[VishnuNarayanan]

Alto AMT any day if I am to choose an automatic hatch for the city. The premium you pay over the Nano AMT would be justified in the coming years with the abundant after sales service availability and cheap service costs.
I have a previous generation K10 MT and I would say it is a perfect city commuter. My only grouse with regard to it is the lack of ABS and a driver airbag.
If its going to be your only car and you want an automatic the Cererio makes sense.

[mahesh_sn]

Voted for Tata Nano. This is truly a smart city car now with the addition of openable hatch and AMT box. It's the only car I see giving tough competition to Autorikshaws on overly crowded Mumbai roads . If driven sedately upto 80kmph, I won't mind taking it on highways as well.

[Vitalstatistiks]

Originally Posted by Samba

In the voting list the Nano Amt may get many more votes but at the end of the month when the sales chart will come up, the number of Nano sold will be around 2,500 and the Alto will be around 25,000! Just what happened with the Tata Zest and Maruti Dzire! The zest got many more votes in the poll than the Dzire.
But in reality when the last months sales chart came up, Maruti sold nearly 19,000 Dzires and Tata sold around 1,900 Zests !

These sales figures are for a reason. When people invest there hard earned money every one see there long term benefits. Tata seriously needs to rebuild there image by making more reliable and niggle free cars to get into the mass market.

Ok. This "Maruti applicable only" argument has gone on for far too long on this forum to go unchecked.

I don't know why we tend to (a) justify one's choice based on the fact that many more are choosing the same and (b) throw the sales figure of these 3-4 top models of Maruti as if that is the holy grail of a benchmark of 'quality' of a car.

On (a) I, personally, get put off a car if it sells in the sort of numbers that an Alto, Swift or even a City sells in. Unless the product is sooo superior to its competitors that there is absolutely no reason or logic to buy anything else, then may be. I don't know why one needs approval of the neighbor for his/her choice of car, like what would my Swift/i20 owning neighbor think if i buy a Punto. As a corollary, I don't understand how buying the same car which every 3rd person in your neighborhood has, makes it a superior car.

While (a) is more subjective, and views may vary, more importantly, on (b), please, please, PLEASE always remember that Maruti has almost 950 dealers across India. In this case, Tata has less than 250. The sales figures that Altos, Swifts and Dzires generate are also a factor (among many others, this post is not for that) of the reason that most of the areas, this is the ONLY CAR AVAILABLE. Multiply to that after sales support and Maruti would be present in more than double of geographic area than its nearest competitors (I may only be undermining the difference honestly).

While that is a problem of the other manufacturers and they should sort it, how does that color the perception of janta over how good or bad/well priced or badly priced the car is ? Tata Zest sold 2000 units versus Dzires 18k? If Tata had same number of geographic reach (4 times current size), mathematically (I emphasize, before someone starts throwing manufacturing capacity) they would also sell 8000 units. Does't look so bad in your head now, does it ?

[mvadg]

Though I voted for the Celerio (with the ZXI AMT in mind, after all a vote didn't cost me anything), anyone seriously considering all three with no constraints should ideally rent/borrow (for a week?) those cars for a thorough test and then decide. And don't borrow / rent a different variant from the one you actually want to consider, that'll be misleading. [Don't ask me how I know ]

Originally Posted by Vitalstatistiks

...
On (a) I, personally, get put off a car if it sells in the sort of numbers that an Alto, Swift or even a City sells in...

I have realized there are advantages to being part of the herd:

1. Parts availability
2. Accessories availability - your local shop will not carry any accessories that will simply swell the inventory.
3. FNG is familiar with the herd car
4. And down the line, you may even be able to get parts from a junked car!

And not only the desi herd, if you are part of the international herd, you get know-how for mods and accessories you'll only be able to dream of in India.

[devarshi84]

Voted for Nano.

Sadly Indian customers like to buy Maruti even for the price of gold (even Honda for that matter). This new Nano ticks all the right boxes at the right time and the quality is good too.

This Nano will bomb just like the zest and Bolt because 'Ye to TATA hai.'

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by VishnuNarayanan

after sales service availability and cheap service costs.
.

One may have N genuine reasons or choosing Maruti cars however the service and spare costs can not be one of them if you compare with Tata.
There is a thread running for Maruti Service costs do check it.

Maruti may be cheaper then Hyndai and Honda but compared to Tata it is not true.

Quality of service i have seen more con jobs done at Maruti , People being asked to change oil every 3-5K , Clean EGR and Intercooler at 30K , go for decarbonization unnecessarily at Maruti A.S.S.

Only thing is that there is a comfort factor in the heard.
Earilier I had a Maruti and now I own a Honda and a Tata vehicle and rate Tata higher in terms of service quality at-least this is true in Bangalore. Here there are 3 Honda dealerships /A.S.S (Whitefiled , Dakshin, Magnum)have tried 2 of them ( Whitefield , Dakshin) and out of TML A.S.S have tried 4 ( KHT, Concord , Prerna and one independent T.A.S.S) over multiple years.
Also tried 3/4 Maruti A.S.S in past.

[DevendraG]

I voted for Nano (An any enthusiast would, I too chose it as a secondary car). Also this time around, I believe Tata have the most appealing iteration since it's launch.

Technology, Quality, Goodies -
1> Tata decided to shift their focus from Taxi to Private market for their newer products & so they started building more appealing products.
2> Also they brought in a No-Taxi Market policy which reflects their commitment & understanding of target consumer mentality .
3> In my opinion, this is definitely working as I see the wide acceptance on all forums.
4> Nano too is a step in that direction & definitely a right one.

Sore Points:
1> T.A.S.S has to be the most significant reason & the only way to get around it would be a> strong & reliable products b> excellent & wide-reaching service
2> Pricing is another key area. Tata can be rest assured that they would barely (or never) bite into Hyundai & Volkswagen's consumers (who aren't as price sensitive). So their target is the other chunk & they definitely need to price it's products competitively

[ShankarG]

Voted for Nano AMT as a second car for the home. The car is ticking all the right check boxes when it comes to city drive. Tata's have made sure that the common issues like traffic jams, parking shortage and bumper to bumper traffic are a major headache while driving. A person wants peace of mind especially wrt the vehicle he is in. Nano fulfills all such criteria and suits well to the needs of ladies, college going students or old people. this is definitely not a highway car and one should not even try to run it on a highway.
I would not consider an Alto or Celerio as a highway car since these car are as fragile as a nano. Celerio AMT has just one airbag for the safety sake. Any speed above 80 is risky in all the three cars due to such inadequacy. A better deal can be a Brio or Grand i10 Automatic if one is looking for a reasonable Automatic car.

[PearlJam]

Originally Posted by GTO

Also, I can show you innumerable polls where the cheapest option hasn't always won.

I guess I've been misunderstood. I never said that the cheapest option wins. I was just saying that the poll is unfair because the results of the poll will depend on the financial demography of the individuals who read/comment/vote on this particular topic on team-bhp. So what I vote to the question "Which budget automatic hatchback would you pick" will mainly depend on what I earn, and nothing else. When the cost difference between the two closest choices is 1.26 lakhs (around a huge 30%), then we're almost starting to compare cars from two different segments.

As I said, if the question was 'Poll: Which budget automatic hatchback offers the best bang for the buck?', then that would have mitigated the above problem to some extent, because then, people will vote based on which car they subjectively think would provide the best "value" for the "price" that they pay.

[AJ-got-BHP]

As the discussion gets heated, I would like to mention that buying preferences are varied and differ from a person to person considering the fact that not everyone has the same/ similar requirements. A car may be a hot seller, but does not suit my requirements. So, just because everyone is falling into the well, does not mean even I need to do that. Chipping in with a few thoughts :

Tata Nano AMT

• Definitely a Value for Money Car from the price point of view
• Spacious - Yes, Very Spacious
• NVH Levels - A noisy Petrol Engine

A note :
4 Years 60,000 kms warranty does not mean and guarantee a Fuss Free Ownership Experience. I have personally owned 3 Tata Vehicles in the Past myself. They used to have niggling and peculiar issues and that repute remains with the Tata Badge in the minds of a lot of today's buyers. If such issues remain, although the job may be done free of cost under warranty, one still has to pay repeated visits to the workshop thereby not making the ownership experience fuss free at all. So according to me, choosing this as one's first car could be a risky proposition.

Alto AMT :

• The Alto brand itself gives the reliability factor
• Space management though is not in comparison to either. I find the Alto to be cramped for room
• Good peppy engine

Celerio AMT :

• Loses the edge on the pricing aspect in comparison to the competitors
• A much better ride quality (not bumpy) in comparison to the above two; I suppose considering the larger wheelbase that it has
• The interiors are much more updated and fresh
• Space management is much better than the Alto for sure, though lesser than the Nano. But, seats 4 Adults comfortably
• Better Boot Space is definitely a plus
• Hate the looks of the rear end though

Given the option, if I had to buy an AMT for myself, it would be the Celerio AMT for sure !! Voted for it !!

[GTO]

a4anurag's awesome comparison between the Nano & Alto has been added to the opening page. Thanks for sharing, man .

Direct link to his post.

[jassi_jeeper]

I vote for the Alto AMT.
I wouldn't go near the nano as it will be a mess after 3 years of use. The Marutis on the other hand would last forever.
The Celerio seems overpriced and I personally am not a fan of its rear end looks. Also, they say the AMT box on the Celerio isn't as refined as on the Alto( no first hand experience though ).
I have picked up an Alto K10 AMT for dad and we all are loving it.

[vinit.merchant]

Voted for the Celerio

Celerio vs Nano = Can take the Celerio on the highways comfortably !.
Celerio vs Alto k10 = More spacious than alto. Alto doesn't have options on the AMT. Just one variant - take it or leave it. With Celerio, we have option of all 3 variants

[venuvedam]

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[saket77]

Voted for the Celerio AMT. Despite being at a higher price point, it is a value for money proposition in my opinion.

It has what the Alto lacks w.r.t. the Nano, i.e..space. Its not incredibly difficult to drive either compared to Nano. Agreed, Nano would still be easier but I am not willing to overlook certain deficiencies just because the Nano is priced 1.5L lower.

Me, not a fan of AMT, but if I had to buy one, this is my reasoning:

1. Brand name of Maruti instills exponentially more confidence than a Tata. No two ways about it.

2. Space management is good in Nano; but Celerio offers good space as well. No cramped feeling inside. The air conditioner is also a chiller.

3. The ergonomic factor is better in the Celerio. For eg. placement of the power window switches, instrument panel and the overall dashboard layout is much more logical.

4. Safety wise, I am not betting my life on any 3 cars in question but compared to Nano, Celerio would be safer just by its weight alone. Also other factors like efficient brakes, broader tires, better stability, handling manners and resistance to cross-winds is a major boost in active safety when pitched against the Nano. I am surprised that many BHPians have missed this point in a well-informed and aware community like ours.

5. Boot space is the best among the lot. No questions asked.

6. Maruti's service network and standard is arguably the best in the Industry. Treatable like a benchmark. I wouldn't blink an eye deciding on this aspect. My long association with Maruti as a normal customer has instilled that confidence in me, apart from the general perception.

7. A much better engine compared to the noisy unit of the Nano. A lot of buyers are turned off just because of the sound of the Nano. Also, it will be a difficult time for Nano drivers if it gets caught on a 'stop-go' condition on a steep incline like a parking ramp.

8. Better ride quality offered by Celerio.

9. Much higher resale. My 12 year old Maruti will still fetch a higher value through a regular buyer than a 4 year old Nano offer by Tata Motors itself.

10. Although I do find the face of the Nano cute, but its stance, esp when viewed from the rear is awkward.

Where the Nano truly holds ground against other cars is ease of driving and parking. Surely hard to beat that but then it does not make it my preferred choice.

Thanks!