[anusha_snh]

Hi guys,

I am planning for a petrol hatchback in the range of 4.5 lakh OTR, bangalore.

I would be using the car mostly for city, probably for an occassional highway drive once in a quarter. My priorities being

1. Space and comfort of drive- should be able to comfortable accomodate 4-5 adults and should give a non bumpy sturdy drive

2. FE


Resale is not an issue since I wont be selling this car for another 5 years.

Having considered all options which fall within this price range, The following cars were rejected!:
1.Maruti:
a) Astar vxi - lack of space, really really cramped.
b) Swift lxi- Have driven this car, rear leg room is a problem and feels claustrophobic in the rear, not t mention dull grey plastic all around. Also the petrol engine is due for a change. 3 months waiting period and no discounts.!!
c) New estilo- Lack of space, bad interiors
d) Wagon-R- simply because I dont like its van like looks, outdated.

2.Hyundai:
a) Santro- Didnt even consider.
b) getz - I really liked the car, but Shame that the 1.3 prime is discontinued (though trident motors bangalore chose not to tell me and were all for selling me some car lying in their stock!!), Would not want to go for the 1.1 with santro's engine.


3.Chevrolet- In general, wouldnt like to go for a GM car. I know its a matter of opinion, But I would not prefer to go with a chevrolet. No offence to chevvy owners!

4.FIAT
a)Palio 1.1 stile slx- Good car, but really really low sales and looks like FIAT themselves have given up on it.



So after all the research and hours of thinking , I have 4 choices in the order below:


1. Tata Vista Safire Aura (Note- I refuse to associate the word Indica with this car, wonder why tata named it indica vista )
PRO:
a) Space , space and more space
b) Bright interiors
c) Fiat FIRE1.2 engine and gearbox
d) Reasonably good exteriors and build ( again a matter of opinion)
e) VFM for the features offered
f) decent FE - 12-14 with AC in city as reported by TBHPians owning the car.

The speculations I had in mind were about the service, are cleared now. In bangalore , Concorde has 3 service stations and found them to be prompt and polite. I took a test drive and i did not face any complaints with the ride or the gear shift.I have one final question regarding the car. Since the car will be driven by me , Is there some jinx that girls should not drive tata cars. Because everybody suggests a Maruti or a hyundai !!


2.Fiat grande punto 1.2 active
PROS:
a) Awesome looks!! to say the least.
b) Steady drive and decent economy
c) The feel of owning a punto.

CONS:
a) Poor poor interiors, all black and very cheap quality of plastics used ( certainly didnt expect this from fiat!!Had a heartbreak!)
b) No rear leg room
c) Will come to around 470000 OTR, and I would need 30k foe ICE and accessories which ll come upto 5L OTR.


3. I10 magna kappa 1.2

PROS:
a) Good power
b) decent FE


CONS:
a) Looks and front grille, lesser said, the better.
b) found the dashboard reflecting on the front windscreen. Wonder if thats an issue.


4. RITZ lxi - The only thing pleasing about the car is the Kseries engine! Rest all are cons, Specially the rear looks. The base version doesnt even have a tacho and power windows. Plus there is a waiting period of 2 months and No discounts!!


All this has put me into a dilemma on which buy should i zero on. I am really confused. Please pitch in your opinions and help me decide on my car

PS: sorry for the long rant, But i thought it is best if I tell all that I feel.

[para_7k]

Waiting Period for the Ritz ? and that too the LXi version ? OMG ! Where is MSIL heading to ?

The i10 Kappa does perform well but 5 will be a squeeze. I think the FE should be better for a car of its size. I get only 12 -13 kmpl and many share the same opinion. To seat 4, this car is good. You'll like the interior quality. Beige Reflections, yes but eventually I got used to it. Also, I have cultivated the habit of wearing Polarized sunglasses. It helps a bit.

Since space is one your Primary requirements, Vista should be ideal. But during my test drive, I found the 1.2 65 BHP engine underpowered for this car.

Have you considered the Indigo CS GLX or GLS ?

[greenhorn]

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...1-3-1-4-a.html

you might find some inputs here

[anusha_snh]

Originally Posted by para_7k

Since space is one your Primary requirements, Vista should be ideal. But during my test drive, I found the 1.2 65 BHP engine underpowered for this car.

Have you considered the Indigo CS GLX or GLS ?

Originally Posted by para_7k

Have you considered the Indigo CS GLX or GLS ?

I was planning for a hatchback and I somehow do not trust petrol engines of tata. I did check out indigo CS glx in the showroom, but I feel the boot space will not be put into good use because I will be using the car in the city And I found the gear shift a little notchy and hard.I considered Vista safire because it has a FIAT engine and gearbox. I also want to know if the vista @ 66 bhp feels inadequate in for city drives.

Originally Posted by greenhorn

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...1-3-1-4-a.html

you might find some inputs here

Thank you greenhorn. I had been through this thread but still was confused I just do not want to make a wrong decision worth 4.5 lakh +

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please use the "edit" button if posting within 20 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Also use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts.

[para_7k]

Originally Posted by anusha_snh

I also want to know if the vista @ 66 bhp feels inadequate in for city drives.

IMO, if you are not looking for outright performance, it shouldn't be a problem.

[leonerd]

Well that's quite a comprehensive research and pre-planning for your hard earned money. Now, somehow I believe that your heart is set on Indica. And it shoudl be. Vista is such a VFM package you cannot overlook.

Now coming to few questions about tata car:
1) A Girl driving Vista - Well jinxes are supposed to be broken. You start it . Anyways, I have seen quite few girls driving Indica and, trust me, people give them more respect. "Wow....a woman driving Indica...must have real guts.", I get to hear this often. I guess its just the shear bulkiness of the car which becomes a little more to manage for girls. Not that girls cannot drive it but why not get something more zippy and compact, is the general thought. Another factor why people say Maruti or Hyundai is better A.S.S. But, since you have already checked the Service centers it should be fine.
2.) Is the power enough?: If you don't wanna be fast and furious, then it should be. If you can really stretch your budget, which I doubt, go for Quadrajet. It has more power and better torque. But, if you cannot go for it then you should test drive the Safire Aura and feel it for yourself.

Apart from Vista, i10 is a good car. But, check the space. If you feel Swift has rear leg room issues then make sure you check i10's leg room too. I haven't seen it but I am guessing it is same as Swift. It definitely is a good car and, again, value for money.

Since, you have mostly bowled out the Marutis, the final battle should be between Vista and i10.

All the best and keep us updated.

[Gautam Misra]

IMHO the following are the good in terms of FE in petrol cars:

(i) Ritz Lxi
(ii) Spark (but you do not like CHEVY)

If fuel efficiency is one of the paramount considerations then you may consider LPG / Diesel variants also.

You can also consider TATA Indica Vista Quadrajet Terra at around 4,35,000/- ex showroom. (Though the interiors may not be to your liking)

If you are happy with the 12-15 Kmpl range of fuel economy then you may go for the i 10 IRDE engine which has the best overall package.

[JRD]

The punto 1.2 is the one you should go for if better drive ability is a higher priority over rear passenger space. If it is comfort you are looking for more so then drive ability then the Vista should be the choice.
Both these cars have the same heart and won't give your tire ripping performance but decent driving in city conditions, Punto especially.

Also here are 2 other options. I am not sure of the exact launch dates:
1. Indica Vista with the fire 1.4 engine is due for launch.
2. If you can wait VW Polo should be a super option. (Others please provide estimated launch dates)

[aarenes]

My wife has been driving our Indica in India and Camry in US all alike. No worries on girls driving Indica. And if it makes things any better, it is a diesel Indica, yet she handles it with poise.

[amit]

From your usage, you have to arrive at the best compromise from the cars you have shortlisted as none of them give you all the things you want.

Originally Posted by anusha_snh

I would be using the car mostly for city, probably for an occassional highway drive once in a quarter.

i10 and Ritz. They are very easy to drive in the city and decent enough for the occasional highway drive.

My priorities being

1. Space and comfort of drive- should be able to comfortable accomodate 4-5 adults and should give a non bumpy sturdy drive

For space it's Vista. 5 resonably sized adults? No problem!

For non bumpy sturdy drive, it's the Grande Punto.

2. FE

Give us figures. What's good FE according to you? 9? 10? 12? Generally, Japanese and Korean engines are more fuel efficient then European and American ones. i10 and Ritz will be better here as they carry far less weight and the Ritz has a nice Jap engine although you have listed decent economy as one of the pro's of the Punto so it's a bit confusing.

[anusha_snh]

Thanks for the super quick responses ! I do not think my monthly usage will exceed 500 km , so opting for diesel does not seem right. I have test driven the vista safire, and it felt alright, though I cannot comment on the power or performance in one test drive.

I will test drive the i10 magna kappa this week and then decide. I need to decide in about a weeks time at the maximum.

Please give me any opinions/warnings/advices which i should consider

[Jebs]

I guess Ritz is the better buy in terms of your requirements.

Ritz offers you ride comfort, good GC and better FE also the best A.S.S

[zaks]

Your choice simply points to --> I10 magna kappa 1.2.

[vkochar]

At 4.5 Lacs OTR you got the option of i10 Sports / Vista & Ritz.

I'd strongly suggest the i10 or the Ritz. Both are good cars and trouble free.

Yes, there is the problem of dash reflecting on the windscreen in sunlight - But I am sure you could live with that.

The i10 is the perefect all rounder for you.

[iPai]

The i10 is not that cramped anusha. It is pretty good if not as spacious as the vista.
But for peace of mind and reliability i would suggest the i10 magna for you. Since you will mostly be driving in the city, i10 would serve you the best!!
The light steering and good visibility should help you.