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Sudeep,

You need to have a cut off point when it comes to budget. That will ease the dilemma of choosing the car for you. If you are Ok with a budget of +8L, then you should simply zero in on the cross over SUV's. If less than that then stick to a hatchback. Figo although now loaded with the gizmos has lost on the USP of Ford i.e handling. But the car is built like a tank and the doors felt really heavy when I had taken a TD. I20 IMO is an overpriced product. Between the cross overs, I have not drive the Brezza, but have sat behind the wheels of TUV and surely it should go out of your shopping list.

I would suggest to narrow down between a Figo and Ecosport and make a choice on the budget available.

I agree. I am quite comfortable in the range of 5L-8L.
Now, I am looking at Tiago D ( Top variant), Figo Titanium and maybe Brezza Ldi (o).

With Tiago, even with the topmost model, I end up saving at least 2 L. Plus, the audio setup is being praised in every review.
I will take a test drive of the diesel and try not to compare it to 1.5L of Figo:D. If not excited, I will go for a Figo ! The engine is just amazing.

Now the choice is between a fully loaded D hatchback OR a lower variant compact UV.
I am almost convinced with Figo, Just need to test drive Tiago once to see if the Power is decent enough.

Thanks

I will be giving you a whole new perspective to your car dilemma. Considering the 10+yr ban on diesel cars in NCR I think you should go for the Baleno Petrol. If you have parking space you can retain the esteem as well as it will help you during odd even days which the government wants to implement for 15days every month. A diesel car in NCR will lose its resale value very fast and it will be very difficult to sell it after 6-7 years as you intend. If you are sure you will be covering 1L+ km in 5 years then a diesel makes sense. My choice in diesels for you would be Baleno diesel or the tiago. Figo's recent recall does create doubts in a slow moving model. Hope this helps.

I purchased my second esteem at 40K kms in 2012, I have used it for 70K Kms in less than 4 years. So I am quite sure diesel will be more economical.

Now I am also looking at Liva D, except the interiors, I am quite ok with it and the 'T' badge is quite convincing. All the etios owners vouch for Toyota's reliability and after sales. Also, I read it somewhere that New Liva and Etios with better interiors (esp ICE) have been launched in Brazil. I guess it will be soon launched in India as well. Cant remember the source.
Maybe admins have more info about that.
Now I am choosing between Tiago (top variant) (TD pending) , Baleno Delta, Figo titanium, brezza Ldi(o), liva (TD pending) and maybe i20 if budget permits as sportz is the only variant worth buying.

One thing that goes in favour of the Liva and the Baleno is that all the variants come with dual airbags. If you find the Liva pleasing to drive, it's a strong contender.

The service and reliability offered by Toyota is industry benchmark. But the new model is the baleno and may have better aspirational value.

I think you should narrow down your choices to the i20, Baleno and Figo.
The Tiago is a great car, but it's two segments lower, and with your budget, there's better options out there.
The Brezza is a nice car but try to get a higher varaint. The LDi(O) is very poorly equipped.

You should TD the Figo. It has a really great engine.

Please help in resolving my dilemna and also possibly add to it :)

I am on the look out for a new car and have a budget of around 11L. After reading reviews, doing research, checking ownership reports and test driving, I have currently narrowed down my choice to the below, in no particular order:

Ford Ecosport Diesel: Have always liked the car for its looks and with its recent engine revamp, looks to be a good bet with respect to the fun to drive factor as well. Titanium+ in Chennai comes to around 11.2L. Went and had a look in the showroom. Was not able to get a test drive since it was a bit crowded and I was in a bit of a hurry, but I sat in it and the driver's seat was really good with a nice view of the road. The back I feel will be strictly for 2 people with probably a 3rd squeezing in some times

Ford Aspire Diesel: Have not driven this car yet but the official reviews indicate it to be a stonker of a car which can give a lot of higher segment vehicles a run for their money. All this comes at a cost of 10L OTR for the titanium variant which is good VFM. Sat in this car as well when I went to see the Ecosport and both looked to be similar, maybe the Aspire has got a bit more leg room. Since this is the same engine and tune as the Ecosport, want to try this as well.

Maruti S-Cross 1.3: My brother bought this vehicle when it was launched. So I have a lot of experience driving this car. Its a very good vehicle for the city as the lag is something which can be overcome. I went on a rececnt trio to Coorg from Bangalore and for the total distance of 600 odd kms it did not let me down at all. It handled bad roads very well and the car goes upto 120-130 easily beyond which it is a struggle. As someone who is going to be within the 100-120 range, I think I can live with this. Thought about the 1.6 for some time but the budget constraints and also the fact that the turbo lag will be more for city driving has made me cut back to the 1.3. OTR for 1.3 Zeta is again around 11.2L.

My requirements, not in any particular order again:
1. Diesel: My monthly driving pattern is around 1200-1500 kms which can be done with a petrol, but in my budget I find only diesels which are fun to drive. The ones which are petrol, a great example being the GT TSI lose out on space which brings me to my next need. Also, I currently own the first gen swift which gives me a mileage of 11 within the city. So the mileage of a diesel also helps :). On the above mentioned Coorg trip, on a single tankful, the car covered 550kms and according to the DTE was still good for another 180kms.

2. Rear space: I have a 4 year old daughter who is strapped in always so a car seat is a must. During some outstation trips, my mom and dad join me as well which would mean 5 people in the car. Of the 3 cars above, I guess the S-Cross is the best in that department in terms of both leg room and cabin width. I am willing to sacrifice some of it and go for the Aspire if the drive and handling is excellent, but the Polo I felt to be a tad too cramped even for 4 folks, especially with respect to the leg room

3. Fun to drive: All said and done, the Swift was and still is a fun to drive car. Immensely chuckable at corners and handles well too, especially after I changed the tyres to Conti EcoContact ones. Cars like the i20 lose out on this factor as my dad owned the igen i20 and I do not like the way it drives, especially on the highways.

I did not consider the Brezza as I feel that the Brezza is not going to give me anything which the S-Cross does not have, save for some gadgets which I am absolutely ok with. Plus the rumored wait times are a put down.


So, those are the cars that I have chosen for now with the requirements I have. I am currently leaning towards the S-Cross, but will take a thorough test drive of both the Ecosport and the Aspire before finalizing. Any other cars I should be considering? Any alternative thoughts to mine? I am going to make the purchase only around the month of August so any new launches by then?

Of the current choices, I feel S-Cross is the best. It meets all your requirements well, is a solidly built car, and as you are also leaning towards. The other 2 as you have mentioned lose significantly on space.

There are 2 other cars I would recommend you to test before taking decision.
1. Ciaz ZDi/Zdi+: Ciaz scores better than S-Cross on space, and you might able to get a good deal with some offers, and have few of the features you will be missing from S-Cross Alpha.

2.Ertiga Zdi+: This is another good all round car. ZDi+ variant is cheaper than the 1.3 Zeta, has more features like Smartplay Systems, more space, especially when you consider, 4 adults and a kid in car seat. Would be good for both city and highway travels too.

Meanwhile, August is 3 months away. If Brezza sparks your interest you might be able to get it by then, if you book right now.

EDIT:
Another point to note though is that Ecosport comes with ISOFIX compatible rear seats, which can be a factor when deciding.

Thank you for your inputs. The Ertiga, I personally don't like its looks, even though it is a very capable vehicle with lots of room. The Ciaz I thought will perform poorer than the S-Cross but now I realize that the Ciaz is lighter than the S-Cross, so will check that out as well. It will be definitely roomier than the S-Cross. Thank you for that.

Also, yes I noted that the Ecosport has the ISOFIX mount but I dont think my current car seat has it. Any tips on how to find that out? Just now bought a Chicco Group 123 seat for my daughter around 9-10 months back so changing that is out of the question

Of these three that you've listed, my choice would be the S-Cross 1.3.
-The Aspire probably has the best engine among these cars
-The Ecosport has the best build quality but lacks space
-The S-Cross has good handling, is the larger car and seems VFM in this scenario. Of course, if you had the budget you could have gone with the 1.6

You already have 2 Fords in the shortlist, why not consider a car from some other manufacturer so that you have a good range of cars to Test Drive and choose from. Also, to me it seems the Aspire is the odd one out being a small sedan while the other two have better GC, stance and driving position. However, do take Test Drives and only then decide, you never know which one will give you the fun to drive/Wow factor :)

Even if you don't think the Brezza is a good choice, I would say keep it in the list as an outsider and Test Drive it too, as I said before you will have a better range of cars to choose from, else you may be biased (this is just my personal view).

I thought both Ecosport and Aspire have the same engine with probably the Aspire having 10NM or so of torque more. But being a sedan, it should drive better

Absolutely. Coming from a swift, the effort to open and close the doors itself was :eek:

Yes initially, all the drooling was over the 1.6 with the S-Cross review thread not helping too. But then my car is going to see highways 10% of its lifetime and hence thought the 1.3 is a more practical choice. Of course the budget also played its part :D


i20, I did not want due to its driving dynamics. Polo as the rear is too cramped. Jazz might also fit into the picture, but is it fun to drive? Maybe I should do a test drive. But somehow have never been inclined towards diesels from Honda.

Yes, the only reason this was chosen was because of mobike008's ownership report. If the test drive is half as fun, then it will become a good contender to the S-Cross. Also, I really dont need the high ground clearance, thought the higher driving position is a plus

Hmmm. Somehow I am not sold on the looks of the Brezza as well, especially when comparing it to the Ecosport/S-Cross. However, will probably have a look at it too.

Whoever said having a lot of choices is a good thing!!!

The same engine which powers the EcoSport and the Aspire performs very differently in both cars. With the added weight and the shape of the compact SUV, the 1.5L TDCi feels a bit sluggish in lower gears when teeing off, and performs quite sedately on open roads and inside the city.

In comparison, the sleeker Aspire with it's extra bit of torque pulls like a stonker! You won't be able to take that grin off your face when you feed an open highway to the Aspire.

Trust me on this.

Can't beat the S-Cross 1.3L on this aspect. It will be the most frugal out of the three. But this aspect of a car mostly depends on your driving style. If you drive around with a feather touch on the accelerator (like me), you can extract the best mileage from any engine. If you are more of a pedal stomper or drive consistently at high speeds, mileage will come down.

All 3 cars are almost equally frugal inside city limits, but the S-Cross 1.3L will have a slight edge over the 2 Fords.

This is where the S-Cross completely outshines the other two.

Rear bench space is fantastic in the Maruti, and while it's semi-decent in the Aspire, it's quite congested in the EcoSport. The 3rd passenger will be the happiest in the S-Cross, while he will feel the squeeze in the Aspire.

As for the EcoSport, don't ask.

Oh, yes! The Aspire diesel will make you regret dropping it from your list of buys once you test drive it over a reasonable distance, specially on an open stretch of road. The S-Cross is slightly better in handling because the Aspire's steering is a tad light in comparison to it, but not too much for this factor to be a deal breaker. In fact, I was more at home in the Aspire than in the S-Cross 1.3.

That being said, the 1.6 is a completely mean machine and blows the Aspire out of the water, so there's no comparison there.

Chucking into corners - the S-Cross & the Aspire both are good at this, although the S-Cross is a bit more stable across such a maneuver since it has a larger footprint.

I say, take thorough test drives of all 3 cars (if possible) and then make a decision. Take your family with you and get their feedback as well.

I have a feeling you might decide to stick to the S-Cross 1.3 in the end, but do give your family a chance to experience the Aspire too.

Good luck.

If I sum this up, you want to go for a diesel. Have a 4 year old on a car seat. 10% of trips on highway, parents on some trips.

I'd go with the Ecosport. It comes with good driveability, Titanium+ is loaded with safety kit including ISOFIX mounts. The next car further north on budget that's with such safety kit is the Jetta Highline.

I am looking around with a similar budget, with 2 kids (6 and 1) on tow with once a while trip where parents would join. The logical conclusion with budget in mind, was to buy the Ecosport 1.5D Titanium+ which takes care of the commute and trips with kids and rent out a XUV when both parents join us in a trip.

Since you have not mentioned any preference over the type of car I take liberty in adding a full size sedan to your list. The honda city. It's high on safety very high on space and good enough for power and handling.

Another would be to check out the Honda BR-V with its 6 speed i-dtec engine it should be a good buy. More over its a new launch and looks pretty good too.
Happy hunting :)

Thought so too. Hopefully the test drive is tomorrow. There is an open stretch nearby so can try it out as well.

Mileage is not really very important as I am sure all 3 will give around 15 kmpl at least which is good enough for me.

The only confusion here is my parents will join me in probably 5% of the cases so should the rear bench be that important? If it is not, I guess its between the EcoSport and the Aspire. Its a question of what to compromise on. Right now mind is agreeing to a compromise on power, as I have extensively driven the 1.3, but the test drive might result in a change of mind. A test drive to clear all doubts is really needed.

Sure, will do a test drive and confirm.

Yeah, but budget :deadhorse

:thumbs up Will post my findings here once a test drive is done of both the cars

Thanks for the suggestion Narayan. So you have already bought the EcoSport or have finalized it? I need not rent an XUV as my father in law already has one ha ha, but I get your idea.