Need a beater car in Mathura: Ship my Dzire from Mumbai or buy new car

Need to replace our 12-year-old Tata Manza diesel which has been unregistered this year, because of the NGT-ruling.

BHPian mpthy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction:

My family lives in Mumbai but we visit Mathura very frequently as my grandmother and my wife's family live there. Thus we always need a car in Mathura to serve us when we visit and to do local duties for my grandmother.

We also keep our cars for a long time and historically we've sent our end-of-life cars from Mumbai to Mathura before they are eventually scrapped or given away to those who may want them.

This thread is to seek inputs from fellow BHPians to identify our next car for Mathura, and the corresponding shuffle it may create for us in Mumbai.

My Current Garage:

Before I proceed forward, let me introduce you to my current garage:

Mumbai:

1. 2014 Honda CR-V 2.4 AT AVN (ODO: 116xxx Km)
2. 2020 Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vxi MT (ODO: 22xxx Km)
3. 2006 Toyota Innova 2.4 G4 Diesel MT (ODO: 222xxx Km)

Mathura:

1. 2010 Tata Manza 1.3 Aura Plus Diesel MT (ODO: 75xxx Km)

What's the trigger:

The Manza is DL-registered and has been unregistered this year due to the NGT ruling. It has also aged very poorly and is not in running condition. I have decided to scrap it and replace it with a different car. As mentioned earlier, this thread is essentially about finding the replacement for the Manza.

Requirements for Mathura:

• Reliable, as it will essentially be maintained by my chauffeur.
• Spacious, should seat at least 5 with reasonable comfort.
• Decent boot for the occasional station runs and to accommodate my grandmother's wheelchair.
• Good AC
• Manual, as it will be chauffeur driven.

The car will essentially be a beater and should serve us for the next 3-4 years.

My Options:

Option 1: Send my Innova from Mumbai

Pros:

1. It's in great condition and its fitness has been extended for 5 more years to 2026.
2. I got it valued recently and it will fetch me 1.8 lakhs in the open market. This amount does not justify selling the car, and I'm inclined to use it until its end of life. Unfortunately(!!), I don't see it dying on us any time soon
3. I plan to buy the Innova HyCross (or similar) as and when it is launched, so my utility for the Innova in Mumbai is fast approaching its end as I don't want two three-row cars in Mumbai.

Cons:

1. It is MH-registered, so the usual risks of running an out-of-state car in UP. However, this has never been a problem for us before.
2. The NGT ruling will prohibit the car to travel to Delhi NCR. This is a bit of a problem as we usually take a flight to Delhi and then drive down to Mathura. However, I can always borrow a car from my in-laws or hire a taxi for these trips.
3. It's a very big car for some of the narrower lanes of Mathura.
4. I'm not sure if it's too high for my grandmother to climb in.
5. Am I making a mistake by holding on to this car given the shadow of doubt on older diesel cars?

However, if I send my Innova I will need a replacement as I absolutely need three cars in Mumbai. As mentioned earlier, the long-term replacement is another Innova but until it is launched I need a short-term replacement which leads to option 2. FYI, I also have a backup booking of the XUV700 top end.

Option 2: Buy a 2015 Ciaz Zxi AT in Mumbai

My friend is selling his immaculately maintained 2015 Zxi AT (ODO: 23xxx Km) as he is upgrading to a Grand Vitara. This car is available for 5.5 lakhs. This option will only be considered if I exercise option 1.

Pros:

1. Owned by my friend and I can vouch for its history and condition.
2. The Innova is mostly used by my parents on a daily basis and is chauffeur driven. The Ciaz offers similar 2nd-row comfort for them. (The 3rd row is used when I move around with my wife, kids, nannies, strollers, etc.).
3. Reliable
4. Good resale: I'm assuming I won't lose much value if I decide to sell it in 1-1.5 years. My XUV700 booking is due to be delivered in Jan 2024.

Cons:

1. Am I making my life more complex by buying this car?

Option 3: Send my Dzire to Mathura

Pros:

1. It is registered in Mathura. Don't ask me why
2. It's a manual and I'd much prefer having an AT in Mumbai.
3. Will serve me for a very long time.
4. No NGT impact and can do Delhi runs.
5. I have a Maruti warranty till 2026, so maintenance will be smooth.

Cons:

1. Am I making my life more complex by making this decision?
2. Its obvious replacement in Mumbai will be the Ciaz mentioned above in option 2.

Option 4: Buy a 2012 SX4 Vxi (CNG) (ODO: 139xxx Km)

Pros:

1. Low Price (~1.5 lakhs + ~50 thousand for preventive repairs)
2. UP registered
3. It's in an ok condition.
4. Spacious
5. Reliable
6. I know the owners of the Maruti dealership in Mathura through whom I'm procuring the car.
7. Can do Delhi runs for the next 2-3 years.

Cons:

1. High mileage (139xxx Km). Not sure of the remaining life of the car. I don't want a Manza-like scenario very soon.
2. Smaller boot due to CNG.

Option 5: Buy a decent used car in Mathura

Pros:

1. Simplest option. The local True Value franchise has a few good samples of 2020-2021 Balenos and Dzires. As mentioned earlier, I know the owners.
2. Will get a Maruti warranty.

Cons:

1. The Innova dilemma will remain.

Conclusion:

I request my fellow members to advise me on how I should go about this scenario. My wife feels I am over-complicating the scenario, and the rest of the family does not feel as strongly about Innova as I do.

Looking forward to your input.

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

Out of all the options from your post, I'd say that sending your DZire to Mathura makes the most sense. Service and reliability should be no issue whatsoever and its height should be comfortable for getting in and out. It will also not be affected by the NGT ban, so you can drive it in Delhi-NCR too.

However, you mentioned you want to seat 5 people in comfort. Perhaps a used Ertiga/XL6 as suggested above? It has all the benefits of your DZire with the added benefit of the interior as well as boot space. Just make sure it's comfortable to get in and out of.

Good luck with your decision!

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

I think it is only obvious that since your DZire bears a UP reg, it should do well in Mathura It is a natural progression from the Manza in that it ought to be a more refined product and considering you mentioned size being an issue, it really ought to be the best choice to make right? I have personally seen that old people do struggle with the Innova and find it to be a bit of a climb to get in so definitely don't bother sending it to your hometown. The fact that your DZire is petrol is also a good thing as you will not be contributing too much to the local air pollution in your hometown jokes apart being a petrol Maruti, it will obviously be easier to maintain than a turbocharged diesel even if it bears a Toyota badge.

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

Toeing the separation of registration and location principle I would suggest:

Execute option 3 and execute option 2

This takes care of your headbang moment of having the Mathura registered car back in Mathura avoiding out-of-state registration issues at both locations.

1. The DZire should perform well in the hands of a chauffeur and in the lanes of Mathura. Maintenance isn't an issue the only issue would be if you're comfortable with doing a Delhi-Mathura run in the DZire but that, as you said can be managed via a taxi if needed. The rear seat is quite comfortable if ingress isn't an issue but much better than the climb into the Innova.
2. In Mumbai it would also be an upgrade from the DZire to the Ciaz and more importantly from an MT to a proper AT.
3. I see it as a win-win for both team Mumbai and team Mathura unless I have missed something without my morning coffee

PS: The Innova should be exchanged with the HyCross/XUV700 whether using company exchange or selling directly. The XUV700 should arrive much sooner than Jan 2024, going by on-ground data.

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

Keep the Innova and swap it out when you get a 7 seater for Mumbai - either the XUV700 or the Innova Hybrid or any other option that gets your attention at the concerned time.

No point sending it to UP:

1. You will end up borrowing a car for the airport runs as and when needed
2. Older people can find it harder to climb into the car
3. It is now 16 years old - it will give age-related maintenance and could be a little more to chew for your grandmother and driver there to handle given you're in Mumbai.

For Mathura, what does make sense is sending the Dzire & picking up the Ciaz for Mumbai - no registration hassles, Dzire is within warranty and will be easy to maintain, and the Ciaz is an auto so will be easier to live with in Mumbai, etc.

The only con is that moving from the Manza - you would probably have some luggage space woes when you travel but if it hasn't been an issue here - it won't be an issue there.

In case the Ciaz (in Mumbai) + Dzire (in Mathura) combo doesn't work out, I would suggest getting a pre-owned Etios VX Petrol and calling it a day. It is basically a Toyota Manza - loads of space, big boot, good ride and handling, good safety, and because of the Toyota badge - maintenance and reliability are assured.

If this doesn't work out, the Ciaz and S-Cross would also be some good options to consider - they're superior cars to the popular Dzire & Balenos but not as popular - so getting a good deal on one will be far more likely than the nearly Zero Depreciation Dzire / Balenos.

Avoid a high run / old / CNG converted car like the SX4: Not worth the headache.

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