[rohantn]

Hi,

My parents are thinking of buying a new car.
They do not drive and hence back seat comfort and spaciousness is very important.
They currently have a Maruti 800, which they want to replace.

Their first choice of car was to think of going for an Ambassador, which was a model of car they have owned for over 20 years previously.
However I have convinced them to forget the ambassador because of build quality issues.

The best car I could find in their price bracket (under Rs. 4 lakhs) is the Indica. I have adviced them to go for the Petrol version as their yearly mileage is very low (< 4000 kM).

They are ok with buying the base GLE version (the one with AC but no power steering), as its a driver who will be driving. This car is priced at Rs. 3,24,000 in Kerala.

I am not sure whether to recommend the Tata Vista instead of the Indica.
The base version of the Vista costs Rs. 391,000/-

The question I have is whether the Vista is worth paying Rs. 67,000 over the Indica. I know that the base version of the Vista comes with power steering. So the price comparison is not like for like.

However the parameters my parents are looking for are Value For Money, Space, Comfort and Reliability.

Keeping this in mind would you recommend going for the Indica xeta or going for the Vista instead?

Also do you know what kind of discounts are on offer for these cars?
My local dealer says that the Indica Xeta is not readily available and that it is built to order with a 4-6 week waiting time. The Vista is readily available.
He is also not willing to offer much of a discount on either model. He is offering a discount of Rs. 10,000/- on either.

What are the opinions of the folks on this forum?

[haithereitsme]

stepping away from your discussion, why Indica or the vista ?

Am sure you can get good options at that price point from both Maruti and Hyundai. Is rear leg room your concern ?

[silverado]

Originally Posted by rohantn

Hi,

My parents are thinking of buying a new car.
They do not drive and hence back seat comfort and spaciousness is very important.

Wish we all could buy a reliable AMBY, since its the best in rear seat comfort even today.

I would recomend a car which has the Best ingress/egress since thats a big factor comfortwise for elder people.

VISTA is surely better than XETA in that respect.

Below 4 lakhs you can also check out i10 Era if they like it.
Else it has to be VISTA anytime for the BIG car feel and better ride.

Originally Posted by haithereitsme

stepping away from your discussion, why Indica or the vista ?

Am sure you can get good options at that price point from both Maruti and Hyundai. Is rear leg room your concern ?

Indica XETA / VISTA have better suspension setup (than SANTRO/Estilo/wagon R) and are genuine 5 seaters.

It also looks like TATA is coming out with a INDICA-XL which can turn out to be the BEST option if Legroom is the biggest criteria.

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please use the "edit" button if posting within 30 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

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[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

What are the emission norms for both cars?? Have you compared the FE?

I would pay a few K extra for a model with better FE and complies with latest emission norms - regardless of whether I can register it in my area (with older norms).

Have you considered the IndigoCS? Slightly better build quality than indica IMHO.

[ashis89]

Vista is much better than the Indica in every respect and is worth the premium. Most of the previous flaws of the Indica were addressed in the Vista. It is more spacious,more comfortable and has a modern engine in its bay. The Vista is also more fuel efficient. You should go with the Vista.

If you are open to other options and can manage with a slightly smaller car then look at the i10. The Era model should in your budget. Also the recently launched Eon is very VFM. Lastly also consider the old but tried and trusted Santro.

[theexperthand]

For backseat comfort, go for Vista. Vista have one of the most comfiest backseat and it is a true 5 seater. the Vista refresh have softer suspension than the previous model which makes the back seat an even better place to sit.

Indica is an old platform and will not match up to Vista in seating comfort.

Take both of them to nearest Tata showroom and take a TD of both and ask them to sit and compare both cars.

Though i10, Santo etc are good cars, if my top priority is backseat comfort, I will choose Vista any day.

I own a Punto a Vista and a Santro and have done lot of long trips in i10.

[Dr.Suraj]

I have owned the Indica (petrol) & extensively driven a friend's Vista (Petrol).
&
Currently own the Tata Manza Elan Celebration Edition (Diesel).

I understand your needs & requirements clearly.

Will sum it up in 1 simple word.

Vista.
(MUCH MUCH better in term so of Indica Xeta. New platform. Superior comfort & legroom - beats it all. VERY sturdy. Nicely built. New(er) Car. Better VFM. Very well balanced ride)

Only 1 warning: Petrol cars are NOT Tata's Forte.
Do give 1 thought to the Hyundai stable - this is their expertise area -
No, NOT the Santro - but the Eon & i10.)

[Dr.Suraj]

Sorry -

Just an afterthought.
(Please don't kill me for this.)

I agree you have a higher budget - nevertheless, thought I should mention this (since creature comforts are not your priority)

Given the minimal running & no need for power steering & just a good seating + leg room + AC.

The top end Tata Nano.
- Driver drives it
- AC
- Decent rear bench
- EXTREMELY Value For Money
- Sufficient Leg Room
- Excellent FE
- Save a LOT of money
- Use the money to spruce it up with some creature comforts - like nice cushioned soft seat covers & whatever else your parent's could want.
(reading light, storage pockets, better music system, a DVD player with screen?)

[samarth.bhatia]

Hi,

I suggest going in for the Vista because:

1. It's a newer car, with better build quality.
2. In terms of comfort, Vista beats the Xeta as it has better suspension, better ingreee/egress.
3. The Vista has more pleasing looks (interior and exterior) - this would probably matter to some extent.
4. The Vista, being a fresher model, can be expected to age better.
5. Overall noise levels in the Vista are much lower.
6. Vista is a much safer vehicle overall.
The 67k premium is justified, IMO, for all the above points. And then there're more.

All the best!
Cheers and drive safe.
Sam

[rohantn]

Thanks folks for all your replies. I am leaning towards the vista now.
Any idea on what sort of discounts are available on the car and how to negotiate a good discount?

The local Tata dealer is offering only a 12K discount for the car, while in comparison the Maruti dealer is offering a 25 K discount on the A-Star plus a 20K
loyalty bonus when we swap in the old M800

[rohantn]

One thing that bothers me about the vista though. The length of the boot behind the rear seat seems very small, much smaller than the Indica.

I could not find exact dimensions of the length of the boot of either of the cars from their websites.

The reason this bothers me is that the length of the buffer / crumple zone in the event of a rear end collision is compromised.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

[torquecurve]

I am a Vista Safire65 owner. When we bought the car, my considerations were similar to yours. With parents who will use the rear seat most of the time.

The Vista has excellent ingress/egress. The rear seat comfort is best in class and I daresay better than some sedans.

I get an FE of 14kmpl in city with AC.

Coming to the safety aspect, though the space looks minimal at the rear (between the tailgate and seat rear) it is crash safe. (Tata is the only manufacturer who has a crash test facility in India).
Also, the metal guage all around is far better. Just look at the door hinges for example and you will see what I mean.

About petrol engines not being tata's forte, I beg to differ. The Vista comes with the 1.2 Fiat 8V engine. It is a bullet proof engine which delivers what it promises. Also it is in BS4 avatar so no emission norm issues.

I have never had any issues mechanical or otherwise with the car. Even after 28000 kms my car does not rattle, squeak and I have not paid anything for servicing as well. So it is easy on the pocket.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask, I will be more than happy to answer out of my experience.

The A-Star does not have any space at the back - the 25K you save will not put a smile on you or your parents face. Think about it.

[Abes]

There was some braking issue, reported here, on Vista petrol! Hope it has been sorted out.

[torquecurve]

Originally Posted by Abes

There was some braking issue, reported here, on Vista petrol! Hope it has been sorted out.

This is not an issue per se. I have also discussed it with a Manager at Fiat Drivetrain. The ECU is mapped such that it does not stall with the car in second gear at below 10kmph. Just depress the cluth while braking and the car will stop. The advantage of this is in slow moving traffic, you can just use the clutch to control the car, also it does not stall on inclines

[Abes]

Originally Posted by torquecurve

This is not an issue per se. I have also discussed it with a Manager at Fiat Drivetrain. The ECU is mapped such that it does not stall with the car in second gear at below 10kmph. Just depress the cluth while braking and the car will stop. The advantage of this is in slow moving traffic, you can just use the clutch to control the car, also it does not stall on inclines

OT on this thread, but the car should have been provided with enough braking power to stop the car even without depressing the clutch, aint it?

I had an accident because of this issue on M800, as mentioned in that thread.

There is another thread on whether or not to depress clutch during braking