Help needed in choosing between Xeta/WagonR/Santro

[AshvinKumar]

Hi

This is going to be my first car. I am interested in the Xeta 1.2 GLG, but found a lot of reliability issues in this forum itself and a general opinion that TATA's will have reliability issues. I can understand its VFM though.
Should i go for XETA or should Wagon R or Santro be my choice. My second choice would be Wagon R. I have fixed a budget of around 3.5-3.7 lakhs.

My primary requirements are Space and Rear comfort, FE, Maintainence in that order.
I know Xeta leads in space, but is Wagon R a better package here because its from the Maruti stable. Vehicle would be mostly driven in city (Chennai) and would run for about 500 kms only in a month initially. I intend to keep this car atleast for the next 4-5 years. So maintainence and after sales service should also be good.

Considering these facts can the respective owners suggest me with their opinions?

Thanks in Advance
M.AshvinKumar

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

I own a WagonR. But i hope my opinion wont be biased.

WagonR is a good package, and i love the space and comfort. However, if space for five is absolute necessity, buy the Indica.

For four persons, choose between WagonR/ Santro. In the wagonR, the fifth person is a squeeze although four can sit in good comfort. Santro though a nice car loses on comfort cause of the bumpy ride at the rear.

Between the Santro/ WagonR, if you prefer comfort and practicality, its the wagonR. However, Santro is a bit more responsive to drive. Thats what i have felt.

[mail4ajo]

I think this thread should be in the What car section.

I can suggest the following:
For:
Space and Rear comfort - Xeta
FE - WagonR
Maintainence - WagonR

Xeta is a good value for money car. Quality is steady increasing over the years, but not yet upto Maruti levels. Indica also have a fairly high level of initial quality issues as per JD power.

Since you intent to use the car for 5 years, I suggest WagonR for reliability and good service and low cost of spares etc.

Santro is not a bad deal either. Expect good ride comfort, gear shift feel (better than WagonR), decent FE, space etc. Good service second to only Maruti. Please be informed that Santro is due for a facelift and I have spotted a new version sometime back on test.

[zoombiee]

I suggest you test drive the Palio Stile 1.1 . Its a lil underpowered when compared to Wagon R and Santro. It has much better space ( cabin and boot ). The suspension is very good and the engine is very smooth. The gear shifts are quite good. The power steering handles much better than other cars (same segment) The build quality is very good. Have done 3k kms so far. Spare parts are available at most Tata workshops. I confirmed the same from both Prerna and Manipal motors in Bangalore. The car has always given me more than 13kms with abt 30% AC in Bangalore traffic. U can easily expect abt 15 in TVM traffic conditions. Test drive one and see.

I was in the same situation as you before i bought my car. I was to choose b/w Santro/Xeta/WagonR/Estilo. One fine day I test drove the Palio and bought it 3 days later.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by zoombiee

I suggest you test drive the Palio Stile 1.1 . Its a lil underpowered when compared to Wagon R and Santro. It has much better space ( cabin and boot ). The suspension is very good and the engine is very smooth. The gear shifts are quite good. The power steering handles much better than other cars (same segment) The build quality is very good. Have done 3k kms so far. Spare parts are available at most Tata workshops. I confirmed the same from both Prerna and Manipal motors in Bangalore. The car has always given me more than 13kms with abt 30% AC in Bangalore traffic. U can easily expect abt 15 in TVM traffic conditions. Test drive one and see.

Stile would meet Space and rear comfort.

However, not too sure about FE and maintainence.

Seems like TATA is giving decent service to FIAT cars. However, as pointed out in the thread on FIAT palio Stile service at TATA centres, FIAT quality is not what it used to be, with rattles from day one, and quality problems with some parts. And lack of spare parts is an issue.

However, Sure seems a better choice than Xeta.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Santro though a nice car loses on comfort cause of the bumpy ride at the rear.

Is the WagonR rear seat a more comfortable place to be in comparison to the Santro ? i.e. in terms of ride, space, the seat itself, under thigh support etc ...

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Is the WagonR rear seat a more comfortable place to be in comparison to the Santro ? i.e. in terms of ride, space, the seat itself, under thigh support etc ...

Their is not much to choose actually,

Ride- WagonR. have found many Santro owners complaining of bumpy ride at the rear.
Space- Santro
Seat- Dont know about the new WagonR. Sorry. But the one i have comes with reclining seats at the rear too.
Under thigh support- Havent felt there is much to choose between the two, cause the seating is high, the legs are placed almost vertically.

(Am not of the opinion WagonR is better than Santro overall. Just comparing these parameters only)

[Nimz]

Hi Ashvinkumar:

Given your requirements Xeta would be the better choice.

V. Good rear seat comfort in its class and since you are in Chennai you wont have much problem with A.S.S

Xeta would give anywhere between 10-15 which I guess would not be too great a difference from the Wagon R / Santro.

Santro - rear seat comfort is not that great compared to Xeta / WagonR. (My mom didnt like it at all). So if rear seat comfort is very important dont look at the Santro.

[gemithomas]

Ashwin, Hope this helps your decision

The Stile would always be better option than going for the xeta. The xeta will give you small niggling problems related to the tata quality control issues. The Stile though not as good as it used to be when it was a regular 'Palio', would have a real upper hand when compared with xeta. Considering your requirement for space, rear confort and F.E i think the Stile 1.1 would really be worth a try. F.E figures are not as bad as it used to be and i think people on this forum itself claim around 13-15 average.(please confirm on other threads). The service provided by the TATA guys are not that bad too. Also considering that you want to keep it for over 4-5 years, i think you can forget about the xeta.

If you dont like the stile after your test drive, i suggest you go for the Wagon R. Its a VFM car. It got enough space, mileage, performance. Although some would not like its look. The A.S.S is also good enough. The Hyundai's seem to be having some quality issues off late. I find lots of threads cropping up on this forum, particularly in the recent past, on issues with hyundai vehicles. Not sure whether this is just coincidence or if ty are having some real problems nowadays. Apart from this, the rise in the santro is a little more bumpy than the Wagon R. Atleast thats what i have felt.

All the Best.

[Palio_2005]

Hi,

Palio Stile is definately a better car than Wagon R/Santro in all respects of build/ comfort/ safety. I have a 1.2 NV Sports which gives me an avg of 11 kpl in Pune city with 100% ac. Infact she has returned 18 kpl during a hiway run.

The *** too has improved with Tata's taking over the servicing. The biggest issue is the re-sale value which is pathetic as compared to a Wagon R or a Santro.

I would avoid Xeta as a plague. The seating and driving position are pathetic. Quality of components and quality cheks are bad. I recently test drove a Xeta and the power window refused to move up.

Anyways all the best with whichever car you choose.

[moralfibre]

I will say go for the Xeta based on your requirements.

Originally Posted by AshvinKumar

but found a lot of reliability issues in this forum itself and a general opinion that TATA's will have reliability issues. I can understand its VFM though.

Yes it is VFM. You know, the Tata guys know their cars have reliability issues hence they do not think twice before honouring any failed part in warranty. They have delegated rights to their service centers to provide warranty without much of hassles.

Space = Indica
Rear comfort = Indica
FE = Close call between all three cars.
Maintainence in that order = Since all requirements are in order then I guess Maintenance shouldn't be a prob! Like I said there are issues with the quality of parts hence try and get extended warranty for your car.

Considering these facts can the respective owners suggest me with their opinions?

Oops I dont own any of these but I drive the Indica Diesel owned by my company very often and it is not a bad car for the price! My cousins and many other family members drive Santro's but I could never convince myself to like them except for easier parking!

[DCEite]

It all comes down to your priorities.
If space is your top priority, go for the Xeta. About reliability issues, do check with the existing owners.
Between WagonR and Santro, i feel WagonR is a better package. There are pros and cons of both cars, a search on these two cars in the forum will provide you with a lot of input.

Happy car hunting!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

I had narrowed down to Xeta and WagonR, and WagonR won only because the both dealers here did not have the colour of my choice in stock, and were vague on when they could deliver. I think you can look at UVA too - bit expensive, but has the space and features found only on Xeta. I still would have loved to buy the Xeta - but biwi was threatening to walk out on me (she did, and I was able to console her, even before the colour of choice issue, but that was the last straw which changed my choice).

[rubin2006]

Go For wagon R second choice can be santro , india has reliability issues and also resale issues i guess ,but if space is priority and you need a car for 3-4 years then india will also do ,but anytime frame more than this and indica is not recomended ,about fiat palio good car good price but get ready to sell it at 1.2 lacks for 1.2 engine after 3 years and that too with 1-2 months to find a buyer

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Just saw this on the web:-
Paivakil: Got a New Car