I am reading TEAM-BHP for the past two years. I am reading Autocar for the past 5 years. I am planning to buy a car for the past 5 years. I am working in a Bank in a middle management level where you are expected to come to office in a car. I have learnt car driving two times in the past three years (ofcourse I got licence officially second time) to test drive cars. But none of them appealed for one reason or the other. Now I have become so unpopular
in my family that they question... which company is manufacturing your car?
my requirements can be funny. But i am serious. Can you help me....
1. I don't test drive cars to decide which car to buy. My logic is that car manufacuring is an art with lot of passion rather than fixing nuts and bolts on to a chasis keeping some budget in mind. I feel the cars to see how they communicate with you. The way front seats envelop you, the way doors cose, the way your fingers can feel the plastics on the interiors, the way steering wheel is wrapped in your plam, the way the gear lever shifts, the comfort your neck portion gets when you sit in the back seat etc... All these things can be tried with out driving the car.
2. As I said above, I go to a office where you are expected to come in a car. I do not at the moment. I come in a taxi some times, auto some times, etc. I need to buy a car badly. Sadly I can not buy Alto/Spark/i10 etc as these are not expected for my position. I work in a consulting environment where I have to go to several meetings with clients, CEOs, Ministers, IAS officers etc. Though I can spend up to 10 Lacs, I do not want to buy a Sedan in Hyderabad where the traffic is erratic. My budget is 5 lakhs and thereabouts. I will be driving the car myself. So the car i intend to buy should have an executive feel and quality that speaks about the person driving it. I do not know how many of you have driven Honda Unicorn, though might look silly for you, that is the benchmark for me in cars. Have you ever felt how a hot knife cuts the butter freshly taken out of the freezer. that is how Unicorn feels to me.
3. The last time, When I was very close to buying a car was when Skoda Fabia got launched. That was the time when I first learnt car driving. This was also the first car which met all the criteria mentioned in point 1. But after checking the spare parts price list, I was so depressed that I postponed my car buying plan indefinitely. Normally people go for Value For Money kind of attitude in every vehicle. But I go for Extreme Value for Money. That is the way I do things. The reason I listed Swift Lxi above was to get the same EVFM. Get LXi, upgrade wheels to Alloys and Michelins, get the body color door handles and mirrors and below 5 lakhs, I have a executive hatch ready.
4. Reason for shortlisting the cars. In the same order of my preference.
Polo1.2 Trendline Petrol: First car which met all my criteria. Costs about 5.3 lakhs onroad in Hyderabad. But for one thing. 15 inch alloys can not be fitted on to Trendline. VW showroom and workshop confirmed this. They got clear instructions from VW headquarters for this. I do not know why. Waiting period is two months or more. Can anyone of you help me on OEM 15 inch alloys of Polo Highline and how much they cost and where.
i20 Era: Magna was above my budget. Era costs 5.32 Lakhs on road. Quality is OK. Still not yet available for TF. (Test Feeling the car !) Going by the quality of Magna interiors this car should be OK. If Polo Alloys issue is not sorted out, I am planning to buy Era.
Swift LXi: As i mentioned above, this is one of the cars for which numerous modifications can be done with out worrying on Warranty. Even if you change your stock tyres to ZXI version tyres and alloys, your warranty is still valid. And I am not going to use ABS/Airbags in 40-50kmph traffic of Hyderabad. Not much of Highway driving either. if Era fails in TF, I am planning to buy this.
Figo TDCi: The sole two reasons why I have Figo TDCi in my list: 1. The way Ford has put its act for the past two years in making themselves heard in Indian market. They have genuinely invested in India to make a mark. This speaks for commitment they have for India and the cars. Figo is a car brought on to Indian roads with lot of passion behind it. It reflects in the way they priced it too. 2. Diesel engines of Figo. They are good to hear compared to other diesel engines. Speaks for the quality they have. Again I have not taken any TD of TDCi engines. Only TF of engine sound.
Well, please share your thoughts. What is your mind saying.