[bravo82in]

Hi all,
I am looking to buy a hatchback/ Compact sedan of my wife. (She is new to driving)

My requirements are

1. Budget 8 lacs (rather emi of 12-15k), can stretch a bit. Most part of it will be financed
2. A peppy Automatic transmission (will prefer to avoid AMT)
3. Safety is a priority Dual airbags, ABS, EBD, Isofix
4. Intent to keep it long term (8-10 yrs). 5-7 years in case of pre worshipped machine
5. Niggle free and reliable vehicle. I don't mind high cost of ownership but would definitely like to avoid running repairs and frequent visits to service centers.
6. Will be moving to a B or C town in another 3 years, part and service should not be a concern later
7. Petrol, expecting 10-20 kms per day of usage
8. Will like to avoid cars too common on road vis a vis Baleno and I20.(kept them as last option)
9. Smaller the car the better.
10. I have the CSD facility (Choice of variants is limited)
11. Will be driven solo or max one co passenger

What have i short listed?

a. Honda Amaze petrol CVT V variant

1. Looks great except the dentures (Front chrome bar). I guess painting the front chrome strip black will make it look more subtle
2. CVT is just average even at low speeds. Paddle shift doesnt make it any better.
3. The TD vehicle had fit and finish issues. (One AC vents broken. Chrome decals rusting)
4. Recently launched hence the car will remain new for couple of years
5. On road price 8.45 lacs approx.

b. Honda Jazz petrol CVT V Variant

1. TD vehicle was not available
2. Sale executive claims the CVT has more punch than amaze
3. Looks and feels more premium than amaze
4. 20 k costlier for the same variant of amaze
5. New model expected in next 2 years
6. On road price 8.65 lacs approx.

c. Micra Petrol CVT XV variant

1. Fit and finish far better than amaze
2. Engine is a lot peppier than amaze
3. Smooth CVT
4. NVH level was bad
5. Wife found Amaze more comfortable to drive
6. I own a 8 years and 127000 km driven Micra diesel and pretty happy with build quality, reliability and service experience in NCR
7. Nissan's future in India (next 10 years) is questionable
8. The current model is 5 years old and in reality its a face lift of a decade old model.
9. On road price 7.65 lacs Approx
10. Did consider a pre worshipped one (Make 2016, Jan 2017 registered, 6500kms, 4.85 lacs, one year dealer warranty on engine and gear box) found the CVT too sluggish compared to my TD vehicle. Dealer claims its a lady driven car hence engine has not "opened up"

d. VW Polo GT
1. Its a dream car to own and drive
2. Way out of my budget
3. Current model is dated its too much an investment
4. I considered a pre worshipped one (make Dec 2014, Jan 2015 registered 15000kms, 5.5 lacs, one year dealer warranty on engine and gear box). Not sure if it will last another 5 years without major issues

e. Swift vxi AMT
1. New kid in town
2. Great head turner
3. Low initial cost leaves a lot of scope for alloys, tyres, ICE upgrade
4. AMT is not my preferred choice though.
Any inputs from petroheads will be greatly appreciated.

[iceman7]

Hello,

I was in the exact same dilemma as you are in; I wanted to get a small petrol automatic for The Wife. However, I wanted to buy a pre-owned car, so my options were very open and wide. I finally settled for a pre-loved 2014 Swift Dzire Automatic. This version of the Dzire comes with a Torque Converter; couple that with the brilliant 1.2 engine, and the agility of the Dzire, and it's a hoot to drive in the city. I have already covered 1200 KMS on it in the 2 weeks since I bought it.

The torque converter is extremely quick off the line, and standing starts from red lights are immense fun. Of course this is not in the same league as the DSG's of the world, but it does the job it is supposed to. In my 1200 KMS of driving, I have found 2 visible drawbacks - 1) The gearbox is lethargic at times and has a mind of its own. However, this can be over ridden by switching off the OD, and 2) Fuel economy - which, as expected, is on the lower side in the city. On my recent trip to Surat, I was able to extract 15.5 KMPL with the AC switched on all the while, some spirited driving, and a constant speed of 80-120 where safely possible.

Dzire Automatics with the TC are hard to come by, so look around, and you may just find one.

Happy hunting!

[Jakku]

Hello,

Any reasons why you don't want an AMT? I guess, since you don't want an AMT, you didn't consider Tiago AMT?

I am owning a NEXON AMT since July 2018 and with personal experience I can say the AMT is a very refined box. If you do not have any objection against TATA as an OEM, I would suggest you to try TIAGO before you finalilse your choice.

From the ones you have mentioned above, I would suggest you to not consider Swift as build quality of others is better than that of a Swift.

[porsche_guy]

I'd say the perfect car for you is the Hyundai Venue S DCT. It may seem a little pricey but will fullfill all your requirements to the T.

Go for it!

Cheers!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Just got a Jazz V CVT. OTR was close to 10 lakh. Maybe, CSD helps you. FE is low, (first tankful yielded 8 KMPL measured tankful to tankful) but should not be a problem for you with your low running. Low pick up but superb power at speeds above 50 kmph. Will keep the lady happy. And the S mode with paddles is for you.
Showrooms apparently don't have Jazz CVTs for TD. Try the exclusive edition which is approx 10.50 OTR.

You should consider Toyota's Bale... ugh, Glanza.
And Nexon or Tiago / Tigor too - inspite of being AMTs. (Because you're moving in 3 years).
And from the Hyundai stable, consider grand i10 with a DCT and i20 with CVT. (No experience with Hyundais).
For us, CVT + lower width (w.r.t. similarly priced cars) + higher driving stance tilted the balance in favour of Jazz. My wife felt more comfortable with slow pickup.

[ameyadchule]

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[sharktale]

Originally Posted by bravo82in

Hi all,
I am looking to buy a hatchback/ Compact sedan of my wife. (She is new to driving)

Would you be interested in getting the Yaris J CVT? It generally ticks all your points, except it's slightly higher on the budget, and not a very small car as you may have had preferred.

You may also consider the Glanza CVT, if you want to go for a hatchback! That ticks all your boxes with ease!

The ease and longterm reliability of the brand Toyota is something I am very fond of advocating due to my personal experience.
Yes, they kind of look and work like appliances, but they are the most stable and reliable appliances in town. Driving in the city with minimal speeding zones, I'd rather buy this appliance over "cars with a heart" .

You may check out the Venue. Seeing on the roads, it feels kind of overhyped design-wise to me. Cannot comment on Turbo/CVT performance since actually haven't driven it.
However, check out the Grand i10 alongside when checking out Venue and you'll be able to notice many many similarities.

[bravo82in]

Originally Posted by Jakku

Hello,

Any reasons why you don't want an AMT? I guess, since you don't want an AMT, you didn't consider Tiago AMT?

TD both the Nexon and Tiago. Wife likes the Tiago for the looks. The AMT of Nexon is quite refined. Mid variant comes at the same price as the Amaze, however Tiago is not as refined as Nexon. Built quality isnt great either. I went to the service centre and interacted with the owners. Everyone is happy with the purchase despite couple of parts being replaced under warranty. These small issues tend to irritate and for a lady getting them fixed is a bigger problem. Tiago though is a complete paisa vasool car, but i would like to shy away from tata for now.

Originally Posted by porsche_guy

I'd say the perfect car for you is the Hyundai Venue S DCT. It may seem a little pricey but will fullfill all your requirements to the T.

Venue AT is out of my budget. It's a different segment. I plan to buy a SUV/ full sedan in a year or two. I dont want to buy something in between.

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Just got a Jazz V CVT. OTR was close to 10 lakh. Maybe, CSD helps you. FE is low, (first tankful yielded 8 KMPL measured tankful to tankful) but should not be a problem for you with your low running. Low pick up but superb power at speeds above 50 kmph. Will keep the lady happy. And the S mode with paddles is for you.
Showrooms apparently don't have Jazz CVTs for TD. Try the exclusive edition which is approx 10.50 OTR.

You should consider Toyota's Bale... ugh, Glanza.
And Nexon or Tiago / Tigor too - inspite of being AMTs. (Because you're moving in 3 years).
And from the Hyundai stable, consider grand i10 with a DCT and i20 with CVT. (No experience with Hyundais).
For us, CVT + lower width (w.r.t. similarly priced cars) + higher driving stance tilted the balance in favour of Jazz. My wife felt more comfortable with slow pickup.

Jazz seems to be the best option on papers. One Jazz CVT for TD is available in Ghaziabad. Will be trying it this week end.

Glanza can be considered for the service experience atleast. Toyota must have modified the car a bit to make it look fresh. Seems that the car went to a local garage and he did a grill swap.

I10 grand was rejected for the looks. I20 for being too common and an equally sad CVT.

Originally Posted by sharktale

Would you be interested in getting the Yaris J CVT? It generally ticks all your points, except it's slightly higher on the budget, and not a very small car as you may have had preferred.

You may also consider the Glanza CVT, if you want to go for a hatchback! That ticks all your boxes with ease!

The ease and longterm reliability of the brand Toyota is something I am very fond of advocating due to my personal experience.
Yes, they kind of look and work like appliances, but they are the most stable and reliable appliances in town. Driving in the city with minimal speeding zones, I'd rather buy this appliance over "cars with a heart" .

You may check out the Venue. Seeing on the roads, it feels kind of overhyped design-wise to me. Cannot comment on Turbo/CVT performance since actually haven't driven it.
However, check out the Grand i10 alongside when checking out Venue and you'll be able to notice many many similarities.

I intent not to stretch the budget. I am keeping Glanza as an option for Toyota's reliability and service experience. Lady love rejected the Grand i10 completely using her veto powers.

[GTO]

Because its for your wife, I would recommend the super-smooth Jazz CVT or Baleno / Glanza CVTs. The i10 & i20 ATs would also be my top choices, but you have already rejected them. One more VFM option you could consider is the Figo Automatic.

Please avoid the AMTs altogether, especially since you have a decent budget in which you are getting superior transmissions.

Also, don't go for a used car. I have noticed that women generally have a thing against pre-owned cars and since you are giving / gifting this to her, she will always value a new car more.

Run away from the Micra. I tell you this as an owner of a Nissan car. Furthermore, the way their sales are dropping & dealerships closing, I wouldn't be surprised if the brand withdraws from India altogether.

[Vid6639]

A friend of mine was in the same boat as you. I did a check on Amaze CVT, Jazz CVT and Baleno CVT and realised the Amaze CVT is the most VFM in this category.

The BAleno is overpriced and just didn't feel good when I drove it. The JAzz and Amaze feel a tad better and more solid.

BEtween the Amaze and JAzz, surprisingly the Amaze is the cheaper and with the added flexibility of the boot and design, I would prefer it over the JAzz.

The Jazz is really good and has better interiors with the cabin feeling a little more premium but I personally preferred the chunkier styling of the Amaze.

[AYP]

I would suggest the Jazz over the Amaze. Micra should be avoided as it is a Nissan.

The Jazz feels more premium inside out. CVT and the engine is common between them.

Another option would be the Glanza. It will never be as common as the Baleno.

The Baleno does feel more peppy to drive, would offer you a lot more features over the Jazz with better mileage being a bonus while the Jazz should mostly be a safer car.

I'd say pick one between the Jazz and the Glanza. I would pick the Glanza though.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

BEtween the Amaze and JAzz, surprisingly the Amaze is the cheaper and with the added flexibility of the boot and design, I would prefer it over the JAzz. .

Actually it's not surprising at all if you compare them back to back. Amaze is developing market specific product and it shows, be it in the interior/ride quality, sheet metal or space. I am not saying this as I own one, but that's something which I realised while shopping a couple of months back.

Originally Posted by bravo82in

Hi all,
I am looking to buy a hatchback/ Compact sedan of my wife. (She is new to driving)

I would suggest you to stretch a bit and get the Jazz V CVT. With current offers running it's a real good VFM. I managed 70k+ discount(VX CVT exclusive edition) which made it around 40k cheaper than the i20 and Baleno CVT. In city it's a breeze to drive and is super silent along with a decent 11.5+ kmpl in bangalore city traffic

[DaptChatterjee]

Originally Posted by GTO

One more VFM option you could consider is the Figo Automatic.

I will second what GTO has said. Figo Titanium AT has an engine from a segment above (1497cc, 123 PS) and a six speed Torque converter AT. OP may end up driving it more than his better half . On road price should be around 8.6L in Delhi. Only negative would be less Mileage than a CVT.

Aspire AT can also be considered if it's available through CSD.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Actually it's not surprising at all if you compare them back to back. Amaze is developing market specific product and it shows, be it in the interior/ride quality, sheet metal or space. I am not saying this as I own one, but that's something which I realised while shopping a couple of months back.

I would suggest you to stretch a bit and get the Jazz V CVT. With current offers running it's a real good VFM. I managed 70k+ discount(VX CVT exclusive edition) which made it around 40k cheaper than the i20 and Baleno CVT. In city it's a breeze to drive and is super silent along with a decent 11.5+ kmpl in bangalore city traffic

I did drive them back to back and yes there was a difference but neither the Jazz nor amaze were built really great. Jazz was definitely better but the margin was not much.

Also going by recent Amaze 4 star rating by GNCAP which is probably similar to JAzz 4 star Euro NCAP, it means the Amaze is reasonably safe as well.

My personal preference is the Amaze CVT over the Jazz as the style and design is something I preferred over the older Jazz cab forward almost MPVish design.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I did drive them back to back and yes there was a difference but neither the Jazz nor amaze were built really great. Jazz was definitely better but the margin was not much.

Yeah that margin is a personal choice. What matters for some, might not for someone else. To me that margin gave a better feel compared to the Amaze specially because this would be my only car. For a second car maybe one can ignore that part.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

My personal preference is the Amaze CVT over the Jazz as the style and design is something I preferred over the older Jazz cab forward almost MPVish design.

Agreed Jazz is no looker either, but to me the sub 4metre sedans look weird due to the chopped back designs & its not just amaze, but the entire brigade(Dzire,aspire etc). For this reason my considerations were only i20,baleno & jazz and among the 3, Jazz was the best compromise in terms of engine/transmission, space, build quality, efficiency & features(though I hate that they removed magic seats).

Guess it all boils down to personal preference at the end of day. To each his own