Buying a 2nd owner WagonR for daily city duties: Is it a sensible buy

Upon reaching home, I planned to purchase it but the thought of checking registration details came to mind.

BHPian wadewilson recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hello dear BHPians, We have four cars in the house: an XUV700, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, and Isuzu D-Max. However, these cars are too cumbersome to navigate in the city’s traffic and I’ve had a few brushes with traffic where, for example, the bumper of Seltos and Creta were damaged by rash Scooty drivers who suddenly merged into my lane in the market.

The need for a beater car was felt for a while now but I’d always kept it off. Anyway, fast forward to today, I decide to drive to the nearby town to check out used cars on a whim. I come across Maruti True Value and find a Wagon R (AGS) model. The car had 50,000+ kms on it but drove well. A couple of nicks here and there and some rust on the top of the boot but overall it was okay.

One point of concern was the wires coming in the boot which I later found out was for a sub woofer which the previous owner had installed but removed before selling it. Upon reaching home, I planned to purchase it but the thought of checking registration details came to mind. When I checked, the car was shown as a second owner car. However, it was told to me that the car was a first hand car and driven by a lady. I’m wondering whether to trust the used car dealership or the details shown in Govt portal?

The dealership told me that they could sell the car for ₹4,50,000. Is that a good price for what would essentially be a third hand car? What scares me is also a doubt in my mind regarding why the second owner sold the Wagon-R after purchasing it. Perhaps the AMT gearbox might have issues? Would appreciate some suggestions from dear members.

Here's what BHPian PetrolHead2272 had to say on the matter:

Your need for a beater is fully understandable but as someone who’s looking into so many used cars lately, my two cents on your dilemma is that this particular car seems a bit too fishy. Firstly, any car with even a hint of rust (especially a Maruti with their tin can build) should be avoided. Secondly, it’s very clearly been driven by two separate people. From what I can make out and what my instincts tell me is that you’re the 3rd owner of the car.

Thirdly, the used car market is HUGE. No need to get the first car you look at.

P.S - Please mention what year the WagonR is from because 4.5 Lacs for a used WagonR with 50k+ kms seem way too expensive. You could easily get one for around a lac lesser.

Happy hunting!

Here's what BHPian arnav17 had to say on the matter:

5 lakhs seems a little too steep for a 3rd hand Wagon R. I don't know which city you're in hence can't comment on exact used car prices, but I just checked on a few used car websites and the average price seems to be hovering around 4,00,000 to 4,20,000. Best if you can negotiate a bit or better look at other examples if you're not convinced IMHO.

Good luck for the buy

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

The AGS (AMT) as discussed on the forum is quite jerky and would not be a good option to consider while driving through the city traffic. Would suggest to look into the Jazz cvt, Amaze cvt, Hyundai i10 AT (TC) as the same would be sold within the same price as quoted for the mentioned Wagonr and would have a better fit and finish. If the budget permits there would be no better option than the Tiago/Comet EV since same would be cost efficient as well as there would be no hassle of an AMT.

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