[SJM1214]

We are planning to replace our (my father's) 2009 Swift Dzire Petrol. Actually, we are not looking for an upgrade. Dad (69) is retired and uses his car on rare occasions. He wants to go for a Petrol car which should be similar (Dimension wise) to Swift Dzire. This suits us all (My personal car is MS Vitara Brezza). My wife just learnt driving and we were thinking to buy a small hatchback for her. This new car will be used by my wife also and that is one more reason, we don't want to go for a big hatch or full-size sedan.

This is what we need:

1. Safety features like ABS-EBD & at least two Airbags.
2. Decent ingress and egress.
3. A sub 4-meter Car.
4. Low NVH level.
5. Comfortable ride quality.
6. Light controls and easy maneuverability.
7. Low Service cost & good after sales support
8. Under 8 big ones.
9. Decent luggage space - though not a priority.

This is what we don't need:

1. Touchscreen Info-entertainment.
2. Auto climate, auto wiper, auto headlights.
3. Alloy wheels.
4. Unnecessary bells and whistles

So far we owned Maruti and Hyundai cars. This time, I convinced my father to try something new, so we are not considering New Dzire and I20 (or any other MS and Hyundai cars). I wanted to consider Toyota Etios but Dad and wife rejected it.

We have shortlisted bellow three cars. (Attaching, "What you won’t" of each car from our official reviews for better understanding)

1.Honda Jazz S Petrol.

•Loud diesel engine is nowhere as refined as the Elite i20's. Doesn't like high rpms either
•1.2L petrol has a weak bottom end. Feels lethargic <2,500 rpm
•On-road premium for diesel is Rs. 1.3 - 1.5 lakhs! That's higher than the competition
•Magic seats only on the top variant (earlier Jazz had them on all trim levels)
•CVT unavailable with the VX trim! No fully loaded Automatic
•Skinny 175 mm tyres. All competitors offer thicker rubber (Elite i20 = 195 mm)
•Missing goodies (steering reach adjustment, keyless entry & go, rear air-con vents, driver armrest & proper dead pedal)

2.Honda Amaze 1.2 SX i-VTEC (We don’t want to wait for new Amaze.)

•Diesel's NVH is a full level poorer than the refined Maruti Dzire
•Brio's unconventional dashboard is too basic for this class of car
•Not as dynamically accomplished as the Ford Fiesta Classic, Toyota Etios and others
•Honda's production capacity of 10,000 cars/month (for all models) will inevitably result in waiting periods
•Diesel isn't as high-rpm friendly as the 1.3L MJD
•Many practical features missing (climate control, seat-belt height adjustment, adjustable neck restraints, auto-locking doors, full MID, folding rear seat etc.)

3. Ford Aspire Titanium 1.2 Ti-VCT

•Commuter 1.2L petrol is unimpressive. A mediocre engine
•Drives like any other mass market sedan...but not like a Ford. Ordinary handling
•Lighter build quality isn't as solid as Fords usually are
•Cabin width makes the Aspire suited to 4 adults, not 5
•14" rims & 175 mm tyres are too puny, especially for the fast diesel
•359 liter boot is smaller than that of the Amaze & Xcent (~400 liters)
•AT unavailable in the fully-loaded trim. Period

Now the problem is, Dad wants to go for mature looking Amaze, wife wants good-looking Jazz and I want to go for a well-built Aspire. And Mom? She always wanted an Innova. ( Innova is out of the equation as of now, maybe after two or three years.)

Please suggest what should we do?

[Tapish]

Originally Posted by SJM1214

1.Honda Jazz S Petrol.

•1.2L petrol has a weak bottom end. Feels lethargic <2,500 rpm
•Magic seats only on the top variant (earlier Jazz had them on all trim levels)
•Missing goodies (steering reach adjustment, keyless entry & go, rear air-con vents, driver armrest & proper dead pedal)

I think the SV variant will make sense for you. Most of the negatives you have mentioned do not make it a deal breaker for you. Regarding the weak bottom end, i suggest you drive and figure out - I actually didn't feel it very different. Same for 175 tyres - unless you are regularly munching miles on the highway at high speed, you wont notice the difference.

Also, the Jazz is more spacious than the other two, fulfilling the Innova requirement too.

[SmartCat]

Will the rear seat be occupied? If yes, there could be a safety issue with Jazz and Amaze because of lack of rear adjustable head rests . You should then consider Baleno CVT or perhaps cars from a segment lower (Grand i10 AT, Swift/Ignis AMT, Micra CVT)

If rear seat will almost never be occupied, go with your wife's suggestion (Jazz). For your requirements, compact sedan is unnecessary. And Jazz's boot is huge if you take out the parcel tray.

[avisidhu]

Considering the fact that your Father and wife would be driving the car, shouldn't buying an automatic be a major factor? It would make the whole experience much more relaxed for them, allowing them to use the car more as well.

The Aspire should probably be the best bet since the engine is 1.5 mated to a presumably competent and reliable (?) gearbox. Would definitely be my pick of the lot if I had to select a car for my father.

[SJM1214]

Originally Posted by Tapish

Also, the Jazz is more spacious than the other two, fulfilling the Innova requirement too.

Jazz seems a nice option. The legroom in the rear seat is amazing. Thanks for your suggestion.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Will the rear seat be occupied? If yes, there could be a safety issue with Jazz and Amaze because of lack of rear adjustable head rests . You should then consider Baleno CVT or perhaps cars from a segment lower (Grand i10 AT, Swift/Ignis AMT, Micra CVT)

Rear seats will be occupied rarely. We always consider my MS Brezza, when all 5(including my 3 years daughter) of us travel together. Yes! Rear seat adjustable headrest is an important feature. In my opinion, Swift Dzire to Grand i10 AT/Swift/Ignis AMT/Micra CVT will be a downgrade.

Thanks for your suggestion.

Originally Posted by avisidhu

Considering the fact that your Father and wife would be driving the car, shouldn't buying an automatic be a major factor?

Well! Convincing a 70 years old father, for a change is a tough job. Dad is an old-school type of person and he always considers an automatic car as the moped in two-wheelers. It’ll be a Dad’s car used by my wife. It must be an MT.

Thanks for your suggestion.

[abhishek46]

Why are you replacing the car in the first place?

The Dzire is a fine car, and yours is hardly 8 years old.
Even if it has serious mileage on the Odo, it should not matter, as your Dad is anyway not planning to use it daily.

[autorahul]

Jazz S mentioned by you lacks ABS which makes it a complete no-no. Amaze and Aspire both have facelifts scheduled in the coming months. While you may not want to wait, they signal huge upturn in quality (Amaze) and engine (Apsire) and one that you should definitely wait for.

If you can't wait, and are dead set against Maruti or Hyundai, consider Tata Tigor. It has acres of space in it, good features and good looks.

Originally Posted by SJM1214

So far we owned Maruti and Hyundai cars. This time, I convinced my father to try something new, so we are not considering New Dzire and I20 (or any other MS and Hyundai cars).

This should not be a reason, to reject any car outright. What you are looking for is a different experience, but I am sure not a negative one. Don't compromise on car because of this. Consider all cars including Marutis and Hyundais. Remove them from the final shortlist if there are equivalent cars. If not, you are actually removing cars that 80% of the market is buying.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by SJM1214

1.Honda Jazz S Petrol.
2.Honda Amaze 1.2 SX i-VTEC (We don’t want to wait for new Amaze.)
3. Ford Aspire Titanium 1.2 Ti-VCT

I would suggest a slightly different option – why not check out the Figo diesel S. For someone who likes to drive, it would be a good option.
Otherwise I feel the Jazz is the best of the 3 options you have listed

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by SJM1214

Now the problem is, Dad wants to go for mature looking Amaze, wife wants good-looking Jazz and I want to go for a well-built Aspire. And Mom? She always wanted an Innova. ( Innova is out of the equation as of now, maybe after two or three years.)

Please suggest what should we do?

I have driven the Honda Amaze petrol & Ford Aspire petrol, both these two engines have a really poor bottom end torque. I believe your Dzire has a relatively better low end response, so your Dad might not like city driving in these cars.

I would suggest the Grand i10 or the Xcent (if you are keen on a sedan). The kappa engine feels lively in these two cars & has a good enough low end torque. The Grand i10's compact dimension would be another plus point. You might also want to check out the Tata Tiago, except for a noisy petrol engine rest of the car is brilliant. Still from your list I would suggest the Honda Jazz, it is more spacious than the other two cars you have selected, feels more premium (specially w.r.t the Brio based Amaze) & looks better.

[archat68]

If your dad will be driving the car primarily I'd suggest to look into an automatic. Given his age and the growing city traffic he will bless you after he drives an AT for some time.

[samaspire]

I'm saying this as Aspire Petrol owner (2 years, 20,000 kms). Aspire petrol is the perfect choice for you. It ticks every one of your below Needs - I would specifically like to highlight points 4, 6 and 7.

The NVH is so low that Google Assistant responds to commands from by son sitting in the back row.

My Service center is really supportive and costs are cheaper that my Alto's.

Originally Posted by SJM1214

1. Safety features like ABS-EBD & at least two Airbags.
2. Decent ingress and egress.
3. A sub 4-meter Car.
4. Low NVH level.
5. Comfortable ride quality.
6. Light controls and easy maneuverability.
7. Low Service cost & good after sales support
8. Under 8 big ones.
9. Decent luggage space - though not a priority.

Don't know about the Honda's, but I feel they are expensive for what they offer and service is most definitely costlier.

1.Honda Jazz S Petrol.
2.Honda Amaze 1.2 SX i-VTEC

3. Ford Aspire Titanium 1.2 Ti-VCT

•Commuter 1.2L petrol is unimpressive. A mediocre engine
Don't agree. Granted it has a poor low end, but so have the other two. In every other situation, it's a wonderful engine. On the highway, it really comes alive and can put most cars to shame - either from dead stops or while overtaking. The in-gear acceleration is really good and you get a sweet growl as the RPM rises.

The low end Torque is an issue when driven in stop and go traffic - 1st and 2nd gears will be used a lot. But this should not be an issue if you are a patient driver.

•Drives like any other mass market sedan...but not like a Ford. Ordinary handling
Possibly yes. But still better than the competition.

•Lighter build quality isn't as solid as Fords usually are
Yes. But still better than the competition. Actually it's the sheet metal that's thinner, not the structure. I can vouch from personal experience that it is a very safe car in accidents. I have yet to come across any accident of the Figo/Aspire that has resulted in major injuries/death.

•Cabin width makes the Aspire suited to 4 adults, not 5
Again depends on how big the adults are. For my family where everyone is under 5'6" and under 60 kgs, its a very comfortable back row.

•14" rims & 175 mm tyres are too puny, especially for the fast diesel
NA, since you are considering the petrol. But I have seen a big difference after I changed to Michelins in the same stock size from Ford.

•359 liter boot is smaller than that of the Amaze & Xcent (~400 liters)
True

•AT unavailable in the fully-loaded trim. Period
NA since you are considering the manual.

- Sam

[GTO]

Originally Posted by SJM1214

This is what we need

You must also consider the best premium hatchback on sale - the Elite i20. It meets your needs to the T. I consider it to be superior to the Jazz, while the Amaze feels old / basic and the Aspire has a terribly ordinary 1.2L petrol engine.

Another compact car that your Dad (due to its higher seating) & wife (due to its styling) will love is the EcoSport. A bit of a stretch on the budget, but it's totally worth it. The new petrol has a strong bottom-end and offers excellent driveability.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by GTO

You must also consider the best premium hatchback on sale - the Elite i20. It meets your needs to the T. I consider it to be superior to the Jazz, while the Amaze feels old / basic and the Aspire has a terribly ordinary 1.2L petrol engine.

Another compact car that your Dad (due to its higher seating) & wife (due to its styling) will love is the EcoSport. A bit of a stretch on the budget, but it's totally worth it. The new petrol has a strong bottom-end and offers excellent driveability.

In Petrol avatar Ecosport is anyday better than the Aspire. Better engine, easy to drive and has decent space inside for the size. Only downside however is the fuel efficiency. Trend 1.5 Automatic is great value.

[SJM1214]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Why are you replacing the car in the first place?

We are not going to sell it. I am going to use Dad's Swift Dzire as Beater car in my office. The new car is required because the wife is also there in the equation.

Originally Posted by autorahul

This should not be a reason, to reject any car outright. What you are looking for is a different experience, but I am sure not a negative one. Don't compromise on car because of this. Consider all cars including Marutis and Hyundais.

Yes, We want some different experience, that's the only reason we didn't consider MS and Hyundai. However, you are right, I think, at least we should have a look at Hyundai cars also, especially I20 elite and Xcent. Thanks for your suggestion.

Originally Posted by vb-san

why not check out the Figo diesel S. For someone who likes to drive, it would be a good option.
Otherwise I feel the Jazz is the best of the 3 options you have listed

We"ll have a look at Figo. I didn't consider it just because of lack of enough boot space & Dzire to Figo looks like a downgrade. Thanks for your suggestion.

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

Grand i10 or the Xcent (if you are keen on a sedan). I would suggest the Honda Jazz, it is more spacious than the other two cars you have selected, feels more premium (specially w.r.t the Brio based Amaze) & looks better.

Yes. We are going to have a brief look at Hyundai Xcent, It looks like a VFM( at least on paper). So far Jazz is leading the race. Thanks for your suggestion.

Originally Posted by archat68

If your dad will be driving the car primarily I'd suggest to look into an automatic. Given his age and the growing city traffic he will bless you after he drives an AT for some time.

Nice point. Actually, Dad never tried an AT car. I think I should give him some test of AT car and see what happens. Thanks for your suggestion.

Originally Posted by GTO

the best premium hatchback on sale - the Elite i20.

Another compact car that your Dad (due to its higher seating) & wife (due to its styling) will love is the EcoSport.

We are going to consider I20 elite and Xcent. Ecosport Petrol is a nice option, but then, there will be two cars of the same segment in my family (My car is MS Vitara Brezza). It should be a hatch or a compact sedan.Thanks for your suggestion.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by SJM1214

It should be a hatch or a compact sedan.

If it's strictly between these two, my vote goes to the Jazz just for the practical value it brings to the equation which, IMO, none of the compact sedans offer. For space, refinement and daily in-city commuting, nothing beats the Jazz.

But, if you are thinking of future resale value (which you shouldn't even before buying/selecting a car) and features on offer, then it has to be the Elite i20.

At that price range you are looking at, none of the petrol options are impressive (performance-wise) except for the EcoSport 1.5L Dragon.

Take back-to-back TDs of the Jazz & the new Elite i20 and see which one matches your requirements more. Also, you might get good offers on the Jazz compared to the Elite i20, which has been recently launched and usually doesn't carry many offers with it.

I was in a similar situation last November - my father (71) went through plenty of pain and discomfort for his left hand & leg while driving his Swift ZXI. I got him the Tiago XZA, and he's completely smitten by it. Nowadays, he doesn't even look at his Swift ZXI anymore. Same case with my wife - she just loves the convenience of the automatic in city traffic.

The Tiago is now our default go-to car for all urban/semi-urban jaunts.