[arvi86]

@ All - Just an update. Since the dealer was very adamant during negotiations, I decided not to ay the advance amont last Thursday. I called up and informed him that I would be able to pay the advance only after I return to Chennai this Friday. In the meantime, I am planning to check out some other Civics also and then decide.

Amidst all this, I am here in Pune on an official work. I had little time in the evening yday and just went and casually enquired a small used-car dealer near Viman Nagar who had cars sanding by the road-side with 'For Sale' boards on them. He had a moderately maintanied 2007 Civic (a few scratches and dents) wih 32K on the odo and quoted a price of 6.4L. Pretty decent quote considering a similar car in Chennai would be quoted for atleast 7L.

[dot]

Originally Posted by arvi86

Amidst all this, I am here in Pune on an official work. I had little time in the evening yday and just went and casually enquired a small used-car dealer near Viman Nagar who had cars sanding by the road-side with 'For Sale' boards on them. He had a moderately maintanied 2007 Civic (a few scratches and dents) wih 32K on the odo and quoted a price of 6.4L. Pretty decent quote considering a similar car in Chennai would be quoted for atleast 7L.

Hey, if you are in Pune for sometime, do let us know.

The used car shops on Nagar road are very dicey, BTW. As you said, prices in Mumbai and Pune are generally lower than south. Pune is typically 50k more expensive than Mumbai.

[mdsaab]

agree with @dot about the Nagar rd dealers being dicey.
but it's ok to check out the cars, the more you experience different examples the better it is for you. you will know what to look out for.
Try visiting Mahindra First Choice, they are pretty reliable and you might get to see a few examples here.
Good luck!
And hey if you are on our side of town, then maybe we could meet up. @dot is from this side too.

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by dot

Hey, if you are in Pune for sometime, do let us know.
The used car shops on Nagar road are very dicey, BTW. As you said, prices in Mumbai and Pune are generally lower than south. Pune is typically 50k more expensive than Mumbai.

That's surprising. I thought these prices were cheap. But from what you say, I understand Mumbai is even cheaper. I wish I was in Mumbai for this reason only.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

agree with @dot about the Nagar rd dealers being dicey.
but it's ok to check out the cars, the more you experience different examples the better it is for you. you will know what to look out for.
Try visiting Mahindra First Choice, they are pretty reliable and you might get to see a few examples here.
Good luck!
And hey if you are on our side of town, then maybe we could meet up. @dot is from this side too.

Thanks for your invite. I will surely meet up with you guys the next time as I have to leave tomorrow for Chennai. And yes, I just checked out the Civic just to gain some more experience before I settle for one in Chennai.

[arvi86]

I am in a big fix right now. Checked out a car today morning. A 2008 White V MT model which has done 20000 K on the odo. When I thought of checking out its Service History in the two dealerships, I got the following answers:

1. Sundaram Honda says the car is bought from Capital Honda and is registered in the name of Mr. X. It has come for service only once there. The most recent 20K service was done last month.
2. Capital Honda says the car is bought from Sundaram Honda and is registered in the name of Mr. Y. It has come there twice. Once in 2009 June for fixing the rear parking sensors and once in 2010 Apr for a general service and for a duplicate key.

Something is very fishy with this one. I have decided to investigate further but stay away from this one. BTW, how can this happen? There are only 2 dealerships in the city and both says its registered with the other dealer.

[arvi86]

What a weekend this has been! Continuing my search for my dream machine, the "Honda Civic", I came across a total of 6 cars. I just had a look at some of them and drove some. Considering the earlier 2 cars that were in contention, the total tally went to 8. Finally, the very first one, the blue Civic 1.8S MT (Pics on Pg 2 of this topic) emerged as the best of the lot at a considerably good price. Just for the sake of convenience, I am posting a couple of pics in this post also. Sorry for this mods!

After lots of pondering, finally I decided to take the plunge into the world of pre-owned Civics. I would not call it "pre-worshiped" because I really don't know how the previous owner treated the car. I just returned after paying a token advance of Rs.25000 for the car. I would be taking delivery of the car this Friday. With loads of excitement and a sprinkling of fear in the bottom of my heart, I am waiting for the D-Day of my life.

[silverblue]

Hi. I recently test drove a 2006 Honda Civic (AT) with 68,000km on the odometer. The car handled well and seemed in good shape except for the following issues:

1. The upholstery will need to be re-done
2. Metallic paint on the gear lever, door handles have flaked out.
3. Couple of minor dents on the body.
4. While the car is running, there is a rumble coming from the engine compartment or the exhaust (not sure). The owner says that the silencer hit a speed breaker and will need to be fixed. The car sounds great with the broken silencer though

Asking price is 5L. Is this a good deal for a Civic? What might be the maintenance costs of the car over the next year. Will there be any major service due? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[dot]

Please find my thoughts and replies in bold.

The upholstery will need to be re-done

Can be done at a decent shop. Turns out that not every shop can do a good job on the center arm rests, both front and rear. So one needs to locate a good fitter.

Metallic paint on the gear lever, door handles have flaked out.

Very common issue. Can be repainted. I hope you have checked the ownership threads and Long term maintenance threads

Couple of minor dents on the body.

Easy repair possible.

While the car is running, there is a rumble coming from the engine compartment or the exhaust (not sure). The owner says that the silencer hit a speed breaker and will need to be fixed. The car sounds great with the broken silencer though

Not sure what this sound could be. Some Civic ATs have a rumbling sound which comes from torque converter. I would suggest to check it out from H.A.S.S.

Asking price is 5L. Is this a good deal for a Civic?

Asking price is too low. I would get worried by it. Have you checked the maintenance, service and insurance records.

What might be the maintenance costs of the car over the next year. Will there be any major service due?

Again do drop in to the Civic maintenance thread. These aspects are being discussed in detail as we speak. In short, a well maintained car will not have any major expenses. However, a used car may need several part replacements and service requirements. Best thing is to check the car's records with Honda.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by silverblue

Hi. I recently test drove a 2006 Honda Civic (AT) with 68,000km on the odometer...
68k is nothing for a Honda Engine, but the other stuffs needs attention. Especially the trany

1. The upholstery will need to be re-done
   Matter of few bucks depending on the present condition
2. Metallic paint on the gear lever, door handles have flaked out.
   Got the gear knob repainted free of cost from a known mechanic. Output was fantastic, like brand new. IMO it should cost note more than a few hundreds
3. Couple of minor dents on the body.
   Very common for a 5 year old vehicle. Ease of repairing & the cost depend on the location & the severity of the dent
4. While the car is running, there is a rumble coming from the engine compartment or the exhaust (not sure). The owner says that the silencer hit a speed breaker and will need to be fixed.
   Please do get it checked from A.S.S. Owner may even say that the sound is from the neighboring car (either to sell the car or may be by ignorance)
   The car sounds great with the broken silencer though

Asking price is 5L. Is this a good deal for a Civic?
5L? It is very low for a Civic. AFAIK this could be the cheapest Civic available in the country. Something smells fishy here. Get it checked through a reliable mechanic, to be more specific on the mileage, accident history, etc.
What might be the maintenance costs of the car over the next year. Will there be any major service due? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Please refer the Civic maintenance thread. We have a 2007 SMT, no big hole in our pockets till date. I hope the rear suspension may need replacement. Also check for the Engine mounts

Please find the comments in bold.

[arvi86]

Hi silverblue. As many of the forum members know, I have been scouting for a pre-owned Civic in Chennai for the past 3 weeks. I went, saw, drove and checked the service history of almost 8 cars before finalizing the very first car that I saw. Of all the examples I saw, even Civic MTs which have had two owners in the past and crossed 50K kms were not quoted a price below 6.5 L. So for me, the asking price of this 2006 Civic AT seems a little fishy.

But, if you are getting it at that price, do make sure that you visit a dealer and get the full service history of that particular vehicle. The dealers would not be giving you a hard-copy of the history but would be courteous enough to show you all the work done on the car since the date of purchase. Do check that out before settling in for the car.

Originally Posted by silverblue

Hi. I recently test drove a 2006 Honda Civic (AT) with 68,000km on the odometer. The car handled well and seemed in good shape.
Asking price is 5L. Is this a good deal for a Civic? What might be the maintenance costs of the car over the next year. Will there be any major service due? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[silverblue]

Originally Posted by dot

Asking price is too low. I would get worried by it. Have you checked the maintenance, service and insurance records.

Originally Posted by arvi86

Of all the examples I saw, even Civic MTs which have had two owners in the past and crossed 50K kms were not quoted a price below 6.5 L. So for me, the asking price of this 2006 Civic AT seems a little fishy.

The price did seem to good to be true to me too. I will have to think hard about this one. Will check the records on the car. Thanks!

[silverblue]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Please find the comments in bold.

Thanks for the advice. Will check the service history at the Honda A.S.S. center.

[mdsaab]

@arvi86
Congratulations! so you finally took the plunge and soon your dreams will be realized. fantastic. Wish you the very best with your new baby.

[dot]

@arvi86, congratulations. So this is the first car which we discussed in detail, the one with 06 rear glasses. Looking forward for a ownership review soon.

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

@arvi86
Congratulations! so you finally took the plunge and soon your dreams will be realized. fantastic. Wish you the very best with your new baby.

Originally Posted by dot

@arvi86, congratulations. So this is the first car which we discussed in detail, the one with 06 rear glasses. Looking forward for a ownership review soon.

Hearty thanks mdsaab and dot. Eagerly waiting for Friday to take delivery of the Civic. The very next day, I would be driving down to Trichy where my parents stay. This trip is not only to show my new possession to them but also to observe/check that everything in the car is perfect.