[Ravich]

Originally Posted by abhishek3030

There was a bit of a lag (is it the turbo lag?) but after that the car was on steroids.

The only time I find the lag a little annoying is when you are in the 6th driving at 80-90 KPH and have to brake lightly , you end up below the 1500 RPM threshold and feeling a little short of torque; you have to downshift or wait a few seconds to get back to 'normalcy'. This happens on the urban expressways.

Originally Posted by abhishek3030

* The windscreen centre starts misting (I saw this happening in an Audi too the other day)
*

This can be a nuisance in humid climes ( Mumbai monsoon). I took the brute force way out- temporarily put a tape to close the vent on the dash close to the windshield.


I think with the 2+2 warranty /protection , you have much less to worry about if you like the performance.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@sabynag; I agree. For example the change interval for Plugs as well as Coolant on the Civic is 100,000km / 10 years. Try and beat that. Once amortized over the life it looks cheap. Also, while the fuel filter in a Maruti needs to be changed every 10,000km the same thing lasts for 30,000 (or is it 40,000)km in a Hyundai.

In the Corolla/corolla Altis factory coolant drain interval is 160K kms/100,000 miles or 10 years whichever is earlier.

Replacement with factory fitted spark plugs is 40K kms. WIth the iridium plugs offered as an add on for Rs 3200, changes are at 100K kms. I fitted the iridiums last year and they have made a very small difference to teh engine..but a difference none the less. My car is due for its 3rd service next month and I will report here on total costs of replacements. Engine oil replacement will be Shell Helix Ultra 5w-40 synthetic (oil change, using it since Oct 2009) which matches the recommended Toyota synthetic grade.

Cheers!

[anekho]

Originally Posted by Ravich

This can be a nuisance in humid climes ( Mumbai monsoon). I took the brute force way out- temporarily put a tape to close the vent on the dash close to the windshield.

Just curious: Why not use the defogger?

[CBlazer]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Wrong prices in the list.

Front bumper costs ~8500 rupees while the list mentions 20 odd.
The front brake pads cost 3900 rupees while the list mentions 6500.
Head light costs 6000 rupees while the list mentions 18000 odd.
The tail light costs 5400 rupees while the list mentions 11000 odd.

The only thing expensive in the Cedia is the fuel filter which is replaced at 100000km since its an assembly with the fuel pump.

I do not know about other parts, but the new Cedia Sports bumper does cost ~26k. I had mine replaced recently. I'm told it is now being imported. The 8.5k localized bumper is still available for the older Cedia sports model - the design is different and apparently can't be used on the newer cars.

[sammycoolster]

I am a newbie to buying a used car.

I have 2 deals in front of me as follows:

a) Honda Civic V MT(Mar '08) 6000 kms run - violet color. car is first owner driven. The dealer is asking me for 11.3 lacs here in bangalore and with his commision.,I will shell out 11.57 L from my pocket.

b) Skoda Laura Ambiente TDI CR (Jun '10) 9000 kms run, Cappucino Beige color. Its second owner and I will be the 3rd owner. Dealer is asking for 13 Lacs all inclusive.

Which do you think is a better deal for me, considering the fact that I am going to keep the car for another 4 years atleast.

Which is a good option financially and from a reliability point of view in the long run. The car also should not burn a hole in my pocket in terms of huge maintenance

Also after 4 years which car do you think will sell easily so that I can change it. Appreciate your help. Its kind of urgent. Thanks

Mods: Please relocate the thread to the appropriate place, if I have started it wrong.

[v.anand]

Hi sammycoolster, if the given option is the only two you have mentioned above, Civic should be a better pick but its run far too less for its age.

However, I feel both the cars are way overpriced, cars from this segment lose value drastically in the second hand market.

Laura deal you've got somehow doesn't feel right, 2 owners in 6 months doesn't sound encouraging, it may be a lemon. The price too is on a higher side for an Ambiente.

Both these cars are reliable, Laura little more expensive to maintain but lot cheaper to run. Both are successful cars in the market so shouldn't be difficult to dispose 4 years hence.

[sammycoolster]

Originally Posted by v.anand

Hi sammycoolster, if the given option is the only two you have mentioned above, Civic should be a better pick but its run far too less for its age.

However, I feel both the cars are way overpriced, cars from this segment lose value drastically in the second hand market.

Laura deal you've got somehow doesn't feel right, 2 owners in 6 months doesn't sound encouraging, it may be a lemon. The price too is on a higher side for an Ambiente.

Both these cars are reliable, Laura little more expensive to maintain but lot cheaper to run. Both are successful cars in the market so shouldn't be difficult to dispose 4 years hence.

Hey thanks for the help. However I did not understand you completely. Are you saying that the Civic having run so less is an issue ?. I did see the car and do not suspect odo tampering. The car is brand new, do not know why the owner even bought it. Have asked for the service history though.

The Laura they say has changed hands because of tax problems. I do not know how true it is. I did inspect the car and looks good, not an expert though. The dealers are here to really fool you and rip you. They quoted me 14.5 Lacs for this car.

I have seen that the prices are really bloated and finding a good car at a reasonable price is next to impossible, unless you are buying from a friend. I have been searching since May 2010 and am almost on the verge of buying a new car in Jan 2011.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by sammycoolster

The Laura they say has changed hands because of tax problems. I do not know how true it is. I did inspect the car and looks good, not an expert though. The dealers are here to really fool you and rip you. They quoted me 14.5 Lacs for this car.

Hi Sammy,
I know a few trustworthy and knowledgeable people at Skoda, Bangalore and can help you get the car's entire history right from its delivery date checked if you want to get it done. Also, tell me the dealer you are dealing with and I can give you some inputs on the same.

Having said that, I would recommend the Laura over the Civic anyday going by its build quality, diesel engine, fantastic gearbox, better ground clearance and luxurious feel. Do not worry for service at Bangalore. I will help you out through TAFE Access.

[arijits]

Well I'll stick to the Laura. The Civic looks flashy, in fact the only good thing about the car appears to be the external flash factor. And the flash is restricted to the speedometer on the dash. Nothing else. The Laura beats it hands down on power, driveability, comfort, features, toys etc. The cars are not even close. As for the much maligned servicing bit, I believe things are somewhat better right now for Skoda, while Honda is going a steep decline. To my experience, their sales team does not seem to be interested in selling me their car (brand value is doing it for them), and I hate to imagine what after sales would be like if sales is that bad. Eventually in India, its the initial perception that counts, most Indian buyers do not understand good cars. Many good cars have failed while many crappy cars have been hits just because they come from good stables in the Indian reckoning

[sammycoolster]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Hi Sammy,
I know a few trustworthy and knowledgeable people at Skoda, Bangalore and can help you get the car's entire history right from its delivery date checked if you want to get it done. Also, tell me the dealer you are dealing with and I can give you some inputs on the same.

Having said that, I would recommend the Laura over the Civic anyday going by its build quality, diesel engine, fantastic gearbox, better ground clearance and luxurious feel. Do not worry for service at Bangalore. I will help you out through TAFE Access.

Thanks so much for the offer to help. I really appreciate it and is great to know folks are around to help you. What do you think should be the price I should be paying for this car. Its a Apr 2010 Manufactured vehicle (Laura Ambiente TDI CR). Has run around 9000 kms. The dealer is a second hand car dealer called as silicon cars near lalbagh. He is quoting 13.25 L and with their commision, I will be set back by 13.5 L. However as I mentioned before the car is with the second owner.

The dealer who sold the car is TAFE Access, St.Marks road.Appreciate the speedy response. Thanks

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by sammycoolster

What do you think should be the price I should be paying for this car. Its a Apr 2010 Manufactured vehicle (Laura Ambiente TDI CR). Has run around 9000 kms. The dealer is a second hand car dealer called as silicon cars near lalbagh. He is quoting 13.25 L and with their commision, I will be set back by 13.5 L. However as I mentioned before the car is with the second owner.

To begin with, we need to thoroughly check why the car changed two owners in less than an year. We can do that together, dont worry. Secondly, I would be doubly careful in dealing with all these big used car dealers like Classic, Silicon, National Motors, A1 cars, etc. They usually buy cars from owners for a pittance and then make huge profits and try to tamper with the vehicle details as well. If all is well with the car, you could pay around 12 lacs.
Dont worry, if the car is finalised, the dealer will negotiate.

[fuel_addict]

Originally Posted by sammycoolster

I am a newbie to buying a used car.

I have 2 deals in front of me as follows:

a) Honda Civic V MT(Mar '08) 6000 kms run - violet color. car is first owner driven. The dealer is asking me for 11.3 lacs here in bangalore and with his commision.,I will shell out 11.57 L from my pocket.

b) Skoda Laura Ambiente TDI CR (Jun '10) 9000 kms run, Cappucino Beige color. Its second owner and I will be the 3rd owner. Dealer is asking for 13 Lacs all inclusive.

Which do you think is a better deal for me, considering the fact that I am going to keep the car for another 4 years atleast.

Which is a good option financially and from a reliability point of view in the long run. The car also should not burn a hole in my pocket in terms of huge maintenance

Also after 4 years which car do you think will sell easily so that I can change it. Appreciate your help. Its kind of urgent. Thanks

Mods: Please relocate the thread to the appropriate place, if I have started it wrong.

For those prices, you can buy a new car albeit from a segment one level below. Why the preference for a used car? The Civic is likely to be revamped next year and will lose out on resale value 4 years down the line. Skoda should be heavy on the pocket maintenance-wise. Add the Skoda A-S-S to that.

I know this would mean deviating from your preferred options but I would look at the Linea T-Jet or VW Vento TDi rather than a used car costing 13+ lacs. Both are good performers and are new in the market.

[anandpadhye]

If you have around 12 lacks, why don't you buy a new Laura/civic (by stretching the budget just a little) or a new T-jet ?
Else buy a used Superb...

[sammycoolster]

Hi Fellow-Bhpians

A big thanks goes to Devdath for helping with advice on finding a used car here in bangalore. I finally got my pre-owned honda civic sept 2010 model, which had done around 2700 kms on the odo. It is a V-MT and is fully loaded. I got it for 12.75 Lacs from a individual seller.

The car is in habanero red color and looks very sporty.

The reason for me taking laura out of the choice was purely based on the horror stories. Had a talk with Dev but family was still very skeptical about S(k)oda.

Since I am hoping to keep the car for atleast another 4 years i think its a sensible buy.

Car does have bottoming out issues in my parking entrance where there is a steep slope. Have taken it out on a 1300 km long drive and it was a bliss.

Have 2 threads to start right now and will do it when I find time

a) My pre-owned civic
b) How to deal with second hand car dealers in bangalore specifically.

Thanks all who helped me...

[androdev]

Congrats Sammy! Great choice, like someone said on the forum, Civic does make the drive feel like sitting in an expensive car. Enjoy and drive safe!

I am eagerly waiting for your "How to deal with second hand car dealers in bangalore specifically" thread :-)