[vasanthn21]

Thanks for the encouragement pal... Gives me some belief, since I have done 50K on a 2 wheeler, I guess I can borrow some experience from 2 wheeler driving (mainly common sense) and use it in 4 wheeler driving. Hope I can pick up soon like you too. Thanks for the message again.

Thanks Ankit, any idea how much the underbody treatment for Santro might cost? Do the Hyundai Showroom guys do it or do private service guys do it? Who is better at it, in terms of quality and cost?

Originally Posted by jango

Hi Vasantha, considering your requirements i would suggest you to go for a petrol car. I would personally suggest you to go for the santro or the i10. Check out the i10 as its more new to the market .

I hadn't given much thought to i10. Now that you mention it, I guess I should look at it seriously and I guess even if I want to sell it 2-3 yrs down the line, I would get a better rate (percentage return) for an i10 rather than a Hyundai Santro! Say what?

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Forget the newbie part pal! No one remains a newbie for long. IMO, buy a new car, only if you intent to keep it for long time (5 Yrs?), or if you have money to throw around.

If you already have an itching to go for the upper class, you should either
1) Stretch you finances to buy a new bigger car
2) Buy a used car in a class above, at the same budget. Do watch for maintenance cost, which would be higher too!

I definitely will pick up a point from your message. I have been wavering between "buying a new car" and "buying a used car" for quite some time now. But neither do I have money to throw around, nor do I intend to keep the car for 5 years, I guess only for 2-3 years. Then as my family grows, I would probably look for a bigger car.
But the only problem I am facing is finding a genuine seller with a good car in the second hand car market, but as someone suggested, It is worth the wait and pain IF i can find a good seller. Hope I can find one!

Originally Posted by theMAG

Since you'll most likely pick up dings - this being your first car, I'd suggest an Alto. Its also very easy to drive and maintain.

That was my initial plan, and so I learnt driving in an Alto. But, my wife doesn't like its "small" looks and prefers Santro or Wagon-R. I am trying to be as un-emotional about it to come to a rational decision so that I do not regret later. The investment (be it new or used caR) is no small amount for me and I do not want to rush into buying something I hate later). So I am doing an extensive research. And the posts from all of you are helping in adding to my thesis.
I will definitely put up a post, once I FINALLY buy a car, and the factors which made me decide which car to buy.

Originally Posted by ram_hyundai

go in for a used waagon r or santro and try being more comfortable with the car first.let it be not older than 2 years so that the standard waranty is still valid.then try to live with it for a couple of years by the time you require an up grade.you wont loose much compared to a new car when you sell it off and go for the up grade.its a painfull task in finding a good second hand car but it is worth it.
ram

Hi Ram, Thanks for replying. I have also learned from various websites that I should be looking for a car close to 2 yrs old with less than 20K Kms on the meter. The trouble is most of the sellers are over-quoting the price for such a car (My basis for saying "over-quoting" is the price I get from Carwale "check used car value").
But, I do have managed to find a couple of guys selling at the rate more or less in sync with the carwale used car price. I agree it is painful finding a good car in the used car market... I hope it is worth it once I find it. will update you once I find a good one.

[iraghava]

Vasanth - to answer your questions, I just sold off my second Santro (my mother's car) last week after four years & 100k kms of use. My first one was also kept for 105k & 4 years.

Both cars did not have any rust problems apart from the Silencer rusting, which is a common occurrence in most cars.

And no, the spare parts prices are very reasonable compared to virtually any car in its segment.

As for the Santro vs i10, I would still suggest the Santro as it'll be cheaper to maintain than the i10 & also the Santro has better visibility than the i10 which is important for a new driver. You may ask how I know this?? Well my mother's Santro which was sold last week has been replaced by an i10!

[NetfreakBombay]

Have you looked at Maruti true value? You might good deals it 2.5 - 3.5 lakh price range.

[ravibhat]

My pick would be in this order:

1. i10 : its new car with excellant looks and good quality and by March there might be some discounts. Disadvantages: front visibility is bit poor, costlier than Santro/Wagonr/Alto to maintain i feel.

2. Santro/WagonR: both come as second choice and score same.

Santro Advantage: Its truely tested product now, safest car in its class, very easy to drive, good FE, good service, reliable,

Santro Disadvntages: Bumpy ride in back seat in bad indian roads, pedals bit wrongly placed but once used to it its no problem.


WagonR Advantages: Maruti name, comfortable car with good space, cheap to maintain.

Disadvantages: not good looking, on highway not as stable as Santro, not so good quality materials.

3. Alto: If you don't like above cars I mentioned then you have to decide Alto, its very good small car nothing can go wrong with Alto for what we pay

But I suggest since you have 4+lac budget test drive i10 and you will simply love it, it might look as its overpriced but trust me it has good features and worth it.

I suggest be away from Swift/Logan/Indigo/Palio/Getz/GM Cars unless you really like them.

Test drive and Choose right variant for your requirement.

Regards,

Ravi.

[BUSA]

If your budget is 5L, then why not a Swift LDi? It will fulfill all your requirements and will give fantastic FE too.

Else i would suggest you a Alto/Swift Petrol.

Stay away from second hand cars as its your first car.

[blue_pulsar]

I would suggest, buy a second hand Maruti 800, learn proper driving and then sell it with/without scratches. If you have scratches on your 1-2month old car, it definitely hurts. Think practically. This is the way to go. You can use this 800 for about 6-months to 1 year. Till then you will be more certain of your usage pattern. Then you can go in for a newer car.
I myself did this and know many people who have done this. Hope this makes sense.

[motorheadinc]

Read my comments in Bold.
Hope it helps.
Cheers

Originally Posted by vasanthn21

Hi, I am a software engineer from Bangalore. Have been driving a Honda Activa for the last 5 years. 50,000 kms and a few accidents later, I am still in love with my activa which gives FE of 50 Km/L even now (checked last week with fuel from shell for the last 2 months).

Need a new car as my wife is a little tired of riding on the activa on the pot-hole ridden roads of Bangalore. And now that we both are in the same office, it makes sense for us to come in a car. Joined car driving classes and got my LL, but not the DL yet.

Not sure which car to buy... a few facts
1) I am new to car driving. No experience other than the 8 hrs in the driving class. Nor have i been a co-passenger for long, so... not much idea of driving a 4-wheeler.
Take your time while learning to drive. Don't hasten too much.
Go for a hatchback and a one that comes with a power steering.
2) I am looking for something with good comfort. Had a chance to buy a 2.5 yr old new model Zen for 2.5L, sounds like a good deal but am not happy with the space/comfort in Zen (based on many reviews).
Zen is anyday a great car to own. But set your priorities well befor you buy one.
3) I am not looking for very high Power, mainly intend to drive in city and may be very rarely on Highways.
Ahhhh!!! there you go. Small hatch with power steering as i said.
4) Looking for good FE.
Small light hatch +small engine = good FE.
5) Will drive around 25-30 kms a day and may be around 50Kms in the weekend.
You can go for a legal and certified CNG kit. Don't hesitate on spending money here
5) Still confused whether to buy a new car or a used car!
Buy a used car in good condition as you are new to driving
6) My budget if stretched is around 4.5-5 Lakhs!
Buddy if you have money keep it invested somewhere so that you can buy a better car in an years time.

Research results...

1) I wanted to buy a used Alto, but somehow Alto sellers seem to overprice the car as it is Maruti and has good name. I would rather go for a new Alto.
2) Indica V2 Turbo DLS looks good, but not sure if I need a diesel vehicle. I would be driving around 25 kms on weekdays and may/may not use the car in the weekends.
3) Have loved the reviews of Fiat Palio Diesel, so am keen on buying a used Fiat Palio Diesel, but not sure how reliable the used car dealers are! (Kind of hoping that some BHPian wants to sell a Fiat Plaio diesel and I would buy it!)
4)I fancy Chevy Spark, but not sure, seems to be a lil highly priced.


Suggestions Please...

Can anyone please suggest which car I can go for!?

""""I would suggest, buy a second hand Maruti 800, learn proper driving and then sell it with/without scratches. If you have scratches on your 1-2month old car, it definitely hurts. Think practically. This is the way to go. You can use this 800 for about 6-months to 1 year. Till then you will be more certain of your usage pattern. Then you can go in for a newer car.""""

Agree on that with you BP dude.

[DRAGONLORD]

Advice from my experience, I too bought my first car and learnt to drive in it (after a few classes ofcourse..........lol)

1) 1st car to learn in should always be 2nd hand, face it, you are gonna have a few bang ups and you are gonna be doing a lotta half clutch while you learn.

2) As you are gotta hav a few bang ups now and then, always buy a Maruti (any one) to start with.............cheap to fix !!!

3) Decide in the beginning if you want a small car or a sedan, since to upgrade will be a learning experience (extra size) all over again.

FYI - I chose an Esteem as my first car to learn in, a dozen minor bang ups later, I have no regrets.

Next car will be a new Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.

After 3yrs, I think I can move on now........lol. A wiser and more experienced driver.

[ankit.jhamb]

not really sure about the charges ,bt still around 3 -4 thousand,for 2 yrs.
i think it would be the best thing to do.

santro still sells in large nos.also i havent faced any problems in my santro (other than silencer).

and if your budget is 5 lakhs,then use it man,why have a small car when you can afford a big one

[finneyp]

Originally Posted by BUSA

If your budget is 5L, then why not a Swift LDi? It will fulfill all your requirements and will give fantastic FE too.

Yes, if you have the patience to wait for 6 months!

You can also check-out Palio 1.3 MJD to be launched in March, Service is pretty decent in B'lore.

[jaibir]

[quote=finneyp;704944]Yes, if you have the patience to wait for 6 months!
[quote]

the waiting period on Swift LDI has come down. I booked mine last weekend and its being delivered on thursday. VDI still has a wait though - 40 days is the official line

[ankit.jhamb]

Originally Posted by finneyp

Yes, if you have the patience to wait for 6 months!

wait for the swift and till then polish your driving skills on a 2nd hand car+get UR D.L

[finneyp]

Good idea Ankit, worth considering...!

[raul]

Scratches, dents and accidents happen to all of us whether you are a newbie or experienced. That's thanks to our traffic conditions. I don't think that should be a reason to avoid buying a new car.

Also if you are planning to take a loan the interest rates for 2nd hand cars are higher and the emis will work out to nearly the same. Don't worry, you will get used to it. Just a week and you will be an expert.

I would suggest a Wagon-R or Santro/i10. Good widely available service and cheap to maintain.

[ankit.jhamb]

totally agree with you Raul.
everybody had a stage in their life when they were a newbie,and even i feel scratches are essential part of driving in a city.