Ford Fiesta or Ford Ecosport - Which used car to buy under Rs 7 lakh?

Our monthly running is expected to be around 400 Km per month. We love Ford cars, and having owned Ecosport S in the past I plan to buy it as a stop gap measure until I shift to EVs sometime in 2027 or 2028 (probably Mahindra BE6)

BHPian 07CR recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I currently stay with my parents and wife and 5 month old baby. Due to baby, my and wife's travel is limited to a very minimum 100 kms per month at max. This is currently fulfilled by my dad's Maruti Fronx. We don't have any other vehicle. I work remotely and wife plans to do the same for about 3 months post her maternity leave (leave ends in may). Post which she will need to travel to office twice a week.

Sometime later (probably November) this year we (me,wife and baby) would need to shift to a new apartment that is currently under construction. With the baby being about 1+ year old, and my wife too resuming Work from office, we would need a car. Our monthly running would then increase to around 400 Km per month. We love Ford cars, and having owned Ecosport S in the past I plan to buy it as a stop gap measure until I shift to EVs sometime in 2027 or 2028 (probably BE6).

Buying Scenario- My budget is limited to a max of 7L and I have about 5 cars in mind. Ecosport 2017 facelift and later (Dragon petrol MT/AT, Diesel Manual), Global Fiesta TDCI (2014 facelift), Renault Duster 85 PS MT (2013 and later), Maruti S Cross (1.6 if available, else 1.3 DDIS, either prefacelift or facelift is fine). The Ecosport is the front runner in this regard followed by the global fiesta.

Recently, I came across a first owner, 81K run, 2014 facelifted Global fiesta titanium recently which is available at 3.5L before negotiations. While I don't need a car immediately, the asking price is very good for my limited running for the next 2-3 years.

The Ecosport Conundrum- I intend to speak with the current owner of my previous 2018 Ecosport S and offer him a deal he can't refuse. I assume I would need to shell out around 6.5-7L and get that car back! It's currently in third ownership (I was also the second owner), and if I get it, I would now be the fourth owner. It served me faithfully through thick and thin and never threw any tantrum, and I am sure even the third owner has maintained it well enough for the two year period he has the car with him. If I get the Ecosport, I would hold it atleast for 4 years, because I loved that car.

My queries-

1. Should I bite the bullet and get the Global Fiesta titanium NOW, considering these are rare to find in the used car market?
2. If I get the Fiesta would I get any concerns with respect to low ground clearance of sedans in general (I am fine with low ingress egress, but afraid of scraping the sedans). I am habitual to drive the crossovers for past 5 years now, and a recent drive in a friend's 2010 Corolla altis, made me shudder with the amount of care I needed to navigate even the simplest of speed breakers.
3. If I get the Fiesta, would sourcing the parts be a headache considering I would be using it for next 2.5-3 years?
4. Should I instead avoid the hassles and get MY/any other Ecosport in the used car market, somewhere around November (by then the 2018 ecosport would have depreciated even further)?

Please give your valuable inputs.

Here's what BHPian AJ56 contributed to the discussion:

For comfortable daily driving, get something which has space and decent power. With six airbags ideally as you'll be putting the child in the child seat at the back. Ground clearance is a non issue with Accord or Camry, very high up in fact. If you were getting a low sports car like a 911, then the low clearance might be an issue.

You’ll get excellent 2013 Accords under 5L, only consider single owner, low mile cars with a full service history at the dealer. Camry is another great option, for 2013 examples look to pay roughly 5-6L.

Keep 2L aside for basic maintenance, tyres and brakes. Get a thorough inspection from the authorised dealer before buying and do your own basic checks which are standard practice with any used car. YouTube has many great videos on how to properly check a used car before buying.

For reference, I sold my Accord for just 2L last year, it was a 2010 with only 72k kms and I was the only owner. I picked up a 2013 Camry last year for just 6.8L, single owner with 66k kms and a full service history. I’ve driven it nearly 10k kms since and it’s a brilliant car, zero failures/issues.

Meanwhile, BHPian sunikkat added this to the discussion:

Why not a Rapid or a Vento, considering anyway it’s a stop gap arrangement. Easier to find, will be in the budget and good FNGs can easily take care of VAGs. Also I feel the maintenance will be lesser than Global Fiesta.

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