[nozzlering]

You intend to buy a new car and keep for 5-7 years. In that case, sell-off both city (and/or lancer, as you seem to be more attached to the Mitsubishi). And buy a hatchback. Which one? It all depends on how much you want, or how much you can spend..

[noopster]

Mohit, I agree with everything Coolman said.

Originally Posted by Coolman

See if "Option 4" works out like this:

• Sell the City and the Lancer, and that fetches around 4 L (earned budget) - assumption as you mentioned above

• Buy a decent second hand car - locally (Gujarat) registered. (...)
• If you are not for a second hand car, then buy it new.

• Buy a diesel if you intend to use it for 1200-1400 kms a month (i.e 15-16 K kms / year), that way, you break-even in 3 years at the most, and then you take it back with you to where you belong and use it for another couple of years (with break-even already achieved, you stand to gain) or sell it off (in this case, your buying a diesel might not be completely justified). If the above equation does not stand, then buy one from the respective Petrol cars mentioned above.

[list]

The cars in question will both be over 10 years old as you approach the end of your stint in Gujarat. Sentiment aside, that would mean more frequent trips to the shop, worrying about spare parts availability and in general the feeling that you are riding around in an old car while your family in Delhi is driving Altises and Sunnies

Also, 4 lacs for a new car will barely get you a low-end variant of a premium hatch with no safety features and the like. Hit the second hand market and you could easily find a SwiftD or equivalent at this price.

Again, why diesel? You have enough of them already. Get a small petrol cruiser. Swift Vxi with ABS used would be ideal. I bought mine 3 years used 3 years ago and trust me it doesn't look its age. There may be good options at trusted used-car dealers.

Lastly, get a GJ-registered vehicle. Not only will you stand out less, it will be a fond memento of your post-grad stint when you move back to Delhi. You will have fond memories associated with your time there and anyway Delhi cops don't care about out-of-town registrations.

All the best! Somehow at the end of all this, I get the feeling you will sell the Altis and take the Lancer with you (just kidding )

[sameerg001]

Hey buddy,

IMO don't sell the lancer, it is one heck of car and you''ll get lemons for your car so keep lancer with you.

Take honda city with you as it's just 60k kms which is nothing much for a honda considering the fact you've maintained it properly which you've i guess. So don't buy a new hatch just for the sake of availability of spares or fuel bills. Take honda city with you, enjoy her for 3 years and even after that you can easily sell her north of 1.5 lakhs.

If you're looking at diesel, among your choice ritz- topmost model is VDI which lacks ABS and airbags, figo- top end titanium comes around 6 on road.

If its petrol then no matter brio/i10/ritz will give you anything above then 14kmpl in city with ac, so city will also give you 9 at least.

So keep lancer with you, take honda city with you and enjoy her for 3 years and then sell her if you want too. Being a honda there will be no issue in spares availability, you just need to replace consumables, that's it.

My 2 cents

Cheers
Sameer

[fiestarry]

"I beg to differ here my friend.
You cannot park any car anywhere you want, be it old or new. Parking at the right place is one basic traffic mannerism, negligence of which can be troublesome both for others as well as the owner of the car alike, and we, being a part of such a distinguished and highly regarded community, should not be voicing out such advise and suggestions (humble request) . As far as keeping your ride untidy and neglecting is concerned, all I can say is NO COMMENTS."

I think in an enlightened community comprising 'mostly' of adults, prudish and pompous statements as above are entirely out of place.
There was never any attempt by me to encourage parking in illegal places; India isnt yet a place where designated parking places are available all over. Parking on the roadsides in residential as well as public places so long as it isn't in a no parking zone is the norm.
Also, no one needs to be advised on keeping his 'ride' clean. That is an individual choice.

Mods could kindly advice some members about the various aspects of humour in speech and letter.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by noopster

Also, 4 lacs for a new car will barely get you a low-end variant of a premium hatch with no safety features and the like.

Budget can be increased for a new car. Thats the biggest advantage of going away from home as a student. Do not underestimate the power of the emotional situation where Bechara akela bacha naye shehar me ja raha hai. Only reason I am not interested in Swift and other premium hatches is because I don't feel any of them deserves that price tag.
The Swift ZDI is totally not VFM.
The Polo has a not so good engine.
The Punto comes with the Fiat tag.
Skoda is no good with me.
Did I miss out on any other hatch?

Again, why diesel? You have enough of them already. Get a small petrol cruiser.

Well diesel because the car will be financed by dad but the fuel bills will be borne by me . And I have a couple of friends in Navi mumbai so we plan to do some long drives. But even then a Petrol Brio also sounds good to me. With a FE of 15 it would not be that hard on the pocket.
I am not that keen on a used car. The feel of a new car is just too much to compromise.

Originally Posted by sameerg001

If its petrol then no matter brio/i10/ritz will give you anything above then 14kmpl in city with ac, so city will also give you 9 at least.

Well thats a very interesting arguement and I am sure going to think about it. Although even a gap of 6kmpl over a period of 3 years and 30k kms will probably amount to a lot. Add to it the 1.8-2L that I will lose on the City.

Originally Posted by fiestarry

There was never any attempt by me to encourage parking in illegal places; India isnt yet a place where designated parking places are available all over. Parking on the roadsides in residential as well as public places so long as it isn't in a no parking zone is the norm.

Hey I understand completely what you were trying to say. Infact that is one of the considerations. A lot of people ( seniors in the department included) have the tendency to borrow your car sometimes and one cannot refuse. In those cases parting with a brand new car is that much difficult. Also agree with the parking and general maintenance part.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Budget can be increased for a new car…
…
…
And I have a couple of friends in Navi mumbai so we plan to do some long drives. But even then a Petrol Brio also sounds good to me. With a FE of 15 it would not be that hard on the pocket.

Well with said parameters, I would suggest to strongly evaluate the safety aspect also. Fiat tag maybe a deterrent, but probably it’s a good idea to do a TD of the Punto diesel. And Micra/Pulse also can be considered.

And if you have to stick to the segment below, then as I said earlier, go with the Brio

[vineethvazhayil]

I guess you should sell the car that is fetching you more money out of the two, use the money hence with you to plonk an LPG system into the other one and do a overall patchup so that the car can run another 30-40k kms (or 3 years) and when you are done with your three years in college, just get rid of that car (for whatever money you get) also and then come back to Delhi and get a brand new car!

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

The Swift ZDI is totally not VFM.
The Polo has a not so good engine.
The Punto comes with the Fiat tag.
Skoda is no good with me.
Did I miss out on any other hatch?

You missed out on the Figo which IMO is VFM and seems perfect for you.

Just sell off your city,add a couple of lakhs and go for the Figo. Later on you can deck it up with alloys and a race-chip. What say?

Also could I add a twist to the story? How about taking the Lancer ALSO with you? It has depreciated to its minimum and will fetch you very low. But if taken with you,it will give you the big car feel on the WEEKENDS.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

...

Aha. There you go. I was wondering why you were vocal on the Tata Nano in some other threads recently Or were it not you?

Then why not the Nano itself when it gives you decent FE and low initial cost. Just my thoughts. I've not gone through the entire thread. Forgive me for jumping the gun, if I've.

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Did I miss out on any other hatch?

I think you should consider Honda Brio seriously. It is a fresh car unlike Swift which is too common!

As you are going for outstation for a study and not a job I hope your running will not cross 600-1000KM per month. If running is under 1000KM then get the Honda Brio or at least TD it.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by thoma

Then why not the Nano itself when it gives you decent FE and low initial cost. Just my thoughts. I've not gone through the entire thread. Forgive me for jumping the gun, if I've.

Yup that was me. I am not considering the Nano because I want a bigger/better Hatch. Not looking at the A segment but more at the B segment at around 5-6L price point.

PS: I still stand by my views on the Nano being an ideal car for its price.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Only reason I am not interested in Swift and other premium hatches is because I don't feel any of them deserves that price tag.
The Swift ZDI is totally not VFM.
The Polo has a not so good engine.
The Punto comes with the Fiat tag.
Skoda is no good with me.
Did I miss out on any other hatch?

Originally Posted by ashis89

You missed out on the Figo which IMO is VFM and seems perfect for you.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

I think you should consider Honda Brio seriously. It is a fresh car unlike Swift which is too common!

Sir the list I posted above was in context to the post quoted by me. Brio is right on top of my list. What I was saying was that I don't find the Swift, Polo, Fabia and other premium hatches any good VFM. Rather want to settle with a car from a segment below ie the Ritz/Figo/Brio and may be Jazz.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Sir the list I posted above was in context to the post quoted by me. Brio is right on top of my list. What I was saying was that I don't find the Swift, Polo, Fabia and other premium hatches any good VFM. Rather want to settle with a car from a segment below ie the Ritz/Figo/Brio and may be Jazz.

If you ask me, of the list you mention, you should get the Ritz. I have driven it and I can surely vouch for its performance as well as
city driving capabilities. You get the best of Maruti service, light on the purse and at the same time, would give you the punch
and the nimbleness to drive in the city.

[thoma]

Among diesels,

may I suggest the Micra/Pulse, which shares the same heart as your latest acquisition, the Sunny. Why not the Beat or the Indica which are entry level diesels? Or may be you missed out considering the Liva too. All of the above mentioned are greatly fuel efficient (in the order Micra~Liva>Beat>Indica in my limited knowledge) If looks are a bother, I would suggest to give another deep thought, and you may get fall in love with the looks.

[suhaas307]

My opinion. Close your eyes and buy the Brio, after selling your two sedans. The Lancer as we all know, is a depreciating disaster. I don't see any point in keeping it any longer. It will only inconvenience you as you will have to keep it in good running condition and it's not cheap.

The Brio is more fun to drive than the Jazz.

Some high points:

- It's a small light car with a 90 horsepower engine. (same engine in the Jazz, albeit without 150 kgs of flab) Sounds like a 'mini' hot-hatch recipe in the car-cookbook.

- It's a Honda, so it will be reliable and will provide a hassle-free ownership experience.

Some low points:

- Minuscule boot. Apart from a tote-bag or two, you can't really throw in anything else in there.

- Missing some deal-breaker features like auto-fold ORVMs and rear-windscreen wash/wipe.

Also, do consider the i10. The Kappa2 engine is quite a good one. But it may not be as fuel-efficient as the Honda. And don't expect it to be as fun-to-drive.

If it's going to be a diesel, I'd choose between a Etios Liva and a Ford Figo.

[drmohitg]

I have more or less decided about going with the Option 4 ie sell off both the Lancer and the City and buy myself a new hatch. Now comes the more important question Which Hatch?

My considerations are:
1. Good to drive with a peppy engine ( may not be a stonker but fun to drive).
2. Good FE.
3. Easy to drive in the city.
4. Decent handling since I plan to do some good highway runs in this car.
5. Decent amount of features. I do not need smart entry like the Micra but electrical foldable/adjustable ORVMs are desired.
6. ABS and Airbags desired but can overlook the Airbags in case of Ritz since it doesn't provide that in the top end variant too.

The car would run around 1000 kms/month and the running can increase in the future. I will keep the car for a good 5-7 years or 60-80k kms so the after sales should be affordable too.

Now I am confused between Diesel or Petrol. I am considering Petrol for the following reasons:
1. All the other cars in my garage are diesel.
2. A petrol hatch should return me higher FE compared to a Petrol sedan. So with a FE of 14-15kmpl the break-even period would be considerably more.

On the other hand a diesel will always keep you happy and one need not worry about the Petrol prices which should go on increasing each year.

Petrol Hatches I am considering are: ( in order of preference)
1. Honda Brio
2. Honda Jazz
3. Maruti Ritz
4. Maruti Swift VXI ( the top end becomes too pricey according to me)

Diesel hatches I am considering are:
1. Maruti Ritz
2. Ford Figo
3. Maruti Swift VDI

The hatches I am not considering;
1. Punto: Because of the vague reliability, perceived or otherwise.
2. Fabia: I do not like Skoda.
3. Indica: For obvious reasons
4. Beat: Dad does not like Chevy.
5. Polo: Costlier than most other hatches.
6. LIva: I got too many Toyotas already and the central dash design looks horrible to me.
7. Hyundai: Have driven the Santro and I10 a lot before so want to experience something different now.

So which of the hatches would be the best combination of fun to drive, good handling, decent FE, VFM and reliability out of the above list?

I am personally leaning more towards the Ritz/Swift in case of diesel and Brio/Jazz in case of Petrol.

Also am I correct in assuming that a Petrol Hatch like Brio or Ritz or Swift would return FE of 14-15 in the City?