Ford Flair 1.3 or Palio Diesel 1.9

AvinashKeezh · 9th May 2006, 09:55

virsingh,
the decision is all yours. you need to go with what your heart's trying to tell you. but remember one thing, the heart thinks what the brain tells it to think. ok no more of this philos stuff.
the palio D is one heluva car and one of the best (if not the best) hatchback diesels in our country. and still if you plan to go in for that petrol version; and if you are not that enthusiastic about the driving experience, then once the initial enthusiasm dies off, the monster eating into your wallet would be of one big concern. so if you think you can handle that part good enough, then there is no point in trying to get a diesel.
on the other hand, if you still have to decide on the ikon 1.3 and the palio sport-1.6 (prev GTX), then it still depends on what you want. if you are the person who needs a boot to carry luggage and stuff then the ikon wins hands down. but if you can fit in your things into the space that palio offers then the palio 1.6 sport is the one that's gonna make you happy.
that's just my two cents.
AK
PS: hey basil that's a nice signature there

nitinhegde · 9th May 2006, 12:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minardi

BTW, the Ford will return not more than 9 kmpl in the city (at least here in Mumbai). The Palio returns more than that. Esp the 1.9 diesel.

I don't think so...Which FORD are you referring to ? Ford Ikon Flair 1.3 or the older 1.6 engine ?My mileage for the New car (1.3 engine) is around 10+ for 50 % city+highway driving each with AC on 70 %.....when the car will get fine tuned after 2-3K of runnign it returns approx 12 kmpl in city conditions and around 15 on highways - thats what I had heard (with may be 50 % ac)..

virsingh77 · 9th May 2006, 12:37

Well I've read everyone's views and things are becoming clearer. So now i've narrowed it down to the foll:-

1. A petrol car with AC would not give me an avg of more than 12. So if I drive 1300kms a month and the cost of petrol in Chandigarh is Rs45/l, I would be spending around Rs 5000 every month. Diesel which is Rs 15 cheaper should help me save Rs 1600 every month (with the same avg of 12). So thats a plus for diesel. But will the maintenance of diesel overshadow a saving of Rs1600/mth?

2. The PalioD 1.9 is for 4.6 and the Flair 1.3 is for 4.69. Not much difference in price, but the flair has power windows and fog lamps which the palio does not. There's also a fully loaded yellow PalioD 1.9 available at 4.9, insurance included! I would like to keep my budget below 5.

3. There is only one Fiat dealer in my city (we have a TATA dealer but I think he only deals in he petrol versions of Fiat) and 2 ford dealers. The regular service at Fiat is reported to be OK, but there is an issue with supply of spares. The service at Ford is also OK.

4. I plan to keep the car for more than 5 yrs.

5. My heart wants the ikon- sedan, big boot et. al but since like to look at the practical side of things I'm not fixed on the flair.

Looking at these things, which one would suit me?

finneyp · 9th May 2006, 12:49

Vir, your analysis clearly states that Palio D will suit your requirements.

Palio D does have Power windows, though not fog lamps...

Also, Tata dealers will currently sell only Palio 1.2, 1.6 (petrol) and Adventure, but will service both petrol and diesel fiat cars.

basilmabraham · 9th May 2006, 12:50

virsingh, if your heart wants a sedan then go for it...isnt to satisfy your own wishes that u r willing to shell out 5L...Think again when buying a ford, coz many of my friends have had problems with the sevice, and the spares are way too expensive...

The Tata dealers do service diesel palios, atleast in Cochin.

Sagarpradhan85 · 9th May 2006, 12:52

dude,
go for a test drive of the Palio 1.6, thats it....you wont look further....

satish_appasani · 9th May 2006, 12:59

vir

I am confused on the pricing your dealer has told you for Palio D. Two years back when I bought my Palio D, it costed me 5.3 on road in Hyderabad. 10 months ago the price was 6.1.

Did Fiat cut short their prices by 25% or are the cars that cheap in Chandigarh? 4.6 could be the pricing for 1.6 sport.

deepakhon · 9th May 2006, 13:01

Vir,

I would say take a test drive of all the cars you have shortlisted. If you are not satisfied with one drive, test drive again. Atleast in Bangalore, all Tata dealers service all Fiat cars, including Uno. I have no idea about what the situation in Chandigarh is. If your running is very high, you can opt for the Palio D. It certainly is an awesome car to drive. I do not think there will be too many maintainance issues with that car. The engine is not hi-tec, but the parts surrounding the engine are.

I have no idea about Flair. I did not test it as I had no intention of buying one. You can get in touch with members who own Flair as they can provide more details on the car.

Finally, listen to your heart

Cheers,

basilmabraham · 9th May 2006, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by satish_appasani

vir

I am confused on the pricing your dealer has told you for Palio D. Two years back when I bought my Palio D, it costed me 5.3 on road in Hyderabad. 10 months ago the price was 6.1.

Did Fiat cut short their prices by 25% or are the cars that cheap in Chandigarh? 4.6 could be the pricing for 1.6 sport.

I bought mine (1.9 D ELX) over a year ago in Cochin, was around the same price as satishs. (5.3 to 5.4 on road.)

Does the price go less because of some duty things that doesnt apply for a union territory. (I am though not very sure of CH being one coz

)

RX135 · 9th May 2006, 13:15

Quote:

1. A petrol car with AC would not give me an avg of more than 12. So if I drive 1300kms a month and the cost of petrol in Chandigarh is Rs45/l, I would be spending around Rs 5000 every month. Diesel which is Rs 15 cheaper should help me save Rs 1600 every month (with the same avg of 12). So thats a plus for diesel. But will the maintenance of diesel overshadow a saving of Rs1600/mth?

It is not just the saving or maintenance. Petrol cars are more powerful, so more power at your disposal. Do you want that or are you just keen on saving money?

Quote:

4. I plan to keep the car for more than 5 yrs.

Then resale should not be major criteria, since the difference will be much less.

Quote:

5. My heart wants the ikon- sedan, big boot et. al but since like to look at the practical side of things I'm not fixed on the flair.

Go for the car you like, that is Ikon. I don't know what practical issue are you facing with Ikon. Does it mean FE and fuel costs?

nitinhegde · 9th May 2006, 13:19

I was also in the same situation as yrs...and I choose Ford Ikon as its a Sedan after all and a winner in its segment(start C segment) !

RX135 · 9th May 2006, 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinhegde

I was also in the same situation as yrs...and I choose Ford Ikon as its a Sedan after all and a winner in its segment(start C segment) !

Correction. There are few others in entry C segment, namely esteem, Accent GLE, Fiat Petra, Baleno, Corsa 1.4 (dont know about Aveo 1.4 and Fiesta). I would not call Ford Ikon as winner of this segment.

basilmabraham · 9th May 2006, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by RX135

Correction. There are few others in entry C segment, namely esteem, Accent GLE, Fiat Petra, Baleno, Corsa 1.4 (dont know about Aveo 1.4 and Fiesta). I would not call Ford Ikon as winner of this segment.

totally agree with you RX. The ford icon cant be a winner considering the high cost of maintenance and spares. Its true that you get it for a good price, with lots of compromises as I see it.

The quality of a machine counts and ultimately thats what will save you.

nitinhegde · 9th May 2006, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by RX135

Correction. There are few others in entry C segment, namely esteem, Accent GLE, Fiat Petra, Baleno, Corsa 1.4 (dont know about Aveo 1.4 and Fiesta). I would not call Ford Ikon as winner of this segment.

I mean basic start segment...Fiesta,Aveo,Baleno are not in the same segment/category (I mean pricing)...

The ones to compare are Esteem,Ikon,Petra,Indigo ! For me,it was Ikon amongst these..again,its subjective !
Esteem(though a good performer - my wife along with me didn't like the looks - its a subjective thing,I know its not really a practical thing to compare the looks but afterall you shdnot regret later) and Indigo is better known for diesel models ! So,it had to be Ikon or Petra and I chose Ikon.

....I do not think that the accessories,spares,Maintenance are very expensive...it may be on a higher side but the difference is not worth considering..and do you mean to say that New cars+cars >3-5 yrs give that much Maintenance ??I would beg to disagree on this..

I want to know after How much running/no. of years did yr car start giving Maint. pblms ? and How long are we going to keep our cars...

virsingh77 · 9th May 2006, 14:55

Dear Basil and Satish,
Fiat has dropped prices for the Palio. The base model is for 4.6L and the upgrade is for 4.9L (in Chandigarh)

So is the maintenance of the Palio justified in the saving from using diesel?
I don't have any idea of the cost involved in maintaining a palio diesel over 5-7 yrs, assuming normal maintenance issues.

I did test drive the Palio D and found it really good.

Of course my heart does desire the 'big' feel of a sedan, maybe I'll test drive the turbo indigo if its within 5L??!!

9th May 2006, 09:55	#16
AvinashKeezh BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 234 Thanked: 11 Times	virsingh, the decision is all yours. you need to go with what your heart's trying to tell you. but remember one thing, the heart thinks what the brain tells it to think. ok no more of this philos stuff. the palio D is one heluva car and one of the best (if not the best) hatchback diesels in our country. and still if you plan to go in for that petrol version; and if you are not that enthusiastic about the driving experience, then once the initial enthusiasm dies off, the monster eating into your wallet would be of one big concern. so if you think you can handle that part good enough, then there is no point in trying to get a diesel. on the other hand, if you still have to decide on the ikon 1.3 and the palio sport-1.6 (prev GTX), then it still depends on what you want. if you are the person who needs a boot to carry luggage and stuff then the ikon wins hands down. but if you can fit in your things into the space that palio offers then the palio 1.6 sport is the one that's gonna make you happy. that's just my two cents. AK PS: hey basil that's a nice signature there
	() Thanks

9th May 2006, 12:37	#18
virsingh77 Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 8 Thanked: 0 Times	Well I've read everyone's views and things are becoming clearer. So now i've narrowed it down to the foll:- 1. A petrol car with AC would not give me an avg of more than 12. So if I drive 1300kms a month and the cost of petrol in Chandigarh is Rs45/l, I would be spending around Rs 5000 every month. Diesel which is Rs 15 cheaper should help me save Rs 1600 every month (with the same avg of 12). So thats a plus for diesel. But will the maintenance of diesel overshadow a saving of Rs1600/mth? 2. The PalioD 1.9 is for 4.6 and the Flair 1.3 is for 4.69. Not much difference in price, but the flair has power windows and fog lamps which the palio does not. There's also a fully loaded yellow PalioD 1.9 available at 4.9, insurance included! I would like to keep my budget below 5. 3. There is only one Fiat dealer in my city (we have a TATA dealer but I think he only deals in he petrol versions of Fiat) and 2 ford dealers. The regular service at Fiat is reported to be OK, but there is an issue with supply of spares. The service at Ford is also OK. 4. I plan to keep the car for more than 5 yrs. 5. My heart wants the ikon- sedan, big boot et. al but since like to look at the practical side of things I'm not fixed on the flair. Looking at these things, which one would suit me?
	() Thanks

9th May 2006, 12:49	#19
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,716 Thanked: 319 Times View My Garage	Vir, your analysis clearly states that Palio D will suit your requirements. Palio D does have Power windows, though not fog lamps... Also, Tata dealers will currently sell only Palio 1.2, 1.6 (petrol) and Adventure, but will service both petrol and diesel fiat cars.
	() Thanks

9th May 2006, 12:50	#20
basilmabraham BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sydney/Cochin Posts: 772 Thanked: 76 Times View My Garage	virsingh, if your heart wants a sedan then go for it...isnt to satisfy your own wishes that u r willing to shell out 5L...Think again when buying a ford, coz many of my friends have had problems with the sevice, and the spares are way too expensive... The Tata dealers do service diesel palios, atleast in Cochin.
	() Thanks

9th May 2006, 12:52	#21
Sagarpradhan85 Newbie Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 23 Thanked: 9 Times	Palio Anytime dude, go for a test drive of the Palio 1.6, thats it....you wont look further....
	() Thanks

9th May 2006, 12:59	#22
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	vir I am confused on the pricing your dealer has told you for Palio D. Two years back when I bought my Palio D, it costed me 5.3 on road in Hyderabad. 10 months ago the price was 6.1. Did Fiat cut short their prices by 25% or are the cars that cheap in Chandigarh? 4.6 could be the pricing for 1.6 sport.
	() Thanks

9th May 2006, 13:01	#23
deepakhon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,441 Thanked: 65 Times	Vir, I would say take a test drive of all the cars you have shortlisted. If you are not satisfied with one drive, test drive again. Atleast in Bangalore, all Tata dealers service all Fiat cars, including Uno. I have no idea about what the situation in Chandigarh is. If your running is very high, you can opt for the Palio D. It certainly is an awesome car to drive. I do not think there will be too many maintainance issues with that car. The engine is not hi-tec, but the parts surrounding the engine are. I have no idea about Flair. I did not test it as I had no intention of buying one. You can get in touch with members who own Flair as they can provide more details on the car. Finally, listen to your heart Cheers,
	() Thanks

9th May 2006, 13:19	#26
nitinhegde BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: ~ Posts: 242 Thanked: 91 Times	I was also in the same situation as yrs...and I choose Ford Ikon as its a Sedan after all and a winner in its segment(start C segment) !
	() Thanks

9th May 2006, 14:55	#30
virsingh77 Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 8 Thanked: 0 Times	Dear Basil and Satish, Fiat has dropped prices for the Palio. The base model is for 4.6L and the upgrade is for 4.9L (in Chandigarh) So is the maintenance of the Palio justified in the saving from using diesel? I don't have any idea of the cost involved in maintaining a palio diesel over 5-7 yrs, assuming normal maintenance issues. I did test drive the Palio D and found it really good. Of course my heart does desire the 'big' feel of a sedan, maybe I'll test drive the turbo indigo if its within 5L??!!
	() Thanks

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