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Bought a used Toyota Innova with 2.32 lakh km on the odo: How and why

19th June 2024, 12:55 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

We were truly stunned seeing the condition of such an old car but no experience is complete without some unpleasant surprises.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

"There is this long-distance runner that by design throws the word warranty out of the window. That vehicle is India’s old champion MUV, the Toyota Innova."

- quoted from my thread on the Toyota Innova

Background

This story is rather recent and is about how an experienced engineer friend demonstrated courage and conviction in picking up a 15 year young 2009 Innova V in Chennai.

What’s so special about this acquisition?

Daredevilry viz. picking up a 2,32,000km done Innova aged 15 years
Acquired at a time when several modern and more feature-rich machines are available
Fulfilled the friend's requirement for a reliable large car

How did the Innova become the choice?

This friend is an experienced Chemical Engineer, having worked in tough jobs and locations onshore in the Middle East. While there, he has used the legendary Toyota Land Cruiser extensively but back here, that would mean an expensive-to-run and expensive-to-maintain option. On his return to India in 2013, he acquired a new Nissan Sunny XL petrol which had been serving him very well. However, his sons were growing high and wide and he needed a larger car for his family, including aged people in the family, to travel.

Options evaluated

1. 2015 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport direct owner sale done under 98,000 km

Pros

Fantastically kept
Direct owner sale
Great mechanical shape
Brilliant ride and handling
Go-anywhere capability; the Pajero Sport needs no roads
White shade viz. great to look at and low on exterior upkeep

Cons

Not an ideal seven-seater because of the extremely low third-row
Not senior citizen-friendly; I know how difficult it is for octogenarians to get into this car
Maintaining a Pajero Sport is not everyone's cup of tea; need a competent technician and the ability to source spares at the right price point and not get ripped off

While the friend was head over heels in love with this car, I asked him to consider only if he was NOT going to ferry old folks as ingress/egress was difficult.

2. Late 2015 XUV500 W10 done under 98,000km

Pros

Excellent mechanical and visual condition
Direct owner sale
Great engine, 6-speed gearbox

Cons

Sunset orange shade; not the most likeable by many
No sliding center row
Not an ideal seven-seater, but still acceptable
Poor on boot space with seven seats up

This was a car I was pushing my friend to get and it had even come down to him leaving his residence to meet the owner at an agreed place to see the car.

Fate plays its role

Fate sometimes plays cruel - while the friend was on his way to see the car (and knowing his quick decision-making, he might have even sealed the deal), he got a call that a close family member had fainted, fallen down the stairs and was being shifted to hospital. He had no choice but to divert straight to the hospital. While there, he called the owner of the car, apologized, explained his situation and wasn't sure how long the medical situation would take to get over. He told the owner to sell to any other buyer if there was any, else he'd come and see once he was out of this medical situation. Two days thence, this car was gone.

Options evaluated (Contd.)

I had told my friend right at the outset to look at a used Innova Crysta automatic. Some 2016 and 2017 G and Z ATs were also examined online, but none in person. While this discussion was on, I chanced upon a 2009 Innova V that had done 2,32,000km. This was a direct seller listing and was appealing, but I asked my friend if he was keen to look at this option. This listing was seen even when the first two had been evaluated. The friend was open to considering this as an option as his usage was going to be no more than 6k kms a year. Now that the first two options were out, he connected with the owner and went to see the Innova, but I had no idea that he was doing that.

3. 2009 Toyota Innova V direct owner sale done 2,32,000km

Pros

It is an older Toyota with enough comforts and features
Well kept for its age
Direct owner sale
Great mechanical shape, nice interiors
Yokohama Earth-1 tyres with a lot of juice
New battery
All electricals working
Brilliant ride
8-seater with the best third row among the three options so far
Senior citizen friendly viz. easy ingress and egress to/from first two rows of seats

Cons

Simpson Red shade meant scratches would be easily visible
Monograms on the rear missing
Minor crack on the right tail lamp assembly
Few oily surfaces on the tappet cover edges/ around the o-rings; can be attributed to the ageing of rubber parts
15 years old with the registration renewal in process; uncertainty around the future of the car post-20 years

My friend came on a video call with me and both he and I were truly stunned at the condition of such an old car.

Front View