[honeybee]

The call from the local dealer has so far not materialized

While searching on CarWale website I came across some used Tata Safaris that are available under 3 L. Most of them have odos between 50K and 60K. One of them has crossed 100,000 and is selling for a little more than 2 L.

Now, I know the Innova has been recommended as the right vehicle for all my needs and it might well be so, but finding a used Innova within my available budget is going to be tough. If I were to consider one of the above Safaris instead of a used Innova, would the price band be right?

My logic is instead of stretching my budget at this point (which is really going to be difficult), I could settle for a Safari. Since these are used, the previous owners will have taken care of the small niggling issues. So these cars might be road-worthy and may run for a couple of years more without breakdowns. On the downside, purchasing a vehicle that has crossed 1L mark (or even 60K) means I shall also be replacing some of the worn out parts. So some heavy expenditure on tyres etc may be required. I am guessing the cost of new tyres would be around 25K. Other parts such as belts etc may also need to be replaced, for which there may be another 10K expenditure. I would not be touching any vehicle that requires suspension changes, so the existing suspension should last me another year or so.

Does this alternative sound practical or workable? Any inputs from the Safari veterans regarding an estimate for such a job?

[rocky080]

Originally Posted by honeybee

@Prashant,


Update: I went to the Toyota India website and posted a message to ask if Toyota has a certified used car business in India. This was last night. Today before lunchtime I received a call from the B'lore office of Toyota, where the lady confirmed Toyota has a certified pre-owned car business and told me the nearest Toyota dealer (from Thane) would get in touch with me within the next 24 hours. I requested her to email me the address as well and I can see that she has emailed it to me. That's efficient work!

I agree that toyota has a certified pre-owned car business but unlike maruthi true value which deals with only maruthi vehicles. The toyota pre-owned car business deals with all brand of cars.

Here in bangalore there is one Nandi toyota pre-owned dealer on hosur road. I have been to this place a couple of times and i have seen only one qualis and corolla up for sale, rest of the cars were either maruthi or some other brands.so don't expect to find a lot of toyota vehicles there.

[honeybee]

On searching carwale.com, I found a couple of Versas going under 2L. Next up are the Safaris under 3L. Then are the Taveras and surprise surprise! The Qualis fares even better than the Taveras!! Innovas are higher than all these.

With a restricted budget, my first choice will be to check out the Versas which are the cheapest. They are old, from 2002, so I am expecting some mechanical wear and tear in the near future, but it shouldn't cost as much as for a Safari. So financially this should be the best option.

If the Versa deal does not work out for some reason, the next in the list is the Safari. Will see how things progress and post here.

[aargee]

@Honeybee - just one question, how long do you intend to retain this purchase? Be it Safari/Innova/Tavera or Versa that works to your budget?

[honeybee]

I would be keeping it with me for at least about 3 years.

On contacting the Versa seller, he informed me another party has already booked the vehicle and paid advance. So there goes the DX2. Other variants aren't good enough because they don't have all row AC.

I shall now have to move up the ladder to a Safari now.

[aargee]

I hope you're aware of the quality of Tata's products & their service especially when it comes to buy a Safari of 6-7 years old atleast.

[neo45007]

1) Maruti EECO - Buy a brand new car around your budget
2) Maruti Omni - Proven Car over the years
3) Sumo Grande - (Dont know if you can get 2nd hand) else budget would be higher
4) Innova - Only if you are able to get used one (Dont buy Taxi used vehicle)

[roadracer]

@Honeybee - I think you could consider used Qualis or Tavera or Sumo. I am not sure if a 6-7 years old Safari would be really worth spending money. One of my friends bought a used Safari and it's FE was very low.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by neo45007

1) Maruti EECO - Buy a brand new car around your budget
2) Maruti Omni - Proven Car over the years
3) Sumo Grande - (Dont know if you can get 2nd hand) else budget would be higher
4) Innova - Only if you are able to get used one (Dont buy Taxi used vehicle)

EECO: I have yet to see if it comes in 8-seater variant. I checked the Maruti Eeco website and they only mention 5/7 seaters. I want the middle seat to be a bench and not a split seat. So that's one hitch. Also Eeco does not come with 2nd/3rd row AC as in Versa DX2. I am keeping my fingers crossed to come across a cheap used Versa DX2 here. Any experience on the effectiveness of a single AC in the Versa?

Omni: Good vehicle no doubt, but no AC. Also I am kinda unwilling to take it to the highways with my family in it. I would love to get one for city driving, but unfortunately most of my driving at present is upto Pune and farther. Also it would not be as comfortable for about 4 hours at a stretch, specially with the middle row seat passengers of an 8-seater.

Sumo Grande: Definitely out of my budget, both new and used, at present. Even a used one won't easily come for less than 6 L.

Innova: Probably the best bet, but again a used one won't come in cheap. It's important to find one, though.

Being used to driving small cars, going for even a Safari or Innova is going to be a major change in the driving style, not to mention parking hassles.

Nevertheless these are all good suggestions.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by roadracer

@Honeybee - I think you could consider used Qualis or Tavera or Sumo. I am not sure if a 6-7 years old Safari would be really worth spending money. One of my friends bought a used Safari and it's FE was very low.

Yes, that is a risk. However, the Safaris are also the cheapest of the lot. As I posted above, at CarWale.com, a used Qualis is priced higher than a used Safari. So obviously there are financial considerations as well. The other aspect is the support that a vehicle like Qualis will have. If I have to keep it around for three years, I want to be sure any of its parts will be available in the market. A Tavera too is a bit on the pricey side.

Just ran another search on CarWale. A Safari sells at approximately the same price as a Bolero. For under 3 L, out of the various MUVs available, I can only see a couple of Boleros, a few Safaris and a few Sumos. So the Tavera/Innovas are out of the Safari's price range. The question is if it's a vehicle that has been used for about 60K kilometres, would most of the niggling problems have been taken care of by the previous owner?

[throttlehead]

I don't know if anyone has suggested this, and I know you're not open to Mahindra vehicles but I suggest you have a look at the Bolero. It checks all your needs, comes within your budget of 6 lakhs (Bolero SLE). Maybe you won't find the seating and steering position odd. Much better then buying a used Sumo/Tavera/Qualis, especially if your only grouse is the seating position. You won't know till you go to the dealership and try it out.

[imp!]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Yes, that is a risk. However, the Safaris are also the cheapest of the lot. As I posted above, at CarWale.com, a used Qualis is priced higher than a used Safari. So obviously there are financial considerations as well. The other aspect is the support that a vehicle like Qualis will have. If I have to keep it around for three years, I want to be sure any of its parts will be available in the market. A Tavera too is a bit on the pricey side.

Just ran another search on CarWale. A Safari sells at approximately the same price as a Bolero. For under 3 L, out of the various MUVs available, I can only see a couple of Boleros, a few Safaris and a few Sumos. So the Tavera/Innovas are out of the Safari's price range. The question is if it's a vehicle that has been used for about 60K kilometres, would most of the niggling problems have been taken care of by the previous owner?

You can never be sure of whether or not the niggling problems of a safari have been taken care off by the previous owner. Some of the older safaris suffered from a Gear Box problem (what it was exactly I do not know) before you buy one, make sure that the model/year you are considering did not have them.
You may be able to find an Innova with high mileage (1,00,000 - 1,25,000) in your price bracket. This may seem a lot, but if the car has been maintained well, it is nothing ! Our Qualis just crossed 2,00,000 KM's with over 10 people who have driven it on a regular basis, it still feels like it can go for another lac at-least, admittedly, we just recently spent 80,000 fixing up the car, but most of this was body work and paint job. Essential spares were much lesser. If you like, I can find out the exact amount and let you know. My friend's Qualis has crossed over 4,00,000 KM's and he doesn't have anything to complain about either.
My Innova is at 90,000 KM in a little over 3.5 years; last check up, the mechanic said something has gone wrong with some part of the suspension. I need to check up on this, but so far, we have not spent a farthing on maintenance/repair work (just oil changes and the like); If my suspension is indeed shot, it is probably because the roads to work and back are about as bad as you can get in any part of this country !
If at all possible, consider a high mileage used Innova. If not, then with some research, you should be able to get a decent used Safari BUT expect brutal maintenance work in the Safari.

[kkr2k2]

How about Tata Winger??
Choose one of your choice:
Download Brochure & wallpaper of Tata Winger, India?s first Maxi Van

May be you might like the 9-seater luxury variant with AC be a good choice!!

If the new one is not with-in your budget, you can look out for the used ones. As far as I remember, it was launched in 2007.

[honeybee]

Thanks all three for the suggestions.

I haven't TDed a Bolero, but how comfortable is a long ride in the Bolero? Would it match a sedan? The biggest point in favour of a Safari is its ride comfort (I haven't experienced it first hand either). Also in a TD you may not be able to gauge the long drive comfort much. So any inputs on that from any Bolero owners? And yes, driving position, essentially the steering wheel placement is currently my only grouch against the Mahindra vehicles. I once rode in a Scorpio diesel that had covered 112000 km, and I only found it out on the return lap of our journey. I was under the impression it might have done about 60K kms or so. Upon asking the driver, he said there wasn't any abnormal maintenance ever with that vehicle. So I am assuming the Mahindras are a good workhorse.

Finding a high-mileage Innova is very difficult, at least on the websites. But I am on the lookout. Used Qualis on the other hand, I am a little doubtful. It will be an excellent vehicle in terms of durability, but still it's discontinued, and its spares and parts may not be as readily available. So it's a little down in the list of preferences.

I had TDed the Winger soon after it was launched. It's a great vehicle, but I don't know if the seating comfort would be comparable to Innova/Safari levels. The seats in the Winger appeared quite ordinary. If I were to buy a new Winger and then replace the seats with something more comfy, the budget would be pushed quite a bit. The cheapest version was upwards of 6L ex showroom.

I have to go see another Versa. This one has done upwards of 80K in about 6 years. The asking price is 2L. Upon further checks, an older Safari that has done lesser mileage is selling for a marginally higher price. So again confused as to what would be the right price for the Versa.

Checked out the Eeco yesterday. Seems identical to the Versa from the inside, except it does not have an 8-seater variant. So won't suit my purposes.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I haven't TDed a Bolero, but how comfortable is a long ride in the Bolero? Would it match a sedan? The biggest point in favour of a Safari is its ride comfort (I haven't experienced it first hand either). Also in a TD you may not be able to gauge the long drive comfort much. So any inputs on that from any Bolero owners?

Bolero is a great machine & supremely reliable. its very cheap to own & economical to run too. but long drive comfort is not that great. space inside is lesser than a scorpio & ride quality is harsh too due to the leaf spring setup.

And yes, driving position, essentially the steering wheel placement is currently my only grouch against the Mahindra vehicles. I once rode in a Scorpio diesel that had covered 112000 km, and I only found it out on the return lap of our journey. I was under the impression it might have done about 60K kms or so. Upon asking the driver, he said there wasn't any abnormal maintenance ever with that vehicle. So I am assuming the Mahindras are a good workhorse.

as you said, mahindras are a great workhorse but in your 3L budget, you will get a 2003 model scorpio (old one with leaf spring suspension in the rear) with around 70k kms on the odo or more. i will still prefer this over the bolero due to better comfort & over the safari due to less niggles & lower maintainence & running costs..

Used Qualis on the other hand, I am a little doubtful. It will be an excellent vehicle in terms of durability, but still it's discontinued, and its spares and parts may not be as readily available. So it's a little down in the list of preferences.

qualis is the most apt vehicle for you considering its a toyota. but do remember that the vehicle is dis-continued, as you said, and if something goes wrong, being a toyota, spare parts will cost a bomb.

also, do you really want to buy a 1980's design when there are newer options available?

i am not saying qualis is a bad vehicle but there are better options available.