Used Tata Nano

I can see the logic in someone buying a brand new Tata Nano today, or GenX Nano as it is christened. Then, be it as their first family car or yet another one in the household. It's affordable, it's fuel efficient, and in the latest avatar, it’s also the best built Nano ever. The quality and reliability is up, NVH has improved, and the GenX is more comfortable and upmarket. It also comes with an automatic! Okay, it's an AMT, but it functions just like an auto; at least for the most part it does.

But, when it comes to a used Tata Nano, one has reason to be wary. The initial lot was plagued with reliability issues. It used to eat up its tyres as quickly as Obelix devours wild boars. And, the cooling was a cause for concern too. Then there was the engine, it sounded like a commercial carrier and had the 'go' of a bullock cart on steroids; so yes, it was slow. There was some fire too.

But, I went and bought one in any case. Firstly, I did the intelligent thing and bought a 2012 model. Older models had reliability issues and newer ones are just a tad too pricey. I think paying around Rs 1 lakh for the fully loaded LX trim was a bargain.

But, here's why I REALLY bought a used Tata Nano...

It's easy to clean

Believe it or not because the Nano is tiny, it isn't just easy to park or make gaps with in traffic or hang a U-Turn in spaces even modern bikes struggle with…it is also easy to clean! Two mugs of water is all you need.

There are no complicated crevices, no real design lines, and no large hood or complicated bumper designs. Soak, wipe, squeeze, repeat. Four times and you are sorted. It's also saved me Rs 400 a month I might have had to pay to the cleaning lady…if I had got myself any bigger a car.

It’s got cup holders

It might not be a big thing for many, but for me it is as important as dessert after dinner; one cannot do without it. This LX trim has two perfectly usable cup holders (not to mention door pockets on all four doors and the option to add two perfectly usable gloveboxes).

And the cup holders aren't like the ones on the current Nano AMT (which doesn't have any) or even its larger siblings like the Zest or the Bolt (which have one a piece but aren't very handy) or the older Indicas (now, these were part of the glovebox and driving with two filled cups would always mean soiled trousers). Did I mention a used Nano can also seat four in comfort? Well, it can.

It's rear wheel drive...

...and rear engined as well. Now for engineers this might mean better space management and with it, more cabin space (and there's plenty of it, mind, for a car this size). While for others, it might just be the ideal thing to heat up those parathas on the go. But for me, rear wheel drive is all about possibilities, possibilities of having tremendous fun. I might not be a capable ‘drifter’ (yet), and the Nano might not have enough power to do it either (yet), but who knows, maybe my skills might improve, or I might find an open parking lot lined with low co-efficient of friction, say ceramic; or maybe the Nano engine might mutate into something tastier overnight. Who knows, the possibilities are endless.

And I liked to be prepared.

Don't we buy SUVs for the same reason? No, not drifting, but to crawl out of a deluge, apocalypse, or the end of the world in four low. Okay, maybe not. But you get the point; the number of SUVs actually going off the road (if not in an accident) are dismally low. But look which segment is ruling the roost, no matter what the price point. SUVs? Yes!

There you have it then. I bought a used Tata Nano. And now you know, for the right reasons too!

Don't agree? Comment and let me know...

Quick Facts

Price: Really Cheap

Engine: Anemic

Gearbox: Convenient

FE: Excessive

0-100kmph: …forever