Need Inputs on Purchasing First (Used) Car For Rs.3 Lacs

[hotshot05]

I have been going through Olx/Carwale/Cartrade used car sections for almost the past 1 year. This would be my first car and I have no experience of driving cars. So I wanted something used so that even if I make a mistake while learning, it would not dent my pocket too much.

Budget is around 3L.

ABS and airbags are priority for me. So most of the old cars are directly eliminated.
I had zeroed in on a Chevrolet Sail UVA LT ABS model as it matched my criteria. But did not get much time to talk to the seller and within 1 month the GM pullout happened. So I am back to the portals again.

In this budget I found very few Honda Brio S(O) MT 2012 cars. These have 2 airbags and ABS. There are 2 options available in my city.
1. One of them is certified and put on sale by multiple dealers with different prices. So I am confused who has the actual car. I checked on parivahan website and it is still registered in the original owner's name.
2. The other options is not certified and most likely is being sold by an individual rather than a dealer. This guy has posted on the portals 2 times in the past 3 weeks. First time he gave the variant name as S(O) MT. 2nd time around he mentioned Honda Brio S MT.
I checked the RC status online and it is not possible to differentiate between variants only based on online records.
If I do go to check out the car, how would I understand if it is the base variant or the option pack? Honda does not seem to write ABS on the back panel (unlike say Maruti Ritz or Swift)

Also is it a better idea to buy a certified car (odo 40k in 5 yrs) or a cheaper car from individual (odo 10k in 5 yrs and 30k cheaper in listing price)?
Currently I don't know any mechanic. I was thinking about getting an inspection done via Droom.

 

[kkn13]

Re: Need input on buying new car

Best is to take the cars to Honda ASC and get actual details from their records including service , parts changed etc
Dont go via droom etc, ASC is best

 

[Pharaoh]

I will give your few suggestions,

1. Rule No. 1: Be patient & keep searching individual sellers on online portals.
2. Near your budget you can get Brio, Figo, Punto, Micra, Liva, Vista about 3-4 years old. All these are good cars (I am bit tentative about Vista) & have low resale value. Try to find low run vehicle (<30k).
3. Ask owner if car was regularly serviced. Those who service regularly generally stick to one service station & specified service intervals. In such cases, you can easily get all service history from service station. Service station will do that for you. Max. they will take owner's consent over phone.
4. If everything is OK then you can move to following next step.
5. Request (through service manager) good mechanic from service station to come with you & inspect the vehicle. He will not come immediately but he will be happy to come after his duty hours for some Rs. 500/1000 as his fee.
6. Get the vehicle inspected, driven by mechanic & then fix a deal with owner.
7. Never go for dealer. They are all expert in cheating & making sure they earn good margin in every deal.
8. The individual sellers are not so hard to find but it requires patience. Who knows such example can crop up in your society or friend circle.
9. Last rule: Never forget the rule no. 1.

 

[type-r]

In your budget, the best car to learn and live with would be:

1. Ritz: Driving position is comfortable with controls in reach. Maruti so can be fixed anywhere with a string and a brick. And has bad resale so you can find plenty examples around less run (especially in Kolkata).

2. Micra: the diesel engine is so lag free that it is perfect for beginners. Just release the clutch and you're off. Servicing might be a little tricky to do from Authorized Service centers due to the lack of it. But if you can manage the maintenance, good car. And it is very spacious. Not to mention the super robust engine.

3. Brio: Cute, Compact and nippy handler. Puts down a very small footprint on the road so it fits in the gaps that no other would fit. Honda servicing can be a tad costly. But good for social reputation.

4. New Nano XTA: this will be bang in budget. New car feeling is inexplainable. Auto will be easy to use. Size is small. Maintenance will be easy. But people might not accept you in the society. Rest, this would be my pick!

 

[kkn13]

Id say go for Ritz or Swift
Especially the diesels, youll enjoy driving them. Parts are easily available everywhere since the Fiat sourced 1.3 Multijet engine is found in Fiat,Maruti,Tata,Chevrolet,Premier Rio etc

The MJD feels punchier in the Ritz imho and doesnt need much accelerator input in 1st gear so great for traffic and inclines too

Also Ritz, Swift etc have very high demand in used market and also as taxis, so resale and parts is not an issue at all


Brio isnt bad either at all but Ritz is a superior car for the price
You may also score a 2009 City IVTEC for 3.5L if you look around

(I own 2010 City, sold 2010 Ritz diesel last year, was very satisfied with both companies)

 

[hotshot05]

It has been almost a year and still I have not bought my first car. Gave my learners license exam today. I have started looking into the listings on Olx/Carwale etc.
Found a 2014 Ritz Vxi model. Looks to be first owner and the owner himself has posted the ad (no dealer in the middle). But he is asking for around 3.5L. I quoted 3L. Do you guys feel that this is a good buy?
Found a few Hyundai i20 Sportz (has ABS) listings too. These are older than this Ritz. Mostly 2010-2012 make but are listed by dealers for around 3L

Which one looks to be a better deal?
Older car woth ABS or newer car without any safety feature?

 

[Nanofreak]

It has been almost a year and still I have not bought my first car. Gave my learners license exam today. I have started looking into the listings on Olx/Carwale etc.
Found a 2014 Ritz Vxi model. Looks to be first owner and the owner himself has posted the ad (no dealer in the middle). But he is asking for around 3.5L. I quoted 3L. Do you guys feel that this is a good buy?
Found a few Hyundai i20 Sportz (has ABS) listings too. These are older than this Ritz. Mostly 2010-2012 make but are listed by dealers for around 3L

Which one looks to be a better deal?
Older car woth ABS or newer car without any safety feature?

As this will be your first car, don't waste so much money as a learner, Ritz and other tall boy car's have thick A pillars, with massive blind spots, I would suggest an Alto or 800 kind of vehicle, don't pay more than 1/1.25 L budget, as you would be still learning in crowded Indian city, even if you get shunts around the bumpers don't bother.

Better to buy from a known friends acquaintance, or someone who knows about cars.

All the best

 

[SachinOnTop]

I'd suggest to pick a WagonR. Most suitable for new drivers. Resale value of WagonR is good, so donot expect anything dirt cheap.

 

[SilverEyez]

It has been almost a year and still I have not bought my first car. Gave my learners license exam today. I have started looking into the listings on Olx/Carwale etc.
Found a 2014 Ritz Vxi model. Looks to be first owner and the owner himself has posted the ad (no dealer in the middle). But he is asking for around 3.5L. I quoted 3L. Do you guys feel that this is a good buy?
Found a few Hyundai i20 Sportz (has ABS) listings too. These are older than this Ritz. Mostly 2010-2012 make but are listed by dealers for around 3L

Which one looks to be a better deal?
Older car woth ABS or newer car without any safety feature?

hi Hotshot,
Many better options available in the market other then Ritz.

My suggestion would be:
Hyundai i20
Maruti Wagon R/ Stingray
Maruti Swift/ Dzire
Ford Fiesta
you can extend your budget a little and find many cars from the above under 4 LACS.

Buying a used car is all about patience, wait for the right one to come.
All the Best

 

[hotshot05]

As this will be your first car, don't waste so much money as a learner, Ritz and other tall boy car's have thick A pillars, with massive blind spots, I would suggest an Alto or 800 kind of vehicle, don't pay more than 1/1.25 L budget, as you would be still learning in crowded Indian city, even if you get shunts around the bumpers don't bother.

Better to buy from a known friends acquaintance, or someone who knows about cars.

All the best

I would havw liked to buy a Nano. Quite a few 2015 cars are available for around 1L. But my family will disown me if I buy it.

hi Hotshot,
Many better options available in the market other then Ritz.

My suggestion would be:
Hyundai i20
Maruti Wagon R/ Stingray
Maruti Swift/ Dzire
Ford Fiesta
you can extend your budget a little and find many cars from the above under 4 LACS.

Buying a used car is all about patience, wait for the right one to come.
All the Best

Some Hyundai i20 2010 editions are available for around 3L. Ritz is based on Swift platform. That is why I was looking into it.

 

[amitpshelke]

Since you have a minimal budget for buying a USED car; my suggestion is to go for Ford FIGO. If you are lucky then you can get a top variant within your budget.

Figo is hassle free car that comes with 4 star safety and easy to maintain.

 

[Nanofreak]

I would havw liked to buy a Nano. Quite a few 2015 cars are available for around 1L. But my family will disown me if I buy it.

You had bumped up this nearly 10 months old thread of yours, so I suggested you the basic car, presumably you might have learnt driving in a school in a 800, so the Alto and 800 were my suggestion.

 

[bhvm]

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...ue-boy-hyundai-i10-magna-detailed-review.html

this is what I did.
patience is what you need.
If you want to keep car long term after learning, Invest 3~3.5L and get car with ABS and airbags.

If you want to sell after learning, get any cheap maruti like alto, WagonR etc for 1L and do away with it next year.

 

[hotshot05]

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...ue-boy-hyundai-i10-magna-detailed-review.html

this is what I did.
patience is what you need.
If you want to keep car long term after learning, Invest 3~3.5L and get car with ABS and airbags.

If you want to sell after learning, get any cheap maruti like alto, WagonR etc for 1L and do away with it next year.

Hyundai did not offer ABS or Airbag in newer i10's. I searched a lot but it is difficult to find a car with ABS and airbag in my budget. Found a few (Celerio and Ritz) but they have done a lot of mileage(50k+ mentioned by dealer. So actual mileage would be 75k+). But even then prices are 3.5L+
I am looking into Honda Brio for now. Rejected one car as steering felt heavy (according to the person whom I take to test drive the cars). Will try another Brio this week. [Direct seller, 30k on odo (confirmed from dervice records)]
Brio is small and compact and offers good visibility all around. I am planning to keep it for only 1 year or max 2 year and then buy a new car or get a used Tiago/Ignis which has all safety features. By then, quite a few of them should be available in the market!