This article is not for the people who have big budget and go for luxury car.In that case it is better to buy new car which always better and satisfying than old cars.
This article is for the those who have limited budget ( say within 2 lakhs and cheapest new car is Maruti 800 std which costs around 2.5 lakhs) and looking for may be their only car in life.
So once u decided to buy a car following points are to noted first for deciding which model.
1.how much the car will be used?
2.how much is the max. budget?
3.How many people will be travelling?
4.what is the main reason of buying the car(daily commuting OR fun trips outside the city)?
I am writing this article out of personal experience and the details I have collected before deciding and buying the car.So I will take my own example as case study.I have a family of 3( 2 adults and a boy).My use will be outside the city for trips and within the city enough to keep the car in good shape.My decision is based on the following details available for the models in second hand market.
PRICES IN LAKHS
Maruti 800DX:
2002-NA
2001-2.20-EURO2
2000-2.00-EURO2
1999-1.7
1998-1.4
1997-1.25
Note:1.Pre'97 Sep models are old and not looking good.Available for 1 lakh(96 model) and reduce 10000 for each year.
2.Dx model has not only AC as extra( compared with std model), also has spring suspension in the rear .People buy std model and fit A/C and think it is DX model which not correct as original DX model has other things also.
3.After 2000 Mpfi was introduced So Now std model has 6 valves, 4 geared version but DX has 12 valves and 5 geared.After Feb ’01 both have radials and rear springs.
Maruti zen:
1994-1.4
1995-1.5
1996 -1.6
1997 -1.8
1998-2.0
Note:1.Zen is virtually unmodified from 94 as the original built quality itself is for exports.
2.LX and VX models have same engine and built but Vx has power windows and power steering and central locking.and kenwood stereo.
Santro(Hyundai)
Note: Before 2001santro had 1000cc engine with breakerless ignition.After changed to 1100cc with distributorless ignition with other things same.1999 model may be available within or around 2 lakh. It is difficult to get used santro.
INDICA(telco)
Note:If u r going for Indica go for V2 which is from 2000 as the pre 2000 models have nagging problems. So for budget of 2 lakh u can forget about Indica.
Allthe above companies have good service network.
So Finally it comes to 800 and Zen only.
Following points can be considered:
1.POWER STEERING IS USEFUL FOR LADIES AND IN BIG CARS.But cars like 800 and Zen don’t require it which has high maint. Cost and takes fuel also.
2.central locking is useful for security provided it comes with the car as OE.If the car is not going to be used frequently( only in weekends) less electrical euipments is better for the battery.
3.Power windows like as above another gadget to make u lazy.Window glass will move up and down by pressing a button.
4.800 and Zen give almost same space inside but both the cars are entirely different.Zen is export quality car sold in Europe in the name of ALTO upto 2000.800 is in INDIA only.These are for carburetor( euro I) versions only.
Advantages of zen over 800
1.Aluminium engine good for better heat transfer
2.electronic ignition requires no maint. Where as contact breaker requires change in 10k kms
3.diaphram type clutch is better than dry multiplate .
4.brakes are servo assisted.
5.better built quality for European market.
6.5gears for better economy
7.safer than 800
8.A/C is better suited for zen than 800.
9.radial tyres are standard.
Advantages of 800 over zen:
1.slightly more economical than zen.
2.costs around 50, 000 less for the same year model.
Common.:
Service charges are almost same for both may be slightly less for 800.mileage for 800 is 18+ in h/w and 13+ for city and for Zen 16+ and 12+.
So with the above points it is clear the 800 is for those who buy it if they cannot afford any thing else.But now after 2000 with MPFI and 5 gears 800DX is similar to zen in performance and others except built quality. It is wise to go for 800 if used only in the city no chance of going in highways.
Zen is a different car having peak torque at around 4500rpm( most car have this at 2500-3000rpm)which means city driving is not funny.
5.Santro is good for city use.well built.but everybody may not like the look which is like a rolling ball. It has fuel average around 10 in city and 15 in highway.
6.Indica is cheaper compared to equal models with good space but being a local make it may not give same driving pleasure like zen or santro.V2 is better than older model. Fuel average is less than santro. As the engine is bigger.
diesel cars:
the above models are petrol versions only.diesel engine has life time of half of petrol engine and maintenance costs are double .So if usage is more than 150 km/day it is wise to go for diesel( like taxis).Also costlier than petrol cars.And diesel car driving will not be trilling and enjoyable.engine will be heavy and refinement not as petrol engines and also noisy.
WHERE TO BUY
There are number of sources from where u can get used car informations like newspapers, internet etc., But majority of the ads are posted buy dealers out of which many dont know much about cars( technical things) but doing as side business.Their prices may be 15 to 20 thousand extra than market prices.Some dealers like automartindia, popular car bazaar are doing 120 point checking before displaying the cars.They give 6 months warranty also.But their prices are still higher.So the best thing is first look for a car from owner( before that know some technical things about cars even if u dont know driving) and test drive it by u or with help of a known mechanic.
MY pick
With the above details I searched the market.At first I was thinking of pre 90 M800 but rejected and increased the budget to one lakh.The after hearing 800 was changed in 97 I went for 97-98 model with budget of 1.5 lakh.But because my use in city is limited and higheay driving will be more also the car will be for fun and not for commuting I searched models other than 800.I could get esteem also in the same budget but other than giving a big car feeling and some dicky space it does not have much .also maintanence charges will be more with less economy.Finally I decided on ZEN which is the correct car for my family size and usage.It is fun car with everything required for a luxury car but small and compact.mileage is not much different from 800.I got one 1997 model with 37000kms run for 1.7 lakhs.So far it is ok and hope it will be good in future also.
NOTE:
IF u have a family of more than 5 OMNI van is the only vehicle. available in the same price as M800 but it is supposed to have been used heavily since most people buy van for transportation only.It has NO A/C .engine cannot take the load. In a way dangerous as the front is flat.For servicing and all seats should be removed.Buy van only if it is a must and no other option.For small family car is better.
checklist for testing a used car is posted in this site under'general advice on buying a car'.
