Advice on my aging car garage: Which to keep / sell before retirement

I have also booked a Maruti Suzuki Jimny AT, among all the planning.

BHPian subbu567 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear fellow BHPians,

Here is my fleet and (dilemma)

1. My aging giant 2007 Innova has taken me and my family literally from Kanyakumari to Corbett and everything in between over 1.75 lakh kilometers. I had also written a travelogue of our journey from Bangalore to Corbett and back, here. To this date, my go-to highway warrior.
2. My Scala CVT 2014 – the city warrior that could accommodate my 6 feet frame without making unwanted physical contacts that munched well over 45,000 km shuttling between various Bangalore locations, but mainly between Ecity and North Bangalore @ 80 kms a day over 1.8 years. My city runner and used for occasional short highway runs too.
3. My wife’s friend – 2017 Tiago AMT has done 11,000 kms. Have traveled a by entirely occupying the back seat a few times while sick! Love this music system and the way my wife drives too. Neither of them cares or worries about potholes and speed breakers !!

My buddies call me the mediocrity car man (I am happy with that!) – as many of them graduated to the luxury segment, the temptation, to which I have resisted successfully thus far! No, I don’t want to relax now with retirement exactly 22 months away.

These cars were bought at different stages of our life’s pleasures (and struggles) and carried a rich legacy of family history and life.

I have also booked a Jimny Top end AT (don’t know for what!)

We have made a decision to settle down and lead a peaceful nearly “off-grid” life on our farm in Coorg that we procured a couple of years back.

Once we get there may be in the middle of 2025- our daily runs are going to be less than 10 kms average and a few trips to Bangalore and Kannur airport/per year.

Now the dilemma is this – while retired possibly we may not need more than one car (or maybe two at the most) and it seems these cars are likely to outlive us!

More about them:

• All of them are in excellent condition with a 100% trackable service record – no big dents or scratches.
• Innova has had 4 sets of tires and batteries changed and the timing belt a few years ago.
• Scala- one battery and radiator fan changed
• Tiago – one battery changed.
• And as a bonus, all cars’ invoice value was below 11 lakhs!!!

I am a recent driver and don’t generally like electronic jazz and color lights in the car (no offense meant). And unlikely to have any great need or propensity to drive at illegal speeds Mysore expressway notwithstanding, after retirement!! I have zero accident records.

Friends- here is my dilemma. (A remote possibility that we could not adjust to farm life and run back to Bangalore too!)

What to keep?

Here’s what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:

Indeed a dilemma especially with the possibility of coming back to Bangalore. I will approach some suggestions, without any experience whatsoever and as dispassionately as possible because that is something you can’t do and this is from experience

Assumptions:

I am not aware of the rules for Bangalore so assuming that your Innova would have had its registration renewed till 2027 and could be probably renewed for another 5 years.

Suggestions:

• Your highway warrior should still serve its role well along with the benefit of having a large RWD car in your farm life. Also, this will be the most expensive to replace and with low usage, it will not do justice to a new car, IMHO. I would suggest keeping it till it can be renewed or till the time it lies idle for a year. Then either sell or scrap based on the situation.
• Your Tiago has quite a low running so should be continued and would prove useful in Coorg. Plus, why spoil a good friendship.
• The Scala has served its role well and doesn’t have a possible role in your farm life. Plus it’s neither very old nor new and should fetch a good price considering the used car market today.
• If you come back to city life then this can easily be replaced by a larger hatch or a sedan or even a suitable EV if you so desire.
• If you continue with your farm life then the Jimny can possibly replace the Tiago if your wife is okay with it but only after you’ve spent a year or more there.

Hope it helps and wish you a happy retirement

Here’s what BHPian jkrishnakj had to say on the matter:

I’m watching this thread with interest.

I have a similar dilemma. (I don’t own a farm but I’m sure time will fly before I retire) My Crysta is 90K km, 5 years old and even today, runs like new. My Thar had to go because of my aspiration to own a German sedan. My wife used to be comfortable with the Thar. She doesn’t want to drive my Audi and complains about taking the Crysta in the city. For the two of us, it’ll look silly to get a third one that’ll be a better car. Add another complexity where the missus will just not entertain a pre-owned one. I don’t want to sell the Crysta in exchange for a new car. Phew!

Well, I’m sure I’ll find a solution sometime soon. Not to hijack the OP, but I’m hopeful of finding interesting perspectives on this.

Here’s what BHPian padmrajravi had to say on the matter:

Keep the Innova. Even though it has the highest ODO, it is still the one with the lowest probability of having issues down the line. And even if you have issues, it will have great service support. A van and a short wheelbase 4×4, both Japanese. That will be the perfect garage for farm life. Your wife will easily transition from Tiago to Jimny.

Here’s what BHPian Soumen D had to say on the matter:

Innova you just can’t sell. Keep renewing it till you are allowed to. Toyotas usually outlive their owners

Jimny can actually replace the Tiago considering you are moving to a farm. Its prowess 4X4 would prove useful and your wife mostly would find it great.

Scala should go as well. It’s served its purpose and in a farm setup, it will just not fit.

So if I were you, will keep Innova for highway/airport duties and Jimny for everything else. Even if you return to Bangalore, these two should be just fine

Check out the BHPian comments for more insights and information.