Car advice for NewBie!

[steelguts]

HI Fellow Bhpites,

I am very new to this forum and have two reasons for joining....1. I am buying a car......2. i want to someday be an expert n answer others queries

First some basics about me :

-I have 50 hrs driving experience in an alto
-I m in love with powerful/strudy cars like SUVs
-I am buying my first car
-Intend to keep it for 6 yrs if new or 2 yrs if old
-Normally travel around 1000 km /months (20% highway , 80% city)

I have been doing my homework since two months and came to the following conclusions :

-Getzs is too costly for wht it provides, swift is kinda cramped though powerful
-any maruti has great resale value
-Xeta looks good but has very sad resale and tata is not trusted for petrol cars

Now one car i have been monitoring is Fiat Palio 1.6 sports. It suits all my needs and feels very safe inside. I have read all the threads regarding palio here and find people have already bought it recently.

I have certain queries before my final decision :

-As i am a new bie to driving (though i m a quick learner) is it advisable to directly go for a new vehicle which is so powerful ?

-People have talked a lot about fiat/tata tie-up and great discounts (i am getting 80 k off in bangalore) but quiet a few people have warned this to be old stock........can any recent buyers comment on the cars condition ?

-Has anybody actually done a service in a tata motors service center yet for a palio. If so please share your experience

-Market strategy shows tata needs fiats technology and fiat needs tatas network........in that case tata will eye on making cheaper cars with fiat with compromise to quality (like maruti/hyundai)........then what is the gurantee that this is not a clearance sale after which palio will be phased out ??

-Is it a good idea to buy a second hand palio 1.6 and drive it for two yrs.....then if fiat/tata tie-up works i will get good resale value and even if it doesnt i will not be in a loss of buying a new car ?


So after the analysis above my question boils down to : As a new bie whether to buy a new/old car and which car will be a good combination of power, safety and service support in the B segment?

Thanks for ur feedback in advance and sorry for this long mail

Abhishake

[hondadude]

Abhishake,

Good job on doing a lot of groundwork.

Buying a car usually involves making decisions on following
factors

- Style
- Performance
- Handling
- Reliability
- After Sales Service
- Build Quality
- Interiors
- Equipment
- Resale Value

etc. etc. Reading and doing research is good but only when one lives with a car for a some time, preferences become clearer. I would recommend that you buy a used car for two years. After two years, you will have a better idea of what you want from your ride. If you buy a new vehicle now, you will unnecessarily lock yourself in for five to six years.

I will recommend you to go for used Palio 1.6. Beware though, it will spoil you (as a driver) and you might have a hard time finding replacement for it.

[GTO]

I wouldnt really recommend a Fiat Palio 1.6 to someone who is buying a car for the first time, and is looking at resale value. You are not yet familiar with the many facets of car ownership and a Fiat will be more of a headache than anything else. I would suggest you consider safe service options like the Swift and Getz instead.

Welcome to the community.

[steelguts]

HI GTO.......thanks for the warm welcome !

Can u tell me the probs with fiat which will be a pain for a newbie ??

I have actually heard that the handling of SWift is not very good and the ground clearance is also low.......one plus it has is the ABS......does that make a difference in terms of safety ??

Will it be a good option to buy a less used second hand palio 1.6 and get comfortable with it for 2 yrs as hondadude suggested........i am really not pushing a lot for the resale value..

thanks for ur valuable feedback

abhi

[normally_crazy]

Abhishake,

I suggest you just read through the forum using the search feature with "FIAT". There are a whole lot of threads and discussions on the query you have asked. You will find your answer there. After that if you have any more questions we would be glad to help you out.

After going through your post and your needs - I would suggest you go with the Swift. But if you have your heart on the Palio, read on and we will guide you along.

Cheers

[GTO]

Can u tell me the probs with fiat which will be a pain for a newbie ??

Well, in case you get bad service or NO service...an expert would be comfortable with getting the work done from outside. Also, parts supply can become an issue. Do keep in mind that niggling faults surface in many Palios.

As someone new to car ownership, you probably dont want to run from pillar to post in search of good service / parts / etc. Thats why I recommend you a safe option like Maruti or Hyundai.

The Swift and the Getz are both very competitive. Take your pick after test-driving them.

[arif_t01]

why not Palio 1.2??? an used Palio 1.2 can be obtained very cheaply......i think Palio 1.6 is too much power in the hands of a newbie, especially one is who learning to drive........but at the end of the day, its your choice.......so choose wisely

[kutlee]

Since being new to new cars, Swift is a very good choice. Maruti back up is fantastic. There are many a problems which can arise in selecting models like Palio etc. I agree that Palio is a very good car! Keep the Swift for a modest 3- 4 years. will be a good learning period overall in that and read T-bhp!! By the time you will most educated than any one else. then go for your car and won't regret it anyway in any model you choose to buy.
Maruti will get you a good resale. so no locking up for 6 years which is very long term and cars get very advnaced these days in years time.
happy browsing.

[tsk1979]

Getz and Swift are both good options. Both cost almost the same, with getz being more roomier. Both will give you good resale value.
As for Palio, its the best car for the price, but what fiat did with it is criminal.
So if you dont care 2 hoots about resale value and are ready to fight with service centers regularly this is a great car.

[himanshugoswami]

Since you are in bangalore, the service scene here now is pretty decent. i recently bought a Palio (4 months back) and have been to Javali Motors on Hosur road for servicing. No issues whatsoever. In fact, they were quite good!

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-de...ice-blore.html

Check this thread for more info.

Also, you can log on to fiatcarindia.net and the Palio users group on yahoo. Loads of Bangalore members there. you can get answers to all your queries about palio ownership in bangalore.

As regards teh car- the 1.6 is brilliant- few people will disagree with that. However, drive the 1.2 as well. It is quite a good car in its own right, quite fuel efficient( 1 am getting 12.5 to 13.5 in city) and in the ELX version, has plusher interiors than the 1.6. Plus you are getting 60K off!

[Equus]

I guess the Aveo hatch launch is around the corner. Its got decent space and reasonable power. Worth the wait unless you are in a hurry.

[alexrabbi]

Palio is no doubt a great car.But why should u take risk while buying ur first car and curse urself for buying a car due to bad service.

I suggest u go for swift or getz.

Cheers
Alex

[yogi1771]

well i do agree with gto regarding the service thing with fiat and the availability of parts my uncle who owns a palio1.2 has been pestering the fiat guys to repair his ac controls for the past 6 months and every time he gets the same answer parts r not available

[neoonwheels]

The most comic thing is, ppl who curse Palio have not driven the car at all.. Palio 1.6 is STILL way ahead than the other hatches available in India. Service in Bangalore is very decent. Please join "PalioUsersIndia@yahoogroups" and then you will realize, nowdays service is not that bad which ppl have made it look like. TATA is now providing service for FIAT cars and they have started it off since 6 months.

I learnt driving on Zen (4 weeks) but then I bought Palio 1.2 and since then driving it (1.5 years) without any problem. I did not face any problems and can not understand why ppl ask newbies to get away from Palio. It has enuf horses and you will learn how to handle them.. Its not like to drive Palio 1.6 you should have X years of driving experience.

Anyways, visit any FIAT or TATA-FIAT showroom and test drive yourself or ask any of your close friend to drive it. FIAT is giving huge discount as a new Face lifted Palio is around the corner (Jan 2007 launch). They are shifting their base from Mumbai to Pune and I believe will start producing cars from Jan and will roll out New face lifted Palio and its family cars. THe disc is given just to finish the current looking Palio.

Cheers
Palio 1.2 Sport / 13 KMPL /AND IT ROCKS !!!!

[steelguts]

Thanks all bhpites for the quick and valuable response !!

Equus i checked out 'Aveo-UVA' and find it matching with the palio 1.2/1.6...........I really dont mind waiting 2 months........but how sure are we that it will be launched........GM is as good as FIAT in technology, safety and comfort.......do you guys agree that an Aveo UVA can be equivalent if not better than a palio and will give all the missing things of palio like resale and service ?? Is it worth a wait ??