[pradeepdayanand]

All,

I'm a newbie to the cars world. Thinking of buying a used car and my preference is Maruti esteem(between 2002 - 2004). I'm 0 in cars but really tempted to buy one.

I seek your advice on whether my decision on choosing Esteem is correct if yes, please give me suggestions on pricing an used esteem. if there are links available already about this in bhp please send me the link.

I saw an ad for 2004 Maruti Esteem, and called the dealer for asking the price, he replied politely that the price is 2.75L which I guess is more for that car. Suggest me on how to bring down the cost and bargain on other needs like insurance, name change etc.

Since the car is not under production and the resale value of it comparative less I'm pretty confused on how to start the chat and conclude on the final price of an car. Experts's advice needed!

Thanks,

Pradeep

[srijit]

Pradeep, I think it would help other if you could give the following information and more.

• What is your budget?
• What kind of car are you looking for? (You said sedan, but would a hatchback suffice?)
• What is your monthly running distance?
• Are you looking for a fun car to drive? Or are you looking for a low maintenance car?
• Are you looking for a car with high fuel efficiency?
• Do you have any preference between petrol and diesel cars?
• Are you looking for resale value, when you sell your car? How long do you intend to keep it?

More info can help us help you. So give us more info, please

[manjith_pm]

hi pradeep,
nice to know another car fanatic is in the making.
keep a few things in mind when you are planning to buy the car
-how long you are going to keep it?resale could be a problem due to non production.
-are u a learner or are you comfortable with chennai's driving conditions?
-if not for esteem what are the other alternatives?
the esteem sure is a wonderful car and has enough features for a fresher.have used one and always found its design and performance good and is nice to modify too.
-esteem petrol or diesel?and variant lxi or vxi,vdi?
-when looking for a second hand esteem make sure it has not been used as a taxi as 2002-2004 period was the prime time for esteems as taxi's,be wary?
-has an lpg kit been installed?know of many people doing it and also if it is endorsed and are u looking for one with the kit?
-any used car make,sure it hasn't done more than 5-10k's per year at a max,say 2002 model shouldn't have done more than 40-50k..dont get carried away by terms like doctor used,lady driven,well maintained,fully loaded,costly system,check for yourself and also the service history.u want the car and not its previous user or the ice(which can be changed anytime)
-most cars around the 50k mark need some attention during service as many parts undergo wear n tear and changes are compulsory.eg.the clutch plates n brake drums.
although todays new generation engines should clock 100000kms plus without hassle..
-2.75 is a bit steep my friend.u cud look at a 2000-2002 Honda city for that price although finding one with a low odo reading could be a task.
-try looking at used ikons and accent's for that price.
-2004 Maruti Esteem should be about 2.25l or more depending on the odo reading.(just ma evaluation not really checked in the market)
-make sure its not modded too much cos esteem modification was a rage?
-also make sure what u want..sedan or hatchback?
-go through the site for other info on the esteems and i'm sure our fellow t-bhpians will chip in to make your first buy tasteful.

[manjith_pm]

hi pradeep,
nice to know another car fanatic is in the making.
keep a few things in mind when you are planning to buy the car
-how long you are going to keep it?resale could be a problem due to non production.
-are u a learner or are you comfortable with chennai's driving conditions?
-if not for esteem what are the other alternatives?
the esteem sure is a wonderful car and has enough features for a fresher.have used one and always found its design and performance good and is nice to modify too.
-esteem petrol or diesel?and variant lxi or vxi,vdi?
-when looking for a second hand esteem make sure it has not been used as a taxi as 2002-2004 period was the prime time for esteems as taxi's,be wary?
-has an lpg kit been installed?know of many people doing it and also if it is endorsed and are u looking for one with the kit?
-any used car, make sure it hasn't done more than 5-10k's per year at a max,say 2002 model shouldn't have done more than 40-50k..dont get carried away by terms like doctor used,lady driven,well maintained,fully loaded,costly system,check for yourself and also the service history.u want the car and not its previous user or the ice(which can be changed anytime)
-most cars around the 50k mark need some attention during service as many parts undergo wear n tear and changes are compulsory.eg.the clutch plates n brake drums.
although todays new generation engines should clock 100000kms plus without hassle..
-2.75 is a bit steep my friend.u cud look at a 2000-2002 Old Honda city for that price although finding one with a low odo reading could be a task.
-try looking at used ikons and accent's for that price.
-2004 Maruti Esteem should be about 2.25l or more depending on the odo reading.(just ma evaluation not really checked in the market)
-make sure its not modded too much cos esteem modification was a rage?
-also make sure what u want..sedan or hatchback?
-go through the site for other info on the esteems and i'm sure our fellow t-bhpians will chip in to make your first buy tasteful.

Note from mod: Excessive smileys removed

[pradeepdayanand]

Hi Srijit, Comments Inline. Thanks Pradeep

• What is your budget? 1.5 - 2.0 L Max 2.25
• What kind of car are you looking for? (You said sedan, but would a hatchback suffice?) I prefer Sedan. since I have a 5 Member family.
• What is your monthly running distance? Min : 500 - 750 KM per month and planning for a long distance drive once in 3 months
• Are you looking for a fun car to drive? Or are you looking for a low maintenance car? I'm not looking for a fun car, a low maintenance car which makes my family members life comfortable.
• Are you looking for a car with high fuel efficiency? Yes.
• Do you have any preference between petrol and diesel cars? Nope.
• Are you looking for resale value, when you sell your car? How long do you intend to keep it? I dont have any thoughts on resale value since I'm new to car's world. want to keep this car for minimum 3-4 years for sure.

[pradeepdayanand]

Hi Friend,

Thanks for your advice. Comments for your questions

how long you are going to keep it?resale could be a problem due to non production. Planning to keep it for minumum 3 - 4 years. Its resale value is a big question mark. :(

are u a learner or are you comfortable with chennai's driving conditions?

I'm a learner and pretty confident that I will adapt to the driving condition of chennai. Also, to avoid traffic I'm thinking of starting early to office which is almost 15 KM from my home.

-if not for esteem what are the other alternatives?
For sedans,
Ford Ikon - Negative more maintenance
Hyundai Accent - Some maintenance and not affordable for me.I heard BHPians saying they have Gear Box problem in Accent
Baleno - Higher end model and it is not affordable for me .

For Hatch Backs,
Alto, Santro, Maruti 800
but in all these hatch backs, 5 people cannot sit comfortably. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Please suggest me if there are any attractive hatch backs which I have missed.

-esteem petrol or diesel?and variant lxi or vxi,vdi?
petrol or diesel no problem. What could be the difference?

-when looking for a second hand esteem make sure it has not been used as a taxi as 2002-2004 period was the prime time for esteems as taxi's,be wary? I will make a note of it.

has an lpg kit been installed?know of many people doing it and also if it is endorsed and are u looking for one with the kit?
Not really. what is the advantage of having an LPG kit?. Does'nt it damage the car's engine? I learnt from digging in internet that LPG is cost effective but it give more wear n tear to engine. Please advice!

-any used car, make sure it hasn't done more than 5-10k's per year at a max,say 2002 model shouldn't have done more than 40-50k..dont get carried away by terms like doctor used,lady driven,well maintained,fully loaded,costly system,check for yourself and also the service history.u want the car and not its previous user or the ice(which can be changed anytime) Noted. The dealer told me that it has run 50K KM's and tyres are changed.

I have tried to answer your questions with what I've learnt so far. Please dont get flabbergasted on my comments being amateurish. I'm trying to learn the intricacies of cars before I really stepping in to buy one.

Thanks,
Pradeep

[cooldude1988765]

0

Originally Posted by pradeepdayanand

esteem petrol or diesel?and variant lxi or vxi,vdi?
petrol or diesel no problem. What could be the difference?

There is a world of a difference between the two. Dont get the diesel especially since you are a new driver. (You will hate to drive if this is your first car)

The esteem diesel is extremely sluggish and is a pain to drive in the city.

The esteem petrol is a gem of a car.

Also @manjith_pm there was no esteem vdi; only d and di.

Another car to avoid would be the ikon 1.8d.( mostly same reasons as the esteem d)

[manjith_pm]

after reading your reply,i think u shud go for the esteem petrol..try looking for one with a low odo reading..preferably vxi..wat is ur budget?

[neofromcapone]

What kind of car are you looking for? (You said sedan, but would a hatchback suffice?) I prefer Sedan. since I have a 5 Member family.

A sedan does not automatically mean more space, a getz or a palio is more comfy compared to many sedans, decide based once you have done a test drive with all 5 family members or chose 5 people.........If you need boot space then its a sedan. If not, dont rule out hatch backs
All the best

[srijit]

Pradeep, give as much info as you want. That can all help in suggestions for your car. Now it should be up to the chennal gang to guide you through the rest of the way

Here's wishing that you get a good car, and have lots of fun with it. cheers:

[arajand]

Hi Pradeep
I am new to cars too, and I learnt my driving in an Esteem. It is a good car if you like a low position during driving. I know I did.

Are your parents going to use your car? Rear seat ingress and egress can be painful. I've seen the expression on the faces of elderly people feeling trapped in some low slung cars. The Esteem has low seats.

You are a learner today, but you wont be a learner forever. Don't factor in the learner bit too much in your car buying process. As is true with a majority of users here, you will learn (driving) faster than you earn and year later, you may feel stuck with a car that is not that great. Rethink your car choice if you can (budget permitting).

Keep us updated

[pradeepdayanand]

Thanks for your advice. I will not go for Diesel.

regards,

Originally Posted by cooldude1988765

0


There is a world of a difference between the two. Dont get the diesel especially since you are a new driver. (You will hate to drive if this is your first car)

The esteem diesel is extremely sluggish and is a pain to drive in the city.

The esteem petrol is a gem of a car.

Also @manjith_pm there was no esteem vdi; only d and di.

Another car to avoid would be the ikon 1.8d.( mostly same reasons as the esteem d)

[pradeepdayanand]

Sure..Making a note. My understanding could be wrong, what I thought was sedans have more boot space and also it would be comfortable for elderly people to travel for long distances. I had a chance to travel in hyundai santro, which has having a terrible boot space and presumed that all Hatch backs will have similar boot space and crampt. I'm not ruling out hatch backs, it is definitely under consideration.

One more thing I noted was, Santro is having a terrible driving (boot) space. if you are tall, nearing 5.10 your knee could be near the steering wheel, which I feel is not comfortable. You can defend by saying, use the front adjustments which could affect the boot space of person sitting at the rear. Correct me if I'm wrong!.

Thanks,

Originally Posted by neofromcapone

What kind of car are you looking for? (You said sedan, but would a hatchback suffice?) I prefer Sedan. since I have a 5 Member family.

A sedan does not automatically mean more space, a getz or a palio is more comfy compared to many sedans, decide based once you have done a test drive with all 5 family members or chose 5 people.........If you need boot space then its a sedan. If not, dont rule out hatch backs
All the best

[pradeepdayanand]

Thanks dude. Your thoughts are well taken!.

Originally Posted by arajand

Hi Pradeep
I am new to cars too, and I learnt my driving in an Esteem. It is a good car if you like a low position during driving. I know I did.

Are your parents going to use your car? Rear seat ingress and egress can be painful. I've seen the expression on the faces of elderly people feeling trapped in some low slung cars. The Esteem has low seats.

You are a learner today, but you wont be a learner forever. Don't factor in the learner bit too much in your car buying process. As is true with a majority of users here, you will learn (driving) faster than you earn and year later, you may feel stuck with a car that is not that great. Rethink your car choice if you can (budget permitting).

Keep us updated

[pradeepdayanand]

My Budget : 1.5 - 2.0 L Max 2.25 L

Originally Posted by manjith_pm

after reading your reply,i think u shud go for the esteem petrol..try looking for one with a low odo reading..preferably vxi..wat is ur budget?