Seeking opinion abt Opel Astra Club (Diesel) 2001 model

flashy_vishy · 17th October 2006, 12:19

Hi all,

Am new to this site and am overwhelmed by the nature of the discussion fora here. Great going, people.

Coming on to my request: I am looking for a pre-owned car in the 2 to 3 lakh range. I found an advertisement for an Opel Astra Club (Diesel) 2001 model car on a website. I contacted the owner and have fixed an appointment for next week to check the car out.

The details are as follows:
- 82K kilometres done
- All original spare parts maintained
- All services done at a reputed authorised service center at Chennai (Records are in tact and open for inspection)
- Looks good - lustre is still in tact and car looks good as new (as far as I could make out from the photo)
- Third owner already (!!!)

How much can I offer for this car? The owner is asking for 3.5 lakhs! Initially I thought that was cool for a luxury car. But when I asked friends who know about cars they felt the price is way too high. Also, he is already the third owner (apparently the car was with his cousin and his friend earlier). Can you suggest the right price for this car?

Also do advice me on how to go about checking the car as I don't know much about cars.

This would be my first car if I buy it.

Advice please!

Dippy · 17th October 2006, 12:30

Keep away from the Astra . It was a great car but is more like a white elephant now. Spares will be expensive as well. IMO look around for good old Honda City . I'm sure you'll find one in your budget

Plus 3.5 lakhs is too much for an Astra . They usually go for a song.

esteem_lover · 17th October 2006, 12:48

2001 Astra, III Owner....hmmm... keep as far away from it as possible. i am pretty sure the car is in serious needs for a costly repair which is why the III owner wants to dump it on someone. as dippy has said it, there is no point in even considering the Astra even if it was in mint condition. get an esteem or even a 1000. will be worth it. cheers

jyobeb · 17th October 2006, 13:03

If its a really good car and you really want it, don't pay anything more the 2 lakhs.

F50 · 17th October 2006, 13:15

Two words pal : Stay Away!!
This is your first car and you are choosing this car because you saw the ad in papers and this was the only car fitting in your budget.
First of all, its too high and regularly it will give trouble. These are the things I dont want in my very first car. I feel its not practical.
I suggest hunt for other cars. 2.5 - 3 lakhs range you'll get City, Esteems, Accent(high kms) etc.

GTO · 17th October 2006, 13:16

Generally, any Astra looks good as the build quality is top notch. The body and interiors wear well in the roughest of use. However, the same cannot be said about the mechanicals and its a fact that used Astras are extremely high in maintainence. The parts are also very expensive.

With relevance to the diesel Astra : AVOID even further. It was tightly packed in the engine compartment and is pretty complicated to work on. The turbo lag is tremendous making city driveability a chore. The clutch, if I remember correctly, was very hard and required a considerable amount of effort.

If you want a premium used diesel sedan in the same price range, why dont you check out a Lancer diesel? A well-maintained piece will be more reliable and cheaper to maintain.

flashy_vishy · 17th October 2006, 13:53

So many replies in an hour or so?!!? Thanks a lot people.

So the general opinion is to avoid the car eh?

The owner however is very confident about the condition of the car and told me he was leaving his car open for inspection by anyone from anywhere. He was also ready to submit the car for evaluation by authorized service centers. He says he's going abroad and that's why he is planning to sell the car which is otherwise "very dear" to him.

Ok, I know all these are what he "told" me; so until and unless I check the car out, I cant say anything.

And one more thing is that I won't be using the car daily. Maybe only once a week or so (because that's how often my family gets time to go out together). So, when I will be using the car so less frequently, I thought the Opel would be a good buy as it is a luxury segment car. Never knew anything about these maintenance issues.

If I decide for an OHC (Old Honda City, as I picked up from another post

) is that fine? What about the maintenance and spares then?

Dippy · 17th October 2006, 14:04

You should find a decently used City in your budget flashy. 2001 models sell for around 3.5 here in Mumbai. Not sure about Chennai though. These cars generally have between 40 to 50 k kms on the odo. But thats not an issue for Honda cars. Their engines are virtually bullet proof and extremely reliable. They easily clock six figure mileage digits with a breeze. Just keep in mind to check the service history and you shouldnt have a problem. Maintainence is no issue if you service the car to schedule. A routine service for a City here in Mumbai comes to around 2000 - 2500 rupees that includes tune up , engine oil change brake cleaning, car washing and vaccuum.

Spares are cheaper compared to cars like the Astra or the other defunct Escort

Hope this helps

Good luck

esteem_lover · 17th October 2006, 15:35

Quote:

So many replies in an hour or so?!!? Thanks a lot people.

that is because no one in t-bhp will not want another t-bhpian to make a mistake. thats because we care flashy_vishy.

yes, it is worthwhile to look for a OHC, a far better option & also keep in mind to get a I owner car. 2000 OHC comes for 275 to 300k. check them out. read the automotive section in the Hindu classifieds on sundays. very very useful. you can keep track of the resale value of all cars. there are certain ads which say brokers excused. these are the people to get your car from, if possible. cheers

himanshugoswami · 17th October 2006, 16:24

Vishy, I would also advise you to have a look at the Baleno. For around 3 L you can get a good condition 2003 Baleno with about 30-40 K on the clock.

The spares will be really cheap compared to teh OHC/Lancer?Astra and Maruti service is generally good. Moreover, since the car is still in production, availability of spares would be no problem.

With your kind of running, diesel makes no sense. stick to petrol dude.

flashy_vishy · 17th October 2006, 18:14

Hmmm... If it is a Baleno, is it not better to go for one from Maruti TrueValue? Anybody has any experiences which support / go against True Value?

rahul_intlad · 17th October 2006, 21:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashy_vishy

The owner however is very confident about the condition of the car and told me he was leaving his car open for inspection by anyone from anywhere. He was also ready to submit the car for evaluation by authorized service centers. He says he's going abroad and that's why he is planning to sell the car which is otherwise "very dear" to him.

This is kind of becoming a trend in the pre-owned market,most car owners seem to be on these lines with prospective customers.

And yes stay away from the astra,it would just be a white elephant for you.

Its the OHC/baleno/lancer for you depending on your needs and requirements.

Mpower · 17th October 2006, 22:30

We have an Astra Club Petrol and so far its been reliable (touch wood).

Its a great highway car but will kill you in traffic. Heavy steering, heavy clutch and tall gearing.

Diesel will be worse because its has tremendous turbo lag.

filcord · 18th October 2006, 10:04

If you are going to use the car only once a week, you do not need diesel.
But first let me tell you my personal experience.
I bought an used Ford Escort diesel for the same reasons as you, luxury looks and cheap. The car was great to ride in, it looked flashy, and my kids still remember it fondly, as they could wallow in it's comfort.
The car was a slug to drive, and maintenance slowly started bugging me with it's cost. In these old legacy cars, most spares are imported, and cost a bomb. I bought the car in 2001 at 50k km for 3.2 lakhs, used it till 2005 and sold it at 115k km for 1.3 lakhs. I sold it finally since the car was no fun to drive, and the repeated trips to the garage were getting to me.
I switched to petrol, and believe me, it's a world of difference from the old diesel.
For your 82k Astra, I figure you would need suspension overhaul (30K), new tyres (12K), and new belts for the engine (3K), at the very least. I assume the engine is otherwise sound and you do not have to look at the fuel injection pump etc. Regular maintenace on a diesel Astra would cost you abt 3k average every three months. That Astra should still not be worth more than 2 lakh.

Again, for your limited usage, go for a good used OHC or Baleno Vxi. Maintenance is cheap and you'll have a blast driving these cars.

flashy_vishy · 18th October 2006, 12:37

Ok. I've been considerably weaned away from the Opel which I actually fell in love with at first sight

But am not unhappy. Thanks a lot for enlightening me ppl!

But anyone out there with aything to say regarding Maruti True Value? Or Automart?

17th October 2006, 12:19	#1
flashy_vishy Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 6 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi all, Am new to this site and am overwhelmed by the nature of the discussion fora here. Great going, people. Coming on to my request: I am looking for a pre-owned car in the 2 to 3 lakh range. I found an advertisement for an Opel Astra Club (Diesel) 2001 model car on a website. I contacted the owner and have fixed an appointment for next week to check the car out. The details are as follows: - 82K kilometres done - All original spare parts maintained - All services done at a reputed authorised service center at Chennai (Records are in tact and open for inspection) - Looks good - lustre is still in tact and car looks good as new (as far as I could make out from the photo) - Third owner already (!!!) How much can I offer for this car? The owner is asking for 3.5 lakhs! Initially I thought that was cool for a luxury car. But when I asked friends who know about cars they felt the price is way too high. Also, he is already the third owner (apparently the car was with his cousin and his friend earlier). Can you suggest the right price for this car? Also do advice me on how to go about checking the car as I don't know much about cars. This would be my first car if I buy it. Advice please!
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 12:30	#2
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Keep away from the Astra . It was a great car but is more like a white elephant now. Spares will be expensive as well. IMO look around for good old Honda City . I'm sure you'll find one in your budget Plus 3.5 lakhs is too much for an Astra . They usually go for a song. Last edited by Dippy : 17th October 2006 at 12:32.
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 12:48	#3
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	2001 Astra, III Owner....hmmm... keep as far away from it as possible. i am pretty sure the car is in serious needs for a costly repair which is why the III owner wants to dump it on someone. as dippy has said it, there is no point in even considering the Astra even if it was in mint condition. get an esteem or even a 1000. will be worth it. cheers
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 13:03	#4
jyobeb Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Madurai Posts: 1,010 Thanked: 704 Times	If its a really good car and you really want it, don't pay anything more the 2 lakhs.
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 13:15	#5
F50 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai/USA Posts: 1,707 Thanked: 103 Times	Two words pal : Stay Away!! This is your first car and you are choosing this car because you saw the ad in papers and this was the only car fitting in your budget. First of all, its too high and regularly it will give trouble. These are the things I dont want in my very first car. I feel its not practical. I suggest hunt for other cars. 2.5 - 3 lakhs range you'll get City, Esteems, Accent(high kms) etc. Last edited by F50 : 17th October 2006 at 13:17.
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 13:16	#6
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,512 Thanked: 300,696 Times View My Garage	Generally, any Astra looks good as the build quality is top notch. The body and interiors wear well in the roughest of use. However, the same cannot be said about the mechanicals and its a fact that used Astras are extremely high in maintainence. The parts are also very expensive. With relevance to the diesel Astra : AVOID even further. It was tightly packed in the engine compartment and is pretty complicated to work on. The turbo lag is tremendous making city driveability a chore. The clutch, if I remember correctly, was very hard and required a considerable amount of effort. If you want a premium used *diesel* sedan in the same price range, why dont you check out a Lancer diesel? A well-maintained piece will be more reliable and cheaper to maintain.
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 13:53	#7
flashy_vishy Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 6 Thanked: 0 Times	Whoa! So many replies in an hour or so?!!? Thanks a lot people. So the general opinion is to avoid the car eh? The owner however is very confident about the condition of the car and told me he was leaving his car open for inspection by anyone from anywhere. He was also ready to submit the car for evaluation by authorized service centers. He says he's going abroad and that's why he is planning to sell the car which is otherwise "very dear" to him. Ok, I know all these are what he "told" me; so until and unless I check the car out, I cant say anything. And one more thing is that I won't be using the car daily. Maybe only once a week or so (because that's how often my family gets time to go out together). So, when I will be using the car so less frequently, I thought the Opel would be a good buy as it is a luxury segment car. Never knew anything about these maintenance issues. If I decide for an OHC (Old Honda City, as I picked up from another post ) is that fine? What about the maintenance and spares then?
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 14:04	#8
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	You should find a decently used City in your budget flashy. 2001 models sell for around 3.5 here in Mumbai. Not sure about Chennai though. These cars generally have between 40 to 50 k kms on the odo. But thats not an issue for Honda cars. Their engines are virtually bullet proof and extremely reliable. They easily clock six figure mileage digits with a breeze. Just keep in mind to check the service history and you shouldnt have a problem. Maintainence is no issue if you service the car to schedule. A routine service for a City here in Mumbai comes to around 2000 - 2500 rupees that includes tune up , engine oil change brake cleaning, car washing and vaccuum. Spares are cheaper compared to cars like the Astra or the other defunct Escort Hope this helps Good luck
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 16:24	#10
himanshugoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: !!!! Posts: 2,303 Thanked: 2,619 Times	Vishy, I would also advise you to have a look at the Baleno. For around 3 L you can get a good condition 2003 Baleno with about 30-40 K on the clock. The spares will be really cheap compared to teh OHC/Lancer?Astra and Maruti service is generally good. Moreover, since the car is still in production, availability of spares would be no problem. With your kind of running, diesel makes no sense. stick to petrol dude.
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 18:14	#11
flashy_vishy Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 6 Thanked: 0 Times	How's Maruti TrueValue? Hmmm... If it is a Baleno, is it not better to go for one from Maruti TrueValue? Anybody has any experiences which support / go against True Value?
	() Thanks

17th October 2006, 22:30	#13
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,409 Thanked: 1,730 Times View My Garage	We have an Astra Club Petrol and so far its been reliable (touch wood). Its a great highway car but will kill you in traffic. Heavy steering, heavy clutch and tall gearing. Diesel will be worse because its has tremendous turbo lag.
	() Thanks

18th October 2006, 10:04	#14
filcord BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: goa Posts: 996 Thanked: 67 Times	If you are going to use the car only once a week, you do not need diesel. But first let me tell you my personal experience. I bought an used Ford Escort diesel for the same reasons as you, luxury looks and cheap. The car was great to ride in, it looked flashy, and my kids still remember it fondly, as they could wallow in it's comfort. The car was a slug to drive, and maintenance slowly started bugging me with it's cost. In these old legacy cars, most spares are imported, and cost a bomb. I bought the car in 2001 at 50k km for 3.2 lakhs, used it till 2005 and sold it at 115k km for 1.3 lakhs. I sold it finally since the car was no fun to drive, and the repeated trips to the garage were getting to me. I switched to petrol, and believe me, it's a world of difference from the old diesel. For your 82k Astra, I figure you would need suspension overhaul (30K), new tyres (12K), and new belts for the engine (3K), at the very least. I assume the engine is otherwise sound and you do not have to look at the fuel injection pump etc. Regular maintenace on a diesel Astra would cost you abt 3k average every three months. That Astra should still not be worth more than 2 lakh. Again, for your limited usage, go for a good used OHC or Baleno Vxi. Maintenance is cheap and you'll have a blast driving these cars. Last edited by filcord : 18th October 2006 at 10:06.
	() Thanks

18th October 2006, 12:37	#15
flashy_vishy Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 6 Thanked: 0 Times	reg true value? Ok. I've been considerably weaned away from the Opel which I actually fell in love with at first sight But am not unhappy. Thanks a lot for enlightening me ppl! But anyone out there with aything to say regarding Maruti True Value? Or Automart?
	() Thanks