[Doge]

So I have recently moved to Goa and have been thinking of buying a used car for under 1 lakh instead of wasting money on renting here. I'm totally okay with spending around 30k a year on maintenance, for example, and lower fuel efficiency isn't a problem for me. Age isn't an issue either—after leaving NCR, I've been loving spotting older cars here.
Now here’s the twist in this "what car" thread: I really want to avoid the default best choice—Marutis. I don’t fit in any Maruti because of my height, and most of them drive terribly on the highways and are uncomfortable for long distances.
I was looking at old Corollas, first-gen Figos, Fiat Punto 1.4 petrols, and old Civics/Citys.
What do you find people suggest?

[self_driven]

I think you are overlooking the fact that most cars <1 lakh won't be dependable for long distances, despite your willingness to spend 30k annually on maintenance. This is where popular cars shine. You can keep even an unreliable Maruti or Hyundai running with occassional repairs. Part availability, new or refurbished, isn't a concern, cars are simple and easier to work on. Your mechanic won't treat you like a cash cow if you pull up in a 15 year old Santro instead of a Corolla or Civic of similar vintage. Speaking of which, Santro Xing seems to be the perfect car for your requirements.

If you've absolutely made up your mind against budget cars, then old Japanese cars will be your best bet. Honda Civic, City and Corolla all are decent choices.

[It's Magic]

Originally Posted by Doge

What do you find people suggest?

In my opinion, it's a gamble to look for a good car below ₹1 lakh, as most available cars will either have completed 15 years or be on the verge of doing so. Additionally, since you need a highway runner, I would suggest that it's better to be safe than sorry. Unless you personally know the current owner and how well they have maintained the car, it's a risk, in my view.

I would recommend slightly increasing your budget and hunting for a car purchased 10–12 years ago. You could consider the Ford Figo or VW Polo. As @self_driven suggested, your best bet would be a Maruti or Hyundai for ease of maintenance and better chances of spare parts availability. I would also advise against getting cars like the Corolla, Civic, or Fiat Punto, as spare parts availability could be an issue.

Best of luck!

[Aakash118]

Please avoid the Punto 1.4. My friend had one and this engine was so problematic. If you want the Punto/Linea, go for Multijet only. Also avoid any car without airbags for highway usage. I can suggest a few cars-
Ritz- This car has good headroom and adequate power in both petrol & diesel engines. And it’s availability in used market is quite good.
Fabia- In diesel avatar, this car is a hoot to drive on highways. I have used it for eight years and still miss those highway drives. Another good thing is that airbags were standard in pre 2012 models.
City 2nd Gen- This car is also easily available in used car market and is usually trouble free.
SX4- Another reliable & powerful car which is quite cheap in used market.
Sunny- Spacious, reliable & safe (as driver airbag was standard).

[Samba]

Originally Posted by Doge

I was looking at old Corollas, first-gen Figos, Fiat Punto 1.4 petrols, and old Civics/Citys.
What do you find people suggest?

I, in your place, will pick an Esteem or a Sx4 for 50k & spend another 50k on tires, suspension, engine and cosmetics. The car will be good to go.

I will always prefer a simple old japanese with a low budget. These cars can be fixed anywhere, plus procuring the spares for these cars are not that difficult either. On top of it you can sell them off anytime you want.

But as you do not prefer Marutis, from your list, I will avoid the Punto & the 1st gen Figo. If you get any of the other cars in good condition and price, then go for it. My mantra is, if its an old and cheap car, it has to be a Japanese!

It will be hard to find a Corolla or Civic under 1L. Give a try if you can get a City 1.5L Vtec even if it costs you a bit of premium! Else Etios petrol 1.5L will also be fun to drive and you can get those from 2010/11 at around Rs1 to 1.5L.
All the best.

[sumeethaldankar]

A used Civic/Corolla etc will have lots of maintenance problems and while you may get them at steal spares are not exactly going to be cheap. For 1 lac I would prefer to have the old Alto K10 (2010 Maruti Alto K10 : Review) type car which was nothing but a pocket rocket. It will also be maintenance friendly compared to say a Corolla etc. For just 1 lac you may not really going to get many decent options. SX4 might be an option at that price point.

[narayans80]

At 1 lakh, you should be looking at used bikes which you can get in decent nick. You can use and sell and still not lose much.

For cars, its better to go with a higher budget on popular cars and sell it off at better resale. At 1 lakh you would see 20 year old cars which would have been abused quite a bit, plus these are on the unreliable spectrum like the Ford Ikon.

I would look at City and Corollas in a 1 lakh budget with circumspect of abuse, and would not be 30K/year sort of cars. Given that Goa involves lot more driving if you are dependent on a vehicle.

[Doge]

What's the take on the Chevy spark? I always liked the car and found it cheerful and well made.

[GreenerPlanet]

Originally Posted by Doge

What's the take on the Chevy spark? I always liked the car and found it cheerful and well made.

Why a spark? Go for the Chevy beat.
You can get a 10 year old example for 1lac (I guess).
This will be the top end LT (O).

I have one and it's an absolute hoot to drive. Regular maintainence keeps it ticking just fine. Rev happy engine, super bike like dials - it's very enjoyable.

Also don't forget it had good features hardly common for that segment and vintage - rear seats with adjustable head sets, split folding seats, rear wiper, ac controls which can go all way down to 16 degrees, roof rails etc.

Chevrolet has exited indian market - but beat is a strong car for the price you want - not as common as Marutis or Hyundais - but fun to drive and easy to maintain.

[condor]

A used fun car in one Lakh rupees, and one which will not need additional work (initially) can be a little hard to find. A little across the border there, my cousin got an old Santro for about 1.3L. He has his garage, so repairs are easy for him. This was a fair value for the car - but us guys being at the user end will not easily find such fair deals.

[IshaanIan]

Chevrolet Spark, Chevy U-VA, Maruti Esteem are the only options I would consider under 1 lac rupees. Also if you can fit in a Spark, you can definitely fit into most Marutis that aren’t an Alto or an 800

Coming to options over 1lac rupees, you have the Fabia (my favourite small car), SX4, Ritz, Linea T-Jet, Optra, Elantra (with the Detroit diesel), Sonata, Accord, Camry, MK1 Octavia (1.9 Pumpe-Duse and 2.0 mpi were both robust and reliable) and the best for last; Cedia.

Since it is Goa and you are planning to buy a super cheap used car, I would take rust into consideration and purchase accordingly.

[MiamiBlue]

I see you are against marutis. But the old Baleno sedan is an absolute beutiful car for your needs. It is well made, has good performance, and is on the way of becoming a classic. Or you can get a city type 2, a vtec if you are lucky. You can get these cars in top shape under 1L. A corolla under 1L might not be a good or trouble free car. Im talking in Kerala car prices, but I think goa has similar prices in used market. Contrary to popular belief, an older car not necessarily unworthy of long journeys. Try to get a well kept one

[damanbir]

1L is a tight budget for a GOOD fun to drive car but not impossible. When you say no to Maruti's I hope its the WagonRs and Altos, because a select few Maruti's can be a lot fun without the stress.

1. Maruti Esteem MPFi (2003-2006)- A free Revving 1.3L engine, no electronics and convenience of a sedan with a proper boot. Can be a slight issue arranging spares.
2. Maruti Swift (Gen 1) 1.3L Petrol - The peppy engine, decent interiors, abuse friendly and plethora of aftermarket support.
3. Maruti Zen - Till date my favorite car, call it the DESI Mini. Compact, fast and trouble free with a good Power to weight ratio.
4. Maruti SX4 - If you can find one in decent shape, it'll be like a new Gen Esteem.


Other Brand cars I would consider:

1. Honda City - Gen1/2/3 - An absolute pleasure, finding one in good shape is the hardest part. The Dolphin City was the least desirable car.
2. Skoda Fabia - As long as cosmetic and electronic repairs are not required this can tick all the boxes.
3. Gen 1 Toyota Corolla - A guzzler on the 1.8L Petrol engine but the liveliest too.


On the lighter note, if you want to be different and have all the fun MARUTI OMNI .

[SRS]

Originally Posted by Doge

What do you find people suggest?

We had a 20-year-old Honda City until recently, and it was quite a good and reliable car even at that age, and we sold it for 1 lakh, so if you can find a similar model, this would be a great car for your use case. Other options include the Ford Fiesta, but be aware of parts availability, the Hyundai Accent, which is also a car we used to own way back in 2004 and is a good option as well. A good example of a Fiat Punto could serve you well, too.

However, there are a lot of Marutis, smaller Hyundais, and Chevrolets available, but I don't recommend them as Marutis and Hyundais typically feel quite overpriced even for their advanced age, and Chevrolet has left the market quite a while back.

[condor]

One point - please check availability of spares of the brand. Example: A single a/c vent for a Fabia will cost between 2-3k. And parts can have waiting times + design changes can affect availability (example - old design vent vs new design vent).

So suggest a car that has sold in higher numbers.