[SN88]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Maruti Suzuki Ignis fits your bill. It's a nice, fuzz free car. Looks good too (At least I think so). It's no non sense car and your dad will be really happy with it.

Thank you for the suggestion but my dad cannot get his head around quirky designs.

Originally Posted by AKSarkar1

Firstly kudos to your dad as I don't know many people who are 70 years young and still prefer to drive!

Since you already have a Tiguan in the garage I would say avoid going in for another VW Polo for the following reasons:

Lastly, any specific reason why you want to go in for a Manual? I'm sure daily driving a modern automatic would be far more pleasurable and convenient for an elderly gentleman such as your dad. In the 8 lakhs OTR price bracket there would be nice automatic pre-worshipped options too.

Thank you for your kind words. He enjoys doing his own work and just needs a reason to get out of the house even for things the driver can do lol.
Well even he is not keen on the polo so that option is out.
Dad just prefers a manual with no particular reasons actually. Honestly it is his choice. Like I said he knows how to drive an automatic. What I understand is probably that economic daily run cars with automatic gears feel a bit boring compared to a manual perhaps. The same cannot be said with DSG'S of course and as he is looking for a very simple "just around the corner run" car, a manual makes sense for him.

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Glad to see a 70 year old MT fan. .
OP mentioned he had accesses to AT but still prefers the MT.
A true MT fan and an automotive purist.

I would recommend the Swift.
Fuss free and easy to own.
The slick MT and 1.2 combo.
The ZXI is almost in your budget else go with the Vxi.

The front seats and handling of the swift is way superior to the WagonR.

Well he comes from that mindset that a manual car gives you better control and much better feel etc. He doesn't drive much in traffic hence he feels this way
We had a swift a few years ago and though the car was very nice, he wouldn't want to repeat the purchase.

Originally Posted by drive2eternity

My family solved the exact same query ~2 years ago. Car for my just retired dad, maximum on-road budget 8 lacs, he wanted a manual petrol. And after some research we ended up buying the Jazz. Now, two years down the line it has been an absolutely perfect decision. It is spacious, fuss free and smooth to drive. My parents really appreciate the wide opening doors (both front and back) and also the generous boot space.

90% it is going to be the Jazz as well. Until now it ticks all the boxes for him. He loves the Honda NA engines and the smooth gear shifts.

[GreenerPlanet]

Ford Freestyle - a wonderful, smart, fun chuck-about car which is also very safe.

Also, after ford emphasis on sub-assembly parts, the overall costs of ownership is surprisingly low, because you can replace smaller subassemblies instead of a whole part.

Give it a dekkho - it beats jazz(your top contender) in styling and driving dynamics.

[Nithesh_M]

As a tall person I came very close to buying the Jazz last year but i didn't have a primary vehicle apart from my motorcycle and i needed something tall for my father and other aged relatives so went with Creta considering the fact that it was newer than the Jazz.

But i still look at how the Jazz does everything my Creta does in terms of space. So yeah I'd pick Jazz.

[chinmaypillay]

Based on your criteria, I would recommend WagonR or Ignis. Simple, ease of driving and all round visibility is great. The prices should come around in your budget and since the safety features are there from the base variant, this should not be a problem.

[Vin_Redline]

I think Honda Jazz would be the perfect fit. Smooth ride, refined, good visibility, minimalistic & spacious interiors, one of the safer cars in the segment. Already having a Honda City in your garage means he doesn't need much time getting used to his new ride. (though he might hate that the air-conditioning controls are touch and not knobs)

[kunalghogle]

I think Honda Jazz or Nios fits the bill perfectly. For tight spots Nios is easy to steer and park. IMHO Jazz will be better ergonomically and also in terms of ingress and egress.

[denny_ace]

Manuals are of course more engaging to drive. Top manual transmission choices:-

Ford Figo/Freestyle - 1.2l NA 3-cylinder dragon series engine, 96 bhp, good build quality and high on safety equipment, excellent ride & handling, slick gearbox & short throws. Fresh design relatively.

Honda Jazz - 1.2l NA 4-cylinder 89 bhp engine, more refined being a 4 cylinder engine, long term reliability of honda engines (you may have to stretch your budget a little).

Would be eager to know which one you chose eventually.

[SN88]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

As luck would have it, dad came across a 2018 Honda Wrv petrol MT in Pune done only 16k kms and picked it up. As the car will be stationed in Pune itself as I had mentioned in another post it seems perfect.

Seems it was a destressed sale and we got it for 7.5 lacs. We didnt negotiate as the seller quoted a reasonable price. Dad usually does not go for a used car, but seeing the condition and price of this one it just didn't make sense to say no. Got it checked through a trusted garage who also checked the company for service history, all ok.

Now the hassle of getting the ownership transfer done during lockdown starts. Mostly will get it done through an agent.

[funkyp]

I too am hunting for a car for my dad who is 70+. He had a Jazz MT which he sold about 2 yrs back - didnt buy one because of the lockdown. The criteria for search:

1. Small, AT petrol hatchback - usage will be limited in Ahmedabad city, 1-2 times a week. Aggregate running <200 kms a month. Mostly with 2 people on board. Rear seat, luggage space not a concern.

2. Easy ingress & exit. Mom is also touching 70 & on the heavier side with knee issues.

3. Fuss free ownership, comfortable, easy to drive in city (small footprint is better) - dad isnt much of a driving enthusiast - just needs a point A to B vehicle.

Budget under 10 lakhs OTR.

Current car of choice is the Grand i10 Nios. Glanza is the other contender - however, dad would prefer the nios for the smaller footprint.

Any other recommendations here I should get him to try?

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by funkyp

I too am hunting for a car for my dad who is 70+. He had a Jazz MT which he sold about 2 yrs back - didnt buy one because of the lockdown. The criteria for search:

Since ingress-egress might be an issue, look no further than a Maruti WagonR. The tall-boy in it's ZXI AT variant is easily available for about ₹7L. It's pretty spacious and fits your criteria perfectly.

If he's not comfortable with the WagonR due to any reason whatsoever, your next best choices are the Tiago followed by the Nios.

[Gorkey]

I think the honda will be the better choice. Although if he is an enthusiast like you I bet he'll like the polo 1.0 tsi manual even more . Honda's service is still better than VWs a huge margin Although their reliability has dropped this year. Honda will be a smooth ride while the polo will give some riding thrill. Good luck

[PetrolRider]

Here is one more Daddy issue (Warning - long post): -

Prologue:
In 2013, Dad upgraded to Chevy Sail UVA petrol from his trusted 9 year old Wagon-R (1.1 l). He mostly preferred it over other shortlisted ones, because of the seating arrangement was comfortable to his knee issues and also for the spacious interior. Moreover, it was a perfect fit to our garage. Dad was in fact happy with the performances, for some years.

Story begins:
Back to the story now, Dad, now in his late 70s had stopped driving for last 4 years. He has employed a full time driver, even though his usage of car has reduced a lot now. The car ran for 1200 KM total in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and in last 2 years it has significantly come down to around 300 KM in a year (yes, three hundred a year).

What is the issue?
The car is falling apart. Last year front tie rod and axle needed a major surgery and even after that the car would put a sailboat in pacific to shame. There are other issues popping up now and then. Over to that, there is a sever genuine part availability issue in Bhubaneswar and the major FNGs are not touching any Chevies now. Lesser said about the ASC the better.

The solution(s):
Solution 1> As previously thought, Dad would keep the car in just running condition and use Uber. But another Chinese import (Covid-19) has killed that thought.

Solution 2> Few days before, it was decided that, Dad would exchange this car (hopefully he can, 2nd hand market for used Chevy Sail is in negative in tier 2 cities now) for a new car. Presumably, it would relieve him from the maintenance and now turned bad ownership headache.

The Dilemma:
Obviously, what car and of-course what price.
Let me put down the criteria here:

• It would be chauffeur driven (abuse friendly)
• Running would be ultra low (after pandemic, probably1k Km per year), hence no point spending good money for a car cum decorative-piece.
• Dad has knee issues, he prefers foot-well depth would be minimal (rise of running board from inside car floor), also seat base closer to B-pillar.
• Petrol and Manual transmission (chauffeur driven). Loved an electric, but are too pricey for our kind of use.
• Lesser maintenance, good ASC, preferably 1 year service interval.
• Our garage length is 3.99 meter (yes it was done way before the 4 meter rule was introduced, call it foresight of my Dad )
• Big no to travel friendly company, we can't afford one more product whose maker would decide to pack their bags on one fine day and leave for a vacation permanently (aka GM / Ford).
• I, or anyone, would ever be able to persuade my Dad to buy another car after this. Rigidity of product is expected (sleep peacefully in the garage and jump to run, nah walk on a moment notice).
• Car would be mostly run in city within 20 KM radius, if Covid permits, it may see twice a year 60 KM Bhubaneswar - Puri circuit dash.

Plan is to change the car, either this year end or by mid next year. I have not decided on anything yet, but contemplating on B segment as Dad finds earlier generation i10 a bit cramped.

I want to be pampered with suggestions and thoughts of fellow BHPians, please don't hesitate at all.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by PetrolRider

I want to be pampered with suggestions and thoughts of fellow BHPians, please don't hesitate at all.

For that kind of running, I would refrain from spending on a car now.

But since you need a car, I would suggest Maruti Suzuki Ignis or Wagon R.

Both run on tried and tested K12 petrol NA engine. Decent performance, very good fuel economy and enough space. Both cars have pretty high seat bases, so seating, ingress and egress are no issues.

I would have suggested Tata Punch too. But it seems too expensive for the kind of usage your dad has.

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by PetrolRider

Here is one more Daddy issue (Warning - long post)

Considering he was comfortable with the seating arrangement of the Sail and had a WagonR before that, I'd recommend going back to the WagonR itself. It retains the tallboy characteristics from the earlier generations and gets the more than adequate K12 engine. Should be enough to be a city runabout.

Alternatively, do look at the Tata Tiago as well.

[jigar1791@gmail]

Originally Posted by PetrolRider

Here is one more Daddy issue

The solution(s):
Solution 1> As previously thought, Dad would keep the car in just running condition and use Uber. But another Chinese import (Covid-19) has killed that thought.

Better if your dad uses personal mobility than hailing an Ola/Uber on need basis. How much ever the Uber/Ola drivers claim their cars to be frequently sanitized or deep-cleaned, fact remains - it's still a taxi at the end of the day, being used by atleast 20 different people. Enough said!

Let me put down the criteria here:

• It would be chauffeur driven (abuse friendly)
• Running would be ultra low (after pandemic, probably1k Km per year), hence no point spending good money for a car cum decorative-piece.
• Dad has knee issues, he prefers foot-well depth would be minimal (rise of running board from inside car floor), also seat base closer to B-pillar.
• Petrol and Manual transmission (chauffeur driven). Loved an electric, but are too pricey for our kind of use.
• Lesser maintenance, good ASC, preferably 1 year service interval.
• Our garage length is 3.99 meter (yes it was done way before the 4 meter rule was introduced, call it foresight of my Dad )
• Big no to travel friendly company, we can't afford one more product whose maker would decide to pack their bags on one fine day and leave for a vacation permanently (aka GM / Ford).
• I, or anyone, would ever be able to persuade my Dad to buy another car after this. Rigidity of product is expected (sleep peacefully in the garage and jump to run, nah walk on a moment notice).
• Car would be mostly run in city within 20 KM radius, if Covid permits, it may see twice a year 60 KM Bhubaneswar - Puri circuit dash.

Plan is to change the car, either this year end or by mid next year. I have not decided on anything yet, but contemplating on B segment as Dad finds earlier generation i10 a bit cramped.

Your requirement SCREAMS of a WagonR. Ticks most of the criteria mentioned above, except the annual servicing one.

CNG or Petrol-only, either of them can suffice your needs, and your dilemma ends there