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-   -   Confused on which AMT Hatchback to buy within a budget of 5 lakhs (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchbacks/196545-confused-amt-hatchback-buy-within-budget-5-lakhs.html)

Completely confused on which AMT to buy within a price bracket of in and around 5 Lakhs ?

My requirements are :

• AMT
• Mileage
• Spacious
• Reliability
• Pocket Friendly Maintenance

Have seen the experience sharing from some fellow BHPians w.r.t. the Woes of the Maruti AMT aka Auto Gear Shift.

For Whom ? - For my wife
Purpose ? - City driving mainly in close proximity of 10Kms Radius

Walked into a Maruti Dealership in Kolkata and saw the following having the same 998cc 3 Cylinder K10 Engine :

1.) Alto K10 AMT - Not an option as want something more spacious
2.) Celerio ZXi AMT - Considering it but not completely convinced
3.) WagonR VXi AMT - Seems as the Best Buy (fully loaded) of the Lot and is Tried & Tested

Though the power to weight ratio is different for all of them and accordingly the mileage also varies for all of them

The Renault Kwid 1.0L RXT AMT is (or rather was) an option for the same price point as the WagonR VXi. However, I felt it being cramped for space and did not bother to test drive on the face of it. Also, the fact that it lacks overall quality in plastic and comfort.

Other options are :
4.) Entry Level Variant of IGNIS manufactured in 2017 at a higher discount
5.) TATA Tiago 1.2 Revotron AMT XTA - Will be Test Driving it soon to experience the 1.2 Revotron Engine

Opinionated existing users to please share their feedback on the above; seems that we are spoilt for choices these days !!

The pick of the lot would be the 2017 Ignis you're getting. From the options, it would have the best build. And remember, with AMTs, the bigger the engine, the better the experience. The Ignis has the best engine of the cars you've shortlisted.

Second choice would be the WagonR for the practicality, but it's an old model due for replacement.

Kwid AMT doesn't make any sense. It is lacking many essentials (no creep feature, manual mode etc.).

Why not an electric car? Not just the Revas, the Tata Nano is supposed to be morphing into the Jayem Neo - 150km range being bandied about.

I would say you test drive Tiago AMT and make a call.
Also, before going for Maruti + AMT, have a look at this thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...-amt-woes.html

Thanks!

My vote would be for the Tiago. The lower variants of the Ignis feels very ordinary inside (just my opinion) and it is a size bigger than the others you shortlisted. The Tiago is compact, well loaded with features and feels more premium inside. Ignis will probably be better to drive, but considering your usage, don't think it needs to be a deciding factor.

You should also check what kind of discounts you can get on the Micra CVT and Brio AT. Both will give a much smoother driving experience compared to the AMT's

You mean to say that, you are getting Delta 1.2 AMT variant of Ignis under 5 Lakh OTR?

If yes, then it's a perfect deal. Of course, u will miss some bells and whistle but you"ll get the basic safety features like dual airbags, ABS and EBD. Ignis is perfect for your mentioned requirements.

Would like to point out that there have been no complaints from the owners of Ignis AMT (petrol and diesel) and the erstwhile Swift Dzire Zdi Amt (the one before the latest Dzire). I think the problem is mainly compounded when combined with a weaker engine. Further, most buyers of AMT cars fail to realise the correct use of handbrake when starting off on inclines / slopes. The initial lot of AMT did have many problems, but MSIL has been changing parts / rectifying it under warranty. If you take the 5 yr extended warranty, I think it should be fine.

Yes, go for it. If you can overcome the dated design, it offers a lot of practicality. Just get the (O) trim which gets ABS and airbags and the 5 year / 1 lakh km extended warranty.

My first choice. The Ignis is a fun-to-drive car which you too can enjoy from time to time as well. Though it costs a bit higher, I'm sure there will be some 2017 make car at some dealer in WB who will be happy to let go of the car at a nice discount. It still won't be as much as a new WagonR, but the difference would be narrowed down a lot. Do take a test drive of this as well.

I would suggest Tiago AMT undoubtedly based on your requirements.

Being an owner of Tigor AMT, and having owned numerous Marutis and Hyundais, i can assure you that the build quality of Tiago/Tigor platform is miles ahead of tinny Marutis.

The new age TATA petrol powerplants have proven their worth in the market now, and the Revetron is now beginning to make a mark for itself as a reliable workhorse, with thousands of examples doing fine on the roads today.

Get Gold AMC+4 yr extended warranty on the Tiago and you are good to go!

And did i mention that the IGNIS, besides having tinny build quality and higher price than the Tiago, misses out on Sport mode (very helpful in overtaking slow moving traffic and on open roads) and the astounding Harman Kardan music system ?

If you are in for a practical automatic, your budget will cover an amazing range of cars - just be open to pre-owned :D
I am sure they will tick all your boxes, and then some more too!

allow me to add:
6. Automatic Honda City, Toyota Corolla, Civics, Ciaz, Xcent, the works.

In our team (at work) we successfully bought used cars as our second cars and got some amazing VFM deals for the time & effort spent.

Etios, Honda City, practically unused i10 grand -- all under 5 Lakh (each).
I got me a nimble go kart Santro for shade under 95k INR. :D (thanks to team-bhp pre-owned threads, inputs from ir0nh4wk, Suhaas & team)

For motivation, do read up on the pre-owned cars & prices threads here.
I would say, spend 450k and keep the 50k for maintenance & modifications per your taste.
Changeover after 3-5 years.

Cheers,

Ace.

I would vote for the Tiago too. The experience of the AMT is more or less similar across the spectrum, ofcourse keeping in mind the engine specifications too. But overall you are not going to love it since the gear shifts are jerky. So minor differences in this should not really govern the choice. Rather start evaluating the next thing on the list and i.e. interior quality, safety and build. The Tiago win hands down in this regard. The top end variant is priced at 6.2L OTR Delhi. I would urge you to opt for this as I love a fully loaded car right from the factory. Otherwise the mid AMT variant should fit right into your price bracket.

The Ignis will be a more spacious car and comes with that MSIL tag if it matters to you. But the rear end design makes me cringe every time I see one on the road. Also the base variant will be a heavily stripped down car.

Tiago is the one I would suggest too. It is the most VFM of the lot. Add to that, the build quality is better. Do consider taking the maximum possible AMC available for peace of mind. Also, if the budget permits, XZA would be a better bet as it comes loaded with all the bells and whistles.

I have driven the manual Tiago with a full house on multiple occasions and have always come out impressed. AMT won't be a lot different.

Currently own a Nano XTA and getting it serviced at Concorde has been hassel free so far.

The Tiago is the best AMT car you can get at this price range. Beats the Ignis in every possible way. The only grouse with the Tiago is the 3 cylinder engine versus the Ignis’s 1.2 L 4 cylinder. However, the Tiago makes up with it’s fantastic build quality, equipment and well put together interiors.

Ignis : Positives:

1) Maruti - Peace of mind

2) Silky smooth, extremely refined 4 cylinder engine

3) More spacious than the Tiago.

4) High seating position, better view of the road

5) Comparatively lower service costs?


Tiago : Positives:

1) Loaded with features.

2) Well put together interiors, much better than the Ignis.

3) Extremely VFM, the top variant of the Tiago costs just as much as the Zeta variant of the Ignis.

4) Better looking than the Ignis IMO.

5) The fantastic Harman Kardon system.


I also suggest you look at other hatchbacks like the Micra and Brio CVT. They offer you a much better driving experience than the jerky AMT’s. Do check with your dealer for deals on these two cars.

I was in the same situation and dilemma couple of months back. After test drive various CVT / AMT car, short listed Ignis, WagonR and Tiago.
Finally the build quality, ride quality, space, comfort, power & feature list win against the Maruti. Bought a Tiago XZA.
My other car is a Maruti car so It was very easy for me to compare all the above points.

Now TATA is my daily drive. :)

+1

Tata Tiago on all counts except one. The rear seat does not have a split fold-down :Frustrati, which I think is a useful feature.

Arav da my vote will go with IGNIS, driven that through the highway as well as haldia industrial belt even inside the plants also and i believe bhabi ji will be happy with the engine response, very linear and with good gc among the options