[shrvenkataraman]

Hello wonderful people,

I am considering buying my first car. I have done significant research on Team-BHP forums, going through ownership reviews, and other car review threads.

A bit of background about me. Since 2015, I have been reading about cars and in the last few years of reading about cars, looking at photos, traveling in cars, I have gotten enamored with the following cars.

1. Nissan Sunny
2. Suzuki Ciaz
3. Suzuki S-Cross
4. Tata Hexa
5. Ford Figo/Aspire

As you must have guessed, one of the major factors in me loving all these cars is the oodles of space available. The comfort factor, lots of space, and brilliant mileage led me to love these cars.

For my first car purchase, I have decided to stick with hatchbacks and have decided on a budget of 6 lakhs OTR price.

The following are my options:

1. Tata Tiago XZ Petrol (Have gotten a quote of 5.5 lakhs with few add-ons for BS4 Tiago XZ Petrol from Lakshmi Motors OMR in Chennai, and 5.6L from Gokulam motors Chrompet).

2. Wagon R - Maruti isn't offering any discounts or offers on this car - for obvious reasons.

3. Swift

4. Renault Kwid

I don't know what other cars I should add to these options.

I checked out all these cars. First things first, Renault Kwid looks like a kid in front of all the other cars. Plus, it doesn't feel safe. The ride is sluggish.

I went to the Maruti showroom next. The new Wagon-R is brilliant in terms of space. But when i sat inside and closed the door, I decided to not purchase Wagon R. Just the sound of door closing made it feel like a toy-car which would totally be crushed even if an auto t-boned the car. Although that sounds like exaggeration, looking at all the accident videos on youtube on maruti cars, I am very much concerned. Plus the lack of discounts and the cocky attitude at maruti showroom because their cars are the highest selling - for that reason I'm out.

I then went to Gokulam motors to check Tiago. I opened the door, sat inside, closed the door - and damn that THUD. I checked the weight of the car and was amused to say the least to find out that tiago weighed significantly more than Swift and Wagon R. The build quality feels solid.

I took a test drive sitting in the rear seat (as i have just learnt driving) and the car felt a little wobbly at low speeds in city, there were jerks, etc. But at higher speeds, the car felt planted and didn't shake or have any jerks.

The fuel efficiency figures reported on team-bhp for petrol engine is encouraging. I intend to buy a petrol variant and this was a good thing to hear.

I did look at the Figo, but considering the future of Ford and the lack of any significant and necessary features in the base variant, and the higher price, I have dropped considering that.

I checked with a friend who owns Wagon R and he reported a lot of body roll and lack of stability in high speed highway drives.

Another friend who has a 2019 Swift said he felt Tiago was way better in terms of safety and that the driveability is similar except for NVH.

At this point, I am leaning more towards Tiago XZ Petrol variant and have dropped other cars from consideration.

Can the Tiago XZ Petrol owners respond on this thread and share the things I need to think about before going ahead with the purchase?

I went through the pre-inspection checks and other things. They have said that the manufacturing date of the particular color vehicle i am looking for (going for the red variant) is November 1. Considering we will be taking delivery by december end after loan processing, is it wise to buy a 2 month old car?

Since i am a noob in terms of negotiation, any talking points would help too.

So far, I have pitted two (Lakshmi and Gokulam motors) quotes against each other and got the best price of 5.5L OTR for XZ Petrol variant that costs 6.5 OTR.

What are some things that I can and should do proceeding further?

If you guys also have other car suggestions that I should check out, please do let me know.

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[Sasanka_Sanga]

I’ve heard that Tiago is suffering from fuel related issues, like behaving as if fuel is empty, though there is significant fuel in the tank.

Being Tata, you need to adjust with the rattles, squeaks and NVH. Lots of plastics and compromised build quality.

A closer look at the interior reveals some quality issues, like the AC vents, which do not fully close.

The cars you can consider can be :

1. Baleno (a little compromise in build quality but amazing features)
2. Swift can be considered as well based on maintenance costs and ready availability of spares everywhere.

[shankar.balan]

While you have stated that “build quality” and solidity are important, and that you like the Tata Tiago, here are a few more queries.

What sort of transmission would you prefer? Auto or Manual?
In terms of Safety kit what is most important to you? ABS, EBD, Airbags etc?
Is power (BHP) and pulling power (torque) important to you?
Will the usage of the car primarily be in the city or on the highways or a mix of both?
Is the car primarily for yourself or would you usually have passengers sitting with you?
Lastly is your budget absolutely rigid or slightly flexible?

If you put out some answers to these queries, you may get some good suggestions from the group here.

[AZT]

Originally Posted by shrvenkataraman

The following are my options:

1. Tata Tiago XZ Petrol (Have gotten a quote of 5.5 lakhs with few add-ons for BS4 Tiago XZ Petrol from Lakshmi Motors OMR in Chennai, and 5.6L from Gokulam motors Chrompet).

2. Wagon R - Maruti isn't offering any discounts or offers on this car - for obvious reasons.

3. Swift

4. Renault Kwid

Any reason why Santro and i10 are off this list. Since you mentioned needing oodles of space earlier, you can also check out the Renault Triber.

[shrvenkataraman]

Originally Posted by Sasanka_Sanga

I’ve heard that Tiago is suffering from fuel related issues like behaving as if fuel is empty though there is significant litres in the tank.

Being tata’s you need to adjust with the rattles, squeaks and NVH’s. Lots of plastics and compromised build quality.

A closer look at the interior reveals some quality issues like the AC vents, which do not fully close.

The cars you can consider can be :

1. Baleno (a little compromises build quality but amazing features)
2. Swift can be considered as well based on maintenance costs and ready availability of spares everywhere.

Baleno and Swift, I checked out the cars, but the first thing that struck me was the flimsy build quality and the lack of THUD in closing the door. I also read many reviews that said above 80-100kmph, in highways, there are wobbling issues with Swift/Baleno and that they aren't that highly stable.

That was the major thing. While Resale Value, availability of spare parts, service costs are all in Maruti's favor, the service costs for tiago are almost quite similar to that of Swift ain't it?

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

While you have stated that “build quality” and solidity are important, and that you like the Tata Tiago, here are a few more queries.

What sort of transmission would you prefer? Auto or Manual?
In terms of Safety kit what is most important to you? ABS, EBD, Airbags etc?
Is power (BHP) and pulling power (torque) important to you?
Will the usage of the car primarily be in the city or on the highways or a mix of both?
Is the car primarily for yourself or would you usually have passengers sitting with you?
Lastly is your budget absolutely rigid or slightly flexible?

If you put out some answers to these queries, you may get some good suggestions from the group here.

This is my first ever car. I don't have driving experience beyond that of driving school to get license. So, considering that, I think I prefer manual transmission. Safety wise ABS EBD and dual Airbags have been a standard in recent cars. I'd prefer those. Power/Pulling Torque wise, I don't have much experience so anything is fine i guess.

The car usage will be a mix of city and highways. Most trips would have passengers sitting with me. Budget is absolutely rigid - like under 6L OTR.

We have a loan limit of 4.5L and we can stretch it until 6L with savings. That's the reason.

Originally Posted by AZT

Any reason why Santro and i10 are off this list. Since you mentioned needing oodles of space earlier, you can also check out the Renault Triber.

Santro and i10 are off the list because of the Hyundai tag, very very bad petrol fuel efficiency as opposed to tiago or swift, also lack of space in the cabin as well as rear seat, among few other things.

I did check out the Renault triber. The ownership reviews are encouraging in terms of space, but safety is first priority for me. That's the reason I am not considering Swift/Baleno/Glanza either.

So my budget is 6L max. That's one of the major constraints.

[Sasanka_Sanga]

Originally Posted by shrvenkataraman

Baleno and Swift, I checked out the cars, but the first thing that struck me was the flimsy build quality and the lack of THUD in closing the door...


...So my budget is 6L max. That's one of the major constraints.

As said, baleno suffers from build quality but an undisputed king in the city commutes that too within your budget. On highways, as you said you always go with family, I am sure you won’t cross the 100 kmph mark and the vehicle is pretty good at those speeds (my personal experience). Lack of thud is because of the rubber casing between the metals which I think can be ignored.

Tiago is a 3 cylinder engine in contrast to Baleno’s 4 cylinder which means Tiago will be a little unrefined as the NVH levels are bound to be high and the weight difference, I agree Tiago is 120 kgs more than Baleno but if you maintain the 100 kmph mark this can be ignored.

[shrvenkataraman]

Originally Posted by Sasanka_Sanga

As said, baleno suffers from build quality but an undisputed king in the city commutes that too within your budget. On highways, as you said you always go with family, I am sure you won’t cross the 100 kmph mark and the vehicle is pretty good at those speeds (my personal experience). Lack of thud is because of the rubber casing between the metals which I think can be ignored.

Tiago is a 3 cylinder engine in contrast to Baleno’s 4 cylinder which means Tiago will be a little unrefined as the NVH levels are bound to be high and the weight difference, I agree Tiago is 120 kgs more than Baleno but if you maintain the 100 kmph mark this can be ignored.

Makes a lot of sense. But with Baleno, the price tag is an issue. All the features tiago XZ offers, for me to get the same in Baleno, I think I have to shell out 7-8L. That's the concern.


Even Triber, I don't think offers the same features as Tiago XZ at less than top variant. RXZ is the best buy in terms of Triber which runs up to 8.5-9L onroad.

Originally Posted by Sasanka_Sanga

As said, baleno suffers from build quality but an undisputed king in the city commutes that too within your budget. On highways, as you said you always go with family, I am sure you won’t cross the 100 kmph mark and the vehicle is pretty good at those speeds (my personal experience). Lack of thud is because of the rubber casing between the metals which I think can be ignored.

Tiago is a 3 cylinder engine in contrast to Baleno’s 4 cylinder which means Tiago will be a little unrefined as the NVH levels are bound to be high and the weight difference, I agree Tiago is 120 kgs more than Baleno but if you maintain the 100 kmph mark this can be ignored.

By the way, Baleno is not within my budget. The base model OTR in baleno is 6.55 Lakhs. That has absolutely no features at all except for barebones car and few requisite features. To have decent feature set along with the car - I should get Delta or Zeta petrol variant which costs 7.5, 8.1L respectively. Nexa isn't giving much offers, after negotiation itself they said somewhere around 7 and 7.7 respectively. So, that's 1.5 lakhs above the figure we have gotten for Tiago. For the additional 1.5 lakhs, being a first time car user, I don't know if Baleno offers significant advantage. Also, since I haven't used a car or my family hasn't driven any cars at all - this is our family's first car - we are the first generation to buy a car, NVH levels shouldn't be an issue i guess. We went for a TD, and it felt normal to me - mostly coz I haven't been in a really silent, proper NVH car i suppose. For a first car, we are okay taking such a haircut in terms of NVH or 3-cylinder driveability.



I was just wondering if there are better cars than Tiago at this price range, with similar fuel efficiency, space, entertainment and safety features.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by shrvenkataraman

...


1. Tata Tiago XZ Petrol (Have gotten a quote of 5.5 lakhs with few add-ons for BS4 Tiago XZ Petrol from Lakshmi Motors OMR in Chennai, and 5.6L from Gokulam motors Chrompet).

2. Wagon R - Maruti isn't offering any discounts or offers on this car - for obvious reasons.

3. Swift

4. Renault Kwid

I don't know what other cars I should add to these options.
...

I went through the pre-inspection checks and other things. They have said that the manufacturing date of the particular color vehicle i am looking for (going for the red variant) is November 1. Considering we will be taking delivery by december end after loan processing, is it wise to buy a 2 month old car?
...

Go for Tiago.

If you need options, try the Figo. With stock clearance going on for BS4 vehicles, you might get a good deal on either of those. Also they should satisfy your criteria for a safe, spacious and comfortable car.

Tata service has definitely improved since yesteryears. Ford long term future is not clear, but same will help you negotiate a better deal. Also spares should be available for at least another decade and servicing or repairs will still be provided by the Ford dealers (or Mahindra), so it won't be as bad as Chevrolet or GM quitting India.

As for negotiating, keep in mind the following:

1. Two month old car is almost oven fresh, but still push for a little more discount. There may be older stock lying unsold, which could be had at a much higher discount, so choose your options.

2. BS4 vehicles cannot be sold after March 20, so the dealer would prefer to push the stock out of his stock even if it means a few thousand rupees more discount.

3. The stocks are limited and there are others eyeing a good bargain, so don't expect rock bottom prices - understand the risk of losing a deal vs the reward of getting a sweeter deal. Rather than losing a deal over a few thousand bucks, it would be better to get the car.

4. Negotiate hard (but with gentle words), highlight benefits you are getting from other dealers/brands and try to get as much benefit as you can.

[Bhatia.D17]

Originally Posted by shrvenkataraman

Santro and i10 are off the list because of the Hyundai tag, very very bad petrol fuel efficiency as opposed to tiago or swift, also lack of space in the cabin as well as rear seat, among few other things.

As you mentioned above, I would like to know what mileage figures are you expecting.
I recently purchased Grand i10 Petrol and I am getting 11-13 kmpl in Delhi traffic which I find good for a Hyundai which has a bad reputation in FE.
My friend has achieved 15kmpl max in a Baleno for reference.

Grand i10 can be a good option for you in this price point if you require good space as well as good build quality.
Gi10 Nios Magna is priced around 6.5 L onroad if you are keen on getting a BS6 car.
Else BS4 models are being offered at 1L discount. So effective price of Sportz variant will be around 5.5- 5.7L.

No offense to respective owners of other cars.
Just my point of view.

[SoumenD]

Heartening to see a first time car buyer talking about safety, rather than blindly going for Maruti/Hyundai entry level cars like rest of the country . Even I was guilty of that thought process when I bought our first back in 2010 and had no idea on safety.

I see Tiago in your list. Although it's not yet tested by NCAP, but I believe it's the safest out there in your budget of 6L. Heartect based Marutis, kwid and even Hyundai Santro all failed the crash test, so if safety is important look no further than Tiago. But do test drive the car for sometime as it comes with its own set of shortcomings, mainly the 3 cylinder petrol. But since this is your first car I don't think you have any specific benchmark in terms of refinement. For example 4 cyls are anyday smoother compared to 3 cyls. Although it doesn't mean they would feel like tractor. Rest it(Tiago) has good enough features and the service too seems to have improved lately as per the ownership reviews.

Wish you all the best

[Lalvaz]

Please do consider the VW polo and the Toyota liva. Both cars have scored well in the crash tests and although the price might be slightly higher than your budget, the polo will delight you for years to come. It's also year end so great time for bargaining.

Please do take a TD. I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

[shrvenkataraman]

Originally Posted by Bhatia.D17

....

Grand i10 can be a good option for you in this price point if you require good space as well as good build quality.
Gi10 Nios Magna is priced around 6.5 L onroad if you are keen on getting a BS6 car.
Else BS4 models are being offered at 1L discount. So effective price of Sportz variant will be around 5.5- 5.7L.

A friend of mine reported getting 16-18KMPL in city, and 22-23kmpl in highways with Tiago petrol, after second service.


i10 and Santro wise, there are a lot of compromises in safety, build quality isn't a given, and also Hyundai service costs are known to be a lot more than Maruti/Tata's range. Spares are costlier too right? Relatively atleast?

Currently, I am okay with BS4 models also. That's not a problem. That's why i am going with Tiago bS4.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Heartening to see a first time car buyer talking about safety, rather than blindly going for Maruti/Hyundai entry level cars like rest of the country . Even I was guilty of that thought process when I bought our first back in 2010 and had no idea on safety.

I see Tiago in your list..

Thanks a tonne Soumen. I was impressed by the Swift Dzire as i opened the door and sat in. As i closed the door and the sound was like a toy car, I immediately felt like - for all the classy interior and space offered, had they focused on build quality, it would have been amazing. I don't know why they have to skimp on building with better metal that feels much more solid. Plus, another thing is couple of Maruti showrooms I visited, the salespeople are a bit cocky and arrogant - like "you buy if you want, or leave if you don't" attitude. Their after sales service is known to be good, but pre-sales, and offers wise, they're just not very appealing. They gave no offers on WagonR, and offered just the OTR. That drew the final straw and i went to an adjacent Tata showroom, that's when I caught the glimpse of Tiago. My opinion is that Tiago is much better looking and better built than Swift and WagonR combined.

I took a TD. I didn't drive, but had the salesman drive the car for us. The drive felt good at high speeds. At low speeds there was a bit of jerk in the back seat due to the road probably. The noise level wasn't of any concern and that's also because i have traveled in indica and cars like that and i was perfectly okay with it. Maybe if i travel in a Skoda or Camry kinda vehicles, I might probably come back to Tiago and feel that it's noisier. But for a beginner, this car is absolutely adequate i guess.

Do any of you think that the Figo Titanium petrol variant can be brought to 5.5-5.8L range? I love the Figo since I laid my eyes on the facelift, but the price tag discouraged me a bit from going forward with it.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

Please do consider the VW polo and the Toyota liva.
Please do take a TD. I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

Liva is not available anymore in Mumbai. And it's built quality cannot be compared with Polo. For a first time buyer, yes Toyota makes more sense. VW service center may take the new owner for a ride till he becomes wise. Toyota service isn't very clean but best among a lot of 'target' oriented service centers.

[shankar.balan]

Forget everything else.

Your heart seems set on Tiago.
It is your first car.
And it is a good car.

Follow your heart - that will make you happiest!

(I just wish you had the budget for the JTP) but the XZ is good too.

Go and negotiate a bit with the dealer flash some cash/ cheque book under the dealer's nose and make his eyes pop a bit- and get yourself a nice deal on the car.

In the process make friends with the dealer and the workshop chaps. You'll need them- because in India irrespective of what anyone may say, everything works on relationship.

And please go over the TBHP checklist for Pre Delivery Inspection.

I wish you the best with this first big new purchase.

Drive cool.
Drive safe.
Enjoy!

[Bhatia.D17]

Originally Posted by shrvenkataraman

A friend of mine reported getting 16-18KMPL in city, and 22-23kmpl in highways with Tiago petrol, after second service.

i10 and Santro wise, there are a lot of compromises in safety, build quality isn't a given, and also Hyundai service costs are known to be a lot more than Maruti/Tata's range. Spares are costlier too right? Relatively atleast?

Currently, I am okay with BS4 models also. That's not a problem. That's why i am going with Tiago bS4.

Well, I would say go for it! In the end, it is you who has to live with the car and Tiago seems to have satisfied your head and heart as well. So what better car to go for.
Best of luck for your purchase