[landcruiser123]

The easiest car to buy, maintain and run should be the Maruti Zen. Parts will be available, AC can be retrofitted if needed and the car is really easy to drive in city limits.

If 'status' is a priority, I'd suggest an Esteem/Baleno.

[GTO]

Thanks guys! Some awesome suggestions. Have forwarded a link to this thread .

To those of you who found the thought a bit funny, get this = parking spots in Bombay can cost over a crore - related thread (Car Parking costs a whopping Crore in Mumbai).

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by GTO

He figures that, if it's going to be parked in his compound, it might as well look nice. So, what's the most interesting car one can buy for 1 lakh?
Should be as hassle-free as possible to maintain,...

Baleno 1.6 sedan. Not very difficult to find, and though it might not be good looking exactly, the relatively clean lines wont displease anybody IMO (looks can be subjective though). Additional bonus is Maruti's network that can help fetch spares plus service. Icing on the cake : Composed ride, brilliant AC and nice to drive if taken out for occasional spin.

[gatsby_great]

Previous gen Hyundai Santro. Looks decently new, still practical and wouldn't even offend anyone. It should cost below a lac rupees.

[capslock]

Do they own the parking lot and wish to save it from intruders?
If so, they can rent it to someone trustworthy. Better than buying a 1L rupee sitting duck in my opinion.

[whitewing]

Practical cars - in addition to the suggestions above for well maintained Jap/Korean cars add Tata Nano.


But, my vote for "Cool car" for parking would be a Tata Estate, would look good + would ensure no encroachment :-) which is the intent of this vehicle.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by GTO

Someone in the family might need to buy a car to hold a parking spot. Wants to spend max of 1 lakh rupees.

He figures that, if it's going to be parked in his compound, it might as well look nice. So, what's the most interesting car one can buy for 1 lakh?

Nano.

With little bit of luck they can get a 4-5 year old Nano Twist for mere lakh rupees.
I don't know what they mean by looking nice, but Nano would be 1 lakh rupee well spent and can also be actually used very well in Mumbai as a beater car.

Another Idea would be to buy an OMNI. It can be used to dump extra stuff from house as well
Both these cars would give him a hassle free ownership experience but may not look good, unless he decides to do some mods on them.

[jkrishnakj]

If I had to do this , I'll hunt for a NE118. Always fascinated me when I started my career and was used to seeing the bosses at work drive these. I still turn my head and watch this car when I spot one. I'm guessing it'll come much cheaper too.

[Guna]

Chevy (Subaru) Forester! I believe that the price of some early (2003) models sold must be touching 1 lakh now. What you get is a capable soft roader which has full time 4 wheel drive with low range, boxer engine, frameless doors and one of the best road manners around. This car ages well, reliable and very well built.

[DreamsUnlimited]

How about a Chevy Spark? It's cute, reliable not difficult to maintain and usable in crowded places. I have had one for 8 years now and haven't faced too many niggles.
With GM throwing the towel in India, decent condition LS/LT variants can be bought for less than a lac.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by GTO

Someone in the family might need to buy a car to hold a parking spot. Wants to spend max of 1 lakh rupees.

Should be as hassle-free as possible to maintain, therefore W124s and the like are out. No Jeep or Gypsy either.

Contessa Classic?
HM Ambassador?
A neatly maintained Padmini?
An SS80 Maruti?

For it to look good, be easy to maintain (spare parts, easy availability of an FNG to work on it, limited electronics to mess around with, etc.) and give you a smile when you intend to drive it once in a while, I would look for something like:

1) Old Toyota Corolla - A guy in an apartment complex next to mine has it and it does the exact same. Keep his parking spot booked for him and he drives it once a week. It looks good too.

2) Maruti - A neatly maintained and painted M800. Same applies for the old Zen. If you could find Classic or the 2 door Carbon/Steel, even better. Have it repainted at a future date to keep the looks smashing.

3) Skoda Octavia Combi - Very rare estate and hence hard to find. More so in the given budget. But a looker and has great utility too. Baleno Estate can be searched for as an alternative

4) Honda - India First gen City or International 7th Gen Accord (2003 onward)

[Dr.Mechanic]

Since the objective of the vehicle is just to stand in the designated parking spot and look cool, it preferably should be a four wheeler to cover up the space and look like a fair play in order to hold the spot in an otherwise not-so-fair scenario when a bike/scooter will be parked there. The cars we have talking about until now seem to be doing good on the first part, but for the latter they lack the charm, arguably so. So might I suggest to spend some extra bucks to gain some extra cool. Go for the road legal Powerland 900D ATV! It's road legal and fun to drive vehicle in the city. Actually it falls under the category of agricultural tractor so is road legal. Super cool, super hold-the-parking.
The facelift of this thing is even cooler. Even UP police use them!
*Image source: Cartoq

[navin]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thanks guys! Some awesome suggestions. Have forwarded a link to this thread .

To those of you who found the thought a bit funny, get this = parking spots in Bombay can cost over a crore - related thread (Car Parking costs a whopping Crore in Mumbai).

I know several who have paid 1cr. for a covered parking in Mumbai. That said, I saw a Civic on Carwale for 1.4L. A little hard bargaining and you could get it for 1L or thereabouts. Given that you had a Civic (Discotheque) before it would nostalgic too.

https://www.carwale.com/used/cars-in...rk=4&isP=false

[devarshi84]

my suggestions would be as follows.

1. Chevrolet Beat. It is a looker, parts are still available and it will still look fresh after 5 years. Maintenance is low and the car is good to drive.

2. Tata nano AT. Might buy a car that works well if really a parking spot is to be held. Tata Nano's will disappear from our roads pretty soon.

3. HM Ambassador. A completely vintage styled Amby with retro colours and chrome elements will make the parking space look like a portrait if cleaned daily.

for reference.

[Lalvaz]

An original Japanese SS80. Very reliable, cheap to maintain, and a true harbinger of modern automobile technology in India.