which car to buy???

[ddd]

requirement -
price - between 5-8 lakhs ex showroom
space - needed for 2 small children + attendant + all the childrens belongings in the back seat (diaper bag / food for the journey / water / change of clothes etc). access to boot from back seat is a huge plus!
mostly in city of course - but around 4 - 5 trips out of town around 6 - 7 hours away.
car with low maintainance costs will be good.

test driven and liked - cedia, indigo marina and XL!(for space), innova (though too big and bulky for in city drive therefore rejected), verna (but rejected OUTRIGHT coz of terribly cramped back seat), honda city (rejected for very low ground clearance - touched every single speed breaker in our colony).

did'nt like the sx4 (rear visibility issues), or any ford car, swift (my santro is so much more spacious and better).

unfortunately the 2 cars we have'nt rejecetd seem to be not so popular -
cedia - reports say that resale price is low, parts price is high, and there are very few cedia's on the road.

the marina - people laugh at us when they hear we are considering a tata car.

if we buy the cedia we can just buy the one car. (and exchange our very old maruti 800).

if we do the marina we could do the marina in exchange for our 800 and also do a new santro in exchange for our old one.

what should we do???

thank you!
ddd

[akshay1234]

id say either the cedia or the innova. the innova is very easy to drive but if the size is a problem then get the cedia. its got good performance and comfort. its also got abs and airbags. if you want abs and airbags then also look at the sx4.

[anupmathur]

ddd, in any family the more the cars the merrier. On the practicality side, go for 2 rather than 1.
You have not mentioned anything about your likes/aspirations, but if it is performance that has an important place, go for Cedia (or even the Lancer)!

[MADMAX111]

You haven't mentioned Fun to Drive factor as a requirement so I assume that it is not so important. Keeping in view your wish to change both old and small cars, A low priced, practical and low maintenance car with lots of space fits the bill. Indigo XL and Indigo Marina fit this bill. Cedia though nice, would be an overkill.

I had a friend's Marina Petrol for some time. My experience :avoid the petrol, It is a guzzler. Driveability in petrol is also not good. Power comes in only after 2000 RPM. You may do TD yourself. It also has serious rear visibility issues for parking, though you will never run out of space. There are also host of nice touches like power windows, extra indoor lights etc. On the other hand don't expect great relaibility of electricals from Tatas like Marutis.

All things considered I would suggest Indigo XL. Number of my friends have Indigo Diesel and they are quite happy with it.

You can also go in for a much more reliable and resaleble small car like santro or Alto which will help you sleep peacefully at night with small children, knowing that your car start at midnight also if God forbid there is any emergency.

Still one or two TD with your priorities in mind would be in order.

[musicmanaman]

I suggest go for the Marina, I use the same everytime I go down the Chandigar, as they are dial a cabs there, and I have always liked the Marina for some strange reason, I find it better than the Indigo. It'll work best for your requirments and the space inside is good.

[MADMAX111]

"You can also go in for a much more reliable and resaleble small car like santro or Alto"
OOps add 'In addition to Indigo XL I mean.

[iraghava]

Considering your requirements the Innova suits you to a T. Methinks you should reconsider it otherwise the Marina looks like a good option too.

[BUSA]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Considering your requirements the Innova suits you to a T. Methinks you should reconsider it otherwise the Marina looks like a good option too.

Why not a Safari 2.2 then

[roms]

Wonder what Fords have you driven and rejected.Have you atleast driven any? Or its just the perception thats keeping you away from those cars. Try the Fusion. It fits your requirements pretty well. Spacious on the inside yet compact on the outside. Good luggage space, and your requirement of having direct access to the boot area is possible with this one. Plus it drives beautifully.Plus, compared to the likes of Cedia and others in and around that category, this one will be easier on the pocket.

You have'nt mentioned for how long you would like to keep the car. If its 3 years or less, the Fusion will fetch you very less returns on selling. But if its more than that term, its a good deal.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by BUSA

Why not a Safari 2.2 then

Yet to be launched so still a relatively unknown quantity plus price is not exactly known. Secondly, if he's uncomfortable with the Innova's size I would say the Safari's size & handling would be no easier for him.

[phamilyman]

Marina wouldn't be bad. if you don't mind the minor niggles with plastic and sundry equipment. The engine is what you'd pay for - the rest comes free

that being said, if you commute quite a bit, then adding CNG would be killer. Plus CNG savings enable you to keep a driver, and use the comfortable rear seats of the Marina

[ddd]

thank you everyone. for all those who suggested test driving these vehicles, we HAVE test driven almost all vehicles that meet our specifications. yet the indecision!

iraghava - thank you. i wanted to know why you have not said anything about the cedia - do you not recommend it for any particular reason or did you just think the other 2 suited us better? i'd appreciate your thoughts on the cedia.

to rephrase my original question after further consideration -
we like the cedia and it meets all the space etc requirements we have. it is also just within our budget. i'd like to know whther you think it is a good car. will there be any problems - availabilty of parts / high price of parts / after sales service / resale price (after 4-5 years), even though it is in our budget is it worth the price or is it over priced, any other problems / issues that you know of.

thank you all for your help once again. please answer this last question for me.

ddd

[reignofchaos]

Well frankly price of parts is higher than corolla/city but maintenance/service/consumable costs are really low and they are reliable cars. Its the same with mitsubishis... part prices are high initially but fall over time. Other than that, it has no real issues. I've been driving one for 4 months now and its got 5k+ on the odo. It still feels as good as new. No rattling or any other problem that most people complain about their cars. You might wanna check on the after sales service though... here in bangalore its never an issue.

About resale... well resale value is low but 5 years down the line, resale will be low no matter what you buy unless its a honda. Also do consider the fact that you are getting a car as big/safe/comfy as the civic/corolla for a lot lot lower.

[shuvc]

Since you are willing to consider not so popular cars, as long as they suit your requirement - have you considered the Logan Diesel ?

[dadu]

Originally Posted by ddd

requirement -
price - between 5-8 lakhs ex showroom
space - needed for 2 small children + attendant + all the childrens belongings in the back seat (diaper bag / food for the journey / water / change of clothes etc). access to boot from back seat is a huge plus!
mostly in city of course - but around 4 - 5 trips out of town around 6 - 7 hours away.
car with low maintainance costs will be good.

test driven and liked - cedia, indigo marina and XL!(for space), innova (though too big and bulky for in city drive therefore rejected), verna (but rejected OUTRIGHT coz of terribly cramped back seat), honda city (rejected for very low ground clearance - touched every single speed breaker in our colony).

did'nt like the sx4 (rear visibility issues), or any ford car, swift (my santro is so much more spacious and better).

ddd

Safari meets his other space requirements and the 3.0l LX is still available within the costs but the 2.2 might go beyond the budget + he is looking at the sedan's and rear visibility is also an issue in the safari.

I would say, not his preference overall.

Originally Posted by BUSA

Why not a Safari 2.2 then