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Best sedans for Rs 25 - 35 lakh: Do I buy a new or pre-owned car?

30th November 2022, 09:13 by Rahul Nagaraj

I have shortlisted the Skoda Octavia & Superb. Also, considering a slightly used Audi A4 to replace my 3rd-Gen Honda City.

BHPian vipinS recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone!!

I have been an avid reader of this prestigious forum since 2010 and joined as a member this year only. I am 30yo married guy who has been blessed with a baby boy this year. I live with my parents in a tier 3 city in Rajasthan and I have been helping my dad with his business since 2012. This was a little Introduction of myself and would like to thank the moderators for approving my joining request.

Now to the dilemma, I have never been more confused. I have been driving a gen3 Honda city and have done mere 46k km (mostly self-driven) to date and absolutely adore the engine and comfort of the car. This car literally needs zero maintenance. But I don’t feel confident on highways anymore since I have a young one now and I want to upgrade my car for various reasons. Also looking for a petrol car only as my running is around 5k km per year only. The car should be fun to drive as well as comfortable for my elderly parents when I am travelling with my family with a little luxurious feel to the cabin. I am above average build and my dad has a large frame.

Just like everyone else here I have always dreamt of owning a BMW 3 series since I was a teenager. As it’s out of my maxed stretched budget of 35-38 lakh, I shortlisted the only sedans in my budget - Skoda Octavia and Superb. Also considering a slightly used Audi A4 but I and my family are sceptical of the service and maintenance of a luxury badge car.

Do note that I haven’t driven any of the cars mentioned since I don’t have access to luxury car brand showrooms in my city except Skoda and even they don’t have a test drive available of either Superb or Octavia. Octavia could have been a perfect upgrade to my city but as we all know how overpriced they launched it also with just a beige interior option which I feel is too bland for my taste. Wish they had launched the VRS version of Octavia with black interiors. I prefer tan/black interiors as I have been driving a beige interior car since over a decade now. A few months back read of Skoda discontinuing Superb and Octavia both in March and buying them new and keeping them for 5-7 years did not make sense to me since there will be an all-new gen Superb next year.

Been searching for slightly used a4 and 3-Series online and I came across a few 2021 Skoda Superb.

Always loved the looks of the Superb Sportline in steel grey and wished that they had all the cool features of L&K in the same. If I were buying it new I would most probably go for L&K because of key features like driving modes, 360-camera, Canton speaker system, ventilated seats etc. But if it is used I am going for I am open to both variants.

Recently came across a Gujarat-registered Skoda Superb Sportline in my favourite steel grey colour. It’s a 2021 model first owner 26k km driven car which is parked at a dealer for 4 months as the asking price earlier was around 31 Lakh. The car is in great condition. For reference, a new car with Gujarat registration can be had as of today for 35-36 lakh on-road after some negotiation. The same variant was offered to me at 33-34lakh on-road a year back makes me realise what a bad time it is to buy a new car.

Now the dealer offered me the car for Rs 28 lakh plus TCS and transfer of ownership charges (20-25k) in addition. I offered him Rs 26 lakh plus the additional charges but the dealer denied saying it was below my purchase price.

Financially it makes sense to get a used one since this generation is at the end of its life. Also, I am comfortable with spending below 30 lakhs on a depreciating asset like a car and not stretching to 35-40 lakhs.

Now I need advice from all the fellow members and Superb owners on the following:

Is Superb still worth buying since we'll be seeing a new one in 2023? I won’t be selling for at least 5 years. Any other car that I should look for?
Does Superb have enough ground clearance and can be used as a primary solo car in a tier 3 city of Rajasthan? My Honda City was scrapped a hundred times but never created any major issues. We do have a Skoda showroom in my town.
What should be the fair price for the car if I find everything to be ok after I visit the dealer and take a test drive? Anything that I need to be aware of while buying a pre-owned car within the company warranty?
I have always been a sedan guy and mostly I'll be driving it. Sometimes my wife and my mother will drive it too. The use case will be 50-50 for highway and city. Should I wait and increase my budget to buy a new Kodiaq or a used a4/3 series top trim? Or any other options that I should look for? I am open to both new and pre worshipped cars. Also not in any hurry to buy a car right now.

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.

Your’s sincerely

Here's what BHPian sunikkat had to say on the matter:

Go for Octavia, with the current price of SUVs I feel Octavia is totally VFM. It’s luxurious, fun to drive, practical and very versatile. And the cheapest entry point to that sweet 2 TSI engine.
I would consider buying a used car only if it is from premium brands like BMW, Audi etc. and if I am saving some good money. Would suggest picking a new Octavia over a used Superb, unless you are getting a very good deal.
PS: Good to see posts like yours where the preference is still a sedan over SUVs.

Here's what BHPian elampumpkin had to say on the matter:

Consider checking out a pre-worshipped Volkswagen Passat 2018/2019 model, it's basically an Audi A6 with a Volkswagen badge; It has many features and will feel like a proper upgrade from your Honda City for roughly 24L.

Here's what BHPian AngelEyes had to say on the matter:

I was in a similar situation 7-8 months ago; owned Honda City (4th gen) from 2019 but was never impressed with its highway performance so started looking for an upgrade even before it completed three years. Shortlisted Skoda Octavia mainly for highway usage but after going through a couple of threads on team-bhp, I thought it’s better to go for a pre-owned car and save some money. It took me a couple of months before I could find a well-maintained and less-driven Octavia (on Spinny Max). My City was sold and Octavia (2018, 1.4 Style & 20k driven) was purchased from them in less than 4 days after a test drive. It was a great deal.
City at BRP backwater, Chikmagalur dist.
Octavia at Apporva Resort, Davanagere.

Here's what BHPian architect_santo had to say on the matter:

Greetings to you sir, did you consider Toyota Camry Hybrid? For this price range in the used car market, you should be able to get a relatively new version, sparingly used. It’s Petrol Hybrid, Toyota’s reliability - Service, Luxury feel, Comfortable for your parents.

Here's what BHPian Bsreecharan had to say on the matter: