[Guna]

Originally Posted by Saanil

So what AT technology is there in i10/A-star/Dzire? Is there a name for it or should we just call them conventional AT? Also in terms of Fuel efficiency will CVT be the best (keeping other things constant)?

i10/A-Star etc are conventional autos (also know as Torque Converter based).
DSGs must be still more fuel efficient then the CVTs as the CVTs still use up some extra energy to pump the CVT fluid.

[Le Roi est mort]

Gents,
Am in a bit of a situation here. Looking to buy an AT hatch. Now the primary user of this car would be my wife. ( she feels most comfortable in an AT looking at the mumbai traffic lately)
I've been doing a lot of Test Driving lately, shortlisted a couple of choices which are as follows (in no specific order)

1. I10 AT Asta - Liked the drive experience, did well in city traffic conditions
2. Ford EcoSport AT - The Sales Agent at Navi Mumbai showroom does not have a test vehicle and has asked me to wait for like 6 months on this. Made me rule this option out.
3. A* - Bumpy test ride and space constraint made me a little uncomfortable. Handling was ok.
4. Polo GT TSI - Apparently the Sales guy made me turn away from this one - non availability of a test vehicle 3 times in a row and only 3 colors to choose from.
5. I20 - Feel it is a bit pricey.

So my predicament now is even though I am inclined to opt for an I10, looking at a lot of negative comments on the FE is making me think is this going to be a correct decision?

Any suggestions would be mighty appreciated.

[superbhikari]

Originally Posted by Le Roi est mort

Gents,
Am in a bit of a situation here. Looking to buy an AT hatch. Now the primary user of this car would be my wife. ( she feels most comfortable in an AT looking at the mumbai traffic lately)

I would suggest not to consider i10 for it ultra low FE. You didn't test drive - Brio VX AT, Micra CVT and Ritz AT.
If space is not a issue, A-star seems to be most economical VFM option otherwise Brio/Ritz/Micra are placed same pricewise with variation to the max of 30k. Polo TSI is too good but pricey. For once you may also consider Amaze S AT which is around 50k more than Brio AT, same width but better decent looking with a boot than Brio.

[supremeBaleno]

+1 to superbhikari. TD the other AT options in the market like Brio, Micra & Ritz.
Infact you could even try out the Dzire AT and AmazeAT too - though technically sedans, they are at best a hatch with a boot added.

Also, if you already have another car for highway use and this AT is just intended for city use for your wife, I would suggest :
- the AStar-AT (lesser space in rear and boot, but great FE and decent handling, comes with ABS and is the cheapest of the lot) or
- i10-AT (better in looks and interiors and space, but lower FE and costs more).

[iliketurtles]

The i10 was a great buy until several others started stepping into the market, and if you have concerns over the i10's fuel efficiency you would do well to not buy it since fuel efficiency is not its forte.

Surprised you haven't given the Brio or Amaze a go, like Superbhikari said. I wouldn't go for the i20 AT (despite the fact I own one and quite like it) since there are better options at that price point (namely the Polo GT TSI). Give the Honda's a go, I'm sure you'll like what you see.

[Le Roi est mort]

First up thanks for the responses. (superbhikari, supremebaleno & iliketurtles)
I hear you fellas and sorry I omitted the Honda's from the list - well it is only because I did visit their Navi Mumbai showroom and here is why they were not included.

• The Showroom did not provide me with the Brio AT Test Drive, made me take a spin on the Amaze AT instead - the OTR for this one is about 10 lakh if I remember it correctly. (the guy was hell bent on making me hate an Automatic all together)
• The second thing which ticked me off was when I spoke about discounts/ offers on the Brio AT - pat comes the reply "Sir, we're Honda and our cars are in demand so no discounts offered" and to top it all off they said it would be 4 months of waiting for the Amaze AT.

Nissan CVT
The nearest workshop/ dealer for Nissan is on the other end of town, now I do not wish to take that chance hence Nissan CVT is ruled out.

The i20 seems like a charm, however it is about 9.5 lakh OTR - bit beyond what I would like to shell out for a second car.

[esma1981]

Originally Posted by Le Roi est mort

The i20 seems like a charm, however it is about 9.5 lakh OTR - bit beyond what I would like to shell out for a second car.

The i20 A/T you are getting after spending about 9.5 lakhs is actually a trim lower than the fully loaded manual. I had actually booked the i20 which you are looking at, cancelled the booking and got the Polo GT. You can read about it on my initial ownership thread.

My second best choice would still be be Brio A/T. I say just swallow the bitter pill from Honda dealership. I don't think you will have much issues with Honda A.S.S.

[sgiitk]

Typically the AT is based on the second from top manual in terms of trim. Of course Hyundai are now offering other trim levels as well.

Having used Hyundai for over six years, and now a happy Honda owner I will prefer the latter any day.

Incidentally the i20 AT uses a 1.4 litre engine which is quite thirsty. When I last checked Hyundai were not offering any extended warranty options for this!

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Le Roi est mort

The second thing which ticked me off was when I spoke about discounts/ offers on the Brio AT - pat comes the reply "Sir, we're Honda and our cars are in demand so no discounts offered" and to top it all off they said it would be 4 months of waiting for the Amaze AT.

Funny the guys at Honda have still not learnt. Last time they said this was when the City was in prime form couple years ago and then Honda India almost slid into bankruptcy. Now with the Amaze sales shoring up the company/dealer's figures, they are back to their old ways. Anyway, I would suggest, you drop the Amaze-AT (this being a 2nd car) and instead try other dealers for a TD of the Brio-AT. Unlike the Amaze which is a huge hit, not many care for the Brio (atleast in South India) and you should be able to get a good deal.

If they bring up the "we are Honda, we don't give discounts" jingle again, just remind them of how they almost ended up being out of the market couple months ago.

[pradkumar]

Suzuki and Hyundai source their conventional 4-speed automatics from Jatco, which is a company that was formed after Nissan spun off its AT/CVT division:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatco

Jatco had considered India or Brazil for overseas expansion in 2012, but nothing came of it. Maruti would have not charged a premium if Jatco starts shop here. Nissan also sources their CVTs from them, but automatic car volumes being small, Jatco probably will take time to set up a base here. They are probably starting operations in Thailand next year and with the South East Asian free trade agreement, probably import duties will be lesser.

I drive a Dzire AT. It gives me a mileage of 12kmpl in urban conditions (lots of traffic), 13.5kmpl in semi-urban conditions and 16 or more on highways. This being a conventional 4 speed AT, the transmission shifts fairly OK unless you stop suddenly. When you stop suddenly and then try to build up speed, you can feel the transmission behaving at its worst.

The main disadvantages of Dzire AT is that it is a 4 speed AT compared to Honda Brio/Amaze, which is a 5 speed AT and Dzire AT doesn't come with airbags.

I shifted to an automatic because of a knee problem with my left leg.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Pradeep

Originally Posted by Saanil

So what AT technology is there in i10/A-star/Dzire? Is there a name for it or should we just call them conventional AT? Also in terms of Fuel efficiency will CVT be the best (keeping other things constant)?

[Saanil]

Originally Posted by Le Roi est mort

Gents,
Am in a bit of a situation here. Looking to buy an AT hatch.

Originally Posted by superbhikari

I would suggest not to consider i10 for it ultra low FE.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

+1 to superbhikari. TD the other AT options in the market like Brio, Micra & Ritz.

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

The i10 was a great buy until several others started stepping into the market

I have compiled below the Ex-Showroom prices (Mumbai) of the options you should consider. I did not get the price of Polo GT AT hence have not included it but I see that you have already considered it.

Ritz AT - 651,565
A-Star AT - 492,085
Dzire AT - 704,125
i10 Sportz AT - 555,118
i20 Sportz AT - 825,471
Brio VX AT - 649,949
Amaze S AT - 716,255
Amaze VX AT - 808,581
Nissan Micra XV CVT- 639,250

Originally Posted by pradkumar

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Pradeep

Thanks for the explanation. I guess the best thing would be to take a test drive of different cars and test them under different speed conditions. I would specifically like to test them on the highway to check out how do AT's perform at higher speeds. What according to you are the negatives of Dzire AT or AT in general apart from fuel efficiency?

[rr_zen]

I would suggest you look at both the Brio AT and the A-Star AT. If your better half is more of a newbie it makes sense to go for the A-Star. The Brio comes with all the bells and whistles from Honda, of course with a price. The A-Star on the other hand is pure value for money and does not disappoint either.

[Mr_Bean]

Under the maruti stable, the best automatic is found in astar. Technology wise, the one on ritz and dzire is inferior to astar.

Coming to nissan, considering their service/dealer network, I would not plonk close to 8 lakhs on a nissan micra AT. It is a big risk IMO no matter how good the gearbox is.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

. Unlike the Amaze which is a huge hit, not many care for the Brio (atleast in South India) and you should be able to get a good deal.

It is the same attitude when it comes to automatic, prior to booking the astar AT, I called up honda showrooms in Bangalore to enquire about brio AT.

There is not even a rupee discounts on the brio AT, none of the offers on the brio are applicable to AT, it will take 3 months for the car to arrive.

Honda showrooms in bangalore are not very enthusiastic to sell automatics

[yosbert]

Planning to join the automatic bandwagon with an eye on passing it on to wife once I buy the second car.
Below are my primary requirements.

1. Do not want to spend a lot of money on this. I am aware, this is kind of an oxymoronic statement since auto and cheap usually do not go in the same sentence.
2. Good efficiency, preferably in the early teens at least.
3. Ease of driving in the city (read bumper to bumper pothole filled Bangalore roads). Highway manners is not a lot of concern since I do not plan to take it there anyway.

The three cars I could think of that broadly fit the bill would be Brio, Micra CVT and A star. Of these, the first two will cost at least a couple of lakh more that A star. However the rear seat space of A star is a bit of concern. Can someone tell how it compares to Santro?
I also thought of going the pre-owned way, but there doesn't seem to be too many available.
Any other suggestions, options are most welcome.

[Mr_Bean]

Originally Posted by yosbert

The three cars I could think of that broadly fit the bill would be Brio, Micra CVT and A star. Of these, the first two will cost at least a couple of lakh more that A star. However the rear seat space of A star is a bit of concern. Can someone tell how it compares to Santro?
I also thought of going the pre-owned way, but there doesn't seem to be too many available.
Any other suggestions, options are most welcome.

I would suggest you astar for the following reasons:
1.) Mileage of 10km\litre and above in city conditions
2.) Proven car in the indian market for 3 years, VFM in its segment
3.) Brio and micra cost 2 lakhs more than the astar. No one would want to spend 7.5 lakhs on their second car.

I did a test drive with my wife(5 feet 7 inches tall) sitting at the back seat & the driver seat pushed back to my comfort (I am 5 feet 11 inches tall). She was pretty comfortable during the city commute, I would suggest you do the same before taking a call. Also the rear seats on the astar are wider compensating for the lack of leg room.

I booked an astar automatic 2 weeks back, if you have any more clarifications, I can PM my number.