[Dr.AD]

I totally agree that "beater car" is a great concept and something that is very useful.

I have been using my "old faithful" SX4 since 2010, and by now I have covered about 123,000 km on it. Since I got a BMW 320d a couple of years ago, that has become the main car for all highway drives as well as those breakfast and dinner drives with friends. However, the BMW has its limitations. It am worried when taking it on really bad roads, even more worried when there is a chance of water logging after heavy rains, and I am worried about parking it at any random place. Moreover, the BMW has limited luggage carrying capacity, even more limited thanks to the so called space-saver that sits right in the middle of the trunk!

That is why the SX4 is still very useful to me now, although as a beater car. It has filled that role to perfection. It is mechanically still a perfect car with zero issues. It still drives smoothly, and the 1.6L NA petrol engine coupled with manual transmission is something I still love. It can be driven on any bad road, can be parked anywhere (it draws zero attention), and can carry a lot more luggage than the 320d. Further, when I have to use valet parking (say in hotels), I give my SX4 to the valet without any hesitation, whereas I still can't think of handling over the BMW to a valet. So yes, the SX4 is my perfect beater car and it has proved its utility as such on so many occasions in last couple of years.

My beater car getting a rare wash (I must admit I wash it much more infrequently that the other "non-beater" car):



And here, the SX4 proving its worth as a beater car on our weekend trip to a resort last year-end, where we had friends from Singapore traveling with us with more luggage than can be fitted in the BMW. The SX4 took in all the luggage plus 4 adults and one child quite comfortably!

[casnov]

Even I'm in the same boat. Looking for a beater for my Jetta. Looking at the following options:
1. Beat
2.Ford Figo - 1st gen
3. I20 - 09-11 vintage
Budget is around 1.5 lakh.

Considered Punto 11 vintage and rejected because of the turbo lag and the turning radius.

This beater will be mainly used in city for carrying out errands.

[sagarpadaki]

A Maruti celerio makes an amazing beater car. Compact dimensions, good ground clearance , peppy K10 engine with good low end, small turning radius, good FE and a pliant ride. Not to mention very good brakes.

New one costs around 6.5 OTR for top end and can be kept for looooong.

[YakubKC]

Originally Posted by procrastinator

Alto.
Better if you are able to get K10. But 800 has got better low end.

Once you start looking for cars, you may get other well maintained examples as well.
Start your hunt, good luck!

Thank you for the quick responses. Looks like the Alto K10 is a firm favorite and I've started shortlisting on OLX so that I can check them out in person once the lockdown ends. Quick follow up question- how is the K10 with potholes (there's hardly any tarmac on the roads that I use regulary) and should I be worried with the ground clearance since Bangalore gets clogged with water after every rain?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by YakubKC

Thank you for the quick responses. Looks like the Alto K10 is a firm favorite and I've started shortlisting on OLX so that I can check them out in person once the lockdown ends. Quick follow up question- how is the K10 with potholes (there's hardly any tarmac on the roads that I use regulary) and should I be worried with the ground clearance since Bangalore gets clogged with water after every rain?

The suspension is a bit harsh compared to Honda City which glides over most of them. The wheel base is short so you will experience less roll. The track is also narrow hence you can drive between ruts which wider cars cannot.

On the whole Alto K10 is a fun to drive car, especially if you keep the revs high. Contrary to popular belief, keeping the revs above 2500 increases the FE, while slogging at low revs decreases the FE. I merrily take my K10 to 35 on first and 70+ on second when I want to zip out from a traffic light stop. In fact on highways it is 80 in second and then fifth when in overtaking mode. The car simply zips through.

[Yieldway17]

Surprised Ritz didn’t get a mention. I love how compact it is and at the same time has good space inside for 4 people. Its taller design alleviates some concerns for taller people unlike in Alto or Zen. It’s also pretty decent to drive and will serve as a perfect beater car. It has the quirkiness quotient too.

[procrastinator]

Originally Posted by YakubKC

Quick follow up question- how is the K10 with potholes (there's hardly any tarmac on the roads that I use regulary) and should I be worried with the ground clearance since Bangalore gets clogged with water after every rain?

For the car at this price, it is good.
It absorbs the lumps and bumps well but you will feel large potholes.
Sometimes impact felt is amplified with sound due to lack of damping in road noise.

Alto has got nothing wrong with ride and ground clearance. Wherever a normal hatchback or a sedan can wade the water from roads, Alto will be able to do it. We never faced problems except on non existent roads with GC.

As I am unaware of roads where you drive and how terrific rains can be; I will recommend you to discuss in detail with Alto owners of your locality or Bhpians of your city.

(At the end of day, this car has been trusted by buyers for years. A genuine owned car from seller will be able to keep you happy )

[rajushank84]

I don't think "beater" (reliable) cars have to be boring at all, that's a false dichotomy.

For example certain cars can be both reliable and fun, like: Alto K10, Swift, pretty much all 90s Marutis, first-gen Figo, Civic, Brio, first-gen City.

Beater but dull to drive: pretty much all Hyundais except maybe previous gen Santro to some extent, all Toyotas, all Nissans, most modern Marutis.

Unreliable but fun to drive: most things coming out of America / Europe.

Neither reliable nor fun to drive: most Volkswagens.

[Bibendum90949]

The beater car in my garage is the Omni - the most understated utility vehicle that has ever been on the Indian roads. In fact it's not a car for my daily use. It's an used car of 2008 make with a MPFI engine.

Just a brief story on how I ended up buying this. I was setting up my farm house in Wayanad ( Kerala) 2 years ago. It's in a secluded place bordering the reserve forest. The last mile connectivity was a challenge as the roads almost non existed besides it called for a vehicle with good ground clearance.

I'm based in Bangalore and I used to travel 3 times a month. I managed it for the initial few months with my regular car Laura ( with the upgraded shoe of 225/55/ R 16 I never fell short of ground clearance). Soon I realised it's going to pinch my pocket especially after couple of months of driving there in the peak monsoon. My ABS sensors conked up on my face( it cost me around 6-7 k to replace them as it comes in a pack of 4) after regular use of the car in slush and muddy roads besides the suspension was taking a heavy toll.

The thought of having a car there for all local runs struck my mind. The nearest town from my place was 17 kms away and I had to do lot of runs there to source building and sanitation materials besides many other chores. Hence I started hunting for a Gypsy - a vehicle with 4X4 capability that can double up as a small pick up too. Just the perfect choice for my usage. I had set a budget of 2 lakhs or even could stretch it to 2.5 . Little did I know that used Gypsies command a premium and that it's a seller's market and pretty decent ones were being quoted 3.5 lakhs and upwards. I dropped the idea of buying one and started thinking about the next best bet. I looked at few Mahindra Jeeps too but didn't work out primarily because of constant niggles one could encounter with such old vehicles besides lack of power steering. I had made up my mind on a Maruti - reliable and economical to maintain. So next best option was Omni. Then I set a budget of 1 lakh. After few searches I ended up buying a 2006 model Omni which had an LPG option too . It was pretty well maintained. Though it had clocked close to 80 k on the odo , I found it to be in good condition. The asking price was 85k and finally settled it for 75 k .The big beneficiary was my Laura that was bailed out of it's treacherous runs in those terrains.

I've had used Omni a bit during my early 20 's and I always loved the car - it's commanding view of the road ( though at the expense of safety ) , rear wheel drive , direct steering feedback ( you literally know where the tyres are on the road) , smallest turning radius you would ever find , sliding doors to load big and odd shaped items, soft suspension that makes it glide over broken and light potholed roads. The merits goes on and on.

My first step in developing the place included building a small working shed, a tree house , small kitchen and toilet. I also had paddy cultivation in the property. What it means is my runs to the nearby town has grown manifolds and the timing of Omni' s arrival couldn't have been more opportune.

The kind of work horse that it is - the whole place with all the very basic amenities I listed above was built with this more than capable little box called Omni in the forefront.
I've used it to transport bricks ( from a kiln 4 kms away though) , sacks of cement, paddy saplings , fertilizers , LPG cylinders , sanitation pipes , cables , Agri motors , Generators, Refrigerator, Chairs, rice sacks, transporting workers and what not. Can anyone name any other 1 lakh car that can transport all these things.

Today I feel I made the right decision. Else I may have ended up footing large repair bills for the German which may have even surpassed the price of this Omni itself. The levels of utility this car is capable of surprised me no ends.

This car has done such an yeoman service to me such that I may have saved at least double the amount of the price I paid for this car. It had few repairs in between like a fan belt failure and injector issues etc. The repair cost never went above 500 Rs. Last two years all the repair bills could have amounted to 5-6k . I spend money on new tyres and a roof carrier initially. No other expenses other than fuel and oil besides small running repairs.

I can vouch for this car. Forgot to mention that the rear wheel drive helped me in getting out of sticky situations during monsoons. It has its limitations - the frontal protection is minimal. I drove this van always knowing very well the chinks in its armour - minimal frontal protection, no cornering abilities like a small hatch etc. But for my usage it was perfect and I loved every moment of my time with this car. Omni means everywhere. Omni was omni-present and lived up to it's name. It has run some 16000 kms in two years with me.

Few pictures of this humble and understated multi dimensional car and glimpse of my farm house which is still a work in progress- means Omni can't rest on its laurels . With this post , my Omni is not an unsung hero anymore - thanks to Corona and the lockdown

Our property care taker ( behind the wheels) and the previous owner during the 'delivery'


Gearing up for Paddy Planting.



Roof Tiles Loaded. One of the many trips.



A random Shot



Paddy Saplings Loaded on the floor


A water motor pump waiting to be loaded



German and the humble Jap Juxtaposed !



Our Tree Hut



Laura cooling the heels on the sidelines and watching the show !



The angle which makes the car longer than it appears !



Paddy Saplings being loaded onto the roof



Bricks on the floor.Looks can be deceptive !



Fertilizers



A Torquey Toy At Play !






Our first Harvest !



The night setting !
& Little Chakku - my tribal caretaker's son.

[vik99]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

... I was setting up my farm house in Wayanad ( Kerala) 2 years ago. It's in a secluded place bordering the reserve forest.

We had an Omni many years back, it's a capable little van. The lack of air-conditioning is an issue during summers though.

Nice post, the landscape is truly beautiful. Perhaps you could post more about your experience of setting up and running a farmhouse?

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by vik99

Nice post, the landscape is truly beautiful. Perhaps you could post more about your experience of setting up and running a farmhouse?

Thank you vik99. Is there such a thread existing for farming .Farming is something which is close to my heart.

[vik99]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Thank you vik99. Is there such a thread existing for farming .Farming is something which is close to my heart.

Here a thread on farming - The farming thread (Calling all Team-BHP Farmers : The Farming Thread!)

Or you might want to start your own thread about your journey so far.

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by vik99

Here a thread on farming - The farming thread (Calling all Team-BHP Farmers : The Farming Thread!)

Or you might want to start your own thread about your journey so far.

Hey thanks. Just crossed my mind that I had glanced at this thread before and even had it in my subscribed thread list only to never have realised it . Thanks for the idea. Would surely try my hand at starting a thread before the lock down ends

[2500cc]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

The beater car in my garage is the Omni - the most understated utility vehicle that has ever been on the Indian roads. In fact it's not a car for my daily use. It's an used car of 2008 make with a MPFI engine.

& Little Chakku - my tribal caretaker's son.

Is this farm at Muthanga at Wayanad ?

[McLaren Rulez]

Still have our '95 Omni and that thing is incredible. I don't think anything else comes close to match its ability to price ratio.