[asitkde]

I am a new member of Team-BHP. I am 48 and a scientist (professor at the Saha Inst. of Nuclear Physics). My wife works for a renowned software firm in Kolkata. Our son, 16, was in the Bengal under 17 cricket squad last season and has just passed his CBSE X with flying marks.

We are in the lookout for a new car and that's why we have been surfing quite a lot in the net recently. That's when we came across Team-BHP and found many discussion forums quite interesting, to say the least. Last night, I decided to become a member myself.

Right now, we own a WagonR LXi which is slightly more than 3 years old. It's a lovely trouble free car.

I was outside India for more than 13 years for my masters, doctorate and post-doctoral work. My first car was a new Ford Escort 1.6 that I bought in 1983 when still a masters student in the US on a special promotion offered by Ford to some students throughout the US. Then I sold it off and bought a new Toyota Celica GT in 1986, one of the two best cars I have owned.

I sold off my Celica in 1988 because I was going to Germany with my newly married wife and there I bought an used (5 year old) Opel Ascona. After the Ascona had to be totalled after an old lady hit it front-on, in 1992 we had to buy an used (4 year old) Ford Escort 1.4. Both the Ascona and the Escort travelled across Europe a few times. The European Escort was far better than the one I bought new in the US.

Towards the end of 1992, we (including our 1.5 year old son) moved to the US again and promptly on arrival bought a new Nissan Sentra GXE, my best car so far.

Since we came back to India at the end of 1994, I have bought first an used (3 yr old) Omni and then a new 800 (1999) and finally the new WagonR in 2004.

I have driven a few lakhs of kms so far in my life and have driven expensive cars like Lexus, Lincoln Town car etc on rental basis in the US.

Among the cars I have TD'd this time around:
Alto: too small & too powerless.
Zen: soft suspension and not so stable at speeds above 80.
Santro: quite okay, but heard about too many horror stories about service from friends and on the net.
Indica D: spacious, but too many doubts in the mind about switching to D.
Palio stile 1.1: very good all around. Hearing a lot of bad things (rumours?) about the car. I know their service was poor.

Spark: I haven't driven it. Sounds overpriced.

A bit confused, you might say. You got a pretty good idea of our budget. Any help would be welcome.

[shuvd]

Welcome to tbhp sir. Wow, another member from Kolkata!
Hope you enjoy your stay here.
WRT Hyundai service, its pretty good in Kolkata. Have a Hyundai and am quite happy with their service net.

[planet_rocker]

Welcome Asit da! enjoy your stay here. a very nice detailed introduction.
do go through the rules of posting. take care.

[DerAlte]

Recht herzliches willkommen, Herr Doktor De - we hope to hear some of your travelogues!

Which part of Germany were you in? Were you at Max Planck Institute Stuttgart?

[akroy]

Welcome Sir, incidently my dad and you share the same name... My alma-mater (IIT Kanpur) and SINP goes hand-hand...many students do a lots of research work there...

Abhi

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by akroy

Welcome Sir, incidently my dad and you share the same name... My alma-mater (IIT Kanpur) and SINP goes hand-hand...many students do a lots of research work there...

Abhi

You dad is also called sitkede? Strange are the ways of the world! "Yeh duniya utpatanga, kitthe hath te kitthe tanga..."!!!

EDIT: PS - Kolkata must be a strange place. Even on T-BHP Kolkata chapter there is a lot of shuv'ing, in c and d variants, no less!

[akroy]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

You dad is also called sitkede? Strange are the ways of the world! "Yeh duniya utpatanga, kitthe hath te kitthe tanga..."!!!

EDIT: PS - Kolkata must be a strange place. Even on T-BHP Kolkata chapter there is a lot of shuv'ing, in c and d variants, no less!

Dude, your comments sounds sarcastic...
FYI, his name is Asit K De, My father's name is Asit too.....Wonder how did u conclude his handle name is my dad's real name...
See reply from others u will know what his real name is...

I also wonder what made u think Kolkata is a strange place !!!

Abhi

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Maruti is planning a new version of Wagon R next year. This month's Indian Auto has that on the cover. Wait for it? Or wait for SX4 to establish itself a bit in the market? If you like long distance you could certainly look at the Esteem.
I still can't believe that you lived for 13 years abroad and the first car you chose after return was an Omni ?!? I always feel so unsafe in an Omni, not because it doesn't have the crumple zone but because the brakes don't work. Probably the Omni's I have driven have all been owned by tour operators and commercial people. What's your opinion Asitda?
Abhijit - I think DerAlte was just trying to be joking. Chill

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by akroy

Dude, your comments sounds sarcastic...
FYI, his name is Asit K De, My father's name is Asit too.....Wonder how did u conclude his handle name is my dad's real name...
See reply from others u will know what his real name is...

I also wonder what made u think Kolkata is a strange place !!!

Abhi

@AKRoy, heartfelt apologies if you felt that the comments were offensive - they were not at all meant to be so. Peace!

I knew that the first name was Asit and THAT was what you were referring to - I was indulging in word play, which, however was lost in writing as it looks like.

Kolkata is no stranger than any other place - it is how we see humour in coincidences in words and "handles". Some do, some don't, but we all live in harmony, warts and all. Once again, Peace!

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

Maruti is planning a new version of Wagon R next year. This month's Indian Auto has that on the cover. Wait for it? Or wait for SX4 to establish itself a bit in the market? If you like long distance you could certainly look at the Esteem.
I still can't believe that you lived for 13 years abroad and the first car you chose after return was an Omni ?!? I always feel so unsafe in an Omni, not because it doesn't have the crumple zone but because the brakes don't work. Probably the Omni's I have driven have all been owned by tour operators and commercial people. What's your opinion Asitda?
Abhijit - I think DerAlte was just trying to be joking. Chill

If you look at the pathetic replacement of the very competent old Zen, looking at 'new' versions of the smaller Suzuki's would be a disappointment. SX4, on the other hand, is an apt replacement for the venerable Baleno - and is swanking new ground up. Of course, the difference in prices makes one think many times. You don't have to wait for it to establish itself, because the worries - problems and service - are not an issue with established players like Suzuki. New manufacturers - definitely.

And thanks Sudipto, yes, I was joking about the coincidences in the earlier post. One would be crazy to offend other denizens of a forum - after all it brings us together, even if in the virtual world. Having to be very serious at all other times of the day, this is one place I can indulge in humour.

[akroy]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

@AKRoy, heartfelt apologies if you felt that the comments were offensive - they were not at all meant to be so. Peace!

I knew that the first name was Asit and THAT was what you were referring to - I was indulging in word play, which, however was lost in writing as it looks like.

Kolkata is no stranger than any other place - it is how we see humour in coincidences in words and "handles". Some do, some don't, but we all live in harmony, warts and all. Once again, Peace!

Ok no probs... ...Peace and chilling...

Abhi

[theMAG]

asitkde,

Welcome. You'll find some of your distinguished types here as in member Ram.

[adhiraj]

@ asitkde,

First, welcome to TBHP and enjoy your stay. Secondly feels good to see another kolkatan joining the bandwagon. what say guys??

Sir your choice seems to be confined in small cars, is it on purpose??. If so you can definitely look at Hyundai Getz as an option. As shuvd pointed out, hyundai has a very good reputation for services etc. Am a user of accent & to be honest am very happy with their services. I was disgusted with Bothra Fords work and attitude for the previous car,ford Ikon. If your chioce is strechable to sedan, then you can definitely look at Maruti SX4 or since u have been more or less used Ford, you can also try out the Fiesta.(but again the maintainance for ford is still high).

[Sudipto-S-Team]

DerAlte
By establishing a product in the market, I didn't really mean service issues etc. I know Maruti will never have those problems. But Maruti does have problems establishing new vehicles in the market. Alto was the last successful launch from Maruti. They failed with Versa (only Amitabh and his son ride it and that too in commercials), they had problem with Baleno (despite it being a very good car). The Estillo looks like doomed. Unless a vehicle is successful in the market - meaning lots of people buy it and swear by it - a vehicle's resale value dips like anything even if it is a good vehicle otherwise. I have suffered with my Peugeot 309. It was a brilliant car but no takers when I wanted to sell it.
SX4 has everything going for it but I would still wait for at least six months before I consider buying it.
I love the Getz. If I ever bought a hatch it would be Getz. But I prefer three boxes.
By the way, do you know anyone who bought the first lot of Indica's? Telco used the Indian consumers as gunieapigs and launched V2 after negative market feedback. You can get away with these only in India.
Sudipto

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

DerAlte
Unless a vehicle is successful in the market - meaning lots of people buy it and swear by it - a vehicle's resale value dips like anything even if it is a good vehicle otherwise.

You have a good point there, Sudipto. Yes, from the resale point of view a car's success is important. But today in India the pre-owned arm of all the car companies usually offer a good deal - which was unheard of before. One needs to drive a hard bargain, but you can get a price for the old vehicle what you would have got from an individual buyer, without the risks. And, if you are buying the next vehicle from that manufacturer, it is easier.

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

By the way, do you know anyone who bought the first lot of Indica's? Telco used the Indian consumers as gunieapigs and launched V2 after negative market feedback. You can get away with these only in India.
Sudipto

Not really. Remember Ralph Nader and the 'lemons'? Today, the international manufacturers do a 'recall' if they have done a boo-boo, though one is yet to see it in India. On the other hand, Tata's can't become sophisticated overnight - the key is quick turnaround of quality of subsequent lots and taking good care (good A.S.S.) of the ones who dared to buy the nascent lots. And they have done it well enough - there are very few dissatisfied Indica owners.