[rtk2903]

Hi fellow BHPians, I am new to driving and am looking at buying my first car. My biggest priority is safety so I have shortlisted the below 3:
1: Tata Punch
2: Tata Altroz
3: Tata Nexon

Of the above, I am more interested in Nexon from a safety POV as it has ESP/ESC, in addition to the 5-Star NCAP rating like the other two.

However, for a new driver like me, I am concerned that Nexon will be too big for my use and the engine seems more powerful as well.

Are my concerns valid? Or should I not think too much about ESP/ESC and go ahead with Punch/Altroz since they are smaller and less powerful - thereby easier to handle?

[ssathiyanarayan]

Dear Team BHPians,

I'm Sathiya Narayanan. I'm looking for a new car. To give a background of my needs taking a few lines here. I met with a major road accident while on bicycle. This rendered me bed ridden for almost 7 months with Poly trauma injuries. Currently under rehabilitation & getting back to normalcy. Looking out for an automatic car (AMT/CVT/TC/DCT). Budget is max. 13 lakhs on-road.

The needs are simple:
1) My daily driver - office is 10 kms one-way
2) Occasionally have to drive to factory - 70 kms to and fro
3) Vendor visits - 30 to 50 kms one way - 3 or 5 a month. Frequency may get increased based on project schedule
4) Annually 2 trips to hometown - Pune to Madurai
5) Family of 4 with 2 guests coming in every quarter. So a 7 seater for occasional drives
6) Better half may sometimes do the driver duty. So automatics are most preferred
7) Looking for a safe car with good build and crash test rating
8) Mechanical and drive reliability is important

Cars I've considered are:
Renault Triber RXZ AMT
Honda Jazz ZX CVT
Honda Amaze VX CVT
Honda City 4 gen V MT came in budget
Tata Altroz XZ+ DCA
Tata Nexon XZA+
Kindly include any options missed out. Thanks in advance for your support and suggestions.

Warm regards,
Sathiya Narayanan. S

[Funambulist]

can you elaborate on your requirement ?
is it a manual or automatic car that you are looking at ?
will you be majorly driving on city roads or highway ?
are you a cautious driver since you are new to driving or do you enjoy driving at high speeds for fun and overtaking ?
which will be your state of car purchase ?

[ssathiyanarayan]

Originally Posted by Funambulist

can you elaborate on your requirement ?
is it a manual or automatic car that you are looking at ?
will you be majorly driving on city roads or highway ?
are you a cautious driver since you are new to driving or do you enjoy driving at high speeds for fun and overtaking ?
which will be your state of car purchase ?

I'm specifically looking for automatic cars. I'm poly trauma survivor and need a hazzle free car. Sometimes better half may also assist me in long drives for stretch or two to our home town. So preferring automatic
It's like 80:20 for commute to long drives. Even my regular committees are a mix on City road and highways
I've been driving for few years in GCC. So would say somewhat safe driver. I might take a chance to overtake when things are fine. But not a rash driver or pedal to metal guy
I plan to purchase in Maharashtra, specifically Pune as I stay there. But will be regularly going on long trips to Bengaluru and Chennai 2 or 3 times a year

[bhaskar.guru]

Hello Sathiya,

Please do consider Brezza VXi as well. It’s a four star rated platform.

[BNG-motorhead]

I am based out of Bangalore and was in the market recently to help 2 of my family members buy a new car. Extremely sub standard experience from all famous dealerships.

Nexa experience:

No written confirmation on car price, all prices tentative and subject to change anytime
No time commitments on delivery
Not a penny discount, infact aggressive push to buy basic accessories and extended warranty
No PDI, it was offered but the warehouse was 3 hrs away from the city
Full pre-payment demanded, including insurance and RTO cost, else car wont be delivered and it would be allocated to someone else
Zero freebies, not even floor mats were in stock

It has been about 5-6 years since I bought a car, and I remember dealerships going the extra mile to please the customers and giving very attractive discounts specially in Dec.

Has all this changed? Am I expecting a lot from Nexa and similar dealerships? For me it was a very frustrating experience dealing with robo-like slaes people of the dealerships.

Had booked the car on 08-Dec-22, was promised delivery within 2 weeks. ~35K cash discounts assured.
Now, Car may come by mid-Feb, No cash discounts, car price up by 50K. I feel duped and cheated.
Nexa helpline told me - Did you get a verbal confirmation or written? I was surprised with this response! In short the implication was that I am wrong.

[HighRevving]

Originally Posted by BNG-motorhead

I am based out of Bangalore and was in the market recently to help 2 of my family members buy a new car. Extremely sub standard experience from all famous dealerships.

Almost all mass-market brands are like that now. I recently bought a Thar and they acted like they were doing me a favour by delivering the car in 3 weeks, though the irony is, I went with India Garage because they already had allocated cars. No discounts, no freebies nothing. The sales advisor who sold me the car was not there on the day of delivery because apparently, he was busy with another customer who was booking an XUV700. Until the demand-supply situation regulates, the customer has to temporarily step down from the 'King' throne.

[amolathalye]

Hi ,

I came across a website of a car selling company called GroupWe. They offer discounts trough a system of Group buying. Has anyone bought a car through them , any idea of pros & cons please.

[bivision]

Originally Posted by amolathalye

Hi ,

I came across a website of a car selling company called GroupWe. They offer discounts trough a system of Group buying. Has anyone bought a car through them , any idea of pros & cons please.

There is a dedicated thread on this topic, please check this out -
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...a-groupwe.html (Has anyone bought a car via Groupwe?)

[Maky]

Hello everyone,
I could not find a correct sub-forum or thread for my query. This one made the most sense, if it is not I would like to request my post be moved to the correct thread/subforum : )


My question:

I have a Joint account with a family member. I am the Primary account holder and they are the Secondary account holder. Can the vehicle be registered in their name if I cut the outright cheque(no loan) or it has to be registered only in the Primary account holders name?
Also, If it is registered in their name(secondary holder) are there any 'Gift' related taxes or complications that I should be aware of?

Thank you for your time.

[Steer-safe]

I have a question which need suggestion from forum members.
I bought a Datsun Redigo AMT for my wife 4 years back. She learnt driving on it and has done 70000+ kilometers. She is now comfortable with our other cars like ciaz at , taigun AT. So length and width is ok for her.

She wants to upgrade however doesnt want to spend much and has fixed budget of 11 lakh.

I shortlisted two cars 1) Aura AMT, 2) Glanza AGS . Now we are confused which one to buy. Aura is cheaper by 1.5 lakh and has more feature however I have a feeling that Glanza is bit more premium and will save on fuel cost as well.
Car is needed for city use in NCR and may be trip till lucknow once in six month.

I really need your help, which one to buy? Which one has better ride, NVH and gearshift.

[HarshS]

My fiftieth is coming up and I'd been looking for a new set of wheels for a few weeks. I don't drive (but have used Team-BHP for more than fifteen years). My priority was rear seat comfort (seat plus suspension), safety (six airbags is a must), and fuel efficiency. There's mostly going to be only me, and it's mostly going to be for driving within the city. Greater Noida to Gurgaon and all other parts of Delhi.

My first car was a Tata Indica 2000 in 2002. The next car was a Tata Indigo GLX (second hand) in 2005. For eighteen months in 2008 and 2009 (had a well paid job then), I had a second-hand Honda Accord. Then in 2010, I bought an Indica Vista petrol--at that time, it was the the only car under Rs. 5 lakh that had two airbags and ABS/EBD, which was why I bought it. That car's done close to 160,000 km, but now with someone else.

Earlier, I estimated my budget with a stretch to Rs. 18 lakh. So after spending hours on Team-BHP, I gleefully visited various showrooms and sat in their rear seats.

1. Kia Carens: Rear seat has poor under-thigh support, but has six airbags, and other safety features. Not impressed at all. And too large.

2. Ertiga: Within budget (as was XL6), but only four airbags and really doesn't look good--also I've traveled in NCR extensively on the previous XL6 and I wasn't impressed at all.

3. XUV300. Again, very poor under-thigh support--I'm 175 cm, and my legs were jutting out at the back. It had 5 star NCAP, but M&M would be expensive to maintain.

4. Hyundai Verna: Lovely, and within Rs. 13.7, I could get the S version, but a bit of a waiting period.

5. Hyundai Creta: Great rear seat, six airbags plus other safety features. Sadly, four to five months' waiting.

6. Maruti Brezza: Comfortable rear seat, but ugly looks.

7. VW Tiguan: Best rear seat of all in terms of under-thigh support, but costly. Not sure of VW service and spares. Also, the 1.0 TSI MT was Rs. 18 lakh--too expensive.

8. VW Virtus: Comfy to get in, and good looks and 5 star safety. Put off by all the niggles and service.

Then my budget dropped to just over Rs. 10 lakh (could have stretched to Rs. 12 lakh) or waited for three or four months to get back to Rs. 16 lakh, but I didn't want to wait.

At that price, the 2022 Baleno seemed the best bet. Baleno seemed to tick all my boxes, including a higher FE of apparently 17 to 18 in city. The Zeta (one level from the top) trim had six airbags and had good reviews. Since there will be a driver, I didn't need 360 camera and a large screen and a HUD, so went for this variant. Sat in it. Underthigh support isn't the best, but I took this for a test drive. Rear seat has a comfortable suspension. Seems fine. Negotiated a price of Rs. 9.6 lakh onroad with extended warranty and a basic kit.

Looked at second-hand cars too. There was a 2018 petrol Jeep with 57,000 km for Rs. 11.5 lakh--and sundry other cars too within Rs. 12 lakh. All were 3 to 4 years old, so expensive spares! And I wasn't sure whether they all had six airbags or not.

Day before yesterday night, I suddenly thought: why stick to Baleno? What about Toyota Glanza. Frantic surfing, seeing this site, seeing the brochure, seeing the YouTube reviews. Learnt that it was a bit more expensive than the similar variant Baleno (Rs. 5 to 15K more), but has a more light interior, a better (rather less common) front, and a warranty for more km..

Yesterday went to see the Glanza. Sat in and did a test drive (in the third floor of the basement parking of the dealer) of the G version. He offered a price of Rs. 9.7 lakh, Rs. 10k more than Baleno, but the Toyota badge seemed worth it. Just before signing up, my partner said that I'd be driving many km a day and that my driver would be running the car (for the AC) in my absence. Was there a CNG variant?

Dealer said yes and we went to see. The G version with six airbags does have a CNG version so great. But when we opened the boot, it was disappointing to see that the CNG cylinder and the spare wheel (which is propped vertical, and not horizontal) took up 80 percent. Space for just a strolley(?) or one bag. More could be fitted in the parcel tray. Also, Rs. 1 lakh more than the equivalent version.

Discussions with partner. Do I need the boot? No. I'll only need it if going outstation--but her car's a top-end Jeep S(O) and has enough space. If I'm getting dropped to the airport, I can always sit in front, and keep suitcase on rear seat. And anyway, it's safer to take an Uber to the airport--God knows what tricks the driver will do on the way back with an empty car. Do I really need the boot? No, I can live without it, for my purpose of a comfortable, safe city commute.

Now the economics: Rs. 1 lakh more! Petrol at Rs. 97/liter and FE of 18 km/liter is Rs. 5.4 a km. CNG at Rs. 73.6/kg and 28km/kg is Rs. 2.6 a km. My weekly driving will be around 450km or yearly of 22,500 km. That's a saving of Rs. 63,000 a year. So the extra Rs. 1 lakh will be made up in less than two years. A CNG car is also better for the environment (not as good as an electric), so that's that too.

Negotiations started from the base offer of Rs. 10.7 lakh Extra warranty for five years (but still 100K km) was Rs. 14,500 more. Taking the warranty to the next slot of 150km was another Rs. 5,000 so that was bought. Accessories, apart from the mudflap and basic mat. Got a better mat, window shades, and visors. Total comes to Rs. 10.78 lakh, which is within my stretched budget. Paid the advance of Rs. 11,000.

Now to color. The blue is way too common. The grey is boring. The cherry red wasn't impressive and she has a fiery red Jeep anyway. Choice of white or silver, so went for silver. This color isn't immediately available, but should be ready in two to three weeks.

Two cribs about the rear seat. No center arm-rest and the under-thigh support is still not there (and not as good as the Taigun or Creta). After-market centre arm-rest will be bought. I'm also going to buy a leather seat cover, perhaps with some added foam cushioning to increase both the height and depth of the seat by a few mm. May not install it in the front seat, since it will interfere with the airbags.

This morning's email from BHP got the news of a Baleno being crushed under a Thar. I'll be traveling on the Noida Greater Noida expressway regularly, and I'm wondering whether I should have bought a two-airbag Virtus for Rs. 13 lakh, but I've decided to swat these second thoughts away. I've bought a car that's economical to drive and has six airbags and whose rear suspension is comfortable and which is apparently now (2022 version) safer than the previous Baleno.

I shall update when my car comes home, and take your advise on what mods do I need. Should I buy front fog lights (not there in this G version) for Rs. 7,700. Best place to get leather seats? Side molding? Paint protection. The list is endless.

[ANIKETMH007]

My question is to the broader community as well as I am planning to sell off my 2018 Maruti Desire (18,000 km ODO) and planning to purchase a city first highway second mini SUV in the on-road price range of 8-10 Lakhs on the road.
Petrol is preferable, CNG I am still not convinced that cylinder in the boot with family and the refueling station's long queues near my location strike them off the list

Reason: I already received delivery of the XUV700 Manual in 2022 which is a gem to drive but my wife is a new driver who needs a city-friendly option for office commute.
My existing Maruti Desire is a good sedan that has served its purpose with better boot space for all our hometown trips with big-size boot space.
Its responsibility has been taken over by the mammoth booth size of XUV700 for our family as well.

It's time to move on from Suzuki to a newer easy-to-drive smaller car for home-to-office commute in the city. I have driven Suzuki for the past 15 years and the 2023 generation of cars are not meeting my fit and finish expectations the way they used to be built a few years back commanding too much waiting period.

I have test driven all current hatchbacks like Ignis (not suitable for a 6-footer like me)
The Fronx is raised Baleno which already was discarded when I purchased Dezire back in 2018 and gadgets and gizmos don't impress me much. A basic infotainment system is ok for me.

We don't want to opt for Brezza or Toyota Urban Cruiser as there is already XUV700 in Garage

I have the following criteria as a priority
Safety>> Better low-cost Service>> Easy to Drive Manual Powertrain

My wife is not comfortable with Automatic as she wants to get used to
driving and then becoming my co-driver on long road trips in XUV700 Manual gradually

I checked Dzire's online listing on car portals and 2018 models of approx 20k run are fetching good resale of approx 5 to 6 Lakhs.

My question is whether to wait with the current Dezire and wait for a newer variant of Tata Punch slated to launch by the end of 2023 or early 2024

My list contains the following cars

Ford Figo was our first car and Ford left India so no option

Honda Jazz mind-blowing of a vehicle but discontinued


Punch: Being a mini SUV can become a better learning platform for my wife to gradually move towards driving a bigger XUV700
(Roadblock: One of my friend an Altroz owner are complaining about Tata AfterSales and Spare Parts Issues) How is your experience with Punch?

Hyundai Exter: Main Concern Safety Rating and the platform
For spare parts and maintenance costs, any Hyundai Owner can share their inputs.

Mahindra: Is Mahindra launching any mini SUVs in early 2024? I can wait for some time for the same

Electrics are a no for the time being as sometimes we travel in the outskirts of western Maharashtra or Kerala having a hell of load shedding as well as network issues that hampers EV charging. This is a practical problem I encountered while driving a leading electric SUV of my friend from interior Konkan towards South Goa. Finding the nearest charging stations was a pain and the charging station in case there is load shedding takes its gala time to reboot and network issues of the mobile phone added salt to the injury for the app not working properly.

I will appreciate your input to make a proper decision.

[itzvicky201]

I have now started shopping a replacement for 2015 Honda Jazz VX Magic Seats variant. As such, I have no complaints/issues with the car, its just that city driving has become more painful with manual gearing and a lack lustre 1.2 i-VTEC engine, I am feeling it very difficult to get glued to climb roads or even mall parking without falling back.

One thing that I have observed that the same Jazz ZX CVT was costing 12L (last sold price), which means I am looking at a price hike 30% hike for the same car taken in 2015.

I did a TD of Kia Seltos 2023, Taigun, Kushaq and am now eagerly waiting for Honda Elevate. Obviously, the family is stuck to features and all the bells-whistles from Koreans.

But my question is how much of these "features" are actually useful or will be used in a day-2-day run

My point is today's Kia Seltos GT+2023 is coming to 25.5L OTR BLR and is almost knocking doors of Mahindra Scorpio N 2023 25.17L OTR BLR, which is definitely more SUV like and gives a commanding presence, drivability and a logical feeling of an SUV.

Are these features actually a "Must-Have" in a car or is it just a feeling of "I-too-have-this"?

ADAS
Lane Departure Warning
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
High-beam Assist
Blind Spot Detection
Lane Departure Prevention
Rear Cross-Traffic Assist

Would appreciate fellow bhpians thoughts and views.

[Boomerang]

Hi, Guys. I would like your take on this comparison before I buy my new car.

So I have zeroed in on two cars, VW Taigun Highline AT (1litre) and Honda VX CVT. I am confused to which one to go for. Below are my needs:

1. Safety first. I need a safest one (VW handson)
2. Engine capacity (Honda is an old 1.5 Vs. VW's 1lt turbo - Not a big fan of the 1lt turbo)
3. within 20lk onroad
4. looking at 7-8years of use

Hope to hear from the team here. Thank you again.