[drpullockaran]

If I were you I would take a test drive of three vehicles.
1)Diesel SRV if and when it comes.
2)Palio 1.6
3)Getz CRDI.

If you are willing to spend some extra cash then the LPG CEDIA fits the bill if corner carving is your main concern; then spend some more on the suspension for increased road hugging.

After a 1.6 engine you will never enjoy a lesser endowed vehicle even if its turbo charged.

Bye and wear your seat belts

[abhik]

sammyboy :-
*i bought the car for 1.65l
*i drove the car only once at 160kmph after a week of buying it and installing CNG with worn clutches and tyres just to check the cars capabilities.
*i got the car to ford the very next day to get stuff fixed and replaced.
*the CNG kit is Tomaseto Achilli(made in argentina) and best kit available approved for the Ikon 1.6 and fitted by an expert govt. approved fitter in consultation with the importer as fitting cng on the 1.6 is not easy due to its complex ECU.
*i have spent rs 1lac after purchasing the car and had checked it throughly at the time of purchase (i have a good amount of knowledge bout cars and always do a comprehensive research before doing anything with the car) where the only noticeable problem were the front suspensions and i had predetermined the fact that they would require an overhaul as the previous owner had never replaced it. They cost 16k at ford but stuff like iac valve tp sensor are expensive and cannot be checked at the time of purchase.
*its not that the cost of ownership is high its just that the ikon has reliability issues. and cannot withstand abuse.

[gr8guzzler]

*its not that the cost of ownership is high its just that the ikon has reliability issues. and cannot withstand abuse.

Abhik,

No car will be reliable when it's abused.

As far as the higher maintenance costs you have incurred are purely due to the decision to add an after market CNG kit. I had an Ikon and fitted it with an LPG kit. I had to replace loads of stuff just to keep the car going on LPG like Manifold gasket, ignition coil, sensors. Believe me, there is no perfect kit or perfect installer, there will always be issues with such an install. The other costs that you mentioned were incurred for tires; clutch which were anyway worn out as per you. Upgrading the Upholstery I guess was your choice, so again it's not an maintenance cost. Ignition coil would have been changed after the CNG kit was installed due to misfiring which is a common problem with CNG/LPG. My suggestion would be take out the kit and enjoy the Ikon as it is. You could have spent that 80K on the car instead of the kit and you could have had a very reliable machine.

You go for another car and try the same, you might end up in the same situation. Good Luck!

Cheers!!!

[abhik]

Thanks everybody for your response. It wouldnt be possible for me to reply to all the responses individually so here is a summary:-
*i am a big fan of the OHC VTec and Palio 1.6 GTX and i drool over them when i see them but i am afraid that i might face the same problems as i did with the Ikon because when your buying a second hand car one can only spot exterior damages or stuff that you might be able to see or feel. You would not know if the TP sensor is about to give way or the alternator is about to give way or any other malfunction which might not be apparant and surface from time to time in cars with high mileage. And probably i was a little unlucky to bear most of these problems surmounting to the 1lacs i have spent to fix them.
*OHC VTecs and Palio 1.6s are now only owned by enthusiats and people who know the potentials and creds of these cars and hence one would only sell them if the car is about to incurr or asking for a lot of expenses even if the engine is perfect related parts can give way and cost of these parts are expensive for both cars. example fuel pump for the OHC is for 17000k.
i tried to find a good car but couldnt find one in six months of searching when i finally settled for my ikon.
*my budget is in the range of 2.5-3lacs
*i just want outright cornering ability and handling because i hardly find time for highway driving and all of my driving is in the city and the way Delhi traffic is comming off these days speed is only a wish during the day time.
*i am interested in a petrol swift because i have the know how to make it perform as good as petrol as my ikon did any many a people have a misconception that CNG and LPG cannot perform but the correct know how and a good fitter is all that is required and my next car will definately have sequential injection which makes difference in acceleration figure come down to a tenth of a second as compared to petrol. Overdrive tested a LPG Cedia fitted with sequential injectors and doccumented the times.
And the Swift is newer in terms of technology plus reliability and cost of spares will be much much cheaper than Ford. and i dont ever get my car touched by an outside mechanic other than authorised service workshops for Ford.
*after reading a review on the getz crdi by autocar india i am not too keen on buying it as they mentioned violent steering vibes after 120kmph. oversteer and unpredictable handling so this was enough to put me off the Getz plus i hate the new shape but yes no doubt its fast in a straight line but i am not looking at that in the first place.
*oh! most importantly cost of petrol is not an issue and fitting CNG for some reason deactivates the rev limiter so i would love to rev it as i rev my ikon now all the way to 7000rpms.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by abhik

My Requirements are:-
1. Outright corner carving ability.(High speed cornering)
2. High speed stability.
3. Agility
4. Good and safe build.
5. Low maintenence cost and reliability.

Would the Swift fullfill the first 3 requirements which is of utmost importance to me?

Well considering that you are coming off an Ikon 1.6, the only cars that'll satisfy you are the Cedia and Skoda RS/Rider. I don't think either the SX4 or Swift will give you what you are looking for. Test drive yourself and decide.

[danlalan]

Originally Posted by abhik

i am interested in a petrol swift because i have the know how to make it perform as good as petrol as my ikon

Hmmm as good as..Iam not sure that can happen. You'll need to spend alot alot of money for it to perform(or even come close) like a 1.6 ikon.

My option is go get a fiesta. I know iam going to do that the moment my "baby mustang" aka ikon goes.

[abhik]

gr8guzzler:-
thanks for the response but i guess you got me wrong.
*the ignition coil on the car was a local one when i bought it n so were the spark plugs and ht wires so i got them changed as i do not like anything local put in my car.
*after cng retro fitment i didnt have to change anything and the car performs better on CNG than on petrol. Its much smother, quieter, and quick to pick up revs.
*running the car on petrol would anyways be suicidal as my monthly running is approx. 2000kms and with a mileage of 7-8kmpl on petrol that too if i drive it at 50-60kmph would leave me broke and disheartened as i would rather prefer walkin than driving at 50-60kmph all the time:-D.

[abhik]

gr8guzzler:-
*as i mentioned earlier 1lac was spent EXCLUDING cng fitment to get the car fixed only. CNG was an additional 40k.

[abhik]

MY budget is 3 lacs and i am only looking for a used car for performance mods.

*getz crdi/petrol---no high speed stability, no handling creds,hate the new shape.
*palio 1.6 stile---cant bear the new facelift nothing beats the old palio gtx/s10. not looking for a new car.
*palio 1.6 gtx/s10---apprehensive about service back up and maintenence cost and availability of spares. have heard from owners and mechanics at TATA itself that they lack technical know how for the palio. but no doubt best package for my requirements and cheapest used car to buy...but...
*i will only keep the car for 1year or at max 2yrs fi i really like the car, thats why a used car, then will switch to another car.
*want to try a hatch and this time around outright speed and power is not a priority.
*Only priority is cornering, agility, handling.
*looking for newer technology, reliability, low maintenence costs.

[Eddy]

You will not find a Getz Crdi in the market just as yet. Hell, I haven't even seen a new one on the Delhi roads yet.

[danlalan]

Your other option is a BALENO. But ofcourse knowing you(from the last couple of posts) that out because if LOOKS bad. Its a great car though and with the right wheels/rubber it would look good.

Onl other option is 1.5 or vtec city. You should get a 2001/2 for 3lakhs. HUNT now.

You keep saying handling handling... Are you using it for the TRACK???

[BUSA]

If the Power, Performance is not a issues, i will suggest the Swift, it has very good handling.

Otherwise the best handling car which will fit in your budget and will keep you happy looks wise is the Lancer.

[headers]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Well considering that you are coming off an Ikon 1.6, the only cars that'll satisfy you are the Cedia and Skoda RS/Rider. I don't think either the SX4 or Swift will give you what you are looking for. Test drive yourself and decide.

I'd agree.. the swift and sx4 will not wet your appetite for high speed cornering and handling..

[Ajay_J]

Originally Posted by abhik

*Only priority is cornering, agility, handling.
*looking for newer technology, reliability, low maintenence costs.

Two answers

1) SWIFT P or D
2) ALTO 1.1

Upsize the tyres for both.

[suman]

Abhik, what exactly did you spend the 1 lac on? I think Gr8guzzler has a very valid point in his post - how much of this arose out of the conversion? At 90k, the only routine repairs or changes that you may have been forced to do would have been the suspension ......& perhaps the steering & even those would not have set you back by even a third; what else - the clutch, tyres but even that doesn't add up.

Just to understand it better, you bought the car for 1.65 lacs, spent another 1.4 lacs on CNG fitment & repairs, have driven it for 7k kms only & now want to sell it?

Originally Posted by shuvd

If you really want a scorcher, spend some money on the Ikon. For starters, get rid of the LPG kit.

Absolutely! I understand the monetary constraints & all that but - hard cornering ability & CNG - not my cuppa tea

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

The best bet is the new SX4, My uncle took his car delivery just 2 weeks back,

Boy oh Boy what performance the car has, Its quick, Stable and a stunner on road.

Really Pavan? What are you comparing against when you mention its quick?

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Been already suggested rks. Thanks for suggesting again though.

Lol John, uncontrol