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.
