[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

Was comparing it with a baleno and I have found the vtec to have a stiffer suspension setup than the baleno. Take a curve at 80+ and the baleno would be all around the place which wasn't the case with the Vtec.

Really ? I'm kinda surprised to hear that.
I've never driven the vtec on twisty bits like the one's back home in KL.

But baleno I have, its a bit hesitant but once you are a bit "brutal" with the steering it obliges. I felt it was not too tail happy. (The vtec IMO is)

Sweeping corners I have no idea how the baleno is, my madness was limited to Idukki roads. Ride is miles ahead compared to city.

FE wise I felt the Baleno was thirsty compared to the Vtec.

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by yzfrj

Really ? I'm kinda surprised to hear that.
I've never driven the vtec on twisty bits like the one's back home in KL.

But baleno I have, its a bit hesitant but once you are a bit "brutal" with the steering it obliges. I felt it was not too tail happy. (The vtec IMO is)

Sweeping corners I have no idea how the baleno is, my madness was limited to Idukki roads. Ride is miles ahead compared to city.

FE wise I felt the Baleno was thirsty compared to the Vtec.

I like that word tail happy . Apparently I have driven both on the same roads and the v-tec felt much tighter than my baleno. I even wanted to go ahead and get the suspension stiffened for the baleno.The stiffening of the suspension never came thru though.
Cant comment on the FE of the Vtec coz I never knew any driver who owned one and never red-lined it during every drive.

[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

I cant comment on the FE of the Vtec coz I never knew any driver who owned one and never red-lined it during every drive.

That's the point. Even the crazy bits its giving double digits.
Even with a track day thrown in it gave 9.3Km/Ltr that was with around 35% of the distance on the track.

Tank full to tank full.

SB gets amazing FE out of his baleno. How much did you use to get ?

[nithin_86]

@yzfrj - I wanted to go for the Vtec but the price here in Chennai is like a minimum of 3.5 which is out of my budget. I wanted to stick with something in the 2.5-2.8 range. In that range the only one that I could come across was the 1.3. Am looking out for a 1.5 which I am yet to find. If I do that is the one I am going for. The thing was like Baleno is dirt cheap here in Chennai, even in the True Value Outlets. Even in Kerala I couldn't find a decent City yet. I came across 2001 VTec that was actually re-registered in Kerala which was originally from Maharashtra. But the car apparently has been repainted and has already done 70k on it and the price that was quoted was 2.5. I couldn't check it out but when I heard that it was repainted I kind of dropped that one. Still on the lookout for 2003 1.5. If i get it I am definitely going for that.

[nithin_86]

Hey guys. I just came across two Vtecs today. Both of them 2003 Second Owner and in Chennai. One was being quoted 3.7 negotiable (done 64000 kms) and the other one 2.9 (done 57000 kms) and slightly negotiable. The second ones price is the one that actually fits in my budget and I will be looking at that one only. How much would a Vtec be valued at approximately in Chennai? Carwale gave 2.8 for a good condition car.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by nithin_86

Hey guys. I just came across two Vtecs today. Both of them 2003 Second Owner and in Chennai. One was being quoted 3.7 negotiable (done 64000 kms) and the other one 2.9 (done 57000 kms) and slightly negotiable. The second ones price is the one that actually fits in my budget and I will be looking at that one only. How much would a Vtec be valued at approximately in Chennai? Carwale gave 2.8 for a good condition car.

Hey nithin,Carwale usually gives fairly accurate prices.spot on in my case.throw "carwale quote" in your conversation with the dealer,they seem to agree(reluctantly) eventually.I'd suggest a side by side of both cars, if possible.That will highlight the cosmetic misfires quite well.driving impressions you already must have created.Me thinks there must be quite a bit of aftermarket equipment/treatments(not perf mods) on the KM 64k city.weigh that up.If you think you will be going for the same equipment at a later stage, then i suggest you negotiate for the 64k car closer to your budget.provided that the aforemntioned equipment id pristine(or reasonable,at worst), it'll save you some time,energy, and money, later.ps: look out for the high cost fixes which may be hidden, like the suspension(some quick fixes are available, which make them sound/look/work wonderful, but are pffttt a few days after purchasing), look for oil and dust slush in the most hidden nooks you can find(maybe you know good trustworthy mechanic??)

[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by nithin_86

I wanted to stick with something in the 2.5-2.8 range. In that range the only one that I could come across was the 1.3

You should be able to get 1.5 (good one's) for that money.

I came across 2001 VTec that was actually re-registered in Kerala which was originally from Maharashtra. But the car apparently has been repainted and has already done 70k on it and the price that was quoted was 2.5

Is the car in Edappally/Cochin ? Colour : Heather Mist ?

Originally Posted by nithin_86

Hey guys. I just came across two Vtecs today. Both of them 2003 Second Owner and in Chennai. One was being quoted 3.7 negotiable (done 64000 kms) and the other one 2.9 (done 57000 kms) and slightly negotiable. The second ones price is the one that actually fits in my budget and I will be looking at that one only. How much would a Vtec be valued at approximately in Chennai? Carwale gave 2.8 for a good condition car.

Same model less Kms and 80K less. If the car is good its an absolute steal.

Make sure if the suspension feels good (it should)
Check for slipping clutch (can happen for the Kms done)
A/C, Whine/Hum ? (See if age has caught up its an expensive repair)
Steering Rack, see for oil trace (another expensive thing)

Be prepared to set aside another 5-7K as both cars are nearing service.
Oil , filter, air filter, plugs, brake pads, resurfacing the rotor, timing belt need to be changed at 60k.

Optional items like a full body polish, inside cleaning, headlight bulb upgrade .

Personally I'd say to get a car that is as close to stock.

[mayankk]

Yup nithin, set aside 10 k to get a full service, no matter what the prior owner/dealer says!!
Just get it done.it'll do wonders for your peace of mind!!
and if youre finicky about it,like me, add a full interior cleanup to the list as well!!!
hope to see you enjoy your new ride soon!!!
in fact, the cleaning etc,if youre going through a delaer, he should do it for you.
you can add up these minor things(some blown bulbs/cleaning/linings ac service),and ask them to be done prior to taking delivery.
might not amount to much, but hey, a penny saved,can be invested!!!


also, also, also...find out about the timelines of rc transfers, and who's getting it done.typically its about 2k over an above the agreed price

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by nithin_86

Hey guys. I just came across two Vtecs today. Both of them 2003 Second Owner and in Chennai. One was being quoted 3.7 negotiable (done 64000 kms) and the other one 2.9 (done 57000 kms) and slightly negotiable. The second ones price is the one that actually fits in my budget and I will be looking at that one only. How much would a Vtec be valued at approximately in Chennai? Carwale gave 2.8 for a good condition car.

nithin from the above post its quite clear that you have a budget close to 3 lakhs for a used car. Why don't you put that on a newer car from the current market. Since its a petrol car that you are looking for, there are quite a few good choices (hatchbacks) in the current market.

Considering the fact that you are gonna be investing on a 7 year old car, I would put my money on a newer car in the market for resale value atleast. Not that the v-tec is a bad car, but then take a look at some of the ownership threads here and you will see that at 70k kms the car does require a proper overhaul.

My colleagues V-tec ran into a bomb bill close to 30k INR at the 70,000kms service interval which wasn't easy on the pockets. Unless you want a revv' friendly car and cant get the v-tec off your don't put your money on a 7 yr old car.

SB gets amazing FE out of his baleno. How much did you use to get ?

City driving it was close to 13.xx with AC on 90% of times and the best ever mileage recorded on the highway was at 17.xx something with the FFE full tank to full tank. This was during a trip to coastal karnataka and we never drove pedal to metal even once during the whole trip.

[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

nithin from the above post its quite clear that you have a budget close to 3 lakhs for a used car. Why don't you put that on a newer car from the current market. Since its a petrol car that you are looking for, there are quite a few good choices (hatchbacks) in the current market.

Considering the fact that you are gonna be investing on a 7 year old car, I would put my money on a newer car in the market for resale value atleast. Not that the v-tec is a bad car, but then take a look at some of the ownership threads here and you will see that at 70k kms the car does require a proper overhaul.

True.
Be ready to spend more money on it as the odo ticks by.
These things has to be expected in a 7yr old car.

PS thingy can set you back 18.5k new (around 5k for a refurb)
A/C (16.5K if its conks-off)
Suspension (18k)
Tyres (17k)
Clutch (8k)

All are ballpark figures.

I'm not saying all these things will just go up in smoke.
But what Riju said is a valid point.

And god help if there is rust.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by nithin_86

came across two Vtecs today. Both of them 2003 Second Owner and in Chennai. One was being quoted 3.7 negotiable (done 64000 kms) and the other one 2.9 (done 57000 kms) and slightly negotiable.

Wonder why 2 similar cars have so much disparity in asking price ? Did the 3.7L car feel/look better maintained or did it have any extras ?

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

Why don't you put that on a newer car from the current market.

I agree with Riju on buying a new car. But I have the feeling that you would stick to a Vtec, in which case, I hope you get a clean specimen.

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

City driving it was close to 13.xx with AC on 90% of times and the best ever mileage recorded on the highway was at 17.xx something with the FFE full tank to full tank.

Riju, your figures are better than what I get - 12/16kmpl in city/highway with fulltime a/c and normal driving. Sure, I have managed 14kmpl in city for a 7-8 month period, but that requires a complete change in my driving style.

And your FE is all the more commendable because (1) you ran waaaay wider tyres than my stock 165/80 (2) Blore traffic is insane compared to Chennai and (3) you have FFE etc compared to my stock car.

[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Wonder why 2 similar cars have so much disparity in asking price ?

Does't sound right eh SB ?
2.9L for a Vtec is a killer price IMO sounds too good to be true. Which usually is.

Anyway nithin_86 seems to have lost interest and have not made any further updates. So I shall keep quiet.

FFE etc compared to my stock car

FFE is done correctly and "if" driven with a light foot can given better FE than stock.

[nithin_86]

Hey guys, just got home now. Read through all of your opinions. Like rjstyles69 mentioned, the idea of a seven year old car was what made me kind of hesitant. This thought made me look for the Baleno which I can actually get for a cheaper rate and that too a 2005-06 model. But then the Vtec is the Vtec.

@mayankk - I just saw the one that was quoted for 3.6. I didn't look under the hood though. The car looked bone stock. It didn't look roughed up though. Thought I will check both of them out tomorrow when the other car would also be available.

@yzfrj - The car in Kerala is in Muvattupuzha. Its a Blue colour Vtech with 70000 on the odo. Seems its a single owner car. The owner used to be in Mumbai or something.

And the price disparity between the two. I asked the dealer and he said its the price quoted by the owners. Will get to know tomorrow.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by yzfrj

FFE if done correctly and "if" driven with a light foot can given better FE than stock.

True. But then those are 2 really big 'if's, especially the 2nd one.

[nithin_86]

I test drove three Vtecs today. And like yzfrj mentioned, a Vtec at 2.9 was indeed two good to be true. I went to the showroom and the owner brought in the car. The car had those cheap stickers here and there. Sports edition and all that kind of crap stickers were there on it. I got the feeling that the car is going to be crap but I thought what the hell and got in and turned on the ignition and suddenly a shrill Beep came up and I turned to the guy at the showroom and asked me what in the world was that. He had no idea and the owner then got in and he was like that is the indicator for the handbrake. I released the handbrake and the beep went off. I tried starting the car and it took me two attempts to get it started and the engine sounded as if someone was strangling its neck. I was taking it out of the parking lot and as I was reversing it the annoying reverse indicator came up. Some stupid song. And I have to mention the inside was not very well maintained either but ocnsidering it as a 7 year old car I let it pass. Now came the fun part, the gear shift. However I tried it wouldn't go to the first. Finally after struggling with it i managed to get it into the first. I thought I will give it a try now anyway and I turn the steering to the right and it wouldn't budge. I put in more effort and it finally turned making a sound like chains clanging together. By that time I had enough and I said I don't need to test drive it and I don't need it.

Then I test drove two more Vtecs. One was a 2001 Single owner and the other a 2003 Second owner. Both were Ok. The interiors in both were quite worn out. Too worn out for my taste. I felt the 2003 in a better condition than the other. Though both of them really didn't give me the "Yeah this is the one" feel. So still on the lookout for a decent Vtec. Todays experience actually gave me second thoughts on the Vtec. Now I am inclined a little more towards the Baleno as of now. Hopefully a better Vtec is waiting for me.