[simran]

Hi people,

I have a Q about choosing variants of a car. I have zeroed in on the Santro, basically because my dad can't sit in another (6 feet 3, and with a turban makes it 6 feet 5!!!), and my budget is max of 5.5.

Now comes the Q of choosing the variant. I have some Qs regarding this, since there is quite a lot of diff in terms of price, but there are some things that are necessary, and others one may do without, and some others can be added at a lesser cost outside. To be honest, I am trying to cover the cost of a good system and better tyres without sacrificing too much of comfort and drivability in a car that i'll be happy to use for another 5-8 yrs.

My doubts are between the XG and the XP versions.

1. Does a body coloured bumper have any better functionality apart from looks? I reckon the paint job etc is more expensive in case of scratches etc, if someone knows by how much, it'll be great to know.
2. Power windows - how inconvenient is it not to have them? Someone who has used both may be able to comment on this. Also, what is the maintenance cost like when they fail. I'll be using the car for a good 5-8 yrs. If there is an analysis of failure of parts in that time frame and their costs, it'll be great if you can point me to it.
3. Defogger - do we really need it in Pune, India?
4. Spoiler - guess this is just for looks. Does it serve any other function in a Santro.
5. Can you fix a map pocket, arm-rest, seat undertray from outside and save something?
6. What is the difference between AC and Heater being different, and AC with heater? In practical usage, is there any difference?
7. Is rear wiper really useful?
8. I think the internally adjustable rear view mirrors is something that would be really nice to have. Any idea of the costs? Is it recommended to fit them from the Dealer, or outside?

TIA!
Simran

[maedi]

Hi Simran,

A few basic answers....i'm not going to question your choice of car....but all i will say is for 5.5 you can get a lot more car than a santro....

anyhow, here are your answers....to the best of my ability....

1. Does a body coloured bumper have any better functionality apart from looks? I reckon the paint job etc is more expensive in case of scratches etc, if someone knows by how much, it'll be great to know.
Body coloured bumpers are merely cosmetic. They add no funcionality to the car. Paint job for the same would cost you a couple of thousand when u want them repainted. However, this would be after a couple of years and i must say hyundai have done a great job with their paintshop, their cars look good even after years. You could also ask the dealer to throw in painted bumpers as part of the free goodies list (if the version u settle on doesn't have them already....be pushy and ask for as much as possible...its worth the effort)

2. Power windows - how inconvenient is it not to have them? Someone who has used both may be able to comment on this. Also, what is the maintenance cost like when they fail. I'll be using the car for a good 5-8 yrs. If there is an analysis of failure of parts in that time frame and their costs, it'll be great if you can point me to it.
It's merely a matter of convenience, if u've never used power windows, you won't miss them...a little arm exercise won't hurt, would it? I'd say you save on this and spend on better tires/deck etc that have a more lasting effect on ownership value of the car. Long term financial implications - someone else woudl have to comment on them!

3. Defogger - do we really need it in Pune, India?
Not necessary.

4. Spoiler - guess this is just for looks. Does it serve any other function in a Santro.
Merely cosmetic - The santro cannot go fast enough for it to play a critical role with downforce .

5. Can you fix a map pocket, arm-rest, seat undertray from outside and save something?
Yes. This is not a problem.

6. What is the difference between AC and Heater being different, and AC with heater? In practical usage, is there any difference?
Its just terminology. Chances are you'd use the heater once a year in Pune. All ACs come with a heater. (Correct me if i'm wrong)

7. Is rear wiper really useful?
IMHO, No.

8. I think the internally adjustable rear view mirrors is something that would be really nice to have. Any idea of the costs? Is it recommended to fit them from the Dealer, or outside?
You can get aftermarket internally adjustable mirrors. They're worth it!

Happy Shopping!

[dipen]

Agree with maedi, U can get much more at 5.5 laks.
How abt going for a Getz GL model for 4.95 on road Pune ( Zero discount assumed)
Add a decent MP3 player for 7k. speakers for another 4k.
Upgrade to better tubeless rubber for 5k
Alloys for another 13k ( Not necessary though)
Seat Covers for 3k.
Internally adjustable mirrors for 2.5k

Sums to 5.3 ( well within yr budget) , still leaves u with some 20k spare for some more extras.

[lamborghini]

hey simran
maedi has explained it pretty well and i realy do think the XP is better value
with the remaining money i suggest you get a good deck ..
anyways why didnt you check out the wagonR too
i think it will be better for your father as it is taller

[simran]

Getz has the turban problem. You can sit, but the ingress and egress is not comfortable, plus once you are in, and if you apply brakes suddenly, the turban hits the roof. This is typical of my case, and for tall people, so even tho the budget is there, there is no car to match my requirements other than the tall boys.

As for Wagon-R, no one in my family likes the looks, so its out. Indica is like a truck (family comment, not mine!), so that is out. Plus we felt the road more in the R than in the Xing, probably suspensions in Santro are better.

Was in a dilemma coz the variants are priced in Pune:

XE - 339, add 15
XP - 354, add 26
XG - 380, add 23
XS - 403

Also, they now have Rs. 4000 extra for red (which I wanted initially, but there is a debate about that going on at home!)

So for 26 grand between P&G, I can get me a Blaupunkt with Sony speakers, plus some other goodies like autocop(is there a thread on that somewhere?). I'll lose out on Power Windows and mirrors, which like you said, I can get done outside. Arms will get a good exercise with the windows. Will check out the thing about AC and Heater being separate. If that is a cause for concern, will post it.

And if my budget is 5.5, does not mean i've to spend all of it now, does it? :-) If I manage to save 2 by buying a Santro, well, I can think of lots of other things to do with it! For me, a car is not a statement. It just has to run well, without trouble, and ferry us around quietly. I'm not interested in the 0-60 races, but I do want to be comfortable while I drive, which I think Santro does adequately.

However, you never know until you sign the dotted line. emotions may take over at the last min.

sorry for the ramblings, its a habit. And thanks for your time!

Simran

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by maedi

7. Is rear wiper really useful?
IMHO, No.

I have a Santro with rear wiper, in my experience it has proved very useful. Santro has a huge rear window and during rain it can become completely covered with water drops. If it rains in Pune like it does in Bangalore, you'll be thankful while driving in rain.

Regards,
Samurai

[maedi]

Thanks....tried to keep up to the standard...looks like i almost suceeded

Hey Simran, Whats the diff between the XE and XP?

If your not too crazy about cars, i'd honestly suggest using a Maruti True Value / Ford Assured / Automart India and find yourself a good accident free second hand vehicle. Would save you a good 20-30% and comes with a one year warranty on the car. You could get yourself a Palio at a great rate if you try hard enough (and for 2.5-3 lakhs a model which hasnt run much). You could move into the C Segment and get yourself a good Accent (if the Pug. isnt a problem)...comments anyone?

Samurai, thanks for that one...was plain ignorance on that count! Dont have a Santro and our matiz doesnt have one .

[dipen]

For feature comparision of Santro models click :
http://www.santroxing.com/common/san...ename=features

[Deeps]

Simran, Do not opt for a Palio. It does not suit your needs. There is hardly an headspace.

1. Body colored bumpers: I think these do enhance the looks of the car to a large extent. But if looks don't matter, then black bumpers will be fine. And they are also less expensive to maintain i.e getting rid of scratches etc. As maedi said, you could try to get the dealer to paint the black bumpers but i doubt the quality of the paint will be as good as the original. Instead, i'd suggest you try to get other discounts or accessories.

2. Power Windows: If you want to save some money, then this should be the first to go off your list. It only adds a bit of convenience. PLus, it means that there are more things that can potentially go wrong after a few years. So, it'd be better to spend the money saved on other things.

3. Defogger: I don't know about conditions in Pune but during rain/winter, i've found this to be an extremely useful feature.

4. Spoiler: Again, one of those things that serves to enhance the looks of the car but has no practical purpose.

5. I am guessing that getting all this done should not be a problem. But do check to see if these modifications affect the warranty in any way.

6. Heater/AC: Do any of the Santro come without an AC? And i am pretty sure that the AC has some kind of heating mechanism too. Try to get more info. on this.

8: Rear wiper: I think that it is a practical feature. It helps trememdously while parking on a rainy night. But during normal driving, you can probably get by without it.

9. Mirrors: Yes, the internally adjustable ones are extremely convenient and should be available in the market (again check the warranty conditions). But i am not sure if you mean electrical ones or not. In India, the elctrical ones won't be of much use because they are expensive to fix if broken by taxis, autos, buses etc.


Hope this post helps in making the decision! BYE!!

[Rehaan]

Hey Simran,

To be honest, I am trying to cover the cost of a good system and better tyres without sacrificing too much of comfort and drivability in a car

That is a good idea if i ever did hear one.

From seeing the comparison chart dipen has posted, it seems like the XP is the better deal, saving you 26k. It appears that the only things you would want to add to it are

• Internally Adjustable ORVMs - Very helpful. Thru the showroom or 3rd party dealer.
• Rear Wiper & Washer - Helpful if you do a lot of parking in the rain? or if you drive in very dusty areas.
• Front Power Windows - Personally i feel these are a must. Get them installed thry the dealer, because from outside you never know the quality of installation and motors (which will tend to fail prematurely if of bad quality)
• Body coloured bumpers - Avoid these if your building has a really tight parking space or someone in your family is not a very good driver, and you dont mind the looks.

The rest of the stuff has been covered well by the earlier posters.

cya
R

[libre sito]

Hey simran why dont u haggel with the hyundai dealer and you could possibly get yur santro in the diwali offer and save your self a good 60k me and one of our fellow bhpians did the same and picked up the XG model and thought its totally worth it.
As for the system goes i suggest that you go in for a blaupunkt head unit with JBL speakers the latest ones are brilliant.

[Deeps]

In the link posted above, there's something called a half wheel cover and a full wheel cover. From what i know, a wheel cover is something that is put on the rims to cover the bolts. But wht is a half wheel cover?

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by Deeps

From what i know, a wheel cover is something that is put on the rims to cover the bolts. But wht is a half wheel cover?

The full wheel cover is a plastic hubcap that is the full diameter of the wheel. ie rim2rim, egde2egde.
The half wheeld cover just covers about half the radius of the wheel, basically just the area with the 4 bolts. Leaving the steel wheel visible.
Something like this.

cya
R

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by maedi

Thanks....tried to keep up to the standard...looks like i almost suceeded

Hey Simran, Whats the diff between the XE and XP?

If your not too crazy about cars, i'd honestly suggest using a Maruti True Value / Ford Assured / Automart India and find yourself a good accident free second hand vehicle. Would save you a good 20-30% and comes with a one year warranty on the car. You could get yourself a Palio at a great rate if you try hard enough (and for 2.5-3 lakhs a model which hasnt run much). You could move into the C Segment and get yourself a good Accent (if the Pug. isnt a problem)...comments anyone?

Samurai, thanks for that one...was plain ignorance on that count! Dont have a Santro and our matiz doesnt have one .

Look for a good used Palio... you can get it for prices starting 1.6 - 2.2 lakhs depending on the condition of the car... I would be glad to introduce you to some good people at Fiat here in Pune... the best Palio I have on offer is a 1.2 model for 2 lakhs shod woth 195 michelin rubbers on BSA Rcing alloy wheels and an imported RTO AUTHORISED LPG kit the car is owned by noted rallyist Dilip Desai and is in immaculate condition (White in colour) .. to give you a brief description of the owner.. he is has been the person to design the best Premier Padmini for rally purposes check this link for details http://www.cybersteering.com/cruise/...iaz/cars9.html ... BTW as your name and dimensions describe I guess I know you ... anyways if you have decided to stick to Hyundai go for it... but there is no harm in trying to look for a Palio atleast to get a good comparison done rather than confusing yourself... let me know if you want to check something in Fiat...

[simran]

Hey, thanks for all the tips and detailed responses. Helped clarify my thinking a lot.

I had checked out the Fiat Palio and Petra, the roof is too low, and they have raised the seats in the new models it seems ... wonder why. It was much better to drive than Santro though. I went thro the thread about seats, but I don't know how beneficial a lower seat would be.

My uncle has an accent, and its v. difficult to get out and in, plus dad's not comfortable in it at all. And uncle's not too happy with it since its bottom hits the road every now and then. Another grouse is with the low seats, for long legged people, there is no thigh support and it becomes v. uncomfortable for long rides. This thing is much better in Wagon R than even Santro.

As for the pedals of Santro being uncomfortable, yes, that is true. The workaround is that you put your feet on the bulge next to the accelerator pedal. This means your heel is grounded, and so is the right of your sole. Now with the toes, move the accelerator. For acceleration etc, put the foot completely on the pedal since quick response in needed. I know its hard to explain in words and easier to show it. Will try to put together a picture and post it. this was explained to me by a santro user who was quite vehement its the best car to buy!!

Will update as and when I do research.

Oh, and I had one more Q. The rear speaker provision is for smaller, round speakers. I think these are just 2-way speakers and won't deliver the kind of bass that the large oval ones deliver. Is my thinking correct, or are there speakers that would deliver a good quality sound nonetheless? JBL was mentioned by libre sito. Will be checking it out in any case. Which are the good shops in Pune for accessories? I reckon nanapeth is the place to get good deals, right?

Oh, and my friend suggested 175 tyres instead of the 155. If someone can throw some light on which brand and whether tube/tubeless, would be great.

Merci beaucoup!
Simran