[RVD]

After 94K on the odo, my Fiancee finally decided to let go of her Alto VX 1.1..Now she wants me to choose a car for her. The thing that I need to keep in mind is that we will be married in 9-10 months and after which the car will be at my place. I don't want to have two cars ( mine and hers ) to be of the same kind. So after some thought, I decided that it would be best that we went in for a sedan as I already have a Hatchback, a Jeep and a Bike. There were a few queries in mind and hope that I get a few suggestions.

1) Which is the best used sedan amongst a Baleno, Accent and an Ikon in
terms of cost of purchase, maintenance, FE, Resale ?( We will probably
retain the car for 2-3 years).Her usage is about 800 Kms in a month,
mainly in the city.

2) What is the general life span of these engines ? I have seen a few
Baleno's and Accent's ( both petrol and CRDI) 2004-2005 and
they all have clocked between 50k to 90k. Is it ok to still go in for these
vehicle's ?

3) What is the problem area's to be vary of, for the cars that have clocked
the mileage that I mentioned above.

4) Is there an option of a step up EMI for cars as well ? If that is the case,
she can look to buy a new car as well. ( Right now, she lives in an
apartment and pays rent which, she will be relieved of once she moves
in with me)

5) Last but not the least, would any of the fellow BHPian be kind enough to
accompany me in case, I have to check out a car. I have a OK
knowledge about cars but I know that there are many on this forum
who are WAY more knowledgeable than I am and have vast expertise
on the afore mentioned cars.

Thanks for going through my post and any suggestions would be helpful.


Regards

Rahul

[.anshuman]

Whats her final budget for the car?, cars above 1lakh kms are much more prone to component failures lookout for cars with lower kms on clock.

Originally Posted by RVD

1) Which is the best used sedan amongst a Baleno, Accent and an Ikon in
terms of cost of purchase, maintenance, FE, Resale ?( We will probably
retain the car for 2-3 years).Her usage is about 800 Kms in a month,
mainly in the city.

Ikon would be most expensive and troublesome to maintain, Accent has cheapest maintainance and better resale but FE is not as good as Baleno. Baleno is out of production so expect it to depreciate more than Accent which is still available

2) What is the general life span of these engines ? I have seen a few
Baleno's and Accent's ( both petrol and CRDI) 2004-2005 and
they all have clocked between 50k to 90k. Is it ok to still go in for these
vehicle's ?
Engine life is good for 2lakh kms but lots of parts like self, alternator, powersteering pump, axles etc need maintenance after a lakh kms quite regularly.

3) What is the problem area's to be vary of, for the cars that have clocked
the mileage that I mentioned above. Mentioned above

[jigbarai]

Is she comfortable driving a Sedan in city traffic after the small Alto she is used to ? Or will you trade your hatch with her later on ? It would have helped suggest if you would have listed down what she is looking for in a car.

Of the lot that you have listed, I would pick the Baleno first, and then the Ikon.

Baleno has been discontinued for a while and its value would already have depreciated. It would be cheaper to maintain than Ikon and you would most likely get a better resale rate too later on.

Try to get one which has less than 50k 'genuine' kms on the ODO.

[Latheesh]

3-4 year old decently maintained IKONs with less than 50K on ODO are available for ~2-2.5L. but maintenance cost is on the higher side.

Check this thred
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buyin...car-india.html (ARTICLE: How to buy a *USED* Car in India)

[issigonis]

Rahul,

My comments are inline. Please pardon me if my comments seem intrusive.

[quote=RVD;1540801]After 94K on the odo, my Fiancee finally decided to let go of her Alto VX 1.1..Now she wants me to choose a car for her. The thing that I need to keep in mind is that we will be married in 9-10 months and after which the car will be at my place. I don't want to have two cars ( mine and hers ) to be of the same kind. So after some thought, I decided that it would be best that we went in for a sedan as I already have a Hatchback, a Jeep and a Bike. There were a few queries in mind and hope that I get a few suggestions.
>>> Studies have concluded that the fairer sex is more comfortable driving smaller cars; perhaps you might like to consider a hatchback for her. Better still you might like her to consider using your hatch, and you can buy a sedan ( 3 box sedan for your office and for your personal ( after your marriage) needs. There are an array of sedans to choose from, from about Rs 5 l to about 10 l, depending on your driving requirements and your budget ( TCO, not just the initial cost).

1) Which is the best used sedan amongst a Baleno, Accent and an Ikon in
terms of cost of purchase, maintenance, FE, Resale ?( We will probably
retain the car for 2-3 years).Her usage is about 800 Kms in a month,
mainly in the city.
>>> I would recommend fellow bhpians who are experts on each of these models to provide suggestions in terms of cost of ownership and driving experiences. In general, a car with a full service history, a relatively lower miles clocked and buying directly from the owner is a better and safer option. However please get the car checked with the respective authorised service centre.

2) What is the general life span of these engines ? I have seen a few
Baleno's and Accent's ( both petrol and CRDI) 2004-2005 and
they all have clocked between 50k to 90k. Is it ok to still go in for these
vehicle's ?

>>> Any car below 100k kms is preferable, the lower the better. Plus the manner in which it has been driven is very important - if the car has been driven rashly ( sudden acceleration, sudden braking, rough gear changes) then both the engine and the transmission and suspension will be less than optimum. You should avoid cars above say, 75k kms on the clock.

3) What is the problem area's to be vary of, for the cars that have clocked
the mileage that I mentioned above.
>>> Please see my comment in #1 above.

4) Is there an option of a step up EMI for cars as well ? If that is the case,
she can look to buy a new car as well. ( Right now, she lives in an
apartment and pays rent which, she will be relieved of once she moves
in with me)

>>> No idea; please check with your personal banker.
It is always a better idea to invest in a new car, especially if you can wait for 6-9 months. Also, FY 2010-2011 will be an interesting year for both the hatchback and sedan segments as new cars will be launched ( VW Polo, Chevy small car -Spark?, improved Maruti SX4, Tata Manza - already launched...)

5) Last but not the least, would any of the fellow BHPian be kind enough to
accompany me in case, I have to check out a car. I have a OK
knowledge about cars but I know that there are many on this forum
who are WAY more knowledgeable than I am and have vast expertise
on the afore mentioned cars.

Always game, provided you are in Bombay and suburbs.




Regards

[GTO]

Women usually prefer cars that are light & easy to drive. I'd search for a Honda City, Maruti Baleno and Mitsubishi Lancer. The cleanest example you find (well maintained + low mileage), pick it up. Irrespective of which of these three cars, each will serve you well. However, do note that in your 2.5 lakh rupee budget, you will only find cars that are 3 - 6 years old. Some maintenance work will be inevitable.

[RVD]

Thank you all for the many replies. It is really helpful. Now, just to answer a few questions:

1)Yes, she is comfortable driving a Sedan in the city. We took a few cars for test drives and she seemed to be in her elements in them,

2) Her budget for a used car is between 2.5- 3 lack and for a new one is 4.5-5.5 lack provided a step up EMI option is available.

3) I am personally inclined towards buying a new Grande Punto if the step up scheme is available . I can then change my car to a sedan when she moves in with me.

4) She is just looking for some basic features viz AC, PS, PW and a descent music system. Nothing fancy.

Now, to add to my previous questions, there is a Accent CRDI for sale under the classifieds section, here on T-BHP which has clocked 90+k on the odo. If the owner agrees to negotiate further and I have 30-40k at my disposal after the purchase of a vehicle , is it a good enough amout to get all the problem areas rectified and bring it to a respectable mechanical condition ?(the exterior seems good)

Regards

Rahul

[Ramsagar]

Its better to go for hatch rather than a new/used sedan. Later you can sell your hatch & go for a new sedan if the vit-M permits.

i10: Is the best fit for a lady to zip in through our B'lore, which is more traffic infested.
Has good A.S.S,classy interiors,pep motor for city driving as well.
On road price would be for 4.5L(Magna). where EMI also come handy.

Ritz:Is also a peppy motor with new K-series eng.Looks are subjective.Also have all the positives of the best vehicle.

Punto:You can occasionally borrow the vehicle from her when ever you want.Its a boy thing.

Note: EMI for a used car is high than a new one.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Accent any day would be a great car to drive around.

I really like the way that car is designed. or go in for a used Lancer, thats one rugged car.

Or the new Grande Punto

[jigbarai]

If open to a new hatch - have her check out the i10 AT
Its at around 4.7 ish (Magna) OTR Mumbai.
I guess you won't have to look any further.

Originally Posted by RVD

Thank you all for the many replies. It is really helpful. Now, just to answer a few questions:

1)Yes, she is comfortable driving a Sedan in the city. We took a few cars for test drives and she seemed to be in her elements in them,

2) Her budget for a used car is between 2.5- 3 lack and for a new one is 4.5-5.5 lack provided a step up EMI option is available.

3) I am personally inclined towards buying a new Grande Punto if the step up scheme is available . I can then change my car to a sedan when she moves in with me.

4) She is just looking for some basic features viz AC, PS, PW and a descent music system. Nothing fancy.

Now, to add to my previous questions, there is a Accent CRDI for sale under the classifieds section, here on T-BHP which has clocked 90+k on the odo. If the owner agrees to negotiate further and I have 30-40k at my disposal after the purchase of a vehicle , is it a good enough amout to get all the problem areas rectified and bring it to a respectable mechanical condition ?(the exterior seems good)

Regards

Rahul

[shankar.balan]

instead of a sedan why not a better class hatch like the Punto or I 20?

they are both stylish and basically very good cars!

[RVD]

@ Ramsagar & Jigbarai : Even though i10 is a very capable car in its segment, I am not the biggest fan of its looks. Moreover if I buy a new i10, I would have to keep the car for at least 5 years to make sure that I don't bear the maximum depreciation by keeping it just for 2-3 years. As and when I do buy another hatch, I would want one which is feature rich.

PAVAN KADAM : Even I am leaning towards the Accent for the sole reason that it is still available off the showroom. Also, I think that it is quite a good looker. Never driven it though to comment on the performance.

Shankar.balan : SIGH!!! How I wish that her budget allowed her to buy the Punto. I just love the car. Unfortunately, she cannot afford an EMI of 7-8k a month and she is hell bent upon buying the car herself, without external help.

Now, coming back to my previous question. Does an engine that has done ~100k Kms still have some juice left. Off late, I have seen a few cars with odo's closing in on the 100k mark, stunning from outside and also quite good to drive. Few also had full service history ( From delivery till date!!). Is it worthwhile to consider such cars or do I just give them a miss from here on ?


Regards

Rahul

[Zappo]

You know what? I have wondered about this since the day you opened this thread. You sold off an Alto Vx 1.1 (a pretty zippy car) at 94k on the odo. Why would you like to get into another equally old or almost as old a car as that? If I were you then after selling off a car at 94k I will never think of looking at anything above 50k.

Any car after 50k slowly starts asking for higher maintenance. Almost like your step-up EMI, only that in this case it is step-up maintenance costs. As the components start getting old you will have small niggles everyday. A rattle here, a worn-out bush there, a torn belt here, a broken join elsewhere. This is a never ending story of an old car. Mind you I am not talking of badly maintained cars. They are a nightmare. I am rather talking about pretty well maintained and shiny cars which also otherwise feel nice to drive. However it is the inevitable wearing out of parts that keep bothering you everyday.

I know this from a close experience. A friend had a very well maintained Santro. However after 75k he finally sold it off. He simply got tired. Small things also became irritating for him. One day while driving in the rain his wiper stopped working. The fault was detected to a worn-out switchgear. One weekend when he took off the seatcovers for a wash he discovered that the bottom of the seat is frayed and he can see the foam lining inside. Another day, his car started making loud noises from the exhaust. The garage discovered a rusted muffler joint which broke and hence the muffler came out. Its basically a never ending story buddy.

[RVD]

Originally Posted by Zappo

You know what? I have wondered about this since the day you opened this thread. You sold off an Alto Vx 1.1 (a pretty zippy car) at 94k on the odo. Why would you like to get into another equally old or almost as old a car as that? If I were you then after selling off a car at 94k I will never think of looking at anything above 50k.

Any car after 50k slowly starts asking for higher maintenance. Almost like your step-up EMI, only that in this case it is step-up maintenance costs. As the components start getting old you will have small niggles everyday. A rattle here, a worn-out bush there, a torn belt here, a broken join elsewhere. This is a never ending story of an old car. Mind you I am not talking of badly maintained cars. They are a nightmare. I am rather talking about pretty well maintained and shiny cars which also otherwise feel nice to drive. However it is the inevitable wearing out of parts that keep bothering you everyday.

I know this from a close experience. A friend had a very well maintained Santro. However after 75k he finally sold it off. He simply got tired. Small things also became irritating for him. One day while driving in the rain his wiper stopped working. The fault was detected to a worn-out switchgear. One weekend when he took off the seatcovers for a wash he discovered that the bottom of the seat is frayed and he can see the foam lining inside. Another day, his car started making loud noises from the exhaust. The garage discovered a rusted muffler joint which broke and hence the muffler came out. Its basically a never ending story buddy.

Well, I started out my search with less than 50k on the odo in mind but as I started looking at a few vehicle's I came across a few very well maintained 90+k cars, so just thought I would check them as well. Not decided on anything and hence wanted advice from all you guys. I know for a fact that this is the best place I can get unbiased and highly knowledgable advice.

The reason for selling the Alto was not because of its age( It still performed like a dream) but because boredom had set in after owning it for numerous years.

Also, over the years I had developed a notion that one should always buy a car that is less than 50k on the odo or one which has done more than 80k as most of the issues crop up between 50-80K roughly and the previous owner would have taken care of all the issues. Again, this is just my stupid theory and I have nothing to back it up.(Except for the fact that this was the case with the Alto. In the last 8 months my fiancee had spent more than 25k on it for service, battery and tyre change etc etc)

Like I said, I have not made up my mind yet and hence all suggestions are welcome. Having said that, I would need to decide within 8-10 days as the Alto just got sold yesterday and my fiancee is left with no car as of now.

Thanks again for all the suggestions thus far.


Regards

Rahul

[somebodystopme]

Well what you say about more than 80K KMS theory can hold true. But nothing to abide by. It was your alto that needed change of most essential things before 94K not to mention may be expensive repairs havent come yet, and your fiance have been saved from that burden by selling it. These days as it is cars are quite KM happy so niggles start after 90K only(This is my opinion).
I will advice you to take the thought of sedan out of your mind and trash it for now. Its just a satisfaction and nothing else that there should be one of every type of car in a house, whats the point of buying such an old car just for the sake of it being a sedan and footing the bills later. Better get a newer used hatch back. Your finacee will be most happy with that. Be a bit more practical and think of her ease of use in city, I myself being a sedan owner know what pain it is to drive that thing with boot when you dont even need it most of the time and are alone. Probably a Used i10 will be a very good option for her.