[petrolhead_neel]

Thanks for your swift comments.
Actually, another question came
to my mind. Which one is the safest car? Is the Swift ZXi that safe as the other cars mentioned?
The Swift is also too common on our roads. Is the TRD that bad to drive compared to the other cars?
Experts advice is always welcome. I

[D4D]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

So the cars I have shortlisted are as follows:
1.Toyota Etios Liva TRD Sportivo 1.5l
2.Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi
3.Honda Brio VX MT
Please help!

The choice is pretty straightforward. It's down to space requirements.

Live 1.5 is the most spacious, and has safe handling. But, the Liva's interior is boring.

Swift is simply a really good car, but lacks space in the rear seat and boot. If you find the space acceptable, just buy the Swift.

The Brio is got the best performance(only slightly better than the Swift), but got the smallest boot and also is not the roomiest car around.

Given these 3, my choice would be the Liva 1.5. It's a beast.

[petrolhead_neel]

The Swift is too common on our roads. Narrowing down to the other cars, that is TRD and Brio. These cars have an exclusivity factor, which the Swift lacks.
Also, Ford is giving huge discounts on the Classic. Should I also consider it in my list? I was also thinking whether any of the members of this forum own a Liva TRD or not, as I could not find any ownership thread. Again begging you experts for help!

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

The Swift is too common on our roads. Narrowing down to the other cars, that is TRD and Brio. These cars have an exclusivity factor, which the Swift lacks.
Also, Ford is giving huge discounts on the Classic. Should I also consider it in my list? I was also thinking whether any of the members of this forum own a Liva TRD or not, as I could not find any ownership thread. Again begging you experts for help!

If you want a car that is just fun to drive, then go for the Brio. If you don't mind compromising a little (re: numb steering) on the fun to drive bit, then go for the TRD Liva. I guess that is as simple as advice could ever get

As for the Classic, it is super old, and super cramped. Cannot see it being a famiy car. Also, the new Figo will be in soon so it might be wise to wait for it if at all you value the dynamic prowess that a Ford offers, that much.

As a petrol family car that needs to be reasonably fun to drive, I see the Liva TRD being your only option. A reliable Toyota is always a good thing for a first time car owner as well. You could check out the Tata Bolt, I haven't driven one so can't comment on it. If waiting is an option then the only car I believe you might want to wait for is the new Honda Jazz

[pareshraheja]

Guys, looking for a diesel hatch. How's the Pulse with a discount of 1 lakh being offered by Renault till 15th December.
Looks are decent, space is also good, drive-ability in city is excellent.
Mainly worried about the availability of non-routine spares.
Looks like FIAT is much better than them. Also, if someone could throw some light on the service cost and experience for the Pulse

[aquashankar]

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

Fiat's warranty support is superb, going above and beyond without asking a single question. They are also ramping up dealerships and service centers and making additional investments in India.

Am I happy I bought a Linea? Absolutely.

Originally Posted by PVPal

My feeling on this is, since you like both cars, just go with whatever your heart, and that of your spouse says. As Cliffhanger says, there is no yes or no answer to this question.

In the mean while I would appreciate if you could let us know what offers you are getting on both cars.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Cheers! Keep us posted

Originally Posted by Zigor

Biggest drawback for a Polo is rear space which is really inadequate. The bump in the middle doesn't help either.

Biggest plus for a Punto is slightly better ride quality than a Polo.

Zigor

Originally Posted by auto_enthusiast

If you have your heart on the punto, you can also go for the avventura. Its got all the +ves of the punto and some more.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

The dilemma of choosing between the shortlisted cars is understandable. As a Punto owner all I can say is the ownership is truly satisfying..

Originally Posted by tabrez

I understand this is going to be a difficult choice to make. Few things that I would like to mention
which favour Punto over the Polo are as follows

1. Old school HPS steering is tuned to enthusiast's taste compared to Polo
2. I find Punto's suspension slightly better suited for our pothole ridden roads
3. Long-term ownership should work comparatively cheaper with Punto (3+2 years warranty from FIAT)

do keep us posted on the side you choose to drift.

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

On them moving out of India, I do not see that happening. With the Chrysler merger done, emerging markets is the next priority for FCA, with plans to make India a production hub for Jeep already underway.

Originally Posted by StepUP!

Also if I may suggest wait for TATA Bolt. Overdrive reviewers came all impressed with the car. As Zest proved; TATA has improved almost in every sense - interiors, NVH, steering, handling and dynamics.

Originally Posted by devansn

My purchase of the Punto was purely a heart over head decision, back in 2010. However, now I feel that it makes a lot of sense to the head too:

.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

There is another Punto on the forum which had done 2 lakh kms without major issues. You can search.

Gentlemen, I thank you all for all the advice that you have given. We took everything quite seriously and went for 2 TDs of the Polo, 2 of Punto, 1 of the Figo and 1 of the i20. And the chosen car is…

The Avventura! So much for that. The most important reason for not choosing the Polo is the tiny back seat. More than 2 adults is very difficult. So 3 adults sitting for long drives was very difficult. And since this car was to be used for long family drives, the Polo was out.

As mentioned before, the i20 had lackluster steering. Sure, it was comfortable to drive and the features are superb, but the drive was not very engaging. Hard to explain.

The Figo was very nice, loads of low end grunt and very practical. But the car shape put us off. At this stage, my wife grudgingly accepted that the Punto is the best one to drive and very safe too. I took her to the showroom to choose a color when we saw the Avventura,

She liked it immediately on first impressions. Unsure of the drive, we booked a TD the very next day. One drive was all it took. The infamous 2nd gear lag of the Punto was nearly gone, the NVH levels were much improved and most importantly, the seating position was commanding and high up. The ride was fantastic as we went over a stretch of road being constructed. The Avvy soaked it all up. The gear ratios felt a little more improved too. The Avvy has its quirks but certainly was the chosen one due to its driver friendly characteristics. We will be ordering a rear parking sensor though to manage the external wheel width. The boot is a bother to open but like every other quirk, we learn to live with it as long as the car’s fundamentals are strong.

And then today, I see the November sales statistics. Fiat is really down in the dumps. Sigh. Let’s see what happens in 6 year’s time. Hopefully spares will be available till then. But the Avventura it is.

[pareshraheja]

Originally Posted by aquashankar

And then today, I see the November sales statistics. Fiat is really down in the dumps. Sigh. Let’s see what happens in 6 year’s time. Hopefully spares will be available till then. But the Avventura it is.

Kewl! Let me the first one to congratulate you. Recently I was lucky to spot an Aventurra on the road and immediately behind it was the Ecosport.

The Aventurra with its huge spare wheel mount gave an impression of being bigger than than the Ecosport.

[tabrez]

Originally Posted by aquashankar

Gentlemen, I thank you all for all the advice that you have given.

You're welcome. Glad our suggestions were of some use to you.

Originally Posted by aquashankar

The Avventura!

Congratulations & welcome to the family.

Originally Posted by aquashankar

And then today, I see the November sales statistics. Fiat is really down in the dumps. Sigh.

Rest be assured, FIAT sales chart have seen worser days & this won't be the last of it. Point is - Everyone who has ever bought a FIAT has yielded to his heart over head. It's just one drive that it takes.....presume you get the drift.

[PVPal]

Many congratulations Aquashankar. Thats a good looking car, with a solid build.

Wish you a million happy miles with the new ride.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by aquashankar

We will be ordering a rear parking sensor though to manage the external wheel width

Congrats.

Make sure they don't give you the sensors for the Punto. The sensors for the Avventura had to be adjusted to compensate for the spare wheel. I'm not sure if it's available yet - as FIAT guys were only working on this at the time of the launch drives.

The car is a blast when the going gets tough. Bad roads are dismissed with ease.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by aquashankar

And the chosen car is…

The Avventura! We will be ordering a rear parking sensor though to manage the external wheel width.

Wow, thats a twist in the tale. Congratulations on the buy. The spare wheel will take your attention for a first few days esp when reversing but you will get used to it. When I test drove the Avventura, it did have the rear parking sensors installed and tuned to adjust the spare wheel distance when reversing. Try to source a rear camera, might make things more clearer at the back.

[rakeshkalli]

Guys I am planning to buy a new car in next month a petrol car and after stretching my budget to 6lac, i decide for the new liva g, will start the TD's after Christmas of
1.swift vxi
2.Brio
3.Liva
The good i am seeing in liva are space and reliability
Can any one put some light on the 2014 model cons?
Ford tdci was actually my pick of a car but friends using it have suggested against it after the niggles they are facing.

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by rakeshkalli

Guys I am planning to buy a new car in next month a petrol car and after stretching my budget to 6lac, i decide for the new liva g, will start the TD's after Christmas of
1.swift vxi
2.Brio
3.Liva
The good i am seeing in liva are space and reliability
Can any one put some light on the 2014 model cons?
Ford tdci was actually my pick of a car but friends using it have suggested against it after the niggles they are facing.

It all depends on what you demand from your car. If you want a car that makes a lot of sense as a family car and is easy to drive in the city, just go for the Liva. Bullet proof reliability of Toyota would be a bonus for you. If you want the above mentioned points as well as a reasonably fun to drive car in the same package, go for the the TRD liva. The main problem of the Liva is the economy grade boring interiors.
The Brio is a cute little fast hatch which is very chuckable around the bends. Space and comfort are good but in this aspect the liva is in its own league.
I would advise you to stay away from the Swift as it failed miserably in the crash test.
Overall I recommend you the Liva. Go for the TRD or Etios Cross if you can spend a bit more and you want those extra horses.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

I would advise you to stay away from the Swift as it failed miserably in the crash test.

I don't understand why we take this "innocent until proven guilty" stance these days. I used to be one such person but after seeing how the Swift fares in a crash, I am inclined to believe that the Brio and Etios will crumple just as poorly. Neither of the cars are even built for very demanding first world countries to begin with, so what reason do we have to believe that they will fare any better than the Swift? Besides, recent IIHS Small frontal overlap collision tests reveal that the Honda Jazz performs extremely poorly. Are we to believe that its smaller brother, the Brio will fare anything better than poorly in comparison? Both the Brio and the Etios shamelessly display their cost cutting measures as well. At some point we ought to leave behind our faith and begin to use logic and reasoning to form informed decisions. The evidence of the Swift crash tests, was enough for me; I have lost faith in every car manufacturer that claims that they "care". Especially in India, I believe internationally-comparable safety in East-Asian cars begins only from the D-segment.

[JonSnow]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I don't understand why we take this "innocent until proven guilty" stance these days. I used to be one such person but after seeing how the Swift fares in a crash, I am inclined to believe that the Brio and Etios will crumple just as poorly. Neither of the cars are even built for very demanding first world countries to begin with, so what reason do we have to believe that they will fare any better than the Swift? Besides, recent IIHS Small frontal overlap collision tests reveal that the Honda Jazz performs extremely poorly. Are we to believe that its smaller brother, the Brio will fare anything better than poorly in comparison? Both the Brio and the Etios shamelessly display their cost cutting measures as well. At some point we ought to leave behind our faith and begin to use logic and reasoning to form informed decisions. The evidence of the Swift crash tests, was enough for me; I have lost faith in every car manufacturer that claims that they "care". Especially in India, I believe internationally-comparable safety in East-Asian cars begins only from the D-segment.

Can't say about the Brio, but the Etios Hatchback was tested under Latin NCAP and scored 4 stars and the structure "was able to withstand further loadings". Usually, cars sold in Brazil are likely to be similar in build quality as the Indian models, so the Indian Etios Liva is likely to be much safer than a Swift (can't be 100% sure about it but very likely). The Swift in Latin NCAP has airbags, so it managed to avoid a zero rating, but scored only 3 stars due to unstable structure. (http://www.latinncap.com/en/results/)

Toyota is also the only one apart from Volkswagen to provide airbags in base variants. Etios Liva may have poor interiors, but the feeling i get is that they compromised on interiors rather than safety whereas others like Hyundai seemed to have compromised on safety and focused on interiors to attract customers.