[darklord]

The past:
The year is 1999. Mom's daily commuting becomes problematic, brought on by father's transfer to a faraway district. The fact that the nearest bus stop was 1.5 km away did not help either. One evening, after a particularly depressing walk back home from work in the drenching rain, mom takes two decisions; one, she is going to learn driving; two, we are buying a car for personal use. She enrolled in a driving school and obtained her licence. Then, our first personal car came home. A brand new M-800 standard in Phoenix Red. I learned driving in it. Father honed his skills in it. My uncle and two cousins learned driving in it. The only extra fitting we had was a multi-pipe airhorn after the OEM horn conked off.

The present:
After faithful service for 70,000 km and close to 11 years, the car has begun to show it's age. Niggles, small but nerve-wracking, began to appear almost weekly, so much so that we no longer have the confidence to take it out for longer drives. Particularly depressing was the last month, when it had to go to a workshop three times with problems with cluth, starting coil, and alternator. So, we have painfully come to the conclusion that it is time to change the car.

The hunt so far:
Our needs are simple.

• It must have A/C.
• It must have PS.
• A bit more upmarket than the 800.
• Mom is the primary user, so, definitely a hatchback.
• Budget of 3.6 max OTR.
• Petrol. No need for a diesel.
• Daily travel of about 10 km on the highway with very little bumper to bumper traffic.

The cars I have shortlisted so far for a test drive are: Hyndai i10 ERA, Maruti Wagon-R LXi, and Tata Vista Aqua.

I visited the local sales outlet of the dealers (the bigger showrooms are in the city 30 km away). Collected the brochures of the Vista and i10. The Maruti guys did not have a brochure for the Wagon-R; probably, they were a bit dismissive, or at least I felt so. The Tata guys were the most welcoming, even offered a test drive without me asking for one. Did not take it anyway because only diesel models were available for TD. Next week, we are going in full force for a TD of all of the above models. It's mom's comfort in the driving seat that counts the most.

My musings on the above cars:
i10:

• Never driven one before. No comments there, for now.
• Nearest A-S-S about 30 km/45 min away.
• A bit pricey for our budget @ 3.67 ESP.

Vista:

• Never driven one before. No comments here either, for now.
• A-S-S is closer, at about 8 km or so.
• Here again, a bit pricey at 3.84 OTR, but they are offering insurance @ Rs. 1/-. So, shouldn't be too off from our budget.
• Space is humungous inside.
• The meter cluster in the center is a turn off. My privacy as a driver will get invaded for sure, with all the passengers keeping an eye on the speedometer and all, you know the drill .

Wagon-R:

• Have driven my friend's car earlier. It is a VFM car.
• Highway manners were terrible.
• Gearshift is pathetic.
• The impending (??) engine upgrade.
• The oldest model in the Indian market, compared to the others.
• Terrific service support. I think there are at least four or five maruti specialists in a 5 km radius.
• 3.36 ESP with a further 25k discount.

Eagerly awaiting all your opinion, pointers, and advice.

PS: I am sorry if this post came across as more of a monologue. Just reflects my confusion.

[harishnair]

IMO you could also consider the Chevrolet Spark and the Hyundai Santro, as both of them will fit in your budget. The Santro has the same engine as the i10 Era and its a good upgrade from the 800. The Spark also has the Chevrolet 3yr maintenance plan.
The Vista is the way to go if you want space and its excellent VFM. But your mom might find a bit of difficulty on the roads, as its a much bigger vehicle when compared to the M800.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by darklord

The year is 1999. A brand new M-800 standard in Phoenix Red.

My first car was a Phoenix Red Maruti 800 (KL 01 P). I miss that car!

Originally Posted by darklord

• It must have A/C.
• It must have PS.
• A bit more upmarket than the 800.
• Mom is the primary user, so, definitely a hatchback.
• Budget of 3.6 max OTR.
• Petrol. No need for a diesel.
• Daily travel of about 10 km on the highway with very little bumper to bumper traffic.

The cars I have shortlisted so far for a test drive are: Hyndai i10 ERA, Maruti Wagon-R LXi, and Tata Vista Aqua.

I think the car that suits your requirements best is the i10.


3. Vista- Big car with loads of space. However, you dont seem to need as much space. Considering your mom is the primary user, she would be much more comfortable driving the i10.

2. WagonR- its dated and there are better choices available. Service backup is the best though! However, the engine AND GEARBOX might also going be in for an upgrade soon. Interiors are very basic compared to the i10. I own the proud owner of a WagonR, however its not the best option right now.

1. i10- Interiors quality is the best in the segment, and a big step up from the M800. 1.1 engine is tried and tested too. Light steering, smooth gearbox, small dimensions all would make it better suited to a women driver, IMO.

Outsider- You could also consider the Spark. Very VFM car, unless you are bothered about the resale value. Considering that you are on a tight budget, Spark might turn out to be a better deal than the i10.

[anekho]

I suggest the i10. Really nice interiors, reliable engine and overall great fit'n'finish. It'll feel like a proper upgrade from the M800.

[kutlee]

i10 should be the choice...great little car.

[greenhorn]

if you are leaning towards a wagon R, why not try second hand? has good resale, and there should be some good examples available in true value. If you want new, stick to the i10, or maybe the spark if you don't plan to sell it anytime soon

[darklord]

First off, thanks guys for your kind words.

Originally Posted by harishnair

IMO you could also consider the Chevrolet Spark and the Hyundai Santro, as both of them will fit in your budget. The Santro has the same engine as the i10 Era and its a good upgrade from the 800. The Spark also has the Chevrolet 3yr maintenance plan.
The Vista is the way to go if you want space and its excellent VFM. But your mom might find a bit of difficulty on the roads, as its a much bigger vehicle when compared to the M800.

Thanks for pointing those out. The Spark is a real VFM car, but there are these issues that I feel.

• Resale value.
• A-S-S.
• I would not be seen driving one.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

My first car was a Phoenix Red Maruti 800 (KL 01 P). I miss that car!

I think the car that suits your requirements best is the i10.

Outsider- You could also consider the Spark. Very VFM car, unless you are bothered about the resale value. Considering that you are on a tight budget, Spark might turn out to be a better deal than the i10.

Yeah. The i10 is the top of the list now. As for Spark, kindly see my thoughts above.

Oh yeah, and guess what, we are also KL-01-P-XXXX.

Originally Posted by anekho

I suggest the i10. Really nice interiors, reliable engine and overall great fit'n'finish. It'll feel like a proper upgrade from the M800.

Originally Posted by kutlee

i10 should be the choice...great little car.

Thanks guys.

Originally Posted by greenhorn

if you are leaning towards a wagon R, why not try second hand? has good resale, and there should be some good examples available in true value. If you want new, stick to the i10, or maybe the spark if you don't plan to sell it anytime soon

No man. We are not looking at second hand. The reliability factor is the main issue why we are selling off the 800. True value or not, a second hand will not give the same level of trust in the car; IMHO.

As for the Spark, resale value is surely an issue, as is A-S-S.

[srikant]

I would suggest you A-Star or Wagon-R. What so ever the car, let it be from the MARUTI stable. You have the biggest advantage:

1. Good resale value.
2. Easy availability of spares and service.
3. Very very economic cost of maintainance.
4. Very reliable car (Almost zero breakdown in life time)

all 4 points are most important for use by your mom. It may not be more appealing than i10 or Vista. But it surely will be faithful on the long run.

This comment is after my personal experience with my list of cars i have owned

1995-Maruti Omni (SOLD)
1997-Maruti 800 (SOLD)
2000-Maruti 800 (SOLD)
2001-Hyundai Santro 80k KMS
2005-Hyundai Accent CRDI 75K KMS
2007-Maruti Swift VDi 57k KMS

though i still have the Hyundai cars with me, they are very costly to maintain compared to my Maruti.

[wildon]

An i10 will be the perfect upgrade. Light steering , Perfect gear shift positions, smooth drive, reasonable FE and awesome Fit and Finish.

About A.S.S & Resale its close to Maruti.

[shantyrocks]

i10 it has to be..

fresher on road.

better interiors.

spacious compared to wagon r.

better highway stability than wagon r.

[jp2u]

Go book yourself a new Sprak and forget the rest, your mom will have a peaceful road trips

[darklord]

Once again, thanks guys for your response.

First off, the update.

I went to the Hyndai local sales outlet to check out OTR prices. Saw the Santro and i10 in flesh. Took a miniscule 1-km TD in the i10. The OTR prices (metallic):
i10 ERA - 408622/-. They have an offer on the insurance (-9693) and an MP3 player.
Santro GL - 366868/-. Offering insurance (- about 9000) and a remark about a free central lock.

I just went to get the prices, so did not bother with a full TD. Going again in a few days for that with parents.

Originally Posted by srikant

I would suggest you A-Star or Wagon-R. What so ever the car, let it be from the MARUTI stable.

A-star: Too small and cramped.
Wagon-R: Unstable on highway, bad gear box, and the impending upgrade. Don't want to get stuck with a discontinued engine.
Estilo: UGLY.
Ritz: A bit too pricey and ugly.
Swift: Out of budget.
That rules out most of the Marutis. Unless, of course, we zero in on the Alto after everything.

Originally Posted by wildon

An i10 will be the perfect upgrade. Light steering , Perfect gear shift positions, smooth drive, reasonable FE and awesome Fit and Finish.

About A.S.S & Resale its close to Maruti.

Originally Posted by shantyrocks

i10 it has to be..

fresher on road.

better interiors.

spacious compared to wagon r.

better highway stability than wagon r.

I don't know. Probably I have conventional tastes, but I liked the Santro better. Frankly, even felt it to be roomier than the i10. The beige interiors does not cut it either. Above everything else, it has been pouring here and I had an insight into maintaining-the-interior part, especially in the Kerala weather.

Originally Posted by jp2u

Go book yourself a new Sprak and forget the rest, your mom will have a peaceful road trips

Yeah, probably she will. But it is a bit too cute for my taste. I am hoping we will get a consensus on the Santro.

[greenhorn]

my vote for a spark. If you're not getting a tata, get a spark. not many cars are as stable

[vinu_pm]

IMO i10 is little over priced you will get the same comfort in new santro with much lesser price , the central console in i10 hits the leg if you are little tall.
Ofcourse spark also is a better choice

[thegame]

Originally Posted by darklord

Once again, thanks guys for your response.


I went to the Hyndai local sales outlet to check out OTR prices. Saw the Santro and i10 in flesh. Took a miniscule 1-km TD in the i10. The OTR prices (metallic):
i10 ERA - 408622/-. They have an offer on the insurance (-9693) and an MP3 player.
Santro GL - 366868/-. Offering insurance (- about 9000) and a remark about a free central lock.

Compare the Santro GL to the Spark LS (3.6 L OTR) in terms of features. 3 years/45000KMs you only spend on fuel (not even on labour). Freebies I got when I picked up mine:
- Autocop security system
- Sunfilm
- floor - boot mats
- mudflaps

I suggest go take a TD of the Spark and do a head on comparison with the Santro GL & Xeta GLS which is in the price range and make a educated decision.

Resale value is a myth. Look for used Sparks online and see how much you are being offered one for yourself.