Buying my first car: Does getting a used 3rd gen Honda City make sense?

I know for a fact that the car does not have any major issues, and was used with extreme care.

BHPian anay3000 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A friend has this Honda City 2013, which he purchased used in 2017, when it had ~40k kms on it. Subsequently he has used it for about 6+ years. The odo now reads slightly 82k odd kms.

He made me an offer which seems quite attractive. This will be my first car, if I go ahead. I know for a fact that the car does not have any major issues, and was used with extreme care. I live in a somewhat rural area (as does the erstwhile car owner), local mechanics are good, not geniuses, but they can keep cars running. Honda ASS is about 50-60 kms away. Its not difficult to get to said ASS, but not too convenient either.

As for the car, there are no apparently visible dents, rust marks, scratches, visible on the outside. I have not yet inspected the car with the help of a local mechanic. I am frankly in the initial stages of thinking about buying this one.

Nevertheless, is this a good buy for 2.6 lakh?

Why it looks good to me:

• I don't have to pay in one go. (26 easy installments of 10k each).
• I don't think there will be any other sedan available in under 3 lakhs.
• Car is well taken care of, no immediately visible blemishes / marks.

Why I have concerns:

• 82k kms.
• Honda parts / consumables are costlier than some other brands.
• Is this a good 1st car? Because the condition is good, so its not a beater, neither is the price that of a beater car.

PS: The original Honda City 1.5 Exi was my dream car, and I loved the acceleration of that one. Not many contemporary cars could match it in performance. This is a factor which pulls me towards Honda cars.

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

It's cheap, you're getting an instalment plan and the car is otherwise good, I would say go for it. This generation of the Honda City is regarded very highly by enthusiasts and is generally bullet-proof. You know the car's history and you know the owner.

Bring her home. As long as you realise that a 10-year old car will require some upkeep from time to time. That being said, a 10-year old Honda is 10X more dependable than a 10-year old Skoda.

I recently used a 2009 3rd-gen Honda City AT with 91,000 km on the odo. It was well-maintained & ran like a champion. I enjoyed driving it around for a week in North India.

Here's what BHPian MT_Hyderabad had to say on the matter:

It is a steal deal. Honda City of that lineage is considered better built than the later versions.

Don't think too much about the odo, it is not even 50% of what it is capable of achieving without troubling the owner.

Here's what BHPian Mr.Boss had to say on the matter:

Since you are getting an interest free installment, you save nearly 20k on the interest portion. For approx 2.4L, it's a good deal for a City with known history.

Honda parts are costlier when compared with mainstream brands like Maruti or Hyundai, but they are built to last unless it is abused.

If you are comfortable with the size & blind spots, you can't go wrong with City as a 1st car.

Here's what BHPian revsperminute had to say on the matter:

This will be a dreamy first car. I honed my skills in a Honda City too. It’s the perfect formula. Exciting engine but not too fast, dimensions are easy to get used to and the dynamics are forgiving. Add bulletproof reliability and the sharp looks of the 3rd Gen to the equation and it’s a no brainer.

Congratulations, you’ve hit the holy grail. Happy motoring!

Here's what BHPian ShreyFiesta had to say on the matter:

Looks like a sweet deal, I'd advice you to go ahead with this plan. Third-gen City is a car that comes with an almost trouble-free nature. You'll just need to do the routine maintenance checks to keep it in shape. Spare parts costs are not much expensive if you compare with a Vento/Rapid of similar age. For example, a set of front brake pads costs ₹ 1,500 while a fuel filter will set you back by ₹ 1,300. All consumable spares are easily available via Honda authorised service centres.

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