Buying Used Cars in Delhi

Delhi serves as a large catchment area for any kind of automobile company. The number of people living in Delhi who can afford cars is quite high. The city not only abounds in affordable vehicles targeted at the middle income group but also luxury cars which can be afforded only by the rich and affluent. Back in the year 1995, a survey revealed that the number of cars in Delhi outnumbered those in metros like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata taken together!

The used car market in Delhi is also quite dynamic as the availability of used cars is high. As more number of first time buyers is entering the used car market to skip segments, the sales of used cars are rising. Used cars are much more affordable than new cars and most people can buy these cars with their savings. However, those who require financing for their used car can get so as many financing companies extend loans to buyers of used cars. However, the interest that is payable on these loans is quite high. For a used car in the bracket of Rs 3.5 lakhs to Rs 4 lakhs would cost you around 15 percent as interest rate, which is much more than what you would have to pay for a used car in this price band. However, if you want to buy a used luxury car, then you may be in a lot of luck as the financiers see you as a low risk and good credit customer and hence would offer to lend you the money at 11 percent interest. When you compare it with the interest payable on the loan amount of a car in this price bracket, i.e. Rs 15 lakhs to Rs 17 lakhs, then you would have to pay a lot more money.

There are several dealers of used cars in Delhi, including the certified used cars dealers. You can find good car dealers in areas such as Moti Nagar, Rajinder Nagar, and Janakpuri etc. There are several franchises of certified used car dealers such as True Value, AutoTerrace, and H Promise etc. sprinkled throughout the city. You could approach any one of them to buy the car.

Prior to buying such cars, there is some caution that you must exercise. Buying a used car can be a bit of a gamble because the quality of the car is known solely to the driver himself. Therefore, you need to make thorough checks to ensure that you have got the best car possible within your budget. You should judge a car based on the following parameters and only then go ahead with a purchase of the car.:

• Age of the Car

There is no point buying an old car unless you want to simple practise your driving skills on it. Old cars are difficult to maintain because of their unavailability of spare parts and high bills of getting them serviced. Therefore, try not to buy a used car which is more than 7 years old. You would have to make a lot of changes in the car before it can be deemed to be fit for driving.

Always opt for a vehicle which is five years or less old. These cars have their internal machinery in order and hence will not command much time or effort for maintenance.

• Number of Kilometres travelled 

The number of kilometres travelled by a car is a big determinant when it comes to the condition of the tyres and engine. The more you drive a car, more is the wear and tear caused to its external and internal mechanisms. Car owners in Delhi have to travel a lot because localities are far away from one another in the city. Therefore, the number of kilometres travelled by the average Delhi car owner is much more than what an average car owner in other cities has to drive.

Try to choose a car which has travelled between 20,000kms and 25,000kms. These cars tend to have the best engines and they are quite easy to drive. The engine has been serviced enough for it to display the mileage that the car is capable of offering. If you like a car which has been driven for more than 40,000kms, try to strike up a bargain because you would have to spend some money getting the tyres replaced.

• Ease of Getting the car Serviced 

The service network of all the brands in India are not that good and hence it would be best you opt for those brands which have service centres that are close to your home or work place so that you can drop off and pick up the car easily. Of the brands available in the country, the best servicing is offered by Maruti Suzuki by the sheer numbers of their service centres, followed by Hyundai.

However, several users of both cars have commented that getting the Maruti cars serviced is more expensive because the parts are quite expensive and also Maruti cars tend to get damaged very easily. Despite these claims, Maruti’s popularity has not been doused and hence you can opt for the brand.

• Model of the Car 

There are several car models by Ford, Maruti Suzuki, Honda and Toyota which have been discontinued by the companies. Some of these models are the Ford Ikon, Maruti 800 and Baleno, Honda Civic and Accord and Toyota Qualis. These cars had a good run in the market when they were around. However, buying them today does not make any sense, no matter how low the price of the car on offer is.

These cars would be more than 7 years old and hence they would underperform on roads. Moreover, getting them serviced would be difficult due to lesser availability of spare parts.

• Fuel Variant

The cost of diesel in India is lesser than petrol by almost Rs 20 for a litre in all cities. Moreover, diesel being a thicker fuel than petrol conserves energy more and hence is more fuel efficient. The cars which come in diesel variants have larger engines placed in them. Therefore, it is not surprising at all that diesel cars would be more expensive. Used diesel cars, however, are quite difficult to be maintained as diesel engines get strained easily. Therefore, you should carefully inspect the diesel variant of a car before buying it.