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-   -   Pre-owned sedan for 2.5 lakh rupees? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/214718-pre-owned-sedan-2-5-lakh-rupees.html)

Hi,
We are looking for a preowned sedan under 2.5 lakhs in New Delhi. We are a family of two and at times (10%) have a maximum of 4 passengers in the car. Our annual running is about 10k kms. I would preferrably want a car of 2010 or 2011 vintage because of the 15-year rule in Delhi. The car needs to be FNG friendly and spare parts should be available in the aftermarket or at least OTC. The car would be used for the next 4 to 5 years.

We are currently considering the following options -

1. Honda City 2010/11
2. VW Vento 2011

From my research on various used car portals (OLX, Facebook Marketplace, etc.), I have found that these two options seem to fall within budget. Here my thoughts on both cars.

From what I have heard, the Vento is an expensive car to maintain and is not FNG friendly. I am not sure how true that perception is and would love the input of fellow BHPians. Albeit the Vento would be more expensive to maintain vis-a-vis the Honda City, would the service interval of 15K kms (Vento) vs the 5k (Honda City) offset the cost of ownership? The Vento also has better build quality compared to the Honda City. Finding a 2011 Vento within our budget seems to be quite easy, whereas the Honda Citys are mostly listed at an inflated price. I wonder if this because of the cost of ownership or just the general perception of the Honda selling at a premium.

We have owned a 2003 Honda City 1.3 before and absolutely loved the car. It was not an expensive car to maintain, but I am sure the newer generations would be a different story. The Honda City is a no-nonsense car and from my experience, if you service it regularly, it would not throw any surprises.

Another big irk is about the availability of spare parts and whether they can be readily found in aftermarket hubs such as Kashmere Gate, etc. The Vento is suspect in that department.

Buying the Vento would let us have a relatively newer car, 2011 vs. 2010.

I would love to hear some suggestions or opinions of fellow BHPians. If you have any other suggestions, I am all ears.

Thank you for taking the time to read the post.
Any help would be much appreciated.

Have you considered the Corolla Altis? It's a very reliable car and Toyota's service costs are well within control even post the 7 year mark. It's worth extending your budget to 3.5 or 4 lakhs which can fetch you a 2010-11 vintage.

The Vento is quite an FNG friendly car TBH. Especially the 1.6 MPI. Just look at the placement of the oil filter in the engine bay and you will realise what I am talking about. It's also an old school NA so injector failures, EGR valves going bad and conked off turbos will never be a concern. Find a good Bosch garage and you should be sorted.

The City trumps the Vento in terms of the engine. No comparison between the 1.5 VTEC and any other NA engine. The 3rd gen was also built quite well and we have one in the family abused by a chauffeur on a daily basis. Crossed 1.1L km and suspension overhaul and clutch plates aside, only routine maintenance till date. High speed handling and straight line stability is on the dodgier side though.

To sum things up:

City for the 1.5 petrol and Honda reliability, and Vento for the build and the driving Dynamics.

If you are chauffeur driven though, don't think beyond the Corolla Altis (even if you are not, do check it out).

Maintenance concerns about the Vento 1.6 MFI are a bit overblown. You take it in once a year and spend around 8-12k on the regular service.

I stuck with VW ASS for my 2011 Vento AT for a long time but have recently moved to FNG. VW parts have now started becoming available on the open market unlike earlier and you will definitely save on labour costs and get more personalised service at a good FNG. But even ASS is not bad at all.

A 2011 manual transmission 1.6 MFI may be a very good option at around 2.25L.

I'd personally go for the City or the Corolla. Bargain hard and you might end up with a nice Corolla for the price of a City! In the pre-owned segment, the price difference between sedans of different segments can shrink & how.

Would put in a strong recommendation for the Honda Civic too. Reason = it depreciates like stink and you'll easily get a sweet example in your budget. Solid build, top quality interiors, amazing steering & revv-happy engine. On the flip side, the low end torque is weak, the seating is low and the boot capacity is ordinary.

my advice would be to go for a Honda City or Toyota Corolla. Parts and service cost would be on higher side for an Volkswagen. I bought a honda amaze diesel in 2013 and same time my friend bought a vento. My amaze has not given me any trouble apart from routine service and change of tyres. Vento gave up on my friend last month when one of the diesel injectors was gone and he had to shed around 20k for a new one. we are talking about two diesel cars here, but question is about reliability..I have seen people buying 140K miles driven honda accord , camry, corolla, civic without any doubt and then just change the, oil, filters, timing belts and drive another 100k miles without any issues. that tells a lot about reliability of a Honda or Toyota..

Some points to keep in mind.

Can you afford the upkeep of a 15~ 20L vehicle? Many big cars are available at the price of an Alto of the same vintage , it's important to know that while engine and transmission will last a long time, other bits and bobs needs to be replaced periodically if you want a Corolla to ride like a Corolla, if you want a city to drive like a city. VW cars - the body and Interiors will stay put, but the engine can develop injector problems, starts to drink oil, we sold one off to an enthusiastic peteolhead when the symptoms started, fair warning was given though.

I know if several folks who bought Corolla for the price of a used Alto and then drive with windows open (no AC), blown suspension, broken mirrors, broken lights , bald tires, squeaky brakes , airbag warning and rattles all over etc, they simply weren't ready to pay for the upkeep that a car like that demands, let's not forget the running costs.

Choose wisely, don't buy a clunker by any means, it's the least we BHPians can tell you! Happy Shopping ��

Try to get a car which has a single owner and avoid cars with multiple owners. At 2.5 or less could also get as mentioned by others a Corolla or a used Civic. The latter does have some nagging problems related to Power steering leakages from the pump and the rack and may not be trouble free with reference to mentioned items. I would say stick with the arrow shaped Honda City and it should not disappoint. Look for the 2011 or later edition which had the blue instrument cluster.

Hi,

I recently went through a similar decision. I just loved the 2011 Honda City, and was searching high and low for one. But one important consideration made me move the hunt towards more recent vehicles is that 15 year rule.

Current norms allow you to pay the green tax and continue using the vehicle for 5 more years, but given how quickly regulation in this front is changing, it is anybody's guess what that rule is going to be in 2024, when your 2011 City time will come. Instead, a 2014-15 City will still give you 10-11 years of service, for some more money.

Good luck on your hunt!

Given the above, do consider SX4 petrol. It is a lot more abuse friendly than the Honda. Parts would be made available, even when there is delay. Also, it does share lot of components with rest of the Suzukis. Finally, the price will be dirt cheap.

As many others suggested, Corolla is another sure shot option. They age well and, again very durable. Given you are in Delhi, every used car will be the cheapest compared to any other city. Good luck.

I am reminded of a saying,

"If you cant afford a new car of a particular Brand/model, then in all probabilities and with due respect, you might not be able to afford to maintain that brand/model car when you buy a pre-owned one" This is especially true with premium segment cars.

Hence irrespective of the lure and the supposedly prestige factor associated with it, please do stay away from buying pre-owned premium cars that are going cheap or at least exercise utmost caution in this matter.

Good Corolla might be 50K more than your budget, have a proper look at the service history and single owner one would be preferred. Mileage might not cross 10km/lr mark within city, maintenance would be cheaper than its rivals.

Take the plunge with at least 1L excess cash in hand :) saying this out of experience with used cars. If that seems expensive, then go for something like the swift petrol.

Just my 2 cents:
Since your requirement is more of city usage and occasionally 4 members in a car I would suggest you to look out for user Maruti Dezire. There would be more latest vehicle with 2014-2016 vintage would be in sale.
Easy to maintain, pocket friendly and would definitely last for next 5 years with minimum maintenance. Moreover you don’t have to worry about the longer FC renewal process.
Though not a complete sedan but it would suit your requirements well.

My suggestion would be to better stay off higher segment cars like Corolla, Civic or City. Maintenance and spare parts cost would be bit on the higher side.

Try looking for a used petrol Etios. You might get a 2011 or 2012 fully loaded VX variant in your budget.
Just for your information, I recently bought a 2013 diesel etios GD variant at 3.4 lakh. Petrol engine of Etios is enthusiast friendly. The car was not a hit when it was launched, so used car prices are realistic.

Though you might get a 2010 or 2011 Dzire (old shape) in your budget. Can go for it if you find a well maintained example. But prices in general of Dzires are inflated.

I would suggest you to include the SX4 as well. It is one of the better built Marutis from its time. It handles well for its height, maybe due to the fat tires. Ride is a bit harsh. The ground clearance is a boon. Space is sufficient for 4 people, though Vento and City are better, especially in the rear. The BS4 models (post October 2009 if I remember correctly) also had an option of petrol automatic in the ZXi variant as well. Some parts (such as lower arm of suspension) are a bit on the expensive side due to being Suzuki Genuine Parts and may have a lead time (I have seen a maximum of 10 days), but can be procured for relatively less if relying on aftermarket brands. However it is easy to maintain at any FNG and parts are readily available in the Maruti Genuine Parts outlets.

Rather than the brand, I would suggest making the decision basis the condition of the car; the miles/kms done, the recent (and past) service records and the availability of a known/trustworthy FNG around your place.

A few thoughts (not exhaustive at all)
- A 2010-2011 vehicle for 2-3L would vary from 80,000 kms to 150,000 kms on the odometer; these cover some major repair/maintenance events - timing belt, clutch overhaul, suspension overhaul, etc. I'd go for a car that has most/some of these already done recently
- Availability of service records is important - more than the actual servicing details, the owners maintaining records or atleast information about these tells you s/he has taken due care of the vehicle over the years
- Wear & tear of repeat consumables: Tires, battery, brake pads, etc. A car with these in good condition is atleast 10k - 40k saved wrt to the next year or so.
- Condition of the car: This is a subconscious point when we talk about used vehicles; a few scratches/dents or a badly maintained interiors on a 1-2 year would not change your perception of the car; but the same for a ~8 year old car can make or break the decision without you realizing it. Take an informed decision considering the above points first.