Team-BHP - Zen or Santro or Xeta or alto

[SIZE=2]Hi all,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]I am firmware engineer by profession.Planning to buy a new compact car[for city traffic] .It's usage would be around 35km per day in the city.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2].We have two cars corsa and maruti 800. Looking for a replacement of maruti.Unable to decide which car is the best.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]points to be considered:[/SIZE][SIZE=2]1)MILEAGE is the main criteria [/SIZE][SIZE=2] 2)It'll be a woman driven car. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] 3)I am 5'1 , does height of the driver matter while making the choice. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Can you tell me a little more on CNG.Does any of the above cars provide an in built CNG system. I am from hyderabad ,what is availabiltiy of the CNG gas filling stations.[/SIZE]
Is any new version of Zen being released in the market.
[SIZE=2]please: help me in making the right choice.I hope the gurus will give some gyaan.[/SIZE]

Hey if you can wait for a few days (till March) then hold on to your purchase. Maruti is planning to launch the LPG version of its WagonR model. That should have really gr8 FE (costs about Rs.2 per km).

I think in Hyderabad, as much as in any other non-metro, you are better off with an LPG vehicle. CNG is ok only for cities like Delhi. Moreover conversion is more difficult and bulkier. Hyderabad has quite a few LPG stations and it is adding on to these at a very fast clip. Now even the Reliance pumps in Hyderabad sell Auto LPG.

My only concern is that the WagonR may not exactly be the comfiest thing for a 5''1' height. But then I see so many ladies drive Santros and WagonRs everyday and most Indian ladies do not go up beyong 5''3' (ok, even that is also a 2 inch diff... still).

Go for the WagonR with EPS (electric power steering). Thats lxi/vxi model. VERY, i mean VERY easy to manoevre in city traffic, and effortless for ladies. Its from Maruti, so FE and aftersales not a problem.

As Zappo pointed out, wagonR LPG is coming soon. So why not wait a little for that? But if you are in a hurry, than lxi/vxi is my best advice. Stay away from Zen as it is outdated ant not that safe.

About the thing concerning your height, that wont matter in any car you drive, the only thing is that the height of Dashboard should not be absurdly heigh with reference to the front seat. This is not the case in either santro/wagonr/zen. Indica dashboard is a little higher and front visibility can be a problem for short height people.

Hope that helps.

P.S. There is a limited edition model of wagonR called Primea. I dont know why there is such a huge popularity for that model, which shot wagonR sales at an all time high in decemeber beating rivals santro,zen and Indica. You can check that model, i dont know much details about it though, except that it looks good from outside with alloys/graphics and all..

Thank you all for the inputs.I always had a penchant for Zen but it looks that it is not the best car according to u guys. Wagnon R [body]doesn't appeal me.
I am reiterating my post for better readability.Me planning to buy a compact car.
I don't understand much of the technicalities.My requirements are good mileage ,comfortable for city traffic.It will be a a woman driven car.I heard that CNG is much safer than LPG as the later is inflammable.Please help me in making the right choice.

rajani

Quote:

Originally Posted by manchuk

hi rajani, why dont you go in for the Santro Xing - it is as good as, if not better than the WagonR. And it is much better to drive around in the city traffic than the wagon, thanks to its peppy engine and low turning radius - also much more safer. And it has very low running costs and absolutely zero maintainence.

Moreover, as far as ladies are concerned - they love the looks of the xing - as its compact and cute, opposed to wagonR which looks tall and boxy. And there are loads of them i know which prefer a santro anyday over a zen or wagonR - for the above reasons.

CNG-wise and LPG-wise, I wouldn't recommend anything which is not factory-fitted, due to obvious safety concerns.

Alto is by far most fuel economical ... (its just 796cc)...
You don't drive around too much.. I don't think LPG or CNG is actually needed!
Alto has less space (rather its cramped)... but .. safety/ handling/ ride/ drivability... all are better than BOTH Santro And WagonR....
Altough do test drive .. coz my opinion is based on an Alto Vxi.... and I've heard the lxi/lx is not as sturdy as the good old Vxi

and let the zen rest is peace...

Quote:

And it is much better to drive around in the city traffic than the wagon, thanks to its peppy engine and low turning radius - also much more safer. And it has very low running costs and absolutely zero maintainence.

MUCH better to drive?
MUCH MORE safer?
ABSOLUTELY Zero maintainence?

Alto,sis. Its the easiest to maintain. FE of the 800. It'll fit u like a glove.
WagonR and Santro if u're pretty well built (6'+ and 80kg+),but not necessarily.
The Zen is around 20 years old and is bit unsafe compared to the Alto.

I've made a policy of never buying a new Tata product since they're not at their best fit. Some problems might crop up in new cars and will be rectified over a period of time.

My recommendation will also be Alto looking at your needs. For Lady driver, go for Alto Lxi (with power steering) as it will be very easy to drive. I have used an Alto for 4.5 years and found it to be an excellent city car. Excellent FE, minimal maintenance (service after 10,000 km costing around Rs. 1000) excellent AC... I could go ON...

Wagon R and Xing are in different segment all-together. If you want an upgrade go for any of them but test drive these cars before you make a decision as they are comparable in terms of space, FE, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra

Moreover, as far as ladies are concerned - they love the looks of the xing - as its compact and cute, opposed to wagonR which looks tall and boxy.

Goldie, as far as looks are concerned, it is subjective. Personally i prefer the new model wagonr looks better than footballish Santro.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra

And it is much better to drive around in the city traffic than the wagon, thanks to its peppy engine and low turning radius

I do agree to an extent here. Thats because the peak torque and power comes at a slightly (mind you only slightly) lower rpm, which makes it a little more peppy in city traffic (stop and go). But i do maintain, WagonR's EPS has no match, infact, i read somewhere that its THE most effortless steering in any car this side of 5 lacs. Although its a bit lifeless at times.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra

also much more safer

There is no safety feature in Santro that is missing in WagonR. If you know one, do let me know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra

And there are loads of them i know which prefer a santro anyday over a zen or wagonR - for the above reasons.

Check out the latest sales report (you can find that in any of the auto magazines). Zen had lost sales to wagonR a looong time back, but whats interesting is the fact that wagonR is now ahead of even Santro and Indica. And, if Santro had ZERO mainaiance, then maybe Alto and WagonR have minus 100 (-100) maintanance.. lol..

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLK

MUCH better to drive?
MUCH MORE safer?
ABSOLUTELY Zero maintainence?

SLK i think my post clears all the points.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dceite

Goldie, as far as looks are concerned, it is subjective. Personally i prefer the new model wagonr looks better than footballish Santro.

Looks are subjective, indeed. What i mentioned was most ladies i knew prefer the Santro xings better than the wagonR - a sentiment echoed by the lady in question over here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dceite

There is no safety feature in Santro that is missing in WagonR. If you know one, do let me know.

Well - santro has better crash ratings than the WagonR, and is heavier and more solidly built. Braking of Santro is also better.

And i dont want to give some stupid example of having extra seatbelts in the rear ....

Quote:

Originally Posted by dceite

And, if Santro had ZERO mainaiance, then maybe Alto and WagonR have minus 100 (-100) maintanance.. lol..

You mean to say MUL actually pays people to drive them :p

Spares of a Santro are as cheap as WagonR and labour charges are equal. So I dont see why WagonR should be cheaper in maintainence ??

Moreover, ask any Santro owner, and he'll tell you how little maintainence the car requires over the years.

Disclaimer: The above opinions are my own and I have no intention of starting a slugfest over Santro vs Wagon-R - it has been done enough times in the past on this forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra

You mean to say MUL actually pays people to drive them :p

But did you mean a Santro never visits the service station? Boy if thats true, than that must be REALLY interesting :)

On a more serious note, i dont think that there is much difference as far as safety is concerned. I maintain that. THe thing you talk about "solidity" and so on are a user's perspective. When i compare my wagonr to my bro's santro zipdrive, i dont find anything more "solid" in it.

That said, both are almost equally good(or equally bad) cars, and in the end it all depends on the end user. Like they say "19/20 ka farak to hai".

P.S. How do you know what the ladies like? You must be a lucky guy! :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by dceite

On a more serious note, i dont think that there is much difference as far as safety is concerned. I maintain that. THe thing you talk about "solidity" and so on are a user's perspective. When i compare my wagonr to my bro's santro zipdrive, i dont find anything more "solid" in it.

That said, both are almost equally good(or equally bad) cars, and in the end it all depends on the end user. Like they say "19/20 ka farak to hai".

Totally agree - its a "19/20 ka farak" only - and the diff is only from individual perspective, and mine might be biased towards the xing, as i own one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dceite

P.S. How do you know what the ladies like? You must be a lucky guy! :D

Just that I got more compliments from the gals on my Xing than my roomie's WagonR
Or - as I often take a dig at him - it has more to do with who's driving it ;)