The festive season is just getting into high gear for the grand finale for the year. With Diwali being celebrated around the country starting today, its the time for shopping around. Tempted by mouth-watering deals and the sheer variety of cars on offer, a lot many of the new car buyers splurge on their cars during this auspicious time.
Which brings us to Sameer Patel. A banking executive in his late twenties who lives in suburban Mumbai. Having had a Zen in his family since the past eight years, he's now being harrowed by the 'Joneses' in his apartment complex to upgrade to snazzier wheels.
I'm sure that there must be more like Sameer in a similar predicament: Keep your 7-8 year old car or replace it!
Most petrol engines usually have a usable life of 2,00,000 kms. So long as the scheduled maintenance of replenishing essential fluids and other consumables is followed at the prescribed intervals, these engines are pretty happy to chug along.
Sameer's Zen is the MG410 engined carb version. Its clocked up 98,000 kms by now. In these eight years, the car has been cared for in the same garage at the prescribed intervals. Thus the cypress blue car has really been pampered with all essential parts being MGA OEM ones.
Today, she is looking her age. Her paint is not as lustrous. Various sounds are heard as she goes through her paces along the pot-holed roads of this city. Her suspension is making noises of the wrong kind, her fiber panels are rattling, the AC cooling is not as good as new. Besides, the entire She is in dire need of some TLC and a mid-life make-over.
Her list of woes seems to be never ending and what has aggravated her situation is the new-car scene currently.
Sameer has proved to be a fabulous employee and his company has rewarded him by fast-tracking his career in the past two years. He is also looking to ask his lady for her hand in marriage early next year. His folks are due for retirement by mid next year and his younger sister has just begun senior college. Thus, he is in a pretty stable position in life; both monetary as well as with respect to other responsibilities.
Further, he recently went on a drive with a colleague in his Ford Fiesta. Ever since then he has been thinking of upgrading from his Zen to a suitable mid-size alternative.
In the next installment, we shall take a closer look at the argument in support of a new car purchase.
