[Nats]

Congrats SIMKIM, Ritz is definitely a good buy than celerio or Wagan R.
Good decision

[CarJunki]

WagonR for the reason that you are not as interested in AMT.
Second, WagonR has better boot space and newer gen comes with better suspension than the previous gen models.

[Aaron:)]

Let me start with a little bit of history here. Our first car was a Maruti 800 (1997) which was subsequently replaced by an Alto (2002) and a Hyundai Accent (2004). Ever since then, we have always had 2 cars, one for Dad, which would also be used for highway drives, and the other one for Mom, which was primarily used in the city. The Accent was replaced by a Honda Civic (2009) while the trusty Alto continued to solider on.

Now as the Alto has become long in the tooth, the new car hunt began. We visited various showrooms to check out different cars, and here's how that went.

Hyundai

Eon
Mom loved the way it looked inside and out, and almost finalized on a red one. She was equally happy about the way it drove (with the new 1.0L engine). Easy to park and maneuver, and wouldn't look out of place parked next to a Merc in Cuffe Parade. Almost booked a 1.0 Magna but then decided to check out a few more cars before making a decision.

i10
The i10 wasn't a part of our initial shortlist, since the 1.2 Kappa engine had been discontinued. Still we decided to have a look. Mom wasn't very impressed with the looks but admitted that the interiors were roomier and better than the Eon. The car drove well too, but just then, an i10 taxi drove by. Needless to say, she wasn't pleased.

Maruti

Wagon R
Mom loved how roomy and practical the interiors were. She felt it was perfect for carrying Bruno (our pet dog) to the vet for his grooming appointments (yes, he is a pampered dog). The black interiors meant cleaning and maintenance would be easier. Very easy to drive, park and look out of. But the interior quality and ambiance left much to be desired, especially after the Hyundais. Still it fit the bill well and it was high on our shortlist.

Celerio
Mom wasn't keen on an automatic, so we decided to check out the manual version. It didn't score highly in any particular area. The WagonR was more practical and cheaper, the Hyundais had better interiors and styling. So this one was rejected.

The final shortlist was the WagonR and i10, but then during a scheduled service appointment for the City, we decided to check out the Brio.

Honda Brio
Mom loved the way it looked, and the fact that it was a Honda. Interiors were not as good as the i10, she felt, but were better than any other car in the shortlist. After the test drive, we were floored. The EX variant was within our budget, and we could get the S variant if we stretched a little more. But we told the salesman that we would get back to him.

So the final shortlist was WagonR, i10, Brio.
The WagonR is the most practical and economical, the i10 has the best interiors, and the Brio is the most fun to drive.
Result = We are utterly confused. Any suggestions BHPians?

PS - This is my first post, so I apologize for any mistakes

[arnabchak]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

So the final shortlist was WagonR, i10, Brio.
The WagonR is the most practical and economical, the i10 has the best interiors, and the Brio is the most fun to drive.
Result = We are utterly confused. Any suggestions BHPians?

PS - This is my first post, so I apologize for any mistakes

My recommendation is to first analyse what you want this car from.
Do you want complete peace of mind, low maintanance, decent FE
Then look no further. Wagon R is the best bet.

If you want a good nifty car that drives well, decent FE and ASC but low on space and compromises on interiors,
Honda Brio will be a good fit.

i10 does not excel in any one department yet is not a bad choice.
It has a decent ASC(though maintenance will be more than Wagon R or Brio), the best interiors amongst the 3 chosen.
It loses out on FE.

My set up:
Wagon R>Brio>i10
(Wagon R triumph solely on the count based on your requirement of a city car. It has very good ASC and extremely frugal and easy to maintain with acres of space)

[Dieseltuned]

I personally would go for the WagonR blindly. Reason for this can be found in my Signature below.

I have a 2012 Wagon R run almost 19000 kms in Bombay traffic doing 40 odd kilometers daily and you can take my word that it is really easy to drive this Maruti tin can in our Bombay's traffic.

More seriously :: some USPs of WagonR are ::
1. Roomy Interiors
2. Decent boot space
3. Some really handy features on the Vxi like Electric ORVMs, rear wash/wipe as well as rear defoggers, Proper Head rests.
4. Decent FE. I get approx 14 kmpl.

The i10 and the Brio were exactly the competitors when I booked my Waggy. The Honda is over priced for the space it offers and the i10 though a good option is definetly over priced if you look at cost cutting measures like Integrated head rests.

Thats my view point, others are welcome to chip in

[Aaron:)]

I'm adding the quotes I received from the dealers -

Wagon R
VXi ABS - 5.4 lakhs
VXi - 5 lakhs

i10
Sportz - 5.7 lakhs

Brio
EX M/T - 5.2 lakhs
S M/T - 5.6 lakhs

[dark.knight]

I don't completely understand your requirements or preferences, but going by your shortlist let me put an alternative into the mix. Eon, i10 & WagonR are very different even though they are in the same price range. Eon's 1 litre engine is better than the 800cc one, but i10 and WagonR's engines are slightly better tuned and refined. The i10 is much better built than the WagonR in terms of refinement & noise isolation.

Now since you are also aiming for the Brio which is above i10 in the price group why don't you take a test drive of the Grand i10 as well? If the budget allows the top-end Grand i10 petrol is a no-regret buy, its absolutely leagues above Brio in fit-&-finish and features as well that anyone can find useful like keyless entry, rear aircon vent for passengers & Bluetooth calling(same price group). The boot is much larger than Brio/i10/WagonR even though its only a few inches longer overall. Best VFM in the 5-7lakh price range if you ask me. You would also get the best resale value since this is the newest of the lot (1 year old vs 8+ yrs for i10 and 15+ years for WagonR).

If you need a car one segment lower then choose depending on which brand you prefer - Suzuki/Hyundai. That would give you the answer, most other things remaining same.

Edit: after checking your price quotes (on-road I assume) Brio would be the best to drive, i10 would be the best for all passengers and WagonR cheapest to run/maintain.

[Aaron:)]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I don't completely understand your requirements or preferences, but going by your shortlist let me put a few alternatives into the mix. Eon, i10 & WagonR are very different even though they are in the same price range. Eon's 1 litre engine is better than the 800cc one, but i10 and WagonR's engines are slightly better tuned and refined. The i10 is much better built than the WagonR in terms of refinement & fit/finish.

Now since you are also aiming for the Brio which is well above i10 in the price group why don't you take a test drive of the Grand i10 as well? If the budget allows the top-end Grand i10 petrol is a no-regret buy, its absolutely leagues above Brio in fit-&-finish and features (same price group) as well that anyone can find useful like keyless entry, rear aircon vent for passengers & Bluetooth calling. The boot as well is much larger than Brio/i10/WagonR even though its only a few inches longer. Best VFM in the 5-7lakh price range if you ask me. You would also get the best resale value since this is the newest of the lot (1 year old vs 8+ yrs for i10 and 15+ years for WagonR)

If you need a car one segment lower then choose depending on which brand you prefer - Suzuki/Hyundai. That would give you the answer most other things remaining same.

Well I can't really stretch my budget any further than the Brio, since the Brio in itself is a stretch.

My basic requirements are -

1. Easy to drive
2. Good FE and ASC.
3. Should be good to drive on faster roads.
4. Decent space.
5. And the most important - Peace of mind.

[Dieseltuned]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

My basic requirements are -

1. Easy to drive
2. Good FE and ASC.
3. Should be good to drive on faster roads.
4. Decent space.
5. And the most important - Peace of mind.

Point3 :: Brio

Points 4 & 5 :: WagonR

Point 1 & 2 are both very subjective. FE depends hugely on driving style (point 1) & traffic conditions, while the ASC of maruti is generally perceived good but there are black hats in Maruti ASC as well.

Another point to consider is Maruti comes with a company fitted CNG kit which will help in giving a better FE than Petrol. I am not sure whether Hyundai/Honda have the option of a company fitted CNG kit.


Regards
Dieseltuned

[D4D]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

So the final shortlist was WagonR, i10, Brio.
The WagonR is the most practical and economical, the i10 has the best interiors, and the Brio is the most fun to drive.

My advice is to stick to the WagonR or Brio. If it's only a city car, I would go for the WagonR.
Do note that:

• WagonR is slightly more spacious than the Brio. But both are compact cars at the end of the day
• WagonR has a less powerful engine. 1 litre three cylinder vs 1.2 litre four cylinder of the Brio. WagonR is more fuel efficient, but the Brio is faster by a fair margin
• Maintenance of both cars will be easy, but I personally feel that WagonR will be slightly cheaper to maintain

[Aaron:)]

Originally Posted by D4D

My advice is to stick to the WagonR or Brio. If it's only a city car, I would go for the WagonR.
Do note that:

• WagonR is slightly more spacious than the Brio. But both are compact cars at the end of the day
• WagonR has a less powerful engine. 1 litre three cylinder vs 1.2 litre four cylinder of the Brio. WagonR is more fuel efficient, but the Brio is faster by a fair margin
• Maintenance of both cars will be easy, but I personally feel that WagonR will be slightly cheaper to maintain

Any reason as to why I shouldn't consider the i10?

[aditya101]

Alto K10 with AMT should also be considered if you want a fuss free driving experience in the city.

[Turbo_asd]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

Well I can't really stretch my budget any further than the Brio, since the Brio in itself is a stretch.

My basic requirements are -

1. Easy to drive
2. Good FE and ASC.
3. Should be good to drive on faster roads.
4. Decent space.
5. And the most important - Peace of mind.

Might I add to the confusion?

If Carwale is to be believed, the Grand i10 Magna 1.2 Kappa is in your budget too.
The reasons for considering the Grand i10 have already been given. It absolutely reeks of quality. While it may not be as practical as the WagonR, it is quite spacious on its own, is easy to drive, and will definitely come with the peace of mind associated with Hyundais. The engine is quite peppy and will take care of your needs. FE should not be a cause for concern either.

Another option would be the Swift lxi(o). With the discounts available, you could possibly get your hands on the vxi variant. It satisfies all your criteria. In addition, it is a very snazzy city runabout. Quality is top notch as well. The black interiors will be easy to maintain unlike beige, which gets soiled impossibly fast. It is an absolute VFM option.

I am assuming you are not too bothered about the number of features. Anyways, with a bit of haggling, the dealer probably will throw in a stereo or any such accesory free of cost.

The reason I would choose one of the above two options is simply because they are more with the times. I don't fancy buying a new car that is already long in the tooth. That is the case with the WagonR and the i10.
The Swift and Grand, meanwhile, will feel like a huge upgrade from your Alto in every which way. At the same time, they are worth every last rupee you pay for them.

Just wondering, are you open to pre-worshipped rides as well?

Happy shortlisting, choosing and buying!

[D4D]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

Any reason as to why I shouldn't consider the i10?

Not at all. WagonR and Brio are the best choices.

The i10 is no pushover. Great car, good interiors, decent space, and great service backup. It's a terrific city car.

The 1.1 L petrol isn't the most fuel efficient, nor powerful. That's a reason I would not pick the i10.

The WagonR is the more efficient engine, the brio is the powerful one. The i10 lies neither here nor there.

[CountMe91]

Let me add my two cents on the above topic

Practicality+Space+FE+Resale Value+ASC
Blindly go for the Wagon R. Although you should know that the engine leaves much to be desired as compared to the Brio and i10. Other than 3 cylinder pot which is my only grouch, the Wagon R should tick all your boxes. Plus it is low on maintenance. If you can stretch your budget a bit, you can pick up the Ritz which is a far more matured car as compared to the Wagon R. Both the cars are offered at good discounts at Maruti dealerships. So please bargain well before finalizing your deal.

Drivability+ASC
The Brio is a drivers car IMO! If you like gunning the pedal more often and would love to hear the sweet note of your engine Brio is the best car in the 5 lac bracket. The only grouch will be the low GC of the car which I find is a point of concern especially when the car is fully loaded.

The i10 1.1 iRDE2 has good drivability in city as well. But it may not be as fuel efficient as the former duo.