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Old 23rd July 2009, 21:47   #31
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Originally Posted by vikrantj View Post
Talking of interior of Wagon-R and Spark then Spark definately has more rear seat space than Wagon-R. Wagon-R was introduced as a 4-seater and suddenly with no change in dimensions it was suddenly declared as a 5 seater.

Rgds
Vikrant
Yes the Spark is *surprisingly* spacious, considering the outer dimensions. Leg room is quite good at the rear too.

Its at the front where the problem is. Tendency of knees touching the dashboard and front seats having downward sloping resulting in less underthigh support is disappointing.

Regarding WagonR 4 seater issue, the earlier wagonR (pre-2006) used to come with 50:50 split rear seats, which meant two separate seats at the rear. Thats why it was labeled a 4 seater. But post 2006. single bench was provided and one of the reasons was Hyundai's Santro campaign where they highlighted this as a major + for the Santro being a 5 seater compared to the wagonR, even when the rear seat width was almost same in both the cars.

Last edited by DCEite : 23rd July 2009 at 21:48.
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Old 23rd July 2009, 21:56   #32
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Since you are on a tight budget, I would suggest that you consider the Alto. It provides the best package of low cost, good FE, good A.S.S., cheap spare parts and total peace of mind. It is a bit underpowered (especially with the AC on), but it still suitable for your daily office commute.

Santro ECO is another good option for you. Since you plan to keep the car for a long duration, this will serve you better in the long run. It is more spacious, powerful and comfortable compared to Alto.

Don't worry about Santro being stopped in the future. It is one of the best selling models of Hyundai, and they are in no mood to stop it. All this rumour was circulated when i10 1.1 was launched and some oversmart people automatically assumed it to be a replacement for the Santro.

Santro and i10 1.1 are totally different cars. They may use similar engines, but it does not mean that i10 is going to replace Santro in the future.

There were similar rumours about WagonR when Ritz was announced. Many smart people believed that Ritz was meant to replace the aging WagonR. But WagonR is still going strong.

Moral of the story, don't believe in rumours about models being discountinued.

Spark is a good car, but considering the current market scenario, I would advice you against going for a GM car.

Rohan,
Bangalore
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Old 24th July 2009, 00:28   #33
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Of all the cars mentioned above I have found Spark tp be the most active and fun to drive car.

before taking words from anybody, just td the car. This will tell you two things.

1. How good a car is.
2. How good the dealership is.
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Old 24th July 2009, 16:12   #34
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i surely know how one feels about the dilema of owning GM cars after their fiasco financially, but things have changed and GM is working hard on this to ensure customers doesnt face this.Spark is a superb car with good handling and perfect city as well as highway driving capacity.TD one and would get the real story, if you still feel to opt for maruti just try to push budget and go for new ritz base model or zen estile which is better then wagonR in ride and handling.
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Old 24th July 2009, 16:39   #35
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@archat68

Been there,done that! I bought an Alto LXi last month after considering all the cars you mentioned, except the Waggy (considered Estilo instead). Finally it was a toss between the Spark and Alto, but the GM bankruptcy issue and iffy A.S.S tilted it in favour of the Alto. Not that you have fantastic A.S.S for Maruti, but you have dozen's of places to choose from as opposed to the monopolistic/oligopolistic situation with Chevvy.

I basically liked the low stance of the Alto which may be helpful on the highway. And good FE. Car has done < 1000 KM but am already getting 21 KMPL for highway and ~17 KMPL for mixed driving, with A/C on most of the time. The lack of power at low speeds (with A/C on) does not bother me as much as I thought it would. One has to just work the gearbox judiciously. Doesn't make much difference on the highway.
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Old 24th July 2009, 17:49   #36
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Ok . I see lot of posts here concerned about GM bankruptcy. Let me try to explain the situation here.
1. GM has filed for "PROTECTION AGAINST BANKRUPTCY" and not "BANKRUPTCY" as is popular notions.
2. GM has come out of this protection on 10 July exactly 40days after it filed for Chapter 11.
3. GM India was never considered in the Chapter 11 clause.

So what has changed after July 10.

1. It is a leaner company 40 Billion debt as opposed to 118 Billion before C11.
2. It has sold off guzzlers Hummer/Saab and closed Pontiac.
3. It is focusing on 4 brands Chevy, Buick and I can't remember the other two .

From my personal experience (I have a Spark) the after sales have pulled up their socks and best part of it GM India has disclosed everything in black and white on their websites. If GM does not see future in India then why has it opened up a manufacturing unit in Talegaon at a investment of 250million.

Rgds
Vikrant
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Old 24th July 2009, 18:28   #37
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Thanks everybody for the input.

I opted out of Tata cars at first. But today I saw that Xeta LPG GLS is available for 3.3L (price on their site) - there should be some discount on it also. Looking tempting to me.
Anyone own a XETA LPG version?
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Old 24th July 2009, 18:35   #38
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Tata ko karo Ta ta!

Quote:
Originally Posted by archat68 View Post
Thanks everybody for the input.

I opted out of Tata cars at first. But today I saw that Xeta LPG GLS is available for 3.3L (price on their site) - there should be some discount on it also. Looking tempting to me.
Anyone own a XETA LPG version?
2 words -Dont buy.

Firstly, buy an LPG car only if you're considering doing substantial mileage (atleast 2k kms per month). Otherwise, you'll not save much on running costs, and end up paying for your decision in the long run! Not only are LPG engines shorter lasting than normal petrol/diesels, there is also a significant difference in resale values.

Most second hand car dealers dont want to pick up LPG equipped vehicles as they are not sure about the mechanical condition of the car. Try out Maruti True Value outlets to see if they sell any LPG equipped car with a warranty, and you'll know what I mean!

Secondly (and this is purely my suggestion, dont want another brand war here) dont buy a Tata. Refer my own ownership thread:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ved-child.html
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Old 24th July 2009, 20:12   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vikrantj View Post
Ok . I see lot of posts here concerned about GM bankruptcy. Let me try to explain the situation here.
1. GM has filed for "PROTECTION AGAINST BANKRUPTCY" and not "BANKRUPTCY" as is popular notions.
2. GM has come out of this protection on 10 July exactly 40days after it filed for Chapter 11.
3. GM India was never considered in the Chapter 11 clause.

So what has changed after July 10.

1. It is a leaner company 40 Billion debt as opposed to 118 Billion before C11.
2. It has sold off guzzlers Hummer/Saab and closed Pontiac.
3. It is focusing on 4 brands Chevy, Buick and I can't remember the other two .

From my personal experience (I have a Spark) the after sales have pulled up their socks and best part of it GM India has disclosed everything in black and white on their websites. If GM does not see future in India then why has it opened up a manufacturing unit in Talegaon at a investment of 250million.

Rgds
Vikrant
Hi,
I was aware of all this (am an accountant). But I didn't want to bet my hard earned money on their turnaround. I will have no objection to buying their products however, once they are out of the woods.
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Old 24th July 2009, 20:18   #40
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Thanks PW for the link. Yes I have also heard about many "stories" about Indica. And thats why I opted out of any TATA vehicle at first. Actually the Xeta price looks tempting. But again since I will keep the car for 5-6 years and I want a relatively hassle free car - I think I will have to skip Indica.
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Old 24th July 2009, 20:38   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gansan View Post
Hi,
I was aware of all this (am an accountant). But I didn't want to bet my hard earned money on their turnaround. I will have no objection to buying their products however, once they are out of the woods.
They are out of the woods. Check the dates.
BTW, Suzuki USA took the biggest hit of the recession 70% drop in sales YOY.
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Old 24th July 2009, 20:41   #42
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And Tata look like they are heading into the woods in a rush with JLR! On the other hand, I am not sure that I would go buy a Captiva at this time, if I was in the market at the price point, there is also a question of how much risk one has an appetite for.
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Old 24th July 2009, 21:01   #43
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They are out of the woods. Check the dates.
BTW, Suzuki USA took the biggest hit of the recession 70% drop in sales YOY.
At the time of buying my Alto, they were not. Also, I will wait a good two years to be on the safe side before I buy a GM product. May be my next car when I upgrade from the Alto will be a Chevy!
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Old 26th July 2009, 18:21   #44
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BTW, Suzuki USA took the biggest hit of the recession 70% drop in sales YOY.
But in Idia Maruti-Suzuki is rocking. Just saw their Q1FY2010 results. They have posted record sales and profits. They are doing highest ever sales month-on-month since last 3-4 months. And their share price is hitting all time high on BSE and NSE .
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Old 26th July 2009, 22:02   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sawyer View Post
And Tata look like they are heading into the woods in a rush with JLR! On the other hand, I am not sure that I would go buy a Captiva at this time, if I was in the market at the price point, there is also a question of how much risk one has an appetite for.
Tata still has losses from JLR but the recovery is well on its way.

And Chevrolet is out of bankruptcy already.

Statements like above should be backed with concrete proof. WHile GM may have many problems in their company structure very few companies can handle a parent company's bankruptcy like GM India did.
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