[Jatin247]

A little more details will be helpful.
1) Petrol or diesel
2) For daily use or for fun
3) Performance or comfort

My suggestion would be to get a 3 series in this budget. Though C Class is also good but it is due for replacement and I feel you wouldn’t like the car to feel old as soon as you buy it.

BMW offers great maintenance packages and service cost is also relatively low as compared to other two.

Though A3 is also a good choice but I personally feel it doesn’t offer the real luxury feeling and lacks features.

[M A D over CARS]

Originally Posted by ellusiv

Hey guys,
My dad has recently decided he wants to upgrade from his 2015 Creta to a bigger car. Although new cars like the Tata Harrier are in contention, he is also interested in getting a used car from the German Big 3.

He isn't interested in buying anything older than 2017.
With a 20-30L budget, I did some research and found a multitude of 2018 Audi A3s and Q3s in this range and a couple X1s.
I am staying away from the A4s on sale due to the paltry 1.4L engine.

Most of these cars have done 25-40K kilometres and are being sold by used car dealerships.
Would these be good buys or am i setting my dad up for woeful reliability issues?

I see your location is Trivandrum. Why don't you wait for the year end and try to get the new Audi A4? You may correct me if I am wrong, but Audi Kochi is a "category A" dealer. This will give you a lot of room for negotiation. There are many BHPians who picked one up for 39 lacks OTR in Mumbai. I am sure that, due to the December discounts you may be able to sweeten up the deal a bit more. Also you can have the new car feel as well as lesser service costs for the first five years. It is a bit of a stretch but it is worth it.

[ellusiv]

Originally Posted by Jatin247

A little more details will be helpful.
1) Petrol or diesel
2) For daily use or for fun
3) Performance or comfort

My suggestion would be to get a 3 series in this budget. Though C Class is also good but it is due for replacement and I feel you wouldn’t like the car to feel old as soon as you buy it.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for not mentioning earlier, but it will be primarily used as a daily driver. However, daily driver may be a misleading term as both cars we have currently run only around 10k a year.

As i read your post, I just came across a 2018 3-Series that's selling for 27L, would this be a good buy or are they asking for too much?

Originally Posted by M A D over CARS

I see your location is Trivandrum. Why don't you wait for the year end and try to get the new Audi A4? You may correct me if I am wrong, but Audi Kochi is a "category A" dealer. This will give you a lot of room for negotiation. There are many BHPians who picked one up for 39 lacks OTR in Mumbai. I am sure that, due to the December discounts you may be able to sweeten up the deal a bit more. Also you can have the new car feel as well as lesser service costs for the first five years. It is a bit of a stretch but it is worth it.

Thanks for replying, we did enquire with most of the dealerships, but even the 2 Series GC comes to 50L OTR which is far out of our budget.

I should also add we are looking at cars based in Chennai too due to the fact that we have relatives that can scout out the car first before we make the trip.

[M A D over CARS]

Originally Posted by ellusiv

Thanks for replying, we did enquire with most of the dealerships, but even the 2 Series GC comes to 50L OTR which is far out of our budget.

I should also add we are looking at cars based in Chennai too due to the fact that we have relatives that can scout out the car first before we make the trip.

Do not look at the OTR prices. They can surely be brought down by negotiations. The original OTR for the Audi A4 is 52 lacks but was available at 39 lacks after negotiation in Mumbai. Attaching the thread for reference.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5137776 (2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh)

You may be able to sweeten this discount a bit more during the year end sale.

[pta320]

Originally Posted by M A D over CARS

Do not look at the OTR prices. They can surely be brought down by negotiations. The original OTR for the Audi A4 is 52 lacks but was available at 39 lacks after negotiation in Mumbai. Attaching the thread for reference.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5137776 (2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh)

You may be able to sweeten this discount a bit more during the year end sale.

The catch here is that sometimes dealer agree with hefty negotiations but the cars they offer usually could be an old stock or damaged stock which was repaired/repainted etc as they want to get rid of such vehicles asap. So make sure you do PDI very very carefully before agreeing them to register the car in your name especially if you are getting a deal that looks too good to be true.

I managed to get a 2012 Honda City brand new with some amazing negotiated price but found out later that two of the doors were repainted . Sadly it was too late.

[M A D over CARS]

Originally Posted by pta320

The catch here is that sometimes dealer agree with hefty negotiations but the cars they offer usually could be an old stock or damaged stock which was repaired/repainted etc as they want to get rid of such vehicles asap. So make sure you do PDI very very carefully before agreeing them to register the car in your name especially if you are getting a deal that looks too good to be true.

I managed to get a 2012 Honda City brand new with some amazing negotiated price but found out later that two of the doors were repainted . Sadly it was too late.

You are right, But in this case Audi was offering only 2021 models in the discount as the facelift was recent. So there cannot be any possibility of old stock. In regards to the damages, You should take along with you a Tbhp PDI checklist and a mechanic.

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by GTO

some BHPians are buying cars from MH and shipping them down to KA. Recently heard of a 330i that was bought this way.

Apart from Hari, it was yours truly who got a 330i from Mumbai and drove it down to Bangalore.
My inputs for the OP are not any different from what others have suggested, get a used BMW.
I was unable to get a petrol in Bangalore, and was getting this one with low mileage and trusted, clean history, so took the call.
Mine is a white 330i M Sport
2018 July manufactured
Driven for 23750 KMs
Single owner
It was exchanged by the first owner for a 5 series. It was at Infinity cars, Worli. Got help from Vid6639, Akshay1234 and Maverick.
Paid 32.50 L approximately.
The tall one is me, flew to Mumbai with wifey and son. The other fellow is a friend who cancelled his another planned journey to join me for this trip.

[Gaboonviper04]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

Apart from Hari, it was yours truly who got a 330i from Mumbai and drove it down to Bangalore.

Hey, congrats on your purchase! Wishing you and your family happy times ahead with it. I'm happy you found a BMW, and that too an M Sport variant that is quite new.
Also, thanks for your inputs. We've got a little something of our own, and I'm hoping that I can update this thread soon.

Please keep us posted on your experience in terms of the drive from Bombay, the registration process here (and what it costs you), and more. Cheers!

[harikalyan]

Originally Posted by jalajprakash

Hey Karthik, an option I don't see you considering is the Audi S4. They can be had around 23-27L in the used market and comes with a Quattro Supercharged V6 333hp engine. Since other than the engine it is an A4, it makes for a great sleeper car and service is not very expensive either. It is small enough on the outside to be maneuverable in the city and large enough on the inside to have decent legroom. A good friend of mine picked one up last year and is now lusting after a Porsche Cayman, so if you'd like, I can put you in touch with him.

I've been following this thread for the last few days as I'm pretty much on the same boat as OP. Most of the cars that i've identified and researched have been already mentioned here.

Just that, there is an S5 for sale in Chennai for about 42L (inclusive of 2 year warranty and a complete service). The only reason I've not considered is because I was under the assumption that the running costs are quite high. Service and the like. However, you mention here that service isn't expense for an S4. How much approximately does your friend spend on service, spares and the like? I was told that I'd have to spend about 1.6-1.7L a year on service, insurance and the odd issue.

[jalajprakash]

Originally Posted by harikalyan

I've been following this thread for the last few days as I'm pretty much on the same boat as OP. Most of the cars that i've identified and researched have been already mentioned here.

Just that, there is an S5 for sale in Chennai for about 42L (inclusive of 2 year warranty and a complete service). The only reason I've not considered is because I was under the assumption that the running costs are quite high. Service and the like. However, you mention here that service isn't expense for an S4. How much approximately does your friend spend on service, spares and the like? I was told that I'd have to spend about 1.6-1.7L a year on service, insurance and the odd issue.

If the S5 you're considering is still under warranty then it is the newer B9 platform with the Turbo V6 and does not share many body / powertrain parts with the normal A4 hence parts, insurance and service all will be likely twice as expensive. Annual service costs him around 20-25k, insurance is around 30k and add another 25k for any odd issue although the Supercharged V6 is very reliable in nature and he hasn't faced any issues yet.

[harikalyan]

Originally Posted by jalajprakash

If the S5 you're considering is still under warranty then it is the newer B9 platform with the Turbo V6 and does not share many body / powertrain parts with the normal A4 hence parts, insurance and service all will be likely twice as expensive. Annual service costs him around 20-25k, insurance is around 30k and add another 25k for any odd issue although the Supercharged V6 is very reliable in nature and he hasn't faced any issues yet.

The one that is up for sale is a B8.5. The warranty is given since it is available in the Audi Showroom (Audi Approved Plus). I believe this one is a little similar to the A4.

[Ojas]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

Apart from Hari, it was yours truly who got a 330i from Mumbai and drove it down to Bangalore.

It was exchanged by the first owner for a 5 series. It was at Infinity cars, Worli.

Congratulations!

Low mileage car with a clean history from a trusted source is quite a tempting proposition.

I'm interested in knowing what it means to buy from another state. Can you share your experience with respect to registration and road tax please?

[vikrantshete]

Since your primary criterion seems to be a fun to drive car I would suggest having a look at Octavia quad headlight model petrol or diesel. I know that DQ200 gearbox is unreliable but you can pick a car under warranty and after 6th year you still can expect some goodwill from Skoda if there is a gearbox failure.

It's no BMW 3 series but if you are open to polo then used Octavia makes sense with sporty performance and practicality. You'll be spending a lot of money upfront for a BMW. You'll probably not have to spend as much on Octavia's maintenance. It is prone to failure but not every model fails. You'll find some good ones under 20L.

I have done 54000Km with 1.8 TSI and only had a thermostat failure so far. The car did not abandon me anywhere so far. If you can live with some unpredictability Octavia is a great sedan.

[Gaboonviper04]

Hello,

A quick (and a bit of a shocking one, maybe) update from my end!

This started, for my wife and I, as a car search for under 35L, used or new. For us, it was soon obvious that a petrol BMW would best fit our desire for a fun car, and so many of you have suggested exactly that. I was always quietly mulling picking up a new car in my head, but the prospect of a new BMW seemed unreal.

As GTO and others have said elsewhere, the used car market isn't for everyone, and I'd have to agree. It seems even more difficult here in Bangalore. The space is mostly occupied by car dealers, and many cars with sketchy provenance. I know people who thrive in this space, and with a lot of patience and some luck, get really good deals and mostly great cars. We've had our share of this experience more recently, and all the while I pushed the better half towards a brand new BMW, sometimes obsessively!

And so, we went to the BMW showroom here a few weeks ago, and test drove both the 330i and the 330Li, and just fell in love with them. Once we drove them, we didn't even bother to figure out any other car or make. The regular petrol 3 felt smaller, tighter, more playful. The rear seats were supportive but harder, which I didn't mind but I don't think I'd be able to say the same about my folks and in-laws. Then the 330Li was also amazing to drive but not as tight-feeling as the regular. But the seats were super comfortable, and it feels nice at the back too. My wife who has never driven a sedan before, ever, loved driving both of these and was really comfortable, even in bumper-to-bumper traffic. That was definitely a massive help!
All said and done, we went ahead and booked a brand new 330Li Luxury Line, Cashmere Silver, after a bit of negotiation. Quite crazy given where we started this journey!

I'll save more details for a later review thread that I'd love to build. Navnit Motors said that they could deliver the car in a week, if we wanted. But our garage at home was made for a sub-4m car, so we're working on getting that expanded as soon as possible. Folks at Navnit have been kind enough to accomodate this delay and have agreed to deliver the car when we're ready. I'd like to mention our Sales executive by name, Habeeb Khan; he has been super helpful and courteous.
Anybody who's considering the 3 series, but is restricted for your own valid reasons, my suggestion would be to go test drive one if you haven't already. It really helps make the case, to a certain extent!

Huge thanks to everyone who helped with inputs here, and extra thanks to those who nudged us towards the BMW!

Alright, that's it for now. I don't have a picture of our actual car, so here's one from BMW's site for the time-being:

[Guna]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

Paid 32.50 L approximately.

Did this include the road-tax you had to pay in KA?