[Sheel]

^Yes, it entirely depends on budget & preferences, precisely why the Innova/Crysta/Fortuner are used as beaters by some.

Like in my trade, people depending on budget, use the Bolero/Scorpio as beaters and their Fortuners/Endeavors as their premium cars or SUV's.

[pedrolourenco]

I just re-purchased my wife's old Alto to use as a beater car.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...lto-spice.html

The car was originally purchased when the Petra 1.6 was my only car. The role of the beater was being played by the Activa (which I still have). We ended up selling the Petra and buying an i10. I had contemplated keeping the Alto but since we were a bit fed up with the trouble it gave it initially we let it go. We then upgraded to the Rapid from the i10 and after a month we realised that we made a mistake selling the i10. So we went and got a Celerio to take one the role of the beater. After upgrading from the Rapid to the X1 we realised that sometimes bot me and my wife needed to use the beater car at the same time. So I went ahead and bought back the Alto.
Once my son starts schooling and I employ a driver, I'll probably pick up a used Ciaz or Sunny.

[pavanmadhini]

Lovely thread!

I am actually quite keen on getting a 2nd beater car - and preferably 2nd hand. We currently have a Jetta as our luxury barge, and use a Grand i10 as the beater car. But our family is munching miles like crazy (5000 kms a month across the 2 cars) and now I want to preserve the Jetta for longer. On the lookout for a highway capable beater car - ideally a 2007-08 2.4L Manual Accord for around 5 Lakhs.

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by pavanmadhini

Lovely thread!

I am actually quite keen on getting a 2nd beater car - and preferably 2nd hand. We currently have a Jetta as our luxury barge, and use a Grand i10 as the beater car. But our family is munching miles like crazy (5000 kms a month across the 2 cars) and now I want to preserve the Jetta for longer. On the lookout for a highway capable beater car - ideally a 2007-08 2.4L Manual Accord for around 5 Lakhs.

I would advise you against going for the Accord. It might be a honda, but it won't really do as a beater. Simple reasons for the same are:

• Maintenance and upkeep will set you back $$$
• Spares availability is a huge question mark
• The 2.4 I-vtec will be a fuel guzzler even on the highway
  

I would suggest you get a Used Civic instead. Go for a later model and you surely won't regret it. Spares won't be a problem since it was on sale till 2012-2013.

Regards,
Vishy

[The Brutailer]

Very well written buddy. Great effort.

Coming to my cars, I have 3 of them. GLA, City and an Alto. And I know it’ll be hard to believe but the closest to my heart is the Alto. Why? Maybe because it’s the oldest (with many memories) but mostly because it feels raw, mechanical and pure. The steering will flex your muscles and there are literally no gadgets (except for AC) and I like it that way. It’s not just my go anywhere car but a car which I drive to have unadulterated fun..anyday, anywhere!

The City is more sophisticated and very comfortable and has an AMAZING engine, the most revv happy I’ve ever seen. That’s my day to day car. And when it’s on the boil, no other car comes close; it revs like there’s no end.

And the GLA? Uh, well it has superb quality and ride and stability are brilliant and of course engine and brakes (especially) are mega. It’s my highway car. But somehow I don’t connect to it the way I do to my other cars. Maybe due to my preference to petrol cars..

So well, in my case..the beater car is the one is love the most.

[arindambasu13]

The best beater cars are the ones which are also fun to drive. We have a Swift and a Brio, and bot are fill it shut it forget it types, while at the same time both offer excellent bang for the buck in terms of driving pleasure and fun to drive characteristics. Not to mention that frugal running and maintenance costs.

Wining combination for sure!

[hemanth.anand]

The concept of a beater car is relatively new and a very small percentage in our country's automotive scene. Since long it was a beater two wheeler here. Main reasons being

• Why waste money on a second car (new or pre-owned)?
• Parking space hassles
• Can't snake through traffic

However recently this concept is increasing with the buying power getting better. Serves pretty much the same purpose as the 2 wheeler but with a more secure feeling.

But if cars had emotions, then these beater cars would be a depressed lot because the owners don't care for them as much as they do to their other pampered siblings

If not for the Manual GB, I would've given my Punto to my wife and also used it as a beater car instead of selling it and buying an Alto K10. even though Alto is serving wonderfully well for the same purpose, the drive is nothing to-die-for.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

But if cars had emotions, then these beater cars would be a depressed lot because the owners don't care for them as much as they do to their other pampered siblings

Agree completely. I myself feel guilty at times and what I do is give the beater car an extended session of deep cleansing and Massage( read washing and polish) . Until next realization/session, I take beater car for granted!

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by vishy76

To be honest, the Punto MJD was the only European car I was going to suggest. But looking at your views, I will agree that Japs and Koreans make a lot more sense. I added the Punto since I was under the impression that it is a reliable European. (Have seen many members clock 1,50,000+ with ease).

100K is surely a lot of money to be spent on a B-segment hatchback.

Maybe I was not quite clear in my previous post, our Punto was decently reliable till the 100K km mark. Even today I would say Punto is one of the best hatchbacks to have been launched in the Indian market. After the Punto we bought an Ecosport, even today I & my whole family feels Punto was a better car in certain aspects, specially in qualities that mattered most to us (like ride quality, build, highway manners).

Anyways, I believe the 100K figure that we spent on maintenance is quite normal for a Punto that has done around 100K km. Here is what we changed except the regular oil & filter change at every 15K km:

• Brake pads change at every 30000km, in comparison our Ecosport brake pads feels like that they will easily go past the 40000 km mark (now odometer at 30000 km).
• Timing chain change at 60000 km, most competitors recommend a change at around 100-150K km.
• Clutch change at 68K km, which I believe is decent for a car which was primarily driven in city.
• Steering rack replaced at 102K KM, this costed us 15.5K including labor.

Having said that, we were okay with the maintenance cost of our Punto as it was doing the duty of our primary car. But with a beater car, I believe the maintenance cost should be as low as possible. Still if someone has a 30-40 lakh car in their garage, I guess having Punto (or any small European car) as a beater car shouldn't be a problem w.r.t maintenance cost.

Last year my maternal uncle bought a used Polo 1.6 mpi with only 17000km on the odometer. We took her to a Volkswagen service center to get the engine oil & filter changed, but upon checking the service history, we found out that she was serviced only 2 months back. Anyways I asked for a copy of the bill, the bill read Rs. 10500 which only included Engine oil change, filters & some AC disinfectant. 10K per 15000 km means it will require around 66k only for Oil & filter change by the 100000 km mark, without including the cost of consumable parts like brake pads, brake oil, gear oil & one clutch change. I believe Polo would also require around 100K in periodic maintenance during the course of 100000 km.

So, I guess this kind of maintenance cost is okay for a European car. Maybe one exception would be Ford, Ford's periodic maintenance cost is on the lower side & par with the likes of Maruti & Hyundai. This is why I believe a Japanese or a Korean car works best as a beater/second car, specially if your primary car is a B/C segment car.

[Raahil_23]

Quite an interesting thread @vishy76!

We all have a soft corner for our beater car, a sonata including our driver. It is used for all those odd drop offs and pick ups. Yes, beater cars can be fun to drive too, so much so that my dad ditches The XJ and takes the sonata to work often. It is quite spacious and has all the features one would require (ventilated seats). We do not see it leaving the garage anytime soon.

[romeomidhun]

I may belong to a minority here, but belong to a majority in India - a common Indian who can't afford to bear the depreciation, insurance, maintenance costs, and "covered security" for 2 cars. And one who "fear" the possible IT department show-cause notices and "raids" in the current scenario or in the near future.

For us, the beater is a bike - for short trips, city rides, buying small quantity of grocery, go wherever there is no parking space... For long drives, daily office commute, trips with family, weekly / monthly purchases and during extreme weather conditions, our car is there to serve us.

[Sheel]

^Buddy, I believe most of us, who have a beater and do ride 2 wheels, have a scooty or a sub 200cc bike for errands & commutes. No point lugging yourself on 4 wheels when you can very well manage by 2 wheels when the weather supports it & you don't have much luggage.

[Turbohead]

Despite having 2 cars at home, the scooter reigns as the beater!

Fish market, grocery store, college commutes and what not-The 10 year old Honda Aviator takes all abuses in its stride! And it still does 95kmph on the speedo!

It rules when parking space is an issue- in fact it's cheaper to run than hiring a cab! And it's the fastest thing in traffic! No wonder scooters reign supreme on the sales charts!

[GeeTee TSI]

Shouldn't Beater cars by virtue of their core strengths be 'winner' cars? Considering the majority of car buying public might not be enthusiasts, these Beaters seem to tick all the hygiene factors. Might be interesting to see the correlation between Beater cars and sales figures.

Whenever an expat CEO talks of the Indian market, I always get the feeling they highlight the 'Beater' traits to position their products

[V.Narayan]

Brilliant article. Thank you for penning it. You have covered all aspects comprehensively. Doesn't leave much more to add. In the bad old days the 'beater' was a bicycle while a good Bajaj scooter was the main line. Then the scooter became the 'beater' while a Maruti 800, Padmini etc would occupy the prime spot. And now as middle class economic prosperity has climbed the beater now has 4 wheels. In our household the Jazz play this all important role with aplomb - household chores, vegetable shopping, young adults on dates, moving wifey's potted plants etc. The Jazz's internal height and magic seats are invaluable.