[archat68]

Originally Posted by dpkbehera

I am in the market for a sub 4 lakhs AMT. There are four options available i.e. Redi-GO, Alto K10 , Tata Nano and Kwid. I have yet to take test rides for the same.

Usage :
a) For short trips within the city.
b) To accommodate at the maximum 3-4 passengers.

My requirements are the following i.e.
a) AMT should be robust,trouble free and easy to use.
b) Should not be noisy.
c) The car should overall be a decent performer.


Would appreciate inputs/suggestions regarding the same.

I would vote for Alto K10.

However if you're not averse to looking into a used car a Corolla AT would be great car with all the safety features and reliability. You can get 2010-2011 Corolla AT within 4L.

[CarguyNish]

Dear Bhpians,

I am looking for a Premium Automatic Hatchback to replace my 17 month old Tata Tiago.

While the Tiago is good and there haven't been any major niggles so far, the congested traffic & rough diesel engine has made me to look for a Petrol Automatic City Runabout.

Here are the 4 choices i have shortlisted,

1. Maruti Baleno CVT
2. Honda Jazz CVT
3. Volkswagen Polo GT TSI
4. Hyundai i20 CVT

While i am yet to drive these cars, the on paper comparison resulted in these cars to be the most worthy. One thing is sure, they are very different from each other.

I enquired about Baleno CVT with my Nexa RM from whom we had bought a Baleno Manual(Dec 2016) & Ignis Manual(Jun 2017) for Brother-In-Law & Sister respectively. He said that car can be delivered in 1-2 months. Will be driving it this weekend.

Enquired about The Jazz, it is available with discounts, but despite that the Jazz will still be more expensive then Baleno. Also point worth noting is that the Jazz is the most least equipped among these 4 cars. They have some MY17 cars left and can be discounted further, will be negotiating if the TD feels good.

Same case with VW Polo, the Dealer is offering only Free Insurance (Company Offer), while there are some Financial Schemes on offer too. While we do know how good that 1.2 TSI + 7 Speed DSG works on this car, the 2 biggest negatives of this car are cramped interiors & Poor Ground Clearance. These are the deal breakers for me in this well built & engineered car. Also, the Interiors feel dated & are same as Rapid which i already have. If VW had launched the Global Polo here, it would have landed at my Garage, but VW you are too greedy. Don't see it coming anytime this year.

Next, the i20 FL which has been launched at Auto Expo. Called my Sales Executive from whom i had bought a Elite i20 Diesel, he said that Automatic is not available yet, and may take another 2-3 months to launch.

So, the Baleno seems to be the right car for me. But will also be looking at Jazz & Polo before deciding on one.

If anyone has any other alternatives please do let me know.

Thank You

[archat68]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

Dear Bhpians,

I am looking for a Premium Automatic Hatchback to replace my 17 month old Tata Tiago.

1. Maruti Baleno CVT
2. Honda Jazz CVT
3. Volkswagen Polo GT TSI
4. Hyundai i20 CVT

Enquired about The Jazz, it is available with discounts, but despite that the Jazz will still be more expensive then Baleno. Also point worth noting is that the Jazz is the most least equipped among these 4 cars. They have some MY17 cars left and can be discounted further, will be negotiating if the TD feels good.

So, the Baleno seems to be the right car for me. But will also be looking at Jazz & Polo before deciding on one.

If anyone has any other alternatives please do let me know.

Thank You

Baleno is the most VFM among these if you consider price, features and space.

I felt the Jazz CVT to be lethargic compared to the Baleno. Also, due to the non-existent rear bumper in the Jazz any rear side hit will dent the hatch door. I see a lot of hatch damaged Jazz on my way to office.

If you are OK with AMT then there are the Swift and Ignis. Ignis Alpha AMT is about 1.5L cheaper than the Baleno Zeta CVT (after discounts).

If budget is not concern then I'd suggest to look at the Ecosport. I recently TD'd the car and really enjoyed it. If you can get hold of the pre-facelift ones you can get decent discounts.

[greendream]

If you plan to keep the car for 4 years or less..Polo Tsi. Sheer driving pleasure guaranteed. Post extended warranty the cost of spares will be a worry. Much has been discussed about Dsg unreliability on this forum.
For a long term ownership Baleno is a good choice.The Issue with Cvt and it’s rubber band effect especially for 1.2 engines is well documented. Cost of spares is very reasonable and a FNG can address all your needs post warranty.
In both cars,interior space and how often the rear seat is used by how many people etc. are points where you are the best judge. People are fine with Polo’s interior quality.
The GC is okay for a Polo. Small changes in driving style can overcome this perceived problem. Only a few times in your total ownership you might feel the need for more GC. If roads are that bad around your place a hatchback must be ruled out.
Advance Congratulations for your new car,which ever it is.

[Simple_car]

Originally Posted by StepUP!

Hello Folks,
I am taking delivery of Figo DCT very soon! I have a specific question regarding Ford's DCT which was not answered in Figo's official review thread. Hence re-posting it here.

The official review mentioned, when you halt at the traffic signals or in traffic, you need to just pull the handbrake. This will disengage the clutch. And no need to move the gear lever to P or N from D or apply brakes. Have you been following this practice? Is this true - engaging handbrakes disengages the clutch?

Perhaps Aspire DCT owners / old EcoSport DCT owners can comment as these cars come with same engine gearbox combo.

Thank you!

Congratulations on the car, and wish you many pleasant miles on it

For your query, I have 2 DCT's in my home (fiesta and ecosport), and I follow this rule at long signals: Put the transmission to N (neutral), and then pull the handbrakes.

AFAIK, just pulling the handbrake is not going to disengage the clutch. The clutch disengages, when you release the accelerator and let the car coast.

Hope this answers your query.

Thanks,
Simple_car

[CarguyNish]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

1. Maruti Baleno CVT
2. Honda Jazz CVT
3. Volkswagen Polo GT TSI
4. Hyundai i20 CVT

While i am yet to drive these cars, the on paper comparison resulted in these cars to be the most worthy. One thing is sure, they are very different from each other.

So, an update regarding my query.

I did Test Drive the Polo GT TSI & Baleno CVT. Let me describe in detail,

Polo GT TSI - As others already know & mentioned, this car was very quick and felt like a proper Hot Hatch. While it would did the commuter job in easy manner. The Engine is smooth (Most 4 Cylinders are), and the gearbox is quick to shift and is also very smooth.

Ride seemed a bit stiff, I suspected High Air Pressure to be the culprit here, and it was confirmed by VW executive. Overall the driving experience was very good.

Coming to Negatives, well they are quite a lot,

1. Interiors - While the Quality (Hard Plastics All Around), Fit & Finish is very good, the shape/design didn't please me. Why, because I have a car with exactly same Interiors in a different color shade. (Skoda Rapid). Can't complain much, if I didn't have Rapid, I would have appreciated this Polo's Interiors.

2. Space - It is a 2 seater, it has terrible rear seat with absolutely no legroom for our frames. My brother (6'1") who was sitting in back seat felt uncomfortable. Had to stop midway & swap place. While he has his own car, this will be sometimes used to pick up/drop Mom/Granny/Aunt. I am sure they won't like the Back seat & Poor Ingres/egress of Polo.

3. Reliability - While we do have 2 VW Group cars in home, they have been very reliable, because they are Manual. In case of Polo, the TSI isn't available in Manual, and we all have read stories of Gearbox/Multi Plate Clutch/Mecatronic Unit failing. While VW has replaced them to keep goodwill, that thing which could happen anytime will always be on top of my mind if I buy it. Cannot guess when troubles will start to pop up in these VW/Skoda cars. Don't want to be stranded on road with Gearbox failure when I take it on long drive.

4. Resale & ASS - This is the Biggest deal breaker for me in this car. While the GT TSI sells in good numbers, the thing is that VW don't have resale like Maruti/Hyundai have. This car will be a struggle to sell, especially in non-metro cities where people have not experienced an AT car. After sales service will be a standard procedure, but the spare parts will be expensive & availability will also be a big factor to consider when buying this one.

Another thing is that the Car can be handed over to dealer (VW have Used Car Division "Das Velt Auto"), but the price quoted by them will be lower for obvious reasons. If you are interested in their car, they may up the price a bit, but hey Volkswagen, you don't have Jetta/Golf/TRoc coming any time soon, and your Passat/Tiguan are expensive. How can a Polo customer get a proper upgrade when you don't have the right car. Vento will just be a Polo with Boot as it is designed that way. No VW no, your strategy just doesn't work here. You need a Indian MD if you want to be a successful brand here. We Indian's are different aren't we. We differ from other people in each & every way.

So, the Polo GT TSI despite being a driver centric car isn't that practical and is also very old. Will be reconsidered only if dealer offers good discount on it. It's the most expensive of the 4 cars I have shortlisted.

Now, coming to Baleno.

The Nexa RM was promt in bringing the car to my office. Had a Test Drive of it in traffic (Bumper to Bumper) and took it on open highway. While the car has creep function and the gearbox felt very smooth with no jerks, I did hear transmission whine during initial acceleration under 20kmph. The Engine refinement & Cabin Insulation was very good. The UV cut glass did work well in preventing sunburn & heat buildup inside the cabin, it was very hot outside. AC cooling was also damn good.

Rest of the car felt good, already know about it. Hence didn't check it in detail. The MID doesn't display the Gear you are in unlike Polo. Is this same with every CVT ? The Ride also seemed stiff, when questioned, the Nexa RM said that car was serviced few days back and was topped up a bit higher.

Speaking of Negatives,

1. Highway Performance - After driving in traffic, drove it on highway. The Disappointment started showing when the car just couldn't pick up speed. While the was not flooring the pedal, it just didn't have enough momentum to gain. Overtaking definitely needs planning on this one. The Sport Mode didn't help either. Felt completely opposite to Polo GT TSI. Was knowing this, but wanted to experience it in real. The CVT felt great in city, but poor on highways. On a positive side,

2. High Price - While the Manual is very well priced, the CVT is a good 100k expensive. That along with lack of Tiptronic/Paddle shift add to it's shortcomings.

3. Resale - While the Baleno is selling like hot cake, majority of the variant selling are Manual. CVT is preferred only in Metros according to my known RMs from 2 major Metro's here. According to him, the CVT sales from Tier 2/3 cities in only 10 %. This definitely affects resale for those who have bought one.

After this test drive, the color & variant of each car was selected. In case of Polo, it was only color as there aren't any variants in it. One word of advice from my dad was this "Be careful of what you decide, Automatics Don't sell, you'll struggle selling them, even at less price", this has left me thinking about Automatic. Having said that, I should respect his words because he has owned/sold lots of cars & he knows a thing about practical situation of buying/selling. Advice from experienced persons is invaluable.

While Automatics are extremely smooth & stress free, they are not that efficient compared to manuals, some Baleno CVT owners here have reported 11-12 kmpl in city, the Manual returns 14.5 -15 in city.

So, a question to BHPians,

Is selling an Automatic Car a tough task due to poor acceptability ? Is Baleno Manual better then CVT ?

[archat68]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

they are not that efficient compared to manuals, some Baleno CVT owners here have reported 11-12 kmpl in city, the Manual returns 14.5 -15 in city.

So, a question to BHPians,

Is selling an Automatic Car a tough task due to poor acceptability ?
Is Baleno Manual better then CVT ?

In reply to the first point my test drive baleno CVT was showing FE of 13.5kmpl inside peak city traffic.

Regarding selling automatic car : from my experience a lower variant manual car will fetch better resale than a higher variant automatic of the same car unless you can get a enthusiastic buyer.

Regarding manual vs automatic: if you don't have any particular reason for going automatic, I always find the manuals to be FTD. Automatic on the other hand are blissful to drive in city traffic, specially in the evening after a tiring day.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

While Automatics are extremely smooth & stress free, they are not that efficient compared to manuals, some Baleno CVT owners here have reported 11-12 kmpl in city, the Manual returns 14.5 -15 in city.

But isn't an automatic the very reason you are considering a new car? That too by taking a hit in selling a 17-month old car.

The lower FE is the trade-off for convenience of an AT.

So, a question to BHPians,

Is selling an Automatic Car a tough task due to poor acceptability ? Is Baleno Manual better then CVT ?

A quick glance at the no. of AMT/ATs on offer shows how popular they are becoming popular. The chaos of the daily traffic has led to an increasing adoption of these transmissions. While they will obviously not be comparable to MTs, the market can't be dismissed.

Ultimately, get the car to solve your problem (making your drive easier) and focus less on the resale.

I drive a 1.5 petrol AT as a daily drive and in awful peak hour traffic, get about 12kmpl. But I'd gladly take that over a MT giving me 15 along with a bruised knee.

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

While the Tiago is good and there haven't been any major niggles so far, the congested traffic & rough diesel engine has made me to look for a Petrol Automatic City Runabout.

[drhoneycake]

Originally Posted by Flyer

Same situation for me. My search ended up with two options. TATA Tiago or Ford Figo. Priorities were safety, engine and looks. Finally decided to go with Figo. And then I heard about the facelift. I’m thinking to wait for the facelift Figo as it would have nice interiors. I don’t like the interiors of the current Figo. Safety wise both cars have 2xairbags plus abs. Tiago has a 1.2 Litre Revotron engine with AMT, where as Figo has a 1.5 Litre engine mated to 6 speed DCT. There is a rumour that the face lifted Figo might come with an AMT. Both cars have driver seat height adjustment. I really like the Aston Martin ish looks of the Figo. Look wise Tiago is not satisfying for me. I don’t like the humanity line of TATA.(my personal opinion only). Even though Tiago is a great VFM car, Figo ticks most boxes for me.

So the search ends. Used Brio automatics were hard to find and whatever cars we saw, the owners were quoting ridiculous prices here in BLR.

Finally ended up booking a Tiago XZA in Sunset Orange. I never thought a Tata car would come home, but what a fantastic car. My wife and I absolutely loved it.

Shows how a VFM package can turn around the fortunes of any company.

Now the wait begins.....

[haldar_siliguri]

Originally Posted by StepUP!

Hello Folks,
I am taking delivery of Figo DCT very soon! I have a specific question regarding Ford's DCT which was not answered in Figo's official review thread. Hence re-posting it here.

The official review mentioned, when you halt at the traffic signals or in traffic, you need to just pull the handbrake. This will disengage the clutch. And no need to move the gear lever to P or N from D or apply brakes. Have you been following this practice? Is this true - engaging handbrakes disengages the clutch?

Perhaps Aspire DCT owners / old EcoSport DCT owners can comment as these cars come with same engine gearbox combo.

Thank you!



Perhaps I went through the same and booked Figo for my dad replacing his WagonR! Did your friend test drove Figo DCT? It is better built, has powerful 1.5 ltr engine, DCT gearbox, good amount of space, all safety features like 6 airbags, ABS+EBD, ESP, hill launch assist.

If your friend is okay to have average interiors and can live without features like touchscreen, request sensors, reverse parking sensors etc. which can be later added, Figo is the best choice.
What's more, it is priced below Jazz. Except boot space, I believe it is as spacious as Jazz.

Hello and congrats for your new DCT.

I have 30,000 kms on my 1.5 year old Figo DCT so far and I usually just pull the handbrake at traffic stops less than a minute long, else I put it in N and then pull the handbrake. I believe just pulling the handbrake doesn't release the clutch but for short stops it really does not make any real world difference.

Aside from the extreme slow speed jerkiness of the gearbox, especially the Satanic 2nd gear, everything else is great about it. This vehicle is best for highway cruising, although its 1.5L engine deserves a better gearbox. While in stop-go city traffic I get a FE of 11.5kpl, on the highway it almost always stays north of 16kpl. Happy driving!

[jas_mirage]

Hi all. Hope you all are having a very good day and are thus free to ponder at my conundrum (bringing out the Mr. Tharoor in me)

Let me preface by saying that even though I work in the automotive sector, I have lost touch with the current Indian automotive scenario as I am currently abroad.

So where else do I land up for suggestions and information (both from the dimakh-se folks and the dil-se folks)? Here!!

OK. Lets get down to business. I am in the market for a new Automatic car. The criteria is as given:

1. Mainly driven by my dad (60+). Probably also will be sneaked out by my sister when he is not looking, or the moments he feels benevolent (rare, but he still has his moments) - she is still very much a beginner.
2. Looking for some thing small (that is what I think would be right) - as he rarely drives and even then it will be mostly to the town. Dad wants something big as we are coming off the back of an i20 and he wants a bigger vehicle for the airport runs (happens maybe 1/2 times a year) and trips to another sister's In-laws 160kms away (happens maybe once in 3 months). - I suggest we uber those trips
3. Petrol only - The running we have cannot justify the increased cost of purchase for a Diesel.
4. Coming form a Hyundai i20 Asta (O) - 2009 (had all the bells and whistles and safety that we needed), I have sort of observed that the service of Hyundai does tend to get expensive over time. And issues start creeping up past the 4 year mark. So looking for something VFM as well as reliable. Not knocking Hyundai's, if you think any one of them is particularly good, suggest it and tell me why.

So yep it is confusing, and interesting at the same time. Go ahead, do your thing, say what you have to.

And,
Thank you!!

[rnidumolu]

How about VW Ameo??? The VW auto would be a good option I guess.

[Latheesh]

Honda Jazz V Auto

Wait for couple of months as Jazz may get midlife face lift by mid of this year.

[freedom]

If your dad or sister is a petrol head, then nothing other than Polo GT TSI will do justice.
But given that you need something "small" then I would vote for Brio.

I am not a fan of AMT so won't suggest Maruti.

[The Rationalist]

Dear jasmirage,
I own a Ford Aspire DCT. I would suggest a Ford Figo or Ford Aspire as both are below ₹ 9 lakh and easy on pocket. I have completed 3 services and the highest cost was ₹ 4000. It has a very good seats and is easy to get in and out. Jazz has service every 6 months which is a headache. The New Dzire ia also a good one, but it has bouncy ride and poor seating comfort at back. I had backache in the rear seat. At your Dad’s age back comfort would be crucial I guess. Volkswagen is too expensive with service to even consider. Stay away at all costs.

The Rationalist.