[hothatchaway]

At 1.7 lakhs, its a good enough deal for a car with sound mechanicals which can keep going on and on. If they don't let you take the car to a workshop of your choice, then try to take a mechanic along and also bargain hard. Is the road tax still valid on the car? You also must assume that the tyres, the battery and other components like suspension and clutch will be up for replacement soon. Budget for about 50 odd thousand to be spent on the car.

Also check for the following

Insurance validity - To me, a car with valid insurance indicates its roadworthiness. The copy of the current insurance reveals valuable clues like its IDV (great for a baseline to start negotiations for non popular models) and the NCB % which may indicate if any claims were made recently. Renewal requires reinspection and no RTO process can happen with a lapsed insurance. In fact, you cannot even do a legal test drive!

Traffic Offences - If the ad reveals the registration number, check online if any challans are pending. In Telengana for eg, the challan also carries a photo of the car which will reveal the current exterior condition. Classified ads often carry images from the car's better days in the past

Year and month of manufacture. Some sellers mention Dec 2010 cars as 2011 registered

Both keys available? Remember that in the case of theft, the insurer will ask for both keys. This may not be a deal breaker if the car is a decade old but remember to factor this in when its time to negotiate the final price.

Check the windscreen, window and rear glass. If they do not bear the manufacturer logo on the corner then they have been replaced. You will have to find out why.

Check the condition of the tires and date of manufacture (1512 means 15th week of 2012) I preferred at least the front tires to be of identical make and manufacture. That indicates regular replacement of equipment. They are also clues to the genuine miles the car has done (a 6 year old car with 30K on the odo may not have needed new tires a couple of years back)

Check the bottom edges and under the beading of all 4 doors. That is the area where rusting usually turns up. If you find cars in coastal areas with some age and without rust, consider it to be a great starting point

This is the time to verify common issues which plague the particular make/model if you have done some homework. Like rusting issues for Jap cars or AC/electricals for certain others.

Pop the hood and check for any body lines that seem to be bent. That may indicate a shunt. Next, check the fluids and the belts for any wear. Then request for the car to be cranked while you stand next to the engine bay. Check for abnormal vibes and whining sounds. Check for leaks once the engine has idled enough to reach its operating temperature. If there is one, it will show up once the system is running and under pressure.

Start the test drive. Do have the dealer/owner with you when you do that. Ease the car out and see how she feels. I would turn the audio off to listen closely for anything unusual. Drive slowly over potholes and listen to the sounds the suspension makes. Turn the steering wheel from lock to lock at low speeds. Turn on the AC/CC after the engine has warmed up. Do all buttons incl the power windows work as intended? See if you can include stretches where the car can stretch her legs. Is the engine smooth or is there hesitation? Does she pull to any one side upon acceleration or braking?

Don't be put off just because the experience with the dealer isn't great. It is worth it to do the extra legwork if the car itself is good.

Good luck!

[i74js]

Originally Posted by wheelspinner

I have been searching for a decent reliable used car within a low budget for about an year without much success - every car I found came with costly repairs or niggles that makes it an unworthy deal. Then, I came across this 13 yr old Etios 2011.

This is from the initial batches produced by Toyota. Please don’t go for it. In case you are keen on the brand, look for an old Corolla. I don’t know you location, as it reads "my terminal", thus cannot make a comment (coastal or non coastal area) but 10 years plus car is a clear "no"

[wheelspinner]

Originally Posted by i74js

This is from the initial batches produced by Toyota. Please don’t go for it. In case you are keen on the brand, look for an old Corolla. I don’t know you location, as it reads "my terminal", thus cannot make a comment (coastal or non coastal area) but 10 years plus car is a clear "no"

I am located near Kolkata. So yes, as mechanics say, Kolkata (where I'm getting the car from) is synonymous with rust accumulation. That too, even in a matter of 2-3 years

As for an old Corolla, how old exactly and what to look for? Will this fit in the max 3L bracket? I have seen a 2007/2008 corolla in my neighbourhood, very old school but I like it. How do I find one that isn't a lemon?

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

At 1.7 lakhs, its a good enough deal for a car with sound mechanicals which can keep going on and on. If they don't let you take the car to a workshop of your choice, then try to take a mechanic along and also bargain hard. Is the road tax still valid on the car? You also must assume that the tyres, the battery and other components like suspension and clutch will be up for replacement soon. Budget for about 50 odd thousand to be spent on the car.

Also check for the following

Insurance validity - To me, a car with valid insurance indicates its roadworthiness. The copy of the current insurance reveals valuable clues like its IDV (great for a baseline to start negotiations for non popular models) and the NCB % which may indicate if any claims were made recently. Renewal requires reinspection and no RTO process can happen with a lapsed insurance. In fact, you cannot even do a legal test drive!

Traffic Offences - If the ad reveals the registration number, check online if any challans are pending. In Telengana for eg, the challan also carries a photo of the car which will reveal the current exterior condition. Classified ads often carry images from the car's better days in the past

Year and month of manufacture. Some sellers mention Dec 2010 cars as 2011 registered

Both keys available? Remember that in the case of theft, the insurer will ask for both keys. This may not be a deal breaker if the car is a decade old but remember to factor this in when its time to negotiate the final price.

Check the windscreen, window and rear glass. If they do not bear the manufacturer logo on the corner then they have been replaced. You will have to find out why.

Check the condition of the tires and date of manufacture (1512 means 15th week of 2012) I preferred at least the front tires to be of identical make and manufacture. That indicates regular replacement of equipment. They are also clues to the genuine miles the car has done (a 6 year old car with 30K on the odo may not have needed new tires a couple of years back)

Check the bottom edges and under the beading of all 4 doors. That is the area where rusting usually turns up. If you find cars in coastal areas with some age and without rust, consider it to be a great starting point

This is the time to verify common issues which plague the particular make/model if you have done some homework. Like rusting issues for Jap cars or AC/electricals for certain others.

Insurance (comprehensive) is valid till August. Road tax till 2026. Only one key is available. I see that rusting of the silencer was noted by service center in service history around 4-5 years ago. The mechanic ran through the OBD scanner that produced an error code (P1604) which he says was fixed before, and came up for no reason again (I take it with a grain of salt). Furthermore, there are apparently some issues with the silencer (holes) as per the dealership but mechanic couldn't find it.

There seems to be some issues with the brakes (producing sounds). Might need repairs. As per the mechanic, the AC too needs repairs as it is not chilling the cabin. Due to my nature of work and distance from the dealership, I prefer sending a mechanic (GoMechanic) to check the car, pay for it, and get it delivered to doorstep. I also asked them to take it to Toyota service center at my expense (as they already offer free home test drives but they are flat out refusing claiming it is against their policy and it is a very low budget car).

What do you think? Worth taking the gamble?

Thanks.

[som9729]

Originally Posted by wheelspinner

I have been searching for a decent reliable used car within a low budget for about an year without much success - every car I found came with costly repairs or niggles that makes it an unworthy deal. Then, I came across this 13 yr old Etios 2011.

Etios is an excellent vehicle.
I personally have one & so does my friend
BUT, avoid pre-2014 models
2014 had a facelift where there are significant changes, especially to the dashboard.

Pre-2014, the dashboard backlight was VERY bright and it was white in colour, to such an extent that it was blinding in the night.
Post 2014, its Blue-BLack in color and very nice.

Also I read of many other improvements post 2014.
Keeping that in mind, go for a 2014 or newer model

[iampulo]

Originally Posted by SafariMan

I purchased the same car 2011 black etios from cars 24 Kolkata in 2022 for 2.4 L. Changed 4 tyres, new exide battery and changed suspension set in 2 years. It is good enough to go for another 10 yrs. I purchased it at 36kms. Has Crossed 1L kms.

Hats off to you Sir for Munching And Crunching so many miles.
As for OP's query, I too have purchased a used Etios Oct 2017 model petrol on Jun 22 for an exorbitant price of approx 5 L. I know the price was quite high, but I wanted to stay on the safe side+it was 25k driven 1st hand by a driver of some businessman. The car looked very fresh when was on sale. Spare tyre hasn't been used till then.

I must say i am very much satisfied with the purchase. Currently on 47k odo, I used to get 15-17 kmpl avg on mix city+highway rides for my day to day office commutes. Max 19 kmpl on hill station ride.
Regular services costs around 5-6k depend on the interval. Major maintenance cost till date was 9.7k due to changing clutch and throttle body. This was mainly a precautionary measure as I didn't face any running issue. Except that there was too much clutch burn on my last ride to Mussoorie. My foolishness led to trusting Google maps and I ended up in a downhill route where I had to reverse the car I complete uphill again in order to rotate it.


Its a great car in terms of ride stability, space. Safety isn't such a concern as it has basic features like airbags, abs, seat belt pre-tensioner and it bagged 4 star in Latin Ncap(don't know what's it's prevalence in India).

SafariMan, would love to read more travelogues about your car and the trips.
However, off late there has been lot of outside noise coming during high speeds of 90kmph+. Do you face the same? Any suggestive actions for the same.

[Aritra]

P1604 can come up when there is a malfunction with the starting unit - either the starter cannot be cranked when requested or also in case getting over cranked. This may be caused by the starter motor itself, the associated wiring or, in the worst case, the ECU.

[wheelspinner]

Originally Posted by Aritra

the ECU.

This is exactly why I decided against going for it. We have bad experience in the past with a car's ECU, and for discontinued cars - this part is the most difficult to source and very expensive. Moreover, they were unwilling to let me take it to a Toyota service center.

Off topic, I found a less driven (around 40,000 Kms) Quadrajet Tata Manza Aura with ABS in my nearby locality. It is owned by a gentleman doing government service. But, the service history is limited. Is it worth going for it? If so, at what price? I'm being quoted around Rs. 1.8 lakh. Thanks.

[SafariMan]

Hats off to you Sir for Munching And Crunching so many miles.

Thank you. Would do some day. There are however a million kms of travel to pen down with pics videos etc and the lazy me will take sometime. Etios P is my lucky number 13th used car . My previous being a Maruti 5 speed the king sold off in Mechuka, Arunachal to a fan man due to tax and Health certification coming up. A nano, indigo, safari, ford, Fiat, Chevy, mitsubishi, Honda, maruti, Hyundai, Nissan, Skoda, before the etios. Having tried most brands I would vouch for the indestructible nature of Toyota.I miss going to various Garages

SafariMan, would love to read more travelogues about your car and the trips.
However, off late there has been lot of outside noise coming during high speeds of 90kmph+. Do you face the same? Any suggestive actions

Never faced excessive noise though sme noise and smell does creep in. A professional damping if done can get rid of it.

Check,

1. Tool kits secured under passenger seat.

2. There are no loose items in the storage areas

3. Rubber beading on doors etc are not gone.

4. The plastic open air outlet or whatever that thing is coming from the engine in etios is prone to get loose. Tighten it.

5. Tyres preferably 185 contis as suggested earlier no tyre or tarmac noise.

6. I generally flush the engine using 3M once in 2 years, use liquimoly mos2 shooter, System G or other well known additives, etc. Keeps giving me acceptable mileage, no engine sound infact I sometimes am confused if engine is on or off. Toyota service centres certified that all mechanicals clutch brakes accelerator all are fine. Toyota didn't even change the brake pads as they said its within acceptable limits.

Don't overly worry and enjoy every ride. It's a Toyota.

[greenhorn]

In my opinion, if you can afford more, please spend more. I would say 4-5l is the sweet spot for a used car. What you spend up front, you'll save on unknown expenses. That will get you the facelift models. In the 1-2 lakh range, you're basically in mechanic special territory, especially if you're looking at cars at dealers. I started there, ultimately ended up stretching to 5 ish two years ago when I got a nice 2017 liva vx from a private seller. Well, not fully nice because it had been in an accident that the mechanic I got to inspect the car turned out to be known to the seller and got screwed. Still the car has been trouble free over the past 2-3 years, with only scheduled maintainence done unlike my indica

Try to stick to private sellers in this price range. You have better chances of getting history from them as well as better chances of being able to take it to a dealer for inspection

[wheelspinner]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

In my opinion, if you can afford more, please spend more. I would say 4-5l is the sweet spot for a used car. What you spend up front, you'll save on unknown expenses. That will get you the facelift models. In the 1-2 lakh range, you're basically in mechanic special territory, especially if you're looking at cars at dealers. I started there, ultimately ended up stretching to 5 ish two years ago when I got a nice 2017 liva vx from a private seller. Well, not fully nice because it had been in an accident that the mechanic I got to inspect the car turned out to be known to the seller and got screwed. Still the car has been trouble free over the past 2-3 years, with only scheduled maintainence done unlike my indica

Try to stick to private sellers in this price range. You have better chances of getting history from them as well as better chances of being able to take it to a dealer for inspection

I agree but I am not even sure if I will stay in India for a long time. So I might have to do a distress sale if I leave as there will be no one to look after the car. That's why I am keeping the budget lower.

Also, figured out that lots of private sellers are trying to hide things. At least 3 out of 5 sellers flat out refused to let their car be taken to service center citing weird reasons. One of them even told me that service center will quote for a lot of unnecessary repairs. So there's no point in taking the car there. On the other hand, most dealers were willing to let their cars be inspected by a service center barring Cars24.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by wheelspinner

I agree but I am not even sure if I will stay in India for a long time. So I might have to do a distress sale if I leave as there will be no one to look after the car. That's why I am keeping the budget lower.

Also, figured out that lots of private sellers are trying to hide things. At least 3 out of 5 sellers flat out refused to let their car be taken to service center citing weird reasons. One of them even told me that service center will quote for a lot of unnecessary repairs. So there's no point in taking the car there.

I was also looking at a new car, and felt that the 5l etios was the sweet spot for resale. It wouldn't drop much in resale if I had to sell it in a few years, and it would be much easier to sell.
The 1.5l etios attracts mostly nuisance buyers you really don't want to deal with (people who will ask if they can pay installments, give you tales of hardship and how they have only 60k, complain about trivial issues)

Again your average 1-2l car owner demographic are basically in tht business of buying beaters and running them to the ground with only emergency fixes. Such cars usually have a lot of stuff the hide which a dealership will catch easily.

Look, I hate to be an elitist, but if you can afford better, your attempt to slum it in the car market is only going to waste time and money unless you have your own workshop

[Eagle70]

It is a Toyota. I would buy it with eyes closed. You may have to spend a little money to get it on line. There after you are assured of years and kilometres of trouble free driving.

I own a Liva ( 9yrs old , 1st owner)and a Fortuner( 10 yrs old, 1st owner). Both are zero problem cars. No extra maintenance required so far on both the cars. Just the 10000 kms service is required.

[wheelspinner]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I was also looking at a new car, and felt that the 5l etios was the sweet spot for resale. It wouldn't drop much in resale if I had to sell it in a few years, and it would be much easier to sell.
The 1.5l etios attracts mostly nuisance buyers you really don't want to deal with (people who will ask if they can pay installments, give you tales of hardship and how they have only 60k, complain about trivial issues)

Again your average 1-2l car owner demographic are basically in tht business of buying beaters and running them to the ground with only emergency fixes. Such cars usually have a lot of stuff the hide which a dealership will catch easily.

Look, I hate to be an elitist, but if you can afford better, your attempt to slum it in the car market is only going to waste time and money unless you have your own workshop

Agree, however there are a few points to note. Used cars tend to be quite cheap down here in West Bengal unlike Kerala. Here, the roads are terrible and suspension wear and tear is very high. So almost every used car sold here has 30,000 - 35,000 worth of suspension work that needs to be done. Furthermore, WB has an optional 5 year road tax. So cars tend to be sold when the 5 year tax is due for renewal. So another 35,000 due. It almost always works out to be more expensive. Eventually, even a 2L car is going to cost me ~3L in no time. Which is why I've also set some money aside for these expenses

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by wheelspinner

So my question is, considering everything - will this car be a good option for me? I can consider spending 10-20k more on it, but the question is if it will make sense to do so?

Not at all, for a car that was 7-8L new 13 years ago. This is way overpriced, second owner, with fault codes and shot tyres.

Also, given the wear on the steering wheel I doubt it’s only done 45k in all this time. I’d walk away from any car that had its bumper held on by screws, if the last owner didn’t even want to pay for bumper clips which are dirt cheap, you can imagine how neglected the fluids and other maintenance items are.

If you do decide to risk it with this, pay a trusted mechanic to do a full inspection, or go to a Toyota dealer and have them do it. Take the report from them and see if any major problems are present. If the seller hesitates or won’t allow third parties to check, walk away immediately.

[Swanand]

Originally Posted by wheelspinner

I have been searching for a decent reliable used car within a low budget for about an year without much success - every car I found came with costly repairs or niggles that makes it an unworthy deal. Then, I came across this 13 yr old Etios 2011.

The car has run around 45,000 odd kilometers, and was with it's second owner when Cars24 acquired it. Now my question is whether this is good enough to invest my hard earned money:

https://www.cars24.com/buy-used-toyo...a-11968785785/

My Rationale
I can afford more, but right now I don't have much use of a car. It is just to get better at driving a car, and explore if I would like to get a more expensive car. I suffer from buyer's remorse - so jumping to an expensive car is a no go for me. Having said that, what I want is a fuss free, good looking, and cheap car. So does spending this much on it, so that it lasts me a couple of years seem reasonable? What do you think?

Also, I might go abroad this year for job related relocation in a few years. So avoiding any big purchases.

Few concerns
The service history ends at 33,000 Kms in 2019, and beyond that there is no service history. It has run 12,000 Kms since then.

I got this car checked by GoMechanic. But, for some reason I find the mechanic's words untrustworthy as if the seller has coerced him to say good things. It is clearly visible in the picture that the boot door is repainted (see paint marks on the G badging). However, he told me only the bumpers are repainted. He also told me that the car had check engine lights on, but they were because the "history" data had not been cleared. It was visible in the OBD scanner report. However, he assured me that it was gone when he deleted the error code with the OBD scanner. But he didn't share the same with me (report still indicated fault code in Current section and history section) - in the report there was a "P1604" startup malfunctioning error. Is something suspicious here?

He told me that the shockers and suspension are fine. There is some noise on braking. The advisor informed me about a hole in the silencer - that could be fixed, but then the mechanic failed to find it (wondering why). He did tell me that the coolant needs changing and that three of the tires had gone old/dry due to staying unused for long periods.

So my question is, considering everything - will this car be a good option for me? I can consider spending 10-20k more on it, but the question is if it will make sense to do so?

I would recommend searching for a newer Etios as it comes with a better interior, Rear and front headrests, a Dual-tone dashboard and an improved set of safety features. (

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL6a...el=ToyotaIndia

)

While buying a used car, there ought to be a margin of uncertainty and grey facts that are not known to be buyer. The dealers are smart enough to cover up the same, which goes unnoticed, may it be a Spinny, Cars24, Maruti Suzuki True value or Carwale.

The first thing is you must take the car to the nearest Toyota dealership for a paid inspection (charges are 5% of the estimate, however, it may differ from dealer to dealer)

Negotiate with Cars24 using the Toyota estimate.

Cars24 will offer to get the work done from their end or offer a revised quote.

If they are not allowing you to take the car to Dealership, then you will have to gauge if the car look worth the risk.

------

I have recently purchased a Platinum Etios 2018 (ODO- 32000 approx.)(1st owner - MNC corporate) petrol from Carwale (certified car dealer).

My experience with the car and the used car buying process is bittersweet.


From my experience following are some Red flags and green flags you must consider:

Green Flags: light maintenance, Huge boot space, Best fuel economy (17-20; city and Highway respectively), Satisfactory rear seating experience, Safety features (ABS, EBD, 4 Star NCAP, 2 SRS airbags) (

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3KG...heWheelNetwork

)

Red Flags: Bad cabin insulation (tyre noise (life 50%) and engine noise (impairs your ability to pull the engine to redline due to the awful noise), Dated dashboard design, Steering feedback not confidence enhancing, Dated exterior design (looks like a dad's car)

Attaching the pictures of my etios: