[ramzsys]

A quick question on behalf of my extended family:

Swift Vdi vs Liva GD?

There is already a UV for family trips. So this is for daily home <-> farm runs which is of broken village roads and the weekend 100 km run to the nearest city.

The only requirement is durability of the chassis and the suspension parts.

The current Ikon 1.8D(done about 1.75 lakh km) was doing this task till now but it is often breaking down.

[Wildy]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

A quick question on behalf of my extended family:

Swift Vdi vs Liva GD?

There is already a UV for family trips. So this is for daily home <-> farm runs which is of broken village roads and the weekend 100 km run to the nearest city.

The only requirement is durability of the chassis and the suspension parts.

The current Ikon 1.8D(done about 1.75 lakh km) was doing this task till now but it is often breaking down.

If I may, I would like to suggest Instead of Swift VDI, go for the Liva GD SP rather than GD. For less than 40K, you would get 2 Airbags and other features.

Another option I would like to suggest is, Fiat Grande Punto Dynamic 1.3 which has 185 MM ground clearance which would be great for your village roads as well as for City/Highway driving.

Bargain and get more discounts and get the insurance from outside. All the Best.

[imp!]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

A quick question on behalf of my extended family:

Swift Vdi vs Liva GD?

There is already a UV for family trips. So this is for daily home <-> farm runs which is of broken village roads and the weekend 100 km run to the nearest city.

The only requirement is durability of the chassis and the suspension parts.

The current Ikon 1.8D(done about 1.75 lakh km) was doing this task till now but it is often breaking down.

Well the Swift can handle a lot of abuse. I think its more fun to drive than the Liva. If your budget permits, get the Swift ZDI ABS.

[Baddychat]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

A quick question on behalf of my extended family:

Swift Vdi vs Liva GD?

There is already a UV for family trips. So this is for daily home <-> farm runs which is of broken village roads and the weekend 100 km run to the nearest city.

The only requirement is durability of the chassis and the suspension parts.

The current Ikon 1.8D(done about 1.75 lakh km) was doing this task till now but it is often breaking down.

From what I figured from your requirement is a car which will do a lot of running on not so good roads and a 100km weekend run, which makes me think that the Liva GD makes more sense. The engine is nice and should be cheaper to maintain than the swift. Rear bench on the Liva is more spacious than the swift, a thing to factor in if there would be people travelling in the rear bench too.
Deciding between the GD and the GD+SP pack would entirely depend on the person buying the car, but hey it wouldn't do any harm to have airbags since it would do highway runs.
Toyota's are durable.Period.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by uthra

OK, a quick update here. finally booked a swift zxi glistening grey. the total on-road cost is coming to 6.35. the dealer is offering me 1 lakh for my old wagon r2005 and a 20k exchange discount.

Congratulations for the Swift ZXi.

Originally Posted by uthra

so, should I go for the offer from the dealer or wait some more in the open market?

Get it exchanged at Maruti True Value are they are peaceful and give a true price for the car. No cheating till date.

Originally Posted by uthra

is this usual? is there anything I need to take care of during the visit?

It is very important. Please go and check the car thoroughly before signing the papers. Take a friend and a camera along for memories and help in inspecting the car thoroughly. Attached is the Team-BHP PDI Checklist. Use this while you check the car. It helps.

Check this link for all data.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying...heck-list.html

Originally Posted by ramzsys

A quick question on behalf of my extended family:

Swift Vdi vs Liva GD?

Toyota Liva it is. Take the top variant in it.

Anurag.

[uthra]

Originally Posted by uthra

finally booked a swift zxi glistening grey...the dealer has also promised a pre-registration test. in fact, the SA said they may also get an undertaking signed after the pre-registration check confirming the car's model and its condition have been verified by me...

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

Congratulations on the Swift ZXi. It is a nice car to drive. Trust me, you're much better off selling the car to True Value. Much more hassle free. No questions asked. And they take care of registration, paper work etc..

thanks Pulsar (that's a bike I would like to own, btw, only everyone in my family from my parents to husband has flatly disallowed any two-wheelers in Delhi traffic)

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Congratulations for the Swift ZXi.

It is very important. Please go and check the car thoroughly before signing the papers. Take a friend and a camera along for memories and help in inspecting the car thoroughly. Attached is the Team-BHP PDI Checklist. Use this while you check the car. It helps.

Check this link for all data.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying...heck-list.html

Anurag.

thanks anurag. I already have the TBHP check-list downloaded to my phone so that it's handy any time.

One thing I would like to know. The dealer has agreed to a PRI but I am not sure of the stockyard thing as most people on various threads have talked about. What he has told me is this: the car will come straight from Maruti plant (sounds incredible). The company will send out a dispatch note when it is out of factory, and the car will reach the showroom soon after (he has said it could be anything from 3-12 hours). Thereafter I can do the PRI at the showroom before the car is sent for registration and I can get delivery either the next day or the day after (it's got to do something with the compulsory hi-security number plates in Delhi).
My question is: the car coming straight from maruti factory to showroom sounds incredible. what exactly is the procedure followed by the company if someone can guide me? and where does the dealer's stockyard come into the picture? any help, please, anyone?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by uthra

My question is: the car coming straight from maruti factory to showroom sounds incredible. what exactly is the procedure followed by the company if someone can guide me? and where does the dealer's stockyard come into the picture? any help, please, anyone?

Your car would arrive by truck so ask the dealer the approximate time it would arrive at the dealer's yard. Time your yourself and be there in the yard when the cars are unloaded. Get the dispatch note that is given for every car dispatched, verify the VIN, chassis and engine number. Do your PRI / PDI. If your confidant with the car, accept it and proceed with the formalities.

Dealer stock yard - It depends as to where the dealer is located. If a dealer is located in the city centre then land is prime cost so the stock yards will be away from city where the process would be low. Depending on delivery date promised the cars are either unloaded at the dealer or sent to stock yard for later deliveries.

Anurag.

[mohitk1993]

Originally Posted by uthra

My question is: the car coming straight from maruti factory to showroom sounds incredible. what exactly is the procedure followed by the company if someone can guide me? and where does the dealer's stockyard come into the picture? any help, please, anyone?

Even though it sounds quite weird, considering the fact that the Maruti Suzuki plant is quite near to NCR, your sales advisor might just be right. As Anurag said, its best you check the car at the time of unloading for any defects/malfunctions, as the chances of any cover-up will increase after that.

PS: Congratulations

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by mohitk1993

Even though it sounds quite weird, considering the fact that the Maruti Suzuki plant is quite near to NCR, your sales advisor might just be right. As Anurag said, its best you check the car at the time of unloading for any defects/malfunctions, as the chances of any cover-up will increase after that.

PS: Congratulations

It is great fun and pleasure to the eyes to see the vehicle unload in front of your eyes but at the same time on the other side of your mind your hands would itch and keep giving instructions when the car comes down the ramp.

Anurag.

[gramessh]

Hello folks.

Looks like my Team BHP account got approved pretty quickly. A big shoutout to the mods for letting me in, your timing couldn't be more perfect

It has been a year since I moved to Chennai. I have been driving around town in a Suzuki Swish 125 and after 10,000 kilometers, I have to say that it has been doing it's job really well. However after riding back home through several rains, and getting blown away by dust and pollute almost everyday, I have decided it's time to move on.

I am new to driving cars. I am taking driving lessons at Maruti Driving School on the OMR and have driven around 70-80 km. I am starting to get the hang of it and will be getting my driver's license at the end of this month. So, I have come to the idea that this would be the perfect time to buy a car. There's only so much you can get out of a driving school, and I do not want to lose confidence or interest by waiting for a long time.

Long story short, I want to buy a car, preferably a hatchback.

How do I plan on using the car?

I go from Velachery to Perungudi everyday for work. Although the commute is just around 5k long, I have to drive through one of the most congested and horrible stretches in Chennai (or at least I think), the Tharamani Link Road. For those of you who do not know, the road is 4 way lane with a divider that is being used as a 2 way without one (the construction on the other side is incomplete, and the space is being used to park heavy vehicles and put up stages for festivals ). It takes anytime between 15 to 45 minutes, and a lot of patience for me to get to work.

Additionally, I go around the city often to do a bunch of stuff. A few examples include 40km drives to and back from Sathyam, AGS, Mayajaal (multiplexes), weird trips to restaurants that are quite far away, and weekend drives to Mahabalipuram or Pondicherry just for fun (eventually).

I am also certain I would do some long distance trips occasionally, say once in 1-3 months back to Madurai or Bangalore (fueled sleepless nights in buses and IRCTC hatred).

For starters, I do not think that I will be driving enough to take a diesel car. I prefer petrol, although not very strictly. I plan on picking up the right the petrol or diesel variant of a car mostly based on it's performance, and of course recommendations from experts here. Is this the right way to look at things or should I say no to diesel cars right away?


What kind of cars do I seem to prefer?

I am not keen on sedans. I feel that they aren't particularly easy to drive for a first timer like me. And in a city like Chennai, I feel it would be increasingly difficult to find parking spaces and ride through crowded streets. How much of a difference is it going to be? Should I press on a look at sedans too?

I have driven three cars properly till date - the Alto, the WagonR and the Swift. I also test shortly test drove three cars (more on that in the next thread) All of them make me feel that hatchbacks are in my comfort zone. The Alto was horrible (no offense), mainly because I am 6"1' and there wasn't enough leg room even when I pushed the seat completely back. So as a first rule, I want to rule out any car that is sized similarly.

I drove the Swift back to back for two days, and the ride quality was pretty good. But for a car that looked kind of big (fat too, from the back) from the outside, there wasn't really too much space on the inside. I figured I'd enjoy a car that is compact, yet roomier thanks to some good design. Good interiors are certainly important, but not on the top of my list of priorities. Please let me know if I'm looking at these things wrongly.

Third, is there true value in buying an automatic? I drove the Nissan Micra CVT for a very short distance. It was very convenient, but performed badly. I understand that I'm tempted to get an automatic because I'm a newbie. But what the heck? Shouldn't I be looking at this seriously if it will mean a lot? How should I be prioritizing on automatics?

Finally, there are little things I have learnt to really enjoy in a car. 1 - Visibility. Although wanting to see the bonnet is kind of asking for too much, I would love to be able to whenever I'm driving in bumper to bumper traffic. 2 - Steering Feedback - A steering that feels solid and (kinda) lets you feel the weight of the car would be nice. 3. Room between pedals - It would be great if there was enough room for my legs between the clutch and the brake pedals, and hopefully a lot more on the left of the clutch (maybe a dead pedal?). Are there any similar perks I should look for as a first timer? Please help me notice potentially un-marketed in some cars.

What car models I am considering?

So far,

Grand i10, i20, Punto, Micra CVT, Honda Brio, Volkswagen Polo GT TSI (bit of a stretch)

What do you think of these cars in general? Some heads up and detailed insights about any of them would be appreciated. Right now, I am pretty confused. I have done a lot of background reading, but I am not even close realizing which of these factors or metrics matter the most. That's where Team-BHP comes in to save the day.

After going through a bunch of threads and having read through every word of excellent reviews and ownership reports, it finally feels great to get down myself and ask a bunch of questions. I am sure I will keep asking a lot more. Yay to that!

P.S. My posts can turn out to be pretty long. Please bear with me.

[rkhare]

Originally Posted by gramessh

Hello folks.

Looks like my Team BHP acnt got approved pretty quickly. A big shoutout to the mods for letting me in, your timing couldn't be more perfect

Long story short, I want to buy a car, preferably a hatchback.

Smart Choice, will be easy for you to park and reverse

Although the commute is just around 5k long,

Forget about using car for daily commuting, Fuel is scarce commodity and we should preserve it as much as possilble.

For starters, I do not think that I will be driving enough to take a diesel car.

I drove the Nissan Micra CVT for a very short distance. It was very convenient, but
performed badly. I understand that I'm tempted to get an automatic because I'm a newbie. But what the heck? Shouldn't I be looking at this seriously if it will mean a lot? How should I be prioritizing on automatics?

Automatic is always better in congested city drive, Even if you are slightly inclined towards it, go for it.

Grand i10, i20, Punto, Micra CVT, Honda Brio, Volkswagen Polo GT TSI (bit of a stretch)

Grand i10 may be another good choice (first obviously Micra CVT). Punto - Petrol, definately yes if you are planning to keep this car for longer duration without worrying about resale value.

[mohitk1993]

Originally Posted by gramessh

Hello folks.

Looks like my Team BHP account got approved pretty quickly. A big shoutout to the mods for letting me in, your timing couldn't be more perfect

I want to buy a car, preferably a hatchback.

HI Gramessh. Welcome to Team-BHP

I just finished reading your post and can only think of two cars that seem tailor-made for your needs; the Honda Brio VX and the Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi.

1. Even though its quite close between the two, I would personally suggest the Brio. As good as it gets, the Swift is now too old and too common in the Indian market. The Brio does all the good things the Swift does and then some more. Its seriously fun to drive, is slightly more spacious and offers a li'l better fuel efficiency. Plus, it is cheaper too. You might not like the looks though.

2. They are hatchbacks and even though they will not get the attention you might expect, they are excellent cars in their own right and will appeal you the most. Also, for a first-time buyer, driving and parking a hatchback is quite convenient and I am sure you will appreciate the ease of driving one.

3. You are 23 years of age and going by your set of requirements, I personally feel you would appreciate a car that loves to be driven, rather than a car that suits the typical family requirements. In consideration to that, the two aforementioned cars are simply beyond reproach. Event though the Micra, Liva and the Hyundai twins are seriously good cars in their own right, they are just too serious and miss out on the Fun-To-Drive factor.

4. Stick to petrol. A petrol car is cheaper to own and service, is very refined and is more reliable as well. You running is meager and I am sure will never be able to recover the extra initial cost incurred in a diesel vehicle by way of cheaper running costs. I know your friends and family will be suggesting you to get the diesel; trust me, you will be better off with a petrol.

5. Avoid the automatics. Even though choosing the AT option continues to be a subjective opinion, nothing beats the fun of driving a manual car on a midnight drive. The Polo TSI is a genuinely good car and the only true hot hatch available in the market; however, 9 lakhs is a lot of money for a young salaried professional and I do not think it would be a wise investment for you at such an early stage in life. Also, the overabundance of electronics might just overwhelm a new driver like you and then, let's be honest, VW is not known for its reliability either.

• Before you make a decision, do take an extensive test-drive and see for yourself whether the car suits your personality or not. A product may look good on paper; however, there is a good chance that it might not appeal to you in real life. Make a request to your SA to let you take a longish TD and see for yourself how the car performs in everyday conditions.

• As you are taller than an average Indian, you must check whether the overall ergonomics of the car suit you or not. A car is good as long as the driver feels comfortable at its helm. Try adjusting for a perfect seating position and ask the SA to help you in this regard. He would be more than willing to help you.

• I would sincerely like to request you to consider only those variants of your chosen car that, atleast come with basic safety features such as ABS and Airbags. For the Brio and Swift, they are the VX and the ZXi trim respectively. Please do not compromise upon these just to save a few bucks.

Good luck on choosing the perfect car for yourself . Also, please let us know of your decision, as and when you make it.

[Wildy]

gramessh, Welcome to Team-Bhp.

I would recommend Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for you. It gives great visibility and in my opinion, a great car for the first time users. It's pretty easy car to handle in the traffic as well as on the highway and have good steering feedback. And it's one of the cheapest diesel cars in the market providing all good things including Alloy Wheels, Decent Music System including Bluetooth, Tilt Steering & Mounted Buttons, Driver height adjustment seat, chilled Ac and most importantly ABS+EBD and Airbags.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by gramessh

I am new to driving cars.

Long story short, I want to buy a car, preferably a hatchback.

How do I plan on using the car?

All of them make me feel that hatchbacks are in my comfort zone. The Alto was horrible (no offense), mainly because I am 6"1' and there wasn't enough leg room even when I pushed the seat completely back. So as a first rule, I want to rule out any car that is sized similarly.

I would say Ritz ZXi. Reasons are one your height which is perfect as Ritz being tall boy will give no head-banging during ingress-egress, two the K-Series is a hoot to drive and mileage is also not be a problem.

Seating position, visibility, comfort, ergonomics are spot-on Handling is fantastic too with minimal body roll. I am saying this because I use the Ritz for 60 kms a day and now it has clocked 101000 kms in 2.9 years.

All the best! Congratulations for becoming a Team-BHP'ian. Welcome to the community.

Anurag.

[gramessh]

Thank you guys for getting back to me so quickly!

I test drove three cars yesterday, back to back - the Grand i10 (diesel), the Punto (diesel) and the Micra CVT (petrol). Since I am a beginner, I drove the car for very short distances (just to be safe - LLR isn't as good as a driving license - Chennai cops are evil) and had one of my experienced friends come along to help me out. He did most of the driving and gave me his opinions of each of the cars.

Of the three, the Grand i10 felt like the most complete package of the lot. It had enough room, maybe not for five but definitely for four. Interiors looked great, there was some noise and vibrations, so I guess the Petrol variant, which has 4 cylinders and is 1.2 litres would be much better when it comes to NVH. The steering was apparently very good according to my find, but I found it too light. But I guess that's something I can get used to.

The Punto kind of turned out to be better. We drove the 75HP and it really made me turn around and take a serious look at Fiat. The ground clearance (185mm) was excellent, and the suspension was just about OK. I found that the steering had a lot of feedback, and really liked it. It was a lot more roomier, although the interiors felt rather bad for an ~8 lakh car. I figured it would make sense if I went with the Diesel variant because this was the Punto. How does the Petrol do in comparison?

Finally, the last car we drove was the Micra CVT. I first asked my friend to take a longer drive so that we could test the rubber band effect. The car just didn't respond to the throttle several times while he tried to overtake and was noisy as if it was redlining at 3000 rpm. When I finally got to drive myself for a while, I felt the same although the automatic was very comfortable. I didn't have to bother about shifting down with speed bumps, and the steering was okay. The interiors were better, and the audio quality of the 2DIN audio system was especially good. But the CVT is rather disappointing and I am rejecting it right away.

I plan on TDing the Honda Brio, the i20 and the Polo GT over the next few days (with some help from my friend of course). So I'll have to take all of them into account.

Originally Posted by rkhare

Grand i10 may be another good choice (first obviously Micra CVT). Punto - Petrol, definately yes if you are planning to keep this car for longer duration without worrying about resale value.

I agree. The Grand i10 is a good option. But wouldn't you recommend I go for the i20 Petrol instead? It is priced around 70-80k more than the i10 and offers better ergonomics and features, not to mention its 295 litre boot!

I was keen on the Micra too. But never thought the CVT would turn out to be such a bummer. Sigh. There were a bunch of people who said that if you wanted an automatic to use as your only car, the Micra CVT was better than the Brio AT. I am not sure I'd agree with them right now.

Originally Posted by mohitk1993

Even though its quite close between the two, I would personally suggest the Brio. As good as it gets, the Swift is now too old and too common in the Indian market. The Brio does all the good things the Swift does and then some more. Its seriously fun to drive, is slightly more spacious and offers a li'l better fuel efficiency. Plus, it is cheaper too. You might not like the looks though.

The Brio is definitely in my list of considerations! It felt very roomy and had great ergonomics. It was a little short of features (Bluetooth, Parking Camera) but it is not like I cannot live without them. What do you think about the visibility of the Brio? I sat inside the car at the showroom and I was not very sure.

The only concern I have right now is the limited boot space. I am likely to travel with my roommates every now and then and 175 litres just isn't enough.

For reasons I do not know, I have never really been serious with Marutis. Their interiors are black and gloomy, and they look very un-premium ish all the time. Although cheaper maintainence cost and availability of service centers are a boon, I am still not particularly keen. And after being inside an old Swift, I'm not impressed.

Originally Posted by mohitk1993

You are 23 years of age and going by your set of requirements, I personally feel you would appreciate a car that loves to be driven, rather than a car that suits the typical family requirements.

A petrol car is cheaper to own and service, is very refined and is more reliable as well. You running is meager and I am sure will never be able to recover the extra initial cost incurred in a diesel vehicle by way of cheaper running costs.

On that note, what do you think about the Punto? I've seen several experts here in Team BHP recommend the Punto. It felt very solid and great, even if it lacked premium interiors and features. As far as the Petrol vs Diesel comparison, don't you think the Punto Diesel would be a better choice? Not only do they offer a 90HP version but I've heard the petrol variant is really low on FE.

I find that some cars have peppier and better performers in their Diesel variants, like the Hyundai i20 and the Punto. These make my decision a little more difficult than I had expected

Originally Posted by mohitk1993

Avoid the automatics. Even though choosing the AT option continues to be a subjective opinion, nothing beats the fun of driving a manual car on a midnight drive. The Polo TSI is a genuinely good car and the only true hot hatch available in the market; however, 9 lakhs is a lot of money for a young salaried professional and I do not think it would be a wise investment for you at such an early stage in life. Also, the overabundance of electronics might just overwhelm a new driver like you and then, let's be honest, VW is not known for its reliability either.

I know what you mean. There aren't enough good options with the automatics for the market to develop quickly. The Micra CVT is definitely out, but do you think the Brio AT could be considered here. I'm about to take a test drive, you think I should take a shot at the AT instead of the MT?

The Polo GT is more of an aspiration, to be honest. I am not keen on buying it. But if it is really as good as people say it is, it makes me wonder if I should push and go for it. I know I am 23, but it is not like I get to play around with buying a car everyday, and I do not want to look back and feel sad later after a few months.

Economics aside, do you think the Polo GT checks out everything you want in an automatic? Or is there any other option I should consider here?

P.S. I am definitely going for Alloy Wheels, ABS and Air Bags.

Originally Posted by Wildy

I would recommend Ford Figo Titanium Diesel for you. It gives great visibility and in my opinion, a great car for the first time users. It's pretty easy car to handle in the traffic as well as on the highway and have good steering feedback. And it's one of the cheapest diesel cars in the market providing all good things including Alloy Wheels, Decent Music System including Bluetooth, Tilt Steering & Mounted Buttons, Driver height adjustment seat, chilled Ac and most importantly ABS+EBD and Airbags.

I did go to the Ford showroom to take a look at the car. Although I didn't take a test drive, I have never really been a fan of the Figo. This didn't change even after the Sales Guy talked about a 40K discount. It looks a little old, and even though it's cheap, I think there are better looking and exciting options in this segment for very similar prices.

I kinda got interested more in the Ford Classic at a point, especially the petrol. But I decided that would be asking for too much in my first car.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

I would say Ritz ZXi. I use the Ritz for 60 kms a day and now it has clocked 101000 kms in 2.9 years.

I totally get what you mean. I love the tall boy design and it was one of the reasons I had a look at the Grand i10. But again, the Ritz is another Maruti. It has its quirks. The guy who took the test drive with me (or rather for me) owns a Ritz too and has driven around 40K kilometers with it. He was happy on recommending both the Grand i10 and the Punto and said that they felt better to drive. I will take his car for a ride once and see what happens.

And 101000km in less than three years! Whoa, do you have an ownership report that I can read?