Team-BHP - "Almost-New" used cars! The logic & beauty of buying 1

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 4918566)

By now, regular readers of Team-BHP will all know the obvious & not-so-obvious advantages of buying used cars :D. There are some interesting articles which you must go through:
• Under 3 years old
• Had <20,000 km (two of them had <10,000 km)
• Still covered by the factory warranty
• Up to 40% cheaper than new!

While I am a big proponent of used cars, the equation above doesnt workout always. But I think one should be on the lookout for a good deal, a car like Jetta may give you an irresistible deal which you may not be able to say no to. (Would I buy Jetta other-wise, absolutely not!)

Reasons are below

Availability - This works in markets like Mumbai and Bangalore, where people may use the vehicle for only 9000 kms but will drive it daily for 5-6 kms in peak traffic.
Limited Models - Typically available for petrol cars, I was looking for a used Hexa, most cars from 18 are available above 50k kms
Limited Selection - Cars like Honda City, dont depreciate that fast. The selection for a good deal may result in a car purchase which I dont want to buy.
Why not New?? Dilemma - I am ok for paying upto 25% premium for buying a new car just for the peace of mind and parents satisfaction of buying a new car
Parts wear and tear - Things like tyres, will need to be replaced at 7 years mark or so, even if they havent been used a lot. Same with Extended warranty. (7 years vs 4 years of life under warranty)

This deal works for some buyers who are well versed with cars and their mechanics. They will be able to sniff out a good deal. For average buyers who want a fill it, shut it, forget it type of a car, a new car works better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmartCat (Post 4918649)

In Bangalore, it does not make sense to buy 1 to 3 year old cars because the quoted price is still very high. I have never seen 30% to 40% lower price for 1 to 3 year old cars, either at an used car dealer or in classifieds. Eg: 2019 Maruti Brezza

Couldn't agree more (literally scrolled down to make this comment, only to find yours).

Have been sold and convinced on the "almost new" logic for a while now, so was considering a used Civic (2019 model). But yea, apart from their being no model with said "30%" discount, there are barely any models on sale. Pretty sure even to buy used one would have to buy from a used car showroom, which then negates a lot of the advantages mentioned by GTO.

Off late my Safari has been spending more time at the mechanic's than with me. Being forced to use Uber on an almost daily basis in these times of Covid, I decided it was probably time to get a "newer" car.

Came across a 2019 Figo Blu TDCI which had run just 16000 km at a used car dealership. The car was pristine and scratch less. After thoroughly inspecting the car and after a long test drive, the car seemed mechanically sound, with no signs of accident repairs / flood damage. Came back home and called up the Ford dealership and verified the records + car history against what the dealer had informed me. Everything checked out fine and was also informed that the car has a 5 year standard warranty from Ford. Went to the dealership the next day and sealed the deal for well under 7 lakhs. I am really pleased with my purchase, especially with the fact that I got a top end Figo with 6 airbags, the power and efficiency of the famed 1.5 TDCI motor in BS4 form and almost 4 years of factory warranty remaining.

Went through the posts, but what I have noticed is that it is almost impossible to find a good car (car wise & owner wise) which meets the criteria of less than 3 years, run less than 20K KM, in impeccable condition & costing 50-60% of the buying price (i.e., the actual buying price) at least here in Bangalore.

A typical IT company employee car here (in 6-12L new car price range) will be 4 years old, run around 40-50k KM, serviced always at their authorized centers & typically costs around 60% (surely it is never at 50% - its a psychological barrier I guess) their buying price when you approach directly/through common contacts. Not a bad deal I would say, but a car which has already run 40K KM does not "feel like" a new car however well it is maintained IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by null (Post 4919667)

A typical IT company employee car here (in 6-12L new car price range) will be 4 years old, run around 40-50k KM, serviced always at their authorized centers & typically costs around 60% (surely it is never at 50% - its a psychological barrier I guess) their buying price when you approach directly/through common contacts. Not a bad deal I would say, but a car which has already run 40K KM does not "feel like" a new car however well it is maintained IMO.

Rightly said. Last year I bought a similar used car - 3 y.o Baleno Petrol Zeta, 30K driven, impeccable condition. But it costed me 66% of the then OTR price (discounts factored too). If not for some personal reservations a Brand new definitely made sense.

The Cretas, Brezzas, Swifts (2nd gen too), Baleno, Dzire (2nd gen as well) enjoy very high resale value and they don't drop below 60% of their value. One has to look beyond popular models to get a VFM deal in BLR.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmartCat (Post 4918649)

In Bangalore, it does not make sense to buy 1 to 3 year old cars because the quoted price is still very high.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530 (Post 4918652)

Ground reality in Bangalore is that a 1 year old car is sold at almost new car price.

Agree, just doesn't work in Bangalore. The delta is not worth it which is why we've very rarely bought an used car in our 13 years here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 4918566)

But buying a used car that is <3 years old is another level of "pre-worshipped". Truth is, the last 3 pre-owned cars that I myself bought were all:

• Under 3 years old
• Had <20,000 km (two of them had <10,000 km)
• Still covered by the factory warranty
• Up to 40% cheaper than new!

I have a slightly different take on things. I actually prefer comparatively high mileage cars that are a couple years old. It ensures that the car was primarily run on the highways, I don't trust most owners to take care of their cars like I do of my own, so the cars used on the highways have relatively less cold starts, stop and go abuse. People who run their cars on the highway also are more likely to service their cars, lest they leave them stranded.

A 2 year old car with 40k on the odo is my perfect second hand condition. I'd probably not touch a car with a turbo in the second hand market unless I know the owner personally.

Lovely thread- rated a well-deserved 5*. Could not agree more!

While I've never regretted a new vehicle purchase, the one that offered most value was picking up a 3-year old Swift Vxi G13 with 30,000 clicks on the odo when I moved to Pune in 2009. It cost me 3.5L from First Choice and even considering I overpaid by ~10%, it still saved me 2L on a new purchase (35% savings). It was in near-pristine condition with a clean service history and the icing on the cake was that it was "doctor-owned" :D

The original plan was to sell it off when we bought our Vento AT in 2011 but since the missus was driving regularly by then, it made sense to just keep it as a second car. And it faithfully performed that role till about a month ago when we finally let her go to make way for a new car.

In fact had I had some leeway on my current car purchase, a <3 year old Ford Endeavour 3.2 made so much sense! In fact I test drove a year-old specimen some time ago but the asking price of 31L was outside my budget (though a steal when you consider a new one costs North of 42 big ones). The fact that the 3.2 was retired in favour of a BS6 compliant 2-litre powertrain makes it even more attractive a purchase!

Am already thinking about the next purchase 3-4 years from now to replace the ageing Vento. Hopefully the market will be flooded by even more mouthwatering specimens by then.