How about used cars

Hello every one, i been going throug this site reading reviews as i am about to buy a car and this site is great help thank you. This will be my first car, i am still a novice when it comes to cars but after some reserach i zero'd in i10 sportz which came to 5.3l on road..most probebly i will buy this car..

the reason of this post is  when i go through used cars sales it looks like i can buy a highend car for the same amount or i may need to shell out 50k more to buy a good used car..

i just want to know why most people don't prefer the used cars, are is it my perception, i know there are people out here might have bought used cars i would like to hear valuble inputs from them if possible,may be then i will buy my new i10 with out thinking twice or may be i will be convinced to buy used car

Hi Kiran,

Welcome to carwale.com

I generally prefer used cars because it is a lot cheaper. A 3 year old car costs almost 50% of the OTR price of a new one, same model. Which means the same budget can be utilised to buy a vehicle from the next segment.

This translates into multiple benefits as under:

(a) A bigger, better car at the same price

(b) Someone else has already borne the brunt of depreciation. A car depreciates the most in the first 2-3 years.

(c) A well maintained car with proper service records is in most cases a safer bet than investing in a new car. What with all the recalls (not in India so far) and retrofitment of various parts during the warranty.

(d) Todays's cars are good enough for lakhs of kilometres. I've seen many Qualis vehicles with more than 5 lakh kolometres on the odo, still going strong. So, a 3 year old car with 30,000 to 60,000 kms on the odo is no big deal, provided the car has been handled and treated well. That's why inspecting all service records is a must.

(e) By buying a car from one or two segments above, you are also buying a much different experience at the service centre. I got to know about this first hand at a service centre. Besides, the attitude of other vehicles and the traffic constables are also different when they encounter a higher segment car.

Of course, many of us don't like the idea of using a device or gadget used by someone else. Change of upholstery, a good wash and interior cleaning and change of tyres usually does the trick and doesn't cost too much.

Drawbacks:

(a) You need to be very careful and diligent. You may be buying a rotten tomato, especially if you are buying from a used dealer.

(b) The process is lengthy and time consuming. You need time and patience, visting several showrooms, and inspecting several cars, before finalising one.

(c) You need to be flexible on the model / variant. You may have to customise or accessorise after finalising one. More time and effort.

The biggest advantage of buying a brand new car is warranty. You decide on a model, visit two or three showrooms, take a TD, negotiate the best price and drive out from the dealership with the car and a warranty in place.

Very well said Anand. I do not think a perspective of used car could be explained in a better way.

@Kiran, I would advise just one thing. If you have the patience and money then go for used cars else settle with new one. I have been owner of used as well as new cars. So whatever is explained above by Anand is exprienced by myself. Hence the advise.

Happy Driving.

+1 to Anand & Anshu. Same here - I'm also the owner of a used car. Same comments for the most part, adding that I'd advise you to be very cautious and sceptical while dealing with authorised service centres - since the car is usually not under warranty they will try to fleece you when you take your car for servicing to them (blow things out of proportion, use scare-mongering etc).

Thanks for the kind words.

You mean "patience and time", right? If you have the money, you may as well buy a brand new one.

Absolutely agree. Another advantage of having an used car is that you are no longer restricted to the ASC's. A neghbourhood garage mechanic can do the job, often faster and definitely always in a cheaper manner. However, modern cars require you to go to the ASC for major work as there is only so much that a road side mechanic can do. You can first show the problem to the mechanic, take his opinion and then take the car to the ASC. Chances of ASC scaring you or ripping you off are much less. And of course, the carwale members are just brilliant and helpful. Most of the times, the ASC would be scared of ripping you off, since you would be armed with so much information before you go to the ASC.

To add to the advantages of buying an used car, you will be doing your bit for the environment by not adding to the new cars on the road. ;)

Not exactly. If you have the patience you definitely win the race most of the times with "time". When I say "money" I mean is that for used cars you generally have to pay in cash. Loans are available but they are quite costly and very very few people take loans for used cars. Where as for new cars loans are easy to get and are cheaper. So even if you do not have all the money for On-Road price you can buy the new car with warranty which is not the case with used cars. Hence, if you have the money for purchasing used car in cash and to put more cash post purchase on maintanence and refurbish (if required/interested) then go for used cars.

Hope it clears now.

@anand thanks for analysing the issue in such a comprehensive way and i think you did't left anything uncovered infact i am expceting such a post...i liked what you said about not a big deal when odo reads 30k to 60k even i thought the same...what i take from your post is used cars are vfm but need to be careful while buying and much more..

@sking hmm i was expecting to take a loan but you are saying getting loan is tough well in that case my options are limited..

i still want to know from the people who are using used cars right now, how there total experience from the time they bought the car till day, how they have reserached and from whom they bought what factors they have taken into consideration.

people like me who are new to buying cars may actually would benifit if some one would take us through there experience of buying used cars thanks in advance

SolitaireKing, I agree. Car loans are expensive for used cars.

Kiran,

Buying an used car is not rocket science. Inspect the car and all the documents, thoroughly. If possible, buy from the owner directly, instead of buying through a used car dealer.

In most cases, the used car dealer also throws in a limited warranty of 3 - 6 months, which may be useful. But invariably, you will find the odometer tampered with and in some cases, some parts/components may also have been cannibalised. So, do your homework well. Don't be afraid to walk away from the deal if you find anything unsatisfactory. As I said before, finalising an used car is a long drawn out affair. You can't work against a deadline.

@ kiran, you reside in which city?

Hey how about buying from Auto Terrance for Hondas, True Value for Marutis and Mahindra first choice multi branded ?

They give some warrenty and admits that they have performed some test on cars.

What is your take on it.