Team-BHP > What Car? > Hatchbacks


Reply
  Search this Thread
10,146 views
Old 28th December 2006, 20:01   #1
BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 46
Thanked: 11 Times
FIAT ADVENTURE - IS IT WORTH IT or SWIFT?

Hi,

I am in the process of buying a second car for me(my first is ubiquitous Maruti 800), after reading the reviews of many cars in the 4-6 lakhs bracket, I have shortlisted Fiat Adventure and Swift ZXi/VXi. Pls help me choose the correct car for me.

I have driven swift extensively and generally like its feel and ride, however I have also read great reviews about Fiat Adventure and the discount being offered by Fiat on this vehicle. So will be going for a TD soon.

My usage would be approx. 700-800 km a month.Mostly city driving in Guragon and Delhi with occasional outstation trips. I Plan to keep the vehicle for atleat 5-7 years. I need some boot space as my other car is maruti 800. There are a few points I wud like to clarify?

Is Fiat Adventure a better vehicle than Maruti Swift(leaving out brand image, ***,exclusivity etc.)?
What's the cost of ownership of both the vehicles?
If FIat Adventure a really good car, then why it is such a big flop on Indian Roads?
Is the *** of Fiat improving after the tie-up with Tata(any inputs from Fiat owners would be welcome)

Any other car which I can consider(4-6 lakhs bracket)?


Help me Choose a ggod car
maktags is offline  
Old 28th December 2006, 22:11   #2
Team-BHP Support
 
Akshay1234's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 10,264
Thanked: 12,302 Times

well if you need boot space then go for the adventure. the adventure is a better vehicle than the swift... bu thats subjective. its got a 1.6l engine with 100bhp compared to 1.3 89bhp of the swift. i guess the mileage would be a bit better in the swift. the adventure dosent do well in india firstly because of the brand image.( people think its the same old fiat who made premier padminis) and secondly because of their after sales service.(though that would have improved after the alliance with tata) the swift would be cheaper to maintain because its a maruti and can be repaired at any nukkad. the adventures spares would be more expensive since not many have been sold.
in the 4-6l bracket also check out the baleno. its cheap to run.. gives good mileage. has good performance. and a boot.
Akshay1234 is offline  
Old 28th December 2006, 23:50   #3
Senior - BHPian
 
iraghava's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Bhaiyyaland
Posts: 8,033
Thanked: 263 Times

Going by your usage there's no point going in for a diesel car. Go in for a Swift VXi with ABS & mount some nice alloys & tyres on to it to make it look even better.

Also resale value after 5-7 years would be better for the Swift & Maruti's service support is better than Fiat anyday.
iraghava is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 00:01   #4
BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 46
Thanked: 11 Times
one more clarification

Quote:
Originally Posted by iraghava View Post
Going by your usage there's no point going in for a diesel car. Go in for a Swift VXi with ABS & mount some nice alloys & tyres on to it to make it look even better.

Also resale value after 5-7 years would be better for the Swift & Maruti's service support is better than Fiat anyday.

Just one more point,

Is Fiat Adventure or any other fiat car really sturdy and they don't get any dents and scartches from small skirmishes?
maktags is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 00:30   #5
BHPian
 
determinus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Pune
Posts: 277
Thanked: 11 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by akshay1234 View Post
the adventure is a better vehicle than the swift... but thats subjective.
Not so subjective. It is very true. Not to mention the value for money factor. Anyways, take a test drive of both to know the difference. One thing to note though: the Adventure has all terrain Pirellis as OEM. They are very good for off roading, and with its all independant suspension they are great performers. But they have a tendency to wear out faster (24-28k) when driven on smooth tarmac :-)
determinus is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 03:48   #6
BHPian
 
roms's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 641
Thanked: 26 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by iraghava View Post
Going by your usage there's no point going in for a diesel car. .
Fiat Adventure was sold as a diesel variant once upon a time.Now it shares the same 1.6 petrol engine with the Palio and Petra.

@akshay,the spare part prices for Swift are more than that of the Adventure,atleast as far as the mechanical parts are concerned.Swift would be more expensive to maintain if spare part prices are a consideration.The only thing to worry with the Adventure is the availability of spares,atleast until the Pune plant is up and running.
Plus,dont be under the impression that a roadside mechanic can take care of a Swift as well as a M800 or a carb Zen.Its as modern or as complicated as a Fiat Adventure and would require a specialised service centre for mechanical or engine repairs.

As a car, the Adventure scores heavily over the Swift.But its not a fair comparison IMO.The Adventure is bigger,more comfortable and spacious,more powerful,more expensive to buy than the Swift.But,there would hardly be any difference in performance between the two due the Adventure's extra weight.Both cars are fairly reliable but the Maruti would offer more peace of mind with much better after sales service.But the Adventure scores in build quality.Swift would be safer of the two if you are considering ABS and airbags.Also,mileage,image and resale value of the Swift would be better.

The Adventure looks better than the Swift.Its a solid robust car in every which way and is a genuine long termer provided Fiat helps you to take care of it.The 1.6 engine has character and is much more enjoyable to drive than the 1.3 engine of the Swift.The 1.6 is also completely imported from Italy.Drive that 1.6 engine once and I'm sure you will forget all else.

The adventure is definitely one of the best buys in the 6 lakh segment.Baleno,if available can be considered as well.AVEO 1.4/Fiesta 1.4 ./Fusion 1.6 can be considered as well.And last but not the least,the newly launched Aveo U-VA hatchback should also be considered.
roms is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 07:49   #7
BHPian
 
namit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Delhi
Posts: 402
Thanked: 55 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by maktags View Post
Just one more point,

Is Fiat Adventure or any other fiat car really sturdy and they don't get any dents and scartches from small skirmishes?
--------------------------------------

FIAT Adventure is an Italian engineered car and its build quality and sturdiness is at par with any other European car manufacturer ... infact in Indian context the build quality and ride of Fiat cars is better than the Opel and at par with the Skoda Octavia.

I will not be exhagerating if i go to an extent saying that the build quality and ride of this car would be at par with a car of 15 Lac bracket by any other Japanese / Korean competitor.

The Fiat 1.6L engine is way superior than the most available in India.

Just to summarise since you would be on NH8 most of the time its recommended to go for this car and as it is you will keep it for 5 -7 years so resale is out of consideration.

DO TAKE ADVENTURE TEST DRIVE before coming to any conclusion and i can bet you will feel the difference.

Cheers !!
Namit.
namit is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 08:38   #8
Team-BHP Support
 
CrAzY dRiVeR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Bangalore / TVM
Posts: 17,126
Thanked: 73,298 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by maktags View Post
Hi,

I am in the process of buying a second car for me(my first is ubiquitous Maruti 800), after reading the reviews of many cars in the 4-6 lakhs bracket, I have shortlisted Fiat Adventure and Swift ZXi/VXi. Pls help me choose the correct car for me.

I have driven swift extensively and generally like its feel and ride, however I have also read great reviews about Fiat Adventure and the discount being offered by Fiat on this vehicle. So will be going for a TD soon.

My usage would be approx. 700-800 km a month.Mostly city driving in Guragon and Delhi with occasional outstation trips. I Plan to keep the vehicle for atleat 5-7 years. I need some boot space as my other car is maruti 800. There are a few points I wud like to clarify?

Is Fiat Adventure a better vehicle than Maruti Swift(leaving out brand image, ***,exclusivity etc.)?
What's the cost of ownership of both the vehicles?
If FIat Adventure a really good car, then why it is such a big flop on Indian Roads?
Is the *** of Fiat improving after the tie-up with Tata(any inputs from Fiat owners would be welcome)

Any other car which I can consider(4-6 lakhs bracket)?
Both the Adventure and the swift are nice cars... Not two choices than can be directly compared...

Swift will be easy on your pocket to maintain, fun to drive, and after sales service would be good... So would be the resale value and the mileage...

Adventure would offer much more space, power, exclusivity and VFM at the expense of reslae value, mileage, and after sales service... Also, with the palio soon to get a facelft, the adventure could dollow suit...

Its your decision what to go for... Not many of the guys who advice you to go for Adevnture would buy it themselves, cause of the after sales service and the uncertainity about the future of the model...

Think about the VFM factor, space, power, mileage, after sales service, resale value and maintainence, and decide what your priorities are...

(Also, there are huge discounts being offered on the BAleno... Its a great car, if you can live with the looks, but soon to be replaced... But great VFM for the discount it is being offered... Would nice come in between 5-6 L)
CrAzY dRiVeR is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 08:39   #9
Team-BHP Support
 
Samurai's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Bangalore/Udupi
Posts: 25,809
Thanked: 45,333 Times

Really, there is no point in everybody repeating the same thing.

It is accepted that Adventure is vastly superior to Swift, it is also a lakh pricier. I don't think many will dispute that.

But the really issue is what happen after you purchase it. Again you may enjoy the Adventure much more than the Swift. However, when it is service time, Swift wins hand down. Maruti service is available everywhere and obtaining parts are not at all a problem. But good Fiat service is available only in few places and there is severe shortage of spares even for current models. There is a thread on this already.

Which car is better, Fiat Adventure no doubt. But the ownership may turn out to be an adventure too.
Samurai is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 10:17   #10
Senior - BHPian
 
srishiva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 4,375
Thanked: 2,256 Times

Its not a fair comparison. If you need a good drive, go for the Swift. If you need space, go for adventure.

Honestly, I dont understand the build quality aspect thats talked about here. Any quality should translate towards a pleasure in owning the car. Its not just the amount of metal thats put on a car that makes up build quality. Its about how different parts are put together with consistent tolerance etc., where a Japanese car would always excel.(Of course I love and have owned mostly Japanese cars)
srishiva is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 13:09   #11
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Faridabad/Delhi
Posts: 1,701
Thanked: 776 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by maktags View Post
Hi,

I am in the process of buying a second car for me(my first is ubiquitous Maruti 800), after reading the reviews of many cars in the 4-6 lakhs bracket, I have shortlisted Fiat Adventure and Swift ZXi/VXi. Pls help me choose the correct car for me.

I have driven swift extensively and generally like its feel and ride, however I have also read great reviews about Fiat Adventure and the discount being offered by Fiat on this vehicle. So will be going for a TD soon.

My usage would be approx. 700-800 km a month.Mostly city driving in Guragon and Delhi with occasional outstation trips. I Plan to keep the vehicle for atleat 5-7 years. I need some boot space as my other car is maruti 800. There are a few points I wud like to clarify?

Is Fiat Adventure a better vehicle than Maruti Swift(leaving out brand image, ***,exclusivity etc.)?
What's the cost of ownership of both the vehicles?
If FIat Adventure a really good car, then why it is such a big flop on Indian Roads?
Is the *** of Fiat improving after the tie-up with Tata(any inputs from Fiat owners would be welcome)

Any other car which I can consider(4-6 lakhs bracket)?


Help me Choose a ggod car
I don't think you'll be looking for advice after you've test driven the Adventure! It's in a totally different league.

I was in a similar dilemma situation about six months back. I commute between Delhi and Faridabad and my other car is an 800 too. After doing an elaborate research, the two cars finally in competition were Swift and Adventure.

I opted for the Adventure because of its road presence (much more than that of Swift) and great value-for-money features. After discounts, an Adventure costs you about the same as Swift ZXi. No other C segment car gives you features like alloy wheels, centralised door locking, power windows, power steering, rear windshield defogger, factory-fitted bull bar, eight 55-watt lamps in front, among others, for about Rs. 5.65 lacs on road. It's very comfortable too, thanks to its all-round independent suspension and tall, 175/80/14 tyres. Build quality is great, like that of other Fiat cars.

It didn't sell because it wasn't marketed properly. Do you remember watching Adventure ads on TV ever? A lot of people don't even know this car exists. Service and spare parts have been a concern and it's reasonable to presume that service and spare part availability will never match Maruti's. After all, most parts of Adventure are imported. One generally has to wait for a few days before getting the requisite spare part. But one learns to live with these things.

I get mine serviced at Vivek Automobiles and am fairly happy with them.

Do tell us about your TD. Happy Adventuring!
directinjection is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 13:22   #12
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Faridabad/Delhi
Posts: 1,701
Thanked: 776 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by namit View Post
--------------------------------------

FIAT Adventure is an Italian engineered car and its build quality and sturdiness is at par with any other European car manufacturer
The build quality and sturdiness of the Palio family of cars (of which the Adventure is a part) is superior to that of European cars. The reason is simple. These cars were conceived and designed for developing countries where road conditions, service facilities, fuel quality, etc. are not so good. Hence their body and suspension were made extra strong.

It's pertinent to note that Palio and Adventure are not manufactured or sold in Europe.

Cheers!
directinjection is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 13:25   #13
Senior - BHPian
 
esteem_lover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Madras/Py
Posts: 7,556
Thanked: 500 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
Which car is better, Fiat Adventure no doubt. But the ownership may turn out to be an adventure too.
cool quip, samurai.

i tend to agree with samurai here. unless fiat comes up with the quality in their service, it is definitely going to be an adventure maintaining a fiat.

Quote:
One generally has to wait for a few days before getting the requisite spare part. But one learns to live with these things.
one would be extremely happy if certain parts could be arranged at all. LOL

Last edited by esteem_lover : 29th December 2006 at 13:30.
esteem_lover is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 13:41   #14
Senior - BHPian
 
satish_appasani's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 1,112
Thanked: 104 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by maktags View Post
Just one more point,

Is Fiat Adventure or any other fiat car really sturdy and they don't get any dents and scartches from small skirmishes?
Take my word on this. Minor hits don't affect Fiat's body. I have a Palio and i stopped getting down and checking whenever a two wheeler or auto rikshaw kisses my car in the traffic. I find only a few tyre marks. I feel secured enough to not get down and check in the traffic but the culprit gets some good mouthing.

I never saw a Fiat's body panels crushed like paper as on Marutis and Hyundais.
satish_appasani is offline  
Old 29th December 2006, 14:57   #15
BHPian
 
ece2k2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Coimbatore
Posts: 524
Thanked: 348 Times

maktags,

i own a fiat siena new shape 1.6 (petra lookalike) and a Swift vxi (Nov 2005). I bought Fiat Siena in used form, as it was available for a low price.

IMO, Fiat siena 1.6 is similar to Adventure in many aspects. From my ownership experience, if you are a person who look for a complete peace of mind then you need to avoid FIAT cars - as the spare part issues will crop up from time to time. If you can live with them, then you can go for the Adventure blindly. Though Swift is a better pick among the Maruti cars, it still lacks the solidness of FIAT cars - for instance, a maruti zen once kissed my swift and there was a pretty deep scratch, whereas when I had a low speed hit while reversing in my siena without noticing an indica parked behind, there was no visible damage in the bumper.

Moreover the ride quality in Swift is bumpy, we get to hear some strange noises in Swift when going over bad roads/potholes, etc .... One more thing to note in FIAT 1.6 is the engine sound - it is pretty rough, whereas the Swift has a quite silent ride. So, if you need a silent car, then you have to rethink about Adventure, as it sports FIAT 1.6 engine. Last thing is the mileage - Swift gives me around 11 kmpl while my siena 1.6 gives 8 kmpl - i generally drive fast and heavy on gas pedal from time to time.

One more thing to note is that Swift is relatively easy to drive in city - the car feels lighter and the controls are light too (including steering). But it takes a lil effort to drive Siena in the city traffic (which will be applicable to Adventure too) - also the low end response of FIAT 1.6 engine is a bit poor in my perspective.

- Karthik.
ece2k2 is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks