June 30th, 2009 at 12:08pm
It has been almost one month that I started looking for used jeeps called Maruti Gypsy. But the problem is that they are one of the rarest models of otherwise leading car maker of India - Maruti. Maruti has been the dominant car maker for a long time with distributing and servicing network in almost every corner of the country. Still my favorite model is rare because very few people can buy brand new gypsies due to government restrictions as mentioned in my earlier post. They are usually used by government offices and departments. A used gypsy becomes available only when those government departments hold auctions.
I still want to own one of them because they are the jeeps for rough use and I want to go trekking in hilly terrains. While other cars like a used chevy aveo might give good mileage but they are for the plains and can hardy be used in rough conditions.
In my one month search I have found one gypsy in good condition from some one who likes the jeep even though it is costly to drive it. But the price he asked was way to high and I want to wait for a an auction. If still I can’t get the vehicle of my choice, I might have to go to neighboring states ( they are hilly areas) to find one.
So long! And I’ll keep updating you guys about my search to own my dream vehicle. 
June 9th, 2009 at 2:54pm
In my previous post, I was wondering which car to buy! - Brand new or Second Hand. I showed my preference for a SUV ( Maruti Gypsy) - but due to procurement problem, I have discarded the idea at last! Now, I still prefer for a second-hand car - but it should be a genuine car. And by all considerations - I want to go for the easiest way possible - that is to buy a second hand Maruti Car. 
I took lots of considerations to arrive at the decision. The most important factor that influenced my decision was that - Maruti has the widest service network in India and as I wanted to buy a second hand car - I had to take this consideration with most serious view. The second important factor is that - it is very easily and cheaply available. The third case that came into my mind was that - the way I wanted to use it!
As a matter of fact, I have lots of friends and we often go on hiking, picnic programs, fishing and angling in difficult terrains. So if I bought a brand new car and took it to rough terrains - there is every possibility that it might get damaged anytime. But if my second hand and cheap car gets damaged - I would not be as hurt as when it happened with my new car.
Also it is very easy to get car insurance for an old car here in my place. One just has too think properly and choose the insurance plan that is in place or in the market. As for me I choose the 1st party insurance plan that costs more but gives insurance to all my concerns. On the other hand most people who buy second hand cars go for 3rd party insurance plan which gives just limited cover of safety. In my view, the 1st party insurance plan is the most suitable one for a second hand car as anything might happen anytime and it gives that psychological freedom to everybody.
So long. I’ll let you guys know once I get my car in the garage. 
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:13am
While the world economies have been under recession - Indian economy is still going strong with close to 6% GDP growth. It is a big downswing from last year’s 9% plus, but still it is heartening to see a good positive growth.
as a matter of fact, Indian economy has been booming for the last 10 years or more. Reultantly, the central government and most state governments have hiked salaries of government employees. Our state government too hiked our salaries by 25%. Now, I can think of buying a car! But what type of cars to buy? Which brand? Brand new or second hand?
As I don’t want to go too deep into debt, I have been pondering about owning a second hand SUV. In this case my first choice is the Maruti Gypsy - a 4 cylinder, 1298 CC all terrain vehicle. The problem is that this vehicle is hardly used by the public due to its fuel inefficiency. Hence, it is very difficult to find a second hand one - except from government held auctions.
Here it is to be noted that the second hand car market segment is not very well organized in India. I have my brother (a naturalized British) in London and a friend in Edinburg, Scotland. My friend says second hand or used cars in Edinburg are very easily available through well organized dealership. So is in London. I wish the same was available here.
So now I have two options open - buy a car which is easily available as many people use them. On the other hand if I want to have my choice - I’ll have to wait for some auction to be held by one of the government departments selling the Gypsy.
As I mentioned earlier - I don’t want to get into too much debt now - I am not thinking of a new car for net few months. But if I don’t get the SUV of my choice, I will rather go for a new car than buy a used car.
