[flipsyde]

I currently own a 2003 Toyota Corolla which has run about 88k kms. I am the second owner and have had it now for almost 3 years. I bought the car back in July 2008 when I was fresh out of college as my first car. It had 54k kms on the odo back then. Even today the car is in great shape other than for minor niggles here and there.

After my purchase in 2008 I have changed a set of tyres, battery, clutch, front suspension, rear bearings, alternator rectifier and regulator and central locking system. Other than that I have spent close to 65k on the music system.

Now that my loan tenure on the car is coming to an end I am tempted to upgrade. I should however blame (thank) GTO for his wonderful thread on lateral upgrading.

I currently have offers of around 3.5L for the car and I was looking at putting in another 3.5L towards my next car purchase which gives me a total budget of 7L. For that money I was clear about 2 things - A younger car and lesser kms on the clock.

Given the requirements I had the Honda Civic in mind. I have driven the car earlier and quite frankly am not blown away by. Low ground clearance and poor low end torque is a little putting off. But its a newer car and its a Honda so I am giving it a serious thought.

Honda Civic - Pros - Newer car than current + Lower Kms + Better handling
Cons - Lower mileage + Poor low end torque + Low ground clearance + Unknown car history

Toyota Corolla - Pros - Good low end torque + Good mileage + Known History + Good Music system
Cons - 8 year old car + 88k kms on the clock + Poor handling

So I have been thinking now. Does it make sense to change the car right away or should I keep it for a while longer, save up and go for a much better upgrade?

I would appreciate any sort of advice and also requesting Chennai T-BHPians to let me know of any Honda Civics on sale.

[mdsaab]

Personally i would plonk on a civic. but the new one is around the corner so if you could, nothing like going in for the new one. or atleast wait to check it out. how about the corolla altis? did you not like it?

[indianv2]

I would suggest you to retain the Corolla.

Consider the following points:

1. I would suggest you to retain the Corolla. A known enemy is better than an unknown friend.

2. The service history since your possession is a gold point for sure.

3. 88K is nothing for a Toyota. If cared for, they are known to reliably run post 400K!

4. Overall interior room is comparable for both cars.

5. The Civic is a taut handler. But it is low slung and ingress and outgress can be a pain if you are a tall person.

6. You have invested in some areas of your car. It is time to make good the investment.

7. Many new cars are on the horizon. Verna, Fiesta et all to name a few.

8. Invest the moolah you plan to invest additionally. It could become a sizable down payment some years down the line when you finally get bored of the Corolla.

[sgiitk]

The new Civic has been reviewed in TopGear. Do not expect it (the saloon) here much before 2012. I do not think you stand to gain a lot by switching from the Corolla to the Civic!

[flipsyde]

@mdsaab - I like the altis. But they haven't depreciated much. I surely won't get one around the 7L mark. And even if the new Civic comes I am not sure if the current one would depreciate by much.

[dipen]

@mdsaab
The new one is not at all impressive OR at least does not appear to be. Plus he is anyways buying used. Dont think the resale would be affected at all.

@flipsyde
How about a used Laura TSi. It would be difficult switching the from the benchmark of reliability to a brand which is the opposite.

If you are not concerned about the segment, you could even consider a used Vento highline tdi. A understand that there is a huge waitlist for a new one, used examples would surely come by.

The current Civic by far beats anything on the roads seen frequently in terms of looks.

[TRANSAM]

hi flipsyde, had been using a 03 Corolla for a long time-the AT version, its a fairly vanilla car(but dependent ) and boring after a while, so understand where you coming from. however for the kind of money youre looking at spending (or more) the newer models being launched, would most certainly be worth the wait IMO and still fetch a decent re-sale on her..all the best.

[dot]

@flipsyde,

Since you are looking for a used Civic, so will limit my observations against the points that you have raised.

Honda Civic -
Pros -
Newer car than current. Nothing to say here. The older Corolla really cant be compared to the latest gen Civic.

Lower Kms. That you will probably get.

Better handling. Any day.

Cons -

Lower mileage. Not really. Properly driven an MT can return 10 to 11.

Poor low end torque - One can always change driving habits. If you go for an AT this wont be an issue.

Low ground clearance- Chennai Roads seemed ok when I last rode on them. Not a major issue, maybe TBHPians there can throw a better light on this. Definitely not an issue in Pune, we can tell you that.

Unknown car history: Honda A.S.S. keeps records which they tell over phone if you give the regn and chassis number. If you happen to find a good car, you can always call up the Honda service around Chennai and get the history.

[fuel_addict]

Any reason why you are not considering a used Honda City (ANHC) or a new Etios? I agree they both are low on power (especially the Etios) compared to Corolla/Civic but you can get a newer car and yet stay with Toyota or Honda assuming that is your preference.

[mdsaab]

The new civic while not so impressive on looks may turn out to be a surprise package, like they say looks can be deceiving. no i dont think the current civics would dep by much once the new one is launched, anyways, at the current pre owned rates, you can find a good example at nearly half the showroom cost. what more could one ask for?
Also since you are willing to wait and spend more later, you could end up buying new.
also did not suggest cars like fiesta, vera etc since you want a lateral upgrade. But if going one segment higher in the future do keep a check on the new sonata transform, what a looker!

[flipsyde]

@indian2v - Your post makes a lot of sense. I have put over a lac since its purchase back in 2008 to make sure she is in perfect shape. I have no doubt that the engine will last as long 400k kms but its the rest of the components I am worried about. The A/C Compressor, Alternator etc etc are expensive to replace and are likely to fail around the 1L km mark.

@sgiitk - Hence the confusion. I have sat and driven the Civic its good but its just not twice as good as the Corolla I currently own (since thats the price I'll be paying).

@dipen - Skodas scare me honestly. I have seen and personally been a crying shoulder to a close friend who owned a Laura. Too expensive to maintain for my pocket!

@transam - Perfect word for the Corolla - Plain Vanilla. Does everything well in a dull sort of way. I know lot of cars are coming to India which is why I am willing to wait even for a month or two before my next purchase.

@dot - Lot of very valid points in favour of the Civic. But I am not sure about the mileage bit. I have heard people getting around 8-9kmpl inside city. My Corolla gives me 10kmpl inside city and 13kmpl on the highway runs.

@fuel_addict - More than the segment its really the space inside. The new city is nice but I just feel its cramped compared to the Corolla. The main reason I am looking for a replacement in the same segment is for the space and comfort on the inside.

@mdsaab - I am quite sure I don't want to downgrade a segment. Unless I am really smitten by the new comers!

Also want to know the general opinion about buying second owner cars. I have come across a two owner Civic for 6L. Its got only 30k kms on the clock and seems fairly well maintained. Is it really worth considering since I save close to 1L?

[AirWind]

Are you open to considering a used Mitsu Cedia? Excellent used examples should be available for sub 6L but are hard to come by...

[flipsyde]

@airwind - Nice car in fact I looked for one desperately when I bought the Corolla. They are very few in numbers and hardly any stay on sale for too long.

[dot]

Originally Posted by flipsyde

But I am not sure about the mileage bit. I have heard people getting around 8-9kmpl inside city. My Corolla gives me 10kmpl inside city and 13kmpl on the highway runs.

You can check the Civic ownership threads. Folks have reported pretty good FE there. Frankly, is it very different in getting 9 in Civic and 10 in Corolla?

Originally Posted by flipsyde

Also want to know the general opinion about buying second owner cars. I have come across a two owner Civic for 6L. Its got only 30k kms on the clock and seems fairly well maintained. Is it really worth considering since I save close to 1L?

If service history is good, then it should be a good deal. One can take the car for a long drive so see if any niggles show up. Again, several preworshipped Civic threads are there in the ownership forum which says what to look out for.

[shuvc]

Other than getting a newer car and the 'itch to switch' , I too do not see much reason to move to a Civic.

If you must go change, you could also consider the Accord or Sonata. You could get some decent specimens at 7L.