[carthick1000]

A good family friend contacted me to ask which one among the 2 should their family (grandmother, mother, daughter & dog) choose. Naturally, I am turning to our fellow bhp-ians to seek help.

Honda Jazz V CVT (10.5L INR) vs Tata Altroz XTA (10.2L INR). Both are on-road prices in Madurai.

As you can see, they already went through space+design+specs+prices of most of the cars in the segment and shortlisted the above 2. The family had an Innova (chaffeur driven), which was used by the father, who passed away last year (COVID). They don't want to keep the innova as it is gathering dust and they would like to have a small car so that it can be driven by mother and daughter. The use case is mostly within city and very rarely outside. They would like to buy new.

Questions:

1. Which one among the 2 will give them peace of mind when it comes to long term ownership (7~10 years)?
2. Which one will be durable and interiors intact after 5 years? (I presume this question comes from their innova past as it remained mint even after 10 years)
3. Both are new drivers. So which one should have much better drive-ability for novice drivers?
4. The dog goes out with them for some local as well as outstation trips. So which will be a better car?
5. Other than the considered questions, should they ask more questions themselves before finalizing?

Some reasons what is holding them back/leading them to one over the other:

Altroz over Jazz:

• Safety (on paper)
• Newer model
• Price

Jazz over Altroz

• Rear space
• Automatic (proven Jazz CVT > new Altroz DCA)
• Positive feedback from friends (including myself)

Thanks on behalf of her family.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Jazz is too old to be recommended nowadays. Never know when it may be discontinued. It no longer has its USP (magic seats) either.

Altroz is a damn good car and the automatic is superbly well tuned. If the choice is down to these two, decision should be simple and straightforward in favour of the Tata.

A possible alternative can be the iMT equipped Kia Sonet.

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

A possible alternative can be the iMT equipped Kia Sonet.

Thanks.

Excuses, I missed in the original post, the budget is 10L +/- 1L and the strict upper limit of 11L prices in Madurai. Looks like Sonet iMT starts over 11.4L

[Rajeevraj]

Between the two, I think it has to be the Altroz. It is a newer, crash tested, high on features car and perfectly suitable for the use case mentioned. Feature like Auto Park Lock will be very useful for relatively newer drivers.

On the down-side, as you mentioned, the Dual Clutch is a new one and most dual clutch systems whether from VAG Group, Ford or Hyundai have had a history of reliability issues. Having said that, since this is wet clutch setup, it should be more reliable and suitable for Indian conditions.

The Altroz seems to be the perfect choice.

[lamborghini]

I may go against the tide and pick the Jazz : It is safe, light controls & easy to maintain, good visibility for city driving, has good ingress & egress & seating comfort for all age groups as well.

The Altroz is a great car, but the Jazz would be easier to live with for a non enthusiast family.

Another option I would consider is the Tigor EV.

[Porcupine]

A few years ago I'd say Jazz just because they're both new drivers and it is a very easy car to drive in the city.

Today, I'd say Altroz, it's newer, fresher, crash tested. About the transmission, the dual clutch no matter what people say is a tried and tested technology. Since the car is also newer it will still be around and relevant for at least the near future.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by carthick1000

- Which one will give them peace of mind when it comes to long term ownership (7~10 years)?
- Which one will be durable and interiors intact after 5 years? (I presume this question comes from their innova past as it remained mint even after 10 years)
- So which one should have much better drive-ability for novice drivers?
- Other than the considered questions, should they ask more questions themselves before finalizing?

If I were them, I'd go with the Jazz CVT. Peace of mind long term ownership, can be tended to at any FNG should Honda close down, and a super easy car to drive.

I'll also throw the new Baleno into the mix, if they're okay with an AGS (AMT).

[padmrajravi]

It should be the Jazz. The Tata will make them visit the service center more than the Jazz. An Innova family just will not get comfortable with a Tata. For that reason alone, I will pick Jazz.

[sreerknair]

Will never recommend a TATA car for them. Whatever safety Altroz has, it is almost sure that the car will face some niggles within one year itself. Due to the reliability, high seating position, good interior space, safety and good visibility I will recommend Jazz CVT. Jazz too is crash tested with a 4 star rating and stable body shell.

[Eddy]

Lady driven & lady passengers - I would place a premium on reliability. I would also bet on CVT instead of an AMT.

If you ask me - the Jazz is an obvious answer. Chances are, they will be happier dealing with Honda than Tata given that the family has experienced Toyota.

[ABHI_1512]

Having gone trough the post where the choice is between a Jazz and an Altroz and the talk is about Automatics, I would happily throw the new Baleno into the mix. Have had the pleasure of travelling in a new Baleno, owned by fellow BHPian Mi2n and it was wonderful to say the least. Loaded to the gills with all the bells and whistles along with top notch safety features, the Baleno is a pleasant surprise. The shifts are smooth and mileage figures are impressive as well.

This is probably my second post in What Car section which I usually don’t jump in but couldn’t resist this time !!

P.S- Jazz anyday over Altroz if that helps in anyway when it comes to choosing between them.

[androdev]

CVT with light steering is the way to go. That spells Jazz to me.

[warrioraks]

Considering the family is comprised of three ladies, it is very hard to recommend a Tata even though the other product (Jazz) looks so dated. I would suggest a Honda or a Maruti which in this case translates to a Jazz or Baleno.

If I had to pick one out of the two, would be Baleno.

[Benoit]

Hi,
Greetings from fellow maduraikaran.

Mechanicals: given that Altroz DCA is not even a year old, I would recommend to stick with the proven Honda CVT. New technology from Tata is something you should stay away from. Jazz wins here.

Safety: Jazz is also pretty good on safety. I think it secured 4 stars. Also, given that the usage is mostly in city, and considering the average speed in madurai, difference between 4 and 5 star wouldn't matter much. Altroz wins here.

Service: From what I have heard, Sundaram Honda at periyar is pretty good and is located at the heart of the city. Shouldn't be much of a hassle to pay a visit. There are two tata service centers in Madurai: Chima Tata(Personal experience is very poor. I wouldn't recommend anyone to go there); Kaveri Tata(This one is new and they are pretty good). One important thing to consider is that, both are located at the outskirts of the city. Kaveri offers free pick up and drop though. Honda has a slight advantage.

Reliability: Except for unknowns like the DCA and some niggles, Tata Altroz is pretty reliable too. However jazz has been for quite a few more years in the market. Jazz wins here.

Comfort: Low speed ride quality sucks in Altroz. It has stiff suspension meant for the highways and would be very inconvenient to live with. From what I have read, Jazz is more comfort oriented. Jazz wins again.

Relevance: a few years down the line, I am not sure how relevant jazz would be, but Altroz would be more relevant than Jazz. Altroz wins here.

If the requirement is for a diesel manual and the usage is mostly in highways, I would recommend the Altroz. Since its a petrol auto, my recommendation is to go ahead with the Honda Jazz.

[colcol]

It is true that the Jazz is now dated in terms of the latest features, but, in my opinion, if one values quality, reliability and peace of mind over the entire ownership lifecycle, it is still the best option in the segment, especially if one is buying an automatic. My main concern would be the impact on resale value if the the model is discontinued, given the very low volumes the car is selling. However, if one intends to keep the car over a long period, that should not be a deal breaker.

If the VX variant is out of budget, I would suggest installing an infotainment system that supports Android Auto/ Apple Car Play for on-screen navigation, reverse parking etc.