Chevy Spark or Suzuki Zen Estilo

amit · 26th September 2007, 15:25

Zen Estilo if you require safety (ABS, Airbags) and good after sales service.

Spark seems to be a better car though. I don't know how good or bad GM service is but they offer the GM Promise as a sweetner to the deal. Have you test driven the Spark? How comfortable are you with the centrally mounted speedo?

csentil · 26th September 2007, 15:35

Spark's the way to go. If its anything like the Matiz of yore, then that's the car to buy. Easy to handle, not too soft, not too hard to drive, excellent grip on the road and its a dream on highways. 72K on the Matiz and I've not regretted it even once. With a 1000cc engine I'm sure the power factor would also have been addressed.

The gears could be a wee bit notchy, typical of Daewoo cars.

Man, you don't want to sit in the Estillo back seat. It felt like a high school bench. Looked like the seat couldn't extend past my butt, forget upper thigh support.

If you drive more on the highways pick up the Spark.

vnabhi · 26th September 2007, 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by csentil

.

The gears could be a wee bit notchy, typical of Daewoo cars.

.

I don't think the gearbox in the Estillo will be any better. I own a WagonR for the past 6 years, a sibling of the Estillo, and its gearbox is still notchy, though a lot smoother than when it was new.

beanstalk_230 · 26th September 2007, 16:05

the best thing to do here is - TAKE A FEW TEST DRIVES (I'd recommend atleast 2-3 TD's of each car)

you will be better off deciding for yourself

otherwise spark is obviously a much better car than estilo in nearly every department except the boot space you mentioned and do not forget the GM promise

hope you have nice time buying your car
cheers

esteem_lover · 26th September 2007, 16:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by phamilyman

For five. Indica. Period.

for what ? pushing it ?

he he he, no offence pal. Yeah Indica is good, but it only suits a certain kind of customer & his requirements.

The Estilo is a japanese car & is a lot more reliable than any other. I suggest you keep your eyes open as you always do & select the better car. Damn even the Lxi version in the most cursed estilo comes with body cloured bumpers & a few other goodies which are not there in the wagonR or Alto.

phamilyman · 26th September 2007, 16:43

Esteem,

the only pushing I see is of logic. Indica suits a certain type of customer, but its just a choice one has to make. Doesn't hurt to lay the things out bare!

And as far as the estilo being jap and hence more reliable is frankly generalization. The spark is a pretty neat vehicle in and of itself. And fyi, spark itself has jap, heck, suzuki technology in its lineage. Wotsay now!!

Compared to Indica, yes, maruti has no niggles/better service. Granted. But as of today, my mom's alto single person driving, gives worse mileage than the Xeta 1.4 GLG

All that said, estilo IS cramped for even four people. They just about fit. Spark is anyday more spacious! He wants five.

Interestingly, the "jap lot more reliable than other" estilo has fared far worse than the original Zen, and hasn't set any sales charts on fire. Seems like people have been keeping their eyes open and selecting the better car

BUSA · 26th September 2007, 16:53

ABS and driver side air bag is available even in the Chevy

esteem_lover · 26th September 2007, 17:09

phamliyman,
the 'more spacious than the others' car is also the 'more trouble to own car', not that many would readily own up to that on the forum. Maruti is several steps higher on the ladder compared to our TATA, though they seem to try very hard to bring out the cheapest, most FE car.

But the point is a person who has already been owning a maruti is on an expectancy level that would be very hard for an Indica to fulfill.

Nimz · 26th September 2007, 17:42

@tushky

Check this out http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...tml#post537437

The differences I felt between spark and Estilo.. but in the end its what you like and need that matters..

Nimz

vkochar · 26th September 2007, 18:00

Why Not Santro ? Better than both of them and all time Chart-Topping for last 7 years !!

If not then out of both you suggested I would stick to Estilo ( MUL all the way ). Also have hardly seen any Sparks on the road.

rohan_fonseca · 26th September 2007, 20:14

Isn't the santro on its way out? For looks alone i would go for the spark, as i haven't driven the spark or the estillo.

vebmetal · 26th September 2007, 20:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Interestingly, the "jap lot more reliable than other" estilo has fared far worse than the original Zen, and hasn't set any sales charts on fire. Seems like people have been keeping their eyes open and selecting the better car

Hmmm.. in Delhi it seems that for every 1 spark, there are 10 Estilos. While this doesn't mean it's a better car, it does seem to be more popular in Delhi IMHO. If you do have the actual figures, please do post, along with the name of the source.

CrAzY dRiVeR · 26th September 2007, 20:58

Few months back, after seeing the Spark in pictures, would have blindly said 'Go for spark', but, after seeing it in profile- I felt it was looking real bad from the sides and the rear, although the front looks real good. Estilo is also not a looker by any standards. Dont think Spark wins the beauty contest though!

As for the interiors, both the cars look nice. However, fit and finish of the Spark is better IMO.

Coming to dealerships, nothing compares to Maruti. I went to Chevrolet showroom with my family to check out the Spark, and after two weeks they dont even bother to call back!

TD should be the way to go. I think Spark is slightly better, but then, try to go a segment upto Swift/U-VA.

Nimz · 27th September 2007, 01:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

TD should be the way to go. I think Spark is slightly better, but then, try to go a segment upto Swift/U-VA.

do a TD and let us know your reamarks.. then the gurus of t-bhp can help sort out your doubts.

ethanh_hunt · 27th September 2007, 17:23

When it comes to Service Maruti will be better no doubt. But Chevy is slowly getting their act together and seem to be working hard on it. I own both a Maruti 800 & the Spark and I can vouch for that.

My experience has been good till (touchwood!) now with the service from Chevy (Garuda, Bangalore). They regularly call and inquire about the service experience and there seems to be a genuine interest to solve your problems.

With the recent Cash discounts from Chevy the price difference also seems to have narrowed between the two. Test Drive both and then follow your gut instincts man.

if it becomes too difficult for you to decide then the next best thing is to ask one of the ladies in the house to choose .

Believe me it works!!

26th September 2007, 15:25	#31
amit Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 3,712 Thanked: 451 Times	Zen Estilo if you require safety (ABS, Airbags) and good after sales service. Spark seems to be a better car though. I don't know how good or bad GM service is but they offer the GM Promise as a sweetner to the deal. Have you test driven the Spark? How comfortable are you with the centrally mounted speedo?
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 15:35	#32
csentil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,349 Thanked: 39 Times View My Garage	Spark's the way to go. If its anything like the Matiz of yore, then that's the car to buy. Easy to handle, not too soft, not too hard to drive, excellent grip on the road and its a dream on highways. 72K on the Matiz and I've not regretted it even once. With a 1000cc engine I'm sure the power factor would also have been addressed. The gears could be a wee bit notchy, typical of Daewoo cars. Man, you don't want to sit in the Estillo back seat. It felt like a high school bench. Looked like the seat couldn't extend past my butt, forget upper thigh support. If you drive more on the highways pick up the Spark.
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 16:05	#34
beanstalk_230 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lucknow/New Delhi Posts: 266 Thanked: 46 Times	the best thing to do here is - TAKE A FEW TEST DRIVES (I'd recommend atleast 2-3 TD's of each car) you will be better off deciding for yourself otherwise spark is obviously a much better car than estilo in nearly every department except the boot space you mentioned and do not forget the GM promise hope you have nice time buying your car cheers
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 16:43	#36
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,975 Thanked: 4,675 Times	Esteem, the only pushing I see is of logic. Indica suits a certain type of customer, but its just a choice one has to make. Doesn't hurt to lay the things out bare! And as far as the estilo being jap and hence more reliable is frankly generalization. The spark is a pretty neat vehicle in and of itself. And fyi, spark itself has jap, heck, suzuki technology in its lineage. Wotsay now!! Compared to Indica, yes, maruti has no niggles/better service. Granted. But as of today, my mom's alto single person driving, gives worse mileage than the Xeta 1.4 GLG All that said, estilo IS cramped for even four people. They just about fit. Spark is anyday more spacious! He wants five. Interestingly, the "jap lot more reliable than other" estilo has fared far worse than the original Zen, and hasn't set any sales charts on fire. Seems like people have been keeping their eyes open and selecting the better car Last edited by phamilyman : 26th September 2007 at 16:50.
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 16:53	#37
BUSA Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,127 Thanked: 23 Times View My Garage	ABS and driver side air bag is available even in the Chevy
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 17:09	#38
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 513 Times View My Garage	phamliyman, the 'more spacious than the others' car is also the 'more trouble to own car', not that many would readily own up to that on the forum. Maruti is several steps higher on the ladder compared to our TATA, though they seem to try very hard to bring out the cheapest, most FE car. But the point is a person who has already been owning a maruti is on an expectancy level that would be very hard for an Indica to fulfill.
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 17:42	#39
Nimz BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 593 Thanked: 200 Times View My Garage	@tushky Check this out http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...tml#post537437 The differences I felt between spark and Estilo.. but in the end its what you like and need that matters.. Nimz
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 18:00	#40
vkochar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Delhi / Agra / London Posts: 2,159 Thanked: 907 Times View My Garage	Why Not Santro ? Better than both of them and all time Chart-Topping for last 7 years !! If not then out of both you suggested I would stick to Estilo ( MUL all the way ). Also have hardly seen any Sparks on the road.
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 20:14	#41
rohan_fonseca BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Panaji Posts: 984 Thanked: 9 Times View My Garage	Isn't the santro on its way out? For looks alone i would go for the spark, as i haven't driven the spark or the estillo.
	() Thanks

26th September 2007, 20:58	#43
CrAzY dRiVeR Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bangalore / TVM Posts: 18,045 Thanked: 79,151 Times View My Garage	Few months back, after seeing the Spark in pictures, would have blindly said 'Go for spark', but, after seeing it in profile- I felt it was looking real bad from the sides and the rear, although the front looks real good. Estilo is also not a looker by any standards. Dont think Spark wins the beauty contest though! As for the interiors, both the cars look nice. However, fit and finish of the Spark is better IMO. Coming to dealerships, nothing compares to Maruti. I went to Chevrolet showroom with my family to check out the Spark, and after two weeks they dont even bother to call back! TD should be the way to go. I think Spark is slightly better, but then, try to go a segment upto Swift/U-VA.
	() Thanks

27th September 2007, 17:23	#45
ethanh_hunt BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Back in Bangalore Posts: 63 Thanked: 0 Times	When it comes to Service Maruti will be better no doubt. But Chevy is slowly getting their act together and seem to be working hard on it. I own both a Maruti 800 & the Spark and I can vouch for that. My experience has been good till (touchwood!) now with the service from Chevy (Garuda, Bangalore). They regularly call and inquire about the service experience and there seems to be a genuine interest to solve your problems. With the recent Cash discounts from Chevy the price difference also seems to have narrowed between the two. Test Drive both and then follow your gut instincts man. if it becomes too difficult for you to decide then the next best thing is to ask one of the ladies in the house to choose . Believe me it works!!
	() Thanks