[sudeep11787]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Wait for the facelifted Swift to launch and then snag the current model in zxi trim, with bigger discounts.

If you aren't a complete novice, you can still consider the used car market. Do check out early model SX4s. It has a good steering that weighs up well and offers feedback, lots of grunt from the good old normally aspirated M16a unit, loads of grip from the 205 section 16inch tyres, better suspension setup than the later SX4, and just offered quite a good experience overall. This car will easily fit your budget.

+1 !
You can get a nice used sx4 from True Value. They are going out quite cheap and maintenance won't be very high. Do a test drive and then decide.

At times, we are ok with spending more on maintenance and spares just for the awesome driving experience we can have.

If I am given a choice, I would buy an old swift diesel with the crazy turbo rush it used to give. It is definitely fun to drive. I havent driven a corolla,but have sat in it a lot and trust me comfort wise, corolla is an amazing vehicle.

[s_pphilip]

I know I am late here as I read in the previous posts, you made up your mind on a new car, but since I am here my 2 cents anyways.
(I had posted earlier but since I didn't post the right way, GTO suggested that I could re-post for easy readability and user experience for other forum members, Thanks GTO for correcting me here, I definitely want to do my part to maintain the standards of this excellent forum).

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

1. I dont wish to drive much in the city. (for daily travel I prefer the metro) My driving would be 70% highway. So, I would like to know which car should I prefer?

I am assuming this would be more like weekend drives and planned long distance sort of.

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

2. What would be the maintenance cost ( servicing, repairs etc and how often are the repairs reqd) of both the cars Say new swift and old corolla altis apart from the fuel if i drive 1200km pm.

Let me tell you my friend owns a 25L Camry, its done 10 years, 120k kms, and you what is the periodic servicing bill is - a mere 3500 Rs at the ASC, believe it, Toyota's are damn reliable and inexpensive to maintain, all the while you enjoy unparalleled comfort and Toyota's I've noted gives better FE figures than comparative Honda models too (just my view, don't mean to get into a discussion here)

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

3.Im a student so I would like minimal fuel costs. So is it advisable to get a cng kit fitted? What would be its cost and effect on car.

A big NO, please don't, drive only so much as much as your fuel can take you, anyways you don't seem to be overdependent on the car. Alternately if you car pool you may ask your passengers to chip in. You are looking closer to 12k to 15k kms a year, plan it and it should be manageable.

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

The cars that I had in mind were 2009 corolla altis(arnd 5lak) and about to launch swift vxi. All suggestions all welcome.
Thanks.

I'd suggest the Altis, beautiful car, well built, supremely comfortable, spacious and immensely tractable engine too, that. Even just sitting in the car without driving it will make you feel happy that you picked the Altis, I mean there is a world of difference between a 5L car and a 12L car. You should be able to safely use this car for another 5 years.
Only caution - please check it shouldn't be an abused car.

Please provide more details of the Altis, which variant, whether AT or MT, whether you have an alternate ride back home and so on. Don't pick if AT, pick the MT and enjoy.
Only gripe I have heard about the Altis is its brakes wear out comparatively faster and are on the higher side to replace, rest I doubt you'd need any replacement if it is done only about 30k.

[arjunbagga7]

Hi s_pphilip,
Thanks for your advice.

CNG spoils the driving pleasure, that's something I have concluded from this discussion and many others on tbhp.
If I go with altis, I would have no choice but to convert it to cng. :( But, the fuel costs for swift are almost half and easily manageable on petrol.:thumbup:

[arjunbagga7]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

Hi s_pphilip,
Thanks for your advice.

CNG spoils the driving pleasure, that's something I have concluded from this discussion and many others on tbhp.
If I go with altis, I would have no choice but to convert it to cng. :( But, the fuel costs for swift are almost half and easily manageable on petrol.:thumbup:

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I don't have any other 4wheeler at home.
Also, the best deals I was getting were:
2009 G MT 46k 4.25lakh
2010 G MT 64k 5.2lakh
2009 G MT 61k 4.35lakh
2010 G MT (km not quoted) 5.1lakh
2009 G MT 32k (price not quoted)

I had not yet called up these individuals. Just checked the advertisements online.

[arjunbagga7]

Not yet bought the car. Also, thinking about the newly launched tata zest. Heard it is doing great.

But, alongside, just had a thought.
What is the average life of a sedan. Like in years and km done. Also, how long does it stay trouble free. (only regular servicing, not big repairs would be needed)

Does it vary from sx4 , city, corolla to verna?
Would it be advisable to buy a 6-7 yr old car?
If so, which one from these cars would be the best deal?

[s_pphilip]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

Not yet bought the car. Also, thinking about the newly launched tata zest. Heard it is doing great.

But, alongside, just had a thought.
What is the average life of a sedan. Like in years and km done. Also, how long does it stay trouble free. (only regular servicing, not big repairs would be needed)

Does it vary from sx4 , city, corolla to verna?
Would it be advisable to buy a 6-7 yr old car?
If so, which one from these cars would be the best deal?

I didn't quite get your question, but you may find this info valuable, my friend owns a pre-owned Carmy, I think it is 2003 or 2004, 1st Gen in India, its done 1.30 k kms and drives like a dream, supremely comfortable, gives 12 kmpl when our i10 struggles to give 14 kmpl. I just find it amazing that after 10 years it still remains highly competent.

There are countless examples on road where Lancers and likes have done 2-3 Lakh kms and still running strong, so all depends on maintenance.
Recently when I gave my car for polishing there was a 1st Gen Sonata gold just done, it was shinning as new, I could not resist asking about this car and the Bosch service guy said the owner babies this car. So point is a well maintained car that does not see abuse can definitely go the distance, it may even outlive you.

[arjunbagga7]

Thanks for the info s_phillip.
Well, I wanted to know that would the life of an MSI sedan be same as honda or toyota cars in the same segment?(considering the cars were equally worn out)

Why am I asking this question is because recently I have come across many SX4, 2007-08 models under 60K priced under 3lac. Would it be a good deal if I'm getting it from Maruti True Value?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

Thanks for the info s_phillip.
Well, I wanted to know that would the life of an MSI sedan be same as honda or toyota cars in the same segment?(considering the cars were equally worn out)

Why am I asking this question is because recently I have come across many SX4, 2007-08 models under 60K priced under 3lac. Would it be a good deal if I'm getting it from Maruti True Value?

Yes Maruti cars are reliable. No issues with them and it is more good if purchased from true value.

They do give you a fair deal and take good care of the car.

Anurag.

[s_pphilip]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

Thanks for the info s_phillip.
Well, I wanted to know that would the life of an MSI sedan be same as honda or toyota cars in the same segment?(considering the cars were equally worn out)

Why am I asking this question is because recently I have come across many SX4, 2007-08 models under 60K priced under 3lac. Would it be a good deal if I'm getting it from Maruti True Value?

I wouldn't say just because you are getting the car from True Value makes it faultless, the onus is on you to do your ground work.
Here at T-BHP there are a lot who believe in the value pre-owned cars offer, provided the car you pick is well kept, so you may have to ask a little about the owner and maybe get the car checked yourself.
SX4 is a reliable car and carries usual Maruti strengths and is also quite a FTD car.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

Not yet bought the car. Also, thinking about the newly launched tata zest. Heard it is doing great.

But, alongside, just had a thought.
What is the average life of a sedan. Like in years and km done. Also, how long does it stay trouble free. (only regular servicing, not big repairs would be needed)

Does it vary from sx4 , city, corolla to verna?
Would it be advisable to buy a 6-7 yr old car?

These questions don't have an exact answer as there is a lot of variance. Asking a person about the reliability of X or Y used car is futile. Many people are happily driving after 10 years while others have had trouble after trouble with the same model. All you can do is look for a car that has good overall reliability but there is no guarantee. Even new cars can have problems except that most of them are covered under warranty and it is much less likely for a new car to break down. On average one can expect a life of around 8-10 years and about 2 lakh kms from modern cars. After this point things tend to start falling apart unless they are super well maintained.

CNG kit would cost you around 50K if you go for sequential. Driving just 12K kms per year, it doesn't make sense for you to invest in it.

My advice would be to buy a good used higher class sedan like a Honda Civic/ City or Altis and try to get one from around 2010- 2011 so that it is not too old. Keep around 50K budgeted for any issues that might crop up. The prices you are mentioning don't mean anything until you have examined the car in question and are satisfied that it is in good condition. Do try to ensure that the odometer has not been tampered with. Look for service records and if possible, visit that service centre and check the records yourself to ensure that there were no accidents and no odometer tampering. Also look for signs of wear around steering wheel, seats, pedals etc to try and guess the usage of the car. Tyres also have dates on them and if the car has low mileage and is newer, it should have original tyres from the year of manufacture.

If buying new, make sure you get ABS and airbags. You can always borrow some extra money but no one can lend your life back to you. Surely safety for self and family is worth an extra 70K or so. Swift or

[arjunbagga7]

Today, I took my friend's driver to test drive a 2008 sx4 zxi 37k km done.

The car was very good while driven. The test drive we took was around 5 km in traffic,and hence, did not get the chance to cruise it over 50. The car had no problem going over the road full of holes. And the ride at the back was comfortable as well. The car was cool even in the temp of 40. The driver gave good reviews. When we opened the bonnet, it looked dry and clean.
The tyres looked very less used (yeah I did check on the inside.) And, also checked all the doors and body for any dents. The undersides of the door were also fine. In short there was no signs of very big damage or repairs on the body.
Everything was good. But, there were 2 things I'm worried about.

1. There were three circular depressions of around 1 inch radius on the bonnet. They were not very deep but were noticeable when seen in bright afternoon. Could it be a big accident damage?
2. But the thing that seemed suspicious to me was that when I opened the bonnet, there was a very thick layer of paint on both sides near the place where the body meets the engine and also, when I tried to scratch my nail on it, it was not very hard and my nail penetrated it somewhat.
When I told the dealer about that, his reply was, "It is a seal that is applied when the body and engine come together. It is done at the factory and is in all maruti cars." Could it be something serious?

Also, this thing is less important but still. The care did not have electronically adjustable RVMs. Does it come stock this way or is there something fishy?

[jagzrk]

I've been in your position recently @arjunbagga7

I bought a Honda City ZX EXI 2006 model and converted it to sequential CNG. The details are posted in Initial Ownership Experience section. When I bought it, the CNG cost was pretty low (Rs.40) but now it is Rs.52.50 in Pune.

Complete Cost was 3.5 lac for car and sequential CNG. And it cost me nearly 75K for the repairs afterwards which included a suspension overhaul, tyre and rim change and servicing. Most of the repairs were expected as I got the car evaluated at Honda Service Center by paying them and taking the car there to get checked before buying which I very highly recommend doing.

Believe me, CNG cars cost nearly double to maintain as you have to change oil, filters at quicker intervals than on petrol and with a high CNG cost in Pune, it is nearly the same as running a petrol car. Also, you lose out marginally on performance (marginally only if its a sequential by reputed installer).

My running is more than 2000 kms in a month which is the only reason I can still justify the CNG conversion. My only advice would be, if going for a used car, set some money aside for repairs and do the calculations if CNG will be really cost-effective by including double the service charges as you would incur on a petrol. Oh, and even though being an 8 year old car, its running very well with absolutely no niggles at 79K kms (bought it at 68K kms).

[Abh1nav]

Hi guys,

So I am looking at another car and this time I want an automatic. I was really keen on getting myself a used Honda Civic but I am not sure if I should be getting that old a car. Then during my research over the past two months I set my eyes on Ford Fiesta. I totally love the car! Issue is that the new face-lift isnt available in automatic. I have a second hand car 2012 model. The car fits my budget but I am told that the mileage of automatic Fiesta is too low -- 6-7 kmpl.

I have also shortlisted a couple of Ford Fiestas 2011 models (prior to the 2014 face-lift). The cars are available for cheap but I am really concerned about their mileage as well. The guy says his car delivers 11-12 kmpl.

I was wondering that since the difference between the 2011 and 2014 versions of Fiesta is cosmetic how come the mileage varies so much? How can a two year old car's mileage drop to 11-12 kmph? The new Fiesta, yes its diesel, says to give 25 kmpl (ARAI). Yes, the actual mileage will be lower than that but definitely not in the range of 11-12 as the two year of Fiesta is giving.

I am really confused at the moment and I would love if the Fiesta 2011-2012 manual and automatic owners could tell me the mileages of their cars.

The reason why I am looking at used Fiesta is that the deals are good and I dont even have 12 lakh to spend on a new car. I love the way Fiesta drives and want a car like that.

I really want an automatic this time but will settle for a manual Fiesta if the mileage difference between manual and automatic is huge.

[jvm_1986]

The new fiesta automatic came only in petrol. Petrol fiestas give around 11kmpl which is approximately what the person owning it has mentioned. The Fiesta automatic is a DCT similar to the Dsg of Volkswagen. Our site has an official review dedicated to the automatic Fiesta. You can check that out as well.

[arjunbagga7]

Finally went ahead with the used car.
Bought a (dec) 2008 37k driven sx4 zxi.
Got it checked by the mechanic beforehand and only then finalised the purchase.
The car cost me 3.25lakh including the transfer charges and dealer fee. The car is in very good condition.
Would like to thank all tbhp members who guided and helped me in my first car purchase.