[ashwin489]

Originally Posted by radiokidb

Ashwin, no offence but your logic does not really make sense here. You want to spend only 2 lakhs now, but your willing to spend say 1-2 lakhs maintenance over the next 2-3 years? Why not spend 3 lakhs or so now and spend less on maintenance later? Not to mention you'll get a far better car as well.

I get what you are saying and I have to agree with you, to a certain extent.

That being said, I somehow like how the sonata looks, also offers a lot of space and a tiptronic transmission; all of this would not be available in an OHC.

I was also hoping I could keep the expenses down to 1 lakh for the next 2-3 years for a used sonata, which would mean that I would spend only a total of 3 lakhs (as opposed to a used accord which would cost 4 lakhs to buy an another 50k to maintain).

[infotech58]

If you do not mind sourcing the car from Mumbai, you may find some good examples of OHC AT and NHC CVT.
In last few days, I test drove two OHC AT (2001 and 2002) and they were in very good condition with a price of 1.85 and 2.00. Another good example was NHC CVT for approx. 2.9 (I did not test drive this car).

[ashwin489]

Hi everyone,

Got a 2004 Hyundai Sonata V6 AT (81k ODO).

I am quite happy with the car as of now. Everything feels quite alright.

Need to change a few things here and there. Timing belt, automatic gearbox flushing, oil/coolant changing, etc.

Do kindly suggest what other things need to be done.

From what I have read on T-BHP, Advaith Hyundai service center seems to be best bet among the lot.

Also, which is the best place in Bangalore to buy minor spares (cover, etc.) besides the Hyundai showroom?

Cheers,
Ashwin

[noopster]

Congrats ashwin. So did you manage it within your 2 lac budget? I recall there were plenty of skeptics (self included) when you first posted!

Please start an ownership review- that would be perfect!

[ashwin489]

@noopster: sealed the deal for 2.25 lacs

The previous owner had recently changed the tires, battery and radiator.

We managed to drive about 700 kms without a hitch.

I just need to get an emission test done to initiate the transfer of ownership formalities.

And, I definitely need to get a service done ASAP

@Mods: kindly close this thread. Will try starting up an ownership thread soon.

[anandpadhye]

Hi Ashwin,
congrats on a V6 AT for 2.25L :-)

BTW, how many liters of petrol did it consume in those 700KM?

Cheers!

[ashwin489]

@anandpadhye: We had to fill gas for about 5000 bucks (nearly 75 liters) for the 670 km trip.

Fuel average of about 8-9 kmpl is quite acceptable for me.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by ashwin489

@anandpadhye: We had to fill gas for about 5000 bucks (nearly 75 liters) for the 670 km trip.

Fuel average of about 8-9 kmpl is quite acceptable for me.

Thanks. That's not bad....
And what's the max speed you did? How does the car feel at highway speeds? Eager to read your ownership report.

[ashwin489]

Touched 170 kmph at certain stretches, but decided not to push it too far. Felt reasonably stable and safe at these speeds.

As I have only driven ominis and indicas recently, I can certainly say that the handling was pretty darn good.

The automatic gearbox (again from my limited perspective) was quite fast. There was a bit of lag in shifting, but my wife and I decided to call it the "turbo effect" .

Until now, the car has delivered whatever I wanted: convenience, comfort and power.

And yes, I do realize that the car is not easy to park and servicing is neither going to be easy nor cheap. I feel that these are acceptable compromises.

Apart from basic servicing, I plan to add a GPS unit, reverse camera and HIDs.

[shiju.dba]

I am in search of a auto transmission car within 2 lakhs range ,if not available i will settle down for a Tata nano, My requirement is for my father who is currently using 96 model maruti 800. Any suggestions?

[lamborghini]

Look for Santro A/T, Maruti A/T.
If FE isn't a concern, maybe stretch a little and get an older Accord/Sonata A/T, or even the Octavia A/T if available.

[subscrive]

Originally Posted by shiju.dba

I am in search of a auto transmission car within 2 lakhs range ,if not available i will settle down for a Tata nano, My requirement is for my father who is currently using 96 model maruti 800. Any suggestions?

Nano has the worst of clutches. Go for wagonR for smooth and light clutch.

[shubhamAT]

Originally Posted by shiju.dba

I am in search of a auto transmission car within 2 lakhs range ,if not available i will settle down for a Tata nano, My requirement is for my father who is currently using 96 model maruti 800. Any suggestions?

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.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by shiju.dba

I am in search of a auto transmission car within 2 lakhs range ,if not available i will settle down for a Tata nano, My requirement is for my father who is currently using 96 model maruti 800. Any suggestions?

There are a lot of auto vehicles available, but if you are going for a bigger car, please be aware that unless it is a depreciation disaster, getting a car under 2L will mean getting a really bad example. Also, the bigger cars have a higher maintenance cost.

Ideally I would recommend the cars that cost under 10L new. This will mean reasonably cheap maintenance, and when these cost 2L they are probably still in reasonable shape.

[vigsom]

the bigger cars have a higher maintenance cost.

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???