Five great used sedans for under 1.5 lakh rupees
Snapshot – What can 2 lakh rupees buy you? Well, a used Maruti Alto 800/K10 or a Hyundai Santro Xing that’s decently maintained or one of the five cars we’ve listed out. Petrol sedans lose their value quickly due to the low mileage they offer in comparison with hatchbacks. This is a prime reason why some powerful sedans are available for dirt cheap prices. CarToq rounds up five such sedans that can put a smile on your face every time you bury your right foot. The best part about these cars is the price at which they sell in the used car market, which gives enthusiasts plenty of flexibility to buy high performance upgrade parts as and when they feel like. more
2004 Maruti Suzuki Esteem 1.3 MPFI VXi
A low seating position, well sorted dynamics and a a peppy 1.3 liter petrol engine not strangulated by emissions is what the Maruti Suzuki Esteem brings to the table. The car’s 1.3 liter MPFI engine is good for 84 Bhp and 110 Nm. Since it is a Maruti Suzuki we’re talking about here, access to service centers and spares are the best in the industry. A well maintained Esteem 1.3 of 2004 vintage and 80,000-100,000 kilometers on the clock can be bought for about 85,000 rupees in New Delhi.
2003 Honda City 1.5 VTEC
The Honda City VTEC is a performance sedan that petrol heads swear by even a decade after the car went out of production. The best bit about the City 1.5 VTEC is its 110 Bhp engine that loves to be revved to the moon. Being a motor built by Honda, the 1.5 liter VTEC engine is known for its reliability. Other parts of the car age well too, considering that the City 1.5 VTEC was a top-end variant in the City sedan line up of its day. 2003 examples of the car can be bought for as low as 1 lakh rupees, with about 100,000 clicks on the odometer. Well maintained examples easily have a lakh kilometers to go before any major attention is required in the engine department.
2004 Mitsubishi Lancer 1.8 INVECS
Petrolheads of the 90s and early noughties grew up drooling over images of red/yellow Mitsubishi Lancer SFXs. The car that conveys sporty right from the way it looks got a major engine upgrade in 2004, when Mitsubishi added a powerful 1.8 liter petrol motor with 122 Bhp on tap. The INVECS adaptive automatic gearbox is the stand out feature of this car. The Lancer 1.8 of 2004 vintage and about 100,000 kilometers on the odometer is available for about 1.2 lakh rupees in the used car market. A reliable sedan, the Lancer soldiered on until 2010, which also means that spares and service support from the manufacturer’s end should last at least half a decade more.
2004 Hyundai Accent Viva 1.6
The Hyundai Accent, in Viva guise, symbolized sporty what with is notchback body style. The Viva was powered by a 1.6 liter, twin cam petrol engine (101 Bhp-141 Nm), the most powerful motor in the Accent sedan series sold in India. The Viva 1.6 was a slow seller as it was aimed mainly at folks who wanted a sporty ride than the average family sedan buyer. Used examples of the Accent Viva 1.6 can be had for about 1.5 lakh rupees at Delhi. For this kind of money, expect the Accent Viva to be of 2003 vintage, with about 100,000 kilometers on the clock.
2006 Maruti Baleno 1.6
The Maruti Baleno was the Esteem’s successor but the C-Segment sedan never really got going in India, what with Maruti Suzuki being stuck with the image of a small car specialist. The Baleno features a 1.6 liter petrol engine that outputs 93 Bhp and 130 Nm. The best bit about the Baleno is its acceleration with the car hitting the 100 Kph mark in second gear. The Baleno is a comfortable car that handles quite well. The car also is the choice of enthusiasts who modify it at will. A used Baleno from 2006 and with 80,000 kilometers on the odometer costs about 1.5 lakh rupees in New Delhi.