My plan is to get a German car and budget a few lakhs for complete restoration and a lakh a year for maintenance.
BHPian 2000rpm recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
This is a query from a conflicted heart.
I am an auto-enthusiast and love to change cars every 2-3 years. Because of the financial aspect, I stick to used cars.
Running per month – 500 kms
The Cars I have owned till now are
- 1997 Zen Jelly Bean
- Fiat Palio Sport
- Honda Civic Manual
- 1st gen Swift
- 2003 Zen Tiger
- 4th Gen City CV CVT
- 2011 Polo 1.6 Petrol (Current car)
However, my car is not a utility for me, I take pride in the ownership of my cars.
Now basis my pattern, my Polo has been with me for about 4 years and I have the “keeda” (urge) to change my car! My car is in pristine condition and you wont be able to guess the age of the car. Against popular opinion, I think the 1.6 is definitely a hot hatch and can give the current generation of hot hatches a run for their money.
My requirements currently are simple:
- Automatic (for myself)
- SUV (for mom)
- Panaromic Sunroof (for partner)
- Preferred Budget (10-12 Lakhs) – possible to extend
I have been looking at the used car segment and the following options have been checked
- Used Creta – Doesnt make sense to buy in the used car market
- New Harrier – A used Tata is not something I wanna risk. I love the car design and meets all the criteria, but spending 25 lakhs for 500 kms per month is just poor financial acumen
- Used Compass – I like the car but I just prefer to know that the company will exist in 5 years. But I am open to a good Compass at the right price
- Wild card Entries – I have been seeing a few BMW X1s from the first batch and am really liking the deals on used cars.
My Questions:
- Is a German Luxury Segment of age 10 years even worth considering?
- Which options should I consider with my budget except the X1?
For the X1
- What are the things I should look at when evaluating an old X1? What are the most notorious problems with the X1?
- Petrol or Diesel?
- Which Gearbox did the X1 Automatic have? Is the Gearbox reliable?
Should I drop the German car plan? Is it too Naive??
My plan is to get a German car and budget a few lakhs for complete restoration and a lakh a year for maintenance? Am I underestimating the maintenance of such cars?
Here’s what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:
Compass and Tucson will be good options that will offer premium build quality comparable to the luxury brands.
If you want to go the luxury brand route, you will have to settle for the sedans (like a 3 series) as SUVs tend to be very expensive to buy. Since your usage is low (500KM per month), you can probably get away with a luxury brand as well. We are talking about 24K km during four years of ownership, I would say worth taking a chance. If you buy a car with 40-50K km on the Odo, you might be able to drive it till 80-90K km without any major issues especially if you pick models with good reliability track record.
Here’s what BHPian lamborghini had to say on the matter:
Honestly the first generation X1 is the most fun to drive X1 available thanks to the hydraulic steering + RWD.
The gearbox is a torque converter and is fairly reliable.
Avoid the petrol, look for the diesel : it’s a hoot!
Most notorious problems will be availability of parts, deteriorating rubber components, finding a clean example with panoramic sunroof (most X1’s available are the base trim), and of course wear and tear issues from suspension to work out iDrive.
Maintenance could be a bit on the higher side than 1L/year depending on how it is maintained – combing through the previous service history should give you an idea + you will need to find a competent independent mechanic who can arrange for parts as well.
Similarly, 2L for a restoration too could be on the higher side : tyres, suspension itself will cost around 2L given you’d be getting a higher trim for the panoramic sunroof; and the costs of other wear and tear bits will exceed it.
If you are ok with significant downtime in exchange for pleasure to drive – it could be a good bet.
Alternately, I would look at stretching the budget and finding a well maintained second gen X1 which is a lot more comfortable for the family, easier to drive, and parts would be more easily available.
The Q3 TDi is a good option too – parts being shared with other VAGs would be easier to source and the resale isn’t as good as the X1.
Lastly, there is the Jeep Compass but a diesel automatic would be expensive, especially if you want a sunroof; and the 1.4TSi with the DCT is probably best avoided.
Wild card entry : There is a toureg on tbhp classifieds, maybe worth checking out though you would really have to stretch the budget for it + it’s maintenance; A Jetta may be a decent option as well even though it is a sedan – but the ingress is fairly decent for elders (I’ve seen some elders struggling to get into a higher car like the Creta for instance); and a newer example of something like a Rapid 1.0 AT.
Here’s what BHPian IshaanIan had to say on the matter:
The first gen X1 is based on the E90 3 series and that car drives brilliantly the steering feel is on point so although I do not have much personal experience owning these cars, it is definitely worth looking into. IF the X1 turns out to be a not so wise choice (although I feel it makes for a sensible one IMO), then why not consider the 4th gen Honda CR-V? Should be an easy decision.
Here’s what BHPian OffRoadFun had to say on the matter:
German cars of 10+ years are definitely worth considering. Consider pre-owned X1/X3/Q3/Q5/GLA if you have a budget of a few lakhs on “renovation”. If you are mentally prepared for 1L/year on maintenance, you will most likely be happy unless you got a lemon. Remember two extra benefits of used cars: You will pay less on RTO tax if you buy out of state and insurance cost will also be much lesser.
Here is what I would suggest, unless you find a good deal in MH:
1. Look for above mentioned cars online, most of 10+ year old SUVs will be below 10L before negotiation
2. Shortlist and make a visit to NCR (Ashok Vihar) where many are discarded due to pollution norms. Ideally look for 60-80k km driven ones
3. Keep aside some 3L for any repairs, mechanical parts change etc.
My own Q5 is 12 year old now, running absolutely fine. In my neighborhood itself I know of at least 4 first generation Audi Q5s and a few X3s being driven regularly, running absolutely fine.
Make sure you have a reliable FNG and you have some time to spend at FNG though once in a while.
Keyword: Upgrading from a VW Polo: Is a German luxury car the right choice?