[GTO]

Originally Posted by auxsend

Has been souped up a fair bit, but seems a bit pricey.

Avoid for this reason alone. I wouldn't buy a heavily modified car. Sure, I wouldn't mind modifying my own car, but wouldn't buy someone else's modified car as that guarantees two things:

1. It's been driven HARD.

2. Potential reliability issues from the modifications & after-market tuning.

[auxsend]

Originally Posted by GTO

Avoid for this reason alone. I wouldn't buy a heavily modified car. Sure, I wouldn't mind modifying my own car, but wouldn't buy someone else's modified car as that guarantees two things:

1. It's been driven HARD.

2. Potential reliability issues from the modifications & after-market tuning.

That's definitely some valid points.

What do you make of the Kizashi? Saw one at a dealer's lot earlier today and realized there are probably only a handful on the used market.

[Altocumulus]

Having owned a Laura 1.8 Tsi till a few days back and currently also a Civic, I can confidently say both are fantastic cars with great mod potentials and available for quite cheap in the market. My suggestion would be to go for post 2010 cars since they will be BS IV. You never know when the NGT decides to take off all BSIII cars.

The Laura Tsi is a brilliant machine where a simple remap will take it over 200 Bhp and will be enough to keep you smiling for a long time. And then when you are used to it (not bored, since it's very difficult to get bored ) there are umpteen options to push it more. Just make sure you get the timing kit changed to the latest iteration (lot's of horror stories all over the world of the tensioner failing leading to an engine rebuild costing few lakhs) and you are good to go.

The Civic on the other hand is a NA lovers delight and the sweet, sweet engine. A revamp of the suspension, with a decat downpipe and a FFE (like GTO had done up his ride) would keep you happy every time.

[E = mc²]

I’m in for one spirited car as well, but on half of the budget as said in the post. A Laura TSi down here in Kerala goes for above 5 Lacs and they are pretty much used for least around 60k kms. Almost every Lauras in olx are posted up for sale once they’ve closed the 70k km mark. (any reason for the same.?)

I thought I’d be confirming a Fiesta 1.6 S that’s up for grab in Maharashtra by this month’s end. The car is going for 1.5 Lacs. Did a rough calculation on a repaint job, transportation, insurance renewal, new tires, re-registration, headlamps and any pending repairs, and that would touch almost 3.7 lacs. The figure is holding me back and highly doubted if the car is worth for it or not!

Or, can a Linea T-Jet take the 1.6 S sweet spot.?

[auxsend]

Similar situation here in Madras as well as far as finding a used Laura 1.8 TSI goes. Mostly 2009 - 2010 cars, all being either 2nd or 3rd owners, with 70,000 kms and upwards on the meters.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by GTO

Avoid for this reason alone. I wouldn't buy a heavily modified car. Sure, I wouldn't mind modifying my own car, but wouldn't buy someone else's modified car as that guarantees two things:

1. It's been driven HARD.

2. Potential reliability issues from the modifications & after-market tuning.

I'd like to add that the particular car is being sold in Chennai, has 2 owners, and is Mumbai registered (which raises flags on no. of owners as well).
If the car is tuned by a reputed tuner and maintenance is well documented - it can make some sense to think about it, otherwise best to ignore.

Originally Posted by auxsend

That's definitely some valid points.

What do you make of the Kizashi? Saw one at a dealer's lot earlier today and realized there are probably only a handful on the used market.

Avoid! While a very driver focused car, keep in mind that it was a CBU so parts are going to be a pain to find + expensive. Plus some owners have reported several niggles.

Originally Posted by E = mc²

I thought I’d be confirming a Fiesta 1.6 S that’s up for grab in Maharashtra by this month’s end. The car is going for 1.5 Lacs. Did a rough calculation on a repaint job, transportation, insurance renewal, new tires, re-registration, headlamps and any pending repairs, and that would touch almost 3.7 lacs. The figure is holding me back and highly doubted if the car is worth for it or not!

Or, can a Linea T-Jet take the 1.6 S sweet spot.?

Rs. 3.7L for the Fiesta S is a no go. Between the Linea and the Fiesta, i'd still suggest the Fiesta owing to it's better handling (S Variant) + ergonomics + nimbleness. It won't be as quick as a Linea T-Jet but it's a fun car.
However - these cars are quite dated and there will be niggles that would keep coming up. Instead, look for a newer example of the Figo D in your budget. If you want petrol - the Civic could be a very good option at your budget. Even though the Laura fits into the budget, it'll be more expensive to maintain than the Civic and it is something you need to be prepared for.

[greenoval]

I got a pre-worshipped Laura TSi roughly a year back in Mumbai (45,000 kms, single owner when I got the car). Having clocked over 15000 kms till date, I can confidently say that for an enthusiast on budget, no other car makes more sense - price and performance. In fact, the price of a used Laura TSi in Mumbai is absurdly low for what the car has to offer, and it is not difficult to find one here. However, also keep in mind that this a car you will constantly tinker around with considering the massive potential for modifications. Also, though the engine is bullet-proof, there are other parts which will demand attention. A.C. compressor, ABS sensors, water pump, roof-liner are some known source of trouble. Preventive maintenance will demand change of timing kit besides wear-tear parts (clutch, brakes, suspension components etc.).

So, do budget for these expenses post purchase. 15 inch tyres are not good enough for the car, so an enthusiast will end up upgrading the wheels too. I had got the car primarily with the intention of remapping the engine. However, my quest to get the car in top shape before tuning it meant that the car is still running stock in terms of power but I ended up replacing a lot of other stuff -
1) Stock suspension changed to KW springs and struts
2) 16 inch alloys and tyres
3) VRS bumper
4) Mesh grill
5) EBC brake pads
6) Ignition coils

Parts which failed and needed replacement-
1) A.C. compressor
2) Clutch cylinder
3) Roof-liner
4) Some suspension components
5) ABS sensors

Preventive maintenance
1) Timing kit
2) Water pump

And you will need an extra litre of engine oil in the boot at all times!

[ard1955]

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[IshaanIan]

My suggestions would be:

1.6 Fabia; the ultimate small hatchback IMO
1.6 Fiesta; nothing needs to be said about this one
Mitsubishi Cedia; Not as good to look at, but much better to drive and more robust than a Civic
and a couple of cars from personal experience:
Subaru Forester; if sedans are starting to seem a little impractical
Suzuki Kizashi; comfortable, fast, smooth, excellent dynamic potential, loads of space in the engine bay for even a twin turbo install

[auxsend]

Originally Posted by greenoval

I got a pre-worshipped Laura TSi roughly a year back in Mumbai (45,000 kms, single owner when I got the car).

Great Info. Thank you for sharing.
How much did the above maintenance & replacements cost you over this last year ?

[Karthik Chandra]

Originally Posted by auxsend

Am in a dilemma at the moment as i look around to buy a Fun used sedan under 8 lakhs.
Any other Suggestions folks?

Just buy the Tigor JTP

112 BHP/150 NM , 0-100 in <10 secs, Manual Transmission, looks awesome & will fit in the budget

The first drive impressions are very positive. Be the first one to own the Tigor JTP in Team BHP

[Kosfactor]

I guess with European cars fun does not last very long especially once the warranty runs out. My buddy's 1.6 TDI engine was drinking a lot of oil by the time it reached it's third year, so gave it away to someone who wanted a fun car.

This scenario has repeated itself with another guy who I know has put his car on sale(different badge, same engine) , after we discovered the same issue with him as well.

So that leaves you with City/Civic/Accord buy it for cheap, restore it , maybe add some nice wheels , suspension kit etc and have fun. Check for models Still supported by Honda although parts aren't cheap.

[Kuldeep31]

Originally Posted by Karthik Chandra

Just buy the Tigor JTP

112 BHP/150 NM , 0-100 in <10 secs, Manual Transmission, looks awesome & will fit in the budget

The first drive impressions are very positive. Be the first one to own the Tigor JTP in Team BHP

Attachment 1811159

Attachment 1811160

Have the specs been revealed officially? Here is one article in Autocar today:https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...n-guise-410219
Eagerly waiting for this launch. As for the original post, what about including the Verna 1.6 CRDi in the list

[greenoval]

Originally Posted by auxsend

How much did the above maintenance & replacements cost you over this last year ?

My budget and requirement from the car was very similar to yours when I started off. The only new car that matched the criteria was Abarth Punto (I even visited a Pune dealer for test drive and negotiations). For a pre-worshipped car, the same budget had to include the car, part replacements and mods. The fact that at roughly Rs. 8 lakhs I could own a car which after necessary mods will be in different league from Abarth, tilted the decision in favour of Laura TSi. Now after 15000 kms I have not exceeded my initial budget but the remap is still pending. However, most major expenses are cosmetic and avoidable, while others like suspension and brake upgrade depend on the individual.

To give you a rough idea - KW suspension cost was close to Rs. 65,000 including labour, EBC brake pads around Rs. 20,000, VRS bumper around Rs. 40,000 with painting, honeycomb grill Rs. 8000, wheels and tyres around Rs. 60,000. These expenses are not necessary but when an enthusiast gets a TSi, he/she just can't stop tinkering.

The major expenses due to malfunctioning parts/ preventive maintenance include -
Compressor- around Rs. 27, 000
Roofliner- around Rs. 10,000
Alternator pulley - roughly Rs. 4000
Timing kit work - around Rs. 10,000
ABS sensor - Rs. 2000 for one
Water pump, clutch cylinder - I don't recall but not too expensive. Though the flywheel is expensive if it needs replacement.

Also, these parts can be sourced much cheaper online. I generally get my garage fellow to source and fix.

If you don't have the time or patience, Abarth Punto makes more sense from a reliability point of view. A new one though will cost over 10 lakhs. But then imagine the possibilities if you have 10 lakhs to blow on a TSi.

[DarkerThanBlack]

Originally Posted by auxsend

Am in a dilemma at the moment as i look around to buy a Fun used sedan under 8 lakhs. The last cars i had was a Toyota Camry (the one with a nice big petrol 2.4L engine) & prior to that a trusty Mitsubishi Lancer Petrol.

You can go for a Kizashi, i recently bought one. It costed me around 4.5 Lakhs with ODO Metre Reading of 57000.
It's spares and service is cheap compared to other cars of this segment, the only problem you might face can be spare parts, as they take time.