Buying a used CVT sedan: Toyota Corolla Altis vs Honda City

Both are reliable long-term otherwise, hence the topic shifts to spares/accidental repairs/bad-luck if something does go kaput.

BHPian aniket13 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi everyone, thrilled to write my first post on the forum.

I'm currently in the market for a used automatic sedan for my Dad which would also be frequently driven by myself. From my research, I have found 2 options in the market that are priced similar, and have been contemplating on which one to choose:

• Used 2017 Honda City VX/ZX CVT - around 20k - 30k kms on the odometer.
• Used 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G/VL CVT - 50k - 60k kms on the odometer.

Just to make things clear - The Honda City is what I'm looking for in the market (I haven't found anything yet). I currently have an offer for 2014 1.8G CVT Corolla Altis on the table with 60k km done but a second owner vehicle (pristine shape with very clean service history).

The Honda City is my initial preference due to the following reasons:

Recent car > decently reliable product > still in production > not so costly to maintain plus spares are decently priced. However, the most important factor tilting my brain towards the Honda City is the fact that I would still be eligible for Zero Depreciation Insurance from a handful of providers and Honda's Anytime Warranty up to 10 years.

On the other hand, the Toyota Corolla Altis presents an upper segment > bigger engine plus a substantially better CVT (from reviews, I haven't done a Test Drive), Better fit and finish, better build quality. On the negative side - smaller boot, lacks a lot of features when compared to a City VX, older discontinued product, No Zero Dep Insurance, No Warranty, Second owner vehicles in abundance (hard depreciating when I sell in future). I'm not too worried about the odometer reading as these vehicles are made to last lakhs of kms.

With all the above thoughts and inputs in mind, can you please suggest if I should consider the 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis or keep my hunt ON for the 2017 Honda City? Repeating again: for the sake of discussion, please assume that both the vehicles are being offered at exactly the same price bracket ~ 6-7L. Simply put, ignore the immediate price of the vehicle, and emphasize more on the long-term cost of ownership. If it was a 2017 Corolla Altis vs 2017 Honda City, I would have picked the Altis eyes closed!

My biggest priority is a well-kitted, feature-rich, comfortable sedan with fuss-free ownership (even if something breaks) and good resale value, reliable engine, gearbox, spares, ASS network, well surrounded by insurance + warranty for that extra peace of mind.

Few more thoughts:

• Both are comparatively similar with respect to the cost of maintenance.
• Both are reliable long-term otherwise, hence the topic shifts to spares/accidental repairs/bad-luck if something does go kaput.
• For point 2: Extended Warranty and Zero Dep insurance become paramount for as long as I can get for peace of mind (please provide guidance/opinions on this point)
• Toyota spares are MAD expensive when I compare it to the City (I know it's not a fair comparison).

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

Going strictly by the facts provided by you in your post, I think it is definitely more logical to get a 5 year old Honda City over an 8 year old Corolla. Sure, you miss out on that 140HP engine and a D segment sedan but considering the fact that the car will be bought pre-owned, having ultimate peace of mind is of utmost importance as mentioned. Listen to the head over the heart if your money is dear to you when choosing the pre-owned route. Coming to features, the 4th gen VX/ZX of the City is more feature rich as compared to the G variant of the Corolla. It's always better to buy a top end over a comparably priced base variant of the next segment if features are important to you.

Your requirements too scream Honda City!

I'm honestly not sure if you would find a good 4th gen City top end for about 6-7 lakhs but nevertheless, good luck and keep this thread updated!

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

You sure seem to know the pros and cons really well. Here is when you can afford to "stretch" to buy a next segment car:

• You are an experienced and safe driver so that your chances of fender/bender accidents are low. Accidents are a very costly affair and you better be a good driver not to face it. Zero depreciation etc will cover you for a very short duration (if at all) in the case of a used car.
• Your usage is not in congested places so that you actually get to enjoy a bigger and more mature car.
• Kind of obvious, it doesn't help if you are on a very tight budget (to own and to maintain including fuel bills).

If you decide to go for the bigger car and not feeling generous to spend a lot of money to buy, you can pick a car with more depreciation - 2 years or 20K km extra won't make such a difference to a car like Corolla but you must patiently search for a car that has been religiously serviced by a responsible owner. In my experience, most cars age really well in the hands of a responsible owner however depreciation is always based on age and mileage - the way the car has been taken care of doesn't bump up the price that much - which is where the opportunity lies for people shopping for used cars.

Here's what BHPian narayans80 had to  say on the matter:

If your usage is low and intend to keep her around, I would suggest the Corolla over the City. Here's my reasoning, based on my ownership of the 10th gen VL-AT:

• The comfort is definitely a huge step up.
• The additional size hardly matters with an AT. I drove from day 1 after a 5 year hiatus from daily driving. I've taken the Corolla AT on gullies, that I wouldn't dare take the MT S-Cross I currently drive, which is a good 300 mm shorter.
• Yes the spare prices are tear jerkers, and this is why I wouldn't suggest if you are a high miler.
• The boot is small? This was the only car, my wife had full freedom to pack the way she wanted for a 10 day trip, and we didn't need to keep any stuff in the cabin. So much so, she had her eyes set on Ciaz over the S-Cross at the time of replacement.
• Both are low GC vehicles. So both are fit to be tarmac terrorists.
• That gen of City isn't synonymous with QC Honda was famous for. There was a dedicated thread for it.
• Petrol Corollas are resale disasters. You might get it at a low price now. At the time of resale it'll fall steeply again. The person who will buy from you would be the 4th owner.
• The history is very important. You might have to have a close eye before sealing the deal.
• FE will be acceptable with CVT. If you've set the expectation as petrol and CVT.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.