Used Toyota Corolla Altis vs New 5th-gen Honda City

Will it be more sensible to buy the new Honda City over the Altis?

BHPian Sarath Shanoi recently shared this with others.

Need help in buying my next car. I'm confused between a used Toyota Corolla Altis and a brand new 5th-gen Honda City. I saw a used manual Corolla Altis 2017 GL petrol which has done around 17,000 km (first owner) on sale. Rs. 14.5 lakhs is the asking price. Can someone suggest what will be a fair pair for that car in Kerala considering it has been discontinued by Toyota. Will it be more sensible to buy the new Honda City over the Altis?

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

I am a lover of pre-worshipped cars. But in this case, I would pick the 5th-gen Honda City. For one, the City has grown over the years and become a more mature car. Second, that 1.5L Vtec under the hood is an insanely fun motor...the best naturally-aspirated petrol on sale in India. It's fun to drive, has compliant ride quality, a spacious cabin + practical boot. Two things that will need an upgrade are the speakers (if you like your ICE) and the skinny tyres. Do that and it's a heck of a package.

The Corolla is a great family car, but quite boring to drive in comparison.

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

I've owned and maintained the 9th-Gen Corolla, driven and maintained the 2008-11 Altis in petrol and diesel, seen the 2014 and later Altis in some detail, and have great regards for the car. However, I would definitely not bet double digit money on a used Altis. In this case, the asking price is high because the new car itself was priced insanely high.

You'd be better off getting a new City since it is a much improved product. However, be aware that build is now tinny, and problems in new cars are normal fare compared to, say, 7 years ago. Quality has now given way to extended warranty (which is a must have for some peace of mind).

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