Some of the few cars that I have in mind are Hyundai Elantra, Verna, VW Vento, Skoda Rapid and Chevrolet Cruze.

BHPian aryannzx recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello, I am Aryann and I am currently completing my bachelor's degree in Automobile Engineering from Punjab and live in Mohali.

I am looking to buy and replace my current daily driver which is a 2010 Maruti Alto LX. I also own a 2021 Kia Sonet 1.0L Turbo Petrol but it is currently with my dad who lives in Jaipur.

Now I have my eyes on a few models and have a rather small budget but need your help in deciding on which to go for.

Just for your information, I am looking for a Diesel Sedan with a Manual transmission, I do not prefer Automatic and Petrol but it is not a deal breaker for me whereas the Sedan part is, I do not want a Hatchback or an SUV or a coupe or anything. I want a proper sedan with a good boot (preferably 400L+) and good leg space in the 2nd row.

Now with that out of the way I will share the few models I have in mind (these are not specific listings just model names).

Hyundai Elantra 2013-2015

This is my most preferred model out of all as I personally love the looks and it almost ticks all the boxes. Now I have a question for all you enthusiasts - Is the 1.6L Diesel variant of this car limited to 3000rpm? I have recently driven a 2013 Fluidic Verna which shares the same engine and it is limited to 3000rpm.

Volkswagen Vento & Skoda Rapid 2014-2019

No specific problem with these as both are pretty good models. Slightly smaller than Elantra though but covers up in performance. But they are expensive these days.

Hyundai Verna 2016-2019

Overall a very very good car and would've been top of my list if it wasn't costing upwards of 8 Lakh rupees in my area. Same question for it - is it limited to 3000rpm?

Chevrolet Cruze 2013-2016

Ahh the Diesel Rocket, My father used to adore this car back when Chevrolet was still here but as of now, these are harder to find and even though I do not have an issue with the whole service part of this car I doubt that good condition models would be available in my area for a price I can afford.

I am still doing my due diligence in this process but I have to replace my car in the coming month or 2 as my Alto is not holding up well and keeps needing repair work which I do not want to spend my money on as it is not fast or comfortable enough to me. My last request is that I want to know places where all of you (from Punjab and Haryana) buy pre-owned vehicles as I haven't had great success in finding used car websites or places other than the ones that are popular and overpriced.

Thank you for reading. Drive Safe.

Here's what BHPian mayankk had to say about the matter:

Look for deals in Delhi. The vintage you're looking for is close enough to the death knell for Delhi cars.

Here's what BHPian SixPistons had to say about the matter:

Rightly put @mayankk.

One man’s tragedy is another man’s opportunity is perfectly summed up when it comes to Delhi’s deathbed for cars.

Plenty of Vernas and Rapids should be on sale of that spec. Elantra and Cruze will be hard to find, might need to look a bit harder, maybe some dealers might be able to source one.

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

If diesel is actually what you desire then why aren’t you considering a Laura/Jetta or an Octavia? The VW auto group didn’t go through diesel gate for nothing; their diesel mills are arguably the best (Hyundai’s are even more refined and impressive however 1.6 liter motor in the Elantra feels small). If you’re lucky you might even come across a 1.4 TSI Jetta or Octavia if you’re into considering a petrol.

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I am sitting on top of a torque converter, a mechatronics board, a few solenoids and we are at square 1

BHPian pramodkumar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a chevy cruze diesel automatic and its causing a lot of headache.

The history

I have had this car since 2016 and i have maintained it extremely lovingly. It has been tastefully modified with custom front bumper from Autopsyche and a sweet set of wheels, along with a full black interiors and other tastefully done mods like aftermarket lights. I have never skipped a service and has made sure every service is done on or before time.

When i bought the car it had 72k Kms on the odo and its now at 150k Odo.

The problem

One day it started idling rough, like an old transport bus that will keep on revving up and down + - 100 rpm, the moment i slot in neutral or park the issue will disappear. I took it to the ASS and they said they can try changing the ATF. After an hour they tell me that they do not have the expertise to do that.

I had done to two ATF change with this ASS and when i told them they denied doing it as they never had the expertise from the inception of their ASS. This made me very frustrated and i left the ASS and started researching independent garages.

On the following morning during the school run it started jerking from the rear end and i could feel as if its loosing traction and i was puzzled since its a FWD and i thought it could be something simple, the car completely went into limp mode while i was at my designated parking slot at work.

I decided to limp it to a nearest multiband garage they scanned the car and said that a solenoid valve is stuck open and they suggested a complete ATF flush with a filter change, I gave them the go ahead and after two days they call me to inform that the car is ready and it will be delivered to me, after a couple of hours they informed that the issue is back, I asked them to look into it and they informed me that they will get a Transmission specialist to look into it, it took them 2 months to finally throw the towel and i took the car to another garage.

The nightmare starts

This new garage informed me that the oil pressure it too low to enable gear shifting, and they suggested a new torque converter, we got a new torque converter and still the issue persists, this workshop guy's scanner was not able to catch the solenoid valve issue so i thought i dodged the bullet, then upon testing each solenoid on the bench one solenoid (the main one) was not opening and closing properly, we found one on aliexpress and thanks to the ban we had to get it shipped to Dubai and finally it landed here and guess what? That wasn't the problem now, it went to a different solenoid and finally the issue was zeroed down to the mechatronics circuit being bad, we got another mechatronics board and now since we installed the new board it is not able to detect the neutral/Park position and is not even cranking, we swapped the old board and it cranks but doesn't shift. I am kind of loosing my patience since the car is in workshop for over a year now. We are now loosing time and money since the approach the workshop guy has taken is to put a new part test if it works if it doesnt then move on with a new idea.

I am sitting on top of a torque converter, a mechatronics board, a few solenoids and we are at square 1. Can someone who owns a cruze and had a similar issue point me to someone who can look at this issue?

Few things about GM India and their ASS

GM has not fooled customers once but thrice, They tried the same stunt with Opel, then Daewoo and now chevvy. They say that the auto GB is sealed for life and no ATF change is needed, I have done it twice and after this debacle happened i decided to go through the invoices for the ATF change. The engine oil was changed at 79K Kms and the ATF at 80k Kms, when i saw the bill i was shocked to see that both the time they had changed the engine oil and not the ATF. How stupid or complacent one has to be to such things, first you sell and product which is substandard, then you claim its ATF is good for life then you cheat customers by doing things which are unnecessary, I am glad that chevvy left the country.

Pramod

Here's what BHPian d3mon had to say on the matter:

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Have you tried sourcing a used gearbox from a salvage car? Due to the lack of experience with automatic gearboxes in India, repair will always be a hit and trial affair and you seem to have suffered enough because of it.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Safety has always been a priority in cars and I'd always known that the Cruze was the best at this.

BHPian nikusebu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi Team BHPians.

Well, this is my first post here! Just found my time now to post and share one of the life-endangering experiences that I had just 4 days after my wedding.

Since childhood, I've been a fan of the Chevy Cruze aka the diesel rocket and always wanted to own one. And after 12 long years on 1st September 2022, I finally bought a pre-owned 2010 Cruze AT which was in absolute mint condition and looked like a beast. The car had clocked close to 1.1 lakh kms. Now, the whole reason for me to buy this car was also to surprise my wife with our wedding as a gift to her.

11th September 2022 was our wedding and all my family members were really astonished to see a 12-year-old car in such a brilliant condition. Everything went on well, my wife just loved the car and couldn't stop talking about it. And that's when we decided to drive to her hometown, Kerala. A day before the journey had a quick check on the car by the mechanic and everything was just perfect.

15th September 2022, we start off at 5 am from Bangalore and we've decided to take the Bangalore - Salem - Dindigul - Cumbum - Kumily - Ranni - Pathanamthitta route. Just for the heads up the previous night we happened to sleep very early as we were busy all day and the morning we woke up we never felt sleep deprived. So, as we were driving through the route, we were just enjoying our time talking, and listening to music and of course, I was even able to unleash the beast within the diesel rocket.

Around 9 - 9.30 am, we finished Dindigul and were traveling through Rasipuram. And not to forget, the Tamil Nadu highways had barricades every 5-10 km stretch. Just as we were driving through Rasipuram we were on the right lane behind a minibus and were making our way to overtake from the left lane. As I came to the left lane trying to overtake I happened to see a water tanker ahead of me but at a reasonable distance to overtake the minibus on my right.

But here's where things changed, as I was overtaking the minibus on the left, there was a barricade on the right lane which was ahead of the minibus. As I almost finished overtaking the minibus, the minibus was nearing the barricade and he happened to jump to the left lane which led him to hit my right quarter panel he kept coming on me, which made me steer to the left and got me out of the road and I was approaching the water tanker that was parked.

Boom!!!!! That's all I heard! We hit the water tanker on our left, and literally flipped it over, our car went around 360 degrees and ended up on the divider. The airbags were out and my wife was in a really big shock. The villagers and passersby came in and pulled us out of the car because our seat belts were jammed and wouldn't release.

The minibus just vanished, we were left with the villagers and the cops came in a while. To my amazement, my wife was uninjured without a single scratch though the entire impact was on the left side and I ended up with a few scratches on my right forearm as my window was broken.

I called my parents and informed them about the situation in a calming way, but they were really worried and drove themselves down from Bangalore after a few formalities we returned back to Bangalore leaving the car back at a garage and my dad convinced me to scrap the car rather than fixing it. It was tough but ended up going with my dad's decision of scrapping it.

Trust me, Cruze is a rock-solid car, a 12-year-old car withstanding and leaving us uninjured on such a huge impact is just amazing. To me, safety has always been a priority in cars and I'd always known that the Cruze was the best at this. The entire family was shocked about this and were praising the Cruze for its ruggedness.

Remember safety should always be a priority. Seat belts, airbags and a strong car must be in our minds when we think of a car.

Adios

A few pics of the incident.

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

I'm so relieved to hear that you were able to walk away with just a scratch and that you weren't hurt more seriously. It's always scary when things like this happen on the road. It's also impressive to hear that the Chevy sustained a good impact and that the left-side passenger remained unscathed. You must have been quite shaken up, but thankfully everyone involved was okay in the end.

I understand how frustrating it can be to deal with inconsiderate drivers who refuse to move over, even though they're driving slowly in the right lane. However, it's important to be aware of the situation and take precautions when overtaking on the left. One should stay alert and use the horn and pass light to signal the mini-bus driver. This can help prevent accidents that might occur due to small miscalculations or misunderstandings, such as the mini-bus driver assuming you would cross within a certain timeframe or maybe he hasn't seen you in his mirror where the pass light would have made you aware of the situation.

Here's what BHPian rajathv8 had to say on the matter:

What is one supposed to do in such a situation?

While I know overtaking from the left should be avoided, on Indian roads, it is wishful thinking to expect people to move over and let you overtake.

While overtaking from the left, the barricade on the right lane will not be visible till one has committed and is already partially executed the overtake. The visibility of the barricade reduces as the distance between the barricade and the vehicle reduces and this also increases the chance of the vehicle on the left swerving to the right.

The situation is not much better when overtaking from the right either since there could be a barricade on the left that would compel the vehicle on the left lane to swerve to the right.

I have been in this situation at times and it can leave the nerves frayed.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

If your budget is around 6 lakhs, go for a well maintained Vento/Jetta/Octavia if driving pleasure is what you seek. If reliability and comfort comes first, go for a City/Corolla.

BHPian Sowgandh.Bellam recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This is my first post on teamBHP. I wanted it to be an ownership review of our cars but looking at your predicament I couldn't stop myself from posting. Mainly because I purchased a 2009 model Cruze LTZ in July 2021 for 4 Lakhs. Yes I paid a fair bit more for a car that is 12 years old and has run 1,25,000 Km. But it is purchased from a close relative of ours and he does take good care of his cars(He owns 7 of them, 1980's Ambassador to Mercedes GLE).

I always thought a car which is taken care of with preventive maintenance will run long without throwing tantrums which is proven by our 10 year old VW Vento 1.6TDI that has run 1,75,000 Kms with not even a single mechanical or electrical issue. But I was proven wrong in case of both Chevrolet Beat(Turbo failure and AC issues, bought in 2012 and sold in 2017) and Cruze.

My Cruze's BCM failed which lead to multiple electronics(including horn and headlights) not working and the Bootlid just wouldn't close as it is electrically operated. A new BCM with programming was quoted at Rs. 80000(20% of the cost I paid for the car). I researched a lot on forums and this BCM issue is a widely faced one worldwide. I imported a repair kit from China and got the BCM repaired here which costed me Rs.25000. Next the clutch failed (Clutch pedal sank completely and we cannot engage a gear) abruptly in the middle of an Intercity journey which left me stranded. I thought the Master Cylinder failed, but what I saw baffled me. The clutch plates friction material was completely worn off exposing the metal disc. Clutch replacement without flywheel costed me Rs.30,000. Flywheel costs RS.50,000. I am not a driver who does half-clutching even in terrible traffic. My Vento ran on stock clutch for 1.65 Lakh kilometres and even then there is a fair amount of life left. I only changed because it has become a bit hard and the car will be primarily driven by my 60 year old father. Apart from these no issues to report in the past 1 year. The car effortlessly Cruzes at unmentionable speeds and that is where her positives end.

Now coming to your case, if your budget is around 6 lakhs go for a well maintained Vento/Jetta/Octavia if driving pleasure is what you seek. If reliability and comfort comes first, go for City/Corolla. But do not go for Cruze as the spares are very expensive and Chevy ASCs will try to rip you off. The car isn't known for reliability either. Moreover lack of experienced and honest technicians compounds the problem. Chevy Beat is mechanically a very simple car but Cruze isn't. So your mechanic might not be able to solve all the issues. By the way you described it, the car isn't worth 6 lakhs as other members also rightly pointed out. You mentioned brakes felt weak and that is probably because brake pads are not OEM. Cruze has very very good brakes. A brake job replacing all four discs and pads with OEM parts will cost Rs.44,000. I doubt if anyone will purchase it for 4 lakhs and to purchase it one has to be as naive and stupid as I was a year ago . There is not a single USP of this car now, except for the strong engine and looks (again subjective). I am keeping it and enjoying it just because time travel isn't possible and selling it now isn't financially prudent. I have put forward the costs incurred just so that you'll get an insight regarding the ownership costs associated. These costs are not too high but definitely high for someone with a budget of 4 to 7 lakhs. I didn't foresee myself spending so much on a well maintained car(1.8 lakhs in the past 1 year for various part replacements) because our Vento has been extremely reliable and I only spent on fuel and general wear and tear items. That is why I felt the ownership costs to be high for Cruze.

I am attaching a few pictures of my 35,000Kms ran (in my ownership) 13 year old Cruze just because the post was lengthy, part of it is out of context and this is my first post.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Car has done 47k kms and was in mechanically in good condition. It had a suspension replacement worth 1 lac done recently as per my mechanic and the owner.

BHPian saikishor recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I found a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ MT for sale via my trusted mech. Our Beat has been maintained by this guy since the past 6 years. My mech told me about this car a week ago, and the asking price as per him was 7 lacs.

Today I finally found time to go and check the car. Car has done 47k kms and was in mechanically in good condition. It had a suspension replacement worth 1 lac done recently as per my mech and owner. It came to my mech for a driveshaft repair, and that was when the owner decided to sell it off.

Me and my friend drove the car for a good 7-8kms, and absolutely loved the engine. Clutch was a little hard but I guess that is how it is on these big diesel cars. Brakes were weak, my Beat has better brakes. Car has minor dings here and there. Windshield is cracked. Right front fender also appears to be repainted.

Now after the test drive, I spoke to the owner on my mech's phone. He quoted 7.2, and I was clueless for a couple of seconds. Later my mech told me his original price was 7.5 lacs. I quoted 6, stopped at 6.1 and told him we will meet in person on Sunday, so that my dad can also have a look. Honestly speaking, I didn't like the way the owner spoke to me on the phone. But I loved the car, hence told him we'll speak in person on Sunday. I have pictures of the car, but do not want to post them as I don't want to mess with the owner's privacy.

Regarding maintenance, I have confidence on my mechanic. He specializes in Chevy's and I have complete trust in him, hence the decision of a preowned Cruze.

Please provide assistance on this. Also do let me know if someone has a good condition 2016+ TS registered Cruze for sale. I found one good example from Meghalaya(car is listed on TBHP classifieds, incase anyone is interested) but backed out due to the ridiculous RTO charges.

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

Suspension work and drive shaft replacement on a car that has run 'Only' 47K kms? Please walk away , you really need to introspect how much you want to trust that mechanic.

Here's what BHPian ashivas89 had to say on the matter:

Apologies in advance for for my pessimism.

Avoid like the plague. Here's why:

1. It is a sellers market out there and every car is marked up considerably. 6-7L for a car whose maker left the country several years ago is asking a bit too much.

2. When you have had enough of it and plan on selling it, a seller's market is not guaranteed. You may have to just give the car away.

3. It is a diesel engined car. It will be nowhere near as easy to maintain as your beat.

4. A friend owning an ex GMTCI maintained Captiva (which he bought at just 3 years old) is facing colossal headaches with the 2.0L TCDI engine and mechanics are advising him to live with it because they are too scared to open the engine and fix the issues.

5. Big Chevys sold in our market, unless maintained immaculately, don't hold up as well as German/Japanese engineered cars (body panels, plastic bits, interiors, rattles etc..)

6. Again, once problems start emerging, it will be a money pit. That 2.0L Diesel thrust which is likely what has you convinced, wont feel like it was worth it.

Here's what BHPian Nissan1180 had to say on the matter:

You mentioned that the owner is trying to sell it because of the driveshaft repair. That itself is a reason to suspect something amiss. The Cruze was an expensive car and unless the current owner is buying something better, why would he sell it over a fixable issue and take the huge depreciation hit? He’s fed up probably.

Also, you mentioned that there are issues with the clutch, brake, and windshield. You also mentioned that you did not like the owners communication.

With so many red flags, the decision is yours. Not trying to discourage you, but your mechanic would always prefer that you buy this car because it can become a consistent revenue source for him .

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

The only thing going for this car is that it is a 2017 model (last year that the car was available?) and has done only 47k kms. From there on everything goes downhill. If the car is immaculately maintained, why is the owner selling it like this? I understand you said he's moving abroad, why not sell it to a relative of his? I suspect it has something to do with the premature drive shaft repair work. Also suspension replacement is quite suspicious as well these are usually things that get attended to after atleast 1 lac kms.

Not to mention the windshield is cracked and there are dings all over the car? Please stay far away from this car. I understand that you are into Chevy products having owned a Beat, but firstly ask yourself do you need a diesel sedan? Is your running really that much that you want to buy yourself a diesel sedan? Or would something like an Accord work out as well? If you absolutely must have the Cruze then please wait for a better car and a better deal to come by. I would not even bother paying 3 lacs for this car the way you have described it let alone part with 6 believing it to be fair.

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

Being very honest, the car isn't worth even 5, the enthusiasm and everything else goes out of the window once you face an issue that may result in the car sitting in the garage waiting for some part - that kills both enthusiasm as well as the confidence.

I see you are smitten by the performance, I would suggest you look for something like a Laura TSi or a used Accord or anything else like that, the Laura in itself is a money pit - but the depth of it as a money pit is lesser than that of the Cruze.

My close friend had a Cruze and was happy too (I wrote in the relevant thread) with parts availability and service, but things went down once he faced an engine head repair for which a lot of time was consumed, but the job done wasn't up to the mark still - later he sold the car for around 4 lac rupees (that's what a 6 year old and 33k kms done Cruze commands in Delhi).

I would prefer to stay away from a Chevrolet even if its coming to me at a throwaway price, I prefer reliability and ease of maintenance above the money I save in buying these cheaper options - all the sweetness of the deal turns 2X bitter the day you face an issue with them.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

This is most likely due to the oil cooler gasket leak, but I have gone to 3 different garages including the erstwhile authorized Chevrolet A.S.S ,and each one has a different diagnosis ranging from head gasket to oil cooler.

BHPian Cruzecontrol recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi,

This being a first post, please excuse if the placement of this query in this forum is incorrect. I have a Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 2012 model with an odo of 1,35000 kms, and running fine except for oil in the coolant bottle. This is most likely due to the oil cooler gasket leak, but I have gone to 3 different garages including the erstwhile authorized Chevrolet A.S.S ,and each one has a different diagnosis ranging from head gasket to oil cooler. Can anyone recommend a trusted and knowledgeable FNG in Gurgaon for this job? Thanks in anticipation.

Regards,

Cruzecontrol

Here's what BHPian Indian2003 had to say on the matter:

You have only 2 possibilities. The head gasket or the oil cooler/heat exchanger. It is not up to you to tell them what to do. They should diagnose the fault and fix it. I would try to find another shop which has the gear to test the head gasket.

A pressure gauge will easily indicate a leaking head gasket. This is the first thing that is done for a suspected leaking gasket.

Take it to someone who knows what they are doing.

As an amateur mechanic, I would lean on the head gasket as a leaking oil cooler normally sends coolant to the engine oil and not oil to the coolant.

If you diagnose the fault for them they will blame you for the wrongs they do.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on that matter:

Did the car overheat? In that case, it is the head gasket that has gone. You can contact Anupam Shukla of Worlds of Service, Noida. The number is there in a dedicated Worlds of Service thread, and also in the FNG thread.

Please note that the engine has undergone damage, and will in all probability never be the same again. If not performance, then in terms of reliability or emission compliance. Your best course of action will be to sell the car off at the earliest. As a 2012 model, it is anyway nearing the 10 year limit for diesel cars in NCR.

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

Hi,

Please check if there are any traces of coolant in oil sump (pull the dip stick out and inspect). If not, replace the oil cooler along with gasket and flush the cooling system. If yes, the engine might have overheated and will need to be dismantled and undergo further inspection.

I would recommend to get the above work done at an authorized Chevy service station only. You will get warranty if the issue crops up again within a year or 20000 km (whichever is earlier).

Regards

Ex- Chevy After Sales Manager

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.