[creative420]

I'm helping my sister to hunt down the next car that suits her to the T. She's a professor at a private college in Bhopal. She was using a Maruti 800, that was discarded as it turned 19-years-old this May 2020, and she anyways wanted to upgrade to a new car when work would resume.

Now with the re-opening of colleges across India, she needs a daily steed to cover 46kms to and fro from her college. This car will be solely used by her only as there is a sedan for family outings.

She has set 4L as her upper budget. I've asked her to raise it so we can include better, safer cars (read: Tiago), but due to salary cuts, she isn't willing to plonk more than 60-80K in down payment and 3-4K instalment per month. And with this budget I could only think of the base or second to base models of:

1. Maruti Alto

A classic tier-2 town middle-class favourite. Too favourite my sister thinks. And I think this car will be this forum's popular answer too. Riding dynamics will be a familiar upgrade from m800. I've discussed with her about this car at length. She wants it for the known entity that it is, but doesn't want it for it's such a common sight. Yet she keeps going back to it.

2. Renault Kwid

It's a great little car and a popular one at that in Bhopal just because it looks and offers more than it's worth with SUVish looks and better features than Alto. This is the car that I have suggested as well. Decent fuel economy and it'll stand out in her staff parking lot where literally 2 out of 3 cars are Alto.

3. Datsun Redi-go

This is more VFM than the kwid, but not sure about the future of the brand in India. Only thing working in this car's favour is, that my sister can pick up the T variant of this car with some discounts, in her budget. But if the future of this brand is uncertain, don't think I should even have her consider this unless the forum thinks otherwise.

She will not take any 4L+ suggestions. Neither will she entertain any suggestion to pick up a used car. We had an option to pick up a family friend's lightly used Maruti Stingray at 3.5L, but she said pass to it. Nor will she take any suggestion for an automatic car as Bhopal is a hilly city, at least the part where she lives, and the drive to her college only sees about 2-3 kms of traffic and rest is a pretty cool and easy drive.

What she seeks out of the car is:
1. Power steering.
2. Good mileage.
3. Front two power windows.
4. Basic ICE with bluetooth for songs and podcasts.
5. Fuss-free and minimum 8-10 years worth ownership. (She took care of her m800 for over 19 years)

Would really love to know this forum's input on this matter.


MODS: I should've put this under the What Car?> Hatchback category. Please move it. Sincere apologies.

[WhiteSierra]

Hi,

I would suggest you to go ahead with a Maruti Alto. It is a no nonsense car. Since your sister is already familiar with Maruti 800, it is more like an immediate upgrade.

I would suggest you against Datsun Redigo as Nissan's future in India seems bleak as of now. Also the car vibrates like hell after crossing 40 kmph.

Renault Kwid sure looks good out of the three vehicles. I would also suggest you against Renault Kwid as it has a plastic oil chamber / drain pan. It is very delicate if it hits a huge boulder or anything under belly. If the oil chamber brakes after taking a hit, it would damage the engine. This is a common problem in old and new Kwid. It is not covered under insurance or warranty if it is broken and damaged. There is oil pan guard as an official accessory for 8k INR but it is also a fiber part. Any day, a metal oil pan is always better than a plastic.

This guy in the below video also mentioned that his sister's kwid never faced such issue, but if at all it brakes by mistake due to any unseen boulder or any sharp object, and if you don't notice it till it is too late (engine running when the engine oil completely leaked out), it calls for an engine overhaul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDlej-JC03w

Here is my post in the other thread where I accompanied my friend in the process of selecting cars, he also shortlisted the same 3 cars (Alto, Kwid, RediGo) along with EON, which I think is out of production now.

Back in 2016, my friend was in the market for a new car, their family's first car to be precise. But his budget is set at 4 lakhs maximum. We were exploring all the different cars in his budget, we considered Hyundai Eon, Maruti Alto 800, Renault Kwid and Datsun RediGo. We test drove Hyundai Eon at Talwar Hyundai and Maurti Alto 800 at Varun Motors, IIRC both cars have relatively higher kms on the odo, more than 25 k kms. My friend was happy with Alto and he ruled out Eon for less leg space for the rear seat occupants.

Next, we went to Renault showroom to test drive Kwid, they did not have a test drive vehicle, but was eager for booking amount. We made a point that we would only book the car after test driving it and we told the SA that we already test drove Eon and Alto, to which he said those are much inferior products compared to Kwid, and Kwid is built on duster platform and it is a smaller version of Duster. We couldn't control our laughter, we laughed on his face, gave my friend's phone number and asked him to call us back with a TD vehicle, we never received a call from him so far.

After the fun moment at Renault showroom, we walked into Nissan showroom which is some 200 meters away (Renault, Nissan and Hyundai showrooms are just beside each other on Begumpet, SP road). When we walked into an empty Nissan showroom without any customers, everyone (staff) looked at us, probably they were thinking that they shouldn't let go of us without making a deal. They all had that look. I could only sympathize them. We inquired about Datsun RediGo, I believe it was recently launched back then, they promptly bought the test drive car, I hopped into the driver's seat and my friend in the passenger's seat. The lady SA whom we spoke to and one more SA sat beside us. The car vibrated like hell at just 40 kmph. I know it is a 3 cylinder engine car, but my Wagon R K10 or even old Maruti 800s never vibrated like that. I asked SA what's up with this violent vibration, to which she replied, Sir, this is a test drive vehicle, many people drive it daily but new cars are absolutely smooth, please pay the booking amount, your new car will not have this issue at all sir. This TD vehicle had less than 1500 kms on odo, compared to 25k + kms on Alto 800 and Eon TD vehicles. How can we even believe what she was saying about this RediGo TD vehicle? It did not make any sense at all for a 1500 kms run car vibrating like this at 40 kmph.

Since this is my friend's first car, which is also going to be their family's first car, he did not want to take any risk, we went back to Varun Motors and booked the humble Alto 800, it is serving him and his parents without any issues so far.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4892525 (What's the biggest whopper a car salesman gave you in his pitch?)




Why don't you go for lateral upgrades? Since you are looking for only hatchbacks, For a budget of 4 lakhs you can get a bigger segment used car, like a Wagon R (B1 hatchback), Polo MPI (B2 hatchback) instead of Alto (A1 hatchback).

If you are looking for a brand new car, Alto is best in segment.

[IshaanIan]

I'd suggest the Alto as it is a known entity, however the ride quality and overall delight that the car offers its owner, leaves a lot to be desired. Infact the family friend's WagonR Stingray should be a better bet. Do check out the Redi-Go I saw a new one the other day and I must say it looks interesting with all the new LEDs and lights

[Vinod_nair]

Get the S-presso, it's a good city car, high GC nimble, discounts are available, go for the base+1.

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by creative420

She has set 4L as her upper budget,but due to salary cuts, she isn't willing to plonk more than 60-80K in down payment and 3-4K instalment per month. And with this budget I could only think of the base or second to base models of: 1. Maruti Alto

Purely using cardekho site as a reference, I doubt even the second base would be below 4 lac even after all negotiations as it is a hot-selling model, although it does not hurt to try. Additionally, the base model, though below 4 lacs, neither has AC nor power steering, so forget about power windows (at least LXi) or ICE with bluetooth (at least VXi)!





I will suggest to stretch a little bit and get the LXi if passenger airbag is strictly not needed, although the VXi or VXi Plus is most advisable for factory ICE and hassle-free warranty. The extended warranty is recommended. Also, instead of paying some amount from existing savings as down-payment, maybe you can explore for 100% on-road funding for a longer duration loan to get the EMI under her limit. But on such a tight budget, I will not suggest any other new car, as the Nissan-Renault products will not be as easy to maintain in the long run. Even an S-Presso should be avoided if the Alto suffices all needs. I know it may be a tough task to convince, but the Stingray is a far better deal since it is a known devil and a much superior car, although used car loans have a higher rate of interest.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by creative420

I'm helping my sister to hunt down the next car that suits her to the T.

For a strict budget of 4L on road bhopal, ALTO Lxi(O) is the best option. See if you get some festive benefits and can stretch to VXi. That comes with a 2-din audio system as well. Else get an aftermarket audio system for LXi(O). I stress on the big (O) as it comes with dual airbags.

Kwid and S-Presso base models only can fit in that budget which won’t even have a power steering or Front power windows, so won’t suggest those.

[GTO]

Won't recommend the Kwid as I'm hearing reports of it not ageing well. Some owners are reporting niggles & issues post 50,000 km and Renault's after-sales isn't a patch on Maruti either.

Can't really go wrong with the Alto. But what I would strongly recommend is upping the budget and going for the S-Presso. Reliable, Maruti's backing, lovely engine + gearbox, different kind of styling, easy ingress / egress. Would pick this any day over the Alto which is quite long in the tooth now.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by GTO

Won't recommend the Kwid as I'm hearing reports of it not ageing well. Some owners are reporting niggles & issues post 50,000 km and Renault's after-sales isn't a patch on Maruti either.

Can't really go wrong with the Alto. But what I would strongly recommend is upping the budget and going for the S-Presso. Reliable, Maruti's backing, lovely engine + gearbox, different kind of styling, easy ingress / egress. Would pick this any day over the Alto which is quite long in the tooth now.

Completely agree with everything. S Presso is the car to go for, unless BHPian Creative420 is not fine with its polarizing looks. Variant to variant, the S Presso was 30-50k more expensive than the Alto.

Space, Engine, Ride quality, Comfort, Safety(Yes I know we are talking about Marutis here)- Alto with its decades old architecture and engine can never be a match. Handling of S Presso is a bit nervous if you are not used to driving tall hatches. Take a Detailed TD of both and take an informed decision.

Congratulations in advance.

Regards,
Shashi

[chiefpk]

Originally Posted by creative420

I'm helping my sister to hunt down the next car that suits her.

What she seeks out of the car is:
1. Power steering.
2. Good mileage.
3. Front two power windows.
4. Basic ICE with bluetooth for songs and podcasts.
5. Fuss-free and minimum 8-10 years worth ownership. (She took care of her m800 for over 19 years)

4 lacs on a new Alto doesn't seem to satisfy me. To be honest, I would spend it on a used Swift/Grand i10 at this price easily. They are from a segment above, have oozles of space, better seating and comfort and at this price you will easily get a Vxi/Magna.

These two will be your better bet seriously. Try looking for some good buyers with decent service records and you are good to go.

Thanx and Good Luck!

[creative420]

Originally Posted by WhiteSierra

I would also suggest you against Renault Kwid as it has a plastic oil chamber / drain pan.

DAMN! Didn't know. Thanks for sharing this. Going by other suggestions below, guess S-Presso is on cards.

Originally Posted by Researcher

A) Purely using cardekho site as a reference, I doubt even the second base would be below 4 lac even after all negotiations as it is a hot-selling model, although it does not hurt to try. B) Also, instead of paying some amount from existing savings as down-payment, maybe you can explore for 100% on-road funding for a longer duration loan to get the EMI under her limit. C) I know it may be a tough task to convince, but the Stingray is a far better deal since it is a known devil and a much superior car, although used car loans have a higher rate of interest.

A) There is a 25K cash discount going on, so guess LXI (O) is also within reach. B) She won't part with more than 4L as her kids are all grown up and maintaining their college fees and other requirements will increase exponentially. Also, she's working on 50% pay-cut, and she still has to travel safely to her college. C) Stingray is already sold.

Originally Posted by GTO

But what I would strongly recommend is upping the budget and going for the S-Presso. Reliable, Maruti's backing, lovely engine + gearbox, different kind of styling, easy ingress / egress. Would pick this any day over the Alto which is quite long in the tooth now.

Thanks for your input, GTO.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Completely agree with everything. S Presso is the car to go for, unless BHPian Creative420 is not fine with its polarizing looks. Variant to variant, the S Presso was 30-50k more expensive than the Alto.

Space, Engine, Ride quality, Comfort, Safety(Yes I know we are talking about Marutis here)- Alto with its decades old architecture and engine can never be a match. Handling of S Presso is a bit nervous if you are not used to driving tall hatches. Take a Detailed TD of both and take an informed decision.

Congratulations in advance.

Regards,
Shashi

My sister doesn't really like the way it looks. But I guess, when functionality kicks in, looks take a backseat. My wife never really liked our Ritz when we picked it up back in 2013, but now, there's never even a mention. In fact, she praises it for its tall-boy design now which gives her a great view when stuck in traffic and is comfortable for my father-in-law who suffers from arthritis.

I will ask my sister to go and take a TD of S-Presso.

Thanks everyone for your inputs.
Namaste.

[anumod]

I would say to go with RediGo, the build quality is better than Kwid and ages well as well. My first cousin uses one and it completed 70K with no issues. No niggles till today. It is spacious, easy for the elderly to get in and get out. I believe for next 5 years, Nissan is going to be here, and I hope they will come back to the game with the new sub 4 M SUV (At least the looks are promising )

[aniketi]

Second hand is no no for you but for 3 Lacs you can really get well maintained Wagon R or Ritz, both are from segment above and give better car.

If only new, go for S-presso, its really a good car. It has everything you want.

[John316_WRC]

Option 1 - The Tiago(4 star) or Ignis(3 star?)

- A safer car will give you great peace of mind.
- Looking at her financial commitments and the past car ownership, she will keep the car for more than 10 years.

My advice is, as difficult it might seem initially please stretch the budget a little more & get the Tiago. (Or the Ignis base if you want a MS badge) Over a period of 10+ years a safer, solid & tough car will repay you back handsomely.

Option 2 - The Alto

Considering she simply won't spend more money, Alto makes the logical choice. She's already familiar with the 800 so this will be just as easy to own & drive.

Between the Alto & S-Presso, get the Alto. She already doesn't like the S-Presso's looks & you can pick up the cheaper car among them both.

[humyum]

I saw a 66 thousand discount on the Celerio as a new one is on the cards. Celerio is one fine little thing, has amazing high speed stability, looks good, tried and tested and most of all a Maruti.

It should touch somewhere near your budget, won't be 4 lakhs but with the discounts etc put together should be somewhere in the 4.5 region.

[Sounak04]

I feel Alto would be the best deal among the three. My uncle has an Alto and it has clocked close to 1,20,000 kms without any fuss in past 6 years. The servicing costs has been quite nominal till now and except a few rattles here and there, the car has really aged well. My uncle resides at a place where the roads are really bad and still the Alto has never given him any issues.

Redi-go with its new facelift, really looks awesome. I was going through the photos and the Car really looks good with those L Type DRLs. Even the Interior has been given a makeover and new interior, with the Touchscreen really looks wonderful. But the Nissan-Datsun Brand has almost Zero presence in India. Also, the service centers of Nissan is very difficult t find and the servicing quality is also not the best. So, i guess it is best avoided.

Kwid is again an awesome. Good interiors and a smart exterior does make a strong point for the Kwid. But as GTO mentioned, Kwids does not age that well. Also, i recently took a Test Drive of that car and the Engine was not at all Impressive. It was Loud and did not really had the Punch of Alto's Engine. Renault's after sales is better than Nissan, but it is nothing as compared to other brands.

I feel Alto is the best buy if space is not a constraint. Otherwise, even S-Presso can be considered though it might go a bit above 4L.