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View Poll Results: Which car do you like??
Alto 94 31.86%
Spark 205 69.49%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 295. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 8th August 2011, 10:40   #346
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Re: Alto-800 or Spark

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aroy View Post
For a few thousand more you could have got the Alto K10, a much better performer.

Estilo would be at least a lac more.
Spark between 50K and 1.5L depending on model
My grandpa is 70+ and he was very particular about not spending more money, he was interested in the non-AC Alto!!
For his purpose I am sure he will be happy with the 800 cc engine.

K10 Lxi is 65 K OTR more than the 800 cc Lxi (for July, depending on the discount scheme it keeps changing, but never the difference is less than 60K), Spark is also 60K more, BTW if he was OK with spending 60K more, he would have opted for Spark.
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Old 8th August 2011, 11:11   #347
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Re: Alto-800 or Spark

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Originally Posted by zulfi hansi View Post
I booked Alto 800cc Lxi for my grandpa last month, got a cash discount of 32K, it cost him 3.09 lakhs OTR. Now tell me how close is the Estilo or Spark after all the discounts and pulling strings etc.
Not sure about Bangalore, but one of my friend in Goa bought a Spark LS LPG for Rs. 3.70 lakh on road. As I always say, in case of Spark never go by Ex.Show price mentioned on their website, check it out at the showroom.
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Old 22nd August 2011, 13:25   #348
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Re: Alto-800 or Spark

Guys,

Am back after a very long time....Thanks for your valuable suggestions. TEAM-BHP rocks!!

I am planning to book one(Alto K10) for my wife in coming few weeks...Was damn confused on the debate(on the comparo here) between Spark and K10...but mostly will go for K10....yet to TD all options(I guess only 2 options: K10, Spark)....budget is not a big constraint but wd like to stick to the ~3.5 price band...Here's what I expect for my wify (as she wd expect me to maintain the car for her!!!)

-Ease of use
-Hassle free(low on maint., ownership cost etc.....)
-Good FE(for wife ) + Power(for me if I swap with her K10 occasionally )

It will be used by my wife mostly for daily office commute(Pune - Hinjewadi IT park: 70% highway, 30 % city), city driving for household chores. Rarely, will we have 5 people occupying the car.

Now, I look forward for yr suggestions on the following:

- Are there any other options in this price range ? (~3.5 L)
- Which Maruti dealers are good for Pune city?
- any other valuable inputs you may have......

Cheers!

Last edited by nitinhegde : 22nd August 2011 at 13:28. Reason: typo
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Old 22nd August 2011, 14:11   #349
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Re: Alto-800 or Spark

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Originally Posted by nitinhegde View Post
Guys,

- Are there any other options in this price range ? (~3.5 L)
- Which Maruti dealers are good for Pune city?
- any other valuable inputs you may have......

Cheers!
Both are equally good!

Maruti have slight edge when it comes to engine over Spark. But build quality and features spark win over Alto K10, plus they have 3 years cashless maint plan.

Compare cars using:
Compare Chevrolet Spark – Chevrolet Spark Comparison Chart

and decide!
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Old 23rd August 2011, 09:28   #350
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Re: Alto-800 or Spark

On resale, performance and FE the Alto K10 wins. The Spark gives you a head ache free maintenance plan.

With current drop in demand, the price differential varies day to day as well as on your negotiation skills. If you plan to keep the car for more than 6 years the resale does not matter, but maintenance costs do.
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Old 23rd August 2011, 11:17   #351
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Re: Alto-800 or Spark

Quote:
Originally Posted by nitinhegde View Post
Guys,


-Ease of use
-Hassle free(low on maint., ownership cost etc.....)
-Good FE(for wife ) + Power(for me if I swap with her K10 occasionally )

It will be used by my wife mostly for daily office commute(Pune - Hinjewadi IT park: 70% highway, 30 % city), city driving for household chores. Rarely, will we have 5 people occupying the car.

Now, I look forward for yr suggestions on the following:

- Are there any other options in this price range ? (~3.5 L)
- Which Maruti dealers are good for Pune city?
- any other valuable inputs you may have......
I have not used Alto K-10, but I have used Alto-800 for 6 years and Spark for 4 years (current car). On all your criteria both car compares very well with each other. Earlier Alto was less powered than Spark. But now both should be similar.

I drive similar route that you have mentioned as I drive daily to Hinjewadi. I get 15-16 km/l in Spark.

In terms of differentiation (in my opinion)
Alto Advantage: Better Resale value
Spark advantage: More refined driving experience

In terms of ease of maintenance Alto has slight edge. Pashankar Baner service center is becoming quite crowded. But I use one on Satara road which is comparatively better.

Servicing costs for Spark are comparable with Maruti. I bought my spark before 3 year maintenance plan. Now it must be even better.

I also have Estillo which gets serviced at Chougule (earlier Millennium before they closed down). So far experience is good with Chougule. I have overall heard good feedback about Chougule. So if you are buying Alto, you can visit them (depending on your location)

Both cars are good. Take a test drive before you choose.
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Old 23rd August 2011, 15:53   #352
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Re: Alto-800 or Spark

Quote:
Originally Posted by nitinhegde View Post
I am planning to book one(Alto K10) for my wife in coming few weeks...Was damn confused on the debate(on the comparo here) between Spark and K10...
Spark is a brilliant entry level hatch. But the A$$ isn't great. I am a happy Spark owner and the car has been trouble free. But my experience with A$$ has left a lot to be desired.
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Old 25th August 2011, 12:20   #353
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Re: Alto-800 or Spark

Thanks guys for your suggestions. My wife will drive with an "L" board - so, my worry is the A$$. With Alto, that won't be an issue I feel....at least for initial few months when she'll get comfortable with the car....Me n my wife like the looks of Spark and do know that it has better features, build quality than Alto K10. Somehow, I am a little inclined to go with the "mass" this time to have a hassle free experience......

P.S.: I am very lethargic to go to service centres....I get my car serviced(IKON) in ~ 8 months and it's always a pick up and drop. I just follow what the service advisor says....no patience in looking into the nitty-gritt'ies.....sorry for that....I know that many at TEAM-BHP are passionate abt cars....I am too! but lately, running out of patience due to innumerous household, office chores!

Cheers, Nitin
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Old 23rd January 2013, 21:37   #354
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Budget Compact Car:Used Zen vs.Alto vs. Spark

Hi bhpians,
We are in a hunt for a small car.The cars we shortlisted are
1. Maruti Zen
2. Maruti Alto
3. Chevy Spark
The usage will be about 300-400kms. per month .The budget is about 2.25 lakhs .While the Alto appeals to the head, the Zen appeals to the heart and Spark appeals to the eyes.We are inclined towards Spark as we can get less than 5 year old car for an insignificant amount over the Zen which is about 10 year old.We are adverse about buying a car which is more than 10 year old as we plan to keep the car for 3-4 years.
Regards
Sreehari

Last edited by shk 8896 : 23rd January 2013 at 21:39.
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Old 23rd January 2013, 22:09   #355
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From the above options, the alto makes the most sense simply, as being a running model, spares and the likes will not be as expensive as for the others. Is relatively fresher than the zen as well.

Why not add the Santro and Wagon R to this list as well?

Last edited by MetalBuff : 23rd January 2013 at 22:15.
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Old 23rd January 2013, 22:58   #356
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Re: Budget Compact Car:Used Zen vs.Alto vs. Spark

I would have advised to do what your heart says. But I think it is important to know who will be driving the car. Go for zen if it you, but get an alto if it is someone in your family who will require the car only for its practical use.
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Old 23rd January 2013, 23:54   #357
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Re: Budget Compact Car:Used Zen vs.Alto vs. Spark

You can buy a brand new Nano with a 4 year Tata warranty at that price, no? Have you not shortlisted it after some actual test experiences?
It would be a shame not to include it due to something you may have heard about the Nano. After all , Ratan Tata created this car exactly for needs such as yours:-)
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Old 24th January 2013, 00:07   #358
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Re: Budget Compact Car:Used Zen vs.Alto vs. Spark

Zen is a very reliable car and it would still be young at 10 years. The parts are still available easily and are very cheap based on my experience. We're having a 17 year old Zen with around 175k on odo and that is a keeper for sure. Just did a 400km trip on it last week and it is still a pleasure to drive on highways.

Main issue with Zen is the huge turning radius of 4.9m which can make it a pain to park in tight spots, especially if it is without power steering. Alto scores here with a much smaller turning radius. So ensure you go for the variant with power steering if you decide on Zen as single stroke U turns in Kerala roads are not going to be easy with the Zen. I don't have any other complaints about this car.

The interiors in Alto feel very cramped and entry-level while you would feel the Zen to be much better here. If you can manage to get a VXi variant, that would have more features than the Alto.

If it is purely going to be city driving, Alto might be a better option. In case of occasional highway runs, Zen is definitely leagues ahead of Alto.

Last edited by zenren : 24th January 2013 at 00:12.
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Old 24th January 2013, 00:31   #359
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shk 8896 View Post
Hi bhpians,
We are in a hunt for a small car.The cars we shortlisted are
1. Maruti Zen
2. Maruti Alto
3. Chevy Spark
I would suggest you to look at a new car if possible at all. It would be more reliable in most cases.
Also, as you pointed out it would be better to get a car less than 5 year old. Spark makes a lot of sense.
You will not be able to accept the fact that it costs only as much as the Alto after test driving it. Being a satisfied Spark owner , i would strongly suggest you the car. Also see my ownership thread if want some more info.
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Old 24th January 2013, 01:57   #360
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Re: Budget Compact Car:Used Zen vs.Alto vs. Spark

After 1.75L km and 14 years of experience in Zen, all I can say it is leagues above the other two. Be it for performance of handling or reliability or low maintenance. The only issue is with a 2L+ budget the zen may not fit and you will get very old models. (Leave out Estillo)

I would suggest for Alto K10. It is available under 2 L and that to is ~2 years old. So a pretty decent deal I would say.
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