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-   -   Automatic for 3 lakhs: Used i10 vs Used A-Star vs New Nano (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchbacks/180455-automatic-3-lakhs-used-i10-vs-used-star-vs-new-nano-4.html)

Look at it in another way - the Nano is almost able to hold off both the AT's put together !! Not bad at all, me thinks !

Undoubtedly. But please note – this is only in bumper to bumper – typical 1-2-1, 1-2-3-1 gear commute with 10/15 kmph average speed. A free stretch and the DSG has butter smooth and infinitely faster upshifts. You can feel the clutch engage, disengage in DSG 7 speed, given that it upshifts to 2 really fast. The shifts are seamless in i10.

Much as I hate to admit this, but in my Mumbai daily grind, the i10 is noticeably smoother.

Voted for the Nano AMT.

Now I'm not against used (or pre-owned) cars. But considering that any of these cars will be a 2nd car in the household, a lot of the "practical" aspects of the i10 or A-star are irrelevant. The buyer is looking at a cheap, roomy, convenient runabout for the daily commute. Add warranty, new-car feel and funky looks, not to mention sufficient availability in the colour of your choice, and I feel the Nano is a winner in this competition.

If I have to buy a used automatic in this budget I'd go for a 2006-08 City AT.

P.s I've seen some Honda Accord AT selling for 3.5 :D

Why buy a second-hand car when you can own a brand new car for the same price. And that too with a 4 year warranty and Gold AMC (4 years, 40,000 kms, covers everything accept tires and battery). Almost zero expense for 4 years.

My vote goes for Nano XTA.

Been to Nandi betta on Friday. The A-Star AT climbed comfortably with 3 adults on-board. Steady on the highway too.

One thing I keep checking for is about the ride-quality that people have mentioned on this thread. I dont think it is bouncy ! But that could be because of the 175 section Yoko A-Drive's that I have.

Performance ! The Nano AMT is just right if driving will be steady at all times, and mainly in city. But I dont think the car would be able to zip up Nandi with the ease of a true AT. And for the price range in question in this thread, the A- Star it is.

All,
I am looking for an automatic car due to my hip/back problems and need some advice.
Usage: low usage, to and from work (15km both ways per day).
Want: An auto car in the 3 to 4 L price point.
Other car: we have a Mahindra quanto which serves as the main car for long drives/family outings. It just has a very painfully hard clutch!!!

Considered :

New Nano: Hmm. Although a well loved car, when it comes to buying one it seems like a toy. Also affected by the "will you buy that cheap car" mentality.

AStar: An auto AStar seems to be a great buy for my usage. With a 4 gear auto box , seems to promise a decent drive with a decent fuel economy. Just not a lot of AStars around in the market to buy.

I10: there seem to tons of I10s around, but two things bother me. First is, they are not cheap - a 5-6 year old car still costs about 4L+ in Bangalore. Second is the famed fuel efficiency.

Honda city AT: now this is another interesting car and assuming a price range of 3 to4 L, the car would be nearly 10 years old. But as they say it's a Honda - is 10 years/80-90k kms such a big deal.

Any inputs ? The city is really pulling me towards it for the cvt gearbox and legendary reliability although it will be quite old.

I would try for the A-Star. We have one, and happy with it.

City or Brio AT would be the next option. Cars can run for a long time, and all they need is regular maintenance - and not be abused. City is absolutely fine.

Though the i10 may be a little cheaper, the FE & spares cost are the dampers. But if you get a low-run well-maintained one, then either of these should do.

Nothing against the Nano XTA, though. For me the only thing this doesnt have is luggage space if I were to take the car out of city for a trip.

i10 automatic would be the first choice. Since most of the cars on your list, save for the Nano, are not in production now, the i10 would be the best bet looking at future availability of spares.

The i10 also came with a sun roof. Don't know if all the automatics had a sun roof or it was an option offered at the time of purchase, but have seen many with the sun roof. If you are going for an i10, search hard for a sun roof version, its also worth a slight premium over a normal i10 automatic. Nothing like a factory fitted sun roof

Mileage as you say, is a problem. Drive-as-you-please mode would give you anything between 6-8 kmpl as far as I know. However, if you plan and leave early, take shorter less congested routes, don't accelerate hard, keep the engine spinning in the economy zone for most of the drive and plan your braking in advance you should be able to squeeze a 9.5 on most occasions. Bear in mind that normal i10's seldom give more than 11-13 in city conditions (willing to stand corrected if anybody on the forum has more credible information)

A city will get you the eye balls and jealous stares from the neighbors and acquaintances, but an i10 would be more convenient. Nano is a different ball game altogether, lets leave that for some other day

You are right about the cars being priced high in Bangalore. Most of the people who have these cars have deep pockets and don't mind letting them lie idle for a while as they wait for a gullible buyer. The owners might want to read up what the meaning of 'present-value-of-money' is. 3 lakhs is hand today is worth more than 4 lakhs 6 months down the line, if you know how to make 3 lakhs work hard for you

Is it possible for you to strech your budget and buy a new car. Plenty of 100% on-road financing options are available in the market. Maybe a brand new 110 or the grand 110 magna. Atleast you will have peace of mind with the new car.

Apart from the A Star, look for the Brio AT. Not a big seller, so may find it difficult to get one. But if you do, should be able to get it at a good rate. Far superior engine and gearbox compared to the others and as an added bonus you may get a variant with abs and airbags.

Would suggest a closer look at the nano too. It's good enough for the kind of usage you want. Just need to get past that cheap car bias.

If you are looking at Honda Sedans. Look for a Civic over the City. Has lower resale so should be able to get a good price. And of course the snob value is much higher :)

Edit: Getting a Brio for 4L looks to be difficult. Maybe closer to 5L.

I have been in a similar position. From 1999 till 2010 I used an AT as a second car. First a Zen and then a Santro. With us my wife refused ti drive an MT. Only in 2010 did I go with both AT and now have a Civic (2010) and Brio. I am quite delighted with both. Both ATs are derived from the same basic box (5-speed), and has now been replaced with a CVT system in the City and also the Amaze. I guess the new Brio has the same. Excellent box, except for the bit of a lag in changing cogs. One gets used to this very quickly. I think the only Honda AT box which was not Uber reliable was the City ZX. So go find a Honda (whatever) and enjoy.

If you have to buy a second car, I would also suggest you move towards the Honda badge. Brio AT if you are able to buy would be an excellent buy.

I would also suggest you consider the below proposition
Sell the Quanto and replace it with TUV 300 AMT/Aspire AT/Jazz AT. It will replace the Quanto with a modern car, which is automatic. All these 3 cars have got good discounts going on, along with exchange benefits, and will be good for long drives and highway outings too.

In particular TUV300 AMT is a perfect replacement for Quanto. Similar dimensions, is diesel like Quanto, and has AT solving both the hard clutch issue and has more features with more refinement.

With current ongoing offers, exchange price for Quanto, exchange benefits, you should be able to get TUV300 AMT for about 4 lakhs.

+1 to what rahul said,

There is no point having two cars if the only requirement is to have an AT box. TUV300 is what you should be looking for. Because another car means maintenance, insurance and everything double.

Still if you want a 2nd car i would vote for Honda City IVTEC. Not sure about Bangalore but in Delhi you get one around 4 lacs. Look for this one even if you have to stretch your budget a little. Make sure the car which you are buying is not abused. Do check the service history. 95% cars have odo tampered, Specially the ones which are available through dealers. If you get a well maintained example, you need not worry about anything else then.

Looks like somebody else had a similar dilemma:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchb...-new-nano.html

I know it is hard to find, but still I suggest Micra CVT.
- Better FE
- Nissan's poor resale value can get you a relatively newer and less used car
- Spacious than the other cars you listed
- Fits on the upper band of your budget

EDIT: I missed your location. B'lore demands a higher price and you may have a stretch a little bit for Micra CVT.