[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by vigsom

Not necessarily,Ganapathy Garu.

Yes,the Skodas,BMWs,Audis and likes are heavy on the pocket.

I've been having big VFM cars,with a 2003 Corolla AT being the latest one ; fairly reasonable cost of maintenance.

Guess how much I got the front brake pads for???

I agree this is a generalisation, but I doubt a full service for a corolla will be cheaper than say an A-star. I may be wrong but I doubt it.

I am glad you got a car that is cheap to maintain and VFM.

[re-dfine]

Originally Posted by shubhamAT

AT:
There are very few pre-owned AT cars in the hatch segment. You can buy a 3 speed WagonR or Zen AT for about 2 lacs, provided you find one. There were few of these sold (relatively) and hence very few will be in the pre-owned market. If you can extend your budget by 50k you may get hold of a Santro 4 Speed AT. When i was looking for a AT car in 2008 there was just 1 WagonR in the classifieds, i hope you get more options.

Manual:
I think a 2002-03 Maruti Zen may be a better option than a Nano for the same price.

Fast forward this thread to 2014. I see a lot of the auto shifts in the market and I set out with a similar budget for a car for my wife (who's just started driving). A Santro 2004- 2005 upwards of 40k - 50k on odo are going away with as much as 2.3+. Looks like there's a spurt in demand for these auto shifts in bangalore due to the worsening traffic conditions. Ideally these cars manual shift cousins are valued much less almost a 70 - 80K lower. Now, I doubt 70k - 80k premium is deserving for just the auto box. Anyhow my search continues as I'm not willing to stretch my budget. Any advices?

[shubhamAT]

Originally Posted by re-dfine

Ideally these cars manual shift cousins are valued much less almost a 70 - 80K lower. Now, I doubt 70k - 80k premium is deserving for just the auto box.

I cannot say whether the auto-box B.O.M is high enough to justify but it is the same trend here in the US too. Even though auto-box is the norm, all cars that have a manual transmission option, charge in excess of $1000 for the auto transmission. For e.g. Camaro auto transmission adds $1295 to the price. Which is about 80k in INR

[archat68]

Reviving an old thread.
Is a 2005 Corolla AT a good buy for 2.5L provided service history is available?
What I mean is there anything specific to look into these models? Also, what are the costs of maintaining them?

Or shall I buy a Alto K10 AMT?
I can stretch upto 5L but within 5L no new cars (AT/AMT) are available with any additional safety features :(.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by shubhamAT

I cannot say whether the auto-box B.O.M is high enough to justify but it is the same trend here in the US too. Even though auto-box is the norm, all cars that have a manual transmission option, charge in excess of $1000 for the auto transmission. For e.g. Camaro auto transmission adds $1295 to the price. Which is about 80k in INR

Sir, 80k INR for camaro transmission vs santro transmission?

By that logic, santro should only charge less than 1/3rd that premium!!

[amansanc]

Originally Posted by archat68

Reviving an old thread.
Is a 2005 Corolla AT a good buy for 2.5L provided service history is available?
What I mean is there anything specific to look into these models? Also, what are the costs of maintaining them?

Or shall I buy a Alto K10 AMT?
I can stretch upto 5L but within 5L no new cars (AT/AMT) are available with any additional safety features :(.

The Corolla AT would be a decent buy if it has full service history and has been well taken care of. How many kilometers on the odo?? When was the last major service done? And when were the tyres changed?
Cost of maintenance wont be high. A normal service at the dealership would cost around 3k. This includes oil, oil filter and the other basic stuff. Clutch overhaul costs around 9k. All 4 shock absorbers cost around 10k. All 4 brake discs would cost around 10k. And all four brake pads would cost around 6-7k. All prices are from the authorized service centre. Labour charges at Toyota service centres aren't high. So no worries.
If you can manage the maintenance expenses, Corolla is a much better buy than a new Alto AMT. You get a much safer car for a much lesser price. Hope this helps

P.S. All observations based on my ownership of a 2005 Corolla MT.


Cheers!
amansanc

[archat68]

Originally Posted by amansanc

The Corolla AT would be a decent buy if it has full service history and has been well taken care of. How many kilometers on the odo?? When was the last major service done? And when were the tyres changed?
Cost of maintenance wont be high. A normal service at the dealership would cost around 3k. This includes oil, oil filter and the other basic stuff. Clutch overhaul costs around 9k. All 4 shock absorbers cost around 10k. All 4 brake discs would cost around 10k. And all four brake pads would cost around 6-7k. All prices are from the authorized service centre. Labour charges at Toyota service centres aren't high. So no worries.
If you can manage the maintenance expenses, Corolla is a much better buy than a new Alto AMT. You get a much safer car for a much lesser price. Hope this helps

P.S. All observations based on my ownership of a 2005 Corolla MT.


Cheers!
amansanc

Thanks for the input!
I'm yet to see the car. The ad states 65K KM. I'll not buy if full service history is not available.
Regarding the Alto AMT - your point is right on target. I was specifically looking for the corolla for this reason.
Also, since you own a Corolla can you give me a pointer to various variants like H2, H3, H4 etc. Also, is there any major difference between 2004 and 2005 models?

[WildInstincts]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Sir, 80k INR for camaro transmission vs santro transmission?

By that logic, santro should only charge less than 1/3rd that premium!!

Wondered the same. How can one compare two different classes based on the function (AT)? I don't get the logic.

[amansanc]

Originally Posted by archat68

Thanks for the input!
I'm yet to see the car. The ad states 65K KM. I'll not buy if full service history is not available.
Regarding the Alto AMT - your point is right on target. I was specifically looking for the corolla for this reason.
Also, since you own a Corolla can you give me a pointer to various variants like H2, H3, H4 etc. Also, is there any major difference between 2004 and 2005 models?

65k kms would mean you need to check when were the tyres replacced. Other things that need to be checked are clutch, brake discs and suspension. All these need to changed around this mark. If done, great. If not, factor in that cost.

Models:
H1: Base model with lesser features (MT)
H2: Mid variant with everything but leather seats (MT)
H3: H2 with AT
H4: H5 with AT
H5: H2 with leather seats

I am confused between H3 and H4. They can be the reverse too. But both are AT's. Leather seats option costed 60k in those days!!
2005 models had got a suspension fix which sorted out the soft suspension issue. Also in late 2005 or in 2006, the car got a facelift and came with different taillights and alloys.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by archat68

Is a 2005 Corolla AT a good buy for 2.5L provided service history is available?
What I mean is there anything specific to look into these models? Also, what are the costs of maintaining them?

Go ahead with this car if it is in decent condition.

While you are looking at the service history, do look for any repairs pertaining to body/chassis for any indication to an accident. Also do look at the underbody and shock absorbers for their health.

At the end: It is a Toyota so I trust that car and it's manufacturer. They are rugged and reliable to the core.

All the best. Do keep us posted.

[CountMe91]

Originally Posted by archat68

Reviving an old thread.
Is a 2005 Corolla AT a good buy for 2.5L provided service history is available?
What I mean is there anything specific to look into these models? Also, what are the costs of maintaining them?

Or shall I buy a Alto K10 AMT?
I can stretch upto 5L but within 5L no new cars (AT/AMT) are available with any additional safety features :(.

I would any day go for a new car. An Alto k10 AMT or Celerio AMT may save you from initial hassles for the first 4-5 years. You can also try Brio AT or Micra CVT.

If you are going to buy an used AT, go for Honda AT or Toyota AT. Please go through the entire service records and see to it that the car is regularly serviced at ASC's. Better to take a good mechanic with you to assess the condition of the car.

Keep us informed about your decision.

[shubhamAT]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Sir, 80k INR for camaro transmission vs santro transmission?

By that logic, santro should only charge less than 1/3rd that premium!!

Well i gave an example. It's true for most cars, across segments, that offer both MT and AT.

Look at Hyundai Accent GLS, their cheapest car in the US, AT option adds $1000. How about a smiley for this one ?

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by archat68

Reviving an old thread.
Is a 2005 Corolla AT a good buy for 2.5L provided service history is available?
What I mean is there anything specific to look into these models? Also, what are the costs of maintaining them?

Or shall I buy a Alto K10 AMT?
I can stretch upto 5L but within 5L no new cars (AT/AMT) are available with any additional safety features :(.

If it is in good condition, then the Corolla makes sense.

Originally Posted by CountMe91

I would any day go for a new car. An Alto k10 AMT or Celerio AMT may save you from initial hassles for the first 4-5 years. You can also try Brio AT or Micra CVT.

We're enthusiasts here trained not to be fooled into buying a bad car. As long as the car is mechanically fit, why would you starve yourself of the opportunity of getting a bigger, quicker, more comfortable and safer car?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by archat68

Or shall I buy a Alto K10 AMT?
I can stretch upto 5L but within 5L no new cars (AT/AMT) are available with any additional safety features :(.

If you can stretch to 5L, maybe worth looking for a Honda City. You should be able to get a 4-5 year car around 5L. You will get a newer car and maintenance will be lesser as opposed to a 10 year D segmenter. Another kind of a non standard option ( if you can find one) is the Vento AT. A competent but under rated AT sedan with a 6 speed AT. You can get a great deal if you can find one. Am sure you can get a 2011-12 model under 5L

[CountMe91]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

We're enthusiasts here trained not to be fooled into buying a bad car. As long as the car is mechanically fit, why would you starve yourself of the opportunity of getting a bigger, quicker, more comfortable and safer car?

I am not particularly against the idea of lateral upgrades and think that it is a complete VFM proposition in most cases. Just that there are times when we do not have the resources to assess a used car and chances are there where we may land up with a lemon. In such cases, new car makes more sense. Then again priorities matter.