[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

What is the update buddy? Did you TD the Swift ZXi and Liva 1.5 TRD?

Anurag.

Hey,

So I ended up booking the Grand I10 due to peer pressure and some urgency in the family to get a car considering I have been car less for almost 2 weeks now and it is really very inconvenient. No matter how much I liked the Etios Cross or would have liked to wait for the Bolt/ Punto, it just didn't matter since the wait is too long IMO.

I checked out the Swift and liked it too but the Grand i10 seemed like more car in comparison vis a vis. Also for some reason wanted to make a purchase out of the Maruti stable considering how prone they are to rattling and due to the novelty factor and value the Grand i10 was offering went ahead and bought it.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Hey,

So I ended up booking the Grand I10

Congratulations on the Grand i10!

What is the expected delivery date? We need more details buddy!

Anurag.

[Altocumulus]

I am currently driving a 2007 Esteem vxi which has gone for about 82k kms. The car serves me really well and is still a hoot to drive. I am however looking to change the car specially to take advantage of the tax saving lease options of my organisation.

My requirements are as follows within a budget of 6L.
1. Performance at par or better than the esteem.
2. Safety features.
3. Should be capable for the long highway sprints twice a year specially to north Bengal.

The ones the have considered yet is the Brio Vx MT , the Beat LT option and Ritz Zxi.

I love the Brio, however am skeptical about lack of boot space and the ground clearance since NH34 is a nightmare.

The Beat is also nice but I am not sure if it as competent as the Brio on the highway. However it costs 80k less which matters a lot to me.

The Ritz costs same as Brio and is a Maruti where I have loads of help at the workshops. I like the unconventional looks but my significant other doesn't.

Please advice and suggest options.

[gsurya]

Considering your options, I think Brio is the best option.

If you love driving, the best of the 3 options you mention is also the Brio.
Why not consider the Amaze instead? You will get same driving characteristics as Brio & better rear seat & luggage space.

I too like the Ritz but am not considering it because Maruti itself is not facelifting it after so many years. But its a more practical hatch than Brio.

Any reason why you have not included Hyundai Grand i10 Petrol in your list? This is also a good drivers car, spacious, excellent petrol engine & will serve you well on the Highway too.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

My requirements are as follows within a budget of 6L.

1. Performance at par or better than the esteem.
2. Safety features.
3. Should be capable for the long highway sprints twice a year specially to north Bengal.

I will say the Ritz ZXi.

The K12M series engine is a hoot to drive with reliable under pinnings and this car with spot on ergonomics. I had a Ritz VDi myself covering 1.08 lakh kms in 3 years. Never scratched the bottom even once with almost nil maintenence issyes throughout (You can check my review for details, search for Blue Boomerang).

Anurag.

[predatorwheelz]

Given your requirements, the Ritz ZXI is really the car for you. Its a spacious hatchback and a genuine 5 seater. The K-Series petrol is a pretty smooth engine and handles highway and city duties with equal aplomb. Personally I like the high-mounted gear lever with its short & smooth action. Good for enthusiastic driving. Plus you have the assurance of MASS.

Last year I went to Kolkata to select a hatchback for my parents. My father and I were bowled over by the overall package the Ritz had to offer. But (just like your wife) mom put her foot down saying she can't be seen driving such an "ugly" car . If you can get past the feminine aversion on looks, its really the best package.

The Brio's engine is the most fun in the small hatchback segment. Revs like a motorcycle engine on highways, handles very well too! But having driven it, I feel its too small and spartan for a family on a regular basis.

The Beat really isn't in the same bracket as these 2. It has a mediocre engine and the quality of the interior plastics is much worse. Important if you keep cars on a long term basis.

[drmohitg]

Dump all these and try the Grand i10. The top end Asta O variant will be approximately 6.2L OTR and the feature list it comes with will make you feel like driving a D segment car. All others in the list and in that segment start to look extremely pale when compared. Also Hyundai would have the next best service set up after Maruti.

[IshaanIan]

The Beat should only be bought if you need to save money. However, do note that it is safer than the other two as per american Insurance Institute of Highway Safety crash testing.

The Brio would be the one I would suggest. It is fun to drive, Cute looking, you can no longer see exposed metal in the door pockets etc. so it doesnt feel as cheap inside anymore. Yes bootspace is at a premium so you would have to ask yourself how much it matters to you.

The Ritz is a cracker but a little bit old to invest any time and money into. It will start rattling terribly too. However if you place the convenience of the MS badge above everything else, go for it. I too like the looks of the car. BUT if your wife doesn't like it, it might not be a good idea; I would hate it if I owned a car that didn't appeal to me visually no matter how well sorted the car was otherwise, and I always believe that one must love their new investment to bits to continue being happy and wanting to take care of it.

If stretching your budget is an option, look at the Fiesta Classic. It is old, but sure is worth it.

[Altocumulus]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Originally Posted by gsurya

Why not consider the Amaze instead? You will get same driving characteristics as Brio & better rear seat & luggage space.

I too like the Ritz but am not considering it because Maruti itself is not facelifting it after so many years. But its a more practical hatch than Brio.

Any reason why you have not included Hyundai Grand i10 Petrol in your list? This is also a good drivers car, spacious, excellent petrol engine & will serve you well on the Highway too.

Amaze crosses my budget by a mile since I want ABS and Airbags.

The Grand i10 is not there because Hyundai service is pretty steep and I am someone who just goes to A.S.Ss . And there are so many features in the Asta(O) that it makes me a bit skeptical. More the electronics, more chances of failure IMO. I intend to keep the car for 4 years, till the time the lease is over and then give to my mom replacing the Alto. I am not sure if the driver could manage the extra features.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

I will say the Ritz ZXi.

The K12M series engine is a hoot to drive with reliable under pinnings and this car with spot on ergonomics. I had a Ritz VDi myself covering 1.08 lakh kms in 3 years. Never scratched the bottom even once with almost nil maintenence issyes throughout (You can check my review for details, search for Blue Boomerang).

Anurag.

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Given your requirements, the Ritz ZXI is really the car for you. Its a spacious hatchback and a genuine 5 seater. The K-Series petrol is a pretty smooth engine and handles highway and city duties with equal aplomb. Personally I like the high-mounted gear lever with its short & smooth action. Good for enthusiastic driving. Plus you have the assurance of MASS.

The Brio's engine is the most fun in the small hatchback segment. Revs like a motorcycle engine on highways, handles very well too! But having driven it, I feel its too small and spartan for a family on a regular basis.

The Beat really isn't in the same bracket as these 2. It has a mediocre engine and the quality of the interior plastics is much worse. Important if you keep cars on a long term basis.

Yes, Ritz is high on my list specially because of MASS and also keeping in mind that I may give to my after 4 years. The tall boy would help her. Going for a test drive tomorrow.

Aniket: Any idea about Hyundai service costs, since you have a Verna and i10 ?

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Dump all these and try the Grand i10. The top end Asta O variant will be approximately 6.2L OTR and the feature list it comes with will make you feel like driving a D segment car. All others in the list and in that segment start to look extremely pale when compared. Also Hyundai would have the next best service set up after Maruti.

Set up is good however service is pretty expensive. Experience from the Santro.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

The Beat should only be bought if you need to save money. However, do note that it is safer than the other two as per american Insurance Institute of Highway Safety crash testing.

The Brio would be the one I would suggest. It is fun to drive, Cute looking, you can no longer see exposed metal in the door pockets etc. so it doesnt feel as cheap inside anymore. Yes bootspace is at a premium so you would have to ask yourself how much it matters to you.

The Ritz is a cracker but a little bit old to invest any time and money into. It will start rattling terribly too. However if you place the convenience of the MS badge above everything else, go for it. I too like the looks of the car. BUT if your wife doesn't like it, it might not be a good idea; I would hate it if I owned a car that didn't appeal to me visually no matter how well sorted the car was otherwise, and I always believe that one must love their new investment to bits to continue being happy and wanting to take care of it.

If stretching your budget is an option, look at the Fiesta Classic. It is old, but sure is worth it.

I did check the Classic, but with safety kit its 8.63L. My heart says the Brio, because its literally a go-kart. But my mind says the Ritz because of MASS and more space. One good thing is, she loves the Brio.

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

Aniket: Any idea about Hyundai service costs, since you have a Verna and i10 ?

Parts costs are low compared to the European competition. But over the last 2 years, the HASS guys have turned absolute thieves. They add on unnecessary stuff like engine decarbonizing, exterior polish, engine glazed coating (???) to your regular service menu at every pretext. You have to maintain an eagle eye when they are adding stuff to the initial estimate.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Parts costs are low compared to the European competition. But over the last 2 years, the HASS guys have turned absolute thieves. They add on unnecessary stuff like engine decarbonizing, exterior polish, engine glazed coating (???) to your regular service menu at every pretext. You have to maintain an eagle eye when they are adding stuff to the initial estimate.

Even for that Maruti has turned the Hyundai way. They to keep adding stuff without intimation. If the customer is not seeing the job cars preparation then the Service Advisor will do all possible things.

But with the regular guys who pay attention or with customers who have good rapport, they are normal and do things mentioned according to manual.

Anurag

[Altocumulus]

What about the Polo Comfortline 1.2 Petrol ? The Comfortline comes with ABS and Airbags and is around 6L. Are the service and maintenance costs very high or is it manageable ?

[Abh1nav]

Need some help from people here!

I'm looking for a diesel hatch for my daily office commute, which is around 95 kms a day. Before going further, here's the present situation:

I currently drive a Zen Estillo, which my father bought back in 2007. It's been driven for 1.05 lakh Kms (and counting), but is killing me on fuel expenses, which are roughly around 2500 per week.

I didn't have any immediate plans to buy a new car, but saw an Ad from FIAT last week, offering Minimum 1 Lakh off for my old car, thought about it and got interested at the prospect of buying a new car for myself.

I have been eyeing the Punto for some time now, as I love it's looks and the MJD engine too is a proven one. Still, now since I'm in the market for a new car, I'd like to explore the options. Since I have just started working, I don't wanna spend too much and get the most bang for my buck right now.

To give you an idea of my daily commute.. I travel from Rohini - Gurgaon everyday , roughly around 45 Kms. my office hours are such, that I get near-empty roads in the morning and medium traffic in the evening.

Here are my requirements:

> Budget: 5.5-6 lakh tops.
> Good FE, anything above 16 and I'll be happy.
> Modern looking (I'm just 23, so you can imagine that looks matter right now )
> Safety options in this range for a diesel hatch are non-existent. Except for Figo which offers ABS in Zxi I think.

Coming to my options, Punto tops the list as FIAT is offering nice discounts on the Diesel Active variant. I haven't really considered other options but I'm looking at Ford Figo and Nissan Micra as well, as I believe that they might offer decent discounts as well.

Not Looking at Swift / Ritz because Maruti dealers offer bare minimum discounts and as far as resale is considered, what'll I'll lose at the time of selling the car, I'm gaining it right now in form of discounts.

The family will barely be travelling in this car, as we got a Renault Duster last year, which will cater to family / long trips.

So, what do you guys have to suggest? Open to everything at the moment, except stretching the budget!

[bigben]

Do check out the Vista tech also. The most refined Vista so far.
If economy is what you want, then Tatas are the best for that. I am sure they will give you a good discount also.
Regarding mileage you can expect 18 in the city and better mileage on the highway. My Vista is 4 and a half years old now and has never let me down. I get an average of 17 kmpl in the city with the a/c.

[Abh1nav]

Originally Posted by bigben

Do check out the Vista tech also.

Thanks for the quick response bigben, I know Vista is great VFM, but personally, I'm not a fan of Vista's design. Would have considered the bolt though, if it had been launched!