[shankar.balan]

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.

The thing is that they use a 6 year old Tata Indica V2 Turbo Diesel which is a very middle of the road sort of car. It works peacefully, if a trifle boringly, for them as their only vehicle to take them put putting about the city as well as on the highways between Madras and Bangalore.

Of course no one but my Dad or me drives it. It is maintained to a T. We have jazzed it up a lot with some excellent seats and nice alloys and fat tyres etc. It has done only 41500 kms in 6 years and the ride quality is excellent indeed. It really doesn't need to go away but typical of me, I am a victim of proxy user fatigue! Thats why all this debating.

My Dad has an excellent relationship with his mechanics at the Tata service both in Madras and in Bangalore. He has the time and invests in relationships. All that I am seeking to give my folks is a bit of luxe, comfort, style, safety and so on, along with some honest plain jane functionality and ease, which is why the particular cars in this consideration set.

This is why the VW Polo, Ford Figo, Maruti, Hyundai and others are not there, apart from some other issues ref ingress, egress and low slung ness and so on - all of which I have highlighted earlier on the thread.
Typical middle of the road thoughts would lead me to the Swift, Ritz, Vista, Indigo CS, Hyundai I 20, Hyundai I 10, WagonR, A Star, Pulse, Micra, Brio etc but I have chosen to drop all those.

It was a choice finally between Jazz, Vista, Punto, Fabia.
For various reasons I dumped the Jazz and Vista. I also had considered dumping the Punto on account of Fiat service.
Leaves me with the Skoda Fabia in the end. I don't have a problem with Skoda because I have so far had good experiences in owning a Yeti.

Else I shall simply go to the used market and buy something nice from there, which will meet the needs of diesel power, plenty of safety kit, stylish, clever and comfortable. Maybe a segment or two above the traditional hatch. However, if at all possible I would like to buy a brand new hatch, because ease of handling and parking is an important consideration too.

So what would be ideal as a trouble free, reliable, safe, comfortable, higher slung, reasonably spacious commuter plus long distance diesel hatch which also has a bit of style, luxe and panache?

[Pedaltothefloor]

The Swift has clocked 60K plus km and it has served me well. However, my needs from a car have evolved. From what I have read on this forum, it's a touchy topic and I don't want to start a debate here but if all goes well and the car is registered tomorrow, I can take delivery on Saturday.
I always keep saying there isn't such a thing as a good car or a bad car. People have trouble assessing their requirements and end up buying something that doesn't fit the bill and that's how all the BAD CAR reviews start.

If it helps, I test drove every other hatch in the segment and each one had it's pros and cons. The 90HP just happens to fit the current set of needs. I will start an ownership thread post delivery.

Here's the guy who sparked the thought. I didn't follow up outright and still went for a TD of other hatchbacks.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ms-update.html

[prashant316]

I may sound out of line here in this topic, but reading this thread forced me to think. WHAT IF... the likes of Palio, Peugot, Fusion, Corsa Sail, Getz had been still existent in the market. Would they have given these new launches a tougher competition? Or would these new launches like Polo, i20, Figo etc. have stolen the show and still ruled like they are doing today?

[shankar.balan]

Add the Fusion as well as the Optra SRV to that list.
When the Fusion and SRV came in, they were priced quite high with no diesel options available.

They never sold because those days 2004-5-6 etc were the heydays of the bl&&dy executive sedan movement and the game of perceptions and compartmentalising people was on, according to the car(s) they drove! A corporate ego massage came along free with the bl&&dy three box korean rattletraps like the Accent and things!

I am 100% sure that both the Fusion and SRV, had they been around now at similar prices, would seriously make a lot of sense as options for the slightly discerning car buyer who can actually see beyond pure FE, Korea, Japland, squadillion fool features, electronic gizmos and bright lights.

Frankly to me, the Fusion is a better vehicle by far than the Hyundai I20 and the Chevy Optra SRV is also a much nicer alternative to all these stupid middle of the road higher priced Variants of the Japanese and Korean hatchbacks.

The thing is that they should have offered the Fusion with Airbags as well as ABS and rear disc brakes at the price they did - around 7.5 to 8 on road max. They would have obviated the chokehold of the I20 and weaned away people from that silly Getz. I would have bought that vehicle myself had it been available at that avatar/ state at what I consider a fair price. But then Ford has always been stupid on its pricing, except with the Figo. And the Figo plastics etc are clearly engineered to a cost and are fairly ghastly akin to acres of arid desert. As it is the introduction of ABS Fusion Plus TDCi was far too little and far too late. They offered the Fusion TDCi plus with ABS in 2008 at an on road BLR price of 8.10 or something, but went and discontinued it shortly after that. Idiots.

Perhaps they should consider bringing that car back now, because it is really a very good vehicle indeed. Great ground clearance, good features, well put together, solid, backed by Ford's dealerships all India. 2WD no problem. Both Petrol and Diesel. They could have a fair whack at the Duster and take another shot at the Scorpio, Bolero, Safari market. Safety features and tech upgrades will ensure a good value proposition if they do what Im suggesting above. But will they? I guess not because Uncle Mike's got too many bl&&dy fish to fry!

[shankar.balan]

Just to share that we went and spent time at a Skoda shop today.

Made my folks sit in the Rapid and the Laura and the Superb and the Fabia and a brand new Yeti too. Of all the cars they sat in and spent time in, the Yeti of course was easiest for them to get in and out of, with minimum fuss.

The Rapid and all the others were too low and too long and I dont think these are ideal for people of later years to drive themselves about in.

The second best vehicle very very clearly, was the Skoda Fabia!

They were very impressed with the space inside, the legroom, the under-thigh support, the higher seating position, the fact that the doors open nice and wide, the boot space available and pretty much everything else.

Apart from that the very high quality bits inside, the safety features - airbags and ABS etc and so on.

All things considered this looks most likely as the next candidate for my folks. However, this is not happening in a hurry - I will take some time before making a final decision.

And the toss up between a brand new one and an used one is always there. Shall decide by and by. I mean there are some decent diesel examples available at about 5 to 6 lacs or so in Madras. Eminently buy-able indeed. The thing that is making me think in terms of used is that in the first place only a few choosy and quirky sort of people bought the Fabia. These people invariably would have at least one other car and are more likely to have looked after the car better than perhaps, others may have.

For the moment I am parking my thoughts on this thread, to be retrieved as required when required.

Bottom-line, absolutely nothing comes close to the Fabia, in terms of meeting my parents particular needs, requirements, comfort and 'wants' as well.

[93000BHP]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Just to share that we went and spent time at a Skoda shop today.

The second best vehicle very very clearly, was the Skoda Fabia!

They were very impressed with the space inside, the legroom, the under-thigh support, the higher seating position, the fact that the doors open nice and wide, the boot space available and pretty much everything else.

Apart from that the very high quality bits inside, the safety features - airbags and ABS etc and so on.

Bottom-line, absolutely nothing comes close to the Fabia, in terms of meeting my parents particular needs, requirements, comfort and 'wants' as well.

I agree completely to what you have experienced . I also own an indica and recently bought a fabia 1.6. Apart from easy ingress and seating position for elderly people the visibility all around is pretty good and the cabin is also airy and pretty spacious.
Added to this the steering is very light when compared to the indica.

[vineet1712]

Hey guys I need your help in deciding which diesel hatchback to buy....
The car is required for my father and it will be driven by a driver. My budget in 5-7 lacs

The things to keep in mind are-
Good fuel economy as the car will be driven 60-70 km daily.
Enough rear boot space.
Availability of spare parts when needed.
Not very high*maintenance cost

The cars that I have in mind are
Swift vdi
Ritz
Figo


Please help me to choose one of them or suggest any other car...

Thanxx

[download2live]

Originally Posted by vineet1712

The cars that I have in mind are
Swift vdi
Ritz
Figo


Please help me to choose one of them or suggest any other car...

Thanxx

If I were you I would have gone for Figo, Ritz ,Swift in that order.

But if it is going to be a driver driven car then why not Vista. Has awesome rear seats.

[Shome]

Originally Posted by vineet1712

Hey guys I need your help in deciding which diesel hatchback to buy....
The car is required for my father and it will be driven by a driver. My budget in 5-7 lacs

The things to keep in mind are-
Good fuel economy as the car will be driven 60-70 km daily.
Enough rear boot space.
Availability of spare parts when needed.
Not very high*maintenance cost

The cars that I have in mind are
Swift vdi
Ritz
Figo


Please help me to choose one of them or suggest any other car...

Thanxx

Ritz for me if you need boot space, not very high maintenance, availability of spares, and fuel economy.

Indica Vista is an option but ritz ticks more boxes for me...no offence to the owners.

[itwasntme]

Guys, what about rear seat ride between the Ritz, Swift, Polo, Punto, Figo and Verito?

Am looking for a low maintenance chauffeur driven diesel mid sizer to keep for minimum 5 years. Lack of rear leg space not a deal-breaker but need to find the best rear seat ride. Does Ritz really have a very bumpy ride?

Recommendations?

[suhaas307]

If you intend on keeping the car for 5 years, I suggest you get something you'd be completely happy with. Try the Sunny, the ride comfort is good and space is in abundance. The Verito is also a good option, considering the fact that the face-lift is out.

[itwasntme]

Sunny would be great except for the length. Has to meet 'Commercial Street' parking specs, hence would like to restrict to shorter cars :-).

Ironically, have been studying 3 cars from the same lineage, i.e. the Sunny, Verito and Duster. Will TD the Verito and then decide. Can't stick the Dzire else that would have been a possibility too.

[jpm]

My dad's iKon 1.6 of 7 years finally died, though quite unexepectedly and we are in dire need of a new car.

Already have two small cars; my Vista and my brother's Etios Liva in the household. Natural choice was a sedan. Vento 2012 Highline it was; offered with a juicy 50K cash discount+SatNav+ReverseParking et al.

But there is a problem. We live in a small city and his office is in the congested commercial part. Parking is a major issue there and more often than not, bumper to bumper traffic moving along one-way.

However, my brother was not ready to part with his beloved Liva and while I eagerly offered to relieve dad of his problem; dad refused to take my Vista.

So, step down to a 'premium' hatch was the next option.

Maruti, Tata, Nissan, Hyundai, Chevy, Skoda - all out of contention. Either not premium enough or dont like the looks of their current small cars.

So we are left with VW Polo or Renault Pulse.

Now, coming from that amazing 1.6 Ikon, my dad wants a peppy car and we cant blame him. He simply hates my Vista TDi and its turbo lag.

From my research here at tbhp, i feel pulse should be better suited for city driving. However its not quite up there with Polo in terms of interiors and coziness.

Still havent test driven the Polo 1.2 petrol. 1.2 Diesel drives sort of somewhere between a swift and vista tdi. Not peppy enough. But interiors are pleasing.

We are planning to test drive the Pulse and the Polo petrol tomorrow. If things go well, might book within this weekend one among three.

Now Polo HL Diesel is quoted at 8.2L OTR with 40-50k cash discount as year end. For Polo HL Petrol, I was quoted 6.92 OTR also with 40K cash discount.

Still, some doubts as to whether I should consider the Jazz or the Fabia? Am i wrong in thinking Jazz a 5 yr old model without much going for itself? The Fabia even with this refresh seems ancient. However, is the 1.6L Petrol of Fabia a worthy successor to iKon 1.6?

So, if you were in a fix like mine what would you choose?

1. VW Polo HL Petrol
2. VW Polo HL Diesel
3. Renault Pulse RxZ dCi
4. Honda Jazz 'X'
5. Skoda Fabia 1.6 Elegance

Also are the discounts offered by VW fair? or should i push for more?

[SunnyBoi]

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[veedub89]

If you want a petrol go for the Jazz. I have driven the Polo petrol and it is underpowered. If you didn't like the eagerness of the Polo diesel don't expect anything at all from the petrol avtar.
Also all things considered the Jazz is not a bad "premium" option, its actually quite good. It drives very well and comes with all the bells and whistles.