[karansm4u]

Originally Posted by noelnelly

2.If I was you, I'd just strike the Celerio off the list, it's prices so close to the Swift, doesn't feel worth it, even the interior is kind of cramped, don't even get me started on the build quality, certainly miles away from Ford or Hyundai.

Done !! We have removed Celerio from our short list and moved on. Only reason it was in short list was in case we decide to go with AT, which are not now.

Originally Posted by noelnelly

4. In zero dep insurance, everything is covered and normally all you have to do is pay the one time processing charge which comes to around 1.5 - 2k and maybe some consumables, kindly check with your insurance provider for the same. The terms of insurance vary from insurer to insurer.

I think i will have to read more about insurance now. Till this point never claimed anything on any car. All of them are running highest NCB percentages.

Originally Posted by noelnelly

......
Both the cars are equally feature loaded in their top end trims which is what you're looking for. So I guess that's it. You know who has to make the decision. You wouldn't want to hear the end of it incase you select the car and after a few months she's not all that into it anymore.
Thank you for reading.

Well said, Indeed final choice should be hers. and Thank you for replying

Originally Posted by polo_ankit

Hi Karan, given your three options, the best one seems to be the New Figo. I don't like Hyundai's build quality or Maruti's for that matter.
It's a peppy engine, good build quality, decent interiors, all in all, a decent city car. Good luck!

Thanks. i am also inclining towards Figo. Still no NCAP rating available for new Figo as well but trusting old Figo result and hoping that it will fair same or better then swift/grand i10. We do have Vento for highway run so Figo will be limited to City driving totally.

Originally Posted by noelnelly

First, your questions:
1.As far I know Ford and Hyundai are not very far off in terms of maintenance, more or less the same. Also Ford has started selling parts over the counter so getting OEM spares will not be a worry incase you find servicing at the ASS too expensive. Same with Hyundai.

Originally Posted by AYP

The impression that Ford's service is expensive was built upon its initial Mondeo, Endeavour and Fusion days. That does not hold true now and from what I have heard Hyundai servicing and maintenance is quite expensive.

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

I quoted above details just to explain that the maintenance part is not as bad and comparable to hyundai/maruti. Also, I have a diesel and a petrol should be even cheaper to maintain.

Thanks a lot for clearing this out guys. I am having hard time convincing my friends that Figo maintenance would be reasonable and might not be as high as it used to be. Seems like old image is hurting Ford sale as well.

Originally Posted by AYP

Also since safety is your main concern I'd suggest you to get the Titanium+ for the peace of mind.

Earlier i compared Titanium and Titanium+ variant on carwale. After your suggestion i am looking at Ford website. Following are the difference

• CD/MP3 Player
• 4.2 MFD Screen
• Sync and App link
• Side and Curtain Airbag
• Emergency Assist

Last 2 are worth it but I think this will cost 7L on road NCR. I have already stretched my budget from 4.5L to 6L. So seems like Titanium+ is out of budget.

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

Apart from the figo I would suggest to give TATA a shot and wait for the Zica. The car does look promising.
Happy Shopping!

Buying Tata car did not lead to good experience in past. She is not inclined towards Tata. Specially buying Tata for wife might be problematic because her office folks might comment on it and she wont be able to defend. Don't want to take that risk
No offence to people who own Tata, We own Manza and Indica ourself.

Originally Posted by smartcat

I would choose Celerio Zxi AMT. Can you order the car with ABS as an optional extra?

Nope, Maruti says that they are launching Celerio with ABS+Dual airbag as optional but when i went to dealership they had no clue about it. Seems like only on paper.
BTW we took test drive in friends Celerio AMT today and going with MT.
AT is great comfort but no good option is available within my budget and she also like MT so problem solved.

Originally Posted by amansanc

My recommendation would be the Ford Figo or the Hyundai Grand i10. The reason is very simple - ABS. It's a very useful safety feature.

The interior quality on the Grand i10 is excellent and it is very easy to drive in the city owing to the light controls. The Figo is an excellent car too but the interiors don't feel as good. Do not go in a for a car without ABS in my humble opinion. It is something which helps a driver often.

Thanks alot for input. Yes you are right. I think ABS is more important feature than Airbag. There are few incidents when i have used ABS and avoided miss happening. Weather its city or highway i think ABS is critical so seems like my choice is limiting to Figo Titanium vs Grand i10 Asta (o)

[deetjohn]

Figo DCT will make an excellent choice. Whats sets it apart from the other commuter hatchbacks are the 1.5L petrol engine and the 6 speed DCT. I have driven the car and its quite good. Not explosive like the Polo TSi DSG in performance but much much better than the regular torque converter units.

Its spacious on the inside, loaded (ESP, Traction Control and Hill hold too) and compact on the outside. The only problem are those tiny ORVMs. The Figo DCT is VFM for the kit on offer. And not too far from your budget considering its Delhi.

Check out this great review of Figo DCT by methecupid: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...automatic.html

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by karansm4u

I have gone through almost all the reviews and comparison threads on team-bhp forum in last one month and have been doing research about which car to buy. In the end i think i wanted to have opinion of folks to help me decide which hatchback i should buy for wife who has recently learned to drive.

I think the Figo and the Grand i10 are both good choices and will service your purpose well. Te Baleno maybe a tad too big for your needs.

Going against the tide here, I would also recommend having a TD of the Brio. Reason is that I have felt that it is a good car for new drivers. It is compact outside yet spacious inside, good all round view and it is peppy to drive also. My sister drives one and is very happy with it.

The biggest issue with it is its not too great interiors and feature set. But since these are things you do not care for much, it is worth looking at. I don't think the new platform coming next year is a reason enough to reject it out right. Since it does not sell much, you should get good deals on it also.

[Swarit19]

So it's been awhile since I started looking for my perfect car. Since around april this year to be exact.

On to what I am driving currently for practise / fun, a very old almost at the end of it's life Indica with non assisted steering / no airbags and no abs etc anywhere. It's really a pure experience and quite fun honestly I won't lie even tho parking the car is more than enough workout needed for the day. Actually big thanks to GTO for telling me to practise on a old car first instead of spoiling the new one. But unfortunately that has changed me a lot. You see, before this I was pretty much in love with the polo and that was it despite everyone else telling me about the A.S.S and maintenance cost etc. It was all decided till I experienced three cars. The old indica's unadulterated feel, the swift & the new ford figo diesel.

When you floor the latter two, the experience is just in a different league than everything else in this range that I've driven. It's addicting. I really considered myself a sedate driver till I felt it in person. By that I mean flooring it till speed limit and slowing down afterwards not breaking the limit. Only under safe conditions / open roads however. The reason till now why I wasn't even considering swift was the discontinuation of the current model after new one comes out but after awhile I thought to myself why strike down a car because of a new model coming on road next year or 2018 if it's such good value for money.

I've driven almost all cars in this price range and a lot above as well besides a few like etios liva / micra / baleno / honda brio / punto evo. Unfortunately nothing feels as pure but you can't always have everything. What I want is a car that will give me the most smiles per miles for around 6 years or so.

My preferences :

- Responsive engine & respectable performance. Obviously with limited budget you are not going to get mind boggling performance but I would really love the segment best or close to it here.

- Good gearbox with Enjoyable shifts & a relatively connected steering. Not a fan of the hyundai steering to say the least.

- Airbags. Would like ABS but not a dealbreaker I mostly drive in city. Expect just 1 trip outside of the city per month or two at most. Even then I won't be crossing 80.

- Not too much bodyroll. Absolutely hate tallboy vehicles even tho I'm 6'3.

- Reliable. Some problems occur in all products. But I would definitely like to spend more time with it on road than the garage.

Currently thinking about / between figo & swift . I've not yet driven the brio that I saw being brought up in many conversations as a pretty fun car to drive so wondering if It's worth checking out when compared to these two. Regardless I am open to suggestions.

[shankar.balan]

Well, I prefer the Swift for its responsiveness, overall ride, handling, efficiency, comfort, ease of maintenance and ease of servicing/ spare parts availability.
I think the 6 Lac budget should get you an eminently respectable example of an used Swift of the Upper level Spec. While it may not seem important right now, I think you would do well to invest in one of the upper level specs, because of the 2 Airbags and ABS plus of course the larger alloy wheels and fatter tyres which will give you a better feel overall in your driving experience.

The Swift is a first class all rounder and it certainly does have those nice wide, comfy seats for tall/ bulky people - it doesn't feel cramped in the front seats at least, having originally been planned to appeal to the European market. As an added advantage it is easy to drive with is really good Electronic Power Steering, easy to park in tight-ish spaces and very easy to manage in the heavy traffic scenarios that we encounter in Urban India + it has more than enough "juice" to give you a nice happy ride on the highways whenever you do decide to take off!

Its probably the most sensible choice you can make at the moment in the "used" market.


The other thought I had was a brand new top spec Renault Kwid in its 1 litre engine avatar. Should be about 4.8 lacs on road. Spend another few tens of thousands and get a set of nice fat upsized tyres and a nice set of alloys, to ensure that the car has greater grip and contact with the road, which mightily improves its handling. Being a small, cute, light car, it will give you a lot of fun. And I endorse that it is comfortable even for a tall person, because I ve sat in its driving seat and driven it. It is nice. Peppy engine, nice size, great looks and basic safety included. Nice price - a great first car.

Someone said this on some other thread - the Kwid is the "spiritual successor" to the Maruti Zen - which was the first car that many young people got in the 2000's. In some sense, in my own book, the Kwid is also the "spiritual successor" to the Maruti 800DX of the 1980's and of the Dolphin Station Wagon of the 1980's. All these were cars that one could really enjoy driving, that essential "seat of the pants" feel which is sadly, somewhat lacking, in all these modern cars because of all the extra electronic "nannies"....

Of course, there IS another choice, but I don't know how you will take it. In NCR (where I assume you are based, from your location), you can get yourself a very nice Gypsy King 1.3 Mpfi at a very nice price at which you can achieve all your goals of great fun coupled with "go anywhere"...the only negatives are that it is a bit of a bone shaker and doesn't have any modern safety aids like airbags and abs etc. But if you buy a Gypsy, you'll be guaranteed to have a heck of a lot of fun in it for sure!

[saion666]

Originally Posted by Swarit19

Currently thinking about / between figo & swift . I've not yet driven the brio

Having driven the Swift and Brio extensively , I would say the engine of the Brio is fantastic. On open roads the Brio just blows off every other car(in its segment or maybe a segment above) because of it's light weight.
However, the steering in the Brio is lighter compared to the Swift and the interiors are Spartan and lastly the gearshift is a bit rubbery compared to the click-clack of the Swift.

With Swift you can never go wrong, but do test drive the Brio(specially on open stretches), only for that fantastic engine Honda has put in it.
With your budget of 6 lakhs I suppose the base or the mid variants would fit in for a new car.

P.S:- I haven't driven the Figo.

[sajo]

I own a previous gen 1.2L Petrol (non-VVT) Swift , and am currently in the process of buying a Brio (booked already) , after TD'ing the manual version.
I can say that unless there is a substantial price difference between the two, the Swift definitely has better interior quality, and better power availability. The shift quality is also far better in the Swift, while the Brio lagged a bit in this department.
I suggest you can go for the Swift VXi (O) variant , which would add essential safety kit.

[Swarit19]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I think the 6 Lac budget should get you an eminently respectable example of an used Swift of the Upper level Spec. While it may not seem important right now, I think you would do well to invest in one of the upper level specs, because of the 2 Airbags and ABS plus of course the larger alloy wheels and fatter tyres which will give you a better feel overall in your driving experience.

I agree. Airbags and ABS are indeed important however I cannot look at the used market due to personal reasons. Which is why I would be looking at lxi abs variant or the vxi abs variant with all the safety equipment but not anything else which I don't want. To be honest I really do not like the zxi alloys and would rather go for aftermarket ones myself. Plus one of the reasons for the swift was that I could get abs airbags in lower trim variants as well thankfully which was WAY cheaper than a similarly specced hatchback with abs airbags.

Actually when I visited my dad's colleague in his new office, I remembered he owned a swift and there it was right in front of my eyes looking pretty much new. I asked him how has the car served him and he told me that the only problem he has had so far was replace a headlight bulb. For a 2008 model car that was pretty impressive. Reliability with such a nice driving experience is quite tempting indeed and looks like one of the most sensible choice. (Haven't driven a few cars yet tho)

Someone said this on some other thread - the Kwid is the "spiritual successor" to the Maruti Zen - which was the first car that many young people got in the 2000's. In some sense, in my own book, the Kwid is also the "spiritual successor" to the Maruti 800DX of the 1980's and of the Dolphin Station Wagon of the 1980's. All these were cars that one could really enjoy driving, that essential "seat of the pants" feel which is sadly, somewhat lacking, in all these modern cars because of all the extra electronic "nannies"....

I read that too. My mom is quite interested in the kwid and while I don't love it, I don't mind it much / don't dislike it. Never driven it but doesn't it also have an eps? I've kind of looked away when I see anything related to kwid because of it's structural strength and no abs / dual airbags. Really wish they had gone ahead and properly launched a rxt (o) version with all necessary safety equipment and a better structure. Obviously abs isn't a deal breaker tho but I agree that too many electronics have taken away the feel and enjoyment you got from pretty much any car before (I assume they were like indica).

Originally Posted by saion666

Having driven the Swift and Brio extensively , I would say the engine of the Brio is fantastic. On open roads the Brio just blows off every other car(in its segment or maybe a segment above) because of it's light weight.
P.S:- I haven't driven the Figo.

Actually you literally just described the diesel Figo. When I took it on a 20 or so km drive there were many occasions where luxury cars or generally much more expensive cars were left in the dust on an open road. The torque on that little hatch is unbelievable. However it comes with pretty average or even below average gearbox not at all suited for quick shifting.

I drove the Jazz SV variant but it just did not have enough responsiveness below 2500 or even more. It felt dead but later on when it got going it was quite enjoyable and so was the sound of it. Will obviously wait till the facelift if I like the car itself since the leaked interior shots are so much better looking (especially the new all black theme). I'm guessing the facelift will be released around festive season?. Regardless thanks for that I will take a drive of it for sure. Since the power train and everything else under the hood will be same the current brio and upcoming brio shouldn't be any different

[saion666]

Originally Posted by Swarit19

Actually you literally just described the diesel Figo. When I took it on a 20 or so km drive there were many occasions where luxury cars or generally much more expensive cars were left in the dust on an open road.

Yeah I heard so and that's for the diesel while the petrol I hear is less impressive. Am looking to test drive the Figo soon. Is the diesel coming under 6 lakhs?

For the petrols and with your requirements I guess your options are pretty cut out between the Brio and the Swift. These two are the only ones which provide a 4 cylinder petrol and are fun to drive(that puts the grand i10 out) in the <6L bracket. The swift makes the most sense.

Where the Brio would score is the price, they really run heavy discounts on it. My friend got the EX MT 3 years back at 4.9L onroad in Hyderabad. I guess the discounts would be better now with news of the updated version coming in soon. You may very well be able to squeeze the VX MT with ABS/airbags in your budget just in case you come across "saaar LXI or VXI ka optional wala nahi milta ab" rant at the maruti showroom.

[Swarit19]

Originally Posted by saion666

Yeah I heard so and that's for the diesel while the petrol I hear is less impressive. Am looking to test drive the Figo soon. Is the diesel coming under 6 lakhs?

It's not but it would be under or around 6.5 OTR Delhi but the 50k is very well justified for the engine. Definitely do drive it and floor it multiple times. It goes on right from zip slowly pushing you in the seats. Petrol is quite decent but it's unfortunate for it that the diesel exists as after driving it, you definitely won't be impressed by it. I really wish it had swift's gearbox tho.

FThese two are the only ones which provide a 4 cylinder petrol and are fun to drive(that puts the grand i10 out) in the <6L bracket.

Yes you are right. I was actually just getting ready to call the honda showroom to ask them about a brio. I guess only after a direct back to back drive I will know the exact difference.

You may very well be able to squeeze the VX MT with ABS/airbags in your budget just in case you come across "saaar LXI or VXI ka optional wala nahi milta ab" rant at the maruti showroom.

I will actually be looking at the newer version most likely because of the black interiors and just a much better overall design as the leaks showed. I'm hoping they will make airbags and abs accessible in lower variants as well or else I will be looking at the new vx. Has been my only gripe with them as while all other "premium" hatchbacks offered airbags on base variants, jazz doesn't till the variant which completely overshoots your budget.

Thankfully all maruti dealerships I've went to never once told me to not opt for safety oriented models and actually encouraged me to do so. Even for colors they were very straightforward on how long it would take for rare colors etc / never pushed lower, in stock variants on me. Seems to be the exception and not the norm from what I've heard here tho I guess we got lucky in delhi.

[thoma]

Can anybody help me compare between the Micra, new Figo, Swift and Liva (all diesels )on the following:

1) Riding comfort, suspension. Especially over potholes at slow speeds. (I loved the Liva for this) I'm not looking for a corner carver but a plush ride.
2) NVH; engine noise and jerkiness/smoothness of engine against RPM do matter, so do rattles over a long term.
3) Deterioration of build quality with usage.
4) FE and long term maintenance.

[RavenAvi]

I have the Swift and have driven the other 3 cars extensively, specially the Micra, so this is from experience:

Originally Posted by thoma

1) Riding comfort, suspension. Especially over potholes at slow speeds. (I loved the Liva for this) I'm not looking for a corner carver but a plush ride.

1) Liva (excellent)
2) Micra (good)
3) Figo (fair)
4) Swift (thud-dy)

Originally Posted by thoma

2) NVH; engine noise and jerkiness/smoothness of engine against RPM do matter, so do rattles over a long term.

1) Figo (muted & smooth, not prone to rattles yet)
2) Micra (muted too but slightly jerky on low RPMs, not prone to rattles)
3) Liva (vocal, smooth on higher RPMs, interiors rattle a bit)
4) Swift (vocal, jerky on low RPMs, world-famous for it's rattles)

Originally Posted by thoma

3) Deterioration of build quality with usage.

1) Liva (excellent & well-screwed interiors, albeit built to a cost)
2) Micra (very good and durable)
3) Figo (panels and plastics don't feel like they might last the distance)
4) Swift (shoddy)

Originally Posted by thoma

4) FE and long term maintenance.

1) Swift (unbeatable DDiS tuning to the fore)
2) Figo (excellent 1.5L heart for both FE and performance)
3) Micra (decent enough)
4) Liva (as good as the Micra but can't beat the top two)

[thoma]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

I have the Swift and have driven the other 3 cars extensively, specially the Micra, so this is from experience:

Thanks for that, but oh my God, you added to my confusion. I have the Micra at home and rate it for the first two points at the very last; so mine is contradictory to your rating. I had a fair bit of stint with the Swift and the Liva too, but not the Figo.

Now I want to ditch the Micra for another one as I do not feel any comfort driving it; the city ride is jerky and bumpy, and all of the engine is heard inside the cabin. All this makes me feel like jumping out of the car every time I take it out; especially the a/c compressor cutting on and off being felt inside is making me go nuts. But I do not want another car with almost similar characteristics.

And just now, on the Figo thread, it is mentioned that the TDCi engine feels strained at higher RPM! I almost tilt my mind towards the Swift and come here to read that the Swift scores so bad on my priorities.

The Polo and i20 are a bit out of my budget and the Punto gives a scary image of their after sales, but still if you could rate those too, might help add to my confusion.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by thoma

The Polo and i20 are a bit out of my budget and the Punto gives a scary image of their after sales, but still if you could rate those too, might help add to my confusion.

If you are considering the Polo, better stretch your budget and get the 1.5L TDI. Nothing quite like the free-revving German diesel + top-notch build quality inside out. Riding comfort is also good at higher speeds.

The i20 is overpriced for what it offers. The 1.4L is a great mill and is apt for highway cruising all day, but the pricing of the Asta(O) makes your eyes water.

If you are looking at a VFM option, can't beat the Liva. Quite a decent all-rounder, except for that interior quality which is tough to digest.

[nimit3105]

Is it still advisable to buy the Swift Petrol? It has a lot of features now(Start stop button, bluetooth etc) and it is definitely a really fun to drive car. I did check the Baleno out but the suspension is too stiff on that car and the Swift is definitely better to drive. I'm really inclining towards it but my only question is, would the resale value be affected after the new Swift comes out in 2017? I'm going to keep this car for the next 4-5 years, so can I expect a good resale value after that?
Do let me know.