[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by julupani

Who's to say the 1.4 does not develop 97Nm@2500rpm, while on the way to 115@4500??

Also what kind of fuel efficiency do you get in the 1.2??

Me and my team mate at office have 1.2 and 1.4 respectively.
We have gone on many team outings together with both the cars and both of our driving styles are similar to each other.
What we have seen is that the FE is just 1-2km more for the 1.2.
For example If I get 13 he gets 15. Most of the times for dividing the expenses among the entire team we take an average (14) and calculate.
So there's nothing much to choose between the two engines in terms of FE.

But when it comes to power, 1.4 is wonderful to drive with the~90PS it develops.

The torque does not have any visible difference. As julupani has mentioned we need to look at the complete torque curves of both the engines.

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Actually it is unfair to pitch a battle between these cars of different segments. Punto should ideally be compared with Jazz, i20, Polo, etc. There really is no reason to buy a petrol Punto as a city commuter for a newbie driver, unless someone wants a choice ONLY from the bigger hatch segment and/or prefers the Punto's enthusiast-oriented strengths - like handling, steering feedback, ride quality, etc.

Very well put KarthikK, Its all about individual choices.
At the end of the day its all about how many boxes a particular car ticks in YOUR requirement list.

[sahakar]

Thanks all you good Samaritans for all the feedback.

My wifey is driving my Palio S10 currently. She has been grudgingly using it and hates the effort for parking she has to go thru with it as well as the turning radius.

However, she recently drove an alto and was kinda why isnt this car moving when I press the accelerator.

Surely we will be doing a lot of test drives soon. Keeping my fingers crossed that she enjoys the Punto. Me would like a Fiat to replace a Fiat for sure. So at least I wont miss the Palio all together.

Cheers

[a4anurag]

Hello All,

I am finally starting the thread of the Which new car to buy as my 2010 Ritz VDi is nearing 1 Lakh Kms.

I am now in the market for the replacement of my Boomerang which will complete 1 Lakh figure and dad is insisting to sell it off before any problems start up. The car is niggle free and still has that charm as when it was new. According to him the mileage clocked is too high and better to replace it.

I travel around 120 kms a day and my route is mostly over village areas that don't see many dealers/service centres (Skoda, VW, Toyota). Only ones that are seen are Maruti (the most) and Hyundai.

So the choices in my mind are:

1) Maruti Swift ZDi;
2) Maruti Ritz ZDi;
3) Toyota Etios Liva GD and
4) Volkswagen Polo TDI.

From the above choices dad is inclined towards the Toyota but I ruled it out the moment I heard it's name. Then came the VW Polo - Even I am a fan of it but have serious doubts over the service capabilities of VW in Hyderabad. No service centres near home or work place so have to rule that out too.

This leaves me with only with Maruti.

• Swift ZDi or
• Ritz ZDi

Swift ZDi: A fan of this car since it's launch and always eye'ed for it even when I was in the market but due to its waiting period I had to go for the Ritz VDi but now I have a chance so thinking why not go for the Swift ZDi.

Ritz ZDi:Pretty good car and very practical, niggle free and have had a happy life with it. So replacing it with the same car, I don't have an answer as a NO so terribly confused.

I need help in deciding the winner! I am inclined towards the Swift but dad says the Ritz now.

Cheers,
Anurag.

[coolboy007]

I would suggest the Swift ZDi if VW doesnt provide good after sales in your area. Though the logical upgrade would be a Polo, german build, top notch interiors, okay engine etc, you would love the feel of driving it after a Ritz but Polo's after sales would be a bit heavy on the pocket and you wont get the kind of service you are used to with a Maruti.

Dont go for a Ritz again, no fun driving the same car after 1 lakh kms. Swift is a brilliant all rounder, wonderfully tuned engine, good interiors, maruti name and offers one of the best ride+ handling combo, its my personal favourite followed by Punto.

Why are you not considering a 90hp Punto? Fiat name?

[hellmet]

Not really sure why you want to get rid of a perfectly functional car and go ahead and plonk 6+L on a new car ! You could set aside a fifth of that amount, say 1.2L, in a separate bank account and use it for all repairs in the forthcoming years. Even if you spend Rs.5K every two months, that's 4 years of repairs right there.

If you keep your current car, not only do you save the rest of 4 parts of the money and make interest on all 5 parts, you also don't have to run-in a new car, pay fresh govt. taxes, pay higher insurance rates, worry about scratches and dents, or take your car in for mandatory services during warranty. You also don't need to run around banks for loan (if borrowing) or get the hypothecation removed later.

Why do you want to take chances in such gloomy economic times?

Also, if there's no Toyota or VW service center nearby why do you have it on your list? And would you mind sharing the hatred for Toyota?

If you however decide to buy a car even after my thorough brainwashing, you should buy a Maruti because it doesn't make sense to go for a particular manufacturer if there is no service around.

[superbhikari]

VW Polo would be my first pick but A.S.S. is certainly an issue with VW. Why not wait for Hyundai Grand i10 launch on September 3?

[a4anurag]

Thank you for the quick responses guys.

Originally Posted by coolboy007

I would suggest the Swift ZDi if VW doesnt provide good after sales in your area. Why are you not considering a 90hp Punto? Fiat name?

I like the cars from Fiat but the service nothing to talk about so not featured them. So thinking about the Swift ZDi.

Originally Posted by hellmet

Also, if there's no Toyota or VW service center nearby why do you have it on your list?

I knew this question would have been asked but they were just on my list of purchase. Toyota has the best servicing here and reliable cars too but the issue is the whole of Hyderabad has only two service centres that deal with the whole crowd of Hyderabad. VW has four till date and their service territory is unknown to me.

I need peace of mind and no issues in getting the car repaired at a local garage if it has to. VW cars will not be that familiar with the mechanics as it is slightly new here in Hyderabad and my area of work is in a village environment. Had it been city usage it would have been a VW Polo without doubt.

I am ready to retain the car for a longer time but dad is not agreeing to retain this seeing the mileage it has clocked. I have asked him Why? He has no answer to it.

Originally Posted by hellmet

And would you mind sharing the hatred for Toyota?

No hatred with the Toyota as a company but I hate the interiors of the Liva so I ruled that option off without any discussion. The Liva, overall is very good but for those interiors. Had they been better I would not have got rid of it. That's all.

Originally Posted by superbhikari

VW Polo would be my first pick but A.S.S. is certainly an issue with VW. Why not wait for Hyundai Grand i10 launch on September 3?

No i10 for me. Don't like that car at all.

Cheers,
Anurag.

[drmohitg]

I feel you have pretty much made up your mind to go for a MSIL product again. In which case the only logical upgrade over your current car would be the Swift ZDI. So what are you waiting for?

One hatch I always admire is the Figo. Do consider it if you have access to a service centre. It is in a league of its own when it comes to handling and feedback and it is spacious.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

I am ready to retain the car for a longer time but dad is not agreeing to retain this seeing the mileage it has clocked. I have asked him Why? He has no answer to it.

Show him the math ! At current FD rates at 9% for 3 years (ICICI) , a 6.6L deposit would fetch you about Rs.5000 per month in interest. That's one full proper service every month for your cherished car. Or service alternate months and you can buy a set of tires every 6 months.

All the best.

[zoombiee]

I dont think Liva would be an upgrade from the Ritz. You would be paying about 50-70k more for a swift than a ritz. What exactly does that extra money fetch? I'd check the Figo out to, with Ford offering good after sales maintenance packages. 1lakh kms in 3 years is not that high a mileage for the car to develop serious problems. If you trust your SA, speak to him about what he feels would be your approximate maintenance costs. If I were you i'd be really happy with my car and sleep well at night.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

I feel you have pretty much made up your mind to go for a MSIL product again. In which case the only logical upgrade over your current car would be the Swift ZDI. So what are you waiting for?

I am waiting for the car to show me 100000 kms on the odometer so that I can click the picture.

I have told dad not to sell it before I get that picture, post which it is upto him whether to sell it or retain it.

Originally Posted by hellmet

Show him the math !At current FD rates at 9% for 3 years (ICICI) , a 6.6L deposit would fetch you about Rs.5000 per month in interest. That's one full proper service every month for your cherished car. Or service alternate months and you can buy a set of tires every 6 months.

All the best.

I like that calculation but it is finally dad's decision to either sell it off or retain it.

Originally Posted by zoombiee

I dont think Liva would be an upgrade from the Ritz. You would be paying about 50-70k more for a swift than a ritz. What exactly does that extra money fetch? I'd check the Figo out to, with Ford offering good after sales maintenance packages.

Appreciate your feedback buddy. Will try and add the Figo too.

Cheers,
Anurag.

[nik0502]

Hi a4anurag,

I would say keep the Ritz for some more time. Our national engine is very reliable and i have seen cars with mileage as high as 1.8 lacs KMs and still the owners are very happy with their rides. In fact all modern engines in our market today are capable of doing much high mileage without any major overhaul. Spending on a depreciating asset is not a good idea though if you have started getting a new car itch that's a different case. Just my two cents.

nIk

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by hellmet

you should buy a Maruti because it doesn't make sense to go for a particular manufacturer if there is no service around.

Originally Posted by nik0502

I would say keep the Ritz for some more time.

I don't mind keeping this car for long but dad is not OK with it. Want to know the reasons. Trying to squeeze it out from him. Yes now that he has been asking me to sell the car off from past month the itch of getting a new one has increased.

Moreover. Just came to know my dad as he had enquired the resale value for this car at Maruti True Value. Post inspection they are ready to be giving 3.1-3.5 L for this 100000 kms car. I feel this is a good price for the car.

Anurag.

[lamborghini]

It would be great if you could tell us your requirements.
So far, it is assumed you want a diesel hatch which is reliable.

If I might throw in a couple of other suggestions, in addition to the ones already listed:

Hyundai i20 Diesel: 90 horse power, good space, good ride/handling package, well equipped, great interiors, and good service back-up in your city. A perfect win-win!
I am a big fan of this car after sitting in it during a trip to Delhi

Ford Figo TDCi: Great handler, and frugal. Yes, you will miss the performance of your existing Ritz, but the lack of turbo-lag + great handling + good build quality should keep you happier. A remap can always help with the performance.

From the list, I would actually recommend checking out the Toyota Liva again. Sure it isn't the fastest, but it has neutral handling, great space, superb FE, better ride quality than the Ritz/Swift, and Toyota reliability.

I would recommend against another Ritz as you already have one. Might as well keep this car for a bit longer then.
Similarly, the Swift looks like a great switch, but if it is a family car, the rear seat wouldn't be a very nice place to be in.

[rajeev k]

I would like to add to your confusion, but is better to consider the Hyundai i20 too.The i20 will be a real upgrade too because it comes with much better interiors and with added features.