I know this is a tough choice - let me make my ’review’ as broadbased as possible, though. (i’m not really going to be discussing ikon vs. safari specifically). this is also not about a second-hand car alone, but also touches new cars.
there are some basic things you must decide before you purchase a car (or any other mode of transportation, for that matter). let’s focus on this stuff first...
why - why are you buying this car? is it meant for daily usage, or are you just a weekender? do you drive 10kms daily, or a 100? for family use or generic timepass?
who - how many people will generally use the car? how many lady drivers / gentleman drivers do you plan to loan the car to? on an average drive (or trip, or outing, or equivalent), do you have two, three, five or more people? are all people who’ll drive the car going to be comfortable with its controls, responsiveness, everything? if it’s a secondhand car, who has been using it? a professional (who can generally afford to maintain it better) or a road romeo (good luck!)? someone you know, or a stranger?
how much - how much are you willing to shell out (both new and used)? remember that a petrol car is less expensive to buy, but needs more money to run it, though not much to maintain. a diesel, on the other hand, is more expensive to buy, less money to run, and lots to maintain. cars typically start to die at around 5-7yrs (or around 1-1.5lakh kms). if you’re going in for a loan, what’s your net outflow per month? per year? factor in insurance, maintenance, running costs and can you afford one model over another?
what - do you want more boot-space, or more cabin space? is a five-door hatchback a good idea (more compact, zippy, economical) or a four-door sedan (more roomy, a little slower, costs more to operate)? do you value looks over economy / utility? do you touch heavy speeds or are you a moderate driver? do you need to show-off or do you need basic utility?
where - do you plan on using it only within city limits or do you need an offroader? do you do country-road driving or good asphalt? do you park your car in a covered shed, a garage, the basement, in the open?
when - if a secondhand car, how old (or new) a car can you afford? what are going to be your typical usage patterns - night driving or day driving? or both? do you want a car that spends one day in a month at the service station, or one that spends one day in six? is availability of the car at anytime (basic reliability) important to you?
that’s it - the who, why, where, when, what and how of any purchase of personal transport. sure, thousands more questions may be asked, and remember this - each of these questions will decide what car you want to buy. each of these questions will have more impact on your decision, and each one of them has a weighted importance.
now that we’re done with the questions, let’s start analyzing.
for instance, let’s say I need only to consider these factors when purchasing a car - style, economy of running, maintenance expenses, cabin space. (limited, I know - but this is just an example). let’s say I prefer style over all and assign a 30% weightage to it. with this skewed equation, let’s say run.econ. is 25%, maint. is 20% and cabin space is 25%. now let’s compare actual values for all models you consider purchasing. take a spreadsheet, write them out. mark percentages (you’ll typically have around 40 to 50 items) and analyze. be as objective as possible.
now, this I cede, that objectivity is all okay, but finally the car that has the most ’kick’ is the one that you’ll buy. sure, no doubt, but go ahead with this exercise, anyway. you’ll be able to identify what attracted you to a particular vehicle, what are the likely issues you may face, what are the ’boast-points’, etc. you may turn out to be an auto expert (the armchair kind, but an expert nevertheless).
whoops, that was tiring.
in short, your car is your decision. your baby, if you will. and I hope this review points you in the right direction, and helps you to select the car.
good luck, and do let me know.
by the way, both the ikon and safari are excellent vehicles. so are a lot more models around. keep your eyes and options open.