[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Somehow Ritz has much better abuse taking capability, not sure but i think GC is also higher?

Being a tall-boy design coupled with a stiffly spring suspension makes the Ritz look taller than it is.

Moreover it does have a slightly harsher/bumpy ride thanks to the suspension setup.

[dhanushs]

Hi Khan Saheb,

Why don't you try the Tata Manza. The vehicle, even though not-so-reliable, the mechanicals & general fittings is very simple and is so easily serviceable in rural areas.

As for your requirements, and my experience.

Roads: It can handle bad roads, and the ride is super good. Ground Clearance can be better.

Service Centers: It can be repaired to proper running condition in any friendly NG.. (Suspension, clutch, rattles, bearings, etc, are easy to repair/maintain) . Very friendly to FNG, like maruti. Easy to repair. Not complicated.

Fuel: Its a Diesel, with the 1.3 National Engine.

Rear seat comfort, leg space: Might as well be the best in this segment. Really comfortable & Spacious!

100% reliability & peace of mind: Not really reliable. But the plus is that you can repair it anywhere. And service/parts costs are really cheap.

Ability to maneuver in tight roads/alleyways: I'd say, in par with the competition.

Driver driven 100% of the time: No problemo. Thats what this car is meant to be.

Decent luggage space: Excellent luggage space.

looks of vehicle is not a primary concern:

100% driver driven: Again, excellent rear seat comfort. and superb mile cruncher.

Apart from the maintenance aspect, I guess a Manza will suit your requirements pretty well.

[vjjustin]

Hi,
I am also looking for a car for my parents and my requirements are similar to the OP. They live in a Kerala village near Cochin. I am looking for a car that is reliable, abuse-friendly, easy ingress/egress etc.

The difference is that my father (who is ~70 yrs old) will be driving the car. So I am looking for a car that is also easy to drive and also has better front seat comfort. The roads are not that narrow in our place, still a small car is preferred (but not a must) for easy maneuvering.


1) How does any AMT/auto compare with Ritz/WagonR in terms of drivability?
2) A maruti is not a must for me; how does the new Figo/i10/Bolt/Liva compare to Ritz in terms of reliability, VFM, build quality etc.?
3) How good/bad is the front seat comfort in all these compared to ritz/WagonR?

5L-6L is my budget, though I can stretch it to some extend. Thanks in advance.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by vjjustin

Hi,
I am also looking for a car for my parents and my requirements are similar to the OP. They live in a Kerala village near Cochin. I am looking for a car that is reliable, abuse-friendly, easy ingress/egress etc.

The difference is that my father (who is ~70 yrs old) will be driving the car. So I am looking for a car that is also easy to drive and also has better front seat comfort. The roads are not that narrow in our place, still a small car is preferred (but not a must) for easy maneuvering.


1) How does any AMT/auto compare with Ritz/WagonR in terms of drivability?
2) A maruti is not a must for me; how does the new Figo/i10/Bolt/Liva compare to Ritz in terms of reliability, VFM, build quality etc.?
3) How good/bad is the front seat comfort in all these compared to ritz/WagonR?

5L-6L is my budget, though I can stretch it to some extend. Thanks in advance.

After Mahindra SUV's, the best car I found for rural areas is the Maruti Omni/Ertiga. Excellent visibility, easy ingress and all round VFM.

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by vjjustin

Hi,
easy ingress/egress etc.
easy maneuvering.


1) How does any AMT/auto compare with Ritz/WagonR in terms of drivability?
2) A maruti is not a must for me; how does the new Figo/i10/Bolt/Liva compare to Ritz in terms of reliability, VFM, build quality etc.?
3) How good/bad is the front seat comfort in all these compared to ritz/WagonR?

Originally Posted by Aroy

After Mahindra SUV's, the best car I found for rural areas is the Maruti Omni/Ertiga. Excellent visibility, easy ingress and all round VFM.

Figo/i10/liva do have good build quality no doubt, but Wagon R is good too. With the tall boy design , doors opening widely ingree and egress will be easy for your aged parents. I feel that figo is a bit bumpy . Wagon R with EPS must be very easy to handle. I have noticed the clutch on wagon R is light too. Are they ok with manual transmission ?

Alto AMT/ Celerio AMT on the other hand are good cars ,its a breeze to drive in bumper to bumper traffic, but then again its quite cramped (Alto especially) and your parents might find it difficult to get in and get out of the car.

Given that its your parents driving the car , I would not suggest Omni , it has no creature comforts including a power steering. Figo/i10/wagon R etc come with ABS and airbags , you might want to consider these safety options.

PS: What about Nano ? Nano comes with power steering and now AMT option too. The ergonomics are not bad actually. It is not a fast car , but can get your parents from point A to point B comfortably.

[rrsteer]

Just wanted to add my opinion here.

I purchased a second hand Etios for my mom who is 61 years old.
It is a top end petrol variant and I purchased it for 3.9lacs.
She is extremely happy, both driving and being driven in it.

[ashis89]

Sharing my experience here. My friend got a used i10 1.2 Magna for his parents who live in a village (Sarisa, near Balasore, Odisha). They love it for the tall boy design. Their running is very low (~300 kms pm avg) and their roads are very bad (floods in monsoon every year). His parents don't know driving and hence they hire any random driver whenever they go out. Despite all these, the car has taken the abuse well and was absolutely fine the last time I saw it.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by vjjustin

Hi,
I am also looking for a car for my parents and my requirements are similar to the OP. They live in a Kerala village near Cochin. I am looking for a car that is reliable, abuse-friendly, easy ingress/egress etc.

1) How does any AMT/auto compare with Ritz/WagonR in terms of drivability?

I'd suggest you to look at Celerio AMT ZXi.

Somewhat better than Alto K10 AMT in terms of safety, size.

With over 1300 kms in 1.5 months on my Alto K10 AMT, I can vouch for it's drive ability and comfort as the left leg and left hand are free. No burden or pressure to keep the right gear for traffic sense area.

Do TD and decide.

[rejoycjohn]

Originally Posted by vjjustin

Hi,
I am also looking for a car for my parents and my requirements are similar to the OP. They live in a Kerala village near Cochin. I am looking for a car that is reliable, abuse-friendly, easy ingress/egress etc.

The difference is that my father (who is ~70 yrs old) will be driving the car. So I am looking for a car that is also easy to drive and also has better front seat comfort. The roads are not that narrow in our place, still a small car is preferred (but not a must) for easy maneuvering.


1) How does any AMT/auto compare with Ritz/WagonR in terms of drivability?
2) A maruti is not a must for me; how does the new Figo/i10/Bolt/Liva compare to Ritz in terms of reliability, VFM, build quality etc.?
3) How good/bad is the front seat comfort in all these compared to ritz/WagonR?

5L-6L is my budget, though I can stretch it to some extend. Thanks in advance.

I would recommend Nissan Micra CVT XV. Its 7.40 L which means it needs a bit of budget stretch. But thats worth it over a Celerio ZXI AMT as Micra is better built compared to the Celerio. I would even consider the Honda Jazz automatic (7.85) if you need lots of space.
Both cars mentioned above has all the creature comforts and safety and the CVT units are reliable.

Figo is a wonderful car, but then not really easy when it comes to gear shifting.
Grand I10 Auto isn't bad either. Its taller than Micra but I'm not a huge fan of its ergonomics. Not sure if it provides ABS and Airbags.
Brio is too low for an elderly couple
Bolt is indeed a great car and compared to its competition well priced. It doesnt have AT yet ( Zest has AT)
Toyota Liva doesnt live up to the normal standards of Toyota except its engine and gear box.

There would be more cars if we include manual cars. But I guess your parents are going to be happier if they don't need to worry about gear changes while driving.

[vjjustin]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Maruti Omni/Ertiga.

Thanks, Aroy. I am concerned about size and safety. I think a hatchback will be better.

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

Wagon R is good too. Are they ok with manual transmission? Alto AMT/ Celerio AMT are good cars but quite cramped (Alto especially)

Thanks girimajiananth (Ananth?). One think that bothers me is with the tallboy design how good is the stability of WagonR (is high center of gravity a concern?). My father currently drives a zen, so manual is fine too but with leg pain/strain and such, going forward, an AMT might be a better option. Alto might indeed be too small for my purpose. Will have to check Celerio in person.

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

ABS and airbags , you might want to consider these safety options. What about Nano ?

Yes, safety is of prime concern; ABS/airbags must. Coming to NANO, again I am concerned about the safety/build quality.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

I'd suggest you to look at Celerio AMT ZXi. I can vouch for it's drive ability and comfort. Do TD and decide.

Thanks, Anurag; happy to know that the drive is comfortable. Will surely do a TD.

Originally Posted by rejoycjohn

I would recommend Nissan Micra CVT XV. Figo is a wonderful car, but then not really easy when it comes to gear shifting.
Grand I10 Auto isn't bad either. Its taller than Micra but I'm not a huge fan of its ergonomics. Not sure if it provides ABS and Airbags.
Brio is too low for an elderly couple
Bolt is indeed a great car and compared to its competition well priced. It doesnt have AT yet ( Zest has AT)
Toyota Liva doesnt live up to the normal standards of Toyota except its engine and gear box.

There would be more cars if we include manual cars. But I guess your parents are going to be happier if they don't need to worry about gear changes while driving.

Thanks rejoy for the detailed reply. I will check Micra, though budget might be a factor here. Also will keep the Figo/Brio shortcomings. Very bad that bolt do not have an AMT. Will check i10/bolt/liva.

Originally Posted by rrsteer

a second hand Etios for my mom who is 61 years old. She is extremely happy, both driving and being driven in it.

Originally Posted by ashis89

a used i10 1.2 Magna for his parents. They love it for the tall boy design. the car has taken the abuse well and was absolutely fine.

Thanks, rrsteer and ashis89. Nice to know Liva and i10 drive nicely;both are surely in my radar.

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by vjjustin

Thanks girimajiananth (Ananth?). One think that bothers me is with the tallboy design how good is the stability of WagonR (is high center of gravity a concern?). My father currently drives a zen, so manual is fine too but with leg pain/strain and such, going forward, an AMT might be a better option. Alto might indeed be too small for my purpose. Will have to check Celerio in person.

Yes, safety is of prime concern; ABS/airbags must. Coming to NANO, again I am concerned about the safety/build quality.

Yes , I am Ananth . Well , we cannot expect much out of nano for that price. I drove a relatives wagon R on the higway ,I found it to be quite unstable at high speeds espicially when there are cross winds.

No doubt celerio AMT will be a better option, it is more spacious compared to Alto. You can try your luck with certified used cars , sometimes you will find well worshipped cars (Are you particular about a new one ?) A friend of mine ended up with a fully loaded , showroom maintained camry for 4 L . You might be able to find used automatic brio or micra. No harm in trying once .

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by vjjustin

Hi,
I am also looking for a car for my parents and my requirements are similar to the OP. They live in a Kerala village near Cochin. I am looking for a car that is reliable, abuse-friendly, easy ingress/egress etc.

5L-6L is my budget, though I can stretch it to some extend. Thanks in advance.

I would recommend an AT/AMT. At the budget, the Celerio ZXI AMT is the only option. But comes with only passenger airbag and no ABS.

Nissan Micra is a good option, but may be too much of a stretch and after sales can be hit or miss depending on the location. Guess, if you pay them a visit and do a test drive, you can gauge the dealership to some extent.

My choice would be the Brio AT. It is a comfortable and spacious car (especially in the front). It is over your budget, but considering it does not sell much, you may get some good discounts. My In laws (In their 60's) have a Brio and I have not heard them complain about ingress/egress.

Grand i10 AT does not come with ABS/Airbags.

[hallik9]

Why not the Ritz? Great head room and feel airy inside as well. I think this is a highly underrated car. I have never owned but have always heard good feedback from its users. I think from a cost perspective,it will lesser than a Grand i10 or the Micra

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

My parents .....challenge of several dimensions -- ranging from bad roads to narrow alleyways, to suspect fuel to service issues and others.

..width of roads..


Have found that MUL followed by Hyundai & TATA have some presence at least in terms of service centers & garage capabilities.


I have zeroed in on WagonR as the first choice primarily for the following reasons:

• Easy ingress for elderly people & good seating position in rear
• Is a MUL product. Tested & trusted with a MASS in district headquarters. FNGs can help in emergencies
• Small enough to maneuver on narrow village roads

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

I think the Wagon R is a good choice...

Originally Posted by paragsachania

I will pick the WagonR if I were in the same situation as you

Originally Posted by tsk1979

WagonR ...

Originally Posted by bblost

As I was reading the first post, the name Wagon R was popping up.
.....

Originally Posted by ritz3645

I agree of WagonR, ... and always reliable.

Originally Posted by GypsyKing_775

Wagon-R is definitely a great choice ....

Originally Posted by GTO

What your folks really need is a reliable & practical car. Don't even look beyond the WagonR.

Originally Posted by Vishyvish

Wagon R fits to the core,

You are absolutely spot on about the positives and the versatility of the Wagon R in your post and re-affirmed by many others.

This car is so high on practicality, no wonder it is one of the best selling car in the B1 segment.

It is a perfect match for elderly users, having experienced it being used in the family, be it ease of ingress/egress, compact on the exteriors (easy to man-oeuvre) and at the same time very roomy inside, very fuel efficient and reliable and peppy K series engine, Build quality is decent with sturdy panels and doesn't feel flimsy.
Boot space is a bit on the lower side but due to the split rear seat option, it can accomodate more luggage when needed (with a person sitting at the rear). A relaxed driving style is more suited to this car with speeds < 90kmph keeping in mind the tallboy shape.

There may be many other competent cars as in the previous posts but Wagon R really stands out as a brilliant choice for the elderly (and younger users too )

[ACM]

Get AMT or AT
Since parents are aged plan for a Driver soon and hence budget for it.
A Nano or Celerio would help budget for a driver. More modern than Alto.
i10 AT has poorer FE
If not considering a driver suggest Grand i10 and Zest AMT.
Don't look outside Maruti, TATA and Hyundai