[saion666]

Hi friends, need suggestion on this one:
i> A hatchback to be driven by a lady within 4 lakhs.
ii> The driver is new to driving and has just received her driving license.
iii> The family has a bigger car for family duties,this one would be used by the lady for office commute or to take her mother to bigbazars and occasionally the boyfriend( yours truly) may hop in.
iv> Would be driven only in the city( congested kolkata) and monthly running would be less than 500 km, that means it should be a petrol.
v> The car should be super reliable,i dont want the girl to run to service centers and maintenance cost should be low both long and short term(it may come as a dowry on me in a year and a half)

My suggestions were:
1. Hyundai eon(the lady likes the looks but am skeptical about the hyundai service costs)
2. Alto k10( hate the looks of the new alto)
3. Estilo( it was always meant for the ladies)
4.Spark( good car but again skeptical on chevy service and also the future of this car)

Normally am against hyundai,primarily for the light steerings and the soft suspensions.Then comes the reports of exorbitant service costs and the front suspension problem of the eon reported by many in this forum itself..but but the eon fits the requirements and the lady has fallen for it.

Please suggest which would be the best option to go with as everyone is looking upto me for the wise decision.

P.S - please dont suggest ATs or cars way above 4 lakhs.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by saion666

Please suggest which would be the best option to go with as everyone is looking upto me for the wise decision.

P.S - please dont suggest ATs or cars way above 4 lakhs.

Well for you requirement i would suggest you the Alto K10. I suggest you the K10 for the below reasons-

Its one of the most fun to drive car and one of the highest selling car in India with a back up from maruti. This car is way more fun to drive than the Eon, though Eon looks better and have better interiors. But on the other hand the K10 is more time tested than Eon and there are no specific complains on the car too. Maruti after sales service is also cheaper than Hyundai. Plus i would prefer a 1000cc engine over a 800cc engine.

Spark is a great car but considering spark now makes less sense as its selling very less per month and the resale value will be very low too. Instead you can look out for the base model of the beat petrol.

Now between Estilo and K10 i would prefer the K10 any day. The previous Zen was a gem of a car but among the tall boys i would prefer a wagon R over the estilo. But wagon R is more expensive.

I could have suggested you the Figo petrol base model too but Figo petrol owners complain of less fuel efficiency and Figo is a bigger car too.

So i would suggest you the K10 if the beat base model is out of your budget.

[drmohitg]

How much is the base Brio model cost OTR in Kolkata? AFAIK its less than 5L OTR in Delhi. You might want to check it out as there would be some discount too on the OTR price. I know its more than 4L but only just and the car is a lot better in all the fields than the ones you have mentioned in your post. Do take a look.

[Baddychat]

Get the Brio. I think it would be around 5L OTR in Kolkata. Nice car to drive around in the city.
Maintenance costs will also be considerably lower as compared to a Hyundai. The engine is miles ahead of the Eon and the likes.

[AbhishekB86]

I would suggest the base model of Beat. With a moderate foot, you can expect a fuel efficency of 13 kmpl. The car has great interiors and a good A/C and the looks appeal to the ladies. Chevy isnt reliable but this machine is. I've done 40 k on mine and no complaints yet.

[saion666]

Originally Posted by Samba

Well for you requirement i would suggest you the Alto K10.

Thanks for concretizing my belief.Would fight for the k10. Any reasons against the Estilo? it has the same engine and is proven to be reliable too. The driver happens to be a non-enthusiast and so the requirements do not call for a good power/weight ratio or nippy driving as us. Would keep the AltoK10 in green zone.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

How much is the base Brio model cost OTR in Kolkata? Do take a look.

Originally Posted by Baddychat

Get the Brio. I think it would be around 5L OTR in Kolkata. Nice car to drive around in the city.
Maintenance costs will also be considerably lower as compared to a Hyundai. The engine is miles ahead of the Eon and the likes.

Yes Brio is a great car indeed(albeit that toyish dashboard). If it was me who was buying the car,i would have gone for it(well err maybe would have gone for the Swift or maybe the A-star again). Anyway, the Brio costs above 4.5 lakhs here and considering the requirements we dont see the need for a 1.2 or that extra space. However are you sure its low on maintenance compared to the EON? Would keep the brio in yellow zone.

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

I would suggest the base model of Beat. With a moderate foot, you can expect a fuel efficency of 13 kmpl. The car has great interiors and a good A/C and the looks appeal to the ladies.

The beat surely has class-beating interiors and have heard it to be a rare reliable Chevy too. However IMO, the Beat is not for the novice driver with its huge area of blindspots,the high dashboard and bulges all around. The black interior looks classy to us ,not sure how much the pink loving sex would love it. :P The Beat is also to be driven cautiously with a light foot to get a good mileage,the driving style drastically affects the beat's mileage.Not sure on how much a novice driver would manage that.

Thanks for all your opinions,keep it pouring. As of now the war is between the Eon vs the k10 siblings from maruti.

[Baddychat]

Originally Posted by saion666

Yes Brio is a great car indeed(albeit that toyish dashboard). If it was me who was buying the car,i would have gone for it(wecll err maybe would have gone for the Swift or maybe the A-star again). Anyway, the Brio costs above 4.5 lakhs here and considering the requirements we dont see the need for a 1.2 or that extra space. However are you sure its low on maintenane compared to the EON? Would keep the brio in yellow zone.

Yep I think most people who own a Brio on this forum will vouch for the low maintenance. Should be a trouble free car to own.
I haven't driven eon personally so a 1-0-1 comparison with the Brio is something I would not be able to do. And yeah the 1.2 l engine on the Brio is super fuel efficient.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by saion666

Thanks for concretizing my belief.Would fight for the k10. Any reasons against the Estilo?

The k10 sells much more than the Estilo and the K10 offers better resale value too. Somehow i feel the K10 is easier to drive than the Estilo too. For a new driver the slanting bonnet of the Estilo might cause some difficulty to the judge the gap left in front from the other car. The K10 will be more stable too than the tall boy Estilo. Even i am from Kolkata so i know how the traffic condition is over here. Plus considering the factor you need a easy to drive car with no blind spots the K10 should be your consideration.

As many suggested, the brio is an awesome car but if the driver is short he/she may face difficulty in driving it as its driving seat is positioned a bit low. Now the brio which comes with height adjustable seats will exceed your budjet.

I would suggest, you should take her to the showrooms for the test drives so she can understand which one suits her the best.

[Bluebeem]

Originally Posted by saion666

Thanks for concretizing my belief.Would fight for the k10. Any reasons against the Estilo? it has the same engine and is proven to be reliable too. The driver happens to be a non-enthusiast and so the requirements do not call for a good power/weight ratio or nippy driving as us. Would keep the AltoK10 in green zone.

Yes Brio is a great car indeed(albeit that toyish dashboard). If it was me who was buying the car,i would have gone for it(well err maybe would have gone for the Swift or maybe the A-star again). Anyway, the Brio costs above 4.5 lakhs here and considering the requirements we dont see the need for a 1.2 or that extra space. However are you sure its low on maintenance compared to the EON? Would keep the brio in yellow zone.

The beat surely has class-beating interiors and have heard it to be a rare reliable Chevy too. However IMO, the Beat is not for the novice driver with its huge area of blindspots,the high dashboard and bulges all around. The black interior looks classy to us ,not sure how much the pink loving sex would love it. :P The Beat is also to be driven cautiously with a light foot to get a good mileage,the driving style drastically affects the beat's mileage.Not sure on how much a novice driver would manage that.

Thanks for all your opinions,keep it pouring. As of now the war is between the Eon vs the k10 siblings from maruti.

I too would suggest the brio. The base model is about 3.9-4.2 lacs ex showroom depending which city you're in.

It's very very easy to drive as the turning radius is small, there are almost no blindspots, the steering is light and responsive.

Friend owns a beat in mumbai. During the first 6 months he had to do numerous rounds of the workshop to repair a faulty power window. Not surprised. It's a Chevy.
You cannot compare Hondas reliability with the Americans.

I've had the brio for 18 months 26k kms. And I drive it like a toy. I don't care about potholes speed breakers. Nothing ! And the car has not given any problems. Only a service every 10k kms.

Longevity is something you'd want to consider since this car is for a person who isn't interested in cars aka won't change the car anytime soon.

Go with the brio. It comes with all benefits an "I don't care" buyer would need.

If not go with a Hyundai. I would advise strongly against Chevy.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by saion666

If it was me who was buying the car,i would have gone for it(well err maybe would have gone for the Swift or maybe the A-star again). Anyway, the Brio costs above 4.5 lakhs here and considering the requirements we dont see the need for a 1.2 or that extra space.

I thought you suggested a possible inheritance of the car in the near future in which case the Brio would be a lot better to drive later than the other cars in your list. Since you are not going to spend a lot of money over your current budget I would suggest giving the Brio a serious thought.

[saion666]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

The situation is something like this now.
I said: Alto k10
Reply: Too bald
I say: wagonR
Reply: Boxy Van,truck drivers drive it!!!(10k+ units per month,the k series engine,Maruti assurance nothing matters, all thrown out of the window)
I said: Estilo
Reply: The surpanakha sister of WagonR!
I said: ok den the Brio
Reply: hmmm...hmm..looks good..but Eon is good too.

Would be taking her to test ride the Brio and the Eon on Saturday. Would announce the winner after that. Thanks for all your help.

BTW can anyone give me the links to the BRio and the EON manual.It would give me an idea on the service cost differences.(Yes am bothering a bit much on this simple decision,but then thats what we BHPians love to do...'think car')

[Samba]

Originally Posted by saion666

I said: ok den the Brio
Reply: hmmm...hmm..looks good..but Eon is good too.

Would be taking her to test ride the Brio and the Eon on Saturday. Would announce the winner after that. Thanks for all your help.

BTW can anyone give me the links to the BRio and the EON manual.It would give me an idea on the service cost differences.(Yes am bothering a bit much on this simple decision,but then thats what we BHPians love to do...'think car')

Actually there is no comparison between Brio and Eon. If Brio permits your budget look no further. Try to convenience her for the Brio. So sometimes even you can also have some fun behind the steering of the Brio.

[saket77]

+1 to Samba. If you go for Brio, even you can have fun every once in a while driving it. Its more of a driver's car than the 800 cc Eon. If you can live with the looks of its derriere (in fact some love it!), then Brio would be a better choice, of course a the cost of some $$$! Being a Honda also helps.

Regards,
Saket

[drrajanvr]

Brio is a great car. It justifies the little extra cost for it, but makes up for that with the fantastic engine and also the AT Gearbox.

[Pandher]

Its a no brainer actually, when you can afford the brio, u don't even need to look at the likes of Alto k10 or Estilo. The Brio is leagues ahead in comparison.