Car buying dilemma

[luvjascha]

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum. I think all you folks are doing a great job and would appreciate it greatly if you address some car buying queries/concerns that I have.
First of, my budget is under 4 lakhs (on-road price); I might even be willing to spend a little more than 4, but typically, would like to find a vehicle that's under 4 lakhs.
I think I would be pretty comfortable going in for either a Maruti or a Tata product. Having said that, I did some research on the standard equipment like power windows, power steering, just to mention a few, technical specs, etc. and came up with 2 cars: Maruti's Zen LXi and Tata's Indica V2 Xeta GLG.
I am 27 and absolutely love taking long road-trips across the state. Hence, I am looking for something that's most importantly:
-RELIABLE,
-Very low maintenance
-Comfortable
-Sturdy
-Decent on the gas mileage
-Appearance
a) Which of the two would you suggest? Also, feel free to name a few other good products in the market that meet my requirements.
b) I have read owner feedback comments on the Indica and I must say that some of them were pretty discouraging. How is the after sale support of Tata? What is their warranty like?
c) I am also a little befuddled about whether I should go in for a diesel or a petrol vehicle. I understand that a diesel engine is more powerful and offers a better fuel mileage as compared to the petrol engine. Also, the price of diesel is cheaper compared to petrol. However, will I have to compromise on comfort and vehicle maintenance with a diesel vehicle?
Kindly advise.

I would certainly appreciate any suggestions and comments and look forward to your replies.

-

[Rudra Sen]

There are plenty of threads in What car section. Suggest you go through them. You may get a better perspective than what you're looking for.

[satish_appasani]

If you don't mind used car, you can look out for a used Palio 1.9D. You'll get a less than 2 years model between 3-3.5 lacs.

[kewlferrari]

Consider the low-end versions of the Getz & the Swift. They will come to you a little more than 4L and will be well worth the extro dough you shell-out. Would strongly recommend the Swift though, it's a fab car & great VFM.

[bshree]

Hi,

I have read good things about swift in terms of looks, cost etc....
Any idea of mileage of swift ? I am in dialema whether to go for swift or Alto. I am looking for a fuel efficient car.

Also, is it possible to fit (GOvt approved ) LPG into Swift ?

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by luvjascha

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum. I think all you folks are doing a great job and would appreciate it greatly if you address some car buying queries/concerns that I have.
First of, my budget is under 4 lakhs (on-road price); I might even be willing to spend a little more than 4, but typically, would like to find a vehicle that's under 4 lakhs.
I think I would be pretty comfortable going in for either a Maruti or a Tata product. Having said that, I did some research on the standard equipment like power windows, power steering, just to mention a few, technical specs, etc. and came up with 2 cars: Maruti's Zen LXi and Tata's Indica V2 Xeta GLG.
I am 27 and absolutely love taking long road-trips across the state. Hence, I am looking for something that's most importantly:
-RELIABLE,
-Very low maintenance
-Comfortable
-Sturdy
-Decent on the gas mileage
-Appearance
a) Which of the two would you suggest? Also, feel free to name a few other good products in the market that meet my requirements.
b) I have read owner feedback comments on the Indica and I must say that some of them were pretty discouraging. How is the after sale support of Tata? What is their warranty like?
c) I am also a little befuddled about whether I should go in for a diesel or a petrol vehicle. I understand that a diesel engine is more powerful and offers a better fuel mileage as compared to the petrol engine. Also, the price of diesel is cheaper compared to petrol. However, will I have to compromise on comfort and vehicle maintenance with a diesel vehicle?
Kindly advise.

I would certainly appreciate any suggestions and comments and look forward to your replies.

-

For the price of 4 lacs while maybe a few sedans are available in their basic versions I would prefer a fully loaded hatch.

For long trips Zen is certainly not the right car with lack of space and dated design. Infact maruti WagonR would be a better (not best choice) with loads of space and flexible seating options.

But Indica Xeta takes the cake when you take long distances into account.

Go for the indica diesel. Its too oudated, the engine is unrefined, gearshift notchy. but comfort is still the best in class and so is FE. Most of the tourist cabs use indica diesel and hence reliebility wont be an issue.

I would recommend the indica diesel.

[naveendhyani]

Originally Posted by luvjascha

I am 27 and absolutely love taking long road-trips across the state. Hence, I am looking for something that's most importantly:
-RELIABLE,
-Very low maintenance
-Comfortable
-Sturdy
-Decent on the gas mileage
-Appearance

welcome to the forum.

from my personal experience i wud not suggest ny vehicle but TATA INDICA. no matter what people say, i have 4-5 people in my group who own and vouch by its name.

-RELIABLE
its a tata, barring exceptional circumstances its always reliable. also they have the strongest network for diesel vehicles, on top of which ny mechanic can repair it.
-Very low maintenance
again, its a tata.
-Comfortable
i wont say its the best but then its among the most comfortable ones.
-Sturdy
very sturdy, being used as a cab says it all.
-Decent on the gas mileage
17-18 in the city and 20-21 on highway.
-Appearance
its very subjective.

[luvjascha]

What should be the determining factor(s) in going for a diesel vehicle as opposed to petrol and could someone weigh the pros and cons of a diesel vehicle to petrol.
Also, keeping in mind what I am specifically looking for, what would one suggest?
I looked at the Wagon R, Swift, Santro and the Getz; however, I'm not completely impressed by their look and size.
I guess I have my mind fixed on either the Maruti Zen or the Tata Indica.

Look forward to some replies.

[finneyp]

Luvjascha, check-out the Palio 1.2, itz bit more than 4 lacs, but it definitly Value-for-money, you get a feel of a sedan at the price of a small car. It has Superior Ride comfort, Safety, Space, Good looks etc. And now service from Tata Motors!

NB: Are you fan of Jascha Ritcher (Lead-vocalist,MLTR)?

[luvjascha]

You betcha!!!

As stated earlier, it's going to have to be one of the two, namely the Zen or the Indica, but I just can't seem to make up my mind!!!

[devarshi84]

A maruti zen is not the perfect family car. Space is very tight and travelling long distances may be problematic. Look at tata Indica hands down.

[DCEite]

Maruti Zen is terribly outdated, Indica is good but TATA is inconsistent with the quality...
Is this your first car? If yes, i wont suggest you Indica or Palio. There are visibility problems with both, and are note easy to manoever in city traffic. Sit in a WagonR or a Santro, and compare the road view(from driver's seat) you get with that in Indica/Palio, you will feel a lot of difference.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by dceite

Indica is good but TATA is inconsistent with the quality...

I would second that .. TATA is probably inconsistent with quality. Some cars do face a lot of problems, whereas say for example, the one I had was very reliable.

Since you like to go on long drives .. I would suggest the Indica Diesel (if you can afford the Turbo it would be best). The general consensus is that if one logs more than 1500kms a month on an average, a diesel would make sense from the fuel expenditure perspective.

Btw, how tall are you and how many people would normally be in the car for the road trips ?

[luvjascha]

Shuvc,

I am 27 and 6 feet. Since I'm still single, I'm not really looking for a family car. All I need is a vehicle that's reliable on long road-trips, sturdy and one that makes for a smooth and comfortable ride. I might be asking for too much when my budget is kinda tight, i.e. under 4 lakhs.

Dceite,
My parents own a Maruti 800 and in fact, we have been on several cross-country trips in the same. This one time, we ran into some problems (out of state) with the car and my dad was getting kinda frantic. To our good luck, there was a Maruti dealership/service-station not too far from where our car had stalled and within minutes, we were out of there. From that day on, my dad swears by Maruti vehicles (since they have service-stations in almost every state) and I guess he might be talking me into buying the Zen.
However, I want to do a lot of research before I put money down since this is going to be MY very first car and hence, I am trying to gather as much information possible.

Again, what might be some of the pros and cons of owning a diesel vehicle?
But I gotta tell ya, at this very point in time, I'm kinda leaning towards the Tata Indica, but would certainly appreciate some comments/suggestions.

Thanks guys .....you are a great help!!!

[hrag]

All I need is a vehicle that's reliable on long road-trips, sturdy and one that makes for a smooth and comfortable ride. I might be asking for too much when my budget is kinda tight, i.e. under 4 lakhs.

You have already said you are most comfortable with a Maruti or a Tata. My recommendation is to go for the Indica Xeta GLS or higher.

If running costs over time are important to you, go for the Indica DLS or higher (whichever fits in your budget).

Please don't buy an Indica without power steering!