Help needed in choosing between Xeta/WagonR/Santro

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by skandyhere

build quality has become an oft-abused concept, thanks to these auto mags. what exactly does one mean by the term? it consists of several aspects, and outrightly rejecting indica as having poor build quality would mandate that it score very low in all these aspects. downright untrue.

buy a merc, and i assure you - you are not spared from niggling problems. the xeta is not a bad car. on the surface, yes, fit and finish belong on a truck - but otherwise, it's right up there. and with a few strengths that no other car has in its segment.

Build quality is the same thing you have described as fit and finish.
Other things usually associated with build quality are panel gaps, quality of materials, rattling tendancy etc.

[wonderboy]

Spark is the best of the lot dude. I wish I didnt buy the Wagon R an year back...Go for Spark.

[skandyhere]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Build quality is the same thing you have described as fit and finish.
Other things usually associated with build quality are panel gaps, quality of materials, rattling tendancy etc.

fit and finish is the cosmetic layer of build quality. real build is what lies inside, and determines the functional reliability. this is why i say that while fit and finish on the indica is pretty bad, it does not mean the build quality is poor.

including what you have mentioned, the quality of materials, the grade of sheet metal used, crash-worthiness, tendency to rattle, etc. surely are part of it.

if you say the build quality of the indica is poor only on the basis of its panel gaps, you are succumbing to ACI/Overdrive-quality-perception concepts. no matter what is used and no matter in what car, these mags love to proclaim 'switchgear is cheap/switchgear has a built to last feel' and trifles like that. it's just an observation - and too trivial to undermine a car like that.

surely you would not say the palio isn't a good car just because the interiors are a dull place to be in.

[car_whizz]

Originally Posted by skandyhere

lol... it's amazing to see that people
1. either pass comments without driving the car
2. or that having driven it, think its handling is poor.

take the indica, santro, wagonR, estilo to the highway and it's beyond argument that the indica is the one you're likely to throw around. its handling may not be sportscar-like, but it's good enough for any sane driver. and BETTER for sure than any of the other 3 cars compared here, on account of its low stance, if not anything else.

build quality has become an oft-abused concept, thanks to these auto mags. what exactly does one mean by the term? it consists of several aspects, and outrightly rejecting indica as having poor build quality would mandate that it score very low in all these aspects. downright untrue.

These are your own thoughts. It looks like; what you don't understand doesn't exist. Rather senseless comments. For example,
I owned a indica for three years, and encountered at least build quality issues on 4/5 occasions. Drive few other cars and read a little to understand the ageing of the car and the importance of Build Quality.
Don't pass ignorance as comments. Each word I said is from experience. I've been driving since last 17 years, don't remember how many(brands, variants)
"indica is the one you're likely to throw around" : Anyone saying this is insane and likely to end up in hospital if he tries.

[car_whizz]

Originally Posted by skandyhere

fit and finish is the cosmetic layer of build quality. real build is what lies inside, and determines the functional reliability. this is why i say that while fit and finish on the indica is pretty bad, it does not mean the build quality is poor.

including what you have mentioned, the quality of materials, the grade of sheet metal used, crash-worthiness, tendency to rattle, etc. surely are part of it.

if you say the build quality of the indica is poor only on the basis of its panel gaps, you are succumbing to ACI/Overdrive-quality-perception concepts. no matter what is used and no matter in what car, these mags love to proclaim 'switchgear is cheap/switchgear has a built to last feel' and trifles like that. it's just an observation - and too trivial to undermine a car like that.

Grade of metal doesn't always decide the crash-worthiness of a vehicle. Then the Indica would have got NCAP 4 hands down. If panel gaps, rattle after 5000 kms, door locking mechanism failing after 10k etc. etc. doesn't speak of poor build quality, what else ?

[joseph5600]

I feel that it is better to rule out Xeta from your list.(This is clear from the other posts in the forum) Tata vehicles might be bit cheaper compared to its competants, but the build quality and drive quality are very poor. In brief, Tata vehicles are less reliable. Wagon R and Santro would be equally good. I felt that the handling and performance was slightly better for Wagon R compared to Santro. But comfort, less cabin noise and better looks are the positives of Santro. If you are in a city, service wont be a problem for both. But if it a small town, service centres for Hyundai would be less compared to Maruti. But still it wont be a major problem as Hyundai has enough service centres. I own a Hyundai getz and yet havent faced any problem. But I would suggest you to wait and see the new Hyundai i10 that has been launched today and also the new Maruti Suzuki Splash which would be lauched by March 2008. Splash might replace the Wagon R.