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Hey folks,
I'm actually in a state of confusion as to what to do with my future upgrade.

Prelude :
We have a list of cars as a part of our garage and all the cars we have are being maintained with care and affection so much so that I feel as if they're a part of my soul. My dad also has bought most of the cars without using his head a bit too much. So, the list of cars we own are :

• 2009 Fiat Linea 1.3 MJD Emotion Pack.
• 2010 Ford Figo 1.4 TDCi ZXi.
• 2012 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.3 DDiS VDI.
• 2012 Tata Nano CX.
• 2017 Tata Hexa XTA.

Earlier my dad was posted in other city due to his work and he atleast used to have 2 cars at his disposal and the Figo was once my brothers' daily driver when he was working here in India but earlier this year he had relocated to USA as he wanted to pursue his masters degree there. After my brother relocated, my dad also gets the long-awaited relocation back to our hometown sometime in March and call it my dads' luck or bad luck, he got his posting in an office which is very near from our place and sometimes he even goes by walk or cycling.

Now here comes the big blow. My dads' office is like only 3 kms one way and at the max he does a daily running of 6-7 kms. So, having a 5-car garage doesn't justify our needs and add to that my dad gets all the cars serviced once a year irrespective of the running. Plus one also needs to take the Insurance costs and depreciation into account considering our low running. So, prior to the coming of the Hexa it was decided that the Linea and Figo will make way out of the garage but my dad and me still weren't sure about our existing cars and still went ahead buying the Hexa. Another thing which I have to mention is that the Hexa is now my dads' daily driver because of it being an automatic and it's also got the extended warranty and AMC cover. So, he's using the Hexa as far as possible to make maximum use of the add-ons which he had opted.

One evening, while watching some movie over a weekend, he sees a Figo in the movie and there started the conversation between both of us which went like this :

Dad : Varun, upon your desire and the confidence you gave, I went ahead and bought the Hexa. BTW, do you remember what you had said to me prior to the coming of the Hexa? It's because of that reason, I went ahead and bought the Hexa and otherwise the MJD was more than adequate for our needs.

Myself : (knowingly acting unknowingly, gave him a sheepish grin and was acting as if I didn't know anything about it) What's that dad? I don't remember. Atleast give me a hint of what it was ? (Trying to divert the topic)

Dad : (he knew that I was acting or perhaps over-acting :D)
Remember. We actually had planned to sell the Linea and Figo once the Hexa came in and it's almost 6 months since we bought the Hexa.

Myself : Oh! Now I remember. Yeah, you planned to sell the Linea and Figo right?

Dad : Yeah.

Myself : (convincing my dad not to sell both of 'em) Dad have you ever thought about it? It's close to 6 years since mom got her permanent driving license and she hardly drove over these 6 years. Why don't we keep the Linea and Figo and make mom get behind the wheel and she can use both of 'em rather than accompanying you always. It's time for her to get independent. She depends on me or you to even take her to the supermarkets. Don't you think? This was the very reason, you made her learn driving isn't it dad?

Dad : (remembering what he had said to mom to get her behind the wheel) Yeah, how come I forgot about this? This was one of the main reasons to make mom learn how to drive.

(Mom enters)

Mom : Varun, can anyone let me know what's going on? BTW what are you talking about.

Myself : Dad and I are in talks of selling the Linea and the Figo.

Dad : Yeah but that conversation got us elsewhere. How long is it dear, since you last took the wheel of any of our car?

Mom : Maybe sometime in 2013.

Dad : Varun actually was saying that we should keep both the Linea and the Figo so that you again start to drive. What do you say ?

Mom : Me? Driving the Linea in the city is beyond my wildest dreams. I just can't handle such a big car in the city atleast and the Hyderabad's traffic conditions are known to you. Actually, the Nano is perfect for me.

Myself : Nano isn't a very safe car for you to drive within the city. It's only a beater and we only use it for our errands to the Sabji Mandi. This actually is in place of a gearless scooter in our garage for obvious reasons and dad also knows that very well. Isn't it dad?

Dad : Just drive the Linea for a day or two and you'll get accustomed to it. It's a very safe car for you to drive around, dear.

Mom : Then, the Figo is actually perfect for me isn't it?

Myself and Dad : (In a chorus) One thing is clear that you'll not drive around in a car without dual airbags and ABS.

Dad : Wish I had spent 30k more over the ZXi and bought the Titanium instead. It was my foolishness back then. By saving 30k by not opting for dual airbags and ABS, I was thinking that I did a great job but now? Huh, a close encounter between life and death in my Linea made me understand the value of safety features. So, it's CLEAR that you'll not drive around in the Figo.

Myself : Finally! You've got to know the importance of safety features in a car. Leave that aside, what next?

Dad : Sell the Figo first, then we'll think about the Linea.

Exactly after a week or so, my dads' friends' friend had come to see the Figo and liked it and went in for a TD. After returning from the TD, he actually notices the Linea in the parking lot and asks if this is up for sale. My dad knowingly or unknowingly said that it was also available for sale. A TD of the Linea and the deal was sealed! Can you imagine? This was beyond my wildest dreams. I called my dad aside and the conversation went on like this :

Myself : Dad, wake up! We have to sell the Figo not the Linea! You got it, right?

Dad : I know and am still aware that we initially had to sell the Figo. But someday or the other, even the Linea has gotta go.

Myself : Don't do this dad. I don't want the same to happen with the Linea as what had happened to the Uno back in 2013. We have a lot of memories with this car. How can you sell the Linea dad? I don't want the Linea to leave our parking lot. You and I have been on so many jolly rides in this very car. I want the Linea to be there till I learn driving atleast. I always had dreamt of only taking the wheel of the Linea and want this very car to be my first car to drive. Even Anna (means elder brother in telugu) also has enjoyed the Linea, why not I? (emotional blackmail :D)

Dad : Cool down, Varun. Linea has to go now. It's 8 years old now. It's a diesel which has done 1,30,000 kms on the odo. It's a FIAT. Add to that if the NGT is implemented in Hyderabad as well, it will have to make way in another two years from now. The price what the seller is offering for our Linea is good enough considering the above facts. So, it's the time for us to part ways with the Italian lady.

Myself : (Almost tears rolling out of my eyes) You can't do this dad. It's your wish now. I've given my opinion. It's your choice. I'll be okay with the either of the choice you make.

Dad : (for encouraging me) Don't worry, you'll have the Hexa to drive and you'll be driving a Hexa at an age where Tarun (my elder brother) had driven the Linea.

Myself : (In an angry tone) Okay FINE! Do it the way you like.

After all this melodrama, I just went in and sat inside the Linea and was hugging the steering and was talking to her. After going upstairs, my dad says that the deal has been sealed and we'll see what can be done about the Figo. In the meantime, he asks whether why don't we buy a small automatic hatch for my mom.

Then, I was upset and was like why do we need another car if our running is terribly less. What made me upset was that the Linea was given up and Figo also was about to be given up for the above reason and then I regained my senses and said okay as I wanted to see my mom behind the wheel and said that I'll lookout for some good automatic hatch with all the safety features.

This weekend, the Linea left our garage and we both (me and dad) were in tears as we had a lot of memories with the car.

Present :
So, here I am confused and completely crushed between the choices. Actually none of them are actually fitting our bill. Here are our requirements :

• It has to be an Automatic.
• It should be an hatchback. No compact SUV's/Sedans into consideration.
• No Automated Manual Transmission, only a pure slushbox. (my requirement).
• Should be of the same segment of the Figo or even higher.
• Should have Dual Airbags and ABS as standard (this is the very reason for all the chaos).
• Being a new-age techie, I expect more features vis-a-vis the Figo.
• I made it clear to my dad that, "NO DOWNGRADING" of any sort.
• Finally, shouldn't cross the 8 lac OTR price. Even a few grands here and there, then it's out of the list.

As per the above requirements, I've short-listed the cars below :

What I Like :

• All-rounded package in a contemporary design. It's a cute looking car.
• Interiors have best-in-class fit, finish & quality. Increased cabin space & boot capacity
• An ever-reliable Torque Converter Automatic gearbox in place. It also gives decent Fuel-Economy.
• Loaded with features (Touchscreen ICE with Android Auto and Apple carplay, Reverse paking sensors and camera, electric folding ORVMs, rear air-con vent, cooled glovebox etc.).
• Comfortable ride quality and predictable handling.
• Handsome looking Diamond-cut Alloys as standard for the Sportz(O) AT trim.
• Comes with Dual Airbags on the Sportz(O) trim.
• Hyundai's fussfree ownership experience & excellent after-sales service. Secondly, the authorised HASS is like 0.5 kms from the place I live. So, it's a blessing in disguise for me.

What I don't :

• The facelift still doesn't get the adjustable headrests.
• Automatic is not available in the fully-loaded top-end ASTA trim and is only available in a trim below ( i.e the Sportz (O) ).
• Only a 4-speed AT gearbox! It feels slow at times. Though more than adequate for our needs.
• The top-end AT variant (i.e the Sportz (O) AT) doesn't come with ABS. Hyundai are you kidding me? You could've given ABS instead of diamond-cut alloys. Indian car buying junta wake up! Make yourself aware that ABS is a life-saver, the alloys aren't. Make a sensible buy. Till date, you're behind of features and not behind of absolute safety. It is because of people like you and car companies like Hyundai, MSIL,..,etc. take the customers for granted and end up offering segment first features but end up compromising on the safety front and we enthusiasts have to give up the desire of buying a car which is almost tailor made for our requirements, end up rejecting these kind of cars because it doesn't meet the safety requirement of ours. For us, ABS is a must in our next car. No compromise of any sort on this front.
• No rear defogger and rear wiper in the Sportz (O) trim.

Final Verdict : Almost in a stage of rejecting this car as a probable replacement for the Figo. Although this has made to second round of selection. Still in two minds about this.

What I like :

• Handome looking front-end. Looks very modern (unlike my Figo).
• Value-for-money positioning for what it has to offer (like the old-gen Figo).
• Compliant ride quality. Suspension is tuned for comfort.
• Airbags across the range. Titanium (O) & Titanium+ variants get 6 airbags!
• Well-packaged cabin offers good legroom, lots of features and a chilling air-con.
• Dual-clutch Automatic with a bigger 1.5L petrol, ESP, traction control & hill start assist.

What I don't :

• The Automatic isn't available in a fully-loaded Titanium (O) trim and thus misses on 6-airbags.
• Ordinary handling and lighter build quality are a departure from the usual Ford characteristics (the only area where the New Figo doesn't feel like an upgrade from my outgoing Figo).
• Cabin width makes the Figo suited to 4 adults, not 5 which is in contrast to our outgoing Figo which could accommodate 3 at the rear.
• 14" rims look too puny.
• Rear headroom is limited. Headliner brushes the heads of taller passengers.
• At highway speeds, downshifts aren't as immediate as you'd expect from a dual-clutch automatic (not much of a concern or a deal-breaker for me though).

Final Verdict : Selected for second round of selection.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Delta CVT :

What I like :

• A well-priced, handsome looking hatch and looks will offend none.
• User-friendly cabin with loads of space! Can easily seat 5 tall adults
• Accommodating 339 liter boot. A departure from our Figo which had 285 ltrs of boot space back in 2010.
• A smooth-shifting 5-speed CVT gearbox perfectly mated to the 1.2 petrol.
• Comfortable ride quality matched to neutral handling.
• Dual Airbags & ABS with EBD are standard across all variants!
• Maruti's excellent after-sales service & fuss-free ownership experience.
• Loaded with features such as UV-cut glass, projector headlamps + DRLs, reversing camera, Apple CarPlay, navigation, electrically-foldable ORVMs and more.
• AT now also available in top-end Alpha trim as well.

What I don't :

• Ordinary interior quality is Swift-like.
• Rear seat headroom & under-thigh support are limited for tall passengers.
• Light build quality. Lacks the solidity of its rivals.
• CVT suffers from rubber-band effect on the highway (not a deal-breaker for us).
• Waiting period running over 4 months for Delta and Alpha trim in Hyderabad.
• Sold exclusively through Nexa outlets. Limits the reach of the car.

Final Verdict : Selected for second round of selection.

More suggestions are welcome. Even used Automatics are also into consideration but will be limited to 6 lacs if used.

Thanks for reading,
Varun_HexaGuy

Major negatives of each car in hatchback AT segment:

1) Lack of ABS in Hyundai Grand i10
2) Some reported technical issues with DCT of Ford
3) 4 months waiting list on Baleno
4) Unsafe rear fixed headrest on Brio & Jazz
5) High priced AT variants of Polo & Elite i20

I think you should test drive the Nissan Micra FASHION edition ( :) ) - with black alloys & black interiors, CVT transmission and loaded with features too. It is quite sprightly at city speeds.



Reports of poor Nissan after sales service experience is an issue though.

My view:

Buying a Figo after a Figo will not give me a new car feel after few months of ownership.

Buying Maruti after Ford will give me a sense of buying a lesser quality product.

Hyundai AT is outdated so will not even consider it.

Would have considered VW Polo TSI but since you are strict about budget look for a used AT car. Read TBHP tips section on this as it has extensively covered this topic.

Within used segment choices are wide and you could possibly pick Polo TSI at a bargain. Other then this there are not many hatchbacks with good AT in your price range.

In new segment Honda Brio CVT is good but to some it does not feel very safe. There is also Honda Jazz AT but that is not a hatch.

I think you should not discount the AMTs altogether. Agreed it is not a joy to drive but it is relatively easy to maintain and should be enough for a beginner driver. Ignis, Tiago or the new Celerio could meet all your requirements..

A bigger question I have is that is it sure that your Mom will start driving again if you get an Automatic? From my personal experiences with immediate family members, in similar situations different reasoning's keep coming up for not driving.

If your mom has not driven from 2013, I am not sure if a new car will get her to be start driving again. All the cars listed are not exactly cheap and you don't want to end up with a car that hardly runs.

From the list, I would probably go for the Baleno CVT. The micra is also worth a look.

A preowned Brio may come cheap, it is a good car for the required purpose.

If you can get a good example Polo GT, would serve the purpose and later when the time comes, you can take it over.

I'd actually recommend the Figo - good visibility, light controls.

Another option is the Jazz AT. It's light to drive, you sit at a decent height, and the car is reliable!

That aside, there aren't many other options. As someone who has spent tons maintaining the extra set of wheels at home - it isn't worth the trouble (though we somehow ended up with an extra set of wheels again). Better to keep 3 or 4 cars at home instead of having to deal with maintenance headaches and what not.

In the pre-owned segment - there aren't many new entrants except the Polo TSi which isn't all that reliable though a solid car!

Personally, given she hasn't driven in a while - I'd just pick up the Jazz (new / pre-owned). It's a lot easier to live with should something go wrong, with decent build quality (not as tinny as the Baleno IMO).

I was in the same boat and just took delivery of an Ignis AMT, Zeta petrol.

Happy with it in general as we wanted a tiny car to drive within our small crowded town in Coorg.
If not for this requirement, I think a Baleno is the best VFM in this price range. (The Ignis was 7.5 on road).

Have you considered the VW POLO GT TSI?
7 Speed DSG Gearbox, and all the safety boxes ticked.
From reviews it appears to be a fun car to drive as well.

I have a Polo GT Tsi, my daily drive and a Baleno Delta, my mother's daily drive.I also went through this thought process when looking at cars during june this year.
Cars considered before buying the Baleno-
1.Ignis-a seriously under-rated car, was not selected finally due to AMT jerks and long term issues but this car is faster than the baleno and has a go kart like feel in a good way, tighter handling than the baleno too.
2.Figo-has great specs but dash quality is very poor, has a very poor resale and the DSG doesn't feel like one, maybe the polo spoilt me but still.Some fantastic discounts were available though.
3.Grand i10-i was getting a great deal for a pre facelift asta in stock, december 2016 make.The car was originally 7.8 lacs on road delhi and he was offering it at 6.85, lesser than the price of a post facelift sportz.It also has ABS so was great on that front.A test drive was enough to throw this one out, low FE, poor 4 speeder that was very lazy to shift but a creamy engine and brilliant interiors.
4.Baleno- By far the super hit of this pack, still had 18 weeks waiting when i booked at first though i managed to get one in 3 days flat, car is huge from inside, has a quality feel at the wheel, is very stable at speed, lesser roll than my Polo and is actually as fast as my Honda city ivtec automatic 2009 till about 90kmph.Brilliant FE that never goes below 13 and awesome brakes compared to my Polo take my point further.Yes, the car has its fair share of flaws like poor steering feel but that doesn't take away from being the best all rounder.Also i did consider the new Swift but that will also come with an AMT.
5.Honda Brio-yes i know it is an outdated model but my mother considered it very cute, good points being Honda being sorted with engine, gearbox and dynamics,also having owned 2 automatic city's, we were biased.But then, it was too old, too small and lacked character in front of new competition, way too overpriced as well.It was 7.69 lacs on road delhi, no discounts when the baleno was touch and go at 7.95 lacs.
6.VW Ameo Tdi DSG- call it vw love or anything, this thing was out of budget but still i went ahead for a TD, i was getting brilliant deals on 2016 cars and pre GST clubbed, but a heavy feel generally compared to the Polo Tsi and not so impressive looks had me looking away.Also i already have 2 germans, so this would've been a 3rd, to which my dad was really skeptic.

Why aren't you considering the Brio AT?
It barely sells by a few hundreds, so chances are that you may be able to score some fat discounts.
As this car would be majorly used by your mom who shall be starting to drive after a long hiatus, I would suggest a small, dependable & easy to service car.


Guess majority of times this car would be driven by a single person, so the fixed rear headrests should not be a deal breaker.

Brio is not CVT - it has a 5 speed TC box. Amaze onwards Honda has moved to CVT boxes.

and Jazz is not a Hatchback :Shockked:

Hey Varun,

I know you have told about the budget being set to a strict 8 Lakhs, but if you can strech, go for the Polo TSI.

The reason being:

1. Assuming you will start driving in 2 - 3 years from now, you will have a nice car to drive, plus your parents wouldn't be skeptical of giving you a "brand new" car

2. Your dad can occasionally take Polo for a spin whenever the Hexas size starts bothering him, plus he will have all the feel good factors, which the other cars may not necessarily offer.

3. Like you said, your dad admitted, not spending 30 K back then was a not so wise decision, similarly, saving 1.2 - 1.3 lakhs today, might haunt you later on.

4. Your mom might still not drive the car! What happens then? Your dad, brother and you(whenever you can drive) have a good little "sports" car for your fun drives!!

And to completely contradict this post:

1. Dont buy a car at all! Get your mom a pay by hour chauffeur whenever required and let her use the Ertiga

2. Let her use Ola/ Ubers for small trips

3. If she really wants to drive, she would even be comfortable to take the Ertiga! It is just a 2 day fear. Plus if she is actually scared about driving, buying a new car makes no sense at all. She will be even more scared. Plus Ertiga offers a nice high driving position!

Does not really make sense to buy a car if the running is going to be less than 500 KMs a month. You are better off keeping the 8 lakh rupee in a FD and use the interest for OLA and Ubers and employing part time drivers.

Thanks,
Mohit