[adg_andy]

Hi All,

Have finished most of my driving lessons. Confidence is coming back! (last drove a car 10 years back) Now comes the difficult part: choosing a car. After a detailed chat with wifey ( she gets to decide on the looks and I on cost and technology, although she has the final say). We have decided on 4 cars , namely:
1. Beat Diesel ( if i go for a Beat with its small boot, it will be a diesel: period)
2. SPHJ. With reduced prices and wifey literally drooling over its looks
3. i10: I liked the smooth gear and the interiors on the only day I got to drive an i10 during training class: other dauys I got to drive a santro. Wife's favourite in the looks department till she saw the JAZZ. ( stupid me- i was teh one who showed her the pic in the newspaper and automatically our budget increased by 1 lakh)
4. Honda brio: I am waiting till the end of next month to make a final decision; hopefully the brio launches by then.


The points to be taken into consideration:
1. I have moved closer to my office. Hence drives are limited to 2km drive to ofc and weekend drives)
2. I have a 4 month old daughter.
3. For groceries , I need to move about a little bit( e-city does not have many options)
4. If at all I buy a diesel, it will be the BEAT. It comes within my budget.
5. I intend to keep it for a long time( read more than 5 years)

[GTO]

With only a 2 kms drive to work, you will hardly benefit from diesel economy. The Honda Jazz is the top pick from your list and, honestly, amongst the best hatchbacks in India now. Especially considering the recent price cuts.

Go pick up the Jazz, it's a spacious all-rounder that will keep you happy for a long time to come.

[Speed.Demon]

+1 to that.

With your kind of travel, you certainly don't require a diesel. Besides, with the price cuts, the Jazz is definitely looking good.
And as GTO rightly said, the Jazz is the best pick from all the cars in your list, its the best petrol hatch in India today, period.
And the Honda badge on the nose ought to be enough to ensure miles and miles of happy motoring!!

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by GTO

With only a 2 kms drive to work, you will hardly benefit from diesel economy. The Honda Jazz is the top pick from your list and, honestly, amongst the best hatchbacks in India now. Especially considering the recent price cuts.

Go pick up the Jazz, it's a spacious all-rounder that will keep you happy for a long time to come.

I back GTO's rec fully here. Just get the Jazz, and earn complete peace of mind. With its revised pricing, it is superb VFM at the moment.

Originally Posted by adg_andy

The points to be taken into consideration:

1. I have moved closer to my office. Hence drives are limited to 2km drive to ofc and weekend drives)
Petrol over Diesel, naturally. Weekend drives require slightly spacious trips for whole family so Jazz gets the nod here, over Brio & i10. Your wife and kids will appreciate it.

2. I have a 4 month old daughter.
Spacious and safe. Jazz again.

3. For groceries , I need to move about a little bit( e-city does not have many options)
City commuter. Toss up between all 4 cars you listed but the Jazz gets my nod here, simply for it's practicality, if not for anything else.

4. If at all I buy a diesel, it will be the BEAT. It comes within my budget.
With the kind of running the car will do, it won't make too much sense to get a oil-burner. Plus, maintenance expenses will increase. A petrol car is the better option here. Out of the 3 listed, Jazz is the best VFM package.

5. I intend to keep it for a long time( read more than 5 years)
Definitely the Jazz, then. As the days pass, you tend to appreciate the car more and more. It's practical, spacious, comfortable, has adequate road handling manners, smooth, gives very decent FE, plus it's a Honda so it will always be a good re-seller.

My replies in bold/italic.

[sachinj12]

Get the Jazz, forget diesel. The Jazz looks all the more Jazz with the price cut and is arguably the best hatch in the country. A decision you won't regret.

[iliketurtles]

The Jazz blows away every one of those cars on your shortlist on virtually every parameter? Space, looks (which are subjective, but which your wife loves!), a decent sized boot, perfect for city use...the positives go on and one. Yes, the Jazz costs a fair bit more than any of those cars, but there's a good reason for that. You get what you pay for. Go for the Jazz, you won't regret it.

[shashank.nk]

Andy, hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread, but my requirements and options are the same as yours and Honda has us confused

We are looking for a city hatch and right now have a week old booking on the Jazz X. This will be our second car at home, and as such will rarely hit the highways, mostly for city-use. It will have 2 passengers most of the time and may be rarely have 4 or 5 passengers.

Is it wise downgrading to the Brio considering the requirements and usage ?

[murillo]

Since your mileage is less, a petrol car is preferable. Jazz fits your requirements to the T. Jazz base variant starts at about 5.5 lacs ex showroom. While your wife appreciates the looks, it is also a practical and sensible choice. Though it is priced a bit high than other cars in your list, it is worth it considering what it brings for that price. I vote for Jazz.

Some additional thoughts below:

On the other hand, since this being your first car and if you are apprehensive about handling a new car, I suggest you go with a spacious, second-hand car for a year. After you are well versed with driving, you can buy a new car.

If I were you, I will park my new car at home and use it only for weekend trips. I will use a bike to office, because the distance being only 2 kms, the car will be running always on a cold engine which means stress on the engine. The engine needs to reach an optimum temperature for optimum performance which will take some amount of time/distance driving.

Just my personal opinions. Please decide what best suits you and all the best for your new car search.

[murillo]

Shashank,

I think it is wise to downgrade and save some cash keeping in mind the needs you have mentioned. I will leave it to you to decide on the alternative. Just ensure the alternative suits your original need, e.g., if you use it for shopping/airport trips then evaluate for adequate boot space, ease of loading/unloading, low-end torque for city use, etc. If female members of the family are driving, then it should suit them.

Just my two cents from my limited knowledge. Hope it helps.

[parsh]

Got to be Jazz BUT would say that "Have Money Buy Jazz" - though price is reduced, still much higher price amongst your selection. Else wait for Brio and do an actual comparo between i10 Vs Brio which will satisfy your aspects better.

[Gautam Misra]

It appears that till now Jazz is getting the maximum votes. Jazz after its price cut is indeed an attractive proposition. IMO can can consider the Brio after it is launched. However with the Brio you may have to wait a bit longer for delivery.

A word about the beat diesel

The Chevy beat diesel is also an excellent car if you are ok with the boot space.The seat has a 60:40 split though (in the LT variant). Being a smaller car vis-a-vis the Jazz it will be easier to maneuver for someone who is buying his first car.

i 10

The i 10 is a no non-sense car and is selling well even though it does not have a diesel variant.

Other cars you can consider
Figo
The all new Vista quadrajet (this will also come within your budget)
The all new Swift.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by murillo

Shashank,

I think it is wise to downgrade and save some cash keeping in mind the needs you have mentioned. I will leave it to you to decide on the alternative. Just ensure the alternative suits your original need, e.g., if you use it for shopping/airport trips then evaluate for adequate boot space, ease of loading/unloading, low-end torque for city use, etc. If female members of the family are driving, then it should suit them.

Just my two cents from my limited knowledge. Hope it helps.

Thanks for your input murillo! I am waiting for the prices to come out. If the savings are about 1.5 to 2l (which i doubt) then Brio makes a serious case for itself. I'm ok with a 1 lakh premium for the Jazz over the Brio let honda announce the prices and i'll make a decision.

[misquitas]

I too would readily suggest the Jazz, given the generous price cut. However, do consider another option.

You could also check out a pre-owned Jazz. Not only would you have a superb international Honda car to easily last you for many years, with all the space and fitments, you may even get one for about Rs 5 lakh. Especially since the new Jazz is priced at about Rs 6.15 for the base variant.

In that way, you could benefit in at least 3 ways:

1. You would get the Jazz, a car that your wife loves
2. You would benefit from a saving of about Rs 1 lakh that you would love
3. Being a new driver, the "I-hope-I-dont-scratch-the-car" fear tends to be less in a pre-owned car than in a brand new showroom car.

[adg_andy]

Thanks guys for your response. I would myself go for Jazz, but the Road tax here in banaglore are killing. So the base variant for Jazz would come to about 6.7 L on road. A chevy beat hoever comes to 5.25 on road. Added to it is the diesel factor. Also the trafiic in bangalore is terrible. hence a smaller car is desirable. Inputs please . I also plan for weekend getaways(within 200kms) after I buy my car. So, wouldnt beat D be more sensible?

[murillo]

If you make weekend trips every week of a month, that will be <800 kms plus your office run will be 80 kms per month (2 kms, two and fro is 4 kms, x20 working days = 80), still comes to about <880 kms. Petrol vs. diesel is discussed extensively on the forum. It is generally accepted that if monthly running is less than about 1,000 kms a petrol is preferable. Above 1,200 kms per month, a diesel makes sense. If you are a fan of diesel motors, then it is a different thing. If you like Beat and feel it is comfortable to drive then by all means go for it. Beat is a great VFM product, with new age looks, and a funky character. Check about the 3 year free warranty. Note that some members have reported large vibrations on the engine (when revving or when a/c is on) and apprehensive about the engine mounts and heavy dampings used in the longer run. GTO had reported in the test drive, that inside the cabin the noise and NVH levels are very well controlled. It is to be noted that the Beat D being new can only prove itself over a longer period of running with regard to NVH, maintenance, and reliability. The competitors of Beat D are mid variants of Figo and Ritz with a marginal increase in prices. You a can do a comparison and decide.

All the best for your new car.