Looking for egronomical diesel

[tsk1979]

Hi,
I was wondering which diesel vehicle below 8 lakh fits the bill.
1. should have power windows, power steering
2. Gearshift should be soft. Like the getz gearshift and the lever should be placed such that arm does not have to be extended very long, and even people of smaller strature can drive
3. The pedal placement should be condusive to driving even with inappropiate footwear, like the getz. i.e. less force is applied
3. Should be faster than tata indica turbo in 0-100 and roll on times
4. Seat should offer proper lumbar and neck support even for short drivers. Indigo seat is good in this regard, santro seat is good(though a little hard), indica seat sucks!

I have driven the tata stable cars and they fail on "less force to drive" test. The power steering is heavy at parking speeds and the gear lever is long throw esp in third gear. People with short arms have to stretch, and according to "qualified people" its a recipie for cervial pain in short people. I am finding it hard to change gears(its a very very old car) with a recovering shoulder.

Fiesta fails in performance dept. Though its good in roll on, on highway its a pain.

So the only options I can see are
1. Accent : Impossible for tall drivers., crouching tiger position not very egronomical.
2. Safar : Dont know about egronomics in the DICOR. Is gearshift smooth(hard to believe in a tata) is steering light
3. Innova : Is 104bhp make it a capable highway performer. Dont really mind the bulk as long as power steering is car like and so is the gearshift. Anyone driven the VTEC and innova diesel both(Shan2nu?) care to comment on the comfort angle as well as seating support?

Elantra is one car which I liked, but will most probably be 9.8L on road at best and that puts it above my budget.

I am planning to hit the purchase in July-August time frame. If Hyundai get the getz diesel, this will be the perfect choice. Swift diesel I am not too optimistic about due to low er power.

[DCEite]

hmmm.. I was going to hit the keyboard recommending Fiesta TDCi.. but then read your thoughts on performance aspect.
So you want a car that is comfortable for both short and tall people. The only one that comes to my mind is Indigo, but then you dont want that. Safari's seats are very very good, i know this from some personal experience, BUT cant say the same about pedals, gearshifts and PS.
You may want to try out Scorpio CRDe.. dont know about seats, but Power steering is very very light. Almost like a wagonR.

P.S. What has Vtec to do with Innova Diesel? I suppose you meant VVTi petrol and D4D Innova, right? If so , i dont *think* there should be any difference in terms of ergonomics between the two.

[tsreekaranrao]

It is best to wait till august for the getz diesel since there is not much of a choice in the diesels below 8L. I am impressed with the innova diesel. It can easily cruise on the highways and you never really feel the lack of power but driving such a huge vehicle in traffic can be a real pain. I cannot comment on the vtec because i could drive it only in the city(heavy traffic).
Why dont you consider a second hand octavia or elantra

[tsreekaranrao]

you could also think about the fiat palio and petra 1.9D. Since tata is going to service fiats A.S.S. will not be a problem

[goldie_malhotra]

Originally Posted by dceite

You may want to try out Scorpio CRDe.. dont know about seats, but Power steering is very very light. Almost like a wagonR.

A-ha - I had the same thought. Drove the Safari CRDe sometime back, and found it very easy and simple to handle in city traffic and easy to park as well - despite all that bulk.

The engine is decently powerful, but not too great, and the gearshift is acceptable, though not as short and sweet as a getz. And the seats in front and middle are quite comfy too. The steering is very light and spot-on - not vague as in the earlier models, you just have to point it where you want it and it responds immediately.

And ... - there are two ladies in our company who drive black scorpios and they are extremely pleased with its drivability.

[tsk1979]

Both these dont have adequate power and have hard steerings. I was wondering if innova's steering is light and the gearshift is light.

[goldie_malhotra]

Originally Posted by tsreekaranrao

you could also think about the fiat palio and petra 1.9D. Since tata is going to service fiats A.S.S. will not be a problem

tata has not confirmed whether they are going to support or sell the diesel models from fiat - and its really tough to buy a new one in the market today - even from fiat dealers

moreover, any car from fiat is no way easy to drive - you'll develop as many muscles as in a tata trying to grapple with the steering and the huge turning radius will just make you think twice before taking those u-turns

[tifosikrishna]

DICOR for 8 lakhs... i dont think so..

scorpio crde - PS is very light, but gear shift is not very smooth, that too when compared with getz... seating position for the driver - very good.

my two bits.

[tsreekaranrao]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Both these dont have adequate power and have hard steerings. I was wondering if innova's steering is light and the gearshift is light.

The innova's steering is light but not too light and the steering IMO is pretty accurate. The gears are somewhat like the qualis but somewhat beeter.

Bottom line: If you dont mind living with a van and can drive it along in the city then this car(van) is a very good choice.

But below 8L you wont be able to get three rows ac power windows etc.
The G4 model in hydeabad is nearly 9L otr

[tsk1979]

Innova G2 has power windows, and I dont intend sitting in middle, only driver or the shotgun seat. Since I dont need 4WD, DICOR is also within budget.

I am actually looking for the car which puts minimum strain on shoulder and neck muscles

[goldie_malhotra]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I am actually looking for the car which puts minimum strain on shoulder and neck muscles

Dunno about the dicor, but both innova and scorpio are very less stressful to drive - i would especially vouch for the scorpio.

[tsk1979]

I sat in my cousins scorpio crde, and my feet were touching the dash. With seat fully back they were very very near the dash with hardly any legroom in the middle. So unless M&M do something about the interior space its not going to be on my list!
As for comfort to drive I am looking at the angle of egronomics. Vehicle size is least of my worries

[abhibh]

[CODE]Fiesta fails in performance dept. Though its good in roll on, on highway its a pain.[/CODE]

So do Petra and Palio. Being a 63 BHP it is also pain on highways. But frankly speaking i have not felt any issue overtaking on highways except for M800. It aint got power steering so its a pain.

Originally Posted by tsreekaranrao

you could also think about the fiat palio and petra 1.9D. Since tata is going to service fiats A.S.S. will not be a problem

[abhibh]

Man u joking or anything.

Just went to Hind Motors Chandigarh (Tata Dealer) today they had palios and Petras in thier showrooms and were serviceing Fiats. Their showroom was full of Fiat stickers and stuff..

Just wait for 3 - 4 months and i think fiat will roll on..

Also you can visit this link: http://www.tatamotors.com/fiat/

Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra

tata has not confirmed whether they are going to support or sell the diesel models from fiat - and its really tough to buy a new one in the market today - even from fiat dealers

moreover, any car from fiat is no way easy to drive - you'll develop as many muscles as in a tata trying to grapple with the steering and the huge turning radius will just make you think twice before taking those u-turns

[deepakhon]

Originally Posted by abhibh

Man u joking or anything.

I dont think he was joking. Tatas are not promoting Fiat's diesels, nor are they promoting Petras. Atleast, Tata showrooms in Bangalore are not. I have no idea about showrooms at Chandigarh.