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-   -   Hunt for my first car with a budget of around 2 lakhs (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/264119-hunt-my-first-car-budget-around-2-lakhs.html)

Tbhp , I summon you to help me find my first car. The budget is just around 2 lakh, but I ask of the members to help me with all your might. The car will have to be safe as I will be moving around with my parents in it , so airbags and ABS/EBD is a must. The car must be relatively affordable to maintain and easy to live with (read as "no breakdowns"). I won't be traveling too much in it as Bangalore requires the 2 wheeled convience when heavy congested traffic is involved.

With the above criteria in mind, I have shortlisted these cars as the ones that will meet my lofty expectations -

1. 2006-2008 Toyota Corolla (post facelift)



2. MS SX4 ZXI petrol (diesel is out of budget)



3. 2nd gen Honda City (dolphin nose)



Fords like fiesta tdci are out because of obvious reasons and if anyone thinks that I should reconsider them, please let me know with your reasoning . Do provide your valuable opinions and suggestions if I have overlooked some others.

Back in 2017 perhaps you might have found genuinely good examples of SX4s Citys and Corollas for 2 lacs but today I doubt it. The used car market is still highly inflated at the moment so either wait for the bubble to burst or look for something like a facelifted Zen or a Chevrolet hatch :thumbs up

The used car market is overhyped and overinflated! I can see 12-13-year-old Ford Figos being sold for 2 - 2.25L!
13 years back this car was sold at 4.5L on road!

The market has gone crazy just like the IT JOB market - Major corrections are expected soon.

2-lakhs isn't a lot of money for a used car and when you have this budget, it's more important to focus on a clean well-maintained car.....rather than any particular model. Cast a wide net of models and pick the cleanest, newest car you can find.

Also be open to the Civic. It's a great car and a depreciation disaster, you'll see Civics trading at lower prices than the Corolla.

Would suggest you to consider budget hatchbacks like the Swift, Brio & i10. They are all fun to drive and will be cheap to buy / maintain.

I’m selling our ‘08 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 AT, which is the top model fully loaded with auto headlights, auto A/C, auto dimming IRVM, bi-xenon headlamps, cruise control, airbags (replaced after Takata recall), and so on. It’s one generation ahead of the Corolla you’ve posted.

It’s 14yrs and a few months old, and I will no longer be able to drive it in Delhi / NCR once it hits 15. So if you’re open to transport to Bangalore, and consider slightly upping the budget for team-bhpian maintained car, feel free to DM!

I know I should be posting on classifieds. Please delete this Mods if inappropriate.

I would suggest looking into old chevys decently reliable cars and look if you can find a SAIL/SAIL U-VA with 1.3MJD maintainence would be cheap with that engine

I am sorry to say this but you might have to increase your budget for the options you have listed. You will find examples around your budget but don't expect them to be in good condition and less number of owners. Bangalore Used car Market is absolutely crazy in terms of pricing.

Hi, not sure if this is a DM, but interested in getting to know more on your car

How about checking out the type 1 or type 2 Honda City there are plenty on the used car market and pretty reliable, however buying a 20 year old car will come with its fair share of niggles, trust me I know cause I recently bought a Lancer for under 2 lakhs in Bangalore which may be a contender for you.

Consider these two- Jazz 1st gen & Etios petrol. Not sure if they are available in your budget in Bangalore but both are surely great all rounders.

I got a Scala Petrol 2013 model RXE from a dealer in Kerala for less than 3 lakhs. This is a reliable car and dirt cheap in used car market. You should consider the twin Sunny too.

You will have to either up your budget, or compromise on your family's safety and get an old reliable Maruti/Hyundai hatchback.

Your only other option is the Gen1 City. Unless you're willing to buy an accidental Corolla.

Sorry to disappoint disappoint you, but for your budget, you may not get a well maintained car. More often it will have some complaints even for a very old car. Start browsing more and .sure you will be end up with a budget of about 5L to get a niggle free car
Unfortunately that is time we are in.

For your case go for flop models but cars which are good, for eg Zen Estilo, Old Baleno , Kizashi , Sx4 petrol etc. Thats your best bet.

Being a Kizashi owner I can pretty much guarantee you that any Kizashi that you get for 2 lacs or for that matter under 5 lacs, will require atleast another 2 lacs to be spent on it (not including tyres, brake pads, oil, filters and other consumables) not to mention 40 days downtime. Old Baleno you will struggle to get parts for and while SX4 used to be possible, today all SX4s that one can find around 2 lacs are usually highly abused examples. Zen Estilo is a very viable option however given OPs requirement for safety, the only car that comes to mind is the Chevrolet Beat. Being a made in India Chevrolet, parts are still easily available however one will have to live with the uninspiring petrol mill.