(Mods: Not sure if this fit into any existing threads, hence started a new discussion; please feel free to move to a relevant thread if it already exists)
Hi all,
I have been dreaming about owning the little monster (GT TSI) as my first-ever car since I came across this beautifully narrated video by Powerdrift 8 years ago.
In these 8 years since then, I've spent probably hundreds of hours online looking at videos, reading through articles, comparison posts, ownership threads and everything related to the GT TSI. I got butterflies every time I saw a GT on the road, wondering what it would be like to own one. Now finally, I have the Polo in my shopping cart, yet owning one feels nearly impossible. Let me explain.
Some background info: I'm 25 years old, have been working for close to 3 years and I've some money saved up that I can use upfront. My budget is 6-7L and the itch for a car started when I had to rush to my hometown (~350km from Bangalore) and I did not have a vehicle of my own. Polo seemed to be out of reach initially (2L is the cash I have, apart from my emergency fund and investments), but some cajoling with my mom meant that I can now afford a Polo with some additional loan (either from a bank or from my parents). I plan to stay in Bangalore for ~2 years before moving abroad for masters during which time I will either sell the car or replace the family car (a humble Ritz). I went online looking for 1.0 TSIs launched in 2020 and not the GT TSI as I did not want to be left facing any DSG issues. I was not prepared for the shocker. The Polo seems to have barely lost any value, especially the GT TSI variant.
People are quoting 10L for a
5-year-old, 60k run car! And it is the same case with multiple online portals, like cardekho, cars24, spinny, olx autos etc!
This is a 2 year old 1.0 MT Highline Plus (the exact trim that I want) and they are quoting close to 8.5L (the OTR was ~10L in 2020 if I remember correctly). I am absolutely shocked to see how a discontinued car can only lose 15% of its value over two years! Isn't a car supposed to lose 30-40% of the value in the first couple of years? I know there is a fan following for the Polo, but this is beyond what I had imagined. There just seems to be no reasonably priced (read: 2020 1.0 TSI MT Highline Plus under 7L) Polo out there and it is a bit heart-breaking :(
Rant aside, what am I asking of the group?
- Maybe I was living in a fairyland hoping for better prices. If so, please help me understand the current market for used Polo. Where do I look, how do I look? Open to buying the car from Bangalore or anywhere in TN.
- I would be purchasing the car only in Apr'23. Is there any chance of having some hope that prices might come down or I might see more 1.0 TSIs on the yard for sale?
- If at all I am able to find a good deal, how do I go about testing the car's mechanicals? I am new to the 'owning a car' scene so I do not know any trusted mechanics, especially in Bangalore since I am new to the city as well.
- Given that the Polo is from the VAG stable, how much can I expect to spend on maintenance every year?
- What else should I do when looking to buy my first-ever car?
Any help/advice is much appreciated!