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Should I spend more on my used Ertiga or sell it & buy another used car

12th January 2023, 16:08 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

Selling it would give me Rs 3 lakh. I could add Rs 7-8 lakh & get a pre-owned Creta, Hexa, Marazzo or something similar.

BHPian Avi_Torq recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Upgrade existing or sell/lateral upgrade?

I have a 2012 manufactured, 2013 registered Maruti Ertiga VDI, done 136,000Kms. I bought this car for Rs. 200,000/- in October 2020 at 105,000kms, from my in-law's family but the car was pretty abused (outer body + suspension), driven by at-the-least 7-8 people including family members and drivers.

I got this Ertiga as an interim car after an impulse sale of my well-maintained 2015 TATA ZEST XT-D Manual, Red Colour in August 2020; got 50% of the purchase price. My ZEST served me pretty well and covered 98,500kms by March 2020 (till the first lockdown). It was a nice, well-built car and except for the Thermostat Housing Failure break-down, I had no issues or complaints, no rattles either.

Though bought as an interim car, I started to appreciate the Ertiga for what it offered in terms of versatility, ease to drive, lower spares & maintenance costs, comfortable/sturdy/fuel efficient (80-90Kmph speed range), and I am fine with the ‘average’ outright power with a full load.

Since October 2020 to till-date, the following have been replaced in Maruti Ertiga at an FNG and the engine oil and filter were changed every 10,000km at the same FNG, the most recent was done at 135,000kms. For the previous 2 oil changes, used Motul 8100-X-cess 5W40, a fully synthetic oil and am very satisfied with this oil.

Rear Shock Absorbers – replaced
Front lower arms (both sides) - replaced
Tie-Rods – replaced
EGR and Intercooler – “cleaned” at 115,000kms
Thermostat Housing replaced – infamous known issue with the 1.3L Fiat Engine cars; my 2015 TATA Zest QJET-90 (sold) had it too.
Timing chain + tensioner (the guides were OK- not replaced) – replaced at 115,000kms
Clutch plates – replaced at 110,000kms
Gear oil, Oil Seal, Calliper Pins, Air & Fuel Filter – replaced
Engine A-mount (RHS) – replaced at 135,000kms
Steering Box (full unit) – replaced at 135,000kms

Upgrades include

Black steering wheel with horn pad (prev-gen Celerio’s)
Black steering column case/cover
Black gear knob and boot (Baleno’s)
Pioneer touchscreen head-unit - DMH-Z5290BT
Headlight relay upgrade – much needed and most useful upgrade

Damage to the wallet, for the above Replacements/Services (oil service included)/Upgrades (Pioneer HU), was up to Rs. 100,000/-, over 2 years, including the FNG labour charges.

Current issues / problems with the Ertiga

In spite of the suspension work, it does not feel tight to drive
Each and every body panel has a dent(s); both the bumpers have Tears and Cracks and are screwed to the bumper holders.
Wheel Well linings might need replacing
Audio speakers are on the way out
Seat belts are clumsy and front seat ones don’t wind back.
Floor carpet is clumsy – currently it is a plastic laminate carpet.
Boot door Rattles and more rattles everywhere
Cracked driver door interior trim
Cracked RHS Tail lamp
Headlamps are faded with hairline cracks
Lastly, it does not have safety features like airbags, stronger body etc, though it has ABS.

Currently we have the following cars at home

2012 Maruti Ertiga VDI – 136,000kms (beater car, was my daily driver till June 2022)
June 2020 – Toyota Glanza V-CVT – done 17,000Kms (my current daily driver)
Feb 2015 – Mercedes Benz W212 E-Class 250 CDI – done 46,000kms (show-off car)

My usage is 20-25,000Kms/year and I prefer a diesel, sturdy, reasonable ground clearance and a comfortable vehicle. Glanza is not comfortable for my daily 75kms drive; too stiff and the CVT is not that powerful.

Now the question is – what to do with the Ertiga, should I spend more money and get the niggles, minor repairs, full denting & tinkering work, fresh coat of paint, spruce up the Interiors; make them all-black interiors etc. and new audio speakers & damping?

The above works might cost around 1-1.30L; is it worth spending this amount on a 2012 Ertiga? Eventually, I would like to move on to an Electric or Hybrid car in a couple of years.

Or Sell it, might get around 3L and add another 7-8L to get used Creta/Hexa/Marazzo or something similar till the electric/hybrid cars become a norm. I am not really keen on a brand new fossil fuel car, due to, (1) - the suitable ones are not less than 20-25L (on-road) and (2) - it’s anyone’s guess as to how much these new cars would be worth in the 3-5 years’ time.

My Dad says, start using the E-class as it is getting older and he will use the Glanza, as his daily usage has reduced off-late and he also says, not to spend much on the Ertiga and leave it as a beater car. Currently, my dad, my wife and I drive regularly.