Small car for Wife? Please suggest

JKBKS · 5th June 2010, 10:27

@SCH, mobike008 and Sparkled:

The actual usage is 2 round trips a day to kids' school about 2kms away. Other than that a once a fortnight trip to a nearby market is what the car would be needed for. Thats all. So i think, any small car would do. Thats why I am looking at landing a good deal given the competitive car market scenario right now.
And thats why i have shortlisted Spark, Santro and Ritz given the discounts Maruti is offering. The news about Nissan Micra and the new small car from Maruti will/may lead to other Manufacturers offering deeper discounts to maintane their sales.

Thats how I am thinking right now given the fact that i can wait for some more time as schools are closed.
.

Topolino · 8th June 2010, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by JKBKS

Friends,

My wife drives a 2000 Zen LX (done 91K) mainly for dropping/picking kids at school and doing some local errands. Her monthly average is about 250 kms (with no highway kms at all). The problem is with the AC cooling (its basically useless in summers) and the lack of power steering so I have no option but to replace it.

Requirements:

A safe, stable car with Power Steering and Low Maintenance.
Would be driven for next 8-10 years @300 kms/month.
Would only be used in city conditions (a radius of 5-6 kms).
Budget: Not more than Rs.4-4.20 lacs.
Looks dont count much.

JK

As the car is to be driven by your wife please ask her to take test drive of all the cars that you are considering and buy the one in which she feels most confident. According to me New Wagon-R would be the best choice for her.
1) It is safe & stable in city, with light electronic power steering and good AC. It can be easily maintained with low cost of ownership.
2) Can be kept for next 10 years.
3) As she will drive around the city, the car should have good all-round visibility, should be easy to maneuver, reverse and park and must have light steering. The Wagon-R has all these.
4) Wagon-R VXi variant is within your budget.
5) You already answered this.

Moreover kids will like its ample head room.

JKBKS · 9th June 2010, 08:56

@Topoline:

We TDed and shortlisted a few cars already. New Wagon R is not high on the list for the simple reason that there are better VFMs available now and given the usage i dont think it matters what small car it is. So i would rather buy a good VFM than go in for new Wagon R. For nearly the same price, i can get Ritz LXI which I believe is a lot better product and would love to buy than buying the new Wagon R.

One of my wife's key requirement from the car is that it can be parked in tightest of available spaces when she goes to the market. This is what is stopping me fron buying Ritz given its slightly bigger dimensions. And thats where Spark, Santro and maybe Alto (with new KB series engine) score over Ritz.

I am now waiting to see the impact of new Alto with KB series engine and the Nissan Micra launch on these cars in the hope that I can drive better bargains on Spark, Santro and Ritz.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topolino

As the car is to be driven by your wife please ask her to take test drive of all the cars that you are considering and buy the one in which she feels most confident. According to me New Wagon-R would be the best choice for her.
1) It is safe & stable in city, with light electronic power steering and good AC. It can be easily maintained with low cost of ownership.
2) Can be kept for next 10 years.
3) As she will drive around the city, the car should have good all-round visibility, should be easy to maneuver, reverse and park and must have light steering. The Wagon-R has all these.
4) Wagon-R VXi variant is within your budget.
5) You already answered this.

Moreover kids will like its ample head room.

sirajbose · 15th June 2010, 22:24

Hi Guys,

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

Should be around 3 - 4 lakh on road (including all taxes, registration etc)
Should have safety features such as ABS and Airbags
Should give a decent FE - around 12 is desirable
Should be a hatchback
Should be durable enough to provide 10 years of generally hassle free service

Thanks!

prince_pervez · 15th June 2010, 22:52

Hi @sirajbose. i10 comes to my mind first but I think you might have to stretch your budget for the safety features. Other than that between 3 - 4 with all those safety features it is tough. Ritz maybe, but again, more than 4L.

sirajbose · 16th June 2010, 03:17

Hmmm...

So looks like 3-4 L bracket will not get me what I want. So what used car would you guys suggest under 1.5 - 2 L.

Questions are - What kind of mileage should I look for and how old should be the car? Also any reputed used car dealers in Mumbai who I can rely not to have played around with the Odo, or any specific ones that I should avoid?

Please remember the desired attributes (somewhat changed):

Should give a decent FE - around 12 is desirable
Should have a generally strong air conditioner
Should be durable enough to provide 5 years of generally hassle free service

Thanks!

mnhegde · 16th June 2010, 06:21

Hello Siraj. I would suggest holding the same budget (Initial 3-4 lacs), Go for a Pre-owned Swift ZXI. You are located in Mumbai, I guess it won't be difficult finding a ZXI in the range of 3.6 to 3.8 lacs (06 - 07' models). Its loaded with features You are/were looking for. Has very good resale value too. Best of Luck

.

MutantX · 16th June 2010, 07:10

sirajbose, I guess you can have a look at A * Vxi. Which is kinda 20/25k+ over your budget of 4L. It doesnt have airbag/ABS but it is an excellent first car which the well refined Kseries engine. If your wife is a well seasoned driver, just go for a new car. If she is a learner, as mnhegde said, get a pre-owned SWIFT ZXI.

It is always good to buy a new car rather than pre-owned.

WDM007 · 16th June 2010, 09:47

If your wife is beginner, go for a small car like i10 or Alto or santro where you get a good judgement while driving, especially in cities like Mumbai.
Else, go for any other car as mentioned above.

sgiitk · 16th June 2010, 11:10

I doubt whether the Santro will be BS4. Also, the i10 Kappa is far superior in all respects.

MutantX · 16th June 2010, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I doubt whether the Santro will be BS4. Also, the i10 Kappa is far superior in all respects.

Yes, i feel that kappa is superior even to the iRDE which is essentially a tweak of the eRLX. go for the kappa! it is truely Euro V complient.

ZeroThoughts · 16th June 2010, 17:43

You will need to tweak your budget to get all the features in a new car.
You could TD the i10 Kappa & the New Wagon R, their higher variants do have all the bells & whistles.
You could also look at a used Reva, if the car is going to be used exclusively within the city with a maximum of say 30 kms in one direction. It's compact, has practically zero maintainance and for the cost of 8 Units of power, you will get 60 Kms of AC driving per charge.

GoldenParadox · 16th June 2010, 22:40

Get a 2007 Swift ZXi from a Maruti True Value outlet ... that will be the best option. I don't think you will get ABS/Air Bags for less than 4L.

ashutoshb · 23rd June 2010, 13:30

Two suggestions:

A-star Zxi with dual airbags and ABS - Rs. 4.3L ex showroom Mumbai.

Spark LT Option pack with driver side airbag and ABS - Rs. 4.45L ex showroom Mumbai.

SankalpDesai · 23rd June 2010, 13:40

I feel Spark and A-Star will definitely be a good entry level choice for your wife. Peppy cars for city drive with decent performance specs and VFM.

5th June 2010, 10:27	#76
JKBKS BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 274 Thanked: 186 Times	@SCH, mobike008 and Sparkled: The actual usage is 2 round trips a day to kids' school about 2kms away. Other than that a once a fortnight trip to a nearby market is what the car would be needed for. Thats all. So i think, any small car would do. Thats why I am looking at landing a good deal given the competitive car market scenario right now. And thats why i have shortlisted Spark, Santro and Ritz given the discounts Maruti is offering. The news about Nissan Micra and the new small car from Maruti will/may lead to other Manufacturers offering deeper discounts to maintane their sales. Thats how I am thinking right now given the fact that i can wait for some more time as schools are closed. .
	() Thanks

15th June 2010, 22:24	#79
sirajbose BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 114 Thanked: Once	Searching for a car for my wife Hi Guys, Searching for a first car for my wife and would appreciate some suggestions. Attritibutes desired: Should be around 3 - 4 lakh on road (including all taxes, registration etc) Should have safety features such as ABS and Airbags Should give a decent FE - around 12 is desirable Should be a hatchback Should be durable enough to provide 10 years of generally hassle free service Thanks!
	() Thanks

15th June 2010, 22:52	#80
prince_pervez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Redwood shores, CA, USA Posts: 4,210 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	Hi @sirajbose. i10 comes to my mind first but I think you might have to stretch your budget for the safety features. Other than that between 3 - 4 with all those safety features it is tough. Ritz maybe, but again, more than 4L.
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 03:17	#81
sirajbose BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 114 Thanked: Once	Confused Hmmm... So looks like 3-4 L bracket will not get me what I want. So what used car would you guys suggest under 1.5 - 2 L. Questions are - What kind of mileage should I look for and how old should be the car? Also any reputed used car dealers in Mumbai who I can rely not to have played around with the Odo, or any specific ones that I should avoid? Please remember the desired attributes (somewhat changed): Should give a decent FE - around 12 is desirable Should have a generally strong air conditioner Should be durable enough to provide 5 years of generally hassle free service Thanks!
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 06:21	#82
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	Hello Siraj. I would suggest holding the same budget (Initial 3-4 lacs), Go for a Pre-owned Swift ZXI. You are located in Mumbai, I guess it won't be difficult finding a ZXI in the range of 3.6 to 3.8 lacs (06 - 07' models). Its loaded with features You are/were looking for. Has very good resale value too. Best of Luck . Last edited by mnhegde : 16th June 2010 at 06:26.
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 07:10	#83
MutantX BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Madras Posts: 868 Thanked: 93 Times View My Garage	sirajbose, I guess you can have a look at A * Vxi. Which is kinda 20/25k+ over your budget of 4L. It doesnt have airbag/ABS but it is an excellent first car which the well refined Kseries engine. If your wife is a well seasoned driver, just go for a new car. If she is a learner, as mnhegde said, get a pre-owned SWIFT ZXI. It is always good to buy a new car rather than pre-owned.
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 09:47	#84
WDM007 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Beaverton, USA Posts: 236 Thanked: 15 Times View My Garage	If your wife is beginner, go for a small car like i10 or Alto or santro where you get a good judgement while driving, especially in cities like Mumbai. Else, go for any other car as mentioned above.
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 11:10	#85
sgiitk BANNED Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,969 Thanked: 4,788 Times	I doubt whether the Santro will be BS4. Also, the i10 Kappa is far superior in all respects.
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 17:43	#87
ZeroThoughts BHPian Join Date: May 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 62 Thanked: 6 Times	You will need to tweak your budget to get all the features in a new car. You could TD the i10 Kappa & the New Wagon R, their higher variants do have all the bells & whistles. You could also look at a used Reva, if the car is going to be used exclusively within the city with a maximum of say 30 kms in one direction. It's compact, has practically zero maintainance and for the cost of 8 Units of power, you will get 60 Kms of AC driving per charge.
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 22:40	#88
GoldenParadox BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 57 Thanked: 4 Times View My Garage	Get a 2007 Swift ZXi from a Maruti True Value outlet ... that will be the best option. I don't think you will get ABS/Air Bags for less than 4L.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2010, 13:30	#89
ashutoshb Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NOIDA Posts: 1,756 Thanked: 4,288 Times View My Garage	Two suggestions: A-star Zxi with dual airbags and ABS - Rs. 4.3L ex showroom Mumbai. Spark LT Option pack with driver side airbag and ABS - Rs. 4.45L ex showroom Mumbai.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2010, 13:40	#90
SankalpDesai BHPian Join Date: May 2010 Location: Frankfurt Posts: 245 Thanked: 71 Times	I feel Spark and A-Star will definitely be a good entry level choice for your wife. Peppy cars for city drive with decent performance specs and VFM.
	() Thanks