[sagpatel]

I am in the market to replace my 6.5 year old fabia with an automatic hatch/compact sedan.
Car will be driven by my driver, me and elder brother. It will be used city/highway with 60:40 ratio. Need a spacious car. I, my brother and dad are 5'11" so headroom has to be generous as well.
Basic safety such as dual airbags, ABS, EBD is a must.
budget: 10L OTR mumbai

Cars considered:
1) Honda Jazz cvt: spacious car. Engine performance is decent. Also now with the launch of privilege edition you get touchscreen, reverse sensors, seat covers etc. one of the top contenders for my purchase currently.
2) Polo GT TSI DSG: I still considered it even though it crosses my budget of 10L because of build quality and that engine/gearbox combination is just fantastic. But mostly will not buy it because rear legroom is very cramped and also the fact my driver be driving half of the time so not willing to take risk with that notorious 7 speed DSG. If I was buying a car for purely myself there is nothing that beats this.
3) Ford Figo DCT: Again very good gearbox/engine but dual clutch has me worried.
4) Baleno cvt: Loaded with features and now comes in top alpha trim as well. But rear headroom is a problem with me being 5'11" my hear was touching the roof. Hence out of consideration.
5) Dzire AMT: I still have to TD this car but i am sure I wont like it because of AMT. I have driven tiago and zest AMT and found to be jerky and Expecting similar behavior in Dzire as well. But since my dad likes it I will at least have a look at it for his satisfaction.

Any more suggestions are most welcome.
It is very difficult to replace fabia with top quality materials used and that solid build quality. Only polo comes close in terms of build.
If I had to pick a manual I would have gone for nexon (I saw it at a ganpati pandal and was seriously impressed). But for automatic and with my budget I feel I have to make a compromise somewhere and I think that compromise is by going with jazz.

[autorahul]

Jazz is a very good and suits your needs quite perfectly. Proven CVT in a proven engine

In addition to the above cars, you can have a look at Ertiga AT. I have also been hearing of some great offers on Duster Petrol CVT. It was decently priced to start with and with these offers might just be in your budget.

Originally Posted by sagpatel

5) Dzire AMT: I still have to TD this car but i am sure I wont like it because of AMT. I have driven tiago and zest AMT and found to be jerky and Expecting similar behavior in Dzire as well. But since my dad likes it I will at least have a look at it for his satisfaction.

Don't go with this thought. You will definitely not like it if you go with such prejudice.

[sagpatel]

Originally Posted by autorahul

Jazz is a very good and suits your needs quite perfectly. Proven CVT in a proven engine

We need a sub 4m car and ertiga and duster both are big (ertiga in length and duster is long and wide as well ) hence not considering cars greater than 4m in length.
I will go with an open mind when i go for TD of Dzire.

[shekatkar31]

So, we have finalized on the Ignis Delta 1.2 AT and will be booking the same over the weekend. As suggested, we will take the delivery sometime during the festive season.

The main reason is the drive quality and handling, accompanied by safety features as well as music system with Bluetooth, etc. Gi10 AT was not available for test drive and somehow, I was not very comfortable with their sales guys. Hence the decision against it.

Will update on the developments shortly

[sagpatel]

Finalizing between polo GT TSI or Ameo Highline plus DSG. I know earlier I said jazz is more practical but after having seen polo and jazz back to back, the Build quality of german is simply can not be ignored. So again confusion is still there but now between diesel and petrol. Getting around 30k off on GT TSI and around 50k off on Ameo Highline plus (can negotiate more on both I guess). Driving will be around 1300-1400 per month.
Ameo has typical diesel clatter at low speeds and turbo lag is also present. GT TSI didnt seem to have that. Confusion, confusion. Suggestions?

[mshirali]

All,

I'm in the market looking for a new car. Please share your thoughts on my dilemma.

Some history:
I own a 2003 esteem. I had it parked in my apartment garage for about 5 years, while I was out for a stint and I have it running again after tire, battery change and some service. It runs fine and to think of it, the cost of getting it back on it's wheels wasn't too hard on my wallet. However, it's becoming difficult to drive it at night now. The low stance of the car means the headlights of the oncoming vehicles startle you. In a city like Bangalore, most people tend to drive using the high beam all the time. Also, the number of potholes has gone up and at times the car just sinks into the bigger ones. I also have a kid now and I believe it's time to move to a safer and better equipped car (air bags, ABS etc).

Requirements:
* The car will be self-driven
* Office trip is about 20 km each way, but since I use the NICE road (similar to an expressway), I take about 20-25 mins to get to work. Jealous bunch?
* Weekend travel into the city
* Preferred automatic
* Low maintenance cost

Options considered:
* Honda Jazz CVT. This is great car. Functional, spacious and nice to drive. There is the rubber band effect, but I can live with it. My only gripe is when I was taking a sharp right close to home - I felt there was a blind spot. There is a small quarter glass cut into the front door and I'm not sure if this helps and requires getting used to. The other factors are that the V trim is not "fully" loaded, but the privilege edition that was launched might solve that drawback.
* Maruti Suzuki Baleno. I haven't driven the CVT but the diesel version. It felt very low on power, but the seating position felt just right. The quality of the interiors for me was a cut above the jazz. I feel I'm leaning towards the baleno just because of the better experience.
* VW POLO GT TSI: When I was on assignment, I drove a VW Jetta for a while. It's a wonderful car to drive and own - but it's hard on the wallet. This is primarily why I'm staying away from VW. Also, the reliability issues with the DSG gear box is not something I want to take on at this point of time.

Confusion:
* Should I consider the upcoming Ecosport? Considering I can wait a few months - is that something I should consider too? I have been waiting for a concrete date - but there hasn't been one yet formally announced.
* Should I get the Baleno diesel or the Baleno CVT (on-road Bangalore price is the same for both of these) and I drive roughly 40 km each day. But I didn't like the diesel motor that much and I haven't driven the petrol motor yet. Although numbers for petrol motor seem to indicate it should be better to drive.
* Should I consider waiting for the new S-cross 1.3. The 1.6 is definately out of the question due to the steep cost even though it's something that Maruti launches.

Please help clear the confusion.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by mshirali

Confusion:
* Should I consider the upcoming Ecosport? Considering I can wait a few months - is that something I should consider too? I have been waiting for a concrete date - but there hasn't been one yet formally announced.
* Should I get the Baleno diesel or the Baleno CVT (on-road Bangalore price is the same for both of these) and I drive roughly 40 km each day. But I didn't like the diesel motor that much and I haven't driven the petrol motor yet. Although numbers for petrol motor seem to indicate it should be better to drive.
* Should I consider waiting for the new S-cross 1.3. The 1.6 is definately out of the question due to the steep cost even though it's something that Maruti launches.

Please help clear the confusion.

As of now, the simplest option is to book Baleno CVT right now, if possible the Alpha model, as the features give a whole different experience. While you wait, which could be 2-3 months at least, both S-Cross and Ecosport facelifts will be announced and you can make your decision. S-Cross especially is a whole different beast and should be worth a look if priced well.

Your running seems to be around 1000 km a month, which doesn't justify the need for diesel motor. But if you are interested in good diesel options, Ford Aspire jumps right off the page. Top variant also has 6 airbags. Test Drive it on the NICE road. That should be a good experience.

[grease.monkey]

The Best, Reliable Auto Hatch For An Enthusiast?

Hello,

I'm based in Kochi, Kerala. Being an auto enthusiast, I'm more leaned towards manual transmission (I currently drive a 1.6 S-Cross), but the present scenario in the city is quite too much to take. The traffic and the road conditions here, is getting worse by the day. At one point, I even thought about picking up a used Thar, thanks to the road conditions, hooligan bus drivers and auto-wallas

Anyway, coming back, my requirements are :

1) Hassle free auto GB and not so expensive maintenance.
2) I intend to keep the car for sometime, say for at least 5 years. So reliability is a concern.
3) Petrol.
4) Responsive enough engine for occasional spirited/highway driving. I'll be going for a full FFE, replacement filter and a tune up (if possible), once the engine runs in. These mods shouldn't worry the transmission too.
5) Budget? 7-10.5 Lakhs OTR.

Cars falling under my budget :

1) VW Polo GT TSI : This car needs no intro. The explosive 1.2L turbocharged engine mated to a 7 Speed DSG is the perfect package for an enthusiast. But the DSG woes are keeping me away from it. If not for that, I would have bought the GT with my eyes closed.

2) Ford Figo 1.5 : 1.5L NA is powerful. This car also has a dual clutch GB, although not as impressive as the DSG. The gear-changing switch on the gear knob looks quite funny and would take time to get used to. Again, I was told about a few Ford GB failures too. I'm not sure how far it is true. I also heard, Ford is giving 10 year warranty for the GB. True?

3) Hyundai i20 1.4 : A pretty decent car, but quite expensive. And only 4 forward gears. Skip!

4) Hyundai Grand i10 : Okay, I know this is a huge step down to the NA 1.2, but the engine isn't so bad. Gets the job done. It isn't explosive as the TSI or the Figo, but it has decent power for city use. But again, only 4 gears. No, thank you!

5) Honda Jazz : Well, not a fan of CVT and the top end with paddles is quite expensive. I find the 1.2L engine under-powered too.

6) Honda Brio : Close to 8Ls for a car with almost zero boot and a CVT? Next.

7) Suzuki Ignis 1.2 : This car is a mixed package. The front looks amazing with the projector HLs and the DRLs, side profile is acceptable and the rear, umm well, I'm not a fan. With wide rubber on aftermarket wheels, this car would definitely stand out. The 1.2 engine is also revv friendly and peppy. AMT isn't that lousy either.

8) Suzuki Baleno : Again, a CVT.

9) Nissan Micra : Same as above and under-powered.

So it's GT TSI Vs Figo Vs Ignis. Please help. Other options and advice are also welcome.

Cheers

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by grease.monkey

The Best, Reliable Auto Hatch For An Enthusiast?

Other options and advice are also welcome.

Cheers

If it's reliability you seek, nothing can beat a Torque Converter / CVT box.

But the one's you have shortlisted are DSG / DCT / AMT, which have a history of failure and quite a few threads in TBHP are dedicated to them.

Also you have mentioned that you plan to do a few mods.

Below is my take on your choices:

GT TSI - fun yes, reliability ?

Figo 1.5 - fun ?, reliability ?

i20 - fun No, reliability Yes - absurdly priced mid of the line variant is best avoided

i10 - fun No, Reliability yes - AT variant does not get full safety features, should be avoided

Jazz - fun No, reliability yes

Brio - fun yes, reliability yes - has great mod potential, and has a 5 speed TC box


Ignis - Fun ?, reliability too early to comment

Baleno - fun No, Reliability yes

Micra - does it even come with an AT box now?


The car satisfying all your conditions (reliable, fun, mod potential, Auto box) is the Brio (and it's not a CVT - the Brio comes with a 5 speed TC box. Amaze onwards Honda provides CVT)

[grease.monkey]

Originally Posted by blackasta

If it's reliability you seek, nothing can beat a Torque Converter / CVT box.

But the one's you have shortlisted are DSG / DCT / AMT, which have a history of failure and quite a few threads in TBHP are dedicated to them.

Also you have mentioned that you plan to do a few mods.

Below is my take on your choices:

GT TSI - fun yes, reliability ?

Figo 1.5 - fun ?, reliability ?

i20 - fun No, reliability Yes - absurdly priced mid of the line variant is best avoided

i10 - fun No, Reliability yes - AT variant does not get full safety features, should be avoided

Jazz - fun No, reliability yes

Brio - fun yes, reliability yes - has great mod potential, and has a 5 speed TC box


Ignis - Fun ?, reliability too early to comment

Baleno - fun No, Reliability yes

Micra - does it even come with an AT box now?


The car satisfying all your conditions (reliable, fun, mod potential, Auto box) is the Brio (and it's not a CVT - the Brio comes with a 5 speed TC box. Amaze onwards Honda provides CVT)

Thanks a lot for your inputs. I went through a few AMT, DCT threads on TBHP and I'm considering the Brio now. I've made peace with the lack of boot, reliability is my primary concern. Plus the new one looks really good with the refreshed interiors. I was under the impression that the Brio came with CVT. Does the third gen CRV (2008) have a TC as well?

Although I have a query. Pardon me if I'm being naive, but would there be any issues (because of the TC) with engine mods (ECU upgrade, FFE, upgraded air intake) in the auto Brio? This is going to be my first automatic car, hence the doubt Since I'm considering to keep the car for a while, I'll definitely do it up over time.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by grease.monkey

Thanks a lot for your inputs. I went through a few AMT, DCT threads on TBHP and I'm considering the Brio now. I've made peace with the lack of boot, reliability is my primary concern. Plus the new one looks really good with the refreshed interiors. I was under the impression that the Brio came with CVT. Does the third gen CRV (2008) have a TC as well?

Although I have a query. Pardon me if I'm being naive, but would there be any issues (because of the TC) with engine mods (ECU upgrade, FFE, upgraded air intake) in the auto Brio? This is going to be my first automatic car, hence the doubt Since I'm considering to keep the car for a while, I'll definitely do it up over time.

Everything you would want to know on modifying a Brio - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ty-engine.html

I have very limited knowledge on modding - but air intake / FFE should not ideally hamper the functionality of the gearbox. But ECU / TCM upgrade definitely will. Again - I have very limited knowledge.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by grease.monkey

Although I have a query. Pardon me if I'm being naive, but would there be any issues (because of the TC) with engine mods (ECU upgrade, FFE, upgraded air intake) in the auto Brio? This is going to be my first automatic car, hence the doubt Since I'm considering to keep the car for a while, I'll definitely do it up over time.

Brio still comes with a TC afaik. However to be honest performance of the automatic brio is a dud. I had a manual brio before my GT TSI as a daily driver for the city and even that is not even remotely close to the stock GT in performance, refinement and in general the feeling of niceness in a car.

After a simple remap and intake/exhaust, the GT is a seriously fun hatchback which pretty much no honda sold in India can touch in the performance stakes. In fact there's nothing other than the Punto Abarth and the GTI/octavia that is remotely close to it.

If performance is the criteria, nothing will satisfy you more than the GT. Yes the reliability question will always be up in the air but hey you only live once .

[aerohit]

^ obviously Tsi is a turbo charged vehicle, so it has more torque

Originally Posted by Oxy

The Brio AT might be worth a look too. It comes with a proper 5-speed torque converter.

Thanks a ton. Wife is sold on the Baleno, still waiting for it.

4 speed auto, not 5

Originally Posted by shekatkar31

So, we have finalized on the Ignis Delta 1.2 AT and will be booking the same over the weekend. As suggested, we will take the delivery sometime during the festive season.

Ignis is AMT, not MT, unless you were referring to the same.

Originally Posted by grease.monkey

The Best, Reliable Auto Hatch For An Enthusiast?

6) Honda Brio : Close to 8Ls for a car with almost zero boot and a CVT? Next.

Brio is a great car, the updated version only makes things better. You cant go wrong with reliability.
I have added 20K in 2 years, Zero rattles, except minor rattle on driver window glass, i take care of the car otherwise.
Its not the most powerful but it gives less driving fatigue due refined engine .
Mods are easy and will not cause any issues in an AT.

Brio is not a CVT in India, its a real 4 speed AT (a torque convertor, though it is slower than the manual version)
In thailand and indonesia it has CVT instead, not sure why they dont bring cvt in India, should have sold more volumes.

CVT will give you better city mileage than an AT

[crdi]

Originally Posted by aerohit

4 speed auto, not 5


Brio is not a CVT in India, its a real 4 speed AT

Did the brio AT have a gear box change? Our official review mentions it to be a 5 speed one, with detailed info about the gear ratios.

[aerohit]

Originally Posted by crdi

Did the brio AT have a gear box change? Our official review mentions it to be a 5 speed one, with detailed info about the gear ratios.

sorry, it is 5 speed