Help on buying an used car

[Crazy cat]

The need for Swift in family is increasing every day. So i'm planning to give Swift for family use. To compensate my dad offered me to get an used sedan/hatch. As my usage is less(due to usage of bike), i thought of getting a petrol car(This will be our first petrol). When it came to sedan i thought of Esteem, Baleno, and OHC. But now Esteem is not on top of priority, as my friends convinced me that its charm is lost now. I'm ready to consider other cars, as long as the it is trouble free with decent FE and handling. So i'm on a hunt for it.

Today I came across this 2005 Baleno Lxi. The color of the car is Black. It has clocked 68970kms while i drove it today. It didn't have any major dents or scratches, but has many small scratches. The rear bumper has some cracks, due to heat i guess. The interiors is the part im not satisfied. The foot and floor mat is torn out(needs replacement), seat fabrics and dash board is not clean(needs cleaning) and power window switches and the plastics around it are faded. The interiors tells me that the car is not handled properly. I totally had two drives in the car. They said that the car is not used for a while. On my first drive, i found the car struggled a bit initially, but after driving for a while, it was better. On my second drive after 10 minutes, i liked its power and now the car became more smoother. I don't have much experience with petrol cars. I found the car perform better after 2.5 to 3 k RPM. The clutch was light and gear box was smooth. The steering is direct and perfect. But i found the rear suspension is not in good shape, there was a noticeable mild shaking in the rear even in good roads(more noticeable on the left side). It has a JBL DVD player with use less Yamato speakers. It has Accelere Alloy wheels. The asking price is Rs. 2,75,000

Some pics of the car with my mobile cam

 

[350Z]

Hi Crazy Cat,

What your friends have told about esteem is totally correct, Not because it has lost the charm but because the car becomes problematic after few years of purchase.

Let me give you an example, The Power window motor of most of the esteems fails in long run because the weight of window is more.

Coming to used Baleno which you've picked, From the out side, It looks well maintained but I should alert you that some waxing+polishing job can make a old car look like in a showroom condition, But all these are marketing gimmicks to sell a used car, So please be ware.

From what you've described about the car, I don't think its really worth considerable choice and hey don't go on the show of Accessories, They are secondary.

However, If your heart is set for this one then I suggest you taking a qualified mechanic with you to do all the mechanical & electrical inspections, Also you Test Drive he car 3-5 times more and make sure to ask for all those important papers.

Its better if you buy a used car from a reputed and official used car seller such as First Choice, True Value etc. Yeah! They charge more but that extra penny pays off for long run.

Please let me know what your exact budget is, Also why don't you consider a New petrol car instead of a used one?

New is always better, Especially when you are already having a good experience of driving.

My Best Wishes!

Drive Safe!
350Z

 

[Neil.Bhujbal]

Well the exteriors look good.Looks like a maintained car.
The matts change,interiors cleaning,etc can be done and wont be heavy on pocket too.

But your "experience" of the engine cant be "EXPERIENCED" here.If you could show it to a mechanic or make a petrol driver drive it they could tell you weather its normal or not.Even if there is some problem in the engine or something is wrong fixing it again wont cost.

Everything else is great,black being my favorite color.Imagine this car with some red neons,vinyls,sport exhaust,etc.Will be a KILLER.

 

[Crazy cat]

@350Z, the budget can be stretched to 4 lacs(can be extended by a lakh too). Only new hatches come at that price, but i'm not impressed by any or they are expecting new engine for 2010 in that price band. And also lot of new comers are arriving too.

The person(supposed to be a mechanic, i guess) who came along for the drive, slipped out that rubbing polish has been done before a couple of days. And that cracking on rear bumper, my friend said it won't appear with original paint.

@neil, i'm more concerned about the interior plastics. They look faded, especially the one on power window switches are housed. I don't know much mechanics to come and check the car for me. It is not good to take an unknown mechanic. All my close friends and relatives are associated with diesel cars.

 

[Neil.Bhujbal]

With a budget like that you can get a car which is 10 times better than that baleno.
Search the market a bit more.Try getting a lancer,OHC,etc.

Like 350Z said a new car would be a good thing anyday.The joy of new is always different.But again having a pimped sedan rather than a normal hatch is something different,so its completely upto you.

by the way how much was the owner asking for this baleno ?

 

[Denom]

I feel that you should avoid a Baleno for following reasons:-

1) Discontinued Model
2) Most Boring In Appearance, no matter how much you pimp it
3) Spares Costly & Not Freely available

As advised by 350Z, go to one of those reputed 2nd hand car dealers, try out a variety of cars, widen your pool of choices there & also you get a warranty that covers atleast 6 months post purchase, so it works out best that way. Another route is to purchase a vehicle from someone you know, that way you have better idea of how that vehicle has been maintained.

 

[Crazy cat]

With a budget like that you can get a car which is 10 times better than that baleno.
Search the market a bit more.Try getting a lancer,OHC,etc.

Like 350Z said a new car would be a good thing anyday.The joy of new is always different.But again having a pimped sedan rather than a normal hatch is something different,so its completely upto you.

by the way how much was the owner asking for this baleno ?

I've planned to visit some used car dealers tomorrow, including true value.

I'd like to buy a used sedan and do some mods on it.

The baleno owner was asking 2,75,000rs.

 

[Neil.Bhujbal]

The baleno owner was asking 2,75,000rs.

2,75,000rs We get done up lancers here in Pune with that price tag.

You will find many options in True Value & mainly a good conditioned one.You will save enough to get some mods done with that 4 lakh budget.

 

[350Z]

@350Z, the budget can be stretched to 4 lacs(can be extended by a lakh too). Only new hatches come at that price, but i'm not impressed by any or they are expecting new engine for 2010 in that price band. And also lot of new comers are arriving too.

Do you mean to say 4+1 lacs?
For that you can get brand new cool hatches like Punto, Ritz etc! (Even upcoming Beat)

2,75,000rs We get done up lancers here in Pune with that price tag.

You will find many options in True Value & mainly a good conditioned one.You will save enough to get some mods done with that 4 lakh budget.

That price is quite high indeed.
Crazy Cat, I would like to suggest you a tip, Where ever you go to buy a used car for yourself, Even if its a dealership like True Value etc, Try hard as much as possible to negotiate!
And if you come across a car which you really like, Never let the dealer know about it because if he gets to know the same, He can use it as an advantage.
So do a detailed search before reaching to any decsion, Visit many dealerships, Used car sellers etc as possible and I'm sure at last that hard work will pay off and you will end up getting a great deal.


Drive Safe!
350Z

 

[Renegade]

2,75,000rs We get done up lancers here in Pune with that price tag.

You will find many options in True Value & mainly a good conditioned one.You will save enough to get some mods done with that 4 lakh budget.

2,75,000 is an amount which is less when compared to what Maruti True Value are selling
In Coimbatore there is a 2002 Midnight Black Vxi Baleno and the price they are asking is 300,000

Never go for cars which are modified (done up) they may look cool but they can have a really bad history which may include Rash Driving,Attempts to Drift,Burnouts,Screeches putting ample amount of pressure on the cars Drivetrain Suspensions and Engine which may cost a bomb to get it fixed.

 

[Neil.Bhujbal]

2,75,000 is an amount which is less when compared to what Maruti True Value are selling
In Coimbatore there is a 2002 Midnight Black Vxi Baleno and the price they are asking is 300,000

Never go for cars which are modified (done up) they may look cool but they can have a really bad history which may include Rash Driving,Attempts to Drift,Burnouts,Screeches putting ample amount of pressure on the cars Drivetrain Suspensions and Engine which may cost a bomb to get it fixed.

By done up i meant good ICE,wheels,interiors etc

 

[sriharsha]

instead of private parties, its better to rely on true value cars.
You will atleast have the delearship for your help incase any problem turns up after sometime.

 

[amit]

the car looks good but stiill try and find find less run example.here in mumbai it will cost yu max 2 lacs for the same vintage.

 

[Crazy cat]

@denom, the first two points is not much of a concern. Regarding spares, we have a regional stockist in our city. They will source the parts, when demanded.

@350Z, No i don't like Ritz or other cars. I'm looking for a sedan, preferable low body. Thanks for the tip, never get too excited.

@renegade, Is the 2002 Baleno available now?

@amit, i'm going to an extensive search today and will update here.


In my two drives, even without getting proper understanding of car's size, power band and other factors, i felt at home while driving it. I liked the steering and handling very much. It is a great car. So now my first priority is Baleno.

 

[Renegade]

@renegade, Is the 2002 Baleno available now?

Yes. The car is pretty much available. It is on the website. Look up to the maruti true value site.The car has a TN 43 registration. Considering it is Maruti True Value the paper work will be clean for sure. I think they'll throw in a warranty period too. So, according to me Maruti True Value is the safest bet for you.

So now my first priority is Baleno.

Make sure you get the top end variant i.e the Vxi only. Make sure that the RC of the car specifies the exact same model as the badging on the car. People love fondling with chrome badging you know.

Also consider buying a new hatch. If you just want a city run-around even an Alto should do the trick at almost the same price.New is always better, everything clean straight from the factory.