Need hatchback for 1-2 yrs: Used car or subscription?

kushagra452 · 16th July 2021, 10:25

Hello BHPians,

Hope you are all safe and doing well. My friend reached out to me to help him make a car purchase decision. He is going to get married soon and will be moving to Delhi NCR by the end of this year. He has a Canadian PR card and plans to move to Canada with his wife in early 2023 (Jan-March). He will however need a car while in Delhi NCR to commute to work and a few short weekend trips in and around Delhi.

His usage will be mostly around 1200-1500 kms per month and the car will only be used by him and his wife. He is in a dilemma whether to buy a new hatchback, go for a subscription service (like offered by Nissan) or simply walk over to a Maruti True Value showroom and pick up a used car.

Your thoughts on this will help in making the right decision. Thank you very much!

abhishek46 · 16th July 2021, 10:38

Subscription plans in India are not at all worth consideration.
The Installment payouts are atrocious, and to add insult to injury, there will be a cap on how many Kms you can use the car in a particular period as well.

You would be better off buying a used vehicle, and selling it off after a year or so of usage.

MASK · 16th July 2021, 12:59

I believe one other important consideration should be what does he/his family drive wherever he is before moving to NCR.

If their existing ride is due for a change/upgrade now or in the next couple of years, it may make sense to buy a car that would eventually replace that one.

He can chose to use the new car or have his parents/siblings use the new one (and take his existing car to NCR).

If above is not applicable, a used car should be the way to go.

You may also want to help your friend in searching for a used car. "Just going over to the nearest True Value and picking up a good example" does explain that he does not want any hassles, but he may be able to save loads if he spends some time looking around.

Regards,
MASK

daredevil · 16th July 2021, 14:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by kushagra452

Hello BHPians,

Your thoughts on this will help in making the right decision. Thank you very much!

Based on the requirements, used car is the way to go. If he doesn't have time or experience to look for used car on his own, Maruti Truevalue is not a bad option at all.

anandhsub · 16th July 2021, 15:02

Given it is a hatchback he is looking at there are plenty of used Swifts/Balenos/i20s in the market and if u are buying a 3-5 yr old car you wont have much depreciation loss too.

Seems like the best option to me.

Subscriptions might work for more premium cars while it doesnt make sense to buy new for anything less than a 7 yr holding period.

kushagra452 · 16th July 2021, 15:21

Thank you everyone for your valuable suggestions. I shall convey the same to my friend. Buying a used car in the Delhi NCR market is certainly going to be challenging. I will refer to the posts on the same available on Team BHP for guidance.

Moderators, kindly close this thread.

akash_v12 · 16th July 2021, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by kushagra452

Hello BHPians,

Hope you are all safe and doing well.

Honestly, from what I've heard, finding an used car in NCR isn't too hard. A friend's family picked up a used Ciaz after returning from Myanmar at around 5.5L (ZXI AT, 2015). If you want any leads, let me know and I'll ask her for the dealer's number.

16th July 2021, 10:25	#1
kushagra452 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: New Delhi Posts: 308 Thanked: 923 Times	Need hatchback for 1-2 yrs: Used car or subscription? Hello BHPians, Hope you are all safe and doing well. My friend reached out to me to help him make a car purchase decision. He is going to get married soon and will be moving to Delhi NCR by the end of this year. He has a Canadian PR card and plans to move to Canada with his wife in early 2023 (Jan-March). He will however need a car while in Delhi NCR to commute to work and a few short weekend trips in and around Delhi. His usage will be mostly around 1200-1500 kms per month and the car will only be used by him and his wife. He is in a dilemma whether to buy a new hatchback, go for a subscription service (like offered by Nissan) or simply walk over to a Maruti True Value showroom and pick up a used car. Your thoughts on this will help in making the right decision. Thank you very much!
	() Thanks

16th July 2021, 10:38	#2
abhishek46 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,813 Thanked: 5,864 Times	Re: Need hatchback for 1-2 yrs: Used car or subscription? Subscription plans in India are not at all worth consideration. The Installment payouts are atrocious, and to add insult to injury, there will be a cap on how many Kms you can use the car in a particular period as well. You would be better off buying a used vehicle, and selling it off after a year or so of usage.
	(2) Thanks

16th July 2021, 12:59	#3
MASK Newbie Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 10 Thanked: 39 Times	Re: Need hatchback for 1-2 yrs: Used car or subscription? I believe one other important consideration should be what does he/his family drive wherever he is before moving to NCR. If their existing ride is due for a change/upgrade now or in the next couple of years, it may make sense to buy a car that would eventually replace that one. He can chose to use the new car or have his parents/siblings use the new one (and take his existing car to NCR). If above is not applicable, a used car should be the way to go. You may also want to help your friend in searching for a used car. "Just going over to the nearest True Value and picking up a good example" does explain that he does not want any hassles, but he may be able to save loads if he spends some time looking around. Regards, MASK
	(2) Thanks

16th July 2021, 15:02	#5
anandhsub BHPian Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Bangalore Posts: 497 Thanked: 1,284 Times	Re: Need hatchback for 1-2 yrs: Used car or subscription? Given it is a hatchback he is looking at there are plenty of used Swifts/Balenos/i20s in the market and if u are buying a 3-5 yr old car you wont have much depreciation loss too. Seems like the best option to me. Subscriptions might work for more premium cars while it doesnt make sense to buy new for anything less than a 7 yr holding period.
	(1) Thanks

16th July 2021, 15:21	#6
kushagra452 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: New Delhi Posts: 308 Thanked: 923 Times	Re: Need hatchback for 1-2 yrs: Used car or subscription? Thank you everyone for your valuable suggestions. I shall convey the same to my friend. Buying a used car in the Delhi NCR market is certainly going to be challenging. I will refer to the posts on the same available on Team BHP for guidance. Moderators, kindly close this thread.
	() Thanks