I thought why not get a car from Delhi since we all know the recent NGT rule and cars in Delhi are cheaper, and even after paying re-registration fees, the business case is worth it.
BHPian anubhav22 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Linea Emotion to BMW X3 from Delhi:
The trigger for buying a car started since my white Linea 2009 was aging and my family asked why not upgrade? Sell the Fiat Linea and buy a new car.
Although later the family decided to retain the Fiat Linea also and buy one more car.
My search for cars started and I listed down cars with a budget of 30 lakhs. Initially I test drove the following cars/SUVs – since I was not sure whether to go for a car or SUV.
- Tata Harrier.
- Jeep Compass.
- Skoda Octavia.
Tata Harrier:
A nice crossover at the price it’s coming for – I am sorry for mentioning it as a crossover as I am an old school and have driven the actual Safari.
Positives:
- Spacious and well-designed interiors with premium features such as touch screen infotainment,
- Panoramic sunroof and good upholstery.
- Same engine as that of Jeep Compass – 2.0-liter diesel engine with excellent fuel efficiency.
- Good safety features such as six airbags, ABS with EBD, and electronic stability control.
Negatives:
- The car lacks a proper 4WD system.
- The seating position was quite uncomfortable as it was quite high.
- Limited rear visibility due to the sloping roofline and small rear window.
- Tata niggles as usual – yes that has improved a lot – but service centres all still the same.
Jeep Compass:
Positives:
- The Jeep Compass offers excellent off-road capability, thanks to its high ground clearance, four-wheel-drive system.
- Spacious cabin and well-designed cabin that can accommodate up to five passengers and their luggage.
- Good audio infotainment: Touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Negatives:
- Good engine and nice torque, Jeep should have worked for a better gear box.
- The interior materials feel cheap and low-quality in some areas.
Skoda Octavia:
The Skoda Octavia is a car that I like a lot and a car with practicality, comfort, and affordability.
Positives:
- The Octavia was really a comfortable ride, thanks to its suspension system that absorbs bumps and rough roads with ease.
- Engine has a lot of power, really liked the pickup and the features.
Negatives:
- The Octavia is not designed for off-road driving and may struggle in rough terrain or challenging weather conditions.
- It has a mix of reputation for reliability in the past, therefore thought to explore other options although I personally liked the car.
- Since I am already owning a Linea, I thought this time either buy an SUV or atleast a crossover.
Then one of my friends advised why not go in for a pre-owned luxury car.
I went to the Audi and BMW showrooms and saw:
- Audi Q5
- BMW X1
- BMW X3
- AUDI Q3
I had liked the BMW X3 the most out of the list.
Prime reasons were the looks,build quality and the way it rides.
Now the bigger question was how to get a good pre-owned luxury car as we all know they are like white elephants, and if you come across a lemon – it would surely have lot of troubles to maintain and above all family would have really not liked it since they wanted a new car.
Then I thought why not get a car from Delhi since we all know the recent NGT rule and cars in Delhi are cheaper, and even after paying re-registration fees, the business case is worth it.
Now the bigger question of buying a pre-owned car and that too with peace of mind was something that needed an answer.
My family cars have been visiting a particular service centre and they have provided excellent services always.
Decided to call them for help – to my surprise they mentioned that they are coming up with a pre-owned car purchase business for which that division shall play role of consultant and would ensure buyer gets peace of mind since they would use expertise of their primary business to check the car.
I was quite happy listening to same and was given details of the outlet.
I had a detailed discussion on my requirement with their representative, and she took the requirements and told me that they would revert.
Post three weeks or so, I received a call from them saying they have listed down 3 cars. All of them 1st owner and kms 88k ,66k and 47k respectively,
I asked them to check those cars with detailed inspection and would be happy to pay them the required fees.
They inspected all the cars and I was provided a detailed checklist about each car with list of things/expense to be done post purchase or basically an amount which either I negotiate directly with seller or be prepared myself.
Based on inspection and expense list – I decided to negotiate with the seller of the second car and got the papers checked.
Showcasing the first pictures of car:
Yes it did had small dents and scratch which I decided to get them painted apart from work like service and transmission oil change and other small recommendations that was carried out by the dealer.
Buying experience:
The car was bought after payment of amount and papers were signed by seller – and i decided to get the NOC from RTO – the complete process was flawless and it took 1 day for the dealer’s person’s to get the NOC – yes only a single day,I know its not right to expect NOC in one day – but in my case it happened. They handled it well.
Car was bought to my relative’s home and then decided to go as per recommendations of the dealer.
Now comes the point of getting car work done – then my choice was quite simple that we should go ahead with my prefffered service centre – although my relative went ahead and got it checked at the authorised BMW dealer also and also outside with another known mechanical big shop. The price quoted by BMW was really very high and the one from other shop was more than my centre.
I decide to send the to m preferred workshop for the tasks.
They performed the work with respect to agreed list:
- Mechanical – Service, automatic transmission oil change.
- Paint work.
Sharing work in progress pictures and final pictures:
Overall a very happy experience.
Post the work – we decided to get the car back to home.
Few transport quotations were taken by myself and few by the dealer people – yes their role was not over with only the sale.
They provided my a warranty on the car for the next 1 year at a very reasonable cost – this was post the inspection of the car by a 3rd party team. They have a tie up for warranty with a 3rd party on pan India basis.
Now the car was transported to Hyderabad on a truck.
Sharing some pictures of car getting loaded on truck:
Then I took delivery of the car and drove home.
Overall, a very happy buying experience.
Shall be sharing my experience with my BMW X3 as its been a while since the car is here and have done some good number of outstation trips and have been happy with my decision of buying the BMW X3.
But yes, from the Fiat Linea to a BMW X3 it’s really a dream come true.
Would be needing your opinion on the options and cost that is to be kept in mind if I want to upgrade my audio system.
Keyword: Upgraded from a Fiat Linea to a preowned BMW X3: My purchase experience