[p$p]

JKBKS, most of the cars within your budget have been recommended & discussed. As you plan to go for a long-term ownership (8-10 years), please do NOT be very budget-conscious. Spending 40-50K more would translate to nothing per month/year. Therefore, do consider higher version of the car you choose to go for. It will return more comfort & pleasure.

[JKBKS]

@Emil, Khoj and P$p:

Thanks for your advice. Zen Estillo is very much on the radar. My wife is 5'6" and is a competent driver so height/AT should not be an issue. She is impressed by her sister's Spark and desires one as well. But since I need it for a long term (8-10 years), I need to take a look at engine/transmission/AC performance/life over an extended period.

I am interested in Toyota Etios also if its priced around Rs.4.5 lacs and am waiting for its specs to appear sometime. The toyota dealers tell me that it would be launced in Aug/Sep timeframe.

So my current order of preference is: Ritz, Estillo/Wagon R (new), Beat/Spark and Etios.

[p$p]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

So my current order of preference is: Ritz, Estillo/Wagon R (new), Beat/Spark and Etios.

All in all, Ritz is a better car then the others short-listed by you. i10 1.2 would also be a good choice, as also suggested by others before.

While Maruti cars have cheaper maintenance cost, Hyundai cars have better build-quality. The difference is, however, not significant - especially for the type of usage/run your wife has.

10 offers better/more features than Ritz - while the pricing is almost at par. Please do compare the features of the two (Magna 1.2 vs LXi & Sportz vs VXi).

[JKBKS]

We did I-10 Era TD last weekend. My wife didnt like it and I didnt force the issue either as I am not a great fan of Hyundai. I am vaccilating between Ritz and Beat/Spark with an eye on Etios since I wont be buying any other small car for sometime now.

Estillo and Wagon-R (new engine) will come in play only if i get a great deal on either from the dealer.

[neo45007]

For your wife, (With the requirements you have) :-

1) i10 (1.1 litre engine) - Best feel / comfort for women drivers, excellent interiors / looks
2) Zen estilo - Since, she is driving old Zen and new Estilo gives a good mileage, less maintenance and good for female driver.
3) Spark - Cheap and low maintenance.

Finally, i would suggest for i10 or Estilo and let your wife take a test drive and finalize.

[siddharthp]

My 2 cents to the discussion.

I have similar requirements as JKBKS.(Married people' sentiments match )
I recently took TD of ford figo in Pune and the entry level LXi=3.98 Lacs in Pune.,Exi=4.31.

Have you checked it? I loved the overall feel and my wife also liked the freshness and specious interiors.Have a look

[JKBKS]

@Neo45007 and Siddharthp:

I narrowed down my choice to Spark, Ritz and Zen Estillo. I am getting really good discounts on Spark PS/LS (close to 40K + some accessories). Since the usage is going to be very less and great price, I am tilting towards Spark now. Zen is neither here nor there pricewise but Ritz stands out because of its engine/gearbox. So its going to be either of these 2 now.

@Siddharthp: I have burnt my hands with Fiat Uno once so dont want to take a risk with Ford petrol as I dont think i will get much for it after 7-8 years. The same can be said about Chevy also but if you factor in the fabulous discounts I'm getting now, it should offset a big depreciation later.

[Simhi]

My 2 cents to the discussion though you have already short-listed Spark and Ritz.

Did you or your wife try out automatics? How about i10 Automatic? Do ask your wife to try out an automatic before finalizing the car. My wife was driving Santro but after driving i10 Automatic, she feels so happy and does not want to try a geared car again. It may be little beyond your budget, but since you want to keep car for 10 years, the difference spread over 10years should not be much.

The bad thing is we do not have too many automatics in 4 to 5 lac category.

[SCH]

@JKBKS. I would suggest you do not go for Estilo or Spark. Should decide between Ritz and Figo. I guess Ritz would be more fuel efficient in city compared to Figo Petrol. but looks of Ritz needs are a ??? Figo would be more solid built.

[JKBKS]

@Simhi: Thanks for the suggestion. My wife is driving for about 13 years now of which 8 years were on ATs in US so we do know something about ATs, I guess. But since daily driving is ard 7-8 kms in the city it shd not matter.

@SCH: I believe one grows into the looks of a car eventually. Case in point is Wagon-R which was ridiculed earlier for its design but is now well accepted. Ritz is still the number one on wishlist but a very good VFM is also hard to give up on. Thats why Spark is still in contention.

[khoj]

@JKBKS
So what did you finally bring home?

[JKBKS]

Originally Posted by khoj

@JKBKS
So what did you finally bring home?

@Khoj: I was waiting for the launch of Wagon-R and to see its impact on the sales/discounts on Spark, Beat and Ritz. Since schools closed for summer vacations, my wife hardly ventures out and this has given me another few months to watch and decide. I got fixed the AC on my existing Zen for 1500 bucks so that should take care of this summer.

Yesterday there was this news of Alto with a 1 ltr engine. This will further change small car scenario and we should see deeper disocunts on nearly all small hatchbacks if Alto prices it right.

All in all this is a happy situation for people who can wait a little longer, I think. But my wishlist is still Spark, Ritz, Beat and maybe the new Alto now. I prefer the Maruti brand but a great discount on a Chevy may force me to think otherwise.

I may now buy a new car sometime in Sept/Oct timeframe when the new models/upgrades would have stabilised and novelty factor of the new launches would have worn off. Its then when the car manufacturers would be forced to offer the deep discounts to attract new customers.

This is how I am thinking right now. Hope it turns out this way as well.

[SCH]

Go for the Nissan Micra. Your wife would be happy with it. It is slated for a June/July launch.

[mobike008]

I would recommend a choice between Chevy Spark/Beat and Hyundai i10.

Both look smart and trendy and somehow lady drivers look smarter in these cars

I bought an i10 for my wife and she now looks prettier than before.

[SPARKled]

The i10 is definitely the best small hatch to buy but is slightly more expensive than its rivals. If you must have a cheap maintenance free car, the new WagonR and the Spark should be there on your list.