[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by condor

No, dont rule out the car on this point. Rodents are pretty common, any where, everywhere. Get one good cleaning of the engine bay, and you should be fine.

An Accord for a couple who have just started driving ? No, pls. I have had a 2000 Accord V6, and know it well. I wont dispute your point on this being a good car. But it's too big for some one starting to drive.

In addition to what Condor suggested, please check all wires and connections to ensure there is no issue later on : short circuits, etc.

As for the Accord : another issue with these older cars is availability of parts. A friend has a 2007 Accord V6 and has had to wait for some stock wear and tear parts. Unless one has the connections with a good experienced garage to identify the issues and source parts easily - it can be a bit cumbersome for someone new to car ownership. In fact it is very easy for such a person (especially if not an enthusiast) to be fleeced by the garage and see large bills.

[PaddleShifter]

Will this car get sold after a new car is purchased through CSD?

If thats the case, get a Swift petrol. Its very easy to drive by everyone including learners. The controls are easy, steering and clutch etc. are light. It will suffer minimal depreciation and is the perfect car for city duties (despite questionable safety aspect due to thinner/lighter panels). Fuel efficiency in city conditions is also good.

From the cars you have mentioned, Brio and Etios (Liva) are very good choices, especially for beginners.

[jomson13]

Originally Posted by condor

No, dont rule out the car on this point. Rodents are pretty common, any where, everywhere. Get one good cleaning of the engine bay, and you should be fine.

I would have considered it if I was going to use the car, but since this if for my sister I'm gonna give this one a pass. Don't want to fret about if and when a cut wire is discovered.

The Spinny guys countered by saying that all the wiring is intact since you dont see any fault codes coming up on the MID - How much of this is true?

Moreover the car does not have any documented service history from 2016 onwards. I find it hard to believe that the corolla did just 7k kms in 6 years.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by condor

No, dont rule out the car on this point. Rodents are pretty common, any where, everywhere. Get one good cleaning of the engine bay, and you should be fine.

An Accord for a couple who have just started driving ? No, pls. I have had a 2000 Accord V6, and know it well. I wont dispute your point on this being a good car. But it's too big for some one starting to drive.

The couple isn’t new to driving, only the husband is. It’s a midsize family sedan that I find just the right size, smaller cars are not stable under crosswinds on highways and anything over 5m needs effort to park in the city. If they’re liking the corolla the difference in size isn’t much but they’ll get a better car, that’s the reason I recommend it. I too learnt on it at 18, had zero issues, so it’s beginner friendly I’d say.

Originally Posted by jomson13

The Spinny guys countered by saying that all the wiring is intact since you dont see any fault codes coming up on the MID - How much of this is true?

This is simply not true, plenty of wires that can be cut and it won’t throw up any fault codes or CEL.

[condor]

Originally Posted by AJ56

It’s a midsize family sedan that I find just the right size, .

Mid-size by US standards. Not by average Indian car size. 5m is 15 ft approx, and then give space at front/back for parking/removal. And that too, when parking is available. I drive a Safari, and I know what it is to drive these big vehicles.

Husband just starting to drive, wife knows driving, but both fairly new. Accord is big enough to make it inconvenient. Apart from all this, spares availability, resale, parking space at home, and the big point with Indian customers - the FE. Enough reasons to look beyond the positives of the Accord. Positives are there, but practicality is important too.

For that matter, even the Altis is fairly big.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by condor

Mid-size by US standards. Not by average Indian car size. 5m is 15 ft approx, and then give space at front/back for parking/removal. And that too, when parking is available. I drive a Safari, and I know what it is to drive these big vehicles.

Husband just starting to drive, wife knows driving, but both fairly new. Accord is big enough to make it inconvenient. Apart from all this, spares availability, resale, parking space at home, and the big point with Indian customers - the FE. Enough reasons to look beyond the positives of the Accord. Positives are there, but practicality is important too.

For that matter, even the Altis is fairly big.

I’ll agree to disagree, ideally they should test drive the Accord and see for themselves.

Coming to size, I’ve yet to come across any trouble when parking the accord, despite the 4.95m length. Corolla and Safari are both compact vehicles at 4.6m long. I do believe a metre of length is the same, whether we measure it in India, Africa or America, so no point arguing that. Cheers.

[AGupta]

Get a 2016 or later Grand i10/Elite i20 petrol.
Fairly reliable and plenty of example in used car market. Driving is super easy with feel good interiors.

[Tanmay_868]

Suggestions of Condor and Lamborghini are spot on.
I would like to add by suggesting to get a car with SUV like stance. It would surely help your sister as she would have a complete view of road ahead and help in easily maneuvering the car.

[swiftvxi06]

Will suggest going for a 2016/2017 Swift VXi or Swift Dzire VXi . It is a very reliable product with a peppy and fuel efficient 1.2 petrol engine. Being a Maruti, servicing is not at all an issue and will give you a good peace of mind as far as ownership is concerned.

[condor]

Originally Posted by jomson13

I would have considered it if I was going to use the car, but since this if for my sister I'm gonna give this one a pass. Don't want to fret about if and when a cut wire is discovered.

Fair enough. But just in case, you find a rat has entered your car's bonnet - will you sell your car ?

Just asking

Rats are a menace, and many of us have experienced some action by rats in our cars.

[Aravind_M92]

If it's for fairly new drivers wanting a small car for day to day use and may be used as a beater later, why not consider Automatic options? I would suggest grand i10 AT, if available in your area. A 2018 model with decent milage, should fit your bill

[dhruvlath]

I would pick the Honda Brio. The MT is easy to drive and the car is quiet spacious for its size. We have one in the family and it has aged really well with almost no
faults or major maintenance costs.

[HooghlyBoy]

Don't rule out the Corolla for the rat droppings.
Rats are a menace, particularly in cars parked for long time so in that case this Corolla seems to have genuinely done 6K Kms in last 6 years as rats almost always make parked cars their home.
Just check whether all functionalities of electronics are Okay or not. If the cars electrical wirings have been chewed by rodents, then get the insulation redone at Toyota ASC. It'll hardly cost you 3-4K.

[hitesh91]

Why not look for tata rigor ? The car is spacious, has good build quality and decent amount of features. And it is available in the price range you are looking for. Plus it would be fairly new compared to Brio, corolla and liva.

[z_3en]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Accord is also much more stable at highway speeds and isn’t affected by crosswinds like the amaze is, I learnt to drive on it and it’s fairly easy even for beginners, it only takes a few mins to get used to when switching from a smaller vehicle. Corolla feels fairly underpowered in comparison.

I totally agree with the Amaze vs Accord comparison. Since we are talking about a couple who are just starting off it would be a financial burden maintaining such a car. Above that as a biggener managing the mammoth(with respect to our roads) in traffic would be quite a task since the purchase is mainly for city drives.