The Need for Speed!!! Ok... Whoa there! The reality of life
is, we need a car, not for racing around a track. No, we need a car to get us
from point A to B, Home to Office/ Shopping/ Parties etc etc etc... And the pathetic
state of public transport makes a car a very viable alternative to keep us dry,
safe, and speed up to our destination ASAP.
Of course, with all the Nano-mania going on, buying a new car seems as easy as
pie... BUT, lets just look at the first question at the moment, and then delve
into the debate on which car to buy, and why?
A. Do you really, really need a car?
Well, you may have a 2-wheeler, or you might be used
to simply getting from place to place on public transport or the office may be
proving you a bus to get to and from work... so why a car? Well, it’s safer,
comfier, faster and more pleasant... and trust me, if you have a family, you
definitely wouldn’t want to ferry them around in an auto, would you? So a car
makes sense if you can afford it... which brings us to...
B. New or Used?
Now, I know the benefits of buying new, of being happy
about your New car, and indeed, I know many people who would baulk at the idea
of buying a used, ’dirty’ car. But hold on a minute... Leaving out the Nano, a
good new Maruti Alto LX would still set you back the better half of 2.5 Lakh
Rupees, so maybe, just maybe, buying used does make a bit of sense...
Buying used is a very tempting option, Indeed, many vehicles
which got phased out make for very attractive second hand buys, the Maruti
Esteem, Old Zen, Old Fiat Siena, Opel Astras et al... can be had for less than
2 Lakh rupees, and in some cases, for less as 5 figures. However, it would make
sense to stay away from really old bangers like the Astra or Ford Escort, whose
spare parts would be notoriously expensive to procure and find...
Old Maruti’s like the Zen on the other hand, make much better sense... just
make sure the mileage isn’t too much on the higher side...
Also, another tip, try and find a car from the Company’s Certified showrooms
(Maruti has a True Value scheme), for example... Sure, it would be more
expensive than buying privately, but you do get more peace of mind, and that,
is worth the extra cash you pay... in either case, try and get a mechanic to
check on the components to make sure that there is no accident damage or
botched repair work... and that the mechanicals are running in order.
C. Ok, so not Used... so New... which
Segment and which Car?
So you have decided to go the new (or used) route and
buy your car... but first, you need to know which one to buy, right? Well,
first things first... decide which purpose it is for... how much mileage it
would be doing, how many people you have to carry, and of course, last but not
the least, your budget.
Most of us would buy a car for carrying ourselves and family, for dropping the
kids to school, going to office, or shopping trips and other trips in the
city... some of use may be doing more highway driving and may need a bigger,
more stable car for that. Given the difficulty in traffic and parking, I would
find that going in for any car Larger than a Swift to be a Problem... so, then,
what do you need?
Well, for one thing, you might have a particular brand or preference, for
instance, towards Hyundai or Honda... in that case, we can’t really sway your
opinion, but it would help to at least try one or two competing products before
you make a choice.
If, however, you are a fence sitter, there are lots of Car Magazines and
Websites to help you start on your quest for choosing a good car... indeed, at
the end of a Car Magazine, there is usually a Buyer’s Guide Section which lists
all the cars on Sale in India, their prices and ratings
from the magazines.
Some of them which you can refer are:
AutoCar India
Car India
Overdrive 4. Top Gear
Some good websites for car related reviews are:
https://mouthshut.com (Of course :) 2. https://carwale.com
https://indiacar.com 4. https://carazoo.com
Of course, each segment and car has its own pros and cons,
so a detailed ’Best Of’ would not fir into this one guide, but one more thing
to look for while making a decision is whether you like the car’s looks or
not... please, you cannot go around everyday with a car which you thing is
ugly... so that also takes precedence somewhat in your buying decision.
Do not discount friends and family opinion while choosing a vehicle as well...
As they might have owned some of these vehicles and may be more willing to tell
you about certain foibles which a car magazine or a salesman will not be able
to give you (including fuel efficiency figures, and more importantly, service
quality).
D. Petrol or Diesel:
A few years back we would have scoffed at Diesels,
laughing them off as boxes which spit out soot to passerby’s lungs... but these
days, Diesels have actually becoming a compelling alternative to Petrol,
offering good refinement and performance, along with that most important of
values, Fuel Efficiency. Of Course, Diesel as a fuel is also cheaper than
petrol, which makes buying a Diesel a better proposition. Of all the current
cars sold in India,
I would recommend going in for the Swift, Swift Dzire, Indica, Palio, Linea, Innova,
Octavia, Optra, and perhaps even the Fiesta Diesel over their petrol
counterparts. While they may have a price premium attached to them, if you do a
lot of driving a day, it does make a lot of sense.
E. Service is Important!
After all, unless you own an electric Reva, your
car, like all other’s would need a filter replacements, engine tuning, tyre and
wheel balancing and many other service requirements at least sometime during
its life. Hence, if you do live in a city where the number of service centers
are less, keep that in mind while choosing your vehicle. And if you do drive a
lot around the country, Maruti and Hyundai’s service centers would be the most
abundant to take care of your vehicle should something go wrong. As with the
previous chapter, getting personal opinion through your sources is a good idea
to evaluate the quality of a company’s service.
F. Take a Test Drive!
While the Theory on choosing a car is all when
and good, I would still recommend that you take a test drive or two before
reaching a verdict. After all, you may end up preferring another vehicle which
suits your style and needs compared to the one you initially wanted. In a test
drive, which preferable should be done in traffic to get a good idea of how a
car would be like in everyday driving, we can get a good feel of the car’s
interiors, steering, brakes, gearshift, suspension, comfort and generally a ‘feel’
of the car.
In the end, buying a
car is a big decision for a lot of us, and we should do our homework before arriving
at a conclusion. Just remember, like a good shoe, your car should also fit you.