10 used SUVs cheaper than a Maruti WagonR: Mahindra Scorpio to Honda CR-V

Indians love SUVs. While the Maruti Alto and the Maruti Dzire continue to dominate the sales charts, many SUVs on sale in the country are enjoying a steady growth in popularity. Today, let’s take a look at as many as 10 SUVs that you can buy for lesser than the price of a brand-new Maruti WagonR LXi (Rs 4.5 lakh, on-road, Delhi).

Maruti Gypsy

The Maruti Gypsy has been one of the most popular lifestyle SUVs ever. It’s quite basic and isn’t too expensive to buy. However, in the used car market, it’s cost is much lower than that of a new one. While the Gypsy was first launched with a 1.0-litre petrol engine, it received a G13B MPFI motor later in its life. The Gypsy offers 4WD and is fairly competent off the road. You can buy one for as low as Rs 1.5 lakh in the used car market.

Here’s a used Maruti Gypsy for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Mitsubishi Pajero SFX

Until around the turn of the millennium, the Mitsubishi Pajero SFX was among the most aspirational SUVs on sale in the country. Today, however, the Pajero SFX has lost much of its value and has become an affordable offering in the used car market. The Pajero SFX has a lot of street presence and comes with a bullet-proof 2.8-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that outputs 118 bhp and 292 Nm. It also offers four-wheel drive. You can find well-maintained Pajeros for as low as Rs 4.5 lakh.

Here’s a used Mitsubishi Pajero SFX for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Old Hyundai Tucson

While the latest Hyundai Tucson is on sale at a starting price of roughly Rs. 18 lakh, you can pick up a well-maintained first-generation version from the used car market for less than Rs. 4.5 lakh. It’s powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine that outputs 122 bhp and 245 Nm.

Here’s a used Hyundai Tucson for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara was India’s largest selling carmaker’s first attempt at attracting the premium small SUV buyers. However, it pretty much failed to find enough takers. The Grand Vitara was available with two petrol engine options – 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre. It also offered an optional 4WD.

Here’s a used Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V became the first premium small SUV in India. It sold in decent numbers and hence, you can find plenty of CR-Vs in the used car market. Today, you can find a well kept second-generation CR-V for much lower than the price of a new Wagon R. Like the Grand Vitara, the CR-V was available in two petrol engine variants – 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre.

Here’s a used Honda CR-V for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Chevrolet Captiva

The Chevrolet Captiva was launched to rival the CR-V. It came with a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine to help it attract diesel-loving SUV buyers away from the CR-V. While it did find some success initially, sales dwindled after some time. It was later replaced by the Trailblazer. Moreover, the untimely demise of the Chevrolet brand in India has impacted the resale value of this SUV by a huge margin. The Captiva came with a powerful 2.0-litre engine. You can now find this car in the used car market going for a lot lesser than the price of a new WagonR.

Here’s a used Chevrolet Captiva for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Mahindra Scorpio

The Mahindra Scorpio is a popular SUV that has become the obvious choice of most small SUV buyers. It’s fairly rugged, offers seven seats, has a sufficiently powerful motor and has a high street presence. You can find a used Scorpio for a much lower cost than that of a new entry-level Maruti Suzuki WagonR.

Here’s a used Mahindra Scorpio for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Tata Safari

The Tata Safari used to be a popular SUV that lost its demand after the advent of the Mahindra Scorpio. That said, the Safari is a fairly handsome SUV that’s quite a mile muncher. The four-wheel-drive variants are even quite capable off the road. You can buy a used Tata Safari for the price of an entry-level hatchback.

Here’s a used Tata Safari for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Nissan X-Trail

While most of you would have forgotten this SUV, it’s a fairly capable model that became the first SUV from Nissan India. It was powered by a 2.2-litre engine that outputs 136 bhp and 314 Nm. It offers five seats.

Here’s a used Nissan X-Trail for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

Hyundai Terracan

The Hyundai Terracan was the flagship SUV from Hyundai during its early days in India. It was quite comfortable and was powered by a punchy 2.9-litre diesel motor that produced 148 bhp and 343 Nm. It also offered a four-wheel drive system. The Terracan was quite ahead of its time and failed to find enough takers.

Here’s a used Hyundai Terracan for less than Rs 4.5 lakh

What are the risks?

While all of the cars listed above make for some interesting options in the used car market, one needs to keep a few things in mind before investing in these. Firstly, old vehicles may not be road-legal in some parts of the country. For example, in Delhi, you can’t use a diesel car that’s more than 10 years old or a petrol car that’s more than 15 years old.

Furthermore, while most of these SUVs are fairly reliable, spares of some of these are quite costly. it’s easy to maintain a Gypsy or a Scorpio but you can’t say the same for the likes of Tucson and Terracan. Other than the high price of spares, sourcing them is an issue and you might need to resort to aftermarket, non-OEM alternatives. The Maruti Suzuki Grand Market, however, has many aftermarket parts available, which means maintaining one won’t be too much of an issue. Maintaining a Captiva or an X-trail won’t be as easy though.

Also read Best Used Honda CR-Vs with under 65,000 Kms in Delhi-NCR From Cartoq TRUE PRICE