[MutantX]

You could also have a look at BEAT top end model. I guess would be close to 4.8L OTR! but it comes with all safety features.

[Lightening-Fast]

Hi,

You could look at Chevy Spark. It meets most of the requirements that you have mentioned. However, ABS and airbags would not be possible within a 4L budget. If you could extend it by a lakh, you can have even Beat in the picture along with Spark.

[lamborghini]

@Siraj: If you want a new car, get a WagonR VXi w/ ABS and Airbags. It might be a bit over your budget, but meets your requirements to the T. If you cannot spend more than your budget, the look at a new Santro.
Even a used Swift ZXi would be perfect for your needs.

For a cheaper used cars, the options are still quite restricted. Look around for a used Santro, WagonR, Zen Estilo and Alto.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by sirajbose

Hi Guys,

Searching for a first car for my wife and would appreciate some suggestions. Attritibutes desired:

1. Should be around 3 - 4 lakh on road (including all taxes, registration etc) Try A-Star, Santro, i10, Zen Estillo, Spark, Beat etc.
2. Should have safety features such as ABS and Airbags No car available with these in your price range.
3. Should give a decent FE - around 12 is desirable A-Star, Zen, Beat, Spark, Santro all give a decent12+ mileage
4. Should be a hatchback You would not get a sedan in that price range
5. Should be durable enough to provide 10 years of generally hassle free service - Maruti vehicle. period

Thanks!

My comments in bold.
If your wife is a beginner then you should definitly go for an used car. An used Santro would be an ideal one. Keep it till she gets comfortable and then go for a new one (with an increased budget)

[veerendra.kiran]

Hopefully, I'm not hijacking this thread. But, my requirements are somewhat similar to JKBKS and SirajBose, so posting here.

One more very important factor for me is durability of all the parts inside the cabin. The car will be traveled in by 2 hyper-active kids aged 3 and 4 now, and driven by a hot tempered mom! My current car, a 2004 M800, has been handed over to my wife almost an year back in near-showroom-condition. While it may bore many of you, the following notes would certainly bring an understanding nod from many fathers in this community. Since handing over the car to my wife and kids, following are the stuff broken (in the chronological order they were broken):
1. The rubber mats on the floor in the back seats. A challenge to anyone here. Try to make 4 pieces out of each of the rubber mats (in excellent condition) in 10 mins using only your fingers. My kids managed it in a 5 min drive to near-by super market.
2. The key lock knobs that protrude out and up in a M800. One was literally pulled out (don't know how). One is jammed.
3. The locks on the rear seat/sofa, which are used to bring the seat down for more boot space. The left side one cannot be used now, don't know how and why. The right side is completely missing.
4. The levers for rolling the windows. OK, you know what happened to them, don't you?
5. The handles on the back doors, not the levers for opening the doors. Well, I don't know how the door-open levers survived, but the door handles were not so lucky. Both of the back ones are gone. One came out along with a bit of the door insert. One came out with the screw-hole broken.
6. The entire carpet on the back can no longer can be fixed tightly to the floor, thanks to two missing press-down buttons.
7. The Sony Xplod music system (somehow I can't use the term ICE here) now has two ineffective buttons, some crayons/play-dough/gooey in the minute gaps of the system.
8. The wiring for the security/keyless is all hanging down from the bottom of the dash.
9. And let me not tell you what happened to the seats, the steering cover, the rubber wrapping where we hold the hand-brake, the color and texture of the dash. You may very well guess.

So, bottom line for me is Durability of everything inside the cabin. If there is a chance of 1 in a million that something may be broken, my kids will manage it before you can say "May be". I know no company can make a car which can match my exact requirements, but would like to know which has has the best durability and strength to endure extreme abuse. Apart from that, following are some more key requirements for my car (can be a hatch-back, or a small sedan like Indigo CS), budget 4-5L:
1. PS and PWs. With option on the driver side to lock the back PWs.
2. Good security system and keyless entry. My wife is totally impressed by Nissan Micra due to its SmartKey.
3. Decent bootspace for those weekend trips.
4. Good-looking and spacious (as can be) interiors. An arm-rest for the driver and in the back-seat. Can we get this fitted after-market if no car has them in my budget? If so, some notes on price and any impact on factory fittings will be helpful.
5. Lots of cubby-holes, hooks for hand-bags, storage (like under-seat trays), sun-glass holder, decent space in dash-board... you get the idea.
6. A little exclusivity if possible. Too many i10s, Swifts on the road. And Figo is quickly becoming a common car.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by veerendra.kiran

Since handing over the car to my wife and kids, following are the stuff broken (in the chronological order they were broken).

Firstly kids aged 3/4 should be in a child seat and buckled up for thir own safety.

Secondly all cars have soft plastics that are designed for normal use. You are going to have the same story repeated unless perhaps you buy something custom built to transport inmates.

You are probably better off trying to discipline your kids or get them some toys/video-games to keep them occupied.

[essd]

Hi All,

Though I am regular 'searcher' on the forum, this is my first posting here.

My requirement is quite similar to original poster (JKBKS) and hence posting my query here. I have also searched other threads on similar topic, in particular another thread by JKBKS:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/hatchb...gon-r-lxi.html

We are looking for a second car to be primarily used by my wife (first car for her, a beginner), with once a fortnight/month drive by me. Her monthly average would be about 500 kms (in Bangalore city, with some leeway of driving on 4th gear). Not interested in second hand car.

Requirements:
1. A safe, stable car with power steering, AC and low maintenance.
2. Good overall visibility, with minimum dash board obstruction (short stature driver)
3. Budget: would prefer upto Rs.4-4.2 lacs, but not too stingy on it.
4. Looks do count too some extent but not much
Others:
Would be driven for next 6-7 years @500 kms/month.
Would mostly be used in city conditions (a radius of 8-10 kms from home)

I had only Maruti in mind for hassle free service, lower maintenance and other factors (had been driving Maruti vehicles for last 11+ years - Alto, Swift). We (basically myself) did a TD last weekend on the following: Alto K10, Wagon R (new blue eyed one), A-star (and Reva too, but not considering it further). We could not TD Zen estilo as one was not available.

Before TD, I had this order in mind:
1. A-star for looks, VFM, discounts (25K+2.5K), no waiting period, although on road price after discounts is > 4 lacs
2. Wagon R - for overall visibility, higher priced than A-star, no discounts, waiting period of 2-3 months, on road price > 4 lacs
3. Alto K10 - least impressed with looks, descent visibility, no discounts, waiting period 2-3 months, already own 2000 model Alto (1100cc, without powersteering), on road price (vxi) ~3.92 lacs

We liked Zen estillo in terms of its overall visibility, immediate availability, discounts(20K+2.5k), ok types looks (except for its plasticy look interiors, banging door noise etc).

We currently own a Swift Vxi and since I had previosuly driven Alto Vxi, so my experience had a bias towards comfort level that Swift offers.

After TD, I got confused since:
- I did not like Wagon R's smoothness of drive. The engine made huge noise and gear box was very stiffy. The car seemed to be old and less maintained (already did ~7300km), so ideally should not take this into consideration and perhaps do another TD on a newer model. It had best overall visibility.

- Alto K10 experience was not much different from 2000 model I have back home, except for power steering and better gears. The car was vibrating a lot (mileage ~1300km). Others: Same old interiors, too cramped.

- Astar was the smoothest to drive (we actually drove auto transmission one, since manual was not available), but had the least overall visibility. The seat was sunken, but it came closest to Swift comfort. Astar VXi has height adjustment, though.

After TD we are considering the following options:
- to TD Zen Estilo and TD Wagon R again on a newer model
- Also consider Hyundai variants in the same range like i10

Since all new Maruti cars have KB10 series engine, we were wondering:
- Would Zen Estilo (1000cc) make better sense than Wagon R/Alto K10(1100cc), given all the observations above?
- Is my experience on Wagon R a one off case?
- should we also try other makes like Hyundai, GM?

I would be highly grateful to the community if they could give some suggestions here.

Thanks much,
SD

[JKBKS]

@SD,

I bought an A-Star Lxi on Aug 31. My wife is happy driving it and has reported no issues yet.

Coming back to the Car selection, I wanted to be with Maruti since their After Sales and Resale values is right up there, i think. Alto, Wagon R, Santro and Estillo are old platforms which have been facelifted to give a fresh lease of life whereas A-Star is a new platform developed in 2008 so is far better in terms of safety, build and technology.

My wife has extensive driving experience so low sunk seat was not an issue for me (shouldnt be for any safe driver as well).

Given my usage, any small car wold have done the job but I wanted the best VFM (safety being paramount considering kids would be at the back). And i thought that was with A-Star.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by essd

Since all new Maruti cars have KB10 series engine, we were wondering:
- Would Zen Estilo (1000cc) make better sense than Wagon R/Alto K10(1100cc), given all the observations above?
- Is my experience on Wagon R a one off case?
- should we also try other makes like Hyundai, GM?

I would be highly grateful to the community if they could give some suggestions here.

Thanks much,
SD

1. All the cars you have listed - Estilo, WagonR, Alto K10, and A-Star come with the same K10B enigne (998cc).
2. Not sure but from your post it seems you test drove the older WagonR (the one with F10D engine). If thats the case, you should test drive the new one.
3. If by engine non-smoothness you mean slight vibrations on the steering wheel and gear lever at idle, this is Normal. This is due to K10 engine being a 3 cylinder engine.
4. You can also consider i10. Good car for ladies if you can live with the irritating beige reflection on the windscreen.

Originally Posted by JKBKS

@SD,

Alto, Wagon R, Santro and Estillo are old platforms which have been facelifted to give a fresh lease of life whereas A-Star is a new platform developed in 2008 so is far better in terms of safety, build and technology.

New WagonR is all new platform based on the latest generation Suzuki WagonR (Japan). Engine is shared with A-Star, Estilo and Alto k10.

[essd]

Thanks DCEite and JKBKS for your prompt response on this.

Thanks for correcting me on KB 10 engine too.

@DCEite
Well the sales person insisted it is the new Wagon R, but given the mileage and condition of it, I too think it was the older Wagon R (F10D one), and hence wanted to give another try to Wagon R, before writing it off.

I would TD with a different dealer and see how it performs. We shall also be doing a TD on i10, then perhaps we shall have more clarity.

I think you are correct on the Alto's vibrations on idling.

@JKBKS
Right now A-star Lxi does not look high on our list, for the only reason it is having low/sunken seat. Vxi we shall evaluate once we TD Wagon R again.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

@SD,

I bought an A-Star Lxi on Aug 31. My wife is happy driving it and has reported no issues yet.

Coming back to the Car selection, I wanted to be with Maruti since their After Sales and Resale values is right up there, i think. Alto, Wagon R, Santro and Estillo are old platforms which have been facelifted to give a fresh lease of life whereas A-Star is a new platform developed in 2008 so is far better in terms of safety, build and technology.

My wife has extensive driving experience so low sunk seat was not an issue for me (shouldnt be for any safe driver as well).

Given my usage, any small car wold have done the job but I wanted the best VFM (safety being paramount considering kids would be at the back). And i thought that was with A-Star.

The funny thing is that we are producing practically all the chronological variants of the "Alto" in India - M800, Zen, Alto and now A Star. Internationally each Alto model replaced the older one, not so in India. So the A Star the latest avatar of Alto should be the best and the latest.

I also looked into all the Maruti offerings as I was looking for a no-nonsense city run-around as it was getting increasingly difficult to maneuver and/or park the Esteem in market places.

I chose the Alto K10 because of the lively engine, good FE, and the fact that for two persons (use the Esteem for more) this is a true VFM at 3.5 lacs on road in Delhi. None of the competing offerings could beat the Price, FE and most important AC performance.

I some how liked neither the looks nor the driver visibility of the A Star, and find no reason to spend on a variant which is heavier and has practically same seating space. Yes if it had ABS, Rear Washer & Heater (like i10) I may have given it a thought, but then the i10 I like is at least 1.5-2 lacs costlier.

The reason for rejecting Wagon R is partly the waiting period for Vxi and partly my aversion to the Tall-Boy design. I like my cars to look sleek.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by veerendra.kiran

Hopefully, I'm not hijacking this thread. But, my requirements are somewhat similar to JKBKS and SirajBose, so posting here.

One more very important factor for me is durability of all the parts inside the cabin. The car will be traveled in by 2 hyper-active kids aged 3 and 4 now, and driven by a hot tempered mom! My current car, a 2004 M800, has been handed over to my wife almost an year back in near-showroom-condition. While it may bore many of you, the following notes would certainly bring an understanding nod from many fathers in this community. Since handing over the car to my wife and kids, following are the stuff broken (in the chronological order they were broken):
1. The rubber mats on the floor in the back seats. A challenge to anyone here. Try to make 4 pieces out of each of the rubber mats (in excellent condition) in 10 mins using only your fingers. My kids managed it in a 5 min drive to near-by super market.
2. The key lock knobs that protrude out and up in a M800. One was literally pulled out (don't know how). One is jammed.
3. The locks on the rear seat/sofa, which are used to bring the seat down for more boot space. The left side one cannot be used now, don't know how and why. The right side is completely missing.
4. The levers for rolling the windows. OK, you know what happened to them, don't you?
5. The handles on the back doors, not the levers for opening the doors. Well, I don't know how the door-open levers survived, but the door handles were not so lucky. Both of the back ones are gone. One came out along with a bit of the door insert. One came out with the screw-hole broken.
6. The entire carpet on the back can no longer can be fixed tightly to the floor, thanks to two missing press-down buttons.
7. The Sony Xplod music system (somehow I can't use the term ICE here) now has two ineffective buttons, some crayons/play-dough/gooey in the minute gaps of the system.
8. The wiring for the security/keyless is all hanging down from the bottom of the dash.
9. And let me not tell you what happened to the seats, the steering cover, the rubber wrapping where we hold the hand-brake, the color and texture of the dash. You may very well guess.

So, bottom line for me is Durability of everything inside the cabin. If there is a chance of 1 in a million that something may be broken, my kids will manage it before you can say "May be". I know no company can make a car which can match my exact requirements, but would like to know which has has the best durability and strength to endure extreme abuse. Apart from that, following are some more key requirements for my car (can be a hatch-back, or a small sedan like Indigo CS), budget 4-5L:
1. PS and PWs. With option on the driver side to lock the back PWs.
2. Good security system and keyless entry. My wife is totally impressed by Nissan Micra due to its SmartKey.
3. Decent bootspace for those weekend trips.
4. Good-looking and spacious (as can be) interiors. An arm-rest for the driver and in the back-seat. Can we get this fitted after-market if no car has them in my budget? If so, some notes on price and any impact on factory fittings will be helpful.
5. Lots of cubby-holes, hooks for hand-bags, storage (like under-seat trays), sun-glass holder, decent space in dash-board... you get the idea.
6. A little exclusivity if possible. Too many i10s, Swifts on the road. And Figo is quickly becoming a common car.

This may be too late but my 2 paisa

Barring a battle tank you have no chance. What ever you get will be dismantled within a blink of an eye. It would be better to "design" (educate) the kids to be "indestructive" rather than make your environment so. Today it is the car, tomorrow it will be your house and god forbid if the trend continues to the neighbours and then to public property.

In spite of that if you want an indestructible vehicle get an army surplus jeep, strip it of all the furnishings, have the bare steel floor, use jump seats and good quality hardware to secure the doors. An open jeep would be an added advantage as there is nothing to tear! Then get extra springs fitted keeping the original shocks. With all the jumping around of the vehicles, you kids will have no time for minor diversions!

The security of this vehicle is excellent. Who will want it?

Exclusivity guaranteed once you hand over cans of at least ten colours to the kids.

With all that open space in the jeep storage is of no problem.

[essd]

Originally Posted by Aroy

I some how liked neither the looks nor the driver visibility of the A Star, and find no reason to spend on a variant which is heavier and has practically same seating space. Yes if it had ABS, Rear Washer & Heater (like i10) I may have given it a thought, but then the i10 I like is at least 1.5-2 lacs costlier.

The reason for rejecting Wagon R is partly the waiting period for Vxi and partly my aversion to the Tall-Boy design. I like my cars to look sleek.

I agree with your observations here on A-star, and the waiting period might become an issue for us as well with Wagon R.

And i10 Era is nearly 4.7 lacs on road in Bangalore.

Hopefully we shall have more clarity in few days, but right now I am inching towards Alto K10.

[DoNotHorn]

veerendra.kiran

I had a good laugh reading your post. I have a 4 year old son and I have faced many of these issues.

You can post your experience in the jokes thread, Iam sure peole will not object, but unfortunately its not a joke for you.

Wish I could suggest a good car that can withdstand the kids.

[Fornax]

I'm in a similiar dilemma as the thread-starter, however, my priorities (for my wife) are a tad different:

1. Safety: Absolutely must have ABS, Airbags and a good driving position for a 5'3" person.
2. Rugged: Our building barely has space for 10-12 cars, and I already occupy the best slot with my SX4. Cannot muster the moral courage to even think about bringing in the second car in the compound. Hence, should be able to deal with the elements (natural and human).
3. Efficient & VFM: Would prefer a Maruti/Hyundai/Honda over anyone else.
4. Personality: Don't want something cheap-looking, say an Alto is ruled out due to this.
5. Small: Sorry, nothing big, as my wife plans to take her third "official" training course soon, and don't want the size of the car intimidating her.
6. New: With the above in mind, I set out scouting for a good IInd hand car, however, all that I saw was poor, neglected and possibly abused cars abandoned by their owners. Hence, ruling that out.

Car's under consideration:
1. WagonR VXi ABS+Airbag: That's their model name, guess they were too embarrased to call it ZXi. Top choice as of now.
2. Hyundai i10 Asta Kappa 2: The close second, but the 1.2L difference is hard to get over.
3. Ford Figo: Working for a American MNC, puts this more in the sentimental choice category, but scared that it'll attract the wrong elements and might not fulfill #2.
4. Hyundai EON (Top end): Not sure about the sound/growl of the car that's mentioned elsewhere. Also no ABS means very little going for this one.

My choice correct?