[iamitp]

Hello fellow BHPians,

I am in search of a car that suits my family's needs, and I would highly appreciate your valuable suggestions. Our requirements are as follows:

The primary usage will be for daily commutes between Delhi and Greater Noida, along with city driving. We do not have any plans for outstation trips with this vehicle.
My father will be the primary driver, while my mother will be a regular passenger.
The car should be easy to access for both entry and exit. Though my father doesn't have any mobility issues, we would like a car that is convenient for them to use. Additionally, it should have ample storage space for groceries and other items, as my parents frequently shop and shuttle around.
Fuel efficiency is essential, as the car will be used for daily commutes.
We have a preference for an automatic transmission.
Safety is a priority, and we would like the car to have an Android Auto-compatible infotainment system. My father isn't overly concerned with additional features and technology, but basic comfort is necessary.
The car should be affordable and easy to maintain, with low service costs.
We are open to considering pre-owned cars as well, as long as they meet our requirements and offer the best value for our budget. We currently own a Creta DCT, which can be used to supplement the new car when needed.

Thank you in advance for your recommendations and insights!

[Aakash118]

Since the car is gonna be city driven only, an EV makes sense, pick between Tiago EV & Nexon EV depending on budget. If you don’t want to go for an EV, consider Sonet D AT. It also matches most of the requirements.

[iamitp]

Originally Posted by Aakash118

Since the car is gonna be city driven only, an EV makes sense, pick between Tiago EV & Nexon EV depending on budget. If you don’t want to go for an EV, consider Sonet D AT. It also matches most of the requirements.

Dad being a non-tech guy is still sceptical about EVs (charging/batteries), and would be more at peace with a petrol engine. Also would prefer something in the lower price range (sub Rs. 8 lakhs)

[drsachin]

Sir I think you are out of luck specially in present times.
There are not many safe cars in sub8Lakh and which is automatic transmission too. Even the pre owned car market is on fire and priced atrociously too.

Still I would like to give some suggestions.
Look for a pre-owned Toyota Yaris , 4th generation Honda city, Ford Ecosport.

I specifically suggested Toyota Yaris for a reason.
It fits all your requirements. It's a safe car most variants have 6 Airbags as standard. Although not crash tested in India but outside India NCAP results have been good. You may also find some variants with both front and rear parking sensors.
Toyota Yaris had far better build quality then honda City, so even a high mileage car would not rattle or may not require much work on pre-owned car. It's fuel efficient and being a Toyota would be reliable too

Somehow sedans are not much in demand and Toyota Yaris as a product failed big time in India , so even in pre-owned market their prices are not too atrocious.

You may be able to find a 2018/2019 Toyota Yaris CVT for 7 to 9 Lakhs.

You will need to change Head unit to an aftermarket one for Android Auto for another 10-20000. 2020 model i think had Android Auto

[DCEite]

Please get the TATA Punch.

Its 5 star GNCAP, reasonably decent engine and performance, reliability is generally good with the tried and tested Revotron too.

Ease and egress is very good too.

Only grouse is the Automatic comes in AMT avatar, so if you are ok with AMT (please ask your dad to test drive AMT on the punch extensively first), go with it.

Otherwise if AMT is out of your radar, you need to go for Amaze CVT.

[adisag]

I find it hard to justify a diesel, given the NCR laws, and the fact that you will not use this car for longer highway trips. New BS6 diesels are fussy and expensive, buying pre-owned diesel in the NCR means an extremely short vehicle lifespan and a huge hit during resale.

For a reasonably priced and fuel efficient petrol vehicle, you should have a look at the Renault Kiger - you can choose between the AMT, or if you can stretch the budget a bit then the CVT.

But honestly, the use case is perfect for an EV, both in terms of drive comfort, as well as the daily running costs. EV's are the best "automatic" cars, as there are literally no gears to change, super silent, and quite peppy of the line. In terms of running costs I'd say you're looking at an additional 2000-3000 rs of electricity per month vs a fuel bill of a minimum of 10,000 rs (assuming about 2000-2500 km/month). Do ask your dad to test drive the Tiago or the Nexon before deciding.

[Shreyans_Jain]

You have the perfect use case for EVs. Get your folks a Tiago EV. It is all the car they need - safe, sturdy, refined, comfortable and easy on the pocket. It is well equipped, and feels plush on the inside. If you can buy and register in Noida or Greater Noida, you will get additional subsidy from UP government.

[Gaur]

Do consider Suzuki Ignis.
Have heard its AMT is better tuned then anything else in the segment.
Ticks almost all the boxes.

We purchased a manual variant in January, mainly to be used by my father, most of our requirements were similar to what you stated.
Fuel efficiency ranges from 9kmpl (peak bumper to bumper)-23kmpl (highway cruising)

[Bismaya]

I am a fellow owner of the Renault Kiger (MT) that has done 30K KMS and would recommend you to look for a EASY-R AMT variant. Do consider taking a test ride and thoroughly check to see if the AMT is upto the mark for your needs. The car is really fuel efficient and gives about 13-16kmpl in city driving conditions. It satisfies all your requirement.

- Easy Ingress and Egress.
- Ample Boot Space of 405L and more than enough to pack in months of ration.
- Atleast 13kmpl mileage/FE in city limits w/ AC on.
- Scores 4 stars in GNCAP testing and now comes with TPMS, ESC and TCS.
- Wireless Android Auto comes from the RXT variant and is spot on.
- The spares are cheap and affordable. The yearly service costs me about Rs 5.4k for all the consumable changes and fluid top-ups.

I can't think of many pre-owner cars that are good on the safety factors (if you consider the NCAP stringently). Else you can check for a pre-owned Baleno CVT, Ignis AMT or a used Venue. All these make good city commuters.

[Joe367]

Originally Posted by iamitp

The car should be affordable and easy to maintain, with low service costs.
We are open to considering pre-owned cars as well, as long as they meet our requirements and offer the best value for our budget. We currently own a Creta DCT, which can be used to supplement the new car when needed.

If you already own a creta DCT, then tiago EV can be a nice addition. It will provide a much better driving experience in city compared to entry level AMT cars. Go for a car that's better for 90 % of your use case rather than a car that can also meet 10 % of additional needs.

[iamitp]

Originally Posted by drsachin

I specifically suggested Toyota Yaris for a reason.
I

Toyota Yaris sounds interesting if I can find one in my budget. A bit unsure about maintenance cost though given the low sales.

Originally Posted by DCEite

Please get the TATA Punch.

Tata Punch is one of our top preferences right now.

Originally Posted by adisag

Renault Kiger - you can choose between the AMT, or if you can stretch the budget a bit then the CVT.

Originally Posted by Bismaya

I am a fellow owner of the Renault Kiger (MT) that has done 30K KMS and would recommend you to look for a EASY-R AMT variant.

Thanks for suggesting the Kiger - will go on our shortlist.

Originally Posted by Gaur

Do consider Suzuki Ignis.
(highway cruising)

Ignis is also a worthy addition to the list.

Originally Posted by Joe367

If you already own a creta DCT, then tiago EV can be a nice addition. I

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

You have the perfect use case for EVs..

While I fundamentally agree with you, but wouldn't want to lay on something that my dad is simply too rigid about.