Team-BHP - Maruti true value vs Mahindra first choice: what is recommended for 1st car?

Hello,
Currently planning to buy my 1st car. A used one. Budget is ver very less: near 1 lakh or so... Usage will be minimum & for me only..

As I am noob in this area, so dont have much confidence in buying a used car directly from dealer or any agent. So considering the option of buying from MFC or MTV.. Though there are very less choices for my budget, the idea of warranty & proper certification is suggesting hassle free experiance.
So need your suggestions regarding my planning & also request you to share any experiance with these two... Also any alternative idea?

(My idea is to get a good condition Zen-MPFI as its fun to drive+ will be relatively easy on maintanance..)

Thanx in advance..

Why not look at what the showrooms around you are offering. Visit both. If you see a good deal then spring for it. No harm in trying out them all. I dont have experience with either so wont comment on either directly but i have never heard anything negative in others experiences with either. Only positives.

I had been to maruti true value when I was searching for my first car. There is no negotiation. They quote a price, U take it or leave it. They know very well, if not you, somebody else will soon come in.
Had been to Mahindra First choice, when my friend bought his car. You can negotiate. Depends on how good you are at it. You will have a lot of vehicles to choose from.

Also try the used car divisions of some dealers (hyundai or chevrolet). Though they quote a bit on the higher side, all dents or scratches on the body will be taken care of. They even offer 6months warranty on powertrain. You can also get some free accessories or discount service coupon if you negotiate well.

I had an experience selling to both first choice and true value. First choice are jack of all trades masters of none. They were not well informed, were not able to find even apparent flaws in my car :D True value ppl know in and out very thing about maruti cars clap: Didnt miss even a scratch. But its an experience with one dealer each. Still i would recommend True value, they eat drink and breath maruti.

Maruti True Value is something you can trust, eyes closed. I have seen their service in 2 cities. In 2008, a friend in Ahmedabad picked up a 3 year old Zen for 2.5L. The car was in impeccable condition, not abused at all, and till date is in his family. It gives the usual old-car problems, but he definitely was sold a good piece. In 2010, a friend in Kolkata picked up a 2004 Esteem for just 1.4L. The car came with 2 free services, and has generally proved very reliable.

In either case, MTV did not negotiate on prices. But they dealt with you just the way a new car salesman would, and arranging finance (in the Esteem's case) was facilitated by them.

As far as MFS is concerned, the cars they pick up are generally reliable. But overall the MFS franchisees are a shadier bunch (just my opinion after dealing with a few).

As Zteg said, try Hyundai used cars as well. They're an equally competent company certified programme like MTV, though not as well spread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by offroad_maniac (Post 2548572)

I have not yet visited any of the showrooms yet, as I dont havre much idea regarding inspection. Have read the advices here, but still ... :)

the whole point of certified used car dealers is that the inspection is handled by the showroom and you trust them to give you a decent car....

Will never hurt to walk in and ask around.

TVS has a used car program as well... does any one have experience with them? would like to know seeing as they are not a car manufacturer themselves. and i think for a long time the only major brand in the used car business and not in the new car business.

Can't say about MTV but I would like to share an experience regarding MFC.

I went to MFC in Karol Bagh, Delhi and was shown a black santro which did not appeal to me. Didnt feel 'tight' for her age and some signs of repaint on some parts. As they didnt have any more cars to show me I moved on and visited some other dealer.

I told this dealer my preferences and after some time the same black santro was shown to me. I asked the price and it was 5k less than what MFC was quoting me.

Draw your own conclusions, but to me it appeared that either MFC showed me a car from the open market or they were charging me a premium of 5k over and above the value which was quoted to me by the other dealer. In either case it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Thanks for all the replies.
I am also some how inclined towards MTV considering the service & trust of all the people in Maruti a.s.service. though the prices of used cars appears ro be on higher side, its the quality check & initial warranty that gives a small, but much needed confidence when buying a used car.. (specially for a first time buyer like me).
Had a word with one of the MTV guy & came to know that the Zen mpfi which I had shortlisted on their site was sold just 15 days back :(

so he advised me to increase my budget a bit, say till 2 lakhs to get more wide variety & good conditioned (less old/ less mileage) cars.. Lets see if he calls me back as promised.

Will also look for nearby Hyundai showroom to check some quotations on used Santro etc... Thanks.(have driven the Santro & its fun)

Say for budget of near 1.5 lakhs or 2 lakhs (max), what choices do I have?
I am open to diesel, petrol, hatch or sedan.. Just the thing is I want complete piece of mind (minimum issues/ easy maintanace), as I dont want my first car experiance to leave a bitter taste..

P.S.: On the other hand, sometimes I think that, instead of spending 2lakhs etc on an used car, why not buy an used Alto from direct market for under 75-80k or so & save rest of the money for obvious maintanance?

I may be asking for too much here, but hey, whats wrong in that :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by offroad_maniac

...

P.S.: On the other hand, sometimes I think that, instead of spending 2lakhs etc on an used car, why not buy an used Alto from direct market for under 75-80k or so & save rest of the money for obvious maintanance?

I may be asking for too much here, but hey, whats wrong in that :D

Dude,

Under a lakh used car market is the hot bed for the stolen / totaled vehicles. (Not to say that if above a lakh, then all is well). Generally use caution and listen to your guts when dealing with unknown sellers. Walk away on the first instance of 'something not right' feel.

There are genuine people out there as well, but better safe than sorry.

My first car was a second hand palio 1.2 from First Choice. I was on the lookout for a good pre owned zen with a budget of about 2 lakhs (in 2005) but changed my mind after a test drive of the Palio which had about 30K kms on the odo. It was a 2002 model and I negotiated and settled for 1.8 lakhs. Top of the range model.
Most of my friends advised me against a Fiat citing low mileage, high maintenance etc. I was willing to live with the low mileage since the car felt so much better to drive than a zen or a santro. And in the 4 years that I used the car I only has one or two electrical issues which cost a total of less than 10K including a battery change.

If you are looking for a used Maruti car then True value outlet is the one you should visit. If its any other car then worth trying Mahindra First Choice, they do the negotiations part but I am not impressed with their certified cars. Go there if you have a good mechanic with you.

Why not try T-BHP classifieds? I am sure you will get an assured good cars sold by BHPians

I have had experience with both.

If you know what you are buying and can spot a lemon go to first choice. If you want a new car like buying experience go to true value. True value is at least 20% more expensive than first choice and they do not negotiate at all.

For comparison in Nov 2010, true value offered a 2005 alto lxi with 52000 on the odo for 2.5 with 3 free services. I finally bought a 2007 december alto lxi with 32000 on the odo for 2.4 with free insurance from first choice. The car is in an excellent shape.

However, I will be surprised if you can find anything in your budget in either of these places. The margins will be too low and risk very high for them to deal with cars at that budget. Your best bet would be to buy from respectable individuals.

Quote:

Originally Posted by offroad_maniac (Post 2548735)

Thanks for all the replies.
I am also some how inclined towards MTV considering the service & trust of all the people in Maruti a.s.service.
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I may be asking for too much here, but hey, whats wrong in that :D

A friend of mine is selling a 2001 model zen lx (mpfi) done around 40k kms- genuine, for under a lac . let me know if you are interested.