[Raviganatra1981]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I would always look for low mileage and single owner cars, its even worth paying a slight premium for these.

What's a good benchmark on Mileage. Is there a max number that I should not cross?

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

What's a good benchmark on Mileage. Is there a max number that I should not cross?

This is a tough one to reply with just a number.

Instead what i can suggest is scan market for options, then rate the cars based on age, kms done, current condition, resale value and the quoted price. This will help you make a decision.

egs: If the car is really well maintained with history, slightly higher mileage can be a good trade off.

But yes at the end of the day if the maintenance factor being same, always look for youngest and the lowest run car, even if it demands a slight premium.

Are you open to look at Liva? At the end of the day its a toyota, super comfy one also. Yes features or interiors may not excite. And if you are going one segment up you might see some Accords and Camry's also at 5-6 lakhs, will be gas guzzlers though.

[ece2k2]

You could try to look for a well maintained Linea Tjet if you are okay with a Fiat car. Believe me, Tjet is one solidly built car with a more than adequate petrol engine. Infact I purchased the same via used route 3 years ago and I am still one happy owner.

[Karthik Chandra]

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

Would really appreciate some suggestions.

Etios petrol fits your requirements perfectly

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

[*]budget (most imp) is between 4L to 5L. With the preference for it to be around the 4L mark so I can keep some cash aside for adhoc servicing/spares. -

CHECK

https://www.cardekho.com/used-car-de...ne_1586028.htm
https://www.cardekho.com/used-car-de...ne_1435011.htm
https://www.cardekho.com/used-car-de...ne_1635489.htm

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

[*]a sedan, so with a good boot space and spacious rear seats since we use a Child Seat. This was one of the reasons to sell the Swift.

CHECK - Best in class boot space - 592 ltrs and spacious rear seat that can accommodate 3 adults without a fuss

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

[*]Safety is more important than looks.

CHECK - Has a good crash test rating

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

[*]Petrol engine. My daily commute will be around 6 kms and I may end up using the car only for weekends and the occaisional outstation trips.

CHECK - Awesome 1.5 ltr petrol engine; would be a good FTD car on weekends

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

[*]average maintenance cost. Not very expensive to maintain considering I'm going to be buying something that's already run a good few thousand kms.

CHECK - Toyota reliability with reasonable maintenance cost

[Raviganatra1981]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Are you open to look at Liva? At the end of the day its a toyota, super comfy one also. Yes features or interiors may not excite. And if you are going one segment up you might see some Accords and Camry's also at 5-6 lakhs, will be gas guzzlers though.

For the Accords and Camry's - I'm worries about the maintenance costs. Am sure the spares cost will also increase as the segment goes higher.


@Karthik,

We have a Etios at home (owned by my sister-in-law). Not a very big fan of the interiors and the handling. I agree that it definitely fits the space requirements. I guess Liva would be in the same category. I'll still check out some crash test results but it sure does not feel as well built as the City or the other cars in the same segment.

Originally Posted by ece2k2

You could try to look for a well maintained Linea Tjet if you are okay with a Fiat car. Believe me, Tjet is one solidly built car with a more than adequate petrol engine. Infact I purchased the same via used route 3 years ago and I am still one happy owner.

I am on the look out for one. I've heard a lot about the car and will surely try and get my hands on one for a test drive. How has the service experience been for you though?

[ece2k2]

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

I am on the look out for one. I've heard a lot about the car and will surely try and get my hands on one for a test drive. How has the service experience been for you though?

Service experience has been pretty good so far, but you can't expect top notch service for sure. Also, the mileage in the city is not going to be more than 9 kmpl which could be a problem for some folks.

Good thing is that my car hasn't given any issue whatsoever and drives as good as new even after 6 years and 34k on its odo. Infact, I had a very tough time in choosing one more new car recently - after experiencing Linea TJet over the last few years. I finally had to opt for a BMW as no other car felt like a major upgrade.

[Karthik Chandra]

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

@Karthik,

We have a Etios at home (owned by my sister-in-law). Not a very big fan of the interiors and the handling. I agree that it definitely fits the space requirements. I guess Liva would be in the same category. I'll still check out some crash test results but it sure does not feel as well built as the City or the other cars in the same segment.

Etios bagged a 4 star rating in GNCAP in 2015. It also scored a 4 star rating in Latin NCAP in 2012 too.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...rash-test.html

Also check the following thread

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...es-matter.html

Stronger build quality does not guarantee a safer car, Engineering the structure and body shell matters the most, so even though the car is light weight, it would hold up in case of a crash.

I had recommended the Etios since you specified that safety is important than looks.

[Raviganatra1981]

Originally Posted by Karthik Chandra

Etios bagged a 4 star rating in GNCAP in 2015. It also scored a 4 star rating in Latin NCAP in 2012 too.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...rash-test.html

Also check the following thread

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...es-matter.html

Stronger build quality does not guarantee a safer car, Engineering the structure and body shell matters the most, so even though the car is light weight, it would hold up in case of a crash.

I had recommended the Etios since you specified that safety is important than looks.

Thanks for sharing these links. Really fascinating discussions and definitely changes the way I've always looked at the Etios. Your recommendation surely makes sense and I will add Etios to the contention.

I still have one doubt though - The first thread states that Toyota added the two airbags and two pretensioners from late 2015 onward. Which means that if i'm looking for a used car, I should look at something that's manufactured in 2016 - which is as good as a new car. Am I correct in this assumption?

[Night_Fury]

Originally Posted by Raviganatra1981

I still have one doubt though - The first thread states that Toyota added the two airbags and two pretensioners from late 2015 onward. Which means that if i'm looking for a used car, I should look at something that's manufactured in 2016 - which is as good as a new car. Am I correct in this assumption?

That is not precise actually. The top end model already has 2 airbags, even the ones before 2015, as far as I know. you'll have to look for the right trim.

We recently bought a second hand Etios for about 4 lakhs. I must say, If you turn a blind eye to the interiors, It is a great car! coming from Toyota, you know it will be perfect mechanically and it is! Even though we have a petrol, the torque is too good. short clutch and I'm sure you'll love the driving experience.
You should really consider the etios. Here's a picture of ours

[Raviganatra1981]

Thanks. the car looks lovely. Especially the alloys.

[sourishbiswas]

Hi all,

I am planning to buy a pre-owned car to be primarily used in Mumbai. I am currently situated in Pune but plan to shift to Mumbai whenever my office re-opens (February-March expectedly according to my employers).

Currently I own a 2010 Santro Xing while at the same time often drive a family owned 2014 Honda Amaze. I do not intend to take the Santro along with me to Mumbai given its bleak condition and the Amaze is to stay with the family in Pune itself.

These are the list of requirements/wishes I have regarding the prospective purchase -

1. A petrol mid-size sedan, I have shortlisted these ones - Vento, Rapid, City, Verna (not the Ciaz, since I am not a big fan of Maruti Suzuki's build quality and feel)

2. A compact SUV would also do but first preference would be a sedan

3. Good driving dynamics - The experience I have gathered from driving the Amaze is that it is a very city friendly car, easy to drive and maneuver in traffic but my personal preference is something which would give more feel and feedback.

4. Safety and build quality - Since I plan to frequently have Pune-Mumbai trips plus road-trips to nearby cities/states once the Covid situation is managed well, safety is a must as well as the overall build quality and suspension optimization.

5. Annual maintenance - I do not plan to spend more than 8-10k a year on its maintenance and a car with readily available parts with 3rd party garages would be preferable. A car with hassle free running with annual servicing.

6. Backseat - Since I mostly drive alone, legroom at the back is not a priority.

7. Budget - Somewhere between 3.5 to 4 lakhs.

8. Odo and life - Although newer cars will be preferred but I am good with anything that is not above 70,000 kms and is not registered before 2011/12.

9. Features - No requirement on infotainment system, since it can be added after-market. Power windows on front is a must.

10. Transmission - Strictly manual

Some confusions/doubts I have -

1. Is it better to make the purchase in Pune or Mumbai? If I do get a better deal in Pune, is it troublesome to drive a Pune registered car in Mumbai? And is there a considerable cost difference in RC transfer in any of the cities?

2. I have heard that the Verna Fluidic's suspension is not well suited for highway driving (vertical movement on high speeds), is it true? I have driven the Vento on highway and its build quality feels superb and the suspension too. But again I have heard that annual maintenance of VW group cars is a hassle

Can someone give their valuable advice/suggestion as to which car I should opt for?
Thanks!

[Cessna182]

You could add the Tigor and Zest automatic to your short list. You might find one which has a few years of warranty left

Another suggestion- Corolla.

[AYP]

If you really wanna stick to the C2-segment, I would suggest finding yourself a well maintained city. You may also be able to find yourself a 2014, lower variant of the 4th gen City as well.

If you can however compromise with your fuel choice, you can have a look at the Aspire and the Amaze diesel 2015-2016 heritage. These cars would be more reasonable to maintain and would save you money in terms of fuel vis-a-vis buying a similarly priced petrol Honda City.

Since hassle free maintenance is high on your priority list, would suggest avoiding the VAG cars. And yes, the Verna's suspension is soft and its petrol engine is inferior to that of the City.

[Researcher]

From the shortlist, I will suggest you to go with the newest and cheapest example of City you can find that has ABS and airbags along with proper history of maintenance considering your budget for maintenance. I will stick with the Japanese and avoid the Germans/Koreans if reliability and easy maintenance are considered.

However, I will also suggest you look into the Linea as well. It will be great to drive, has reasonable reliability and has a solid build. Parts are available and the diesel power-train shared many components with cars from Tata and Maruti. But if you get a T-Jet that has been looked after, it will be the best available option.

I will agree with the sad build quality of most Marutis (we own two currently), but will still suggest you to look into the SX4 in its Z trim in person before ruling out. It was built better than most Marutis due to its Fiat and European roots. I own a 2008 ZXi since 2017 and it handles fairly well, has good ground clearance and has been easy on the pocket as well.

Also, unless you're restricting yourself by size, I will suggest you to look into the 8th generation Civic. Its a fairly reliable car with great driving experience and build. The major known issues are low ground clearance and steering pump leakage. But this will be my pick in the used segment below 4 lacs. The only major reason I did not pick this up back in 2017 before I got my SX4 was ground clearance as I travel on almost inexistent roads.

Apologies if we confuse you more and good luck hunting.

[narayans80]

These are the options that you might find in that budget:

1. 3rd gen City - There are plenty of examples.
2. Vento MPI
3. Rapid MPI
4. Corolla Altis - Regular maintenance reasonable, Part replacements are expensive. In this budget it'll most likely would be out of extended warranty.
5. Linea T-Jet - Depends on whether it sells in that budget in Pune/Bombay.

XCent, Aspire, Ameo, Zest if looking at compact sedans.

Ecosport if you are open to compact crossovers.