Honda is also offering cash discounts, and maintenance packages as part of the Great Honda Fest.

Honda has partnered with Cars24 to offer a new ‘Assured Buyback Program’ to customers. It has been introduced as part of ‘The Great Honda Fest’ campaign. According to the company, it will offer customers a guaranteed resale value, while encouraging smoother upgrades to new models over time.

Key benefits of the program:

• No Depreciation Anxiety: Customers no longer have to worry about how much their car will depreciate over time. The guaranteed resale value offers peace of mind from the moment they drive off the lot.
• Financial Flexibility: The assured buyback offers the flexibility to plan financial decisions better, especially for those looking to time major life changes, like a new home purchase or another big investment.
• New Car Upgrades: Encourages smoother upgrades to more advanced and new energy models over time, contributing to both personal savings and environmental benefits.
• Resale Certainty Even in Down Markets: In economic downturns or market slowdowns, customers can count on the guaranteed value rather than relying on unpredictable market conditions.
• No Hidden Fees or Surprise Costs: Clear, upfront terms ensure that customers won’t be hit with hidden fees or unexpected charges when it’s time to resell.
• Low Stress for First-Time Car Buyers: For customers who may be purchasing their first car, the program removes the guesswork and complexity involved in future resale value, making the entire car-buying process smoother.

The Assured Buyback Program is available at all CARS24 outlets and Honda dealerships across India. Besides this, Honda is also offering cash discounts, and maintenance packages as part of the Great Honda Fest. Additionally, customers stand a chance to win gold worth up to Rs 5 lakh.

I will rate Cars24's experience 5 out of 5.

BHPian Samba recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Last year in December, I was looking to sell my Duster AWD. Local buyers & dealers in Kolkata were quoting ridiculously low prices for the Duster. I had a couple of buyers from outside Bengal who contacted me through Team-Bhp classifieds and another through a good friend. They quoted a reasonable price the car deserved.

I was on the verge of giving it to one of them. But I casually booked an inspection from Cars24 before taking the final call. To my surprise, Cars24 quoted me a price that was a tad less than the outside state buyers. There would have been many hassles for selling the car outside West Bengal such as getting the NOC, arranging a transport to send it to the new buyer, and the name transfer formalities in the new state.

So I agreed on the quote that cars24 offered me. They provided me with the quote within 30 minutes of inspecting the car.

The guy who came to inspect the car was on time, polite & professional. Once I agreed to sell the car, they asked me for a time slot on the very next day.

The pickup person came right on time and he brought all the documents with him which are required for further name change procedures or to claim a NOC if they sell the car out of state.

The formalities were completed in hardly 15 minutes, & they sent me the money in another 5 minutes. The pickup person once again inspected a few basic things and left my place.

They gave me Rs 10,000 less than what they had quoted to me. The deal was, that they would pay me the rest Rs 10,000 once the name transfer is completed, or if they can't sell the car in 120 days, they would credit that amount to my account.

In April, I received an SMS that I received Rs 10,000 in my account and it was from Cars24. I just noticed that it was the 120th day of selling my car. The car is still in their inventory - the advert.

For the overall experience till now, I will rate 5 out of 5 to Cars24.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It is a 2011 petrol model and a second-owner vehicle that has clocked 45,000 km but there is a gap in its service history.

BHPian wheelspinner recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have been searching for a decent reliable used car within a low budget for about a year without much success - every car I found came with costly repairs or niggles that make it an unworthy deal. Then, I came across this 13-year-old Etios 2011.

The car has run around 45,000 odd kilometers, and was with its second owner when Cars24 acquired it. Now my question is whether this is good enough to invest my hard-earned money.

My Rationale

I can afford more, but right now I don't have much use of a car. It is just to get better at driving a car, and explore if I would like to get a more expensive car. I suffer from buyer's remorse - so jumping to an expensive car is a no-go for me. Having said that, what I want is a fuss-free, good-looking, and cheap car. So does spending this much on it, so that it lasts me a couple of years seem reasonable? What do you think?

Also, I might go abroad this year for job-related relocation in a few years. So avoiding any big purchases.

Few concerns

The service history ends at 33,000 Kms in 2019, and beyond that, there is no service history. It has run 12,000 Kms since then.

I got this car checked by GoMechanic. But, for some reason, I find the mechanic's words untrustworthy as if the seller has coerced him to say good things. It is clearly visible in the picture that the boot door is repainted (see paint marks on the G badging). However, he told me only the bumpers were repainted. He also told me that the car had check engine lights on, but they were because the "history" data had not been cleared. It was visible in the OBD scanner report. However, he assured me that it was gone when he deleted the error code with the OBD scanner. But he didn't share the same with me (the report still indicated fault code in the Current section and history section) - in the report, there was a "P1604" startup malfunctioning error. Is something suspicious here?

He told me that the shockers and suspension were fine. There is some noise on braking. The advisor informed me about a hole in the silencer - that could be fixed, but then the mechanic failed to find it (wondering why). He did tell me that the coolant needs changing and that three of the tires had gone old/dry due to staying unused for long periods.

So my question is, considering everything - will this car be a good option for me? I can consider spending 10-20k more on it, but the question is if it will make sense to do so.

Here's what BHPian SafariMan had to say about the matter:

I purchased the same car, 2011 black Etios from Cars24 Kolkata in 2022 for 2.4 L. Changed 4 tyres, new Exide battery and changed the suspension set in 2 years. It is good enough to go for another 10 yrs. I purchased it at 36kms. Has Crossed 1L km.

Have been to Tawang and Zemithang twice, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Ladakh including Turtuk, Hanle to Munsiyari, UK via Manali and Auli. Munsiyari to Pokhara Nepal via Banbhasa border crossing Kathmandu, Tanki border to Siliguri, Kolkata and back to Bangalore. Madhya Pradesh entire state tour ex-Nashik, all the places before Indore, Ujjain, Bhimbetka, Amarkantak, Jabalpur, Khajuraho Orchha, Jhansi, and every place in MP. Many Bangalore-Mumbai-Nashik runs. Bangalore Mysore, Coorg (Kodagu), Wayanad, Thekkady, Munnar, Marayoor, Allepey, Kochi, Kollam, Trivandrum Balarampuram, Attingal. Entire Kerala entire state till Kanyakumari to TN Rameswaram Madurai and Bangalore last July.

I have got an average of 14 - 17kmpl on highways with the AC always kept on 1 or 2. Mostly 3 pax Ladakh to Munsiyari 4 pax and more than 150 kgs of luggage in the humongous boot. (We even carry a 20 litre Bisleri pump water can) . In Bangalore, Mumbai or Kolkata average falls to 13-14 kmpl. Just don't push the accelerator much. It can pull at very low speeds all the way to changing to 5th gear at 55 kmph.

Etios petrol is a very well-built peppy car. A breeze to drive on highways and reaches 160 kmph on Purvanchal Yamuna or Lucknow-Agra super highways in 185 Contis. Low cost of maintenance, barebones but highly capable. Just change the tyres to 185 contis. Go buy it and enjoy it.

Here's what BHPian getgoing had to say about the matter:

Please check out some of the issues which I noticed with a 2014 Toyota Etios owned by one of my close relatives.

Engine vibrates when the car is switched on and I also felt the car shakes and creates noise. Further, when the car is moving on the road, a great amount of sound from the tyre reaches inside the cabin which is very irritating while driving.

Secondly, the pickup is very low at all the gear as observed by me. The most important aspect is that the mileage of Etios is very low. In normal city conditions, you will hardly get an average of 10 km/l.

Here's what BHPian Iyencar had to say about the matter:

13 yrs+ two owners + unknown service history for 12k kms + discontinued model + asking over 1.6 L and certified by a GoMechanic guy no less = more red flags than in a communist convention.

As a used car buyer myself, yes, it’s a great way to save some serious cash but needs a lot of patience, diligence and some luck. Go for a single owner, 2-3 lakh car, around 5 years old and run less than 50k.

Shouldn’t cost you more than this. As for inspection, just take it to any dealer and tell them to do a paid general inspection.

Here's what BHPian asit.kulkarni93 had to say about the matter:

Etios is a fuss-free car. It's important to look for a non-accidental car. Rest mechanical and electrical issues are easy fixes. The car that you are considering is the G variant and doesn't look like the G sp. Please consider getting a variant with ABS and airbags.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Zoomcar Hosts can avail of substantial savings of up to Rs 1 lakh on pre-owned cars purchased on Cars24.

Car-sharing platform Zoomcar has inked a partnership with Cars24 to assist their hosts in fleet expansion and increase earnings. 

Zoomcar Hosts can now avail of substantial savings of up to Rs 1 lakh along with additional benefits of up to Rs 20,000 on pre-inspected and certified car purchases from Cars24. Additionally, they can avail of flexible financing options. 

According to Zoomcar, the partnership with the pre-owned car platform will promote the advantages of incorporating pre-owned vehicles into the car-sharing ecosystem. Zoomcar Hosts will also have an option to easily upgrade their present cars on CARS24 and get additional benefits.

Zoomcar offers cars shared by local hosts across more than 45 cities, including pick-up and delivery options at transit points like airports and railway stations, with a comprehensive portfolio of cars across categories - Hatchbacks, Sedans, MUVs, SUVs, EVs, and Luxury cars.

Cars24 claims that customers can save up to Rs 2 lakh on new cars through this initiative.

Cars24 has announced the launch of its new vehicle scrapping initiative with an aim to offer a one-stop solution for customers to scrap their cars and monetise their Certificate of Deposit.

Cars24 has partnered with registered vehicle scrapping facilities across India. The entire process is said to be simple and seamless and can be completed within minutes. The company claims to offer the best scrap value for cars ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh, depending on the car’s scrap value.

If car owners are planning to purchase a new vehicle, they do not have to pay any registration fee. With the Certificate of Deposit, owners can save up to 25% on road tax, which amounts to up to Rs 50,000 or higher on a new car. Cars24 claims that customers can save up to Rs 2 lakh on new cars through this initiative.

Besides this, if the owner decides not to purchase a new vehicle, he/she can sell the Certificate of Deposit for a decent amount of up to Rs 1 lakh. Cars24 will offer owners the option to directly purchase Certificate of Deposits on their platform.

Cars worth Rs 1,760 crore were sold on Cars24 during the festive season.

Automotive sales crossed the 1 million unit mark this festive season. The used car segment also witnessed a surge in sales during this period. According to data shared by Cars24, there was an 88% increase in the sales of used cars pan India compared to last year. 

The data shows that 87% of Indians opted for petrol vehicles. This could be due to the lower initial costs and maintenance expenses as well as the fact that petrol vehicles can remain on the road for 15 years.

Hatchbacks accounted for 65% of the total sales. Models like the Swift, Baleno, Grand i10, Alto and Kwid were popular among first-time car buyers, with Maruti Suzuki being the preferred brand. SUVs were the second most preferred body style among used car buyers. Models like the Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Ertiga, Creta and Nexon saw high demand. The most expensive car bought this season was the Ford Endeavour. Silver was the most popular colour among car buyers.

Bangalore recorded the highest car sales this festive season. In Kochi, car sales doubled compared to last year during Onam. In Mumbai and Pune, Ganesh Chaturthi saw a twofold increase in car purchases, with the WagonR and Honda City leading the way. Ahmedabad and Delhi recorded a 67% increase in car sales during Navratri, especially for the Grand i10 and Baleno.

Cars worth Rs 1,760 crore were sold on Cars24 during the festive season, with Delhi topping the list among the metros. Lucknow saw a maximum number of people selling their cars from metropolitan markets followed by Pune, and Ahmedabad. A Maruti 800 and Zen were the cheapest cars sold on the platform, and on the other end of the spectrum was a Mercedes-Benz E Class.

During the festive season, loans amounting to Rs 4.7 crore were disbursed on average daily, with maximum applications from young salaried professionals under 35 years of age. Cars24 claims to have processed more than 500 loan applications daily, with a used car loan getting disbursed every 10 minutes. The most financed car brands were Maruti and Hyundai, and maximum loans were disbursed for Hyundai Grand i10.

The average price of a used car purchased in India has increased to Rs 6 lakh.

According to data compiled by Cars24, the average car-buying budget of Indians increased by 30% in 2022. It indicates that people were willing to spend a higher amount on cars without compromising on their choice, safety or quality. 

Cars24 data also shows an 81% surge in the number of people buying more than one car in a year.

Some notable facts from the Mileage Report by Cars24:

• Majority car buyers under 35
• Average car buying has increased to Rs 6 lakh
• More buyers got their cars financed in 2022
• Hot Selling colours apart from white and grey - red and black
• Maximum sedans were bought in Bengaluru
• Most car sellers were from New Delhi
• Most expensive car bought in Pune - Mercedes C Class
• Loan tenure of 6 years was the most popular
• Average Car EMI in India was Rs 11,500

Cars24 registered a 75% jump in sales of pre-owned cars in the fourth quarter of last year compared to Q1 2022. Maruti remained the brand of choice, with every 1 in 3 buyers purchasing a Maruti car. The highest number of Maruti cars were purchased in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Pune and Ahmedabad.

Among best-selling models were hatchbacks like the Swift, Baleno, Alto, WagonR and Celerio. Maruti was closely followed by brands like Hyundai, Honda and Renault, and Ford, even though the brand has exited the Indian market.

Among Tier II cities, Pune and Ahmedabad recorded the highest car deliveries, with the Baleno being the most popular model in both cities. A customer in Pune is said to have purchased a Rs. 33 lakh Mercedes-Benz C-Class through Cars24. Lucknow recorded the highest sale of the Maruti Vitara Brezza.

Bangalore recorded the highest sales among metros, with the Swift being the most popular model. It was also the top-selling model in Delhi and Chennai, while Mumbaikers shopped for WagonRs.

Cars24 today has in place seven company-owned vehicle refurbishment centres (MRLs - Mega Refurbishment Labs) in the country

Introduction

Multiple factors have fuelled the growth of the used car market in India, especially since Covid. Be it the need for personal mobility or a change in perception regarding used cars. And startups entering this space has boosted the market even more. Companies like Cars24, Cardekho and Spinny have raised over $ 1.5 billion in funding from top venture investors across the world. And this is just the beginning, the used car market is expected to reach over 70 lakh vehicles by 2025-26 (up from 38 lakh in 2020-21). Cars24 is the current market leader in the online used car space & the company has clocked over four lakh transactions to date.

It was in 2019 that Cars24 started refurbishing cars and selling them. Since they didn't have infrastructure across India, it was obvious that they tied up with car repair workshops across India and formulated a plan for the refurbishing of cars. With growth however, the next logical step was to get total control over the entire process from start to end for the purpose of quality, standardisation & efficiencies-of-scale, and to ensure that the final product going on sale met certain quality standards. Cars24 today has in place seven company-owned vehicle refurbishment centres (MRLs - Mega Refurbishment Labs) in the country. These are in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. In the first phase, the facilities across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Chennai will be operational. We got to visit the facility just outside of Mumbai.

Mumbai operations at a glance

• Used cars are purchased and sent to Cars24 stockyard in Nerul.

• Cars are segregated based on their condition. Only those examples that have potential enter the MRL facility for refurbishment. The ones that don't pass the quality checks of MRL (e.g. old, in bad condition, have structural damage or require engine / gearbox repairs) don't enter the MRL facility (they are auctioned and sold off to third-parties directly from the yard).

• Cars that are relatively new, 4-5-year-old cars in decent condition are sent to the Mega Refurbishment Lab located on the Mumbai Nashik Highway ahead of Bhiwandi - Google Location.

• Cars are refurbished at the MRL and sent back to the stockyard from where they are sent to parking lots across Mumbai, which customers can visit to see the car and buy it OR Cars24 will bring the car to your doorstep. Do note that Cars24 offers 360-degree views of every car in its inventory on the app / website.

The Mega Refurbishment Lab is located on the Mumbai Nashik highway. You'll see this big 'Cars24' branding from far:

The warehouse space is humongous. As of now, half of this space is being utilised by current operations:

A car that enters the MRL is registered into the logbook:

After the entry is made, the car is parked in the space surrounding the workshop:

There's no preferential treatment for newer or more expensive cars. Cars are sent into the MRL according to the sequence they arrive in:

Given the high amount of water used in the facility, there's a water purification system in place:

So, once it's a car's turn to get refurbished, it's first washed thoroughly with a pressure washer:

Then the car is sent through this automatic car wash. This particular machine can wash a car in 6 mins:

The car is then taken for a preliminary test run to check for any issues:

Only after this, does the car enter the facility. First look on the inside, and the facility is truly big. Let's start with what happens on the inside:

Pre Inspection

As mentioned earlier, the cars sent to the MRL are relatively new and without major repair work in them. This is the first step where all the issues with the car are inspected thoroughly and a pre-inspection report is made on the company mobile app. Post this, the team prepares an estimate of the work required for the vehicle. There's an approval team in place who'll go over the estimate and calculate the feasibility of the repair work. What does that mean? They'll consider factors like - purchase price, possible selling price and the total cost of refurbishing. If the math fits perfectly, then the car is approved for a complete refurbishment:

Different bays have scissor lifts to lift the car and check the underbody:

The MRL in Delhi has this floor-mounted suspension and brake testing rig. As of now, the Mumbai facility doesn't have this test rig:

An average of 3 hours is spent on each car in the pre-inspection area going over 140 checkpoints:

Mechanical Area

All cars go through basic service that includes oil and oil filter change. The air filter and AC filter are also changed on almost all cars, cleaned if they're relatively new. At the MRL Mumbai, only basic mechanical repairs are done in this department:

At the MRL Mumbai, only suspension, brake and minor engine work are undertaken as of now. The 'Major Repair' board on the top is for some time in the future. The lathe work for the steering rack or minor repairs is currently being outsourced. See the light blue pipes from the top? These pipes provide compressed air that is used for different types of pneumatic tools like the wheel changer gun, removing dirt, etc. :

This is a waste oil collector. See the guy in the background filling a can?

... that's the new engine oil being supplied by 'Line 2'. Mechanics can directly take the required amount of oil for every car. Pretty convenient!

Apart from mechanical work, basic AC work is also carried out. AC temperature is checked and gas top-up is done if needed. If there's any leakage in the system, the evaporator/cooling coil can also be changed here. The blue machine pictured is a semi-automatic AC gas recovery and recharge unit. One of the main advantages of this machine is that you can recirculate the AC gas and also detect leaks in the AC system:

Minor electrical work is also carried out at the MRL. In this picture, you can see a battery being charged:

Spare Parts

The spare parts department works alongside the mechanical department. In a multi-brand environment, managing spare parts takes a lot of patience and precision. As of now, the spare parts are being outsourced to a third party company. Hence, Cars24 doesn't own this inventory. There's a Cars24 employee who coordinates between the MRL's needs and the spare parts supplier to procure the necessary parts:

While the preference for all cars is OEM parts, depending on the budget and availability, aftermarket parts are used on some cars:

Aftermarket spares in the store were from good brands like Mahle, Monroe and Lumax. There's been an interesting Team-BHP discussion regarding OEM spares and OES spares (Click here to read the discussion (Should you buy non-OEM spare parts for your car?)):

Here's how the spare parts are arranged for a particular car before they're sent to the workshop floor. Note that a car leaves the pre-inspection area only after all the parts as per the approval have arrived at the spare parts department. Till then, the car is not sent to the workshop floor to avoid cars getting stuck on the floor due to delays in parts:

R134A is the most common AC gas in modern cars:

Body shop parts are in a separate section. The most commonly required parts are headlights and bumpers:

After the mechanical work is done, the car is sent to the alignment machine:

If the tyres need to be changed, there's a tyre changing machine on the right and next to it is the wheel balancing machine:

Continue reading about cars 24's mega refurbishment facility for more insights and information.

Buyers can inspect high quality, 360-degree images of the vehicles they would like to purchase. As part of this investment, 20 car studios across 10+ locations in the country are operational, cataloging 400 cars a day.

Cars24 has moved the process of buying used cars entirely online. The company is offering home delivery in a branded delivery truck, a warranty of 6 months, and a no-questions-asked 7-day return policy, much like buying any other product online.

The company claims to have built an assortment of over 10,000 cars. Buyers can find the exact model in the exact condition and exact colour they want.

Cars24 owns and fully reconditions used cars at its workshop. It is also investing in technology-based refurbishment centres. In 2021, the brand plans to set up 7 refurbishment facilities across 50 acres of land in top Indian metro cities. Around 20,000 cars will be refurbished at these facilities every month.

Over the past few months, Cars24 has made huge investments in cataloging cars. Buyers can inspect high quality, 360-degree images of the vehicles they would like to purchase. As part of this investment, 20 car studios across 10+ locations in the country are operational, cataloging 400 cars a day.

The company claims to ensure each car that is listed on the platform for sale has passed a 140-point inspection and it does not list any car which does not pass. The company is also providing customised financing options, which is a fully contactless process with video KYC and near real-time processing of loans.

Cars24 has opened what it claims to be the largest two-wheeler showroom in India. The new showroom is located in East Delhi Mall, Anand Vihar, Delhi.

At this showroom, customers will be able to choose from more than 2,000 handpicked and refurbished pre-owned two wheelers giving them a variety of bikes to choose from. Customers will also have access to services such as RC transfers, comprehensive quality checks, financing options with on-spot loan approval, a 'No Question Asked' 7-day return with 100% money back policy and warranty options for 90 days.

With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, people are now preferring personal mobility over public transport. Pre-owned two-wheelers have become a pocket friendly option. To meet the high demand, Cars24 plans to scale this business up by starting operations in major metros in the countries over the next few months.