[petrol_power]

Dear all,

I have a GT TSI and a GTI at home. Earlier, both the cars were used by me, but now wife takes GT TSI most of the days and I am left with GTI only. I prefer to go to office via metro and I need a car to take me to the nearest metro station which is less than 1 km away.
I am a die-hard fan of Automatic and here I am ready to forgo my automatic as driving distance is too less. It will be strictly for very short usage inside city and NOT for any speed above 20-30 Kmph.
My requirements:
1. It has to be dirt cheap (preferably 2 to 3 lacs, or even cheaper)
2. Manual is fine.
3. I don't want the main stream cars like Alto/Santro etc.
5. I don't want ANY driving thrills/ excitement/ cornering/ steering feedback/ power / safety airbags / mileage, etc. All I need is that old world looks I can't take my eyes of, something which I saw growing up in my school days. The car just need to have some character and decent brakes not to hit others.
4. Cars I can think about - My fav designs from childhood - Tata Sierra, Tata Estata, SRV.
Others - Old Pajero, Outlander, GrandVitara, Kizashi, if they are available for less than some 4 lacs (I don't like the old accord and civic, but can look at accord if it is soo good)
5. One issue is that I don't want to spend much time searching for spare parts and all. Is it possible to get OEM parts for Sierra, Estate from Tata showroom. I know this puts my favorite SRV out of my scope, but is it possible to get SRV parts in Kochi, Kerala?
6. Cheap maintenance and parts, so I do not want the Old W124 benz and similar vehicles.
7. No old THAR, old jeeps/ Mahindra classics, Gypsy please as I am not a big fan of them.

(As per 15 year rule, cars beyond 15 years cannot be renewed? Or can it be?)

Any other suggestions or guidelines as to how I can proceed for the purchase.

[antz.bin]

Please walk. Or ride a bicycle. That's the best way to get to the metro station that's just 1 km away. I read that Bengaluru metro has allowed folding bikes on board the metro, check with Kochi metro if they will allow the same so you will have transportation on the other side as well.

[petrol_power]

That's definitely the ideal scenario. But I got into some disc prolapse issue and cycling is totally out of my life. Walking is fine, but again carrying laptop and a tired office day, walking for long really puts pressure on my disc.
Don't want to waste time in booking Ola/Uber till first mile connectivity beater services are introduced.
Anyways if it is not for purchasing a car, I would not have posted here

[Eco_boost]

Since you already have 2 cars, why not go with a 2 wheeler? A good scooter like Activa or Access can be had for around 70-120k. Also look at entry level bikes from the RE Stable. As another bhpian has pointed out, a bicycle would also do the trick.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by petrol_power

4. Cars I can think about - My fav designs from childhood - Tata Sierra, Tata Estata, SRV.
Others - Old Pajero, Outlander, GrandVitara, Kizashi, if they are available for less than some 4 lacs (I don't like the old accord and civic, but can look at accord if it is soo good)

I don't think any of these will be reliable or cheap to maintain. Since you have ruled out Alto/Santro, I suppose Nano is also out.
The one car that I think would suit your needs perfectly is an Esteem. It is cheap and reliable and you can get parts directly from Maruti.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by petrol_power

1. It has to be dirt cheap (preferably 2 to 3 lacs, or even cheaper)
2. Manual is fine.
3. I don't want the main stream cars like Alto/Santro etc.

(As per 15 year rule, cars beyond 15 years cannot be renewed? Or can it be?)

Any other suggestions or guidelines as to how I can proceed for the purchase.

Why not an old Maruti 800 or a Zen or an A Star? Timeless looks. Unusual in todays world. Fuel efficient. No Electronic Gizmos. Manual. Reliable. Parts easily available. Small footprint. Easy to drive and park. Etc.
And if a car is 15 years old yes its fitness certificate can be renewed for another 5 years subject to passing the fitness inspection at the RTO.

The other option is to get an used S Presso or WagonR or similar.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Given that this is Kerala with no age or fuel related restrictions, and your back issues, I’ll say let’s approach this like BHPians. Look for a Pajero Sport, or perhaps even the old Pajero. The car that will always have a special place in our hearts. The fact that it is inherently reliable and that parts are available online is a big plus. Ditto for the Outlander. Both of them may not exactly fit your budget criteria. However, they do drive like a true Mitsubishis, the ride and handling will put your Cretas, Harriers and Fortuners to shame.

Don’t think you’ll get spares for the old TECLO cars, they have been dead for over 25 years now. SRV may yield more positive results. What was sold as Optra and SRV in India continue to be hot sellers in some central Asian markets. Support is a possibility.

[nagr22]

For the kind of usage mentioned by you, the weakest link would be the battery. Irrespective of which car you buy, the battery would give up first due to frequent start/stop cycles unless the car is taken for a long drive every week or so.

My recommendation would be to go for a used Reva. You will get it for dirt cheap price and you don't have to worry about range as the max you will need per charge is 2.2 km As long as you charge the car at home overnight, you don't have to worry about frequent short trips or dead battery. I have driven it during my college days and the Reliability of it is pretty decent.

[RedTerrano]

The average human walking speed is 4 Km/H
Since you mentioned 2 Km per day, I take it as a total distance.
To put it in perspective, if you walk, one way would take you ~15 minutes.

I would suggest, make the most of this opportunity to invest in your health.

[GTO]

I have a rule for trips around my area. Anything under 1 - 1.5 km, I walk. I think you should follow it too. Will also help your back. A car for such a short commute will take up more than it gives you (maintenance, parking etc.).

Originally Posted by petrol_power

but again carrying laptop

1. Leave the laptop at office. Or buy a second laptop from the money you saved by not getting a car .

2. On the days you are really tired, hail a cab / rickshaw.

But seriously, even 2-km walking per day has enormous health benefits . Add it to your schedule. This is an opportunity more than a dilemma.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by GTO

I have a rule for trips around my area. Anything under 1 - 1.5 km, I walk. I think you should follow it too. Will also help your back. A car for such a short commute will take up more than it gives you (maintenance, parking etc.).

Interesting suggestion.

Adding a minor tweak to the above as another similar food for thought. For about 30k or similar (I’m not exactly sure of price), I think you can get a decent’ish folding bike from Decathlon. Perhaps consider buying that instead of a car. If walking is logistically not ideal you can always consider riding on a folding bike. With time, you may feel encouraged to use it for slightly longer (5-10k) routine commutes as well. Similar health benefits, much lower cost than a car, and can be adapted to cover slightly longer distances too if you take to it.

[condor]

You could tie up with a local auto to drop you to the station. Minimum charge applicable, no hassles of parking, and you are covered in rains too. In the evenings, you could walk home.

(We have a guy here who we call in advance for trips. It's when he is not available that we look for an Ola/Uber. The guy serves a few of us in the locality, and this works for him too. In case of waiting for an hour or two, then there is an extra charge of 100, but all this still out-weighs the issues with Ola/Uber in terms of cancelled rides, peak pricing etc. And the money goes to him and not the company).

[MT_Hyderabad]

Understanding the underlying urge in your requirement, I will not suggest other commute options.

First thing to consider for your car would be engine capacity.

If you buy a big vehicle like Sierra, the engine oil will never reach optimum temp and will deteorate soon.
Hence, it will be better to choose smaller vehicle.

I would suggest a petrol SX4 for your requirements. If you could find a less driven Punto/Linea or Palio, it will also be a good choice.

[aadya]

If the back pain is severe, it is safer to walk than to ingress/egress in a low slung car. Either you walk or get a wagon r, Santro like tall boy vehicle. But walking should be tried at least for a week or so before ruling it out.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by GTO

I have a rule for trips around my area. Anything under 1 - 1.5 km, I walk. I think you should follow it too. Will also help your back. even 2-km walking per day has enormous health benefits . Add it to your schedule. This is an opportunity more than a dilemma.

Yes one absolutely must appreciate the benefits of walking about or cycling in the immediate neighbourhood. I very much like doing this too. Its better for health. Less pollution. Smallest possible footprint.