[madmanscam]

Black Baleno Lxi 2004 Dec 72k run or Honda City ZX Vtec 2007 April 150k run

Cars short listed -Mentioned above and both are in fairly good condition and owned by family friends.
Price range - 2 Lakhs for both
Maintenance & After Sales Service (A.S.S.) expectations - Not more than 5k every quarter
Average distance traveled per month 300-400
Where car will be mostly used (city / highway / rough roads etc) Good Roads and City
Chauffer driven / self driven - Self Driven
Whether the vehicle will be shared by other members of family - Only me
Any specific requirements from car (ex. Better luggage space, responsive engine, rear seat comfort) - Wanted an SUV but settling for this cause of FE and price convenience
How long you intend on keeping this car (and how important resale is to you) 2-3 years

Originally Posted by madmanscam

Black Baleno Lxi 2004 Dec 72k run or Honda City ZX Vtec 2007 April 150k run

Cars short listed -Mentioned above and both are in fairly good condition and owned by family friends.
Price range - 2 Lakhs for both
Maintenance & After Sales Service (A.S.S.) expectations - Not more than 5k every quarter
Average distance traveled per month 300-400
Where car will be mostly used (city / highway / rough roads etc) Good Roads and City
Chauffer driven / self driven - Self Driven
Whether the vehicle will be shared by other members of family - Only me
Any specific requirements from car (ex. Better luggage space, responsive engine, rear seat comfort) - Wanted an SUV but settling for this cause of FE and price convenience
How long you intend on keeping this car (and how important resale is to you) 2-3 years

Neither of them will fit in your requirements. Reason?

Maintenance & After Sales Service (A.S.S.) expectations - Not more than 5k every quarter

For Used cars, it cannot be exactly Said. If the tyres are bad, you will end up spending 20K upfront. You will spend 1 year maintainence amount Upfront. If any other mechanicals fail, it would be over on what you have spent. If any regular service comes up, then you will have to spend more.

Ignore the above clause as it can be applied to new cars as they come with warranty and being new.

Pick the City for brand name, service availability and Honda Reliability. Baleno is a good car but, out dated & discontinued.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by madmanscam

Black Baleno Lxi 2004 Dec 72k run or Honda City ZX Vtec 2007 April 150k run

Cars short listed -Mentioned above and both are in fairly good condition and owned by family friends.
Price range - 2 Lakhs for both

Price seems high for both the cars considering the age / mileage (Baleno is definitely costlier)

Used City ZX vtec is past and I simply love the performance. Definitely I would recommend the car for the one who prefer a Fun to drive car. Haven't owned a Baleno, but driven a few hundred kms, and I do agree it's perfect Driver's car.

I would suggest to look for some other City with less mileage.

[amit_purohit20]

Recently a friend of mine has purchased a Honda City of 2005 model pristinely maintained and driven by single owner for 37k for 3.15 lakhs in Pune. The interiors and exteriors well deserve a praise for the owner who has maintained it!

Based on the mileage and condition of the car above I feel 2 lakhs is asking too much for a high mileage car.

[Patriot_Vishwas]

Well, the Baleno is a great car to drive.
The seating is low(very low) and I personally like it.
The ground clearance is horrendous(Not so much if you are the only occupant) and so are the brakes(Feels a lot better with just you).
The stock headlight illumination is bad.
But the car has brilliant air conditioning,superb handling and an engine that is epic at high revs.
The comfort levels are acceptable for the rear bench but the plastic quality is not great.(All of them work but the finish is below par and induce rattles)
The gears all slot in perfectly(My car is 8years/70000Km old)
This is a great FTD car but feels 'light' at high speeds(Actually I have driven the car at speeds greater than 100Km/H and I did not enjoy the experience!).There is no insulation from the speed and I hate that.
The FE is 10(With A/C) in the city and ~15 on the highways(With a real light foot)
But here ,I'd suggest the Vtec(Seems more VFM)
More features and the cabin is less hostile and a lot more functional.
The Baleno does not have bottle holders,not one!

[Altocumulus]

Both are brilliant cars. However, I wouldn't go for either at that price.

The Baleno asking price is way too high. Even the insurance IDV would not be that much and am saying this from experience. A 2004 48k run Baleno in pristine condition was offered an IDV of 92k by one insurance company last week to a close friend of mine (though others offered more).

The City is 150k run, so its maintenance will be much more than what your estimate is.

[madmanscam]

Thanks everyone,; for your inputs.

Here is my take on the car.Balenos are available for 1.5 lakhs for even newer models.However keeping in mind that it is a discontinued model and that the seller is not willing to negotiate below 2 lakhs, I might be better off buying the city.From all the checksn I have done online there are no 2007 models available at this price anywhere in India, leave alone Bangalore.I plan to change tyres for 20k, suspension 20k, brakes 8k and it should be a good deal for 248 or 238k.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by madmanscam

I plan to change tyres for 20k, suspension 20k, brakes 8k and it should be a good deal for 248 or 238k.

Below parts may ask for a replacement (considering the age / mileage & depending on the condition)
- Clutch
- Battery
- Engine mounts
- Faulty / worn out suspension will some wear in steering rack as well
- Consumable change

This may contribute another 25~30k

[D4D]

I would recommend neither at that price. Reasons:

• Baleno is too old. I should think spares will be difficult to source and you might get a only spurious parts at sensible prices (72k km is not too much mileage, but still stay away from it)
• City has run a lot. 150k km is not much(for a well maintained automobile), but you will have to spend a lot for maintenance
• However, if you are willing to spend on maintenance, City would be the best pick
• If boot doesn't matter that much, for around INR 2 lakh, find some used Getz 1.3. Owners might be ready to dispose it off as it is pretty thirsty. Else, nothing wrong with the car

[aaggoswami]

Baleno, though an excellent machine, is way too old, its 2004 means the car is around 10 years old. If you read other posts, I have mentioned about scantily available spares, even if you are ready to pay the price. Waiting for components is very irritating, and the price will also be very high.
The other option you have is equally non-feasible. Honda City is already 150K kms., means a lot of wear and tear has already occurred to the entire machine.

Look for a nice used Wagon R or something if your budget is restricted. Else hunt for Accent, a car which was till very recent times in production. Spares wont be tough to find as compared to the above two options you have mentioned.
Even a used Santro Xing would be a good option, but avoid the primary options you have mentioned in your opening post.

[supremeBaleno]

Nice dilemna. A 10-year old car run 72K kms vs a 7-year old car that has done double that.
If you have not already dropped the idea of picking either of these cars (as adviced by most folks here), I suggest you get the service history of both cars and check whether the maintenance cost comes within your budgeted amount.

P.S.: The Baleno in question seems very similar to mine - mine is a 2005-Mar Black Lxi (newer by few months), and run 76K kms (few thousand kms more).

[ssingri]

I use a 2003 Baleno with 85000 on the clock, and looks like I will need to let go of the car very soon. This one has been with me for 8 years now. I am planning to buy an automatic so that my wife can use it too. Considering the Ecosport AT as it is small enough for my wife and can still do some highway work.
It is a very mixed feeling the car is extremely fun to drive and great on the highway. It is comfortable, especially the rear seat for long drives. I will have a tough time replacing the car. It gives me about 11KMPL in Bangalore with ac and driving through the heart of the city and anywhere between 14 and 16 on the highway.
Given all that, maintenance is getting to be a bother as I need to invest time on the car. Parts are actually available quite easily but some of them like body panels are exorbitant. I recently had a small accident on the highway and looked like I had to change the bumper and the bonnet. This is the quote I got for insurance claim:
Front Bumper - 12500
Reinforcement - 9500
Grill and monogram - 9550
Bonnet - 15300
Headlight - 9500

Total 56350/-
Painting and Tinkering- 12000
68000/-
I got most of it done by a local tinker for about 4k though the bonnet needs painting now.
On the other hand I got the entire front suspension and gearbox overhauled including changing struts and bearings and spent only 15K recently. The clutch and cam belt change last year set me back by about 12 K this includes synthetic oil change and all fluids which come to about 5K.

[Altocumulus]

Got a deal on a 2005 Baleno Lxi (46k kms on the odo) for 1L. Tyres are in pretty good shape with Aura alloys. No visible rust or major dents. Thinking of replacing my 2007 Esteem Vxi (85k run ) with it. Other options are there which I am very eager, however my heart says the Baleno.

It will be my daily drive for the next year or 2 before I buy another hatchback and this will be restricted to weekend and long drives.

Will this be a sensible change ?

P.S. I have a friend who owns a workshop and a 2000 Baleno maintained very well and he should be able to arrange for parts.

[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

Got a deal on a 2005 Baleno Lxi (46k kms on the odo) for 1L. Thinking of replacing my 2007 Esteem Vxi (85k run ) with it.

If I am at your place buddy, I would be more practical and let-go the Baleno since it's a demotion for you to replace a 7 year old car with a 9 year old used car. Having owned an Esteem Vxi since 2006 with 1.58 Lakh kilometers I vouch for it's reliability till date. Also note that both cars will be facing issues of spares as they are discontinued. Though your friend owns a garage and a Baleno himself but replacing a spare part or sourcing it will be a time taking process. Yet, If you are really in need to replace your Esteem then look for something more recent like a 2008-10 batch car which will be far easier to maintain.

For long drives I don't feel a 9 year old used Baleno is a viable or a safe choice due to reliability issues.

Thanks.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

Got a deal on a 2005 Baleno Lxi (46k kms on the odo) for 1L. ...... Thinking of replacing my 2007 Esteem Vxi (85k run ) with it. Will this be a sensible change ? P.S. I have a friend who owns a workshop and a 2000 Baleno

At just 46K kms in 9+ years, that is a real low-mileage car and the 1L price seems like a good deal (though it breaks my heart to see what my car of the same vintage commands in the resale market). Anyway since your friend owns a workshop and a Baleno, have him (or his mechanic) look over the car you intend to buy and proceed based on their opinion.

Regarding your query if this will be a sensible change, well, you are looking to replace a 7-year old car (known devil) with a 9-year old one (unknown devil). Doubt many would say this is sensible.