[ajayrec]

Hi All,

Last time when I was driving on Agra - Delhi highway (NH-2), I overtook a car. My speed was around 70 KMPH and I was on right most lane now. There was a truck in front of my car. Suddenly truck changed lane to its left and I saw another truck coming towards me HEAD ON ..!! I panicked, hit my brakes and managed to change my lane.

The other truck coming on wrong side didnt want to take a U turn which was about 5 KMs ahead so it decided to take wrong side road to cut through to other side.

I mentioned this incident because such incidents are pushing me towards cheaper (but safe) cars rather than expensive ones. Read 20 lacs category rather than 40-50 Lacs.

I have seen crazy bikers scratching your car, Auto wallas would hit you and then say sorry. Worst they would say "Please let me go, if you wish slap me. I am a poor guy". But matter of fact is the scratch you got would cost a lot if its a luxury saloon compared to a cheaper car (Audi scratch would cost bomb as compared to same scratch on Honda City may be?)

Am I only one thinking on these lines? Should these morons on the road push us towards more expensive and safe cars or cheaper ones which are cheaper to repair yet considerably safe? Would you compromise on your dream car because of such incidents? Or an huge SUV with "dont mess with me" looks is the answer?

Mods - Tried to find a thread for this, couldnt find any. Please move it if required.

Regards,

[mayankjha1806]

I am not so sure if such incidents make an impact on ones buying decision. Like me many would look at how frequent these problems arise. So in 365 days of the year how many days i will have to deal with this problem Vs some other problem. What is its frequency?

The other way to look at is Expensive/Cheap definition is very subjective. A 20L category car is an expansive proposition for me forget about 40+L category.

[MetalBuff]

A good thread for a discussion!

Forget about a new car, I think twice (ok, I am lying. Yes, thrice) before I decide to take my 8 year old car out of the garage. Reason? The very same ones that you quoted.

As for the autowallas, I am yet to come across any specimen, who would say "slap me, I am very poor" but, I guess that's just one of their tactics to get away with things.

The bikers are the best!! They don't want to show respect/ caution even towards a 1 crore rupee car. They ride bumper to bumper without the slightest whiff of worry in the world (What if, I scratch/ collide with it? No, nothing!!).

All this coupled with the lengthy and dead-end insurance procedures, I reckon most people from this enthusiast community do worry about all these problems before they take their beloved car out for a drive for whatever purpose (unless, it is a "beater" car )

-Shivang Gandotra

[ajayrec]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

I am not so sure if such incidents make an impact on ones buying decision. Like me many would look at how frequent these problems arise. So in 365 days of the year how many days i will have to deal with this problem Vs some other problem. What is its frequency?

The other way to look at is Expensive/Cheap definition is very subjective. A 20L category car is an expansive proposition for me forget about 40+L category.

Well, 40 lacs vs 20 lacs was just a comparison. One can work hard for years to save say 18 lacs to buy a Jetta - his dream car. Is it ok to go ahead and buy Jetta and take a risk of high maintenance cost arises because of such incidents or settle with a Vento and be comfortable wrt money.

Even 2 such incident in an year can dent your budget given you have purchased an expensive car as per your budget?

[mayankjha1806]

Originally Posted by ajayrec

Is it ok to go ahead and buy Jetta and take a risk of high maintenance cost arises because of such incidents or settle with a Vento and be comfortable wrt money.

Awesome, now this does make sense.

So, all this goes back to the same question and the book GTO uploaded sometime back, and they all talk about the same thing. Searching for what you need and how much you are willing to pay (Not just initial payment but TCO). If all that ties in with what one can afford then yes.

Most of the times i have seen youngsters forget to add maintenance cost to the overall cost of owning the car, mostly i have seen folks adding fuel+EMI to the liability and not much above it. If one has done all this numbers then there is hardly any chance to go wrong.

[ajayrec]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

Awesome, now this does make sense.

So, all this goes back to the same question and the book GTO uploaded sometime back, and they all talk about the same thing. Searching for what you need and how much you are willing to pay (Not just initial payment but TCO). If all that ties in with what one can afford then yes.

Most of the times i have seen youngsters forget to add maintenance cost to the overall cost of owning the car, mostly i have seen folks adding fuel+EMI to the liability and not much above it. If one has done all this numbers then there is hardly any chance to go wrong.

Agreed. We should account for maintenance cost and not only EMI + Fuel.
How easy is this calculation in India? I can buy a Jetta and keep aside 5K per month for maintenance (or 10K). I live in Singapore and I am 90% sure that I wont spend more than 100 dollar on maintenance. How can I get this number given number of crazy accidents we see everyday where with no fault of yours you are screwed.

[anilkalvani]

Exactly the very reason why, in our opinion (family), we don't believe in spending 10+ lacs on a new car. The Vento we got for 11L was like a splurge to us. Its not that we can't afford it but its just that in India, most drivers have no driving & traffic sense. Its the sad truth. Plus deviating slightly, we don't even have the roads for expensive cars. Some area with slums around will have 'corporator built' high scraping speed breakers, potholed roads, the problems are endless. Until things change drastically, our decision remains the same.

So i agree 100% with your predicament.

[hellmet]

When I was about to purchase a car, I thought very hard on these exact lines and I nearly almost went for the cheapest power-steering-equipped Alto with paintless bumpers so I couldn't give a darn if some idiot decided to scratch it. However, my heart was with the Beat and I went ahead with it eventually although it was a lakh more expensive. I still curse my heart's decision every time I encounter morons of such type you talk about and I think "I really should have bought the Alto".

The problem with these morons is that they don't value their vehicles, and it is apparent from the way the they treat theirs. So it makes no sense for them to value someone else's property either. I've routinely seen two wheelers keep 3-4inch space with the vehicle in front (in motion!!) and they crash into the bumper of the vehicle ahead even in the slightest stop. Then they act like nothing ever happened and ride away.

Therefore, I plan to drive this car to the ground so I wouldn't have to care about how it looks, how many scratches and dents it has on it, or what some kid decides to etch on it with keys. I'll keep maintaining the car mechanically but will stop bothering about the aesthetic aspects soon.

[razorBlades]

Very much affects indeed. I was very scared to buy a new car and just because of these morons, I had settled for a used car earlier. But now got myself a new one and on the very first day one idiot broke my indicators on the mirror. I was stationary and waiting for the signal and he was speaking on the phone while riding and just banged the car. even before I could open my windows, he broke the signal and wizzed off! I was very heartbroken!

Not just the morons who ride, but people in general get jealous whenever they see a new car and they just wantedly scratch it. I could see a BIG scratch on the boot which was done by using a concrete stone and the stone was lying right next to the car when I checked it in the morning! What to say about these kinda people? We had to park the car inside the house even though there is not enough space now, since the wheelbase of the new car is lengthier than our present car.

Hope things improve!

[MAS]

A good thread

Though in my case the price range of cars is no where near what is mentioned, I had similar incidents that affected my buying decision.

I owned a Toyota Corolla and I was very scared to drive it. All the points mentioned in the opening post happened to me.
- The Autos and Aces never respected the car and they used to cut in front of the car. They very well knew that the car owner would slow down to avoid damage.
- The bikes used to generously brush the ORVMs and i had to replace them once. The bumpers were also rubbed at the odd signal.

So, when i sold the Corolla, i decided that i should buy a car that helps me drive in peace. I ended up buying an Endeavour and i am at peace driving the car in the city. The Autos and Aces move out of the way automatically (it is true!!!). The handle bars and foot rests of the motorcycles are out of reach of the ORVM and the bumpers respectively.

[vb-saan]

Good thread!

Originally Posted by ajayrec

I mentioned this incident because such incidents are pushing me towards cheaper (but safe) cars rather than expensive ones. Read 20 lacs category rather than 40-50 Lacs.

Originally Posted by ajayrec

One can work hard for years to save say 18 lacs to buy a Jetta - his dream car. Is it ok to go ahead and buy Jetta and take a risk of high maintenance cost arises because of such incidents or settle with a Vento and be comfortable wrt money.

Even 2 such incident in an year can dent your budget given you have purchased an expensive car as per your budget?

Answer to the thread title is a big YES, but in a different way. Because of the said morons and their wayward road usage, I am forced to look at cars which are more expensive and a segment above than what I actually need.
Going by my requirements, all I need was a small /medium hatchback, but I went to check out cars which are a couple of segments above (e.g.; Jetta). Reason – there was no small car in our market which could give a right mix safety + performance + comfort which I was looking for. In my view, a couple of dents on an expensive/safe car are better than compromising the safety of the occupants.

[ajayrec]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Good thread!



Answer to the thread title is a big YES, but in a different way. Because of the said morons and their wayward road usage, I am forced to look at cars which are more expensive and a segment above than what I actually need.
Going by my requirements, all I need was a small /medium hatchback, but I went to check out cars which are a couple of segments above (e.g.; Jetta). Reason – there was no small car in our market which could give a right mix safety + performance + comfort which I was looking for. In my view, a couple of dents on an expensive/safe car are better than compromising the safety of the occupants.

Very well said. A very valid point. Safety!
Now of course, doesnt matter how much money you have got and whats your budget, life comes first. But again, If I get safety in a cheaper price (??), I would go for that. So a XUV 500 instead of Jetta? Or Duster instead of Honda City may be?

There has to be a fine balance between safety and cost of maintenance. And probably this is the reason of SUV being successful lately in India. A huge vehicle in rear mirror can keep few morons at bay!

@MAS - Yes, Endeavour is the answer I guess!

[ACM]

Morons on the Road make me:

1) Look for a vehicle with good bakes.
2) Look for a vehicle with lower cost of accident repairs - Read TATA, Maurti, M&M.
3) Look for a variant with No Xenon Headlamps or Autofold Mirrors with indicators, etc.
4) Look for a Macho SUV - To keep ricks and other vehicles away.
5) Look for a Vehicle with higher Safety standards and more equipment like 6 Airbags etc.
6) Big rear view mirrors and stuff like parking sensors and reverse camera becomes important - to spot a bike parked right behind the vehicle in an invisible pocket.

Vehicles like Aria, XUV-500, Storme, Duster, etc that full fill the needs in a certain segment as do the Nano, Alto, Swift, Vertito, i10, Vista etc in other segments. Some like the Scorpio do scare away the other vehicle, give great visibility and are cheaper to maintain but do fail as far as braking and high speed safety parameters are concerned.

That said the heart may be tempted to overrule the mind and one may end up regretting the decision each day during the daily drive.

Driving the Laura to work for me does end up being like going around on a off road trip with a filled glass of Champaign in the hand. One needs to give way to traffic that closes in.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by ajayrec

Very well said. A very valid point. Safety!
Now of course, doesnt matter how much money you have got and whats your budget, life comes first. But again, If I get safety in a cheaper price (??), I would go for that. So a XUV 500 instead of Jetta? Or Duster instead of Honda City may be?

There has to be a fine balance between safety and cost of maintenance. And probably this is the reason of SUV being successful lately in India. A huge vehicle in rear mirror can keep few morons at bay!

Oh yes definitely. For e.g.; if I get most of the parameters that I am looking for in a Polo GT, why to spend on a Jetta?

[Gansan]

Why bring the value of the car in to it? It took me years to save and buy my Alto, so it is as precious to me as someone's Jag is to him! Even my humble Splendor is precious to me!

As one who uses both a car and a bike, let me tell you not all two wheeler riders are morons nor all car drivers sane ones. Though the proportion of morons is higher in the former! And the moment a Nano owner has paid his LTT, he is as eligible to drive on the road as the owner of a Q7! And in heavy traffic, neither he nor a biker can help coming very close to your ride!

If these things bother us, we should keep our favourite rides for the week-end highway drives and take the public transport or a cab to work. Else,use a cheaper one for daily use as you have suggested!