Help wanted in getting a small car

manish7 · 20th April 2006, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sumed

If you do not prefer a tall boy or Diesel, then the option is Alto Lxi in the price bracket. It has great FE and very low maintenance

Happy Hunting!

New Alto LXi us a grossly underpowered car. Though it gives good fuel efficiency, power is missing -- and for over 3L that's not a good deal.

- Manish

typeOnegative · 20th April 2006, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepakhon

I feel it is the other way round. It has adequate torque to putter around in the city, .... On the highways, if you can make up enough speeds in the lower gears, it is a good cruiser.

My evaluation was based from the POV of gear shifts. In the city (Mumbai) it (the 1.2) will be a pain, on the highway it will be close to Nirvana because of the ride.

prabuddhadg · 20th April 2006, 15:24

You guys are getting me more and more confused.
The problem is with me. I like the way the Palio 1.2 feels in terms of big car and solid feel and and I also like the Esteem for its peppy engine.
I like the Zen, but it does feel a little delicate.
The Alto is too small and just about the same size as an 800, so that I shall remove from consideration. Tall boys are also out.
Now if it were to be between the two Palios, can anyone give me FE numbers for the 1.6 and the 1.2 for Bombay traffic driving. My 800 gives me 16-17 kmpl, if that is an indication of my driving style.
Can anyone also give me some idea of the feel of the Palio 1.6? The low gear driving of the 1.2 is OK for my needs. Is the 1.6 similar? I do not go on long drives too often. So, city conditions matter more.

Sumed · 20th April 2006, 15:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by manish7

New Alto LXi us a grossly underpowered car. Though it gives good fuel efficiency, power is missing -- and for over 3L that's not a good deal.

- Manish

Well Manish... it depends on how you look at it. If you compare it to Wagon R and Xing, it has less power but it does its business within the city comfortably. This is based on my personal experience of having driven Alto Lx for 4.5 years, and if I remember the current prices, it is less than 3 Lakhs.

Cheers!

ryder · 20th April 2006, 16:11

Try giving a thought to Xeta, it would deliver 11.5 kmpl in the city, the engine is quite responsive, is very comfortable seating wise, if you dont need a boot that much then you dont need to upgrade to a sedan at all as this gives you loads of space and comfort (more than most of the entry level sedans), the price us great too, feels safer, easy to maintain too. My indica petrol v2 gives me 11 in the city and 15kmpl on the highway.

Boom Shiva · 20th April 2006, 16:11

I think Zen fits your bill the best. Good FE, very easy and cheap to maintain, great to handle in city traffic, damn good acceleration, and frankly IMHO, much better looking than most of the other small cars out there. It's a bit low and tends to scrape the bottom, but I would rather have a car with low centre of gravity than one of the "tall boys", which look ugly to me.

Also, since you already own a Maruti, I'm sure you'll get a good exchange/discount for customer loyalty.

Palio is also very good, but if you're used to 16-17 kmpl and Maruti service, you will be in for a rude shock.

manish7 · 20th April 2006, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sumed

Well Manish... it depends on how you look at it. If you compare it to Wagon R and Xing, it has less power but it does its business within the city comfortably. This is based on my personal experience of having driven Alto Lx for 4.5 years, and if I remember the current prices, it is less than 3 Lakhs.

Cheers!

Also LXi is 3.15 on road in Pune nad uses 796 CC engine, and Santro XL is around 3.78L on road with 1100 cc engine, front power windows, AC etc.

- Manish

shuvc · 20th April 2006, 16:25

what are the OTR prices of the Palio 1.2, Swift LXi and Esteem LXi in your area ?

prabuddhadg · 20th April 2006, 16:41

You know BoomShiva, the Zen used to be my favourite car for its handling, but now since the digging up of Bombay roads and sudden ditches resulting here and there, a friend who owns a Zen has started complaining of rattles in his car, that a Palio owner friend does not.
I think the Esteem is slightly stouter of build than the Zen. I am thinking of considering Ryder's idea of the Xeta as well. In fact it has always been on my mind, particularly for its solid feel and comfort.
So now I am thinking 1. Esteem (since its a Maruti), 2. Zen, 3. Xeta/ Palio 1.2 (I can handle 10kmpl (but no lower) for 2000km per month).

roms · 20th April 2006, 17:24

Hey Prabhu,
So you want driving pleasure along with economy.And you dont like diesels.But I'd still say you atleast try Indica turbo diesel which retails at 4.50 approx.You may just like it.I have'nt driven it but from what i've heard,it is supposed to be fast and very frugal.If you want a second hand diesel,try Palio diesel.Its got really good torque for city driving.I've driven it and its much better than the 1.2 petrol,and its quite refined while driving.So you will get the car you like with good economy of around 12 kmpl in city.
But if you still insist on a petrol, XETA makes good sense.Again I have'nt tried it but seems to be very good VFM,better than the tall boys,cant comment on the driving pleasure bit though.
If you want Palio 1.2, buy the euro 2 and not the euro 3(NV).You will anyways find more euro 2 Palios in the market.Mileage will not be more than 8-10kmpl in city ( Palio 1.2,1.6),but its best car if you want driving pleasure.Plus you see the car has very low resale anyways,so can buy it cheap and put your savings in fuel
highway mileage is around 14-16 for 1.2

prabuddhadg · 20th April 2006, 17:47

Hi Roms, I really don't know about diesels, but slightly off topic, is you avatar you and your Palio? If so, are you from the Western suburbs? Again, if that is also so, how do you find service for your car? If I get confirmation that service is even moderate and FE around 10 is manageable, I might just go in for a Palio.

abdriver2000 · 20th April 2006, 17:49

My Xeta is a month old, and I am quite happy with it (touch wood). Best FE is 13.23 and lowest I got was 11.41 with 5 people in the car. The car is fun to drive. In fact, most of my driving has been on the WE highway.

One more thing, the car is built like a rock. A cabbie hit my taillights with his door. My car was parked and to everyones surprise, he has a dent in his padmini and my car escaped without a scratch. I wasn't so lucky next time when a spoilt brat rammed his Uno while reversing. My car had few scratches, but his bumper plopped to the ground!

Xeta is a good car. Unfortunately Tata dealers are not making things easy for buyers.

prabuddhadg · 20th April 2006, 18:08

Thanks abdriver that's the first response I have received on the Xeta. What does the engine feel like, and the gears? These are the ones I did not love on the V2.

Zappo · 20th April 2006, 18:31

Prabuddha... I have been ardently following this thread. Must say this looks like one confused thread, Lol. Well ask yourself what is it that you are exactly looking for in your new car. Jot them down serially, starting with the most important criteria first.

Now, you are on record saying that you do not like diesels. You also said a few posts below that if you get an FE of 10 you are willing to go for XYZ car. Well... 70kms to drive everyday and at the cost of petrol (Rs.50/lt) I must say you are one heck of a rich guy.

While you decide on your priorities here are a few fillers....

You want a petrol car that is hoot to drive but wish to remain within budget (4+Lacs) - Go for Palio GTX. A.S.S. may kill you though...
You want a petrol car that is also extremely FE and yet cheap to buy - Look at the Alto. Though not much of an upgrade from the M800.
You want a petrol car that is efficient (may not be abnormally so like M800) and yet cheap to buy, good to drive and is extremely spacious - Look at the Xeta. At its price it is too much of an offer to miss. It beats every other car hollow.
You want a car with good looks, ok FE, hoot to drive but do not care about the inside space or the niggling teething problems - Look at Swift LXi
You want a cheap booted car, period (actual space inside or its age be damned) - Look at the Esteem.

And after all these if you think about where I began... that at Rs.50 a liter and 70 kms daily you may probably not have such an animosity towards the word diesel and yet other conditions are a must then I suggest you head straight for a Tata dealer. Take the Turbo Indica for a spin... take it to a long stretch of comparatively vacant road. You will be amazed at what you were missing.

Pssttt... the Turbo Indica may very well give you the same FE in-city as your M800 (16-17) and yet at the price of a diesel. Oh, by the way, do notice the space inside when you take the car for a spin.

abdriver2000 · 20th April 2006, 18:44

The engine of the XETA is quite forgiving. You can drive in 5th gear at 1000rpm and the car won't stall... thanks to the anti knock sensors. At the same time, you can push it to 80 in 4th gear, and the car still wants more foot to the pedal.

The gears are much better then earlier, but the reverse does give some false neutrals.

Take a test drive, and I assure you, you won't think twice about booking it. It is addictive from the word 'go'.

20th April 2006, 15:24	#18
prabuddhadg BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 812 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	You guys are getting me more and more confused. The problem is with me. I like the way the Palio 1.2 feels in terms of big car and solid feel and and I also like the Esteem for its peppy engine. I like the Zen, but it does feel a little delicate. The Alto is too small and just about the same size as an 800, so that I shall remove from consideration. Tall boys are also out. Now if it were to be between the two Palios, can anyone give me FE numbers for the 1.6 and the 1.2 for Bombay traffic driving. My 800 gives me 16-17 kmpl, if that is an indication of my driving style. Can anyone also give me some idea of the feel of the Palio 1.6? The low gear driving of the 1.2 is OK for my needs. Is the 1.6 similar? I do not go on long drives too often. So, city conditions matter more.
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 16:11	#20
ryder BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 27 Thanked: 13 Times	Try giving a thought to Xeta, it would deliver 11.5 kmpl in the city, the engine is quite responsive, is very comfortable seating wise, if you dont need a boot that much then you dont need to upgrade to a sedan at all as this gives you loads of space and comfort (more than most of the entry level sedans), the price us great too, feels safer, easy to maintain too. My indica petrol v2 gives me 11 in the city and 15kmpl on the highway.
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 16:11	#21
Boom Shiva BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,055 Thanked: 18 Times	I think Zen fits your bill the best. Good FE, very easy and cheap to maintain, great to handle in city traffic, damn good acceleration, and frankly IMHO, much better looking than most of the other small cars out there. It's a bit low and tends to scrape the bottom, but I would rather have a car with low centre of gravity than one of the "tall boys", which look ugly to me. Also, since you already own a Maruti, I'm sure you'll get a good exchange/discount for customer loyalty. Palio is also very good, but if you're used to 16-17 kmpl and Maruti service, you will be in for a rude shock.
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 16:25	#23
shuvc Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 2,913 Thanked: 352 Times View My Garage	what are the OTR prices of the Palio 1.2, Swift LXi and Esteem LXi in your area ?
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 16:41	#24
prabuddhadg BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 812 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	You know BoomShiva, the Zen used to be my favourite car for its handling, but now since the digging up of Bombay roads and sudden ditches resulting here and there, a friend who owns a Zen has started complaining of rattles in his car, that a Palio owner friend does not. I think the Esteem is slightly stouter of build than the Zen. I am thinking of considering Ryder's idea of the Xeta as well. In fact it has always been on my mind, particularly for its solid feel and comfort. So now I am thinking 1. Esteem (since its a Maruti), 2. Zen, 3. Xeta/ Palio 1.2 (I can handle 10kmpl (but no lower) for 2000km per month).
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 17:24	#25
roms BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 641 Thanked: 26 Times	Hey Prabhu, So you want driving pleasure along with economy.And you dont like diesels.But I'd still say you atleast try Indica turbo diesel which retails at 4.50 approx.You may just like it.I have'nt driven it but from what i've heard,it is supposed to be fast and very frugal.If you want a second hand diesel,try Palio diesel.Its got really good torque for city driving.I've driven it and its much better than the 1.2 petrol,and its quite refined while driving.So you will get the car you like with good economy of around 12 kmpl in city. But if you still insist on a petrol, XETA makes good sense.Again I have'nt tried it but seems to be very good VFM,better than the tall boys,cant comment on the driving pleasure bit though. If you want Palio 1.2, buy the euro 2 and not the euro 3(NV).You will anyways find more euro 2 Palios in the market.Mileage will not be more than 8-10kmpl in city ( Palio 1.2,1.6),but its best car if you want driving pleasure.Plus you see the car has very low resale anyways,so can buy it cheap and put your savings in fuel highway mileage is around 14-16 for 1.2 Last edited by roms : 20th April 2006 at 17:27.
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 17:47	#26
prabuddhadg BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 812 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	Hi Roms, I really don't know about diesels, but slightly off topic, is you avatar you and your Palio? If so, are you from the Western suburbs? Again, if that is also so, how do you find service for your car? If I get confirmation that service is even moderate and FE around 10 is manageable, I might just go in for a Palio.
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 17:49	#27
abdriver2000 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 331 Thanked: 30 Times View My Garage	My Xeta is a month old, and I am quite happy with it (touch wood). Best FE is 13.23 and lowest I got was 11.41 with 5 people in the car. The car is fun to drive. In fact, most of my driving has been on the WE highway. One more thing, the car is built like a rock. A cabbie hit my taillights with his door. My car was parked and to everyones surprise, he has a dent in his padmini and my car escaped without a scratch. I wasn't so lucky next time when a spoilt brat rammed his Uno while reversing. My car had few scratches, but his bumper plopped to the ground! Xeta is a good car. Unfortunately Tata dealers are not making things easy for buyers.
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 18:08	#28
prabuddhadg BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 812 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	Thanks abdriver that's the first response I have received on the Xeta. What does the engine feel like, and the gears? These are the ones I did not love on the V2.
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 18:31	#29
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 5,921 Thanked: 2,677 Times	Prabuddha... I have been ardently following this thread. Must say this looks like one confused thread, Lol. Well ask yourself what is it that you are exactly looking for in your new car. Jot them down serially, starting with the most important criteria first. Now, you are on record saying that you do not like diesels. You also said a few posts below that if you get an FE of 10 you are willing to go for XYZ car. Well... 70kms to drive everyday and at the cost of petrol (Rs.50/lt) I must say you are one heck of a rich guy. While you decide on your priorities here are a few fillers.... You want a petrol car that is hoot to drive but wish to remain within budget (4+Lacs) - Go for Palio GTX. A.S.S. may kill you though... You want a petrol car that is also extremely FE and yet cheap to buy - Look at the Alto. Though not much of an upgrade from the M800. You want a petrol car that is efficient (may not be abnormally so like M800) and yet cheap to buy, good to drive and is extremely spacious - Look at the Xeta. At its price it is too much of an offer to miss. It beats every other car hollow. You want a car with good looks, ok FE, hoot to drive but do not care about the inside space or the niggling teething problems - Look at Swift LXi You want a cheap booted car, period (actual space inside or its age be damned) - Look at the Esteem. And after all these if you think about where I began... that at Rs.50 a liter and 70 kms daily you may probably not have such an animosity towards the word diesel and yet other conditions are a must then I suggest you head straight for a Tata dealer. Take the Turbo Indica for a spin... take it to a long stretch of comparatively vacant road. You will be amazed at what you were missing. Pssttt... the Turbo Indica may very well give you the same FE in-city as your M800 (16-17) and yet at the price of a diesel. Oh, by the way, do notice the space inside when you take the car for a spin.
	() Thanks

20th April 2006, 18:44	#30
abdriver2000 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 331 Thanked: 30 Times View My Garage	The engine of the XETA is quite forgiving. You can drive in 5th gear at 1000rpm and the car won't stall... thanks to the anti knock sensors. At the same time, you can push it to 80 in 4th gear, and the car still wants more foot to the pedal. The gears are much better then earlier, but the reverse does give some false neutrals. Take a test drive, and I assure you, you won't think twice about booking it. It is addictive from the word 'go'.
	() Thanks