[udave]

Apologies for the delayed response to the comments and suggestions. Thank you all again for your point-of-view. Between taking the Punto to Cars25/OLX CMC, work and a lot of thinking, I wasn't able to update the thread.

For now, I am planning to sell Punto and close Tiago's outstanding loan. Take a breather from all the financial pressure owning a new vehicle brings, since a 7 seater will only be used at the year end when my parents will be visiting. Meanwhile, will keep an eye open for any new launches/updates.

By the way, I took a TD for Marazzo and I liked the overall dynamics of the engine/MPV. Sure, you can't drive it like a hatch, as I realized while going over a speed breaker. The speed was a little more than how Marazzo liked it and I scraped the bottom on the bump. The handling on uneven roads is pretty good. So Marazzo is the go forward vehicle of choice, but will wait till I can put it to good use.

As for Punto, still trying to get the best deal out of the offers that I have. Will provide an update once I've sold off the vehicle :|.

Thanks,
Udave.

[Sanidhya mukund]

I sincerely hope that this thread will be able to solve my dilemma-

So my garage consists of a 2014 Mercedes c class and a 2000 ford ikon 1.3 exi in Delhi. In my hometown, I have a 1995 Maruti esteem and a 1993 Tata estate. I have owned all these cars from new.

Now for the confusion part-
Up untill recently, the Merc was my primary car and the ikon did the duties of a beater. The Tata estate and Maruti esteem have been lying neglected for years as nobody lives in my hometown and I have not been able to visit very often. Now, the NGT has banned older cars from plying on Delhi roads, as a result of which my ikon can no longer run.so I have the following options now :
1. Exchange the ikon for a brand new ford figo or Maruti ignis- this will fetch peanuts,and will be a waste of a car with new tyres, new clutch,new suspension and tons of brand new mechanical parts that I have recently replaced.

2. Scrap the Tata estate and Maruti esteem and send the ikon to my hometown- but the question is, will the ikon be able to make it through the 1500 km journey? Also, since I won't be visiting it very often, it will end up lying unused.

I am very confused as I have a certain emotional attachment towards all 3 of these cars. But the thing is that the Tata and esteem are not in running condition as they have not been run in years. Also, all their documents are expired and not likely to be renewed.

Hoping to be out of this problem soon!
Sanidhya

[self_driven]

Really felt bad reading your post. Many people in Delhi NCR have been forced to let go of their well-maintained cars due to NGT order.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Exchange the ikon for a brand new ford figo or Maruti ignis- this will fetch peanuts,and will be a waste of a car with new tyres, new clutch,new suspension and tons of brand new mechanical parts that I have recently replaced.

I don't think a new car dealer will consider your Ikon for exchange. Scrapping will be the only option as RTOs in Delhi won't issue NOC for such an old car.

One question for you:

Is there anyone at your hometown who uses/drives these cars? Even close friends/neighbours/relatives who could make use of the car there?

If not, there's no point sending the Ikon there to rot away.

If you have parking space for it, continue using the Ikon for local errands till any major expense comes up.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Originally Posted by self_driven

Really felt bad reading your post. Many people in Delhi NCR have been forced to let go of their well-maintained cars due to NGT order.


Thanks for the sympathy. It is really painful to even think about letting my beloved ikon go.



I don't think a new car dealer will consider your Ikon for exchange. Scrapping will be the only option as RTOs in Delhi won't issue NOC for such an old car.

I have been offered 20K by a few ford and Nexa dealers.


One question for you:

Is there anyone at your hometown who uses/drives these cars? Even close friends/neighbours/relatives who could make use of the car there?

No, there is nobody, as a result of which my esteem and estate have sunken into the ground. I would have sold them 10 years ago,but decided against it due to emotional attachment.


If not, there's no point sending the Ikon there to rot away.

If you have parking space for it, continue using the Ikon for local errands till any major expense comes up.

That is what I was doing, but nowadays traffic cops stop me the moment they see an old ford ikon. Also, over the past 5 years I have spent a lot of money restoring the car from the authorised ford service centres.

[freakmuzik]

Hi friends. I've been having some very weird dilemma about the cars in my garage which have three small cars (our usage and needs have been such)

The cars are:

1. 2010 Dec - Maruti Suzuki Wagon - R 1.0 VXI-ABS (80,000 kms)
2. 2014 April - Hyundai EON Magna Plus (36,000 kms)
3. 2015 June - Tata Nano (GenX) XT (24,000 kms)

Cars 1 and 3 are in Trivandrum where my parents live. The Nano was my car but then my sister and I moved to Chennai and brought along the EON over to Chennai with us (owing to the better boot space).

1. Mom loves the Wagon R and it has also been the car that we use to drive down to our hometown and for other highway drives.
2. Nano is almost lying idle except when my sister or I visit Trivandrum (monthly or bi-monthly visits)
3. EON is used in Chennai whenever required (500km a month at max). I use train/bus/flight for long trips and metro or share autos for small rides. Only otherwise I use my car.

Coming to the point, I LOVE driving. And I have kept aside spontaneous drives out of Chennai from my mind just because I don't find the EON to be highway-friendly. No ABS or Airbags, tinny build, puny tyres, small engine - you know it all.

The Nano is a car which we feel has no point being sold. It is like a spare scooter - extremely good at what it does within the city.

The W-R is pretty reliable, mom's favourite to drive around but we all find it short on space, especially rear seats, width and the boot space all of which matters on long drives. It's also super underpowered for Highways. And Marutis low end vehicles and safety are another huge concern. We had to wait for 7 months to get this car with ABS and Airbags so yeah, I really want to prioritise safety.

Options I considered:

For Selling:

1. Sell EON
2. Sell EON and Nano.

For Buying:

1. Buy USED car in Chennai - more spacious, safer and fun to drive than my cars.
2. Buy NEW car in Chennai
3. Think of alternatives like Rentals or ZAP Subscribe.

The combinations available are making me so confused.

Random USED car thoughts -
The used cars I thought of were the Figo/Aspire Diesel (great to drive and easy on the pocket, a little better on space and really better on safety and fun to drive factor. Also thought of the Toyota Etios petrol randomly after reading about how reliable they are and how spacious it is as well.

I don't want to spend too much on cars at the moment either but I'm very concerned on having a safe, good car as well. A major car upgrade may happen two years down the line so I really don't mind the USED car route.

I know my options are very confusing, but my dear gurus, any suggestions or advice please?

Thanks!

[2000rpm]

Sell the EON and Nano and buy a good used car in Chennai.

If you are planning to keep the car only for 2 years, highly recommend the Swift or any other Maruti car. You will take a max 75k depreciation hit if you buy from 1st owner.

Any other brand will lose a lot of money.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Now for the confusion part....

I think your decision is very simple, scrap the cars which are not in working condition without required papers - Simple straight forward

Ford, since it has been renovated, should be able to make the drive. Keep the IKON. You will get peanuts for it. It will sell for a price lower than the new alloy wheels with tyres.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

That is what I was doing, but nowadays traffic cops stop me the moment they see an old ford ikon. Also, over the past 5 years I have spent a lot of money restoring the car from the authorised ford service centres.

Scrap the cars not in running condition. No point keeping them around as is. Restoring either one, especially something like the Tata would cost a small fortune by itself. Restoring all would just be a wastage.

Scrapping them will actually free you of 2/3rd of the problem, and also net you some moolah.

Re the Ikon, logical choice would be to send it where the other two went, i.e. scrap it. But if you did decide to keep it for some unknown and unfathomable reason, you will at least have a bit of cash and more time to spend on it.


But seriously, scrap all three.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

... I really don't mind the USED car route.

Why don't you look at the SX4? It should be a depreciation disaster but fairly easy to maintain as it is a Maruti. An old Honda City is a safe option too. If you're open to 8-10 year old Corollas, they maybe your best bet. Search for "10 year old corolla" on T-BHP. Since you will not drive more than 500 km, fuel expense should not matter.

Also, selling the nano is completely your choice. But selling the Eon is something I'd do as it'd make life easy in terms of highway rides.

[Abhi_Automobile]

Hi Everybody,

I wanted to gather thoughts from all of you for the right mix of my garage.

Context:

Today my garage consists of 3 drives/rides:
1. Dec 2014 old Jetta TDI done about 50k
2. Nov 2914 old Ecosport TDCI with about 35 clicks
3. Triumph Street Twin I bought earlier this year

My wife I both drive and use cars often interchangeably (read: I sometimes get hold of Jetta )

The prime motivation to replace either of my two cars is to get an automatic. I am done driving manuals all the time, so for now, looking to replace one of my cars. Question is - which one?

Options:

If I replace Jetta, I am likely going to be looking at BMW X1, (base version), or equivalent. At about 5 yr mark, I think it may be about the right time I let go of my beloved VW, even though she has not run as much.

If I replace Ecosport, I'll likely be looking at City VAT or equivalent (Seltos DCT is a bit too expensive)

Whichever car I replace, I am likely to keep the new one for many years (10?), as well as keep my retained car for a fair while.

If you were in my shoes, what would you do, and what is your rationale behind your argument?

Looking for quick inputs as I am looking to take the decision soon. Thanks a ton in advance!

MOD NOTE:- Please do NOT cut-copy-paste text / smilies from other word software (MS Word / WhatsApp etc.). That results in a formatting error on our Forum.

Going forward, do keep in mind that it's best to type directly into Team-BHP.

Thanks.

[shankar.balan]

My suggestion is chuck both out and in place of the Jetta youre talking X1 and in place of the EcoSport just go petrol and AT.
If you must have a reasonably spacious SUV ish thing then the X1 will more or less do the job.
And you can get something nice like a VW Polo GT TSi AT to get you around the city.

[dhanushs]

Well, it depends on the kind of budget you have. With a min 2 car combo, I think, every garage needs to have

1. A comfortable car (FTD one, if you are driving and an enthusiast) for those good roads.
2. A car/SUV with good ground clearance for those bad roads.

Well, if you have an elaborate budget?... My garage would have.

• A fast and fun to drive car for weekends, or to satisfy the itch of those high revving twisties. (Ideally the two-door sports cars)
• A comfortable mile munching sedan for the highway runs. (Germans Luxos)
• An Automatic and powerful hatch for those city runs.
• A comfortable but fast SUV for the bad roads (Like the LC, LR Type)
• An UTE for the weekend camping trips (Like the V-Cross)
• A Lifestyle vehicle (toy) like the Thar or a custom 4x4 to just get muddy on those good days.
• A tempo traveller or a Toyota Coaster kind of vans custom-built for luxury for those family trips. (Also, a non-luxury one for the number of seats)
• A fast tourer bike for long-distance biking.
• An adventure bike (Like the Triumph Tiger) for biking fun.
• A scooter with ample storage for short runs.
• A tractor with a trailer for the very rare haul you might need. Also driving a tractor (without trailer) is kind of fun with independent drive wheel brakes.

If I have a more elaborate budget? Well, I'd buy iterations and combinations of the above!

Right now what I have?

A Pajero SFX
A Vento TDi Manual
A Palio 1.6 Sports
A TVS nTorqe Scooter
A 96 model 540DP
And My custom built MM540XD .

[voldemort]

IMO the Jetta diesel manual is an amazing car. Don't let go of yours!

Assuming it's easier to drive on the highways with a manual transmission (your left leg isn't working as much as it would in the city), I say keep your Jetta as your highway car.

For the city, well, Honda City AT is good, but it's getting old.

Since you were anyway considering cars like the X1, I suggest you take a second look at the Seltos.

I'm in a similar kind of dilemma. Our City diesel manual is a fine workhorse, but I think automatics would make my life a whole lot easier. I'm looking at everything from the humble Verna AT to Audi A3/Merc A-class. Seltos is the real contenter though. Let me wait for a year and see how things pan out for people who bought it.

[shuvc]

Since you have the budget for the X1, my suggestion would be to take your overall garage one step higher.

Retain the Jetta for 10 years. The same that you are planning for the new car.

Upgrade the other side of the garage with a Skoda Kodiaq. You should get the L&K at a price similar to the base X1.

The lady might hijack the new car, but then you'll have your beloved Jetta at your disposal

[Abhi_Automobile]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the amazing suggestions already. I realize that I didn't do a good job at explaining the budget constraints or my mental model..so, here we go.

I'll strictly change one car right now. I just don't have the risk appetite to change both, neither do I have the money!

My concern is, if I change to X1, it may not really feel like as much of an upgrade. When you bring practical considerations (read: discounts) into play, something like (base) X1 may cost in the late 20s, whereas the C class 35, and 3 series 45! So, don't think I can consider too many other cars. I can try the pre-owned route, but there may not be much difference in EMI, given the higher rate of interest and lower tenure on used cars.

If I change the Ecosport, I fear that my itch to upgrade will keep bugging me even after I get hold of an auto. The other thing is - if I upgrade my secondary car, then I'll keep my budget more tightly in check (Seltos DCT OOB then) than if I upgrade my primary car.

PS: For the Jetta supporters - mine is Pete tuned, running Momo R17", with Michelin 225, R45 17inchers��

That's her!

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

Thanks for amazing suggestions already.

Sell the Ecosport. Less driven + diesel + more popular + SUV body style = easier to sell at a good price.

Replace it with another crossover kind of vehicle, be it Seltos or Hector or anything else. 2 sedans in a garage without a utility vehicle doesn't add up.

I'm sure you'd suffer much less loss while selling the Ecosport now rather than the Jetta. Also from an enthusiast's perspective, Jetta is clearly the one that you should retain. 50k kms is nothing for a modern premium car. And honestly, not many cars in the market will feel like an upgrade to your Jetta in terms of driving pleasure.