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Old 7th July 2011, 09:46   #61
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

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Originally Posted by vidyasagar View Post
+2 to that. Why are you not considering Punto Emotion 1.4 / Punto MJD..?
comes within your planned budget, amazing to drive and with improvements in fiat service these days, its amazing to own as well.

Is it the resale value that you are considering..?
With that kind of running, would a MJD make sense? Especially if he is considering to sell the car after 3 years. Would someone really consider the Punto 1.4 when there are better options available. The Punto is known to be sluggish and we are talking about a 1.4 petrol which has poor low end torque.
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Old 7th July 2011, 09:52   #62
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

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With that kind of running, would a MJD make sense? Especially if he is considering to sell the car after 3 years.
+1 to this I said the same thing - he cannot recover the extra amount spent on the diesel variant by using the cost/km advantage of petrol vs diesel, if he runs 100km per week. At that rate, he will be selling the car after 4 years with approximately 20k kms on the odo. No good going for any Diesel
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Old 7th July 2011, 09:54   #63
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

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Originally Posted by fuel_addict View Post
I would have recommended the Swift P too but accommodating 5 people in the car would be a tad cumbersome even though 2 of them are kids. The rear bench space/comfort in the Swift are strictly average.
Correct, its a bit of a squeeze for 5 in the back, but should be okay for 1 adult+2 kids , especially since the Polo is also in consideration.

PS : I have never been in the backseat of a Swift for more than 5 minutes, even though I own one.
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Old 7th July 2011, 09:57   #64
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

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PS : I have never been in the backseat of a Swift for more than 5 minutes, even though I own one.
I am no different in that respect. We hardly ever get a chance to sit on the back seats of our own cars.
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Old 7th July 2011, 10:01   #65
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

Amongst the cars you have listed the Ford Fiesta Classic 1.6 is the most involving car to drive. It may look dated but it is a very satisfying car to drive with an excellent engine and superb dynamics.

Polo 1.6 is also a good option but remember this 1.6 engine under the hood does not feel as punchy as the original hot hatch- the Palio 1.6, the driving experience again is not as pure as the older Palio and Fiesta Classic. Better than current crop of Hatchbacks purely due to bigger engine. Worst part is the lifeless steering.

Fabia 1.6 comes with the same engine as Polo but is slightly different to drive. The steering is a lot better, with more feel and feedback. Another Warm hatch like Polo. To me it looks considerably dull compared to the Polo.

Punto 1.4 with excellent dynamics is a involving car to drive but performance is disappointing.

Swift is not as well built as the European cars i have mentioned above but it's a entertaining car to drive. The new Swift is just round the corner, consider it as an option.
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Old 7th July 2011, 10:06   #66
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

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Originally Posted by satish_appasani View Post
My requirements:
Great driveability & fun to drive.
Good handling (remember I am spoiled by my Palio)
Should be good for a highway drive ( max 2 x 800 KMS round trips/year)
Should be comfortable for 3 adults & 2 kids (5 year old + Infant)
Budget: 6 - 8 lakhs (Cannot stretch beyond)
Average weekly mileage: 100 KMS.
Will be retaining the car 3 - 5 years

My options are (in the order of preference):
Nissam Micra Dsl(XV / XV Preemium?)
VW Petrol 1.6
Fabia 1.6 (How good is it compared to VW 1.6?)
Fiesta classic (P)
Figo
Ritz (P/D)
Satish,

Looking at your running, your should opt for Petrol hatch only. Please tick off Nissan and Ritz if you are looking for bigger hatch. The ideal hatch for you would then be i20, surprising its not on the list. By VW Petrol 1.6 I guess you meant the Polo.

Its a pity that the Ford Fusion is phased out or else it would have been the only contender for all your requirements. All the best.
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Old 7th July 2011, 11:56   #67
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

My vote would (unsurprisingly) go for the Honda Jazz. It will seat the 5 people you require and offers an excellent drive. It is easy to manouevre in the city and has a big car feel on the highway. Perhaps the equipment level offered may seem a bit low compared to the bells and whistles offered in, say an i20.

However, in my experience I hardly use any of those and would rather get more reliability and cover my basic requirements better. In that sense, I think it is a different kind of VFM that the Jazz offers in terms of reliability and peace of mind.

My colleagues/ friends do say often that it offers the practicality of a sedan in hatchback form. Discounts are also being offered by Honda on the Jazz; it should be available for around 7.5L or so based on where you live/ how much you can negotiate.
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Old 7th July 2011, 12:18   #68
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

Surprising to see the i20 missing. Its a 'big' car. Looks good. Decent engine.

My choice in no order of preference would be
1) Ford Fiesta - Purely for the driving pleasure (plus, you get the boot).
2) Honda Jazz - Hot Hatch, re-sale value is a doubt though.
3) Polo/Fabia - Decent drives too. The 1.6 i.e.
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Old 7th July 2011, 12:21   #69
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

I am fairly surprised that you are not considering swift - its an amazing VFM car and gives painless peace of mind ownership. There's a reason it still has the waiting it does, inspite of cheaper cars (vista/figo) and lovelier cars (i20/jazz) in the segment.

Last edited by phamilyman : 7th July 2011 at 12:23.
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Old 7th July 2011, 12:23   #70
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

My choice would be in the following order,

1. Polo - 1.6
2. Swift Next Gen ( though not listed in preferences)

Cheers!
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Old 7th July 2011, 17:04   #71
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Re: A good hatch that is great to drive

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Originally Posted by satish_appasani View Post
Now my wife and I are think we may not really need a second car. There are chances we will go for a bigger hatch. We will use this car for minimum of 2 - 3 years before add another car or replace this car.

My requirements:
Great driveability & fun to drive.
Good handling (remember I am spoiled by my Palio)
Should be good for a highway drive ( max 2 x 800 KMS round trips/year)
Should be comfortable for 3 adults & 2 kids (5 year old + Infant)
Budget: 6 - 8 lakhs (Cannot stretch beyond)
Average weekly mileage: 100 KMS.
Will be retaining the car 3 - 5 years
What do you mean, you will continue with the Palio for another 2-3 years, and then look for a bigger hatch? If that’s the case, the list is quite irrelevant (in 2-3 years you will have a whole lot of different options).

If the list is for now, my suggestion will be the Fiesta Classic / Jazz / Fabia 1.6.

Last edited by vb-saan : 7th July 2011 at 17:04. Reason: spelling
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Old 14th July 2011, 02:39   #72
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Re: Recommendation for a small hatch

It was Spark finally. Picked the Petrol LT model. Costed me Rs. 3.92 lakhs on road. I got Rs.57K cash discount. Rs.15000/- for the 3year/45K KMS free maintenance plan seems not a bad idea and i paid for it. They are offering 9 free services and covers labor + oils + general replacement parts like filters. Also it includes 3 free wheel alignments.

I wanted to pick Nissan Micra. But i listened to my head for once rather than heart. Spark was the best choice for me to buy a new car and still be debt free. I am going to receive my Dad's 50K KMs driven 2006 Accent Viva CRDI towards the year end. Then my Spark will go to my wife. With zero debt on cars, i am going to own 2 cars. I will replace Accent after 2 years when my finances would be more stable.

Switching from Palio D to Spark was a big leap backwards in few areas. I am 6' 1" and i wish driver seat could travel backwards by couple more inches. Also the driver leg well could have been little wider. When i am wearing office shoes or sneakers, i feel ok. But my big Woodland shoes are going to remain in the storage until i get the bigger car. Anyway those large shoes never felt good for driving.

It is not wise to compare the driveability of a 1.9L Diesel car to 1L petrol car. It feels ok to drive in the city. I can drive in 3rd gear most of the time. Being used to Diesel for 7 years, it is taking me some time to get used to picking up speeds after driving over a speed breaker or during an overtake. There is certain loss of power when AC is switched on.

Light power steering and the car size make it joy to drive through city traffic.

The combination of beige interiors with black steering wheel and black-silver center console are lively and the large windows throw lot of light in to the cabin. The stereo is decent. It is Nippon make and sounds good for my podcasts. I don't listen to lot of music.

The buying experiance at Kun Chevrolet, Hyderabad was satisfying. Though i booked my car at the dealership new Tank bund, they delivered it to me at their Kondapur showrrom which is closer to my home. They messed up with their delivery times. I requested them to deliver the car before 12 PM so that i can get the pooja completed before auspicious moments slip by. But the salesperson reached the shop only by 11:40 PM.

Ultimately i am happy with my purchase and hoping that GM provides good support though the duration the car is with me unlike Fiat.

Last edited by satish_appasani : 14th July 2011 at 02:43.
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Old 14th July 2011, 07:16   #73
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Re: Recommendation for a small hatch

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Originally Posted by satish_appasani View Post
It was Spark finally. Picked the Petrol LT model.
A sensible choice indeed. the spark is a no nonsense, decently spacious, practical urban runabout. and i am certain you would be pleased pottering around town in one.
And an even wiser decision was to direct your finances in the right direction and staying out of debt.
Plus you will end up with two cars towards the end of the year, and then 2 years down the line, we shall join you yet again on your journey for an all new car. Till then.
Wishing you many happy miles of joyful motoring with your Sparkie!
Drive Safe!
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Old 14th July 2011, 10:50   #74
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Re: Recommendation for a small hatch

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Originally Posted by satish_appasani View Post
It was Spark finally. Picked the Petrol LT model. Costed me Rs. 3.92 lakhs on road. I got Rs.57K cash discount. Rs.15000/- for the 3year/45K KMS free maintenance plan seems not a bad idea and i paid for it. They are offering 9 free services and covers labor + oils + general replacement parts like filters. Also it includes 3 free wheel alignments.
I did not know that you have to pay for the 3 year maintenance plan. I got it free when I got my Spark. Since when have they made it a paid thing?
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Old 14th July 2011, 13:43   #75
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Re: Recommendation for a small hatch

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Originally Posted by SPARKled View Post
I did not know that you have to pay for the 3 year maintenance plan. I got it free when I got my Spark. Since when have they made it a paid thing?
Because of the discounts of up to Rs.57,000/- they are charging for the maintenance plan.
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