Buying an old or new ikon 1.3

dear experts,

i`ve been regularly following the buying section of carwale forums and especially reviews by binoy , rajiv, pankaj etc. iwas really impressed by the first car review by roy on his new ikon. i am presently using a maruti 800 dx, 2001 model and my first car is being driven only by self and wife . being a fauji iam regulary driving a lot of vehicles like gypsy, sumo etc for offiicial work.

we`ve been planning to upgrade to sedan with budget of 4.5 t0 5.5 lakhs(csd pricing) and had test driven a few cars like indiogo cs (tdi & petrol), swift dzire ( d&X), accent and the ikon ( both petrol & tdci).

the most impressive drive, good feel and the comfort from the driver`s seat has been on ikon follwed by the accent, then the swift dezire and then the indigo cs.

also technically the ikon tdci is the best even a notch better than the better than the dzire ddis( also vfm) . finally w`ve almost decided upon the ikon tdci. but the works manger

 of the ford showroom was advising me the 1.3 rocam over the tdci, purely for my benefit, considering a monthly runnig of about 800- 1000 km and a family of three only( but a sedan is felt as the choice). now now  at maharastra and in two months time moving out to delhi.so the drive is going to be on the crowded delhi traffic.

just while weghig the options and making the decision anew thought procees has come in and that is why this thread has been initiated for the expert advice.

my immediate neighbour and asenior fauji ( doctor)owns a ford ikon 1.3 clxi with full power windows, power steering, ac, retro fit autocop 5000xs, bluapankt music player, six months old 175/70/r15 goodyear tubeless (all 05), new battery motrocraft(?) and servicing till date done only at ford authorised centres (april 2002 model0 driven only by him is putting up the car for sale. today i`ve done the test driveand the drive quality is very good (lees than 60000km done) and good interiors. the expected price is 1/3 rd the  price of anew car. 

i need an expert advice on wheter i can go for this car,c onsidering the economics of car buying an usage, drivvig pleasure is fair enough.

thankyou

sanilbabunair

Hi

Check this link

I would suggest u go for the Ikon Diesel as it is fuel efficient,Low maintenance cost and fun to drive.

Being an owner of Ford Fiesta Diesel I really like the Diesel and the engine is definetly worth the money.

For the usage of 1000km u can go for the diesel.

The petrol is good but low on FE and underpowered.

The sales man will always tell u what is best for him.

Ikon

 Owners liked

• Value for money sedan
• Solid build quality
• Fun to drive nature
• Fuel efficient diesel engine
• Perfectly contoured backseat
• Excellent ride & handling package

Owners disliked

• Lack of outright power from the engines
• Poor and fade-easy brakes
• Noticeable cost cutting

The smaller yet significant things

• The engines are competent, but lacking in outright power.
• The Ikon is, overall, low on refinement.
• Can get noisy at speed. Tyre noise is also significant.
• The diesel engine's hum at 100+ kph can get annoying. 
• New instrument cluster + digital odometer are part of the facelift exercise. 
• AUX input for the iPOD is standard. 
• Known fuel gauge problem. Indicator stays stuck on 1/4 level even when the fuel tank runs dry.
• Stock headlights are dim and woefully inadequate.
• The Ikon wheels are back to a 13 inch stock size (versus 14 for the NXT). 
• Reversing is a bit tough due to the high tray and boot lid.
• External mirrors are small and create blind spots. 
• Cost-cutting is glaringly obvious everywhere. Starting with the NVH insulation. 
• You can custom-set the intermittent wiper delay; check pg. 14 of your owner's manual. 
• Dash design leads to significant sun glare.
• LHS dashboard scoop is unique, and liberates space to the front passenger.
• Stays rattle-free for a long time.
• Brake pads wear out faster than in other cars.
• Owners felt the lack of storage place / cubby holes for nick nacks.

Fuel Efficiency

1.3 P : 9.7 (City) / 14.0 (Highway)
1.4 TDCi : 14.5 (City) / 17.8 (Highway)

Upkeep Costs

Above average

Overall Reliability

Good

Problem Areas

Minor electrical issues, air-con compressor, air-con diverter valve, fuel gauge, power steering, thermostat housing, rusty exhaust

Resale Value

Average (Petrol) / Good (Diesel)

Source

i am primaly looking a the buying economics of an old ikon vis-a-vis the new ikon for the features mentioned in my first post. i.e running , maintenenance of old ikon versus the capital investment on new ikon, and of course, the running of new ikon. 

thank you

sanilbabunair