[chatterjeeps]

All,

I am planning to buy a used Tata Manza this weekend - I have selected a few individuals selling their car. But I am novice in this domain and do not have any idea on what to check etc. I contacted Raj Motors Noida and the mechanic has agreed to do evaluation of the cars for me if I take them to his workshop. I am stayin gin Ghaziabad but going to check few cars in Noida this Saturday. Anybody from Noida who can accompany me on Saturday-Sunday and help me in buying the right car?

Thanks. My name is Partha Chatterjee and contact no. is 9910991322

[chatterjeeps]

All,

After 3 weeks of running around the whole of Delhi NCR, to individual sellers, dealers and Maruti True Value, I FINALLY finalized my car yesterday. I bought a 2008 model Verna Diesel (base model without ABS),

1. registered in 2009 Jan,
2. run 68,00 kms (no meter tampering guaranteed as I myself checked the service record of the car in Hyundai system)
3. serviced from Hyundai at 10,000 intervals,
4. no Accident history
5. insurance valid till Nov 2014 - so will get that transferred
6. Bright silver color
7. Parking sensor fitted, Single din pioneer stereo and stock speakers
8. Front bumper will be replaced by Hyundai and 2 doors will be painted due to scratches. Rear bumper to be painted as well. Car mechanical condition is very good, as I could feel the thrust of the turbo.
9. Hyundai Warranty of 1 year/ 20000 kms + 2 free services. One service will be done before delivery.
10. Car battery was dead - so getting a new battery

I got the deal at 3.4 lakhs, inclusive of RC Transfer in Delhi (extra charges involved due to lack of address prrof)

I guess I overpaid, but believe me, having looked at all other cars from individuals, I was not satisified with the paperwork for any of them. NONE of the sellers had the car in their own name - everyone had a story, this is my brother's car, this is my partner's car, this car was used by my uncle and then by me, but paper not transferred to retain single ownership etc. etc. I did not buy any of their stories, but I really did not find ANY car that belonged to the person I met. I went to Dealers as well, and they are always dicy and put a hefty amount to not so good cars.

I had one otherr good deal which I was considering - a Swift DZire VDI for Rs 3.5 lakhs, from Maruti True Value, 80,000 kms run 2008 model. But I HATE the look of a DZire and hence did not think anything about it. Also, revies rated Verna much superior to Dzire.

Do you think I overpaid for the Verna relative to what I received from Hyundai and the other offers I was getting?

I now have COMPLETE peace of mind regarding Ownership of the vehicle and of course the quality of the vehicle as it will undergo 150 odd tests from Hyundai and a genuine non-accidental only 68000 kms run car.

Awaiting your responses

[scorpian]

Dear All,

In a big dilemma,need pure unadulterated advice from all my fellow team members.

I currently drive a 2002 zen mpfi which i have souped up with a esteem engine and other works,i love the car but off late i have been in a strange confusion over keeping it further.

Certain issues i face with the car:
1)I see minor bubbles appearing on all four doors i have no idea how and why and the car has not been through any body work,in fact shes a virgin.
2)Parts availability is now bothering me,certain items like door trims,handles,body mouldings etc have started to go off the sale,on asking at any maruti a.s.s i am told they have been discontinued.
3)Certain rattles
4)The desire to own a sedan to raise a class above.

I am inclined toward a ford fiesta petrol or a maruti sx4...both as the have some really poor resale value and goa has the cheapest petrol,even cheaper then diesel.Please do bear in mind that my daily run is abt 60kms.

Now i have my eyes set on a ford fiesta 1.6 ofcourse i am looking at used cars only as i am firm believer that u can buy a lot more if you know how to check a used car proper.
The car in question is a thane registered company owned car,which was later sold to the employee and who now wants to sell it,its a 07 1.6 clocked abt 70k kms(is that high?).Price quoted is 3lakhs negotiable,i do know for the fact that this car is gonna be sold for way too less some where in the lines of 2.30-2.50.

Now i intend to sell my ezen plonk in the difference and pick this ford.

My worrying questions are:
1)is 70k too much?what's the shelf life of a ford petrol 1.6 engine?
2)Is maintenance going to be expensive as the kms pile on?
3)I am based in goa,the car is thane registered,i intend to transfer the car in my cousins name who is based in pune so its basically within maharashtra hence i wont have to worry abt change of registration to goa. Does this make sense?

Please pour in your suggestions and help me out of this dilemma.


Note from Mod : Please avoid sms language (abt, u, etc) and always use spaces after punctuation marks. Do see THIS THREAD before continuing. Thanks.

[ani_meher]

I think you should stick with your choice of SX4. It will have lesser price, and more reliability than Fiesta (IIRC, older Ford Fiesta were notorious for their maintenance costs.)

[scorpian]

Thanks Bro!
i do have sx4 also in the back of my mind purely for maruti support,however on a straight comparison i feel sx4 is a rattle box compared to the fiesta.

But at the end of the day i shall pick what more value.
The zen has served me real well and has clocked only 67k kms in all these years with the original 1 litre engine still intact with me.

[suzuki san]

Hi Scorpian,

Have you ever driven or owned a well maintained SX4?
Where did you get the idea that it is a rattle box?
I own two SX4's both with 20,000+ Kms on the clock and not a single rattle.
I would go for the SX4 - not because I own them - simply for the peace of mind and the Maruti after sales.
Any old Ford vehicle could cost you an arm and a leg in maintenance.

P.S. One of my cars is up for sale on the TBHP website!!

Regards,
SS

[Lobogris]

Don't forget to keep safety features like airbags and ABS in mind as well as far as possible. You might be able to get an SX4 top model quite cheaply.

[Live To Jive]

If you're a driving enthusiast (which I presume since you own a EZen), the Fiesta is THE car for you. Don't even think of a SX4.

[IshaanIan]

The Fiesta is a brilliant car and equipped with that gem of a 1.6 na motor, it is pure pleasure. However, interior space and quality is a huge let down, and from my experience it will cost a lot to maintain. Several of my friends own the old Fiesta and we all love the car, but some of us have even had give up ownership due to the costs involved (I've heard modern day Fords are better though)

The SX4, isn't such a bad thing either. Try picking up a well maintained 1st gen one without variable valve timing as these were the ones with the best suspension setup and looks. Of the SX4s that I've known in my circles, none have any rattles.

[mayankk]

Haha!
Here's someone on the other boat!
I'm in the process of getting an ezen, or b, if possible, but keeping it in tandem with my fiesta.
As far as the maintenance worries go, disregard the inputs posted before. Do go through my thread on my fiesta, 2007, bought used,and has been serving me for about 3-4 years now. Trust me, for smiles, nothing gets close to it.

[s_pphilip]

Originally Posted by scorpian

I am inclined toward a ford fiesta petrol or a maruti sx4...both as the have some really poor resale value and goa has the cheapest petrol,even cheaper then diesel.Please do bear in mind that my daily run is abt 60kms.

3)I am based in goa,the car is thane registered,i intend to transfer the car in my cousins name who is based in pune so its basically within maharashtra hence i wont have to worry abt change of registration to goa. Does this make sense?

I don't know the legal side of driving a MH car in Goa but a couple of my friends drive KA/KL registered cars in Goa and haven't ran into issues except the occasional rough words if it is wrongly parked or so, assuming it is driven by outsiders. That apart each time you have this Rs 250 toll when you cross the border.
Hey, won't you get Fiesta's in the same price range in Goa, if so then why not pick here if your primary usage is in Goa.
70k is definitely not too bad if the car is maintained well, you may need to some how find the history of the car, owners like mayankk can tell what periodic maintenance you'd face, however the Fiesta will comparatively have an expensive upkeep as spares are pricier but all that is forgotten when behind the wheel, its an absolute joy. Also I believe SX4 will have a higher market resale value, whatever you save in the Fiesta purchase you can use towards repairs/ replacement.

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by scorpian

.

If at all you are going for a petrol SX4, please go for the VVT version.

[suzuki san]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

The SX4, isn't such a bad thing either. Try picking up a well maintained 1st gen one without variable valve timing as these were the ones with the best suspension setup and looks. Of the SX4s that I've known in my circles, none have any rattles.

Ishaanian, don't forget that the power steering on the first gen SX4's had a smaller motor than the new VVT's thus making the steering pretty hard at parking speeds. A friend of mine sold his 1st. gen SX$ for just that reason and picked up a VVT instead. On the suspension setup I would tend to agree with you. The new ones have a softer setup.
Also, the fuel consumption on the 1st. gen cars was nothing to talk about. One of the reasons for this car failing IMHO.

Regards,
SS

[scorpian]

Wow, i am really thankful to all of you for sharing your inputs.

I do agree that using a mh car would invite toll every-time i cross which i fairly do once a week and yes that would be a pain as well,besides the occasional rough words from locals thinking i am a outsider.

My very close friend owns a ford 1.6 and i love driving it,i have been pestering her to sell but she isn't ready to budge.
The dynamics of the ford and the response make me feel in love every-time i drive it.

I have driven a few SX4's and i do know two of them had steering noise which cost quite a bit to replace the entire rack as the same cannot be repaired with child parts.
Whats the difference in the vvt engine?

I am still open to both and yes the peace of mind in owning a maruti is surely a plus point.Plus getting spares and getting minor work done outside at FNG is also possible which dissent exist with ford.

Any of you guys have driven both and could specifically point out what you dont like about the two cars would help get a better view of the negatives.

My priorities are low maintenance cost,status hike to some extent with the sedan,and of-course should be fun to drive.

Once again thanks everyone please keep your suggestions coming in.

[AirWind]

Buy neither... see if you can up the budget a lil and get a Mitsu Cedia... there are good ones going cheap!