[gemithomas]

For something to be used sparsely by your parents i'd suggest the Figo 1.2 Exi. Why?

- Great interior space for a hatch (even at the rear)
- Comfortable seats that dont throw you around on bad roads
- Easy to drive / park
- New Entrant in the market with ford trying out everything to make the customer happy
- Great Glass area that lets the light in
- Not as difficult to reverse as most of the new cars around
- Great Features at a great price

If they would be using only the rear seats and they would be chauffeur driven you could check out the Indica Vista Petrol Variants too. Its got one of the best rear seats at that price bracket.

[cossack]

Originally Posted by indiaashish

Hi, just entered the Team BHP World. All you fealls are indeed doing a great service to the community of novices like me, so a request to the auto freaks.

Am planning to buy a hatchback which is likely to be used rather sparsely, mostly for my parents. My budget is approx. 4-4.2 lakh.

I have zeroed in on i10 (magna 1.2 or sportz), Chevy Beat (1.2 LS or 1.2 LT) and Ford Figo (1.2 Duratec Petrol zxi). Can you suggest which of these models should be best suited for me. Is it worth spending the extra bucks for the higher versions (Spotz & 1.2 LT & zxi).

My priorities are fuel efficiency, low maintenance, good after sales service, comfort. Further, I am staying at Noida. Does it make more sense to buy the car from Noida or is it better to buy it from Delhi (in terms of pricing etc). Are there any RTO restrictions if I buy from Delhi?? Thank you.

2 (err, 4) cents...

0 - Buy the car from the place where you have an address (if you have a home both in Delhi and NOIDA, pick the one where you'd be spending most of the time). RTOs would give you problems even if you have all your papers green

1 - Beat would be too flashy for your parents IMO; well, it depends on their taste, besides, Beat has a horrible boot-space, so does i10, but it at least gives some semblance of roomy back seat, Figo is the best among the options you've given

2 - Price and VFM order would be Beat < i10 < Figo (you can figure it out yourself)

3 - Always go for the versions which have at least basic security features, a dime saved here may come back to haunt you later. Remember, the roads are improving in India and so are the average vehicular speeds... need I say more? :-)

[indiaashish]

Ah...thanks a ton guys.....i was away for a brief period so could not respond.....the suggestions are really welcome...and after reading them i guess my choice's got to be Figo... the only thing is I might have to postpone my buying plans since my parents are going to be here in Mumbai with me for sometime...i hope there are no plans of Ford raising the prices in the next 3-6 months....also, any suggestions on the Ford dealers in Noida....personal experiences in terms of after sales et al....I had taken a test drive of Beat at Shiva Motors, Sec 18, Noida, but found them not to responsive....could only drive for 5 mnts as they told me that the fuel tank was near empty...the sales fellow was not able to answer most of my queries.....th AC at the showroom was non functional.....and was told that delivery would take at least 45 days.
Had I been buying the car for myself, it would sure have been Beat, but as reiterated by many, might be a li'l too jazzy for my parents. But still to zero in on the variant....would putting an additional 20K justify zxi over exi?

And just a digression....saw a thread on treadmill....JFI - recently bought a BHP Fitness Pioneer K30 for 35K with 2 yr comprehensive warranty....


Note from the Team-BHP Support Team : Please take the time to use proper punctuation as per Team-BHP rules. Avoid...typing...like...this. Thanks.

[thumpmeister]

Hi Guys,

I am on the lookout for a new hatch. My budget in approx 4.5 lacs (on road,Mumbai).

I have almost zeroed on the Beat & Figo but unable to decide between the two.

for Beat im looking at LS version, while for Figo its EXI.

+ points for Beat:
- funky looks
-good dash
-class leading mileage
-3 yr warranty

- points for Beat:
- small boot
-low road visibility from the drivers point of view
-no seat height adjustment

+ points for FIGO
- amazing road visibility
-good handling
-better space
-bigger boot

- points for Figo
- less mileage
-Ford having no small car presence in Idian mkt


I would be using the car rarely for office travel. It would be used more for weekends & sometimes in city. prime requirements would be a styling, cost of ownership, driveability,etc. Please help utterly confused.

Mod's Note: Please do not post the same thread multiple times. It does not serve any purpose. You need to wait for your 1st thread to get approved.

hi thumpmeister ,

IMO you can surely go for the LS version of beat , its a very drivable hatchback available in country today , i agree the roadview is not that great but the driving position is very sporty which makes you comfortable on road and the car presence and stability gives a big car feel . and anyways beat dimensions are very easy to manouvre around .

figo looks a good car with a non risky clean design , i dont know about the VFM factors on figo .

so if you want a stylized vehicle at a VFM go for beat and if you like to play it safe i would suggest figo .

[thumpmeister]

Hi Vihang,

Thnx mate for your advice. Yea, actually i was keen on the Beat but after taking a long TD of Figo, i was impressed with the handling, road visibility, interior space & quality of Figo. Yea, i agree its a bit of a staid old kind of design from Ford but its solid.. Beat apart from the high dashboard, theres noting to dislike.

I see Beat in your signature..could you give some ownership reviews out here? Also what were the factors that made you go for teh Beat if Figo had been launched at that time?

[thumpmeister]

Originally Posted by thumpmeister

Hi Vihang,

Thnx mate for your advice. Yea, actually i was keen on the Beat but after taking a long TD of Figo, i was impressed with the handling, road visibility, interior space & quality of Figo. Yea, i agree its a bit of a staid old kind of design from Ford but its solid.. Beat apart from the high dashboard, theres noting to dislike.

I see Beat in your signature..could you give some ownership reviews out here? Also what were the factors that made you go for teh Beat if Figo had been launched at that time?

Hey,

Just to announce out here, my Baby (Beat 1.2 LS) finally arrived last saturday after a pathetically long wait at the dealers place. So finally am the proud owner of a Beat - Moroccan blue..

Regards.....

[i74js]

How about some discussions between beat diesel and figo diesel (top end models) from both sides. I am planning a hatch purchase in few months and would love to have some inputs / observations on the oil burners - one on one !

[Ricci]

^^ Depends om what kind of use the hatch will be for - how many occupants, city or highway. The Beat may be a little better off in crowded city conditions, though the visibility isn't the best , and is not the roomiest of them all. It's got a smaller 936cc 3 cylinder engine, so NVH can be a little worse than others. It does look more modern and lively though and GM offers a nice maintenance package , for upto 3 years.

The Figo is a little bigger and roomier, and due to the glass area feels more roomier as well. Dynamics are good, one of the more capable handlers with good steering feel. A large boot volume - 284 litres, is another bonus and the AC is one of the best.

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by i74js

How about some discussions between beat diesel and figo diesel (top end models) from both sides. I am planning a hatch purchase in few months and would love to have some inputs / observations on the oil burners - one on one !

When it comes to diesels I would in any case take the Figo since the difference is hardly about 40K between the two. It is just not worth saving that money and buying a car sub-segment below. Figo is far better in handling, ride quality, resale value, engine power, space. Beat no matter how appealing it is should have been priced at least another 40K below, a difference of 80K justifies between them. Otherwise unless and until you are budget constrained (which i do not think), you are better off with Figo.

[vinucv]

I recently took a TD of Beat Diesel and have almost finalized on it. After going through some of the forums, I would like to hold back my decision and planning to take TD of following cars

Ford Figo (preferred)
Swift
Punto

BTW, while I was taking the TD of Beat Diesel, the sales guy told me about a "feature" where in you can drive the car without using the accelerator even upto the 5th gear (just release the clutch and it keeps moving without even touching the accelerator). It really impressed me as its really useful for new drivers so that they don't have to worry about the vehicle getting stopped due to insufficient acceleration while starting.

However, later on I was told by my friends that this is a standard "feature" on all diesel vehicles and nothing special about in Beat alone (sorry for my ignorance with diesel vehicles)

Is it true that all diesel vehicles behave this way ? Or is there something special in Beat .

[noidea]

Originally Posted by vinucv

However, later on I was told by my friends that this is a standard "feature" on all diesel vehicles and nothing special about in Beat alone (sorry for my ignorance with diesel vehicles)

Is it true that all diesel vehicles behave this way ? Or is there something special in Beat .

All diesel vehicles behave that way, as a matter of fact innova and xylo actually takes off on first gear without a touch on the accelerator. It is quite disconcerting for a petrol car driver.

[rangakishen]

Originally Posted by vinucv

I recently took a TD of Beat Diesel and have almost finalized on it. After going through some of the forums, I would like to hold back my decision and planning to take TD of following cars

Ford Figo (preferred)
Swift
Punto

BTW, while I was taking the TD of Beat Diesel, the sales guy told me about a "feature" where in you can drive the car without using the accelerator even upto the 5th gear (just release the clutch and it keeps moving without even touching the accelerator). It really impressed me as its really useful for new drivers so that they don't have to worry about the vehicle getting stopped due to insufficient acceleration while starting.

However, later on I was told by my friends that this is a standard "feature" on all diesel vehicles and nothing special about in Beat alone (sorry for my ignorance with diesel vehicles)

Is it true that all diesel vehicles behave this way ? Or is there something special in Beat .

It is true that all diesels react in a similar way.
But but but!! The beat does have a special anti-stall feature (advertised) and personally i feel it works.
Example: I drive a beat diesel very frequently and own a Cruze. on steep inclines say like parking entrances etc., when you just SLOWLY let go of the clutch of the beat, the ECU increases the RPM automatically to make sure it doesn't stall. Cruze though it has a lot of torque, doesn't do. It just pull out of shear torque available at idle RPM. But recently i drove up a parking entrance which overwhelmed even the Cruze. That is the torque at Idle RPM wasn't enough and the ECU did not do anything to avoid stalling.

Of course, for basic normal inclines, all diesels will chug along without any accelerator input!!

Hope this helps!!

[Turbokick]

Originally Posted by vinucv

I recently took a TD of Beat Diesel and have almost finalized on it. After going through some of the forums, I would like to hold back my decision and planning to take TD of following cars

Ford Figo (preferred)
Swift
Punto

BTW, while I was taking the TD of Beat Diesel, the sales guy told me about a "feature" where in you can drive the car without using the accelerator even upto the 5th gear (just release the clutch and it keeps moving without even touching the accelerator). It really impressed me as its really useful for new drivers so that they don't have to worry about the vehicle getting stopped due to insufficient acceleration while starting.

However, later on I was told by my friends that this is a standard "feature" on all diesel vehicles and nothing special about in Beat alone (sorry for my ignorance with diesel vehicles)

Is it true that all diesel vehicles behave this way ? Or is there something special in Beat .

The superior torque that the diesel engine generates at lower rpm helps. Its standard with all diesels.
Infact I can climb inclines on my dzire without using accelerator at all
If budget isnot a problem then cars like Figo,swift and Punto are clearly superior in their diesel avatar compared to Beat.

[vinucv]

Originally Posted by noidea

All diesel vehicles behave that way, as a matter of fact innova and xylo actually takes off on first gear without a touch on the accelerator. It is quite disconcerting for a petrol car driver.

Originally Posted by rangakishen

It is true that all diesels react in a similar way.
But but but!! The beat does have a special anti-stall feature (advertised) and personally i feel it works.

Hope this helps!!

Originally Posted by Turbokick

The superior torque that the diesel engine generates at lower rpm helps. Its standard with all diesels.

Thanks everyone for your inputs. It really helps