insurance for a new one will cover half of that! In fact, I'd say budget a few upgrades, splurge on this and keep for a few years - much cheaper and a very good feeling to keep the car thats served you well thus far.

[chandan]

The only reason I would sell my 7 year old car is the lack of availability of spares since it is a discontinued model (read Getz 1.3 petrol).

[bluevolt]

Since you have invested on few parts like battery etc I will advise you to keep the car for at least till the current set of tyres last. You can buy a new car but as the maths say new car will depreciate like anything for first couple of years. I think Safari is capable of at least 1.5 lac-2 lac KMs. Go ahead with necessary repairs and enjoy the car for some more time.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

What is your max budget?


Lastly, I know everyone here would recommend you an Innova. Even I have one. But personally I feel you wont like a van after driving an SUV for so many years. I did not.

My max budget is 10 lacs. Logically thinking, an Innova is what makes sense. The driving dynamics of an Innova are also so superior to Safari. Scorpio is the least likely choice here. I feel other than a good engine, it offers nothing.

Aria is out of radar. I am not convinced with it. XUV 500 is desirable but out of budget. What I really want, despite the flaws and ofcourse its way out of budget is the Fortuner.

I did some dealer hopping yesterday, for the time being I have concluded that I should wait. because the two products that I really liked were Fortuner & XUV. Both were out of budget.

So I gave the Safari for a clutch overhaul today and also for sorting out any transmission related issues. The fact that the clutch lasted 112000 kms should instill confidence.

I should atleast grow at the rate of Indian economy. So if i can afford a Safari today, I could afford a XUV in 2 years (best, if a Fortuner).

[guptavis]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

I should atleast grow at the rate of Indian economy. So if i can afford a Safari today, I could afford a XUV in 2 years (best, if a Fortuner).

Sorry for damping the mood, but the growth for last fiscal was reporte at 6.2 i think.
at that rate it would take much more than 2 years.