[qaqa]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Cars like the Swift and Sail are just 'okay' in terms of interior ergonomics. In fact, I find the Sail to be pretty good. My biggest grouse with it is the awkward positioning of the pedals.

I fully agree. I would have picked up the Sail if not for the horrendous pedal positioning.

I also agree that the Jazz has a questionable future in India. I just hope that Honda continues to produce it till the 2014 edition launches.

It's funny how small the list of cars becomes if you want an affordable car with full safety kit. For the diesels you are forced to pick up (unaffordable) top end models.

Even amongst petrols, only Honda offers good safety features in their low-mid variants.

[akhil_rpmlover]

Originally Posted by qaqa

I also agree that the Jazz has a questionable future in India. I just hope that Honda continues to produce it till the 2014 edition launches. It's funny how small the list of cars becomes if you want an affordable car with full safety kit. For the diesels you are forced to pick up (unaffordable) top end models.

Yep. Jazz does have a doubtful future. That said, i bought a Jazz this year, without much of such thoughts. With Amaze coming, Jazz's sale will be minimal. There were rumours about Honda stopping Jazz, but the thing is, a diesel hearted Jazz makes much sense than many diesel hatches here, if only they could launch it here. I think Honda will continue this model till 2014 without any ads or promo and then, launch the next gen Jazz with diesel motor.Atleast, lets hope so.

Even amongst petrols, only Honda offers good safety features in their low-mid variants.

Honda offers Safety features as standard, except in Brio. Brio had to have stripped features to get pricing right.

[CowlFlap]

Originally Posted by qaqa

Well, the highway (B'lore-Mysore) is not all that congested - the traffic is such that you will constantly need to slow down and speed-up.

My overall monthly running is not likely to exceed 1000km, quite close to the "diesel threshold". The high initial cost of a diesel car is proving to be a dampner. I'm keen on a car with full safety kit, and these tend to be quite expensive - the i20 Asta (a car I really liked) for instance retails at 9.2L OTR. Mentally, I cannot convince myself to spend 9L+ for a hatch!

Swift Zdi was eliminated because of lousy ergonomics (the shin rubbing issue mentioned in the official review as well).

The one diesel which is within reach is the Figo. While the car is fundamentally good, I hated the "face lift" and the interiors.

If you're insistant on a petrol car, and you will be driving in traffic (city or mildly congested highway), the Brio may be a better bet. You haven't mentioned if you will be the sole occupant, particularly on the highway runs. If the number of occupants isn't too many and the small boot space isn't a problem, go for it. But if you're looking for the safety features, the SOMT option it should be.

[qaqa]

Originally Posted by CowlFlap

If you're insistant on a petrol car, and you will be driving in traffic (city or mildly congested highway), the Brio may be a better bet. You haven't mentioned if you will be the sole occupant, particularly on the highway runs. If the number of occupants isn't too many and the small boot space isn't a problem, go for it. But if you're looking for the safety features, the SOMT option it should be.

Well, I do see that the general consensus is that the Jazz isn't particularly a good buy..let me do a back-to-back TD of the Jazz and the Brio to see if I can live with the "downgrade".

I presently drive a hand-me-down Estilo, and let me tell you it's quite a bone-jarrer anyway. Considering that I'm already conditioned to the a bone-jarring ride, the Brio may not bother me as much..

As for alternatives, I have knocked off the following-
(a) Swift (ZXI/ZDI) - Very uncomfortable (almost painful) shin rubbing issue for the driver
(b) Sail (P/D) - Weird pedal-ergonomics
(c) Figo - Downright bad interiors (esp. the new blue I.P) and down-market feel. Fun to drive though.
(d) Micra / Pulse - No ABS
(e) Vista - Not a Tata fan at all

That only leaves (a) Polo Highline [Diesel] (b) i20 Diesel (sportz). Both these sell for around 1.3L more than the Jazz S. The Sportz i20 does not come with a passenger side airbag (somewhat forgiveable).

Let me do a TD and then decide for sure.

[CowlFlap]

Originally Posted by qaqa

Well, I do see that the general consensus is that the Jazz isn't particularly a good buy..let me do a back-to-back TD of the Jazz and the Brio to see if I can live with the "downgrade".

Let me do a TD and then decide for sure.

Make no mistake, the Jazz is a great car, and a GREAT buy. Just cannot get my mind around why they (Honda) don't give it the due importance; probably because their margins on the sale of Jazz are very slim. Not to mention, it's a petrol, and therefore not many takers. Yes the ground clearance is sometimes an issue, but if you pay a little attention while going over those nasty speedbreakers, it isn't all that bad.
So, it may be more right to state that for your particular need, a Brio may be a better buy.

Yes, a TD of both, back to back, may help you settle on one.

[vikramgoglani]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on Team-BHP. Its great to be a part of this community. This could not have happened at a better time for me. I am planning to buy a new car, a diesel hatch. Although, I am almost on the verge of booking the Swift VDI.. there is one other option playing in my mind..namely the Ford Figo Titanium. Now, here are my requirements:

1. Need a diesel hatch with good performance and mileage.
2. Boot space not very crucial as I will be rarely using it for Airport or Railway station runs (it should be just sufficient to carry my kid's stroller and some medium bags)
3. Importantly, the budget: maximum 7 lacs on road.
4. Rear legroom and space (should be much more than my existing Santro Xing).
5. Low maintenance cost.

All your suggestions and opinions are most welcome.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by vikramgoglani

Hi everyone,
Now, here are my requirements:

1. Need a diesel hatch with good performance and mileage.
2. Boot space not very crucial as I will be rarely using it for Airport or Railway station runs (it should be just sufficient to carry my kid's stroller and some medium bags)
3. Importantly, the budget: maximum 7 lacs on road.
4. Rear legroom and space (should be much more than my existing Santro Xing).
5. Low maintenance cost.

All your suggestions and opinions are most welcome.

Check out the new VISTA Refreshed version. Since point number 2 is not a critical point for you, the VISTA ticks all the other boxes.
It is very spacious, very good noise, vibration harshness suppression, uses the same engine as the SWIFT's (well proven stuff), Tata servicing costs are not very high compared to Maruti's, fully loaded (you get lots of goodies, including Blutooth, airbags, abs et al.
And finally i understand that the deal Tata dealers are giving for this month is very juicy indeed.
I too was suffering from "perception myopia" and was very skeptical of the VISTA and had my usual apprehensions about Tata quality, ride, handling etc, etc. But my very close friend has just purchased one VISTA and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is a genuinely competent hatchback.

Guess the "Most Under-Rated Car of the Year 2012" award should go to the VISTA

[punto_]

Originally Posted by vikramgoglani

1. Need a diesel hatch with good performance and mileage.
2. Boot space not very crucial as I will be rarely using it for Airport or Railway station runs (it should be just sufficient to carry my kid's stroller and some medium bags)
3. Importantly, the budget: maximum 7 lacs on road.
4. Rear legroom and space (should be much more than my existing Santro Xing).
5. Low maintenance cost.

All your suggestions and opinions are most welcome.

I would suggest Punto for you. No offences to anyone but Figo still looks dated.

I suggest you Punto for the following reasons:
1. Very good performance
2. Decent bootspace
3. You should be able to get it under 7L
4. Rear legroom is definitely better than Santro and Swift
5. Service interval is one every 15000 kms.

Clocked 38500 kms so far from Jan 2011 and I am very happy with the car.

[Rufus_M]

Originally Posted by vikramgoglani

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on Team-BHP. Its great to be a part of this community. This could not have happened at a better time for me. I am planning to buy a new car, a diesel hatch. Although, I am almost on the verge of booking the Swift VDI.. there is one other option playing in my mind..namely the Ford Figo Titanium. Now, here are my requirements:

1. Need a diesel hatch with good performance and mileage.
2. Boot space not very crucial as I will be rarely using it for Airport or Railway station runs (it should be just sufficient to carry my kid's stroller and some medium bags)
3. Importantly, the budget: maximum 7 lacs on road.
4. Rear legroom and space (should be much more than my existing Santro Xing).
5. Low maintenance cost.

All your suggestions and opinions are most welcome.

I would also suggest Punto for you. It meets most of your requirements. I can vouch for its ride & handling as do other BHPians. IMHO its a VFM car. I have a Punto which has done 18,000 kms. It's also a looker. A bonus for you. :-)

[vikramgoglani]

Mod team note: Dotty post, please use proper punctuation marks instead of .... Thanks.


Thanks guys for sharing your thoughts on this . Now here is the thing, I've heard great things too about new Vista and the Fiat Punto, but the stories I have heard regarding their service scares me to go for either of the two cars. That is why, I wanted to play safe and shortlisted Swift and Figo as my options. Also, Figo owners if you can throw some light on the Ford's maintenance costs. I had read on some forum that Ford has started to manufacture spares locally to reduce costs.

[pareshraheja]

Originally Posted by qaqa

That only leaves (a) Polo Highline [Diesel] (b) i20 Diesel (sportz). Both these sell for around 1.3L more than the Jazz S. The Sportz i20 does not come with a passenger side airbag (somewhat forgiveable).

Let me do a TD and then decide for sure.

Heh, if you have diesel's also in the option's, why not test drive the Punto MJD. I own three FIAT's (Palio, Punto, Linea) in my family along with a Ford Fiesta (1.6 Petrol) & one Swift VDI.

If you can identify a good service center, take my word the cost of maintenance of a FIAT is at par with the equivalent model of a Maruti. This is as per my personal experience over the last 4 years.

Don't want to comment on the plus & minus of the Punto as you may already be aware of it as, it has been already discussed in detail on the forum from the point of view of engine, handling, space, interior, etc.

Cheers

[RavenAvi]

Ever wondered in recent times why your friend went for the Brio when he had to choose between the Brio and the i10?

If, like me, you have visited your nearest Honda dealership within the past 2-3 months, you would have your answer. If not, read on.

Honda India has brought out a full feature-to-feature comparo between the Brio and the i10, and it's official! For the benefit of it's prospective (Brio) customers, Honda India has distributed these table-top calendar-esque pictorials across all it's dealerships. I had the chance to go through one of these exhaustive pictorial-cum-booklets when I got my City serviced on the 17th.

Since I had nothing else to do, here it is for your viewing pleasure. Pardon the quality of pics, since all of them have been taken by my Galaxy Note.





























So, Hyundai India isn't the only one gunning for it's opponents after all. God bless competition!

[acidkill]

About 3-4 months ago, we were in the market for a hatchback and we did a through comparison of all the cars discussed in this thread.

In so far as our requirements were concerned, which were
1. Looks and finish - exterior and interior
2. FE
3. ***
4. Boot capacity
5. Resale value
6. Features
7. 4 cyl engine
8. Remain within 1.2 L to avail excise benefits

We were able to conclude that the i20 made the most sense for a 6L budget. The swift came close and lost only for boot capacity. The jazz lost cause in the case of i20 we were able to avail of it without airbags, which would have costed an extra lakh.

[Pedaltothefloor]

Originally Posted by acidkill

About 3-4 months ago, we were in the market for a hatchback and we did a through comparison of all the cars discussed in this thread.

In so far as our requirements were concerned, which were
1. Looks and finish - exterior and interior
2. FE
3. ***
4. Boot capacity
5. Resale value
6. Features
7. 4 cyl engine
8. Remain within 1.2 L to avail excise benefits

We were able to conclude that the i20 made the most sense for a 6L budget. The swift came close and lost only for boot capacity. The jazz lost cause in the case of i20 we were able to avail of it without airbags, which would have costed an extra lakh.

No offense but i20 can't hold a candle to a Punto MJD. Even a Swift is a better car than an i20.
Punto has the better engine and also offers a VGT. It is built stronger, looks better and has the best handling this side of 10L.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Ever wondered in recent times why your friend went for the Brio when he had to choose between the Brio and the i10?
…
…
So, Hyundai India isn't the only one gunning for it's opponents after all. God bless competition!

God bless competition, but I must say that some of the comparisons are outright silly. I am not sure if Honda really needs to go into this level. Or probably this shows how much Hyundai has grown, from a wannabe player to a force to reckon with

For e.g.; on the Style sheet, the Customer Benefit is Pride of ownership. Doesn’t an i10 owner feel the pride of ownership? Honda is still clearly in the halo that they are a premium manufacturer. And to add on, they go on saying that lightweight rear hatch enhances fuel efficiency. They missed a point that the competitor can counter back saying that strong rear hatch, which in turn can add to the safety.