[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Honda Jazz is a good contender as far as interior space and dimensions go. Why not check out Hyundai i20 as well? Its got decent interiors, good features list & the diesel is fast too!

Originally Posted by schitre05

Jazz: Excellent car will fit your budget too.

Agree with the above. Though Jazz is considered over-priced by the market, should not matter to you since your budget is upto 10lakhs. Try this out and should meet your requirements IMO.

Also the i20 - give that a dekko too before rejecting it.

[Maverick1977]

Looking at the criterias set out, the Honda Jazz will be the only contender. The i20's rear bench is even worse than the Punto, so if you have rejected that possibility of you liking the i20 is slim.
Jazz is the way to go!!!

[jacksons]

Originally Posted by androdev

Figo is a pleasant find. It is at the top of our list. Real VFM.

Cabin comfort: Hmmm..
Space, NVH, Seating comfort, a/c, suspension/ride, up-market feel.

During the showroom visits (same day, one after the other), there were two instances when all of us were excited:
1. When we stepped into FIAT showroom and saw Punto on display. Best looker.
2. When we opened the Fabia doors. Nice build and interiors.

The rest was just routine experience. Will be checking Jazz and i20 by this weekend.

What is the onroad price of Punto MJD E pack in Banglore after Discount. You get Alloys, MJD, Fog lamps, ACC, Blue and Me and other features and offcource an onlooker if price is not much more than Figo, If differance is too much than Figo to go for.

[classicselva]

If not i20 ASTA CRDi Auto, i20 ASTA CRDi Manual should suit you best.
Take a test drive and decide if you want to ignore Hyundai

[androdev]

Thanks for all your inputs guys. Very useful. Please don't treat up-market interiors as my main criteria. It is secondary. (refer to my first post). Most important is safety/comfort and composed/confidence-inspiring ride. My initial list of Polo/Punto/Figo/Fabia was mainly based on the ride characteristics. Ride quality for passengers and not for driver. Drivers always enjoy the ride :-) It is the passengers who suffer in a bad car.

I will definitely look at i20 and Jazz.

I have the following expectations from the car as far as ride is concerned:
1. Passengers should not be able to judge the speed because the car is well planted and doesn't sway like a boat.
2. Passengers should not give you a dirty look because either you ignored a bad-patch on the road, or did "change-lane, overtake, revert to lane" routine too quickly.

Hope I am not over-demanding. All these features are available in present day hatchbacks and within my budget, but not all of them in one car. I am trying to find the least-compromise option.

PS: Punto and Polo are clearly OUT because of the below-average rear space.

[devarshi84]

Have you even tried the Indica Vista or just neglected it? The rear seat space and comfort is one of the best. Also now with ABS EBD it fares well on safety front too. Check out Vista's ride to see if it matches your criteria.

[AbhiJ]

Originally Posted by classicselva

If not i20 ASTA CRDi Auto

There is no such variant.

[schitre05]

Originally Posted by androdev

I will definitely look at i20 and Jazz.

I have the following expectations from the car as far as ride is concerned:
1. Passengers should not be able to judge the speed because the car is well planted and doesn't sway like a boat. (PUNTO, JAZZ )
2. Passengers should not give you a dirty look because either you ignored a bad-patch on the road,(VISTA QJD, ABS) or did "change-lane, overtake,(PUNTO, JAZZ) revert to lane" routine too quickly.

Hope I am not over-demanding. All these features are available in present day hatchbacks and within my budget, but not all of them in one car. I am trying to find the least-compromise option.

PS: Punto and Polo are clearly OUT because of the below-average rear space (VISTA QJD ABS, its has the best back seat comfort in the hatchbacks).

My suggestions in bold
cheers!!

[ranjitkodali]

Dude, dont judge the car by its badge. i20 is one of the best cars in its segment.

Else you will have to content with incompetent pricing of Jazz, poor A.S.S of Skoda or inadequately 3 pot powered VW.

If you are not too keen on hatchback and can stretch your purse, check out Verna and City.

[tsk13]

Originally Posted by schitre05

My 2 cents:
Fabia: forget it, (I think you have already ruled it out)
Reason: outclassed due to poor engine, no FTD factor

Figo: Much better than Fabia, a sensible choice, lot 0of goodies packed in a smartly priced package, yes truely the ford have done their homework this time around.

I20: Dont rule this car out just yet, fantastic interiors (top end) you should get a sun-roof, check out the diesel its truely awesome. do take a test drive of the I20 for its all four disk brakes, class fit & finish and a powerful diesel.

downside: vague steering and soft suspension at the back.

Jazz: Excellent car will fit your budget too.

I think it's only 2 Disc brakes now. They exchanged the rest two for 6th gear.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by tsk13

I think it's only 2 Disc brakes now. They exchanged the rest two for 6th gear.

That is not at all a wise thing to do. I was really impressed with 4-disc brakes spec! 6th gear?? - definitely export-oriented spec!

[lamborghini]

@androdev - Given that you want a safe car for your family, I would suggest ruling out the Skoda. Given the recent slew of complaints regarding their A.S.S. and poor reliability, I am sure that the last thing you would want to do is buy a car which could possibly leave you and/or your family members stranded on the road. I believe that the reliability of a car plays a big role in its safety as well.

Instead, I would advice you to look at:
i20 A/T - It is a city car right? Meant for ease of driving - go A/T. IIRC correctly, the i20 is bigger than the Figo, though the steering is quite dull.
Figo - One of the easiest hatches to drive in the city.
Jazz - A Tall boy. Easy to drive, spacious, and comfortable. However, it is horribly priced.

The reasons for each of these have been outlined above. Have the primary driver/user of the car try all three out and go for the one you all like the best.

[androdev]

family has narrowed it down to jazz and fabia based on showroom visits. have to TD and decide. will update as things progress.

[superboy44]

@androdev

i was also in the same situation about 3 months back, i was going to get the i20asta(o) booked as it was within my budget and had all the features i wanted and did not even consider the jazz as it was quite overpriced,
but when i had a look at the jazz and had a test drive i was amazed by the comfort and refinement it offered.
not that the i20 was not good but the jazz is much better to drive and does feel more well built and luxurious and it does fall into your budget.
so it would be a good choice and if i were you i would steer clear of the skoda.

[androdev]

Completed test drives of Jazz and Fabia this afternoon with wife, mom-in-law and two toddlers in the back seat. Ride quality sealed the deal and we booked a Fabia 1.2 top-end red color.

Few notes:

Jazz:
1. Good car, spacious, quality, modern all that jazz - Positive
2. Engine - people say it likes to be revved - if you are lazy like me, you would say one has to constantly work the RPM to move the car. I might get used it and actually enjoy it. Adequate power for commuter-class driving. Positive (but just)
3. Gears - too much play while gear slotting. Negative
4. Clutch - either abused clutch, or I don't know how to drive a vtech but every up-shift upto 3rd was a judder. Benefit of doubt here. Neutral
5. Ride quality - This is THE reason for my test drive. Felt every bad patch. Mom-in-law said it reminded her of jeep rides in rural Kerala. Deal breaker
6. Dealership experience (whitefield honda cantonment) - Positive
7. Asked about service intervals - sounded complex, 1K, 3K, 6-months, etc.

Fabia 1.2 (drove ambiente as we wanted to buy it, but booked elegance):
1. Spacious, good quality materials, but feels plain jane - Positive
2. Engine - very noisy, decent low-end power which I prefer (doesn't like revving), adequate power for commuter-class driving. excels in city driving. Negative (due to noise)
3. Gears - WOW. Was not expecting this in this budget range. Positive
4. Clutch - no judder and nothing unusual. Neutral
5. Ride quality - had high expectations and meets the expectations. I like it when the ride-capability exceeds the engine-capability - less chance of messing things up. Wife said I was going too fast in Jazz, the truth is I was doing higher speeds in Fabia. Deal clincher.
6. They stopped sunroof in Fabia & Laura - Huge disappointment.
7. Dealership experience (vinyaka skoda bellary road) - Positive
8. Service intervals - 15K or 1-year - Positive

Dealer was not forthcoming for obvious reasons but I suspect Fabia production is halted for some makeover and they are clearing the old stock (not too old though). I am not too worried about it - the car meets my expectations and it is not going to be sold anytime soon.

I was hoping Polo will click for me at the start but lack of space failed it, and then I was hoping Jazz would work out and ride quality was poor. I was hoping it will not be Fabia because I already own a Skoda Laura. In spite of being plain jane and a bit old-ish looking, it has got quality, space, ride-comfort and handling - basic ingredients of any good car. Engine is just OK, can't show attitude on the road!

Was offered 60K discount, seemed decent so didn't haggle further. Paid 7.47Lacs and delivery expected early next week. Asked for a PDI visit before registration.