[thechinmay]

I had a first gen Honda City till 2018. I had purchased it used in 2012 and it was a fairly painless experience.

When I purchased it, the seller (known to me) warned of an upcoming major expense as there was a knocking sound over even the smoothest of roads. The Honda ASC had recommended a complete suspension overhaul. As it turns out, the tie rod ends were shot and replacing them completely solved the problem.

The City was an inherently reliable car - over the 6 years that I owned it, it never broke down. Just had to replace the battery and tires. Part availability was also pretty good - I remember looking for the AC button at Opera House in Mumbai and finding it. Regular servicing was at my FNG in Pune and getting hold of consumables and suspension components was never an issue.

One thing with buying such an old car though is to keep in mind is that we have a very nostalgic way of looking at them and though they were absolutely brilliant when they were new, they might not fare as well compared to cars of today. The City was an absolute cracker for the time, but compared to even a modern Swift, the NVH is terrible, the ride is harsh, highway stability is mediocre and there are no safety features at all.

[PrasunBannerjee]

Guess I am one of the most eligible ones to answer this,

I brought a discontinued car from a brand AFTER the brand stopped operations.

I own a 2012 Chevy Beat diesel (pre facelift) brought after 2018. That too with 1 lakh km on the odo when it was brought.

So the red flags:

• Pre-facelift model
• 3 cylinder Diesel
• 9 years old now
• 1 lakh on odo
• Defunct brand in India.

Couple of things:

My criteria of a pre owned is:

• Least complex engines (will prefer NA over TC)
• Least electronics, more mechanicals, they are easier to fix.
• Model should be popular enough so there are ample parts availability, delays are okay
• Going for less mainstream cars. I was being offered a 2013 Honda city for 4 lakhs and 2011 Ritz for 4.5 lakhs from same second hand dealer. Beat cost me less than half of that. But see the price leverage a Maruti demands. Was getting a 2015 Punto for around the same price.
• Was anyway planning to get a Fiesta but till then Beat came up.

Few mental preparations:

• I was mentally prepared for expensive maintenance and delays in parts availability. I knew exactly what I am putting my head into.
• A good FNG is a must. Official places will rip you off.
• Also, be ready to work around things. The authorized SC quoted me around 20k when all power windows went kaput and won't go down. My FNG gave me an idea that didn't come to my mind before, he converted all power windows into manual. I don't mind as for most of the time windows are up, they are opened only when there's a security check at some hotel entrance or so. Cost: less than 2k. Expensive? Maybe. Happy? Yes. Far cheaper than 20k.
• Recent issues I faced, coolant leakage due to rats, the FNG fixed it at 200 while authorized SC quoted around 2k. This FNG is pretty famous for repairing Chevy cars, so much so I know a couple of people from nearby districts who come down here to get their Chevy cars repaired by him.
• I still know there are issues but they aren't that intrusive. I can live with them. For example, the famous problem with beat: melting of gear lever, AC switch gone bad (have put alpins to keep it permanently on. This issue was there since 2015ish, I purchased it after 2018

However few things to note:

• I personally know the previous owner closely. I myself was involved in decision making of buying the Beat in 2012, and out of the mileage of 1 lakh km before my purchase, I was driven in the car for around 1/3rd of the mileage, and had myself driven it occasionally for couple hundred or thousand kilometers in years between 2012-2018. I exactly knew all the issues even before buying. The owner need not and could not hide.
• Still there are some or the other niggles that do come up. But are liveable. I might complaint or nitpick had it been a new car for sure. Base mechanicals have to be sorted.
• The car is for city use/errands. The car has really low running, that too within the city. I have ensured it won't go on longer drives than 50 kms single side.
• Due to the lockdown after 2020 March till today the car has hardly run 3000 kms. I did a full tank when diesel was 88 now it is around 99.5 mark. Investments paying off?
• As GTO pointed out in another thread, mentally prepared for one major expense (to the tune of 10k) every year. This year got too many repairs and all which costed me only 8k for its upkeep. Already building my list for next year, plus if anything comes up urgently.
• Also mentally prepared to sell it for peanuts.
• Am I happy with the experience? Yes. The car has been special for me even before it was brought by me, plus Beat is a really cute and compact city car, perfect for the use case I have assigned for this specific vehicle. Doing its job perfectly!

Worth it? Definitely. Its about the overall experience.

Originally Posted by arpirocks

This is the last pic of my car before I gave it away...

Would like to know the price you have it away for.

[MaheshY1]

I own 5 vehicles. 4 of those nameplates are discontinued. 1 of those brands has left for good. And the last 1 has moved to next generation.

Chevy Beat Diesel - 1 lakh km - 7 yrs

Bought new and I intend to hold on to it for at least 3 more years and maybe register it out of Delhi to keep using it for another 5.

Maintenance: I order and buy parts off-the-shelf from Chevy dealers and get them installed at FNG. It's very reliable. So, I don't need to do that often.

Tata Nano AMT - 40000km - 5 yrs

Bought used when the depreciation had slowed down enough and almost-new examples were available for sale. I love its design, practicality, and ingenious packaging. I needed a car that's
- small
- cheap-to-buy
- cheap-to-run
- petrol-automatic
- high ground clearance
- space to accommodate a 6-footer behind another 6-footer
- easy ingress/egress
- good outward visibility

Nothing else even came close to my Nano's 1.7L price tag. The larger fuel tank, opening boot, Tiago's steering and 5-speed transmission made it an obvious choice.

Cars that are good but flop on sales charts tend to become collectable later on. So, I'll use it for as long as it can as a beater car. I can fix it and sell it off with minimal depreciation if I feel like it. Ideally, I intend to own it till 2030-35. That's when I can see it appreciate in value. After owning an icon for a decade, the best case is that I'll be able to sell it off without any hit from depreciation and inflation.

Maintenance: I have to often book an appointment well in advance to make sure they have even the spares to perform routine service. But, it's doable. For some running repairs, I will have to prepare for up to a month-long wait but that's not a problem as I have another car.

Honda Navi - 35000km - 4 yrs

I bought it used as there's nothing else like it in the market. Automatic transmission with motorcycle-like handling, good storage and a cute design. It even fits perfectly in my needs as I prefer taking this for grocery runs and such. An automatic and low seat also makes it easy for my wife.

Maintenance: The Navi shares its parts with the Activa for the most part. The only difference is upside-down front suspensions and the bodywork. Everything else is shared. So, not a problem.

Hero Impulse - 35000km - 9 yrs

I bought it used and have done some memorable road trips and mild off-road excursions. I don't feel the need to upgrade yet as I'm still the weaker link when off-roading.

Maintenance: I have to order parts (like chain sprocket set, suspensions, brake callipers) well in advance and sometimes wait for up to 1 month. But it's also pretty reliable. So, I rarely have to do all of that.

The only problem I face with this bike is finding stock Ceat Gripp tyres. So far it's good and I'm on my second set, which Kartik Singhee from CarDekho/ZigWheels had gladly gifted me in 2017. He had 2 sets lying around. But, if no new bike comes around with these specifications, then I'll have to import tyres for a premium.

Suzuki Gixxer SF SP FI ABS (first gen) - 15000km - ~4 yrs

I bought this one used too. The Gixxer is easy to maintain as Suzuki sold them in decent numbers. Again, a reliable engine at the core makes trips to service station very rare.

[msa.30789]

I presently own a 2013 Chevrolet Sail Sedan 1.2 LS ABS. We have not had any much of problem regarding spares or maintennace. It has done 90000 kms till date and 30000 kms came since March 2020 ( first lockdown). The regular service with the authorised service centre used to billed around ₹ 5000 to ₹ 10000 till 2018. Only twice or thrice we spent more than that. That too was between ₹20000 and ₹30000 and not more than that. After that we started giving it with Bosch Service centre near our gome and the regular bill amount didn't cross ₹5000 with an service interval of 6 months. Till now I have not faced any issue with spares non availability.

As far as the resale value is considered, though we shouldn't expect much for a brand which is no more on sale in India. But still cars24 shows a value of ₹ 2.25 lacs to ₹ 2.75 lacs, which I am happily waiting to give as the margin money for the new Shark which I am expecting next week to take delivery.

[gururajrv]

I owned a Baleno 1.6 (2007) model between 2013-2016 and I cannot recall one instance where the call broke or left me in despair. Having said that, I didn’t face any challenges with respect to sourcing spares as they were pretty much available within the MASS / FNG’s.

All you got to do or to look out for is timely maintenance and take proactive repairs on parts that are found to be giving up or arriving at the end of its life to ensure you’re not in a helpless state at any given time. Yes, a big push for me to go for this car was because of the performance and snacked by its makers strong presence throughout the country.

You won’t be at loss if you buy a car that is discontinued but don’t buy a car where it’s maker themselves have discontinued their presence as you won’t know when their OEM suppliers will also tend to stop the supply of spares!

[CountryDriver]

Owning a car which is no longer in production is not much of an issue, in my opinion. As long as the car is well maintained and taken care of, it will continue to put a smile on your face. Most cars still have parts availability through sites like boodmo etc.
You will only face the real issue while trying to sell the car. Each and everyone who comes to see your car will try to offer cheap prices citing the reason that "the car isn't available anymore, so maintaining it will be a headache." So if we have no plans on selling the car anytime soon, I feel there is no problem in buying one of these cars.

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

AFAIK, in Gurgaon, there are two workshops currently operating.

Yesterday morning I got the following SMS from one of the workshops.

Chevrolet Service Camp from 06 July to 12 July 2021, Dis 07% on Parts & 25% on labour. Visit Auth Service Centre ARAVALI AUTO Gurgaon

Good relief to see it alive and in business even after COVID scenario. My Beat is overjoyed with this invite.

[Ffj]

This is a topic that I kept having an internal dialogue about.
And that's because we have owned the following since we came back to India in 1999 (I was in school back then)

1. Premier Padmini (don't remember the model)
1999-2009
It was the car I learned to drive first (I'm kind of proud about that).

2. Opel Astra ('99)
2009-2016
It was heartbreaking to let it go and I had to send it to the scrapyard because although we had an FNG who was still willing to work on it. The spares were like searching for treasure

3. Toyota Corolla ('06) Honda Civic ('06)
2017-present
The Civic I use for my daily commute.

Having a good FNG has been helpful or we wouldn't have these cars and might have gone for something that wouldn't give the feel that these cars have.

The fact that we usually used these cars on weekends and never used them for outstation trips is probably why we could use them way after their expiry dates as most people would say.

Browsing through OLX, I happened to come across a Koleos for 5.5lakhs who would come down to 4.5. but my mechanic advised me against.

So my option, if we have the means, then there is no harm owing a discontinued car. But depends pretty much on how far we are willing to go for it , what is the role of the car(as to how much mileage is it expected to cover) and IF we have a trusted mechanic who is there to give honest service and advice.

[patwardhan]

I have a Nissan Micra CVT, 8 year old and done about 46K on the odo

1. Since the car is out of warranty, I get it washed at the local pump & then get the oil & filter replaced once in 6 months
2. So far have not faced any issues with general spares but largely it has aged well

I also own Chevy Spark LT model, 10 year old and done about 48K on the odo

1. I could source spares like silencer, weather strips, head lights from my local mechanic
2. Although majority of the spares are available online, I am sure they are not original , but as long as they are available, maintaining any car should not be an issue

[Ranabegins]

I own a A star(2010) which I got from within the family itself but I have been driving it for the past 4 years. I have not faced any issues regarding part availability but then again apart from basic service the car hasn't asked for a lot. The biggest issue I see with my car is the after sale value. The market is ready to pay more or equal for a 2010 Alto compared to an A star.

[Fateh Salim]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

What's the worst that can happen? Or, in Jeremy Clarkson's voice: "How hard can it be?" - to own a brand/model that is no longer around?

Owning a Discontinued car can go from "This is just the happiest car in the world! I shall call it Oliver! " to "Clarksonnn! " very soon. So think twice before getting your hands on one.

Service and repairs

If there is versatility in the component sharing department of your car, service and repairs will be a breeze. Right now, I'm driving a 2017 Ford Figo S. Despite the fact that I haven't seen even ten models of this car on the road in the last four years, the parts it shares are quite prevalent in the standard Figo, Freestyle, and Ecosport.

The Octavia Combi L&K, which has been our extremely reliable companion for the past decade, is another example of a similar unique discontinued car. So far, no significant repairs have been done. In my opinion, it isn't a terrifying car to own.

Getting stranded god-knows-where with accidents/breakdowns

Yes, totally! I've been there myself. We had planned a great drive from Ooty to Chennai in my uncle's Captiva a few years back, but the Turbo failed, following the end of the vacation, we had to take a bus back home.

Your car gets sold for peanuts.

Happened again with both my palios. However, the diesel multijet fetched a decent price owing to its economical yet versatile diesel engine.

Second Car:
When it comes to such vehicles, time and money are quite significant. If you have a demanding job schedule, such as a doctor, such cars will be a nightmare. In this situation, make sure you have a more contemporary and dependable vehicle.

Well-equipped garage:
Priority is generally given to cars based on their age. The newest automobile receives all of the attention, while the older vehicles remain on the road. In a city like Chennai. It is critical to have a garage for your vehicle; I can only picture what a car like a 2006 X Trail or Superb would go through in the event of a flood.

The simpler and older the better:
The palio is the best example I can think of. This Italian vehicle may appear small and adorable, but it is very sophisticated. Get something like a gypsy and you'll never have to complain again in your life.

[Raghu M]

I would be fine with a discontinued model but not a discontinued brand. In this case, I knew very well that the Estilo would be discontinued but still went ahead and bought a used one. Reason? I knew the Estilo shared 95% parts with the Wagon R and the spares would never be a problem. However, I would stay away from high performance cars (diesels especially) as they will surely turn out to be elephants to manage and maintain.

Bottom line, would stay away from cars like Daewoo & Chevy but will buy cars like the 8OO or even A-Star for that matter as owning and maintaining them are a breeze.

[SBR]

I own a Ford Fiesta (Global Fiesta) 2012 Oct model which I purchased pre-worshipped in 2018 end with 77k Kms on odo for 3.60 Lacs in Bangalore.

Till now I have spent about 2.00 Lacs on the car - most of it to bring the car to my taste like Michelin primacy tyres, new clutch, new suspension, Upgrade of Head lamps and fog lamps and few repairs like Brake cylinder replacement, brake discs replacement, wheel log nuts, brake pads, battery replacement.

Car is at 1.00 lac Kms on the odo now with not much running in last 1.5 years due to Covid and lock downs.

My running has come down due to Work from Home and the usage is primarily for weekend drives, occasional drives within city, few drives to visit in laws or parents out of town.

Upcoming repairs - few minor repairs likely to come up within next 6 months to one year which may cost about 30k to 40k.


All repairs and maintenance is done at Ford ASS and the service centre does take few days to get the spares for repairs and maintenance.

My question - is it financially viable to retain the car for another 2-3 years or should I be looking at selling it off as it is discontinued model.

Heart says - Keep the car for it's amazing 1.5 TDCI engine and the driving pleasure but mind says sell as in case of any break down on the highway when driving with kids can be challenging.

[YC.BALENO.CHD]

Won’t get into too many details but I had the 2006 Baleno until 2018, when we finally sold her off (to much regret later) on buying an Ignis. Luckily, dad upgraded last year and his Cedia Sports landed with me. Meanwhile, I sold off my 2017 Ciaz to ensure we have just two cars between me and my wife.

Anyway, coming back to the topic, maintaining a Baleno or a Cedia warrants a lot more than, say, the Ignis or the Tucson. But that sense of happiness I get from driving the Cedia is enough to more than make up for the time and money spent on maintaining it. Practically, these cars make little sense. But for people like us, heart rules over head.

[wittycat]

I believe by law, the manufacturers are bound to supply the spares for a discontinued car for 10 years. So as such there would not be any issues on spares. It also helps if the car is Japanese/Korean just for the reliability factor. European decent cars tends to be a bit expenisive in their longer upkeep.