[jinu_joseph]

Looks like for a person like me Toyota Camry might be the best option in the luxury car segment. In general for every 10 opinions, I get on buying used luxury cars 8 of them say it's not worth it in the long run, maintenance is a killer, especially in a city like Mumbai during monsoon with its pothole ridden roads, water logging etc.

I am rethinking my entire decision of going in for a luxury car. The challenge is not just the maintenance cost but also the time taken for repairs, with most luxury cars being either CKU or CBU while routine parts will be available many parts will be on demand and based on Skoda experience can take a really long time to come either being imported or from some other warehouse in the country. I remember the AC evaporator coil took over a month to come from CZK. So one month no AC in the car.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by jinu_joseph

Looks like for a person like me Toyota Camry might be the best option in the luxury car segment. In general for every 10 opinions, I get on buying used luxury cars 8 of them say it's not worth it in the long run, maintenance is a killer, especially in a city like Mumbai during monsoon with its pothole ridden roads, water logging etc.

I am rethinking my entire decision of going in for a luxury car. The challenge is not just the maintenance cost but also the time taken for repairs, with most luxury cars being either CKU or CBU while routine parts will be available many parts will be on demand and based on Skoda experience can take a really long time to come either being imported or from some other warehouse in the country. I remember the AC evaporator coil took over a month to come from CZK. So one month no AC in the car.

In my opinion, there is no confusion at all.

I speak from the experience of owning both Gernan luxury cars and Camry Hybird. Within the city, Camry Hybrid totally rocks. City traffic is so lousy and moves so slowly, the Hybrid powertrain is a match made in heaven for it. Unless there are some social status reasons, Camry Hybrid is a superior car for our urban traffic conditions. We like it so much that we have two in the family and I would add a third/fourth if the need arises :-) An outstanding car to do the urban home-to-office-and-back commute.

For the highways, someone who enjoys a spirited drive should certainly consider buying a premium German car. It will be money well spent. VW group generally has poor reliability and their customer service and lead times are below par. Please don't go buy your Superb experience as the reference. BMW and MB offer decent reliability and customer service - MB tends to be a bit more expensive overall. If you are a driving enthusiast and most of your usage is on the highways, BMW will give maximum bang for the buck.

Perhaps you should share details about your budget range, yearly expected mileage and usage pattern (urban vs highway) so you can get more relevant advice. "Used German luxury cars are a nightmare to maintain" is a very generic and meaningless advice.

[jinu_joseph]

Some points that impact my decision
- Budget is 40L marginally extendable.
- I intend to keep it for at least 10 years or till maintenance becomes so high that I cannot afford it anymore. Hence things like reliability, availability of parts becomes especially important.
- The buying decision must be approved by the family and that means the car should comfortably seat a family of four with an occasional guest.
- This will not be the primary car of commute and will see about 100Km of city roads per month with the occasional trips to hill stations nearby.

You would think the trip to the hill stations would be highway but that is not the case. I recently travelled to Igatpuri, a distance of 100Km and 2 hours trip as per Google maps. It took us 6 hours to reach there and 8 hours to come back home. The were sections of the so-called highway where i could swear that it was straight out of a warzone. The rains had washed away a lot of sections of the highway. But this was not as bad because I could see it and navigate those sections of the road at slow speeds, not that the traffic jam caused because of this gave me any other choice. The disasters were the potholes in the middle of the highway which come out of nowhere. While most of them can be avoided by driving over them with the wheel clearing the sides in 2 to 3 cases I did not have a choice but to drive right through them. On two of those occasions, I had to stop the car and check for physical damage.

Sorry digressed, but this is fresh in my mind. This trip was in my trusted Jazz. In the Jazz I could never cross speeds of 80kmph because the entire thing would begin to feel unstable. This trip was also the trigger for the thought process of getting back into the luxury sedan segment as I remembered my trips in the Skoda Superb. I would not even realize that the car was travelling at 120-130 Kmph till I looked at the speedometer. Now I foresee maintenance stories/nightmares about suspensions of luxury vehicles becomes a reality.

Having said all this at the end of the day the heart wants what the heart wants, the brain be dammed. I know all logical reasoning says Toyota Camry is the way to go given my requirements, but the heart wants a Beamer. Never driven one, but always dreamed of owning one and this is my last chance to own a beamer.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by jinu_joseph

Having said all this at the end of the day the heart wants what the heart wants, the brain be dammed. I know all logical reasoning says Toyota Camry is the way to go given my requirements, but the heart wants a Beamer. Never driven one, but always dreamed of owning one and this is my last chance to own a beamer.

BMW X3 (G01 pre-LCI, 2018-2022) will fit your budget and requirements of dealing with bad roads. X3 is a great car to drive as well. You will find many ownership threads of this car on this forum to help you with research such as the one below:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...completed.html

Your usage is very minimal as this is not your primary car. The maintenance costs for a low usage luxury car would be very reasonable. There are many 2010-era BMWs on the road now, so I see no reason why the above X3 won't serve you for 10 more years especially given your moderate usage.

Go for a sedan only if you get to drive a lot on smooth highway tarmac.

[omar]

Originally Posted by jinu_joseph

Hi folks,

I need some guidance on buying used premium cars. I am looking for an understated premium car like Skoda Superb L&K.

I would say get the VRS245. If you get a good example, which is under warranty, you can extend it till 2028.

It has the right mix of fun and practicality. Can be had for around 30-35.

At the entry level, the Germans, usually have either space or power. If you want power, you have to look at the 330i, CLA45 etc. If you want space, then it is the A6 or the likes. But can't get both. So it is up to your preference.

Also, try not to go through a dealer as far as possible, unless it is a branch of the OEM or someone recommended.

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by jinu_joseph

This trip was also the trigger for the thought process of getting back into the luxury sedan segment as I remembered my trips in the Skoda Superb…Now I foresee maintenance stories/nightmares about suspensions of luxury vehicles becomes a reality.

Having said all this at the end of the day the heart wants what the heart wants, the brain be dammed. I know all logical reasoning says Toyota Camry is the way to go given my requirements, but the heart wants a Beamer. Never driven one, but always dreamed of owning one and this is my last chance to own a beamer.

Jinu, I will tell you two things only.

First of all, basis the requirements (head and heart) that you have detailed, Androdev made a great recommendation by way of the X3. To that, I will add the G30 530d. I love that car. Great highway mile muncher, superb suspension tune, top-notch interior quality, and sorted dynamics. Only place it loses out to an X3 is for the extra ground clearance. Only you can make a call which you prefer, but you cannot go wrong with either.

Second, don’t go with the hive mind mentality of “German luxury cars are too expensive on or maintain, and they are a money pit”. You’re in Mumbai. We have great garages to take care of Germans. And they really don’t cost a lot to maintain, besides having better reliability than what you’ve detailed in your Superb ownership. If you’re used to spending 1L a year on your Superb, a BMW will not be much different. For the heightened driving experience and badge, going for one is a no-brainer.

Most of the comments you see online about expensive ownership of a German car from those who have mostly not owned one, or they refer to the cost of say an S Class’ air suspension and take that as the standard, which is an absolute misnomer. The 5 and X3 will cost you very similar levels to a Superb to maintain, maybe a little more, but nothing that will break the bank.

Clearly, your heart yearns for a smidge of luxury. Go on and indulge. You know you’ve earned it. The Camry is a great car for the City, no doubt, but the heart wants what it wants. Take that leap of faith. You know you want to.

[rkv_2401]

Originally Posted by androdev

In my opinion, there is no confusion at all.

For the highways, someone who enjoys a spirited drive should certainly consider buying a premium German car. It will be money well spent. VW group generally has poor reliability and their customer service and lead times are below par. Please don't go buy your Superb experience as the reference. BMW and MB offer decent reliability and customer service - MB tends to be a bit more expensive overall. If you are a driving enthusiast and most of your usage is on the highways, BMW will give maximum bang for the buck.

Slightly off-topic, but what are your thoughts on driving luxury sedans on our Indian highways? My dad never had a problem with the low-slung Elantra in the late 2000s and early 2010s but I find that since COVID, almost every time I take the Vento out on a long road trip, there is at least one unavoidable pothole that makes me feel nervous about something breaking - and this does, on occasion, manifest as a real problem, such as failed ABS sensors and the one time my horn started sounding weird. This is despite 170mm of GC, fresh tires and a relatively stiff suspension setup. And I don't even drive that fast.

In your opinion, is it really feasible to drive long, low-slung and expensive sedans in a spirited manner on our highways without worrying about breaking something in the process? Are bad roads something you learn to spot and manoeuvre according to the abilities of your car with time?

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

And they really don’t cost a lot to maintain, besides having better reliability than what you’ve detailed in your Superb ownership. If you’re used to spending 1L a year on your Superb, a BMW will not be much different.

I'd venture to say that a BMW (or equivalent German) sedan is significantly better engineered and/or more reliable (keeping in mind Indian conditions), than an equivalent VAG vehicle like the Superb or Passat.

For example, in my 6 years of ownership my Octavia 1.8TSI needed:

DQ200 7S DSG(!): 3.9L - paid only 7K for consumables (rest was goodwill warranty)
Headlight assemblies as DRL had yellowed: Warranty replacement
Water pump & thermostat - Warranty replacement
OEM Varta battery - Warranty replacement
AC vent (center front): Warranty refused hence ignored
KESSY start-stop button wonky: Fixed under warranty
Steering scroller wheel (RHS) broke: warranty replacement
Sunroof rattles: Entire sunroof removed and refitted: warranty labour job
Battery: It dies religiously every 2 years!

In my (so far) 4 year 330i ownership :

Sunroof rattles - resolved twice in Y2/3 but comes back - will fix in Y5
Horn pad unresponsive (RHS) - Will claim warranty in Y5