Asked the folks there for a test drive outside of the basement, at first they were a bit adamant but eventually let me take it out.
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So, at the start of 2023, I was finally in a position to throw the switch on buying my first car. As it was going to be driven daily in the harsh Bangalore traffic and would be modified a bit in the future, I decided to go with a used car. The requirements were pretty straightforward: it had to be a hatchback, diesel (I’ve always been a diesel enthusiast), with not too many kilometers on the odometer, a clean well-kept example, and a budget of a maximum of 6 lakhs.
Options I had in mind:
- 2018-2020 Ford Figo TDCI: This was the top priority because of the gem of a diesel engine it has. It’s really hard to find an example.
- 2016-2018 Hyundai i20 CRDI: Pretty good engine. However, the driving lacks that raw feeling, in my opinion.
- 2014-2018 Volkswagen Polo TDI: Who doesn’t like a Polo?
For the sake of convenience and the added benefits, I started looking for vehicles on online platforms like Cars24, Spinny, etc.
Test Drive 1: 2019 Ford Figo Titanium Blu TDCI:
- Perfect spec, dual-tone car (white + black), 2nd owner, had about ~52k Kms on the dash. The folks at Cars24 were kind enough to send the car 20+ kms in Bangalore traffic for a test drive.
- When the car did arrive, it looked perfect from 20 feet away. But oh boy, it was rough. The car had multiple repainted panels and not a great color match. Though Cars24 confirmed that the car was not accidental, it had clearly been in a fender bender.
- The headlights and taillights were plastic welded, and the front suspension mounts were redone. Also, the steering wheel would not return to center. The interior had a few broken panels, and the rattle was horrible.
- I had a word with the executive, he was pretty firm that the car had never been in an accident. Nonetheless, I had to pass on this deal.
Test Drive 2: 2018 Ford Figo Titanium TDCI:
- Saw this car on Spinny website and it was a very clean example. First Owner with 55k Kms running.
- Had all 5 tyres replaced recently, fairly new battery.
- But, the car was tentatively booked by a gentleman. This is where it got interesting , the person who booked the car was not residing in Bangalore. Even i happened to be on a work trip at the moment.
- Spinny retains the booking for 3 days before releasing the inventory back to the public. As he could not go and see the vehicle or complete the transaction, the car did get released. However, it was booked again by him.
- I contacted the Spinny executive, they could not do much about it.
- This re-booking fiasco went on for another 3 to 4 cycles, around 10-12 days.
- On 1st of May, the inventory was released and for my luck it was open. Immediately booked the car by paying a nominal fee and rushed to their site where the car was being held. The executives there walked me through the entire documents, pics and the inspection report. All the things checked out and I was ready to take the vehicle for a spin.
- It was parked in a Mall basement, and the executive asked me to take it around the basement. Engine fired right up at the first crank, smooth as butter with the usual diesel clatter.
- It was almost in mint condition except a few dings and scratches here and there which Spinny could not sort out.
- Drove the car and loved it, and had a wide smile on my face. Asked the folks there for a test drive outside of the basement, at first they were a bit adamant but eventually let me take it out. Went through all the gears, the drive was very smooth.
- There was a slight noise coming in from one of the rear suspension, which they mentioned while explaining. After a 2-3 km drive, I was completely sold and made up my mind to go for it. The pricing was also right at my budget point
Booking Experience:
- Paid 10k to block the car and start the other procedures. Now I had two options, either to get financing from Spinny or get it done from outside. I went ahead with Spinny as they promised a smooth onboarding.
- The documents required for financing were shared within a few hours. They said they would sanction the loan within 24 hours.
- The strange part about this process was that most mainstream banks declined as the make of the vehicle was Ford. Not sure if this is because of their exit from India.
- One bank did agree to finance, their process was manual and took a lot of time to complete. The physical home and work verification took a good 4 days to complete.
- Finally the process was done and got a nod from the bank to go ahead. The good folks at Spinny contacted for the delivery process.
Delivery Experience:
The car was all prepped while the finance process was being taken care of. They offered me two options: Get the vehicle delivered at home or pick it up from their location.
I opted for the location pickup. Upon reaching, all the pending paperwork was completed with the car history, warranty, transfer, etc.
And there it was all polished, waxed and decked up ready to be picked. The entire process took around 30 mins and we were out with the car.
Pros and Cons of going ahead with Online platforms:
(These details may vary from platform to platform, but more or less the same offerings across the board)
Pros:
- They source well kept example with a complete detailed inspection and health report
- 3 months or 5k Kms comprehensive and 1 year or 15k Kms or engine and drivetrain warranty
- 1 year free roadside assistance
- 7 days no questions asked return policy
- Well documented process, literally received a 20 pager agreement during the sign off
Cons:
- You cannot negotiate the final prize, the one which is quoted is the final prize
- Few panels that are prone to scratches such as bumpers are repainted by them before listing the vehicles. The downside to this is poor quality of work, there are spots where the body work is suboptimal and clear coat rundown marks are visible here and there.
- They claim the cars to be non-accidental, however, there are vehicles that have signs of previous accidental repairs.
Initial impression of the car:
- Runs and drives beautifully, Cannot be more happy with the engine performance in its stock form.
- Fuel efficiency is excellent, constant 16-17 kmpl in city driving conditions. Yet to test on the long highway runs.
- The Interior could have been better, like the quality of materials used.
- Quite a bit of road noise enters the cabin.
- Handles like a champ, you throw it into a corner and it sticks.
Future plans:
Aesthetics:
- Figo S conversion (grille, spoiler and black accents)
- A set of Lenso wheels after the current tyres are due for change
- Window Tint (Need suggestions on this)
Performance:
- Diesel Tronic or Code6 stage 1 (Need suggestions on this: Don’t want to go too crazy as this will be a daily driver)
- Figo S suspension swap
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
