The used car market has been booming in India after the lockdown as the need for personal mobility increased tremendously
In this post, I am listing out the 5 popular used cars that you might want to purchase, but should really avoid buying today. Note that I am not undermining the capabilities of any of these cars. It’s just that before buying any used car, one has to take many precautions to ensure that this decision doesn’t turn out to be a headache in the mid-to-long term. We know that as India’s economy expands, people enjoy more purchasing power. As a consequence, they have dispensable income to spend on vehicles and other convenience amenities. That has resulted in a boom in the Indian used car market in the last few years. For now, let us discuss the vehicles that you should ideally stay away from.
5 Used Cars You Should Avoid Buying
Chevrolet Cruze
Let us commence this list with one of driving enthusiasts’ favourites, the Chevrolet Cruze. I know people who would do anything to get their hands on this American beauty. It was ahead of its time in terms of opulence and performance. In fact, there were no direct rivals to it back in the day. In India, it remained on sale between 2009 and 2017. During this time, the large sedan was sold in decent numbers. It possessed a powerful engine and great driving dynamics. That is what people were drawn towards the most. In its last avatar, it drew power from a potent 2.0-litre turbo diesel mill with manual and automatic transmission options. However, if you go for it today, you will get a great deal but sourcing the spare parts can be challenging and expensive. Hence, you should stay clear of it in today’s world.
Mahindra Verito
Next up is a vehicle from the Indian automobile giant. Mahindra Verito was a crossover hatchback based on the Logan sedan. In all honesty, neither the Logan did so well on the sales charts, nor the Verito. That was already the issue back when it was on sale in the Indian market. It remained in production from 2013 to 2019. It had a decent 1.5-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. The sub-4m vehicle never really took off on the sales charts. As a consequence, it was never in huge demand. Hence, you might find it for dirt cheap prices in the used car market. I would advise you to not fall for that trap because there could be issues with the car that might be difficult to fix.
Tata Aria
Then we have the Tata Aria on this list of used cars that you should avoid buying in 2025. It is a full-size crossover SUV which was launched in India back in 2010 and discontinued in 2017. For the time, it was among the most technically advanced and feature-laden vehicles for the Indian carmaker. In fact, it was a successor to the not-so-popular Tata Hexa. Unfortunately, even it didn’t do all that well in terms of sales and demand. It borrows the powertrain from the Tata Safari Storme – the 2.2-litre turbo diesel mill with a variable geometry turbocharger. Being a large SUV, you might be inclined to buy it today, especially because you will get it at extremely low prices. However, the cost of maintenance and the availability of spare parts could really ruin your ownership experience completely.
Ford Ikon
The Ford Ikon is yet another car on this list which might sound like a great car but could really cause issues for the new owners. This is one of the most iconic (no pun intended!) vehicles from the American auto giant in India. It remained in production from 1999 to 2011. This was a huge time period and the vehicle even sold very well. One could argue that the car was ahead of its time in its initial production years. However, Ford never bothered to upgrade the platform and the competition grew significantly during the last years of its existence. Since they were built well and the engines were fairly reliable, you might find one in the second-hand car market today at an enticing price. But since Ford is no longer operational in India today and the vehicle is too old, it will be a huge task to source spare parts for it. Hence, I wouldn’t suggest our readers to go for it
Mitsubishi Pajero
Finally, let us culminate this list with the Mitsubishi Pajero. It was a legendary vehicle not just in India, but across many international markets. As a matter of fact, it is still in production in many parts of the world in its latest avatar. Note that it was on sale in India until 2021. It was first launched here back in 2002. During the time of its existence here, it attracted innumerable buyers due to its impressive off-roading capability and rugged nature. That is also the reason why some people would still love to get their hands on it today. Unfortunately, the carmaker is no longer operational in India which will make the ownership experience challenging, to say the least. These are the top 5 used cars which I would advise our readers to avoid buying in 2025.
Also Read: This is First-Ever Mahindra Thar Roxx in Used Market – Only 2 Days Old!
