Tuesday 24 December 2013

Buying a used car? Here's what to look out for

New Delhi: The used car market in India is still largely unorganised. Although most major auto companies now offer certified used cars, most of the transactions still take place in the open market.

Maruti, Hyundai, General Motors, Toyota, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra etc. all sell certified used cars complete with warranty, not just from their own stable but across brands.

There are different stages of checking and testing that these cars undergo, before being certified by the companies.

However, because these cars go through rigorous testing, the companies charge much more than what the neighbourhood used-car dealer would. 

There are also cars sold by these auto companies, without the certifications and the warranty, which cost substantially less, but they would still be more expensive than the dealer operating in the unorganised sector.
There's no reason to be too wary about the unorganised sector, as many a time you can pick up a great deal from there.

Buying a second-hand car is not a bad idea, but if you have the means, most people would suggest you go for a new car- simply because of the fact that there are less hassles involved. A new car is unlikely to give any trouble in the first three odd years at least.
Even if a car is in mint-condition, and has only run a few months or a few miles, it will attract a price much less that its original price, while being sold, because it is a depreciating asset. It is a good idea to keep a lookout for such deals while buying a used car.

"If you buy a new car for around Rs. 10 lakh and want to to sell it off immediately, you can easily shave off a lakh (Rs. 1 lakh)," says auto expert Tutu Dhawan.
The more premium and high-end the car, the better a deal the new buyer stands to get, opines Mr Dhawan.
For cars within the Rs. 5 lakh bracket, Rs. 50,000 can easily be discounted if it is being sold off in a month or two, he says.

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