[travelwriter]

Some great posts here. I am looking to buy a car and am considering either used or new. But my requirements are
1. Has to be petrol
2. Has to be automatic (not the AMT)
3. Has to be below Rs.15L

My preference based on threads in Team-BHP
1. Polo GT TSI (my previous car had the same engine and gear box and I loved it)
2. Jazz (it comes with paddle shift)
3. Ford - I have heard they have shut shop in India and are only providing service support for the next 7 years. Is this confirmed?

Anyone has driven any of the above and can give me a comparative? Would be great.

PS: I hate Suzuki and Hyundai cars. I dislike Tata looks and feel Toyota is overpriced.

Cheers!
Travelwriter

[ankitsharma]

Originally Posted by travelwriter

Some great posts here. I am looking to buy a car and am considering either used or new. But my requirements are
======
PS: I hate Suzuki and Hyundai cars. I dislike Tata looks and feel Toyota is overpriced.

Cheers!
Travelwriter

I took a test drive of Aspire automatic yesterday. I also spoke to the SA regarding Ford shutting down and leaving Indian market.
Well the news is just masala mixed with other things. As per the SA Ford is here to stay and they are planning to provide service and share some parts (specifically ICE) with Mahindra.
Regarding the car itself, it was awesome. Auto is 1.5 and has better grunt than 1.2 P which is manual. It was also more silent than the 1.2.

I would suggest to try Figo auto once. Plus ford service is now cheaper or so as they advertise. The only hitch is you have got 2-3 months waiting period.

[travelwriter]

Originally Posted by ankitsharma

I took a test drive ..... you have got 2-3 months waiting period.

Thanks for this. The waiting period is a bummer, no doubt. I also thought of the Figo (smaller hatchback) but my son is 6ft tall and that may be a problem for us. He's 14 yrs of age so he won't be driving it but still the family would feel cramped. That is also another reason for my having second thoughts on the Polo GT

[ankitsharma]

Yes you are absolutely right about the space.
I am 5'10'' and the headroom felt to be just adequate for me. 6 footers will definitely face issues.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by travelwriter

Some great posts here. I am looking to buy a car and am considering either used or new. But my requirements are
1. Has to be petrol
2. Has to be automatic (not the AMT)
3. Has to be below Rs.15L
Cheers!
Travelwriter

15L is a good budget for a pre-owned car. The Octavia TSI DSG comes to mind. Or maybe something even higher? If you are used to the TSI DSG, then other options may not seem exciting.

[travelwriter]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

15L is a good budget for a pre-owned car. The Octavia TSI DSG comes to mind. Or maybe something even higher? If you are used to the TSI DSG, then other options may not seem exciting.

Spot on! I am smitten by that gear box and also the ride on a 118TSI. Everything seemed near perfect. I also went about and saw a few cars at a dealer yard (called Ur Car, formerly Dr Car at Madhapur, Hyderabad). All the ones I liked were 2010 or 2011 and had done excess of 65K. All of them were TDI. This was a downer for me; I wasn't looking for that high a number on the Odo. But the search is on.

Worst case scenario, I'll have to settle for a Rapid or a Polo GT.

[2000rpm]

Which is the cheapest automatic which will appeal to an enthusiast in the market today? I owned a city CVT and didnt find it good enough and hence sold it. Looking for a replacement which will be an automatic but more fun to drive than the City CVT.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Which is the cheapest automatic which will appeal to an enthusiast in the market today?

Probably polo GT or Figo AT(provided you manage to get one) if you want the cheapest fun AT. Rest under 15L most are compromises

High hopes on the Venue DCT. Let's see how it turns out.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Which is the cheapest automatic which will appeal to an enthusiast in the market today? I owned a city CVT and didnt find it good enough and hence sold it. Looking for a replacement which will be an automatic but more fun to drive than the City CVT.

Since you didn't mention hatch I would say Ecosport. Yes Aspire and Figo might be better because of lower weight but their availability and just the desire of Ford to sell them is a question nobody outside Ford has an answer to.


Polo GT is obviously there, but the DSG comes with its share of ownership costs and issues.

[roby_dk]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Which is the cheapest automatic which will appeal to an enthusiast in the market today? I owned a city CVT and didnt find it good enough and hence sold it. Looking for a replacement which will be an automatic but more fun to drive than the City CVT.

If you have mentioned the term enthusiast I don't see any other car than Polo GT TSI. Trust me in term of drivability no car can beat this. It is compact, rev friendly and most suited for spirited driving even for those who are new to cars. My wife is in love with TSI and I am glad that we have a lot of discussion regarding cars daily. Test drove i20, EcoSport, Creta before finalizing Polo. With 6 years of warranty from volkswagen I don't see any reason to worry about reliability issues. Best of luck.

[Pancham]

Hi Guys!

So my girl friend's father is in the market for a small auto hatchback. His budget is around 6.5 to 7L. The car will mostly be chauffeur driven and sometimes by me or my girl friend.

I am really confused because I have not been keeping track of this segment. The only safe choice seems to be the Santro but it has gotten so expensive. The top end AMT Santro Sportz costs around INR 6L and it doesn't even have all the 'nice to have' features. I am going to TD one tomorrow.

Any other suggestions?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Pancham

Hi Guys!

So my girl friend's father is in the market for a small auto hatchback. His budget is around 6.5 to 7L. The car will mostly be chauffeur driven and sometimes by me or my girl friend.

I am really confused because I have not been keeping track of this segment. The only safe choice seems to be the Santro but it has gotten so expensive. The top end AMT Santro Sportz costs around INR 6L and it doesn't even have all the 'nice to have' features. I am going to TD one tomorrow.

Any other suggestions?

All options below 7L are typically AMTs. Maybe worthwhile to see if you can stretch slightly for the Grand i10. The below thread lists all the choices and the price ranges. Maybe helpful to shortlist few options.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4556125 (The Comprehensive Guide to Automatic Cars (2019 edition))

[Dr.Suraj]

Originally Posted by Pancham

Hi Guys!

So my girl friend's father is in the market for a small auto hatchback. His budget is around 6.5 to 7L. The car will mostly be chauffeur driven and sometimes by me or my girl friend.

I am really confused because I have not been keeping track of this segment. The only safe choice seems to be the Santro but it has gotten so expensive. The top end AMT Santro Sportz costs around INR 6L and it doesn't even have all the 'nice to have' features. I am going to TD one tomorrow.

Any other suggestions?

Since it's chauffeur driven, the Santro might make more sense with the rear AC vents. For some other 'nice to have' features, Tiago is a good option too. (And an update is around the corner which might bring around the touchscreen as standard.)
Wouldn't really recommend the Wagon R for a chauffer driven Auto. The ride quality isn't as plush as the Tiago or Santro.

[haisaikat]

Originally Posted by travelwriter

But my requirements are
1. Has to be petrol
2. Has to be automatic (not the AMT)
3. Has to be below Rs.15L

My preference based on threads in Team-BHP
1. Polo GT TSI (my previous car had the same engine and gear box and I loved it)
2. Jazz (it comes with paddle shift)
3. Ford - I have heard they have shut shop in India and are only providing service support for the next 7 years. Is this confirmed?

PS: I hate Suzuki and Hyundai cars. I dislike Tata looks and feel Toyota is overpriced.

I have driven a friend's Jazz CVT top model, very impressive interior and the top end is fully loaded, except you don't get projector head lamps which can be fitted seperately of course. But the let down is the CVT which is sluggish but the looks otherwise are stunning and if you can live with the gearbox responsiveness it's a great option. Otherwise if you can wait then the next version of Jazz planned to launch sometime soon can be worth waiting with supposedly a turbo petrol Variant and more spacious.

In your budget I wonder why are you not considering the Creta? Also the Maruti S-Cross petrol version is due for launch in 2020 and may be coming with automatic options as against only diesel manual at present.

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Which is the cheapest automatic which will appeal to an enthusiast in the market today? I owned a city CVT and didnt find it good enough and hence sold it. Looking for a replacement which will be an automatic but more fun to drive than the City CVT.

Was it a petrol City? The Diesel variant I have heard is great to drive otherwise.

Originally Posted by Pancham

Hi Guys!

So my girl friend's father is in the market for a small auto hatchback. His budget is around 6.5 to 7L. The car will mostly be chauffeur driven and sometimes by me or my girl friend.

I am really confused because I have not been keeping track of this segment. The only safe choice seems to be the Santro but it has gotten so expensive. The top end AMT Santro Sportz costs around INR 6L and it doesn't even have all the 'nice to have' features. I am going to TD one tomorrow.

Any other suggestions?

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

All options below 7L are typically AMTs. Maybe worthwhile to see if you can stretch slightly for the Grand i10. The below thread lists all the choices and the price ranges. Maybe helpful to shortlist few options.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4556125 (The Comprehensive Guide to Automatic Cars (2019 edition))

We have a i10 manual and in future if we upgrade this it will indeed be a automatic. And in current options available the Grand i10 is the most appealing for the balance of space and design but it's the price tag that keeps coming in between. If I were to spend 7 lakhs for petrol automatic unless it's the first car I would rather get a cross or UV in slightly more budget or settle with Santro AMT at a tad lower price. There are little options in automatic in and around 5 lakh range and it's unfortunate.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by travelwriter

My preference based on threads in Team-BHP
1. Polo GT TSI (my previous car had the same engine and gear box and I loved it)
2. Jazz (it comes with paddle shift)
3. Ford - I have heard they have shut shop in India and are only providing service support for the next 7 years. Is this confirmed?

Anyone has driven any of the above and can give me a comparative? Would be great.

Test drove the Ford ATs(Ecosport,Aspire) and bought the Jazz CVT recently. Here's what I noticed.

Ford Aspire AT was super enjoyable to drive in Bangalore traffic. The 1.5L dragon engine mated to the 6 speed TC makes for a smooth and fun combination. Add to that the light weight of the car and you have enough power on tap as and when needed. Loved the experience. Downside was interior quality(strictly average), lack of features like apple- carplay/android-auto etc & ofcourse Ford's attitude towards ATs. I wanted a Figo AT actually but never got a concrete word from them. . Ecosport also was decent but being heavier felt slightly less sprightly & the suspension is kinda stiff making you aware of the road conditions often.

Jazz CVT is for folks with light foot. If you want that mad rush , please ignore this. CVTs are supposed to be smooth and with the 1.2 iVtec that's where it excels. But if you go pedal-to-metal all you will get is a lot of engine noise(otherwise called rubber band effect). Mind you its still tad better than the other two hatches it competes with(i20 & Baleno CVT). Paddles do make things a bit better but nothing exceptional. For your budget(15L), I would recommend you try out City CVT. The marriage between 1.5L iVtec & CVT box is much better.

Polo GT happens to be the best among the ATs available this side of 10L. No two ways around it. I couldnt consider it due to the cramped rear seats. For your use case I would suggest try out Creta AT as well. It does almost everything right except maybe the mileage(my friend gets 7-8kmpl in bangalore)