Ford Flair 1.3 or Palio Diesel 1.9 - Team-BHP

virsingh77 · 7th May 2006, 22:18

Hi!
I'm a newbie here, went through some of the posts in the forum and was really impressed at the depth of info available here.

I'm planning to buy a car by the end of this week, my budget is under 5 lakhs. Driving would be in the city around 40kms daily and once month on the Highway ~200kms.

I've heard diesel cars are only worth the moolah if your'e doing more than 100kms daily?? If it diesel then i'm sure to go for the Palio 1.6D . The Indica/Indigo would fit my budget but I wasn't impressed when I took the test ride. The Palio was really great!!

In the petrol side- Maruti, I drove the Esteem wasn't impressed, Swift seemed overpiced. Accent above my budget, Santro we already have one so I'm biased and Fiat, well I'm biased again, would go for Fiat only in case of diesel.
I drove the 'new' Flair 1.3, with the sporty look and a lot of other features (4 power windows, fog lamps, etc.) and really liked the driving. Great acceleration, maybe a tad sluggish with AC. Not to miss out the most comfy backseats ever sat on.

I'm from Chandigarh, where the Fiat dealer hasn't got a good reputation, especially availability of spares. I spoke to a few Palio owners and most of them haven't had the need for spares as the its just car's never given them that kind of trouble. The car's costing me 4.6L with free 10k as accessories. Its the base model, so no power windows and fog lamps. I could not probably get more but didn't squeeze the sales lady for more.
There are 2 ford dealers and the flair's priced at 4.69L with free 7.5k as accessories and 7.1k total maintenance plan for 2 yrs.

So now the big question. Which one would be better?

finneyp · 7th May 2006, 22:47

Hi, if you drive only 40kms daily, Petrol car will make more sense. I would suggest you Palio 1.6. It is an awesome machine. Palio will give you Superior ride comfort, high Safety, Space, Stability on high speeds, Good looks etc. And, now Service by Tata motors.

kpzen · 7th May 2006, 22:48

If u like driving there's nothing like Ikon...It makes a better choice with Fiats uncertainity.

The Fiat diesel is 1.9 not 1.6....

speedbuster · 8th May 2006, 01:28

sometimes i always feel, y do ppl confuse between a sedan and a hatch?

its a sedan!!, its a bigger car.
go for it dude!

satish_appasani · 8th May 2006, 12:39

Hi.

Are you sure it is Palio 1.9 D? Here in Hyderabad, Palio D costs more than 6 lakhs on road.

four_tire · 8th May 2006, 13:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedbuster

sometimes i always feel, y do ppl confuse between a sedan and a hatch?

its a sedan!!, its a bigger car.
go for it dude!

I agree with you totally.. You are right SB.

jkdas · 8th May 2006, 13:42

Ikon would be a better buy @ that price. Good back seat comfort and boot. And its a sedan.

Zappo · 8th May 2006, 13:43

Although a diesel engine will prove real economical over petrol I am circumspect about the Palio. You do not want to buy a car that is not being well backed up by the manufacturer. If it requires any service help and the car has to remain parked in the garage for want of spares it won't make you very happy. Also, you yourself said that the Fiat dealership at your place is not that good. Remember that Tata is providing service to Fiat but the response is not that enthusiastic as they have their own axe to grind. Also, whatever support they are providing is more concentrated towards the Palio petrol car.

Of course with Ikon you are getting a sedan, an aging one albeit. Still at the current price I believe it is a steal. The car is also a good enthusiastic performer. Ok, not as good as its earlier bigger sibling, but still. Later if you want to sell it also it will fetch you a better value over the Palio.

finneyp · 8th May 2006, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedbuster

sometimes
its a sedan!!, its a bigger car.
go for it dude!

Well, interior wise, Palio is more spacious than ikon! Ikon just has a slightly bigger boot....

And there is no uncertainty abt Fiat India. Post Fiat-Tata tieup, the sales of Palio has soared high and there are lotz of new Service centres to take care of your car.

nitinhegde · 8th May 2006, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by finneyp

Well, interior wise, Palio is more spacious than ikon! Ikon just has a slightly bigger boot....

I don't think Palio is more spacious than Ford Ikon

...have to compare the specs..but didn't feel like it...The ride handling,comfort is equally good..
Mileage is the same and you have a start segment Sedan...for a little more price...20-25K..
By the way,the price of Ford Ikon mentioned here(4.69 L)

seems to be the X-Showroom price...the On-road price would come to around 5.1 with discounts...just check ! refer my thread for more details...

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-c...6-verdict.html

I had recently compared Ford Ikon 1.3 and Palio 1.2/1.6 Petrol....and decided to go for Ford Ikon as I needed more space...its a decent Car..and I do not regret.

Minardi · 8th May 2006, 21:45

There are two types of people. Those who look at Fiat a/s/s and don't touch it with a barge pole, and those who love fiat cars so much they don't really give a damn to a/s/s. Both are right in their own ways. It depends on which side you belong to. I have hardly seen any fence sitters.

BTW, the Ford will return not more than 9 kmpl in the city (at least here in Mumbai). The Palio returns more than that. Esp the 1.9 diesel.

My choice is 1.6 sport (petrol). Ultimately it is all about what sets your heart aflutter.

drpullockaran · 8th May 2006, 22:55

I could not probably get more but didn't squeeze the sales lady for more.
[/quote]

It all depends where you sqeezed her for the added benefits but my advice would be to take the test drive of the Palio 1.6 sports available for 4.6 lakhs. If you take a test drive of that beast you are bound to forget the 1.3 Flair for good. On second thoughts have youtaken a drive of the Baleno too. Bye and wear your seatbelts.

virsingh77 · 8th May 2006, 23:55

Yeah Satish its the Palio 1.9 Diesel and yes showroom price is 4.6lacs with free Rs10k accessories and 50%of on the 1st yr insurance

basilmabraham · 9th May 2006, 06:12

I had all these thoughts that virsingh now has, a year back, when I decided to buy a car. Took the bold decision and went for the palio 1.9 D ELX. That was one of the best decisions I had taken in my life..

Nice car, more spacious than many of the start segment sedans. It has a bigger engine and performs well too. Well the performance may to be at par to the Crdi's but its not bad as well. Good fuel efficiency, lots and lots of space, comfortable ride, and it feels safe..not like the meeky tinbox versions of the startup sedans.

Post Tata-Fiat tie up service is no problem as there is atleast one tata delaer doing the service for fiats. and they do sevice for Diesel fiats too...I couldnt ask for more from my car..100% satisfied, I am.

And my friend its not 1.6L its 1.9L. The 1.6L one is the petrol one with around 100 bhp..thats another beast to be tamed.

prince85 · 9th May 2006, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedbuster

sometimes i always feel, y do ppl confuse between a sedan and a hatch?

its a sedan!!, its a bigger car.
go for it dude!

I couldn't agree more on that! Go for the Ikon Flair 1.3

7th May 2006, 22:18	#1 (permalink)
virsingh77 Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 8	Ford Flair 1.3 or Palio Diesel 1.9 Hi! I'm a newbie here, went through some of the posts in the forum and was really impressed at the depth of info available here. I'm planning to buy a car by the end of this week, my budget is under 5 lakhs. Driving would be in the city around 40kms daily and once month on the Highway ~200kms. I've heard diesel cars are only worth the moolah if your'e doing more than 100kms daily?? If it diesel then i'm sure to go for the Palio 1.6D . The Indica/Indigo would fit my budget but I wasn't impressed when I took the test ride. The Palio was really great!! In the petrol side- Maruti, I drove the Esteem wasn't impressed, Swift seemed overpiced. Accent above my budget, Santro we already have one so I'm biased and Fiat, well I'm biased again, would go for Fiat only in case of diesel. I drove the 'new' Flair 1.3, with the sporty look and a lot of other features (4 power windows, fog lamps, etc.) and really liked the driving. Great acceleration, maybe a tad sluggish with AC. Not to miss out the most comfy backseats ever sat on. I'm from Chandigarh, where the Fiat dealer hasn't got a good reputation, especially availability of spares. I spoke to a few Palio owners and most of them haven't had the need for spares as the its just car's never given them that kind of trouble. The car's costing me 4.6L with free 10k as accessories. Its the base model, so no power windows and fog lamps. I could not probably get more but didn't squeeze the sales lady for more. There are 2 ford dealers and the flair's priced at 4.69L with free 7.5k as accessories and 7.1k total maintenance plan for 2 yrs. So now the big question. Which one would be better?

7th May 2006, 22:47	#2 (permalink)
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore, now in Tokyo! Posts: 1,500 View My Garage	Hi, if you drive only 40kms daily, Petrol car will make more sense. I would suggest you Palio 1.6. It is an awesome machine. Palio will give you Superior ride comfort, high Safety, Space, Stability on high speeds, Good looks etc. And, now Service by Tata motors. __________________ Drive Safe, your loved ones need you!!! My Passion is not driving Cars, but driving a FIAT! Finney, Bangalore Palio 1.2 NV - 2004

7th May 2006, 22:48	#3 (permalink)
kpzen Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Greater Noida Posts: 3,384 View My Garage	If u like driving there's nothing like Ikon...It makes a better choice with Fiats uncertainity. The Fiat diesel is 1.9 not 1.6.... __________________ Prajesh ECLIPSEd Last edited by kpzen : 7th May 2006 at 22:50.

8th May 2006, 13:42	#7 (permalink)
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapuram Posts: 5,412 View My Garage	Ikon would be a better buy @ that price. Good back seat comfort and boot. And its a sedan. __________________ ~ I n d i v i d u a l l y , we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. ~

8th May 2006, 13:43	#8 (permalink)
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 3,179	Although a diesel engine will prove real economical over petrol I am circumspect about the Palio. You do not want to buy a car that is not being well backed up by the manufacturer. If it requires any service help and the car has to remain parked in the garage for want of spares it won't make you very happy. Also, you yourself said that the Fiat dealership at your place is not that good. Remember that Tata is providing service to Fiat but the response is not that enthusiastic as they have their own axe to grind. Also, whatever support they are providing is more concentrated towards the Palio petrol car. Of course with Ikon you are getting a sedan, an aging one albeit. Still at the current price I believe it is a steal. The car is also a good enthusiastic performer. Ok, not as good as its earlier bigger sibling, but still. Later if you want to sell it also it will fetch you a better value over the Palio. __________________ Announcements are important. Read the Advertising Announcement here. Classifieds section has its rules. Read here.

8th May 2006, 01:28	#4 (permalink)
speedbuster BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: delhi Posts: 124	sometimes i always feel, y do ppl confuse between a sedan and a hatch? its a sedan!!, its a bigger car. go for it dude!

8th May 2006, 12:39	#5 (permalink)
satish_appasani BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 918 View My Garage	Hi. Are you sure it is Palio 1.9 D? Here in Hyderabad, Palio D costs more than 6 lakhs on road.

8th May 2006, 21:45	#11 (permalink)
Minardi BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 216	There are two types of people. Those who look at Fiat a/s/s and don't touch it with a barge pole, and those who love fiat cars so much they don't really give a damn to a/s/s. Both are right in their own ways. It depends on which side you belong to. I have hardly seen any fence sitters. BTW, the Ford will return not more than 9 kmpl in the city (at least here in Mumbai). The Palio returns more than that. Esp the 1.9 diesel. My choice is 1.6 sport (petrol). Ultimately it is all about what sets your heart aflutter. Last edited by Minardi : 8th May 2006 at 21:46.

8th May 2006, 22:55	#12 (permalink)
drpullockaran BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: ERNAKULAM Posts: 288	I could not probably get more but didn't squeeze the sales lady for more. [/quote] It all depends where you sqeezed her for the added benefits but my advice would be to take the test drive of the Palio 1.6 sports available for 4.6 lakhs. If you take a test drive of that beast you are bound to forget the 1.3 Flair for good. On second thoughts have youtaken a drive of the Baleno too. Bye and wear your seatbelts.

8th May 2006, 23:55	#13 (permalink)
virsingh77 Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 8	Yeah Satish its the Palio 1.9 Diesel and yes showroom price is 4.6lacs with free Rs10k accessories and 50%of on the 1st yr insurance

9th May 2006, 06:12	#14 (permalink)
basilmabraham BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 210 View My Garage	I had all these thoughts that virsingh now has, a year back, when I decided to buy a car. Took the bold decision and went for the palio 1.9 D ELX. That was one of the best decisions I had taken in my life.. Nice car, more spacious than many of the start segment sedans. It has a bigger engine and performs well too. Well the performance may to be at par to the Crdi's but its not bad as well. Good fuel efficiency, lots and lots of space, comfortable ride, and it feels safe..not like the meeky tinbox versions of the startup sedans. Post Tata-Fiat tie up service is no problem as there is atleast one tata delaer doing the service for fiats. and they do sevice for Diesel fiats too...I couldnt ask for more from my car..100% satisfied, I am. And my friend its not 1.6L its 1.9L. The 1.6L one is the petrol one with around 100 bhp..thats another beast to be tamed. __________________ Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, and professionals built the Titanic. Last edited by basilmabraham : 9th May 2006 at 06:13.

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