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Originally Posted by ImmortalZ
(Post 1328947)
Wheel bearings. Those will have significantly reduced life if not used. |
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Originally Posted by SS-Traveller
(Post 1328816)
Nothing happens to a car stored for a year or more, except degeneration of these two components. |
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Originally Posted by TRAUMASURG
(Post 1329152)
There is no harm in buying a brand new car sitting in the dealer lot if it is a one year old model |
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Originally Posted by Roy.S
(Post 1329282)
Well, if the price is right, why not? |
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Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 1329828)
I'll elaborate why it's not a good idea: 1. The i10 is a hot-seller. Why would a particular example have been in storage for about a year, when there are customers lining up for an i10 everyday? Why did this sole car not find a home when its production batchmates did just fine? Difficult to comment on this, but maybe the car did not sell because of the recession? Surely it wouldn't be a lemon. That can be only decided once it's working on the road... 2. What is the guarantee that this car was not used as a test-drive car? Or a couple of joy rides perhaps. 3. What is the guarantee that this car was not used as a parts car, including as a supply for warranty replacements? The company provides a warranty (4yr/80k km on the i10 IIRC) to cover parts and production quality from the date of sale/registration. If it was a test drive car, the odo would read some mileage. If the dealer has reset the odo, and it would be easily discovered if he did, that would be a legal offence. 4. How was it stored? Not indoors I'm sure. The effect of direct sun and the relevant hot - cold temperature fluctuation on an idle car? What about flood damage? Engine bays of ignored cars are a haven for rats. Which Indian stock yard is rat free again? Sun exposure of paint does cause fading / peeling in some low quality paints, which would be immediately visible on inspection and cannot be hidden/polished over. Most new generation paints don't fade/peel so easily, since they are not nitrocellulose (NC) based like the paints of yore. Again, flood/rat damage will be evident on inspection/test drive before purchase. The t-bhp PDI checklist will come in handy here for non-technical folks. 5. Manufacturers don't announce the same, but improvements (however small) are constantly made to cars year on year (based on customer feedback, warranty claims, part failure reports etc.). This car surely isn't the beneficiary of any of these? That is of course a major downside of buying an older model car. 6. Was it washed on a daily basis? All of us know the answer to that. Couple that, with the direct sun effect, I'd love to see the paint quality on this car. Paint quality and deterioration thereof, as explained earlier, would be immediately evident on pre-purchase inspection. 7. Tyres + battery have, in all probability, deteriorated. I'm willing to bet on damage to rubber seals, beading, wiper blades, rust inside the exhaust etc. etc. Even the braking system would need to be flushed & checked for any defects. Tyres and battery WILL deteriorate, as will rubber that is directly exposed to sun (such as wiper blades), but not those rubber components (such as door seals, rubber pipes, etc.) which are not exposed to direct sunlight. Most rubber components in automobiles are capable now of lasting over 3 years in tropical climates, since they are synthetic (EPDM). Which is why I had mentioned in a previous post that the tyres and battery ought to be of recent manufacture. Wiper blades are a minor expense to replace. A little rust inside the exhaust does not matter, because all exhausts rust with time but continue to function as well as they are designed to. The brake system will contain DOT4 fluid factory-filled, and is good for a minimum of 3 years from date of filling, before the fluid needs change - there would be no reason to flush and check the unused system. Discs and drums will rust on the friction surfaces, but that would go away as soon as the brakes operate. In fact, rust on the disc surfaces is a good indicator that the car would not have been used for a long time. 8. You are paying a lesser amount now, but the resale value will also be lower. That will depend on the quantum of discount offered. If the discount is Rs.5,000, I'd say 'forget it'. If it's Rs.50,000, I'd go for it... There are simply too many "ifs" & "buts" to this situation. Cars are built to run. If I'm buying new, I want NEW. Else, I'd rather pick a used 1 year old i10 that has seen *atleast* weekly running, than another that's been standing in one place. Heck it'll be far cheaper as well! A second owner 1-year-old car would definitely be cheaper, but with a part of the warranty expired, and with greater chances of misuse by the previous owner, for which he can't be held responsible later on. The dealer can and will be held responsible. |
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Originally Posted by SS-Traveller
(Post 1330508)
@GTO: I would beg to differ with your opinion, as explained below: |
| Difficult to comment on this, but maybe the car did not sell because of the recession? Surely it wouldn't be a lemon. That can be only decided once it's working on the road... |
| If the dealer has reset the odo, and it would be easily discovered if he did, that would be a legal offence. |
| Sun exposure of paint does cause fading / peeling in some low quality paints, which would be immediately visible on inspection and cannot be hidden/polished over. |
| Again, flood/rat damage will be evident on inspection/test drive before purchase. |
| The t-bhp PDI checklist will come in handy here for non-technical folks. |
| Tyres and battery WILL deteriorate, as will rubber that is directly exposed to sun (such as wiper blades), but not those rubber components (such as door seals, rubber pipes, etc.) which are not exposed to direct sunlight. Most rubber components in automobiles are capable now of lasting over 3 years in tropical climates, since they are synthetic (EPDM). |
| The brake system will contain DOT4 fluid factory-filled, and is good for a minimum of 3 years from date of filling, before the fluid needs change - there would be no reason to flush and check the unused system. |
| That will depend on the quantum of discount offered. If the discount is Rs.5,000, I'd say 'forget it'. If it's Rs.50,000, I'd go for it... |
| A second owner 1-year-old car would definitely be cheaper, but with a part of the warranty expired, and with greater chances of misuse by the previous owner, for which he can't be held responsible later on. The dealer can and will be held responsible. |
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Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 1331058)
...most dealer test-drive cars have their odo disconnected. And yes, this practice is impossible to detect. Not really - the odo cables have a paint seal after fitment from the factory, which is impossible to replicate once disturbed. I'm glad you agree that some parts will deteriorate. I hope you are not mentioning this sarcastically. :) As for the other components which are capable of lasting over 3 years, you have effectively lost one full year of the life of the rubber with a one year old car, isn't it? Yes - and it would be justified if I gain a Rs.50,000 discount... Brake fluid attracts moisture. And even in a running car, most manufacturers recommend a change once in two years. I don't agree with the 3 year time period. Once again, like wipers, replacing brake fluid is a minor expense, and easily done. A lot of cars on the road have never had brake fluid replaced for 5 years, and run without issues. A year old i10 will fetch atleast 25 - 30K less when its time for resale? What is the net benefit then? Provided the buyer is selling it at the end of just one year, the net benefit will be Rs.20,000. If he sells it at the end of 5 years, he still has a 2009-registered first-owner car to sell, and most buyers in the second-hand car market will look at the registration date rather than the manufacting date, and the owner's serial number. So, as compared to his buying a 2008-registered second-owner car for the same money, he will still benefit by 30-40k. The point was : If I am buying new, I want new. If I want to save, then I can also consider a well-maintained 10,000 kms run i10 that could (potentially) be in better shape than dead inventory from a stockyard. New = hasslefree ownership = premium price. Fully justified when the price paid is premium. If a substantial discount is available, which brings the price to almost the equivalent of a second-hand car of a similar age, ONLY then would I go for it. NOT otherwise (e.g., if the discount offered is 5k). |
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Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 1331058)
In the end, it all boils down to personal preferences. |
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Originally Posted by SS-Traveller
(Post 1331121)
At the cost of sounding argumentative, however, may I mention some disagreements as below... |
| Not really - the odo cables have a paint seal after fitment from the factory, which is impossible to replicate once disturbed. |
| A lot of cars on the road have never had brake fluid replaced for 5 years, and run without issues. |
| and most buyers in the second-hand car market will look at the registration date rather than the manufacting date, and the owner's serial number. |
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Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 1331459)
That's the beauty of a forum, isn't it?! :). |
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Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 1331459)
Surely not a straight-forward check & neither do all cars have it? Sure sounds like another thing to add to that long list of checks on a 1 year old car! |
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Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 1331459)
Navin ran an Audi for 30,000 miles (or similar) without an oil change. Doesn't say anything about what is ideal. |
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Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 1331459)
Actually, the manufacturered date is the one that most buyers (and all dealers) look at. Irrespective of age of car. |
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Originally Posted by 100BHP how much is the discount and addtional freebies offered by the dealer ? |
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Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 1329828)
I'll elaborate why it's not a good idea: 1. The i10 is a hot-seller. Why would a particular example have been in storage for about a year, when there are customers lining up for an i10 everyday? Why did this sole car not find a home when its production batchmates did just fine? 2. What is the guarantee that this car was not used as a test-drive car? Or a couple of joy rides perhaps. 3. What is the guarantee that this car was not used as a parts car, including as a supply for warranty replacements? 4. How was it stored? Not indoors I'm sure. The effect of direct sun and the relevant hot - cold temperature fluctuation on an idle car? What about flood damage? Engine bays of ignored cars are a haven for rats. Which Indian stock yard is rat free again? 5. Manufacturers don't announce the same, but improvements (however small) are constantly made to cars year on year (based on customer feedback, warranty claims, part failure reports etc.). This car surely isn't the beneficiary of any of these? 6. Was it washed on a daily basis? All of us know the answer to that. Couple that, with the direct sun effect, I'd love to see the paint quality on this car. 7. Tyres + battery have, in all probability, deteriorated. I'm willing to bet on damage to rubber seals, beading, wiper blades, rust inside the exhaust etc. etc. Even the braking system would need to be flushed & checked for any defects. 8. You are paying a lesser amount now, but the resale value will also be lower. There are simply too many "ifs" & "buts" to this situation. Cars are built to run. If I'm buying new, I want NEW. Else, I'd rather pick a used 1 year old i10 that has seen *atleast* weekly running, than another that's been standing in one place. Heck it'll be far cheaper as well! |
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