[Nav-i-gator]

Love for bikes (my personal experience) is primarily due to the following reasons:

1. Chuckability and fast cornering ability (which rules out high GC cars and SUVs)
2. Free-revving engines with substantial pull right from launch till the red-line (which rules out diesel engines)


There are not many cars that will come close to the thrill and connectedness a bike gives. I would recommend an Alto K10, City Ivtec, polo/Vento TSI or Octavia vRS in ascending order of closeness to "biking".

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

There are not many cars that will come close to the thrill and connectedness a bike gives. I would recommend an Alto K10, City Ivtec, polo/Vento TSI or Octavia vRS in ascending order of closeness to "biking".

The great handling Honda is a thing of the past. The Honda city current gen is just ok and not a superb handling car. Though I must say it's much better than the super market trolley, oddly shaped 2or 3rd gen city.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

The great handling Honda is a thing of the past. The Honda city current gen is just ok and not a superb handling car. Though I must say it's much better than the super market trolley, oddly shaped 2or 3rd gen city.

Current Honda City is a bleh car when it comes to finer aspects like steering feel/feedback and the overall driving experience. But when it comes to handling and power, it blows away Abarth, Figo, Baleno RS and Polo hatchbacks - coming in 2 to 4 seconds faster. Same driver (Narain), same track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcRFJw6ME-4

Do a Youtube search for "Autocar Trackday" for other track reviews of mainstream and premium cars

[AMG Power]

Originally Posted by abhijeet080808

A car that does not care about mundane things like rear seat space, bottle holder, touch screen music system, automatic headlight/wipers etc?

You are from that rare breed - a true lover of automobiles.

Originally Posted by abhijeet080808

not mentioned a specific budget but generally the more VFM the car the better it is.

Figo Sports Edition with the revised suspension and handling would be the closest you can get to your specs. The Polo GT TSI is DSG and robs you of a LOT of mechanical connect.

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

The great handling Honda is a thing of the past. The Honda city current gen is just ok and not a superb handling car. Though I must say it's much better than the super market trolley, oddly shaped 2or 3rd gen city.

I would partially agree with you. Sure, not a great handling car, but then neither is RE bullet a great handling bike. That iVTEC is sure as free-revving as a car engine can be. Who would not love to red-line it?

[abhijeet080808]

Originally Posted by NiXTriX2004

I would suggest you spare a glance for the Ford Fiesta Petrol 1.6, preferably the "S".

I am looking for a new car. How I wish something like this is on sale today. Maybe, the closest alternative from the Ford stable is the Figo Diesel. A Ford Figo 1.6 Petrol would have been high up on my list.

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Driving the S-cross 1.6 brought me a similar sensation of test driving the baby Ninja before buying it.

The S-Cross is again not available as new. And I would prefer a naturally aspirated petrol if possible.

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

Going by the bikes you have listed, you probably like rev to the moon styled engines(over-squared engines), I bet RX100 and RD350 would have been your vintage favourites.

My suggestions(from the used cars)-
1) A well modded and Rogerab'ed Honda Civic.
2) Laura/Octavia VRS Manual Transmission.
3) Fiesta 1.6S
4) Linea T-Jet

Very true. A nice engine maketh the car . Octavia certainly looks to be a good option but is out of my budget and is also not a hatch.

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

Love for bikes (my personal experience) is primarily due to the following reasons:

1. Chuckability and fast cornering ability (which rules out high GC cars and SUVs)
2. Free-revving engines with substantial pull right from launch till the red-line (which rules out diesel engines)


There are not many cars that will come close to the thrill and connectedness a bike gives. I would recommend an Alto K10, City Ivtec, polo/Vento TSI or Octavia vRS in ascending order of closeness to "biking".

Exactly! The City IVTEC looks to be another highly recommended car.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Current Honda City is a bleh car when it comes to finer aspects like steering feel/feedback and the overall driving experience. But when it comes to handling and power, it blows away Abarth, Figo, Baleno RS and Polo hatchbacks - coming in 2 to 4 seconds faster.

Maybe the type of car I will enjoy. I will add this to my list.

Originally Posted by AMG Power

The Polo GT TSI is DSG and robs you of a LOT of mechanical connect.

Something which I fear too. But I will not rule it out without an extensive test drive.

[AMG Power]

Was an avid motorcyclist myself and let me tell you that when you move from bikes to cars the first that will hit you is the FE that is a fraction of that given by your motorcycle when you drive a car like a bike.

This will lead to you driving your petrol car with greater FE in mind and nothing close to how you have been driving a bike robbing you of thrills most of the time.

A free revving (almost like a petrol), good handling diesel like the Figo would give you the best of both worlds.

[abhijeet080808]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Was an avid motorcyclist myself and let me tell you that when you move from bikes to cars the first that will hit you is the FE that is a fraction of that given by your motorcycle when you drive a car like a bike.

This will lead to you driving your petrol car with greater FE in mind and nothing close to how you have been driving a bike robbing you of thrills most of the time.

A free revving (almost like a petrol), good handling diesel like the Figo would give you the best of both worlds.

I understand where you are coming from, but this is not necessarily true. My KTM 390 Duke gives me ~25 kmpl .

In other news, I test drove a Petrol Honda City for an extended period of time. Did not really like the car, did not hate it either. It is a good car, no doubt. But it felt to me like a "family" car with slight sporty inclinations. The engine is the best part of the car, but the poke on offer felt just about adequate to me. The handling is fairly neutral but the low slung design of the car helps keep body roll in control. Another noticeable thing about the car is its incredible roominess both at the front and at the rear. On the other hand, the build quality is incredibly poor - a less than 1 year old car had bits of trims falling off both on the inside and on the outside.

In yet another news, test drove a Jeep Compass on behalf of a friend of mine. Suffice to say, I found no USP in that car other than typical SUV traits like commanding seating position, spacious interiors etc. Also, the 2nd gear on that car is weirdly too tall as compared to the first gear. But the suspension felt taut going by SUV standards. Still, not my cup of tea to lug around that big hunk of metal everywhere.

[abhijeet080808]

I test drove 2 more cars. I am sort of jotting it down here so that I can refer to it when the time comes to make a decision.

Tata Nexon Petrol - Adequate engine, but does not have anything to offer at the top end. The Honda City engine is on a different level compared to this. The suspension meanwhile impresses - the way it maintains a slightly firm ride quality and makes the passenger feel the type of road it is on, is just brilliant. It reminded me of the European cars. If the suspension were slightly more stiff, I would have called it as a sports suspension as well! Gear shift is slick and build quality is slightly ahead of the Honda City as well.

Tata Tiago Petrol AMT - Awful AMT gearbox - the lag while upshifting gets irritating EACH time. Downshifting is a bit more tolerable though. While the ride quality is good in a middle of the road sort of way, the drivetrain simply kills it for me. On the positive side, the car is compact and suitable for city traffic. Build quality is good for the segment and betters cars like Ignis, Brio etc.

[ashwinprakas]

Not sure if you've already found what you're looking for, but being a motorcycle person myself these plush cars bore me to death, they totally strip the sense of adventure out of driving. In my particular case I was leaning on the Alto K10 until my heart fell for a pre-worshiped 2006 Zen LX.

Since you're looking for cars that are currently on sale I would suggest the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 STD, justifications are;

1. Bulletproof Suzuki F8 engine, the half engine costs around 8,000/- IIRC, meaning the car would be cheaper to own and run compared to your premium motorcycle, especially considering the fuel efficiency.

2. MS Spare support, undoubtedly the winner and if you intend to keep the car for long this alone would keep your mind at peace on multiple occasions at least if you push hard and I believe that is something we motorcycle people tend to do.

3. Manual Steering, though I hear people regard this as a con, I absolutely hate anything assisted on a light hatchback, especially since the STD variant weighs only 695 kg's. Steering feedback is something a motorcyclist driving a car cannot or rather should not miss out on, and nothing beats a manual steering on that front.

I'm the kind of enthusiasts that doesn't give a hoot about what people think or say about me as long as I've still got a wide grin on my face and having driven more powerful and feature filled cars I simply miss the thrill of riding a "REAL" car and car's like my Zen LX and the Alto 800 STD are as close to being real as they get to be these days. Just my thoughts.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by abhijeet080808

In yet another news, test drove a Jeep Compass on behalf of a friend of mine. Still, not my cup of tea to lug around that big hunk of metal everywhere.

If you can head into Compass territory, you might as well look at the Skoda Octavia Tsi or vRS.

The Ford Free Style Diesel might be another worthy contender. They seem to have done a better job with the suspension than the Sport Edition.

If it must be a current gen NA petrol, nothing beats the Honda City.

[suhaas307]

I believe Fiat are accepting bookings for a new lot of Abarth Puntos. Do consider the Abarth, it's reasonably practical and a whole lot of fun too. Minor cosmetic and performance modifications should transform the car!

Alternatively, look for used Polo GTIs or even a new one lying around in the stock yard. You could find one for under 20 lakh, new or used!

EDIT: I noticed somewhere on Instagram that a certain gentleman from Kolkata imported a Westfield Sport 250 kit (essentially a Caterham replica). The kit comes with bespoke suspension and chassis, and the power train from a Ford Focus ST). See if such a build interests you. Project cars are brilliant and lots of fun, if you've got the time and money. Do consider.

[bigron]

Assuming you still looking for one, there is nothing out there that will replicate the experience of riding unless your pockets are very deep.
I am a rider myself and realized that it it best to limit your expectations to comfort,safety and ease of ownership when it comes to 4 wheels.

[abhijeet080808]

Originally Posted by bigron

Assuming you still looking for one, there is nothing out there that will replicate the experience of riding unless your pockets are very deep.
I am a rider myself and realized that it it best to limit your expectations to comfort,safety and ease of ownership when it comes to 4 wheels.

That sadly is what I have discovered is the closest to the truth. I have paused this search for the near future.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by abhijeet080808

That sadly is what I have discovered is the closest to the truth. I have paused this search for the near future.

Hi Abhijeet,

I connect with you as I have myself been a biker for many years and have enjoyed fast and sporty bikes such as R15 and CBR250 to the core. I didn't have the budget for a good/new FTD car and hence settled for a Honda City iVtec. But I am enjoying it for sure. Yes you have to lower your expectations for sure but still you will enjoy it. It has the required safety features and the engine is rev happy. Power delivery is smooth. Look for a good example in the used car market for the 3rd Gen one.

-Sunil