Need advice: Want to buy my first car on a 2L budget in Bangalore

I won't be traveling too much in it as Bangalore requires the 2 wheeled convience when heavy congested traffic is involved.

BHPian nikhildrao recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I summon you to help me find my first car. The budget is just around 2 lakh, but I ask of the members to help me with all your might. The car will have to be safe as I will be moving around with my parents in it , so airbags and ABS/EBD is a must. The car must be relatively affordable to maintain and easy to live with (read as "no breakdowns"). I won't be traveling too much in it as Bangalore requires the 2 wheeled convience when heavy congested traffic is involved.

With the above criteria in mind, I have shortlisted these cars as the ones that will meet my lofty expectations -

2006-2008 Toyota Corolla (post facelift)

MS SX4 ZXI petrol (diesel is out of budget)

2nd gen Honda City (dolphin nose)

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

2-lakhs isn't a lot of money for a used car and when you have this budget, it's more important to focus on a clean well-maintained car.....rather than any particular model. Cast a wide net of models and pick the cleanest, newest car you can find.

Also be open to the Civic. It's a great car and a depreciation disaster, you'll see Civics trading at lower prices than the Corolla.

Would suggest you to consider budget hatchbacks like the Swift, Brio & i10. They are all fun to drive and will be cheap to buy / maintain.

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

Back in 2017 perhaps you might have found genuinely good examples of SX4s Citys and Corollas for 2 lacs but today I doubt it. The used car market is still highly inflated at the moment so either wait for the bubble to burst or look for something like a facelifted Zen or a Chevrolet hatch

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

The used car market is overhyped and overinflated! I can see 12-13-year-old Ford Figos being sold for 2 - 2.25L! 13 years back this car was sold at 4.5L on road!

The market has gone crazy just like the IT JOB market - Major corrections are expected soon.

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

Sorry to disappoint disappoint you, but for your budget, you may not get a well maintained car. More often it will have some complaints even for a very old car. Start browsing more and .sure you will be end up with a budget of about 5L to get a niggle free car

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.