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-   -   Best automatic car in a 10-lakh budget (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchbacks/284992-best-automatic-car-10-lakh-budget.html)

Hi Team,
I need some help in deciding a car for my uncle.

My uncle is planning to buy an automatic car, to be used by his wife and daughter. Since he is not much into automobiles, he has asked my help.

Below are the requirements:
1.Easy maintenance and decently built and good looking.
2. Has to be automatic, CVT preferred, if not AMT is also fine. (No iMT)
3. Budget 10L( +/- 1L onroad Bangalore)
4. Hyundai and Maruti is preferred.
5. Usage pattern : For small city/hometown(traffic is negligible), rural and paved village roads, highway trips(500 kms to and fro) once in 2 months.
6. Must haves : ABS, airbags, touchscreen, reverse camera, steering mounted controls, good mileage and hill hold assist.
7. Good to have: auto AC, sunroof, push button start etc.
8. Planning to keep the car for atleast next 10 years.

Currently shortlisted : Hyundai i20, exter and Maruti Fronx, Baleno.

Excluded:
1. Tata vehicles were the first choice, but as they were not satisfied with tata service quality earlier, planning to skip it.
2. Honda is skipped too, since they already have a WRV.
3. Grand i10,Ignis, swift are excluded, purely based on personal interest in looks.

So kindly share some inputs and which car will be worth the money and if any other worthy options.
This will help us in deciding the best possible option.

Thanks in advance.

I'd say go for the Fronx. You get all your requirements checked off the box, and you don't have to worry about AMT jerks and CVT belts going off.

It's a Torque Converter, the same one which you get in the VW Virtus, Mahindra XUV3XO, etc.

Plus, you also have the Maruti ASS advantage, which is really good from what I've heard. It also has pretty good mileage.

My second choice would be the Hyundai i20, though I'm not so sold on the ideas of CVTs. They're too boring for me, but that is subjective to each.

So, do check both of them out, take TDs for both, and then it's up to you!

Cheers!clap::Cheering:

Here's a link to related post.

Read on from that post and see if your questions answered.

Hi DLC5005,

I think your preference should be to get the right engine and gearbox combination.

i20 would be an easy option without much to worry about. It has more premium interior compared to Baleno and give a true automatic gearbox although AMTs these days are also very well calibrated.

I'd say the next gen Amaze, which is due this festive season, can also be looked at, even though you've excluded Honda.

If you want/need a turbo engine, in this lineup, only Fronx has it albeit at a higher budget. I think it's the only option coming with a torque converter gearbox.

Decision should be taken only after thorough test drives since the stats on paper might look one thing but feel completely different in reality.

Hi,
Thanks for the inputs.
Yes, if budget was not a constraint, then choice would have been surely Fronx AT. But, Fronx turbo AT starts around 15L(before discount) onroad Bangalore. So we have only Fronx AGS/AMT in our budget :Frustrati

Thanks for the link, Shancz. Will go through it.

Yes, i20 is shortlisted. Only concern is milage. So a bit confused.

Yes, i20/hyundai interiors are better. Have used the first gen i20 in past.

Baleno features are good. But Fronx interior colour theme and built felt slightly better compared to Baleno(although both are almost same cars).
And AMTs nowadays are decent to drive.(My wife drives Santro AMT and it's smooth, though not in the league of AT/CVT/DCT)

Ok. No harm in checking. Will have a look at it.

If Fronx turbo was in budget, the decision process would have been easier.

Yes, planning to take the test drives this weekend.

Offtopic:
In my hometown Hyundai, Maruti, Nexa, Tata, Renault, Honda, Mahindra, MG, Kia, VW are all in the same road within 1km stretch, so showroom hopping is easy.(Perks of staying in small town):coldsweat

Checkout mahindra 3xo base petrol automatic. Omed loaded with features and onroad is around 12 lac.

I think I20 best suits your use case as its small size would make it easy to maneuvre around the city and it also comes with a proper automatic gearbox (CVT) free from jerks and would give you a smooth and pleasant experience along with very refined engine.
I20 also has a good suspension and cabin experience also feels a bit more premium than competition and good reliability and big service network also works in Hyundai's favour.

XUV3XO MX2 PRO AT is at 9.99 lakh ex showroom. Has all the boxes ticked with a very powerful engine. Can be a consideration.

I bought Honda Amaze CVT S variant - on road - 10 lakhs in April 2024. I understand Honda is not an option for you. But I suggest you test drive the amaze and compare it with any other automatic car under 10 lakhs. Because I was converted after my wife forced me to test drive the Amaze when I had my eyes set on Fronx. It is just a no-nonsense car giving good mileage, ample space, peaceful ownership and easy driving. It is miles ahead of Fronx in terms of gearshifts. I have driven it for 7500 kms so far on both highways and within the city equally.

I'd say go for Exter SX AMT which has all the necessary features :thumbs up

If they're interested in a hatchback, Baleno AMT can be considered.

I will prefer the following in the order of their preference.

1. Hyundai i20 CVT- Smoothest, feature rich and the most sorted reliable out of the lot. Easy maintenance as well. This will have the premium feeling of a sorted car.
2. Magnite/Kiger CVT- Would prefer if space is something you don't want to compromise on. The quality levels might not be the level of Hyundai though and so as the Premium sophisticated experience as well.
3. Exter AMT- If you want a raised Hatchback experience. Space might be a bit cramped but you'll have the feel good factor in the cabin and engine. Easy maintenance.

I would suggest going with the Hyundai i20 as it feels more premium both inside and out compared to the Maruti Baleno. However, a word of caution: Hyundai cars are not known for their fuel efficiency.

While the Hyundai Exter and Maruti Fronx are both good cars, their looks may not appeal to everyone.

If he can stretch his budget a bit and likes the Fronx, I would recommend going with it as it has a fresh design and unique presence. Otherwise, the Exter AMT is also a good car. My observation is that Hyundai's AMT is better calibrated than Maruti's AMT.

I20 CVT owner here, beware of mileage in city mostly hovering around 9.3kmpl to 10kmpl in Bengaluru traffic. 5 years of frills free ownership apart from that sore point.

Best new buy would be XUV 3XO pro MX2 AT, on road is around 12lakhs. If you consider used one then search for ford figo 1.5 AT(although it is very rare to find one).

Oh boy, am I glad I'm not shopping for a new car in this market. 15L for a Baleno with new clothes and a badly-tuned torque convertor. :Shockked:

I remember reading this thread by another BHPian, maybe this will help in your decision-making process: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...-clothing.html