First Car

amit_purohit20 · 25th May 2006, 21:38

Dear all,
I plan to purchase my first car of my life. Being a first car i would like to go for a secondhand one. I am pro diesel person regarding economy and my strong option is tata indica diesel. I plan to purchase it downpayment so nothing related to EMI or sort of. I dont plan to use this car daily but only on weekends. Distances travelled on weekends will be high because i like long drives and outings. Is it worth going for diesel for a car to be used on weekends but for long drives(considering the economy side of it).
Only thing which i have against a indica is its big problem of its wheel rims getting bent now and then. Pls help me through ur valuable suggestions and let me decide between a petrol and a diesel car and yes pls do give ur supporting facts to make ur stand on any one of it.

Thanking you,
Amit

prakash2757 · 27th May 2006, 06:01

Hi Amit,

Well I am also looking for car. I did so much research

from past 6 months..

I have decided to go for Zen & Currenly looking for it. Well about Indica.. What I heard is after 1-2 yrs its becomes like a truck, Engine & Body conditions are not so good. U start getting all tuk tuk noise & all. I m not sure but all of my CAB drivers of office told me this,

You can check out for Zen, Alto.. Even U get a good resale value.. well check out for Ford Icon's too, Used one are coming as cheap as 2.5 lacs..

All the best & keep in touch with me

SamRao · 1st June 2006, 19:01

think of the diesel option if you are travelling more than 50 km per day, otherwise petrol may be a better option. the upfront cost of a diesel car and maintenance costs are higher for a diesel car, so you need to have a higher running to make up for the costs. also diesels are more sluggish unless you go in for a common rail or turbo diesel

personally i don;t like the indica - i think there is a reason why they are cheap, it shows in the interiors and reliability. if you want a diesel in that segment, check out the palio. if petrol is the better option based on your running, there are several choices, as you would know

good luck!

sbasak · 1st June 2006, 20:29

@Amit
Diesel is not good option for only weekends drivings.
After purchasing the car, you may lose the hype of going out every week after few months

Alto/Santro/WagonR should perfectly feed your needs.
Of course, ultimate choice is yours.

mail4ajo · 1st June 2006, 21:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by amit_purohit20

Dear all,
I plan to purchase my first car of my life. Being a first car i would like to go for a secondhand one. I am pro diesel person regarding economy and my strong option is tata indica diesel. I plan to purchase it downpayment so nothing related to EMI or sort of. I dont plan to use this car daily but only on weekends. Distances travelled on weekends will be high because i like long drives and outings. Is it worth going for diesel for a car to be used on weekends but for long drives(considering the economy side of it).
Only thing which i have against a indica is its big problem of its wheel rims getting bent now and then. Pls help me through ur valuable suggestions and let me decide between a petrol and a diesel car and yes pls do give ur supporting facts to make ur stand on any one of it.

Thanking you,
Amit

You may have the tax man at your doorsteps if you go for full downpayment. Gather all your tax papers for that.

The ALTO LXi is an ideal car if you are looking at economy (Decent Milage closer to the 20kms mark) and trouble free running. (good quality parts and Maruti service). Check the latest JD power ratings. ALTO is much above the industry average. Indica is not to be seen on this at all.

Diesel is good if you have many kms to cover. You will end up spending on its maintainence.

By the way, I am booking my first car in a week.(First car from my own money) Owned 3 M800s which were family cars.

storm162 · 15th June 2006, 20:17

Hi Guys,
I am an ametaur driver and i am learning to drive ...(Going to the driving school) and i am not really sure for which car to go for .....
With the help of the valuable inputs you guys gave amit even i want to go for a diesel option -Ford Ikon,Palio,Siena,Cielo.(Refurbished)
and the other problem which i would have is that i can spend arnd 5000/Pm..
Please help

streetlife · 16th June 2006, 11:59

Go for petrol man..considering you will only use it for weekends..
A 3-4 years old Zen or alto would suit you perfectly.

supremeBaleno · 16th June 2006, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

The ALTO LXi is an ideal car if you are looking at economy (Decent Milage closer to the 20kms mark) and trouble free running. (good quality parts and Maruti service). Check the latest JD power ratings. ALTO is much above the industry average. Indica is not to be seen on this at all.

I second this choice. Alto is a wonderful 1st car - great FE, low maintenance, cheap spares etc. I would not recommend a diesel car for your usage. Since your drives are mostly highway, the Alto will give you great FE which is close to 20 or more. And if you decide to use it for daily driving, then also it is a good option in our crowded cities.
Why take on trouble by buying a 2nd hand car ? Buy a new one and have peace of mind. Alto would start at 2.5L or so. BTW, the Zen is coming with lots of discounts as it has been phased out by Maruti. That is also an option if you want some more power than the Alto. Spares should not be an issue for a long time, due to Maruti support.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

By the way, I am booking my first car in a week.(First car from my own money) Owned 3 M800s which were family cars.

Congrats, Ajo. BTW, which car ?

1100D · 16th June 2006, 13:00

I wonder why the Santro eRLX does not feature in this thread.

If Diesel Vs Petrol debate has tilted towards petrol for this case, then are we not comparing Alto with the Diesel version of the Indica. Xeta however from what I heard from a few friends isn't bad at all. Definitely Bigger and sturdier than the Alto. But then service problems persist.

Moreover about Indica's turning into trucks which the drivers say, its more to do with the fact that most indicas are used by the Cabbie's. I came across a new indica (which is not run in) being driven at 110 at 4th gear. But owner maintained indica's have a much better fate. Wonder what would happen to the Alto's if they were abused that way.

DCEite · 16th June 2006, 15:23

get a WagonR or a Santro dude... Alto is good too but i didnt like its sluggish response specially with A/C on.
Forget about Xeta. Its currently undergoing TATA R&D.

supremeBaleno · 16th June 2006, 15:54

@amit, you did not mention any budget. That would give us a better idea as to what car would be a better fit - instead of us reeling off all the small cars.
Also, you mentioned that since this is your 1st car, you want to go for a 2nd hand one. Though quite some people follow this logic, I do not see any valid basis for this. I would anyday buy a new car than deal with the headaches that come with a used car. And if budget is a constraint, it would be wise to go for a cheaper/smaller new car than a costlier/bigger used car.

drifter · 16th June 2006, 17:15

Quote:

Forget about Xeta. Its currently undergoing TATA R&D.

What makes you say that man? The xeta is pretty good.

Drifter

supremeBaleno · 16th June 2006, 17:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by drifter

What makes you say that man? The xeta is pretty good.

Issues that buyers had just after purchase. There is a thread by Rudra Sir about his neighbour's Zeta woes.

bharanidharang · 16th June 2006, 17:30

has maruti quietly released wagonr-lpg ?

i cant find details of it in http://www.marutiwagonr.com/

but to my suprise, when you check on the price list, its listed there already. LPG version is available only LX/LXI variant and is marginally more than the petrol only sibling.

anybody has any news or details on this ?

mail4ajo · 16th June 2006, 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Issues that buyers had just after purchase. There is a thread by Rudra Sir about his neighbour's Zeta woes.

Guys check this link:
http://www.jdpower.com/pdf/2005116.pdf

http://www.jdpower.com/pdf/2005253.pdf

Indica doesnt even feature in this list. This report was my decisive factor against Indica Zeta which I think is just about 15-20K more expensive than Alto LXi

25th May 2006, 21:38	#1
amit_purohit20 BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 676 Thanked: 902 Times	First Car Dear all, I plan to purchase my first car of my life. Being a first car i would like to go for a secondhand one. I am pro diesel person regarding economy and my strong option is tata indica diesel. I plan to purchase it downpayment so nothing related to EMI or sort of. I dont plan to use this car daily but only on weekends. Distances travelled on weekends will be high because i like long drives and outings. Is it worth going for diesel for a car to be used on weekends but for long drives(considering the economy side of it). Only thing which i have against a indica is its big problem of its wheel rims getting bent now and then. Pls help me through ur valuable suggestions and let me decide between a petrol and a diesel car and yes pls do give ur supporting facts to make ur stand on any one of it. Thanking you, Amit
	() Thanks

27th May 2006, 06:01	#2
prakash2757 BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 90 Thanked: Once	Hi Amit, Well I am also looking for car. I did so much research from past 6 months.. I have decided to go for Zen & Currenly looking for it. Well about Indica.. What I heard is after 1-2 yrs its becomes like a truck, Engine & Body conditions are not so good. U start getting all tuk tuk noise & all. I m not sure but all of my CAB drivers of office told me this, You can check out for Zen, Alto.. Even U get a good resale value.. well check out for Ford Icon's too, Used one are coming as cheap as 2.5 lacs.. All the best & keep in touch with me
	(1) Thanks

1st June 2006, 19:01	#3
SamRao BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25 Thanked: 8 Times	think of the diesel option if you are travelling more than 50 km per day, otherwise petrol may be a better option. the upfront cost of a diesel car and maintenance costs are higher for a diesel car, so you need to have a higher running to make up for the costs. also diesels are more sluggish unless you go in for a common rail or turbo diesel personally i don;t like the indica - i think there is a reason why they are cheap, it shows in the interiors and reliability. if you want a diesel in that segment, check out the palio. if petrol is the better option based on your running, there are several choices, as you would know good luck!
	(1) Thanks

1st June 2006, 20:29	#4
sbasak BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CCU-LTN Posts: 608 Thanked: 14 Times	@Amit Diesel is not good option for only weekends drivings. After purchasing the car, you may lose the hype of going out every week after few months Alto/Santro/WagonR should perfectly feed your needs. Of course, ultimate choice is yours.
	(1) Thanks

15th June 2006, 20:17	#6
storm162 Newbie Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 13 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi Guys, I am an ametaur driver and i am learning to drive ...(Going to the driving school) and i am not really sure for which car to go for ..... With the help of the valuable inputs you guys gave amit even i want to go for a diesel option -Ford Ikon,Palio,Siena,Cielo.(Refurbished) and the other problem which i would have is that i can spend arnd 5000/Pm.. Please help
	() Thanks

16th June 2006, 11:59	#7
streetlife BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: New Delhi, India Posts: 219 Thanked: 22 Times View My Garage	Go for petrol man..considering you will only use it for weekends.. A 3-4 years old Zen or alto would suit you perfectly.
	() Thanks

16th June 2006, 13:00	#9
1100D Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Calcutta Posts: 4,390 Thanked: 4,079 Times View My Garage	I wonder why the Santro eRLX does not feature in this thread. If Diesel Vs Petrol debate has tilted towards petrol for this case, then are we not comparing Alto with the Diesel version of the Indica. Xeta however from what I heard from a few friends isn't bad at all. Definitely Bigger and sturdier than the Alto. But then service problems persist. Moreover about Indica's turning into trucks which the drivers say, its more to do with the fact that most indicas are used by the Cabbie's. I came across a new indica (which is not run in) being driven at 110 at 4th gear. But owner maintained indica's have a much better fate. Wonder what would happen to the Alto's if they were abused that way.
	() Thanks

16th June 2006, 15:23	#10
DCEite Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NCR Posts: 3,414 Thanked: 2,525 Times	get a WagonR or a Santro dude... Alto is good too but i didnt like its sluggish response specially with A/C on. Forget about Xeta. Its currently undergoing TATA R&D.
	() Thanks

16th June 2006, 15:54	#11
supremeBaleno Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chennai / Kochi Posts: 5,546 Thanked: 2,697 Times View My Garage	@amit, you did not mention any budget. That would give us a better idea as to what car would be a better fit - instead of us reeling off all the small cars. Also, you mentioned that since this is your 1st car, you want to go for a 2nd hand one. Though quite some people follow this logic, I do not see any valid basis for this. I would anyday buy a new car than deal with the headaches that come with a used car. And if budget is a constraint, it would be wise to go for a cheaper/smaller new car than a costlier/bigger used car.
	() Thanks

16th June 2006, 17:30	#14
bharanidharang BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Chennai Posts: 402 Thanked: 254 Times Infractions: 0/1 (5)	wagonr - lpg has maruti quietly released wagonr-lpg ? i cant find details of it in http://www.marutiwagonr.com/ but to my suprise, when you check on the price list, its listed there already. LPG version is available only LX/LXI variant and is marginally more than the petrol only sibling. anybody has any news or details on this ?
	() Thanks