About a year back bought a preowned car through Spinny (not a sponsored post).
The very first delivery experience was mixed:
- Team came on time as requested to deliver (wanted it to be delivered at my place in a specific time window - Muhurat!)
- The car wiring had rat bites and all the lights weren't working
- The team was super prompt in taking the car back and solving the issues
The Car:
- Chevrolet Sail UVA, 2014, 20k KM, 1st owner
Lazy me using the pics from Spinny, avoiding extra work of hiding registration plate
Though the car is in 99% with the same look till today.
Why a preowned car?
- I am an ex-entrepreneur, run a travel startup and never felt a need of owning a car
- Moved to Bangalore after an exit from my startup and was mostly using cab services, scooty and carpool
- Somewhere there was also a plan to move abroad and a new car would have been a liability / loss-making decision given depreciation on a new car
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face" - Mike Tyson
- The Covid19 pandemic and the lockdown followed was punch on the face to most of us or on our plans at least
- long story short, with little uncertainty of cash flow, most international borders closed I was left with a very few options
- Also this was the time I got severe knee pain and had to take Dr. help, just to visit a Dr. 5km from my place my co-brother had to drive from another edge of Bangalore (30km one side) to pick me up and take to Dr. and then he would go back the same distance to his family
So, there was an immediate realization of the need for a car and a preowned, certified and budget car just seemed to fit the situation perfectly.
I went with Chevy Sail UVA for three reasons - A. It came at just 2.85L, Chevy still has a service centre in Bangalore and the car's seating is as spacious as Dzire, i20 etc
1st year my ownership experience
- The first-year experience has been 99% hassle-free, with no expenses other than the one spent on fuel
- There were minor issues like noise from the timing belt, fault in indicators and hard AC knobs - which the seller's team was able to solve for me ( the car came with one year warranty and all these issues were solved under that warranty including free pick up and drop)/
- We took some long drive with this car covering the coastal Karnataka in 7 days trip - Bangalore > Mangalore > Udupi > Shivasamundram > Shimoga > Bangalore
Happily relaxing in Udupi resort:
The warranty of the car got extended by 6 months from the seller platform on the ground almost no run during lockdowns, which was again a welcome and satisfactory move
IMO two major repairs after 1st year are:
1. Change of water pump - cost 4844 ( pump + coolant + labor )
2. Change of Tensioner and Bracket - Cost 3418 ( parts + labor)
2.1 Minor - Paid 250 for window motor wiring carbon removal
2.2 Upgraded lights to 90/10 from 55/60 - ~2200 for bulbs and relay + 250 labor
Few more pics of the car,
By now you would have guessed this is my first owned car and I love it like a high-school sweetheart
Now the big Question
1. Am I happy with my decision to buy this car? - Absolutely 100% - in this budget, this kind of service, reliability, comfort and space - exceeds my expectations every day.
2. How long will I keep this car? - I shall keep it for one more year at least or as long as I'm not going out of the country for a long time.
While I was writing this article, realised I need to get double-check the accuracy of the fuel gauge given its erratic readings in recent days
Coastal Karnataka Trip deserves a dedicated post, would try soon share that.
Thank you!