[ByDesign]

I'm going to buy my first car in a couple of months. I've already test driven the Chevy Beat, which you can read here: Chevrolet Beat – Test Drive Review Welkom Humans, Androids & Geeks!

The choices are are hatches below 5 Lac OTR. Hence I'm also considering the cheaper options. The less I spend the better. I've been reading countless threads on this forum. And I ended up looking at the Palio Stile. What's the story here? Is Fiat not making them anymore?
If I do end up getting a 1.6 sport version, is it tough to find decent after sales service and spare parts in Delhi? My priorities are

1. Easy to drive in traffic. (My family owns an accent crdi and an asta 1.2 Kappa i10 and I find the accent easier in traffic due to its torquiness). The Beat's clutch release was splendid in traffic, short travel and extremely easy.

2. Good A/C. I don't want to think twice when I turn on the A/C, i.e. like the Alto, which underpowers.

3. Build quality. I don't want stuff peeling off or tearing away after a year or so.

4. FE. I'm not asking for 15+ kmpl, (which is good anyway), but above 10 at least. I'm a good driver, (or so I'd like to think), so I can treat an engine very nicely if I want to and get good FE.

Now, since I'm not going to service the car every day or every month even, I'm not too keen on basing my car on the after sales service quality. Sure they should be professional. What I don't want is, waiting for parts for months on end, paying exorbitant prices for parts, having my shoes stolen from the car (hyundai did that to me), stealing fuel, etc. Also, I'm really keen on this Fiat option. They're being sold very cheap at the moment. I'm not sure if the 1.1 version has lag on A/C driving. But please help me out, I've researched quite a bit into the Beat, Figo petrol, Polo petrol (trendline only), and now Fiat Palio. There really isn't much to think about Maruti. Everyone owns one, and no one complains. I'm trying other options. I'm an Automotive Engineer, so bring on the tech stuff too if you want

Delhi people - How's Fiat after sales service in the capital? Parts availability, pricing etc.? Do Fiats break down a lot?

Thanks in advance.
PS: I want to keep my EMI at about 8k a month on a down payment of about 1Lac preferably less.

[amaan]

The Palio is a good car which should tick most of your requirements but has sadly been phased out.

The Punto would be the next choice if you are looking for a FIAT but the OTR value would be slightly over 5L for the Petrol version. A test drive would perhaps help you make a better decision. One suggestion though - since you are an automobile engineer please go through this forum and that will help you get the first hand experience of performance, servce and spares - dont expect too much technical stuff from the sales person at any dealership.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

And I ended up looking at the Palio Stile. What's the story here? Is Fiat not making them anymore?
If I do end up getting a 1.6 sport version, is it tough to find decent after sales service and spare parts in Delhi? My priorities are

Palio has been discontinued by Fiat. There are posts on the forum which say that a Palio 1.6 can be made to order by Fiat but not 100% sure of this option. If you can end up with a new 1.6 then spare parts might be an issue in terms of having to wait for them more than the other cars as against availability.

Most of your criterion will be fulfilled by the Beat so you can look at it. Have you test driven the Micra? Seems to be a competent contender. You can read GTO's test drive and review to get a better idea of Micra in the Test Drive and initial ownership reports section.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Palio has been discontinued by Fiat. There are posts on the forum which say that a Palio 1.6 can be made to order by Fiat but not 100% sure of this option. If you can end up with a new 1.6 then spare parts might be an issue in terms of having to wait for them more than the other cars as against availability.

Most of your criterion will be fulfilled by the Beat so you can look at it. Have you test driven the Micra? Seems to be a competent contender. You can read GTO's test drive and review to get a better idea of Micra in the Test Drive and initial ownership reports section.

Yep, went to Nissan last Sunday. The OTR for the top end version is 5.8 Lacs in delhi. And all those wonderful features GTO pointed out like keyless entry with a push of a button climate control etc. is ONLY on the 5.8 Lac version. Thanks but no thanks.

What about the new Indica Vista? Saffire top end version with dual airbags and ABS + EBD is 4.6Lacs Ex. showroom.
Already test driven the Beat. I want to see the others before I decide.

[shankaranand]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

Yep, went to Nissan last Sunday. The OTR for the top end version is 5.8 Lacs in delhi. And all those wonderful features GTO pointed out like keyless entry with a push of a button climate control etc. is ONLY on the 5.8 Lac version. Thanks but no thanks.

What about the new Indica Vista? Saffire top end version with dual airbags and ABS + EBD is 4.6Lacs Ex. showroom.
Already test driven the Beat. I want to see the others before I decide.

Vista has free insurance and exchange bonus of 22000/- running in bangalore. That means you can negotiate discounts upto 30000+ .. which will bring the price to 4.3+ , a lot cheaper than Figo with equal/better features.

It is a good car. My brother owns it and you should try it out.

[rajushank84]

@ByDesign: Here's my two-bit: stay away from Tata, speaking from personal experience. Just got frustrated with their service and sold off my Indica. Mine is not a one-off case, else they would not have this horrible reputation.

I think Ritz and Swift suit your requirements well. If you are particular about Fiat then try the Punto but IMHO after test drive I think it is a pure highway vehicle and not much suited for the city. I felt this way from the test drive, but I would suggest take a test drive and decide.

But I would suggest keep Ritz and Swift on the top of your mind, as I think these suit your requirements the best.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by shankaranand

Vista has free insurance and exchange bonus of 22000/- running in bangalore. That means you can negotiate discounts upto 30000+ .. which will bring the price to 4.3+ , a lot cheaper than Figo with equal/better features.

It is a good car. My brother owns it and you should try it out.

I will, I'll see if I can work out an Indica and Punto TD tomorrow. That does look like a good offer, but I have nothing to exchange. I'll see what offers they have running now. Thanks for your input.

Originally Posted by rajushank84

@ByDesign: Here's my two-bit: stay away from Tata, speaking from personal experience. Just got frustrated with their service and sold off my Indica. Mine is not a one-off case, else they would not have this horrible reputation.

I think Ritz and Swift suit your requirements well. If you are particular about Fiat then try the Punto but IMHO after test drive I think it is a pure highway vehicle and not much suited for the city. I felt this way from the test drive, but I would suggest take a test drive and decide.

But I would suggest keep Ritz and Swift on the top of your mind, as I think these suit your requirements the best.

Haven't heard this about Tata in Delhi. Ritz is a bit expensive for the Zxi model. My colleague in office has a 1.4L punto emotion and he loves it to bits. Drives it on a daily basis just for the fun of it. But Swift I'm tired of. Most people I know own one, and if nothing works out in the end, I might just go for a Maruti

Thanks

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

I will, I'll see if I can work out an Indica and Punto TD tomorrow. That does look like a good offer, but I have nothing to exchange. I'll see what offers they have running now. Thanks for your input.

Haven't heard this about Tata in Delhi. Ritz is a bit expensive for the Zxi model. My colleague in office has a 1.4L punto emotion and he loves it to bits. Drives it on a daily basis just for the fun of it. But Swift I'm tired of. Most people I know own one, and if nothing works out in the end, I might just go for a Maruti

Thanks

The Tata showroom has the answer to your car buying needs. The Vista and the Punto make for a fantastic combination in a showroom, one lower priced practical choice, the other, a great to drive yet higher priced car.

Make sure when you check out the interiors of the Punto and Vista, you checkout the cars in the showroom. As the TD vehicles might be older, and the Punto as well as the Vista interior quality is now much improved.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by Amartya

The Tata showroom has the answer to your car buying needs. The Vista and the Punto make for a fantastic combination in a showroom, one lower priced practical choice, the other, a great to drive yet higher priced car.

Make sure when you check out the interiors of the Punto and Vista, you checkout the cars in the showroom. As the TD vehicles might be older, and the Punto as well as the Vista interior quality is now much improved.

What about the new Vista's reliability after say 2 to 3 years of city driving?

[arun687]

Is the Palio really phased out? If yes then I would say buying a phased out vehicle would not be a good choice.

I own a 1.2 Punto Emotion which I got for around 5.12 in Mumbai last month. You would get it for just over 5 Lacs maybe in Delhi. Very satisfied with it so far. You should check that out. FE I get around 13.6 highway/city combined. Good build quality and good AC too. However, it has a bigger turning radius so tight U-turns in narrow roads will need some work.

Beat is an excellent city car but a little too small on rear space. Figo is another great option, the 1.2 Titanium with all the goodies would only be just over your budget.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by arun687

Is the Palio really phased out? If yes then I would say buying a phased out vehicle would not be a good choice.

I own a 1.2 Punto Emotion which I got for around 5.12 in Mumbai last month. You would get it for just over 5 Lacs maybe in Delhi. Very satisfied with it so far. You should check that out. FE I get around 13.6 highway/city combined. Good build quality and good AC too. However, it has a bigger turning radius so tight U-turns in narrow roads will need some work.

Beat is an excellent city car but a little too small on rear space. Figo is another great option, the 1.2 Titanium with all the goodies would only be just over your budget.

Thanks for the post. I just had a chat with a sales guy from one of the best Tata/Fiat dealerships in Delhi. He said he has a 1.3 diesel (multi-jet) SDE variant Palio which they're selling for upto 80 to 90k discount!! Another thing he told me was Fiat is re-introducing the Palio in 2012!! (is this correct?) in which case, buying the palio now should be awesome. On asking about servicing and parts, he said there are several cars which are running on the same engine, including the diesel punto (is this correct?) and that it shouldn't be a problem. He also said it's a wonderful car with good FE.
I'm heading down there to TD the Indica (saffire) and the Punto 1.2 active. I'll also look at the diesel SDE palio. Will update this thread after. Is there anything I should know about the 1.3 diesel palio?

PS: With reference to your post Arun, I'm not really bothered by the rear space of the Beat. It's a car mostly for single use. Figo I'm a little scared because of the reports I've read on horrendous FE in their petrol versions.

Thanks

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

What about the new Vista's reliability after say 2 to 3 years of city driving?

It will be absolutely fine. Already it's close to 2 years after launch and the car is going strong. Do not worry about longevity, first take a test drive (Punto + Vista) and then choose.

[evo]

But why not the Figo petrol? Ex showroom 3.66 Lakhs. Plus 50-60 grand for on road? Tough build, (new) cheap prices, looks good, well equipped.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by evo

But why not the Figo petrol? Ex showroom 3.66 Lakhs. Plus 50-60 grand for on road? Tough build, (new) cheap prices, looks good, well equipped.

Well that makes it 4.1 Lacs on road, and it's not well equipped from what I know (I read GTO's review on the Figo). Tough build for sure, and I like the looks, but as I mentioned in my earlier post, it's got horrendous FE.

[arun687]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

PS: With reference to your post Arun, I'm not really bothered by the rear space of the Beat. It's a car mostly for single use. Figo I'm a little scared because of the reports I've read on horrendous FE in their petrol versions.

Thanks

If that's the case, Beat is a strong contender for you. I dropped Beat mainly because of this reason, 3 people cannot sit comfortably at the back and boot is so small. Figo's FE reports are very inconsistent so far but I think it'll give you at least 10+.

I don't know what engine Palio diesel is running on, but do remember, it's not just about the engine. You would have to investigate about the availability of other parts as well.