Car & Bike Used car suggestions for beginner

[hotshot05]

Budget: around 3L.
This is going to be my first car and I want to get a used one. Will be learning to drive on this car. Do not have access to known mechanic who can evaluate cars. But have a few colleagues in office who may go with me to evaluate the car (All of them have bought new cars though so don't know if they can evaluate old cars properly)


I have been going through Olx/Carwale/Cartrade used car sections for almost the past 1 year. This would be my first car and I have no experience of driving cars. So I wanted something used so that even if I make a mistake while learning, it would not dent my pocket too much.

ABS and airbags are priority for me. So most of the old cars(love the old Figo diesel) are directly eliminated.
I had zeroed in on a Chevrolet Sail UVA LT ABS model as it matched my criteria. But did not get much time to talk to the seller and within 1 month the GM pullout happened. So I am back to the portals again.

In this budget I found very few Honda Brio S(O) MT 2012 cars. These have 2 airbags and ABS. There are 2 options available in my city.
1. One of them is certified and put on sale by multiple dealers with different prices. So I am confused who has the actual car. I checked on parivahan website and it is still registered in the original owner's name.
2. The other options is not certified and most likely is being sold by an individual rather than a dealer. This guy has posted on the portals 2 times in the past 3 weeks. First time he gave the variant name as S(O) MT. 2nd time around he mentioned Honda Brio S MT. I checked the RC status online and it is not possible to differentiate between variants based on online records.
If I do go to check out the car, how would I understand if it is the base variant or the option pack? Honda does not seem to write ABS on the back panel (unlike say Maruti Ritz or Swift)

Also is it a better idea to buy a certified car (odo 40k in 5 yrs) or a cheaper car from individual (odo 10k in 5 yrs and 30k cheaper in listing price)?
Currently I don't know any mechanic. I was thinking about getting an inspection done via Droom.

 

[Crazy_Eddy]

A Brio (or any car for that matter) with airbags will have 'airbag' written on the steering wheel and above the glovebox area. Additionally there are ABS, Airbag check lights on the instrument cluster which I assume will be disabled in the variant without them.

With the owner's consent you can approach a service centre and look into the service history, so you can get a fair idea as to how the owner has maintained his car.
Most used car dealers these days dont seem to add any value.

 

[hotshot05]

A Brio (or any car for that matter) with airbags will have 'airbag' written on the steering wheel and above the glovebox area. Additionally there are ABS, Airbag check lights on the instrument cluster which I assume will be disabled in the variant without them.

With the owner's consent you can approach a service centre and look into the service history, so you can get a fair idea as to how the owner has maintained his car.
Most used car dealers these days dont seem to add any value.

Knew about the Airbags. Saw them on many video reviews. Need to find out the ABS indicator.

For getting service history, do I have to visit the exact service centre which the owner used or will there be a centralized data repository? If owner is not there with me, will ASS give me details of the service history?
Has anyone used certification service? Is it of any value?

 

[Crazy_Eddy]

I think the S(O) variant came with both ABS + Airbags.

Service history is in a centralised database. They may not share without the owner, but a call from the owner might be enough. There's this Honda Connect app that has the service history too, so the owner could just mail it to you. Not sure if the service centre has more info than whats available in the app.

 

[Chaos]

Brio is a good car with a real nice rev happy engine for a beginner but be aware of the shape. It is a bit tapering from the front to back and can cause issues with the rear scraping after the front has passed through the space. Even though I've been driving for quite a while, this aspect caught me unaware quite a few times in really tight spaces. Also the AC isn't the best for really hot weather. Also you'd be aware of the fact that it has a really small boot and is good only as a second car in the house.

I sold my 2011 December V-MT for 280k last year. Would have probably got more if I sold it directly to someone but was too lazy. In 3L INR, especially in Kolkata where prices are lower than Bangalore, you should be able to get a 2012 V-MT easily in that budget. Make sure you check the brakes and clutch. The latter is rather weak and underspecced in the brio to save costs. Mine was almost gone in the 38k or so I drove in 4.5 years. However I did drive it pretty hard.

 

[hotshot05]

Brio is a good car with a real nice rev happy engine for a beginner but be aware of the shape. It is a bit tapering from the front to back and can cause issues with the rear scraping after the front has passed through the space. Even though I've been driving for quite a while, this aspect caught me unaware quite a few times in really tight spaces. Also the AC isn't the best for really hot weather. Also you'd be aware of the fact that it has a really small boot and is good only as a second car in the house.

I sold my 2011 December V-MT for 280k last year. Would have probably got more if I sold it directly to someone but was too lazy. In 3L INR, especially in Kolkata where prices are lower than Bangalore, you should be able to get a 2012 V-MT easily in that budget. Make sure you check the brakes and clutch. The latter is rather weak and underspecced in the brio to save costs. Mine was almost gone in the 38k or so I drove in 4.5 years. However I did drive it pretty hard.

Did the V MT have ABS and airbags? VX version seems to have these but I guess VX was introduced in 2015.

If you have any other suggestion which has good A.S.S and price is within 3L, do let me know.

 

[Chaos]

Did the V MT have ABS and airbags? VX version seems to have these but I guess VX was introduced in 2015.

If you have any other suggestion which has good A.S.S and price is within 3L, do let me know.

V MT was the top end model launched and had ABS Airbags. V was downgraded by Honda when VX was launched later.

 

[hotshot05]

V MT was the top end model launched and had ABS Airbags. V was downgraded by Honda when VX was launched later.

On carwale it was showing me the V MT [2013-2016] version only. And that one did not have airbags.
Is there any other website from where we can see old car specifications?

Could not find any V MT 2012 car online in my city when I last checked.

 

[Chaos]

On carwale it was showing me the V MT [2013-2016] version only. And that one did not have airbags.
Is there any other website from where we can see old car specifications?

Could not find any V MT 2012 car online in my city when I last checked.

Probably oversight. V was the top model after S(0) when it launched in 2011. It had a few extra bits like electrically adjustable mirrors, alloys and such.

VX that launched later had added rear defogger/demister which was missing in the original car and as a result the car was a real pain to drive in the rain.

Other than the Brio, your primary other alternatives are the ritz and the swift. However swift costs a lot in the used market.

 

[hotshot05]

Probably oversight. V was the top model after S(0) when it launched in 2011. It had a few extra bits like electrically adjustable mirrors, alloys and such.

VX that launched later had added rear defogger/demister which was missing in the original car and as a result the car was a real pain to drive in the rain.

Other than the Brio, your primary other alternatives are the ritz and the swift. However swift costs a lot in the used market.

Only the Z_i editions of the Swift and Ritz had ABS. Could not find any old car with airbags.

I love the 1st Gen Ford Figo. If only they had included ABS or airbags, I would have had happily bought it.

 

[Chaos]

Only the Z_i editions of the Swift and Ritz had ABS. Could not find any old car with airbags.

I love the 1st Gen Ford Figo. If only they had included ABS or airbags, I would have had happily bought it.

The top end figo (titanium or something) did have ABS and Airbags. The diesel figo was a decent car albeit one that has lots of wind noise at high speeds. The petrol engined figo was bad - the engine has zero punch.

 

[NotMyRealName]

Bro just bought a used ritz. Even though it's positioned more premium than the swift in Maruti's lineup, 2nd hand swifts are higher priced than the ritz. Shahrukh effect or something? Or the usual desi hypewagon...

 

[hotshot05]

The top end figo (titanium or something) did have ABS and Airbags. The diesel figo was a decent car albeit one that has lots of wind noise at high speeds. The petrol engined figo was bad - the engine has zero punch.

Till today I thought that Zxi and Titanium were the sane for the Figo. But after I read this, searched for the difference and found that a separate Titanium version exists and it has 2 Airbags and ABS (according to Carwale)

Found a pretty Ford DuraTorq Titanium new car in my City. 22k KM run, 2015 model, Diesel. But asking price is just a bit less than the value shown by Droom for a car in fair condition. As far as I know, Droom shows lowest value in OBV. CarTrade/Cars24 quote more than Droom. Will have to consider this model too even though it costs much more than my budget!

EDIT -
Found a few Honda Jazz X too.
#1 - 2011 model, Jazz X, 32k odo - 3.5L (dealer)
#2 - 2013 model, Jazz X, 45k odo - 3.25L (individual)
#3 - 2012 model, lower variant (Jazz V), 26k odo - 3.3L
Which one to prefer - Newer car but higher mileage one? Or older car but lesser run model?

 

[Chaos]

Till today I thought that Zxi and Titanium were the sane for the Figo. But after I read this, searched for the difference and found that a separate Titanium version exists and it has 2 Airbags and ABS (according to Carwale)

Found a pretty Ford DuraTorq Titanium new car in my City. 22k KM run, 2015 model, Diesel. But asking price is just a bit less than the value shown by Droom for a car in fair condition. As far as I know, Droom shows lowest value in OBV. CarTrade/Cars24 quote more than Droom. Will have to consider this model too even though it costs much more than my budget!

EDIT -
Found a few Honda Jazz X too.
#1 - 2011 model, Jazz X, 32k odo - 3.5L (dealer)
#2 - 2013 model, Jazz X, 45k odo - 3.25L (individual)
#3 - 2012 model, lower variant (Jazz V), 26k odo - 3.3L
Which one to prefer - Newer car but higher mileage one? Or older car but lesser run model?

The second one. The extra 10k odd on the odo doesn't matter much if the car is cared for. I'd suggest you look at both #1 &#2.

Check the ford too and see how it is.

 

[hotshot05]

It has been almost a year and still I have not bought my first car. Gave my learners license exam today. I have started looking into the listings on Olx/Carwale etc.
Found a 2014 Ritz Vxi model. Looks to be first owner and the owner himself has posted the ad (no dealer in the middle). But he is asking for around 3.5L. I quoted 3L. Do you guys feel that this is a good buy?

Found a few Hyundai i20 Sportz (has ABS) listings too. These are older than this Ritz. Mostly 2010-2012 make but are listed by dealers for around 3L

Which one looks to be a better deal?
Older car with ABS or newer car without any safety feature?

Ford Figo was a solid option. But people seem to be doing lots of mileage on it and resetting the odo before putting any of the diesel cars on sale. Some Honda Brio specimens are also available. But those are without ABS or airbags!

 

[Shubham1401]

Chevy cars are tremendous value for money in the used car market right now since they closed shop.

Cars24 quotes 1.2 lakhs for my 4 year old 35k km abs+airbag petrol Sail UVA.

 

[hotshot05]

Chevy cars are tremendous value for money in the used car market right now since they closed shop.

Cars24 quotes 1.2 lakhs for my 4 year old 35k km abs+airbag petrol Sail UVA.

But people are not ready to part with their chevy cars for so less. I had pinged a person who had placed an ad and he was adamant about his price.

 

[drkrack]

For a new buyer I'd suggest to stick with Maruti. Maintenance and resell is pretty easy. Regarding the ODO tampering, don't buy a car without a genuine and complete service history. Maruti service is centralized and you can get most of the service information by talking to the official service station.

 

[hotshot05]

For a new buyer I'd suggest to stick with Maruti. Maintenance and resell is pretty easy. Regarding the ODO tampering, don't buy a car without a genuine and complete service history. Maruti service is centralized and you can get most of the service information by talking to the official service station.

Ritz would be without airbag or ABS. Found a 2011 figo titanium and it comes with ABS and Airbag. Price is much lower as well.
It is registered in the name of a media house. So don't know in what way the car was used. Was it like a company lease for IT companies or do they use it for taking journalists to actual locations to cover their stories!!!!

 

[nRiTeCh]

Yes it was used for company ferring.
Why look at abs and etc if its just going to be for a short time and if you planning to buy 1st hand within 3yrs. I know abs etc is natural in todays world but if you dont gonna speed over 100 or 80 and just use it for in-city purpose then grab a good maruti or hyundai deal minus plus abs features.

An abs vs non abs car of same yr and make will have a considerable distinguished price gap.

Fyi i still drive my old honda city and on highways its always above 150, it got no abs or traction control or any such technology. In city its plain within 60. Its all how carefully one drives and is alert about surrounding vehicles. Occasional bumper to bumper scratch and shit happens within city but make sure not to speed and bump into others for then you might miss abs.