Budget Rs. 15 lakh: Need a used luxury car to replace my Safari Storme

As we could not find a replacement for the Storme, we thought of getting a safe small car (automatic/AMT) which would replace our Indica Vista in the future.

BHPian speed79 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

We had a 2011 Tata Indica Vista Aqua QJD and 2015 Safari Storme Vx 4x4 2015. In April our Storme was totaled in a highway accident at odo reading of just 32k kms and we were left with only Vista (42k on odo). Vista was primarily driven by my wife and sometimes by me when we went to crowded areas of Bangalore where finding a parking place is difficult. Storme was my daily office drive and was used for the out-of-station trips. We have 2 kids (9 and 14 years).

After I recovered from my injuries from the accident, we started looking for Storme's replacement, but could not find a worthy alternative. I had never been a fan of XUV500 or Scorpio, so XUV700 was out as it was kind of a facelifted XUV500. The long waiting period of XUV700 and the recently launched Scorpio-N did not help either. The Harrier-Safari lack ADAS and AEB, unlike XUV700. A simple Auto Emergency Brake in my Storme could have averted this accident.

As we could not find a replacement for the Storme, we thought of getting a safe small car (automatic/AMT). This car would have been replacement of the Vista in future, after we would have bought the Storme's replacement in a year or two. The final contenders were Tiago AMT and Punch AMT, but reviews on AMT held up the decision. After the accident, we also felt that we had not enjoyed Storme to the fullest (everyone in family loved Storme), and on a mention by @condor for a used Storme and Hexa, I had a look at a used Storme Vx 4x2 Varicor400 2016 with about 50k on odo for quoted price of 8.7L. It got me interested and I contacted the used car dealer. Before I could visit the used car dealer on the weekend, it was already sold for 8.1L. So we started looking at used Hexa. We also tried to find a used MINI, but not many samples of MINI are present in the used car segment. Then the search extended to get something from the luxury segment.

The world of used cars is vast and confusing, and I have never been interested in this segment for lack of value, and am totally naive when it comes to this segment. What I am looking for is:

• A luxury and safe car which can be had at ~15L.
• A car with at most 50k on odo.
• I think only some sedans from the German trio could fall in this price range. Their SUVs would be expensive to buy. Also, something like Skoda Superb or Octavia or even a Toyota Camry would work, as these should be cheaper to maintain than the three Germans.
• My running is very low (<5k a year), so petrol or diesel doesn't matter much.

I found some examples at a nearby user car dealer: 2013 MB E250 for 12.5, 2011 BMW GT 520d but these are DL/HR registered and registering them in Karnataka would need 5-6L. I also found a 2015 KA Reg Audi A3 Attraction for 16.5L on sale. But I am not sure what to look for in a used car, and which cars I need to avoid while searching a used car. I need some help from the members.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Used car prices are insane right now, and Bangalore even more so.

Buying a 10-year old German luxury car is asking for trouble. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind owning my own luxury car beyond 10 years, but to buy someone else's (without knowing its history, how it was driven etc.) is just dangerous.

Remember, a 15-lakh luxury car can quickly become an 18-lakh one. Or a 20-lakh one. Once the big repairs roll in, which they certainly will on a 10+ year old car.

You also aren't that familiar with used cars.

My advice = either buy a new car for 15 to 18 lakhs, or buy an "almost new" under-3-year old car from an organized player like Cars24, Spinny, Maruti True Value etc. Some nice cars in your range at this link.

Here's what BHPian asit.kulkarni had to say on the matter:

You are better off with a used D1 or D2 segment sedan than a entry level luxury sedan as you have growing kids. The rear space is restricted in most of these entry level cars. Look for a well kept Corolla Altis, Jetta, Octavia, Passat or Superb. The Corolla Altis will give you peace of mind with comfort. The other mentioned cars would offer you an amazing driving experience with comfort. Running repairs might be expensive but nothing which a competent FNG in Bengaluru can’t manage.

Spread the word around your circle. As the festive season is around, a lot of people would be replacing their cars. You might just come across a good example in your circle. Rest you can scout for cars on the Team BHP classifieds and reach out to the used car division of new car dealerships. Visiting local dealers should be helpful but only finalize a car after you have gotten it inspected from a trusted mechanic or the authorised service station. Avoid aggregators like Cars24, Spinny, OLXautos.etc. as their certifications and pricing are good for nothing. Certifications have a grey area and pricing is obnoxious.

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