[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

A layman's question -

Can the driver's side height adjustable seat not be retrofitted on the passenger seat? The controls will be ulta, but isn't that a small price to pay for the convenience??

I had asked the Honda guys the same thing when I took delivery of my Jazz, but he said it couldn't be done. My common sense refuses to accept that!

Well, I ve asked them all for this facility but have always drawn a blank though!
Fact is also wherever one has side curtain airbags, it is recommended to leave all the seats exactly as they come from the factory.
They do not even allow you to put loose covers on, because they may foul up with the airbags at the time of deployment if ever, when ever.
If however, one buys a car which only has front driver and passenger airbags, then I guess one can do some amount of retro fitting and re- upholster the seats completely as per ones own taste. One can raise the seat, extend the thigh support and a whole lot of stuff besides!

[shankar.balan]

Saw the Punto sport 2012 and the Tata Vista.

The Punto is well, 'Bellissima'!. Everything about it feels right from the heart, including ingress and egress and the wide angle doors!
Lack of under thigh support in the drivers seat and front passenger seat as usual. Lack of passenger seat height adjustment too.
Rear seat comfort for a tall person for a short while is not an issue. Headroom in the Punto rear seat is good. Did not bang my head on the roof line.
Slightly crude finish seen when one puts the rear seats down to form the load bay. The seat backs having the hard plastic covers will help save them from the marauding luggage.
Overall a very nice looking, chunky, top class car. Solid feel when you shut the doors etc.
Can only consider buying the top end 75 bhp or 90 bhp because those are the only variants which come with ABS and Airbags and alloys. Unfortunately even in this cr they skimp n the rear disc brakes!
Crude plastics still abound like in a 1980's car.

The Vista right from the word go signifies extreme value. The driving and passenger seat position is fantastic for elderly people. Ingress and egress is very easy too even for tall people. I did not bang my head at all.
Sitting in the rear seat my head touches the roof because of the sloped roofline.
The luggage load bay is good. i like the cleverness of having to put the seat squabs up and then free up more space for loads by putting the seat backs down.
Crude plastics and all that still abound regardless of progress. Still doesn't feel quite as solid as the Punto or others when you shut the doors etc, but definitely feels better than a Maruti.
Again the only one worth considering is the top spec variant which comes with all the safety kit and stuff.

The Final Consideration Set:
The Jazz because it is clever, but now I am not sure it is a good idea to go for Petrol, however efficient it may be. The other concerns on the Jazz as outlined earlier still hold good.
The Punto is delicious but I am frankly scared of the Punto on account of the service, though I love everything else about the car and can forgive some of the clumsy bits. Its like forgiving the mole on Eva Mendes face because she is so pretty otherwise. At least, in my opinion.
The Vista is brilliant in terms of value, functionality and everything, but why would one upgrade within the Tata brand itself when there are so many more choices out there?
The Fabia bears more thinking out now, because it is deliciously comfy, soft touch plastics etc make it very luxurious as a hatch in comparison with all the other hatches out there,as well as stylish inside and outside. Performance per se is not a big deal for my Dad so the three pot diesel engine will be fine.

So the Italian head turner is still a head turner, the Eastern European Gypsy queen is still a front contender, the Japanese is hanging in by the skin of its teeth because it might cost a lot to feed and my dear Indian lady of simplicity, decency and value is definitely in contention!
Tough decision indeed. Thankfully there is no hurry at all!

Ta da! So lets think on it a bit more and see!

[raj_5004]

No offence, but when you are considering the Skoda Fabia, why bother about FIAT's service? IMHO, we have read much more horror stories about Skoda than FIAT.

Atleast in my experience, buying a FIAT is like playing a gamble. I have not read many city dwellers having an issue with FIAT's service. Infact in Mumbai, I have received even better service than Toyota. And I am not kidding.

Also, in a recent FIAT meet, we had the regional sales and regional service manager of FIAT joining us. They were of the opinion that about 100 sales and service points for FIATS will be inaugurated by Feb 2013 (pan India) and by the end of 2013, the number would increase to 180.

I have always felt that buying a car is more of an emotional decision and we should not think too practically everytime. After all, we dont change cars every week... So opt for the car which you "want" and not the car which you "dont mind".

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

No offence, but when you are considering the Skoda Fabia, why bother about FIAT's service? IMHO, we have read much more horror stories about Skoda than FIAT.

Atleast in my experience, buying a FIAT is like playing a gamble. I have not read many city dwellers having an issue with FIAT's service. Infact in Mumbai, I have received even better service than Toyota. And I am not kidding.

Also, in a recent FIAT meet, we had the regional sales and regional service manager of FIAT joining us. They were of the opinion that about 100 sales and service points for FIATS will be inaugurated by Feb 2013 (pan India) and by the end of 2013, the number would increase to 180.

I have always felt that buying a car is more of an emotional decision and we should not think too practically everytime. After all, we dont change cars every week... So opt for the car which you "want" and not the car which you "dont mind".

Don't forget I own a Skoda Yeti Raj!

And while there are loads of negative experiences of Skoda and other companies, there are quite a few positive ones too. I pray that I remain fortunate enough to be amongst the positive ones! And I will help myself while praying, by investing in relationships with the service and sales staff too.

My father has so far had decent experiences in Madras with Tata service. He invests in relationships with people and is able to get what he needs in terms of service.
My uncle in Madras has had severe difficulties with Fiat service.

Yes it is an emotional decision.

One of the key intentions here is to gift my parents who are in their 70's, that rather nice feel good luxury euro-ish experience rather than just buy another car for them. Thats why so much thought and consideration.

And there is no hurry either as there is plenty life in the old dog Indica yet!

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Don't forget I own a Skoda Yeti Raj!

............

And there is no hurry either as there is plenty life in the old dog Indica yet!

Oops! I forgot two things here -

1) You already have a Skoda.
2) This car is for your parents.

I agree. For your parents, a Fabia or a Vista would be more apt than a Punto. That is, if you are comfortable with their A.S.S.

Best of luck.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Oops! I forgot two things here -

1) You already have a Skoda.
2) This car is for your parents.

I agree. For your parents, a Fabia or a Vista would be more apt than a Punto. That is, if you are comfortable with their A.S.S.

Best of luck.

More apt because of seating position and ingress, egress etc?

Odd, because I found somehow that there wasn't really an appreciable difference in these points between the three, from my perspective.

Fabia on account of its lovely feel and Euro appeal. My folks like good quality things just like any of us!
Punto because is such a pretty car indeed! My folks appreciate Italian style too just like any of us!
Vista because it is eminently sensible as a deal. They are sensible of value too, just like any of us!

So what on earth to choose?
Heart or Head? Which wins?

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

More apt because of seating position and ingress, egress etc?

.......

So what on earth to choose?
Heart or Head? Which wins?

Fabia - for it's quality interiors and also ease of ingress.

Vista - for its space and comfortable rear seats.

Punto - If your parents really like the looks.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Fabia - for it's quality interiors and also ease of ingress.

Vista - for its space and comfortable rear seats.

Punto - If your parents really like the looks.

Cool.

My dad drives himself. Quite obsessive in fact. Mum sits in front only, never in the rear. On very rare occasions a day driver comes along.

Punto is in this set only because it looks great.
Fabia because of quality
Vista because it is a sensible, middle of the road sort of vehicle.

Jazz is the wild card here!

All latest safety features and fully loaded ness are important things in consideration.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

My dad drives himself. Quite obsessive in fact. Mum sits in front only, never in the rear. On very rare occasions a day driver comes along.

Punto is in this set only because it looks great.
Fabia because of quality
Vista because it is a sensible, middle of the road sort of vehicle.

Jazz is the wild card here!

All latest safety features and fully loaded ness are important things in consideration.

Since the car is for your parents, I believe the wildcard Jazz (top variant) is the ideal option, followed by the Punto and Fabia. Mentioned Fabia as last option because you already have a bigger and luxurious Skoda in the family.

On second thoughts, maybe you can wait for the Duster pricing

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Since the car is for your parents, I believe the wildcard Jazz (top variant) is the ideal option, followed by the Punto and Fabia. Mentioned Fabia as last option because you already have a bigger and luxurious Skoda in the family.

On second thoughts, maybe you can wait for the Duster pricing

The Folks live in another city. They ideally must have their own luxury so that they can enjoy it all the time instead of having to do so only when they visit me.

Duster wont cut it as my Dad no longer needs an utility vehicle.

He needs a nice, comfy, smart, reasonably roomy car which is easy to park and buzz about in as a 70 year old bloke.

The Punto thought is only on the looks quotient. Am concerned with how they will handle his servicing issues if any.

Skoda Fabia somehow I like and have always liked, which is why it always was the first one. Lets see if we can continue to pull strings in the service aspects.

Jazz is really nice too but as I said there are a couple of inherent disadvantages - it is low slung and a bit difficult for older people to get in and out of easily. Bu by god it is a clever car!

Vista - only my VFM seeking genes keep this in consideration at all!

[shadows123]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The Folks live in another city. They ideally must have their own luxury so that they can enjoy it all the time instead of having to do so only when they visit me.

Duster wont cut it as my Dad no longer needs an utility vehicle.

He needs a nice, comfy, smart, reasonably roomy car which is easy to park and buzz about in as a 70 year old bloke.

The Punto thought is only on the looks quotient. Am concerned with how they will handle his servicing issues if any.

Skoda Fabia somehow I like and have always liked, which is why it always was the first one. Lets see if we can continue to pull strings in the service aspects.

Jazz is really nice too but as I said there are a couple of inherent disadvantages - it is low slung and a bit difficult for older people to get in and out of easily. Bu by god it is a clever car!

Vista - only my VFM seeking genes keep this in consideration at all!

Since its for your parents, dont go for Fiat or Skoda until they sort out the A.S. They may not appreciate poor service considering the cost paid out in buying the car.

[fiat_tarun]

I fell the other thing going for the Punto apart from the looks will be the ride. Your parents will love the ride that this car offers. You mentioned they live in another city. I'm sure you have an idea on how good / bad the Skoda / Fiat dealers are in that city ? This should help you make your decision.

[shankar.balan]

Shadows:
I ve already got a Skoda Yeti. I dont mind the Fabia on account of the sheer quality and feel that it gives back. It is in many ways, the vehicular equivalent of the exotic, high cheek-boned,eastern european gypsy queen.

The Punto is being considered on account of its looks mostly. Also the quality inside isn't bad - one can live with it. After all, it is a tempestuous Italian beauty..

Fiat-tarun:
I quite like the Punto for its looks. I love the thud the doors make. I also can well believe that drive ability will be good and ride will be good.

Whichever car we end up buying, we shall be forced to rip out the front seats and re- upholster and bolster them for greater comfort for my folks.

So with all this, the Vista is fading out a bit because it just does not have that panache about it and the Jazz too is coming down rapidly in octaves from the highs of its crescendo!

Very tough indeed.

Luckily no hurry and I am only researching and slowly narrowing the field!

[Pedaltothefloor]

I have recently booked a Punto 90HP to replace my swift ZDi. It's a brilliant ride but I won't recommend it for your folks. It has it's share of niggles and the Tata service can get on your nerves. Even the buying experience is horrible. I am going for it as I am now a self proclaimed auto enthusiasts and I can deal with small niggles as a trade off for exceptional ride and handling. I wouldn't recommend that your parents go for it.

What they need is a reliable commuter vehicle. The Punto is definitely not one.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by Pedaltothefloor

I have recently booked a Punto 90HP to replace my swift ZDi. It's a brilliant ride but I won't recommend it for your folks. It has it's share of niggles and the Tata service can get on your nerves. Even the buying experience is horrible. I am going for it as I am now a self proclaimed auto enthusiasts and I can deal with small niggles as a trade off for exceptional ride and handling. I wouldn't recommend that your parents go for it.

What they need is a reliable commuter vehicle. The Punto is definitely not one.

Punto 90 to replace the ZDi, i'm sure your Swift isn't very old. If i may ask,any particular reasons for the above change ?