[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by drsingh

It would not make financial sense to change your car at Less than 50k S your running is very less.

I doubt you'll need a camshaft change under 1 lakh kms of use..

Repairing the worn out parts will be cheaper.

On the other hand if you're just bored and want a change, go ahead. I'd advise you to wait a year or two though if you keep cars for the long term.

Next generation cars like the jazz, i20 replacement, swift replacement, tata Vista replacement will be a step higher in evolution. You'll be better served to wait a couple of years.

+1

All the parts that you wrote which need replacement would worth it cheaper than seeking this and getting a new one.

As suggested wait for the new launches rather than plunging-in now for a car that has its replacement almost ready. If you buy one now and the replacement is better, then it will be disappointment throughout.

Did your have an accident or any such thing? Why a chafe to the cross member?

I am not sure when the Getz was discontinued but whenever that was, from the on, a minimum of 10 years should be the spares parts availability. This is the government rule.

But the spares, oil etc etc from Hyundai through 'Mobis' IIRC and get then changed at an FNG. Only the cross member job should be handled by Hyundai, rest all can be done outside so that you can save on labour and taxes.

Anurag.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by audioholic

What do you guys think regarding such a situation?

I go by a simpler rule. 80/90K minimum Odo or 8-9 years which ever is later. Hold till then. Beyond that I think one can change. Of course I know its not a logical decision. I just look at it based on the view that, if one owns two cars at home, and continuously rotates both, then at least 7-8 would be needed based on lease (if he goes by loan/lease). So by that logic hold a car minimum for that much time. Beyond that is purely based your assessment of the car, and more importantly your emotional quotient to change the car.

If you own only one car, I think a similar assessment can be applied but yes the question is more tipped to your emotional need to change or to hold. Economics would dictate other wise.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by D4D

Reasons to sell car:
->The SA says crossmember is rusted and clutch needs replacement at next service

Selling a car because of a rusted cross member & bad clutch is like divorcing your wife because she fractured her hand

These are due to age and wear & tear. Replacing them will cost a fraction of a new car's price.

Worried about timing belt change, Gearbox oil change

The last time I changed a timing belt, it cost me <3,000 rupees. Don't sweat over the gearbox oil.

Spares availability, especially the unique single camshaft which control 3 valves per cylinder

There's plenty of Getz still on the road. Parts will be available for a while, although a waiting period might be necessary.

In its 7th year, the car has already seen most of its depreciation. You are using the car now for as good as free. There won't be much of a difference in the resale over 1 or 2 years.

[D4D]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

+1

Did your have an accident or any such thing? Why a chafe to the cross member?

Thanks. Not a single accident on the car(except minor dents while reversing). The SA told me that the crossmember has rusted and needs to be replaced at the next service. Should I do it? I have a time frame of 3-4 months till me next service.

[D4D]

Originally Posted by GTO

Selling a car because of a rusted cross member & bad clutch is like divorcing your wife because she fractured her hand

These are due to age and wear & tear. Replacing them will cost a fraction of a new car's price.

Ok. I get your point. .
But no issues with removing and putting a new crossmember right ? Will be done without any problem at ASC ? As far as my knowledge goes, the engine has to be removed?

[aabidansari]

Upgrading any car is becoming a talking point nowadays with so many new releases every year. But from a truly functional viewpoint, I would say that it makes no sense at all to upgrade one's car. Think about it, one would have bought the car in the first place because of some reason - passion, mobility, necessity, whatever. If that reason is not justified anymore then I guess an upgrade would become necessary. But 'not getting good resale value', 'not getting the right spare parts', etc. are mere excuses especially in India where we have such a diverse auto spare parts business as well as a growing used car market.
I am myself driving a 2005 Esteem, probably one of the better cars that have run on the Indian roads. And I can't seem to have enough incentive to part with it.
Just my thoughts.....

[racer_ash]

We Indians are an emotional lot. My dad had a 1993 made Maruti 800. On the day he sold it in 2003, I was literally in tears. I never felt this way when he sold our 5 year old Alto in 2007. The more you stay with your car, the more attached you get.

Maintaining a car is bringing up a baby. For easy understanding, lets take calculate 1 car year is equivalent to 7 man years (average life of car is 10 years while that of a human is 70years). Also assuming average running of 10k kms per year.

In the first 2 years, we pamper the car with all the love and care that we can give much like how we take care of the child in his pre-teens.

The cars teen-age, i.e the third year, is the year where it needs the most attention. Giving it proper service, try to change things under warranty (assuming most of us opt for 3 year warranty). Not that we ignore these at a later stage, but taking care of your car in this period ensures that it gives a troublefree ownership for the rest of its useful life. Similarly, a properly cared teenager has good emotional stability and can keep relationships for a longer time that a troubled teen.

The middle ages (4 to 7 years) are where we need to add spice to make the relationships more interesting. Invest in a good set of alloys, a good HU, take it for a good detailing session. All these are absolutely neecessary to ensure that the relationship is kept interesting. In a human analogy: That much needed job change, marriage, that onsite trip. All these thinsg are needed until the late 40s.

During the 8th and 9th year is the time that lots of attention to the health of the automobile is required. Timing belt changes, clutch overhauls typically happen around the 80k mark. A human in his early 50s till late 60s needs to take care of his health in a similar way with various functions in his body gradually diminishing due to age.

Every year from the 10th year onwards is like taking care of a baby again. Treat your car with love, dont stress her too much. Much like how our grandparents need constant love and attention. Every year after this is a bonus and this is the time to look back and cherish all the wonderful moments that we had together.

Ditch the new car plan, enjoy your car until it can serve you.

[D4D]

That's some great analysis GTO. Some shocking figures. One thing I would point out is that our Indian fuel quality is bad, which shortens the engine life. Many manufacturers have claimed that engines are designed for bad quality fuel, but there's a limit to the modifications they make.

My dad had bought a used Mitsubhishi Galant in US(100,000 miles clocked) in US in 2000. He used it till 2005, without a single problem. I heard from so many friends that how their well maintained cars in US/UK/France can last 14-15 years easily.

[commonman]

My two cents here.
Is it only the change mentality we are talking about ?
What about the reliability?
What about mileage?
What about new technology?
Some examples given below.

If a 10 year old car is taken to highway ,whats the state of the driver's mind when touching 100 Kmph,it is nowhere near what a car of 1-4 year will give.
In case of Mileage, a 2014 Celerio gives a considerably higher FE than 2004 Zen.
Let us talk about pollution ,the K10 Engine spews out less toxic gases than a F8D engine. A newer vehicle may also come with ABS and Airbags which enhances safety.

My point here is that by upgrading our cars we may be supporting the technological advancements and spreading less pollution.The added advantage of reliability and comfort is also there.

7 to 8 years is the maximum one must keep the vehicle.If at all you are not selling ,keep it ,but get a new one. You don't know when the old one may fail.

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by commonman

My two cents here.





My point here is that by upgrading our cars we may be supporting the technological advancements and spreading less pollution.The added advantage of reliability and comfort is also there.



7 to 8 years is the maximum one must keep the vehicle.If at all you are not selling ,keep it ,but get a new one. You don't know when the old one may fail.

Yes and nobody denies that. I think the point of this article is not to say that one must retain older cars but to "consider" if the upgrade is worth it or not.

Many of us want to buy a new car in 3 years without knowing the hit we take. I believe this article is an eye opener in that sense.

Many times taking a car to 100kmph is not a requirement at all. For example we have a second car in our house that is only used for short 6 to 10 km drives. I retained my 9 year old Indica which is a lot less reliable than before, if you consider highway travel. For short runs though, works great and way cheaper than buying a new hatch.

Several such situations may arise that makes it more sensible to retain the old car than a new one. Having said that, I too bought a new car last year, but I know I thought of other options before and still decided on a new car.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by D4D

Hello fellow BHP-ians,
I need your advice on the keeping or selling my Getz as I feel it is at the cross-roads.

Heart vs mind apart I'll elaborate on a few things on why a Getz is worth keeping for its price, things which cannot be found in most hatches today. I hope all manufacturers including Hyundai look at this and learn that some people understand what's missing in present day cars in the name of cost cutting.

- Auto door locks - a real safety feature which is simple technology yet is portrayed as premium nowadays, present only in i20 highest end as far as Hyundai goes. Punto has it by default.

- 155cc aircon compressor - this is undoubtedly class leading for a petrol car, Figo coming in 2nd with 150cc. i20, Grand i10 & Polo are 90cc compressors in India.

- Class leading boot-space of 290 litres. Of the current lot only i20 has more with 295.

- Pure hydraulic steering - with great feedback and minimal inputs an HPS is my pick over EPS any day. Even EHPS feels boring in comparison.

- Kerb weight of 1070 kilos (petrol 1.4) it is the same weight as the present gen Honda City, over 150 kilos heavier than Micra, Etios Liva and over 60 kilos heavier that Etios and Nissan Sunny! It outweighs the Polo by 40 kgs. The i20/Figo have similar weight. This means tough build quality (reinforcement steel bars) and safety for Indian conditions.

- 2 variable tilt angles in the rear seat, no car other than Getz has this.

- 1.4 litres 85 bhp with 125 nm of torque is perfect for the city, the 4 cylinder Alpha engine is so silent I sometimes forget its running. Competition in petrol > 3 cyl 74 bhp for Polo, 3 cyl 70 bhp Figo and 4 cyl 1.2 Kappa in i20 which is impotent.

- Largest back-seat legroom thus far. Indica and Etios can be mentioned but they miss many of the above virtues including low boot-space of below 250 ltr.

These are some of the reasons why Getz was a practical, quality product ahead of its time, yet poorly marketed. People blasted its price point and preferred a Santro/Swift. Hyundai learnt from this and gave the Grand i10/i20 with all bells and whistles (tangible features), priced it 15% more than the Getz and both are best sellers. Of course as a car i20 comes closest to the Getz as both are identical in platform.

Running wear and tear is natural, and Getz is pretty reliable when taken good care of. Change only IF you really like another car for its looks/snob value, else this is one solid runabout, winning Car of the Years awards in Australia, India, Turkey and Russia at its time.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by D4D

Hello BHP-ians,

I need your advice on whether I must sell or keep my 7 year old Getz.
Let me start with the details of your car:
->It's a Aug'06 model, closing in on being 8 years old
->49000 Kms done
->Used only in city
->4 Tyres changed at 45000 km
->It's a 1.3 l petrol engine
->GLS(Just a notch below the top trim)

Thanks in Advance

I also have a 2007 Getz 1.3, which has served me very well for 60000 kms. I have decided to keep the car for another 2 years. I got bored with the car - so got a remap done (spending 24000 on an old car with bad resale was not an easy decision. But I did not want to sell it because of the following reasons.

1. Wife is using the car and she is not comfortable with a big vehicle. So I need a hatchback. I did not find any vehicle worthy of replacement. The resale value of Getz sealed the decision.
2. I am very happy with the car. It meets my current requirements - 90% city usage - perfectly and I can manage until my kids grow up.
3. I have maintained the car very well and it has not given any major issue so far. The depreciation has already taken its effect. I would not get a fair value for the car, considering the resale value, and it is in a very good condition to server me for a couple of years.
4. As others have pointed out, spare parts availability will not be an issue for a few more years. Sometimes, I have to wait for a couple of weeks. That is fine.
5. I hate loans, especially on something very dear to me - my car.

I would recommend to keep the car, unless you have a valid requirement to upgrade.

[joybhowmik]

I for one have decided to keep my Santro until the nuts fall apart. Its 2003 vintage, and an automatic.
Things working in it's favour.
1) Emotive value. It was our first car in India.
2) Easy to drive auto tranny
3) Well maintained
4) No finance outstanding.
5) Cheap insurance - less than Rs 2000/- annually.
6) Great as a run-about for groceries and local runs.
7) AC is still a chiller.
8) Recently got it refreshed with new tyres, battery and new seat covers! Now it feels like a new car inside and out!

[avinfine]

Hi
Bought my i10 just when it was launched and its been more than 6.5 years now.

I am feeling that the suspension has gone for a toss for quite sometime(more than 6 months), but havent bothered abt it. But now i want to get it rectified. I feel a lot of bumpy even if thr is a little patch on road. And also lot of noise heard inside car (windows closed).

Can anybody pls explain what do i actually need to replace and how much it might cost,?

I inquired in Advait hyundai ORR Bellandur. The guy told it wi cost around 15-20 K, but didnt understand his explaination.

Kindly suggest.

Regards
Avinash

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by avinfine

Hi
Bought my i10 just when it was launched and its been more than 6.5 years now.

Can anybody pls explain what do i actually need to replace and how much it might cost,?

I inquired in Advait hyundai ORR Bellandur. The guy told it wi cost around 15-20 K, but didnt understand his explaination.

Kindly suggest.

Regards
Avinash

15-20 k estimate must have been for a full suspension overhaul.

You can reduce the noises to some extent by changing all the suspension bushings.
But if you want to keep the car over the next few years and want the "new car comfort" go for the suspension overhaul and put some nice rubber on the wheels.