30 lakh budget for a used German car: What are my buying options

Car will be driven only on highways and with 3-4 occupants and luggage will at best be 2 medium suitcases

BHPian NazgulLOTR recently shared this with other enthusiasts

Hello everyone,

I had recently posted for the first time on Team BHP for advice while buying our first German car. After multiple failed negotiations, i finally closed the deal on a sweet E 220D.

Now one of my relative wants to also buy a German car (non-negotiable) and has given me the task of finalizing the car. Here are the key points of note:

• Car will be driven only on highways and with 3-4 occupants and luggage will at best be 2 medium suitcases
• Car will primarily be driven by a hired driver (rarely , me or a cousin will be accompanying them in which case we might end up driving)
• Occupants will be aged 50+
• Car has to be German (BMW or Merc)
• Should have maps and music options (via USB)
• Budget of 30 lac max
• Sedan is preferable but a SUV isn't rules out

With these limitations in mind, i started looking for the classifieds and the used car dealer catalogues. Here are the options that i have narrowed it down to:

• A relatively unused (2020+) 2-series would meet almost all the criteria however budget will have to be stretched by 4-5 lac more
• A used 320D (2017+) or a 520D (2015+)
• A used CLA (2018+)
• Used 2018+ BMW X1

All of these have 20-40K kms under the hood and don't really have any issues. Looking for advice on which of these might make sense

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

Ideally, a Hyundai Tucson, VW Tiguan (With negotiations) or an Innova Hycross should have been the ones to consider for this set of requirements.

However, since this is specifically a German luxury car problem, here is my take. An F10 or a W212 would be too old to buy in 2024. Something newer in this segment is unlikely to come within the said budget, given whatever we have come to hear about the Bangalore used car market.

On the other hand, a CLA would not be ideal for chauffeur driven elderly folks, given the low headroom and the tricky ingres-egress. Same applies to the 2 Series GC. My top picks would be:

• The newest possible Audi A4/A3/Q3.
• The Newest possible W205 C-class/A-class sedan.
• A previous gen Mercedes GLA.
• BMW 3 series F30/X1, as new as possible.

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

I own a Mercedes CLA.

CLA is a 2-passenger car, there is no space at the back, and the same thing goes with the 2 series. Due to coupe styling and the sloping roofline, there is no rear headroom in both CLA and 2 series. Seat height is also very low in both of these cars so it will be a problem for 50-year-old. So avoid them.

In 30 lakhs you will find a very old 520d which will be out of warranty so avoid it.

I think the best bet here from all your Options is the BMW X1, but this car is best self-driven and not for sitting at the back with the driver because of the cramped space at the rear, overall the experience will not be great here.

My suggestion to you is to look for an Audi A4 2020 or above model.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.