Cars Q&A

Hello sir, my name is srini am in chennai am planning to buy one used car and my budget is 1 to 1.75lacks could anyone suggest me which cars is best like maintenance, milege and good re sale valued. my usage in month apporx. 1000km per month. and also suggest me how can i chose right car.

By Srini 07 July 2009

Answers:

Dear Mr. Srini,

You have plenty of choice these days while buying a used car in India. Since you are in a metro, you should have no problem at all finding a car in your budget range and get full satisfaction.

Here are your choices - Maruti - 800, Zen, Esteem. Honda - City, Ford - Ikon, Fiat - Uno, Palio, Mitsubishi - Lancer (if you are lucky), Opel - Astra, Corsa.

In terms of resale value, Marutis and Hondas are the best - there are always people looking to buy them. But if you want very good value for money, the Lancer, Astra, Corsa, Palio etc. may be very good cars too. It just depends on the driving experience you want. Ford cars are not very good for anything.

Since you are driving only 1000km a month, you should not worry about spending more on a diesel either. Petrol will give you a smooth drive and lower maintenance, and the car will be cheap as well. In order to determine a "good" car, you should consider buying from an individual who is well off, perhaps someone with two or more cars, looking to sell one. People who scrape money for one car, park on the street etc., usually never maintain their cars properly. Do not buy from a "small" dealer. Best option - have your mechanic check out the car you are going to buy. And be ready to bargain. There are too many cars around for sale and you should NEVER pay asking price. Best of luck!

Answer by B S Kumar 07 July 2009

Expert`s comment:

Dear Srini,

In order to answer your question correctly , you probably need to give us some more inputs like whats is your family size? Are you looking for a Hatchback or a Sedan? Even if you drive less in a month , do you go out of station/ weekends? with family ?

Assuming that you have a family of 3/4 people, and that you are a first time car buyer, I would recommend you to go for a used Zen or an Esteem. Both come from the Maruti India family. Maruti vehicles are extremely reliable, fuel efficient, negligible maintenance apart from regular servicing, and give you the best in class resale value post usage. The advantage with Esteem will be it has a boot space, the Zen doesnt.Maruti vehicles, however are not very safe in case of any accidents nor study in their build quality. Both the maruti cars are very low in their seating and can give back trouble for travellers.

The second option I would recommend is the Santro or a nicely used Ascent from Hyundai. Tried and tested on Indian roads, these have proven to be good to drive. These could be a better choice. Compared to Maruti , these are much safer.

The third option that you can choose from are: 1. Fiat Palio/ Fiat Petra [ 75000- 125000 depending on the make year and condition ]. Very sturdy vehicles, superb driveability, however not so fuel efficient and can be prone to high maintenance and cost of parts. Part availability too is an issue with Fiat.

Avoid Fords, Mitsubhishis, Opels as they are very heavy with parts cost and maintenance.

Please check , thoroughly, the credentials of the vehicles before maing the purchase decision. Check for any accidental damage, claims made... test drive the vehicles your self and feel the comfort. Always get a reliable mechanic along while testing the vehicle, its engine , suspensions, electricals etc... and need less to say negotiate hard to get the best price.

Regards,

Anand
0993007990

Answer by Anand Kute 07 July 2009

i think u should go for maruti alto . this car is best in in ters of milage and performence ....

Answer by Ishan 07 July 2009

Hello Srini,

I would like to recommend to buy Maruti( Maruti 800, Alto, Zen, Wagon R) or Hyundai Santro cars always these cars are less in maintenence, and best resale value.

Best Luck

Krishna

Answer by Krishna M 07 July 2009

go for alto thats the best deal ,mileage16+ with a/c

Answer by Jayanth 08 August 2009

i would like to sugest to go for a maruti alto because it best suits your requirments and is fuel efficient too

Answer by Abhishek 08 August 2009

well my dear dear frnd add a few thousands more n buy a new 800 duo ac n the rest is peace of mind don't go 4 a used car else u'll certainly loose ur job n peace of mind

Answer by Sandeepsingh 08 August 2009

Expert`s comment:

Hi,
The best selection would be that of used Esteem or a Santro.

Answer by Shiva Shankar 08 August 2009

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