[guptavis]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Out of the list, i would immediately strike out Beat and Micra from the list. Beat because of visibility issues and poor backseat. Micra, well simply because its not a proven brand in India, and after sales will be a big question mark. That leaves us with i10 and Ritz. Again, both are comepetetive cars, but the ride quality of i10 is bouncy. Your parents will not appreciate that at all. So Ritz it is, with awesome engine, Maruti's peace of mind network and practicality - it fits your requirements to the T.

P.S. Regarding Swift v/s Ritz, since your parents would be using it, Ritz it should be, because of ease of ingress and egress and better visibility compared to Swift.

Could not have put it better. Every point is a deal maker.
Ritz and i10 arethe only two you should be deciding between.
My father also much likes to drive a maruti over any other brand. And you want a maintenance free car because its going to be with your parents. They shouldnt have to run to the garage every now and then in their age.
I dont think micra or beat will be easy tomaintain.
Ritzand i10 are PROVEN reliable and both Maruti and Hyundai have proven reliable cars and service is also good.

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by guptavis

Could not have put it better. Every point is a deal maker.
Ritz and i10 arethe only two you should be deciding between.
My father also much likes to drive a maruti over any other brand. And you want a maintenance free car because its going to be with your parents. They shouldnt have to run to the garage every now and then in their age.
I dont think micra or beat will be easy tomaintain.
Ritzand i10 are PROVEN reliable and both Maruti and Hyundai have proven reliable cars and service is also good.

Agreed that Micra is not proven. But if you got a delarship in the city I don't see much of a problem. Micra is not a new car, it has been there for 20 years and this is the 4th generation and Nissan or any Japanese manufacturer is known for their reliability..so expect Micra to be super-reliable.
What is the basis of your opinion that Micra will not be easy to maintain?
If somebody wants to be absolutely sure (though I do not think there is any great risk if you buy Micra), then Maruti or Hyundai is a better choice but otherwise Micra is a better product overall than the other 3 (abeit 30-40K costlier).Period.

[basilmabraham]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I am normally not afraid of do things outside the common perception, if I have a strong reason to believe in my action. I found the Micra to be a good overall product, so the Micra will be my first choice, unless I find something really bad about it when I test drive. I agree the service is kind of a gamble, until proven, I am hoping Nissan lives up to their global standards.

Again this is not my final decision. Convincing the parents in still pending. Hope to do that soon. Please pour in your valuable suggestions.

[longhorn]

You can straight away strike out Beat from that list. If its going to be mostly driven by your dad, I suggest you give the new WagonR a TD. It suits the bill perfectly. Flat body panels and a high seating position are a boon for city driving. You can check out the Vxi ABS version. It comes with all the bells and whistles.

Your dad might have a problem with the Ritz and i10 because of the bulges on the body and it might be a bit difficult to assess where the bonnet ends and where the sides are bulging. This is more so in the Ritz. It exists to a lesser extent in the i10 as its a smaller car when compared to the Ritz.

Micra is a new entrant. You should not have any problem as long as you are in Cochin. It should be a reliable package, but can't comment on what the A.S.S. will be like as they are venturing into the mass market for the first time in India. So far they have been a niche player in the Indian market.

[guptavis]

Originally Posted by adimicra

Agreed that Micra is not proven. But if you got a delarship in the city I don't see much of a problem. Micra is not a new car, it has been there for 20 years and this is the 4th generation and Nissan or any Japanese manufacturer is known for their reliability..so expect Micra to be super-reliable.
What is the basis of your opinion that Micra will not be easy to maintain?
If somebody wants to be absolutely sure (though I do not think there is any great risk if you buy Micra), then Maruti or Hyundai is a better choice but otherwise Micra is a better product overall than the other 3 (abeit 30-40K costlier).Period.

First of all, I havent driven driven the micra so this is just a personal estimation. No offence.
I am not questioning micra as much as the after sales service and dealership experience. Specially because its going to be with elders.
Fiat is an example of a good company with good cars, still not translating to a good ownership experience for many.
There are lots of dynamics that are very difficult to judge before a company has proved its operations. Im sure Fiat and even Skoda dont have the same problems outside india. I also hope that Nissan does well and becomes a new maruti or hyundai as far as after sales go, but one just cannot be sure. A lot of variables go into entering a new market and its not easy to get everything right. Also for a young body and mind it might not be too much of a hassle. But believe me for someone who is over 60 these minor discomforts are enough to cause great anxiety and distress.
Wishing you the very best with your micra experience. Keep us posted. Who knows, the next car i buy might turn out to be a micra

[nbr]

I too feel ,Wagon-R would be a sensible choice.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by longhorn

Your dad might have a problem with the Ritz and i10 because of the bulges on the body and it might be a bit difficult to assess where the bonnet ends and where the sides are bulging. This is more so in the Ritz. It exists to a lesser extent in the i10 as its a smaller car when compared to the Ritz.

@basilmabraham This is exactly what I meant by the height requirements for Ritz. Thanks Longhorn to put it so succinctly. I did not mention WagonR as you were not willing to look beyond. But as longhorn said, the K-Series WagonR VXI is the perfect one. In built music system, ABS plus all the rest, apart from a good engine.

[basilmabraham]

The WagonR Vxi ABS was where all the discussions about the new car started. Parents were very keen on it as well, there was no convincing required at all. The Maruti dealers in Cochin were shocked to hear me ask for a quote on the WagonR VXi ABS. I was even more shocked to hear the waiting period. The WagonR VXi ABS would take a sweet 4 to 5 months to reach me. WagonR VXi can be mine in 2 to 3 months and the LXi could be mine in two weeks.

As posted earlier, I did not want a car without Airbags and ABS, LXi and VXi (Non ABS) were out. 4 months is too long a wait for me. I might as well buy my sedan by then. Also personally, I did not like the boxy looks and the image of an old car for the WagonR (no offenses to current/previous/prospective owners)

So the WagonR was dropped even after knowing it would have fit the requirement to the 'T'.

[Hummer.Rulez]

Just went through this dilemma recently. The factors which influenced my decision:

Maruti (Swift or Ritz)... Tried and tested horses. On the other hand, rattles and squeaks tend to start a little too early. No freshness in the swift and the ritz was a little boring for me to look at. Lack of equipment.

Nissan Micra... Gr8 car overall. But a little too soon to judge the reliability of the car on Indian roads and driving conditions considering the fact that you want a long termer.

Chevrolet Beat... Cute looking. But too small a car. I honestly consider it in the Alto segment coz of its size. Rear seat is not too comfy. Visibility major issue, specially while reversing.

Volkswagon Polo... Built like a tank but lacks equipment. Boring interiors. Cabin space is a lot lesser than it seems.

Maruit WagonR.... Did not consider coz of its looks.

My choice was the i10 ASTA 1.2 with A/T and sunroof. On-the road for 5.51 Lac.

The only thing scaring me was the fact the car is due for a facelift/makeover.

Apart from that its got everything. Looks smart. Drives very well with the 1.2L Kappa engine. Equipment list is best in class (ABS, Dual Airbags, A/T, Sunroof, very nice sounding in-dash MP3 player, etc).

Why i bought it or suggest it:

Safety & comfort were of foremost priority. So, it has all the safety features and an Automatic transmission for a stress free driving experience. The quality of interiors is impeccable.

Perfect for city driving with more than enough grunt for a clear road. The Auto box is really smooth. Driving position is at a nice medium height (not too high nor too low) so visibility is very good. The best looking interiors/dashboard in its class giving it an airy and premium feel. The sunroof is an added boon to this. Maintenance is pretty low too. Service centers are pretty much everywhere.

As far as the driving experience goes, take a TD of the auto and then compare.

Good luck

[HammerHead]

IMO Micra could have easily beaten Ritz/i10 if it looked a bit better then what it is and had a 4-pot petrol engine which looks good at least on paper or for the heck of comparison when it comes to a city car!!

Having said that, Micra still have an edge over i10 and Ritz. The only place where these 2 score is A.S.S which I think should not be an issue if you have a service center nearby. I feel these days the word 'A.S.S' is given too much of importance and people tend to neglect rest all in the name of A.S.S!!

With Micra you get
1. FE
2. Japanese reliability
3. Better ride
4. Superior fit/finish and build

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by guptavis

First of all, I havent driven driven the micra so this is just a personal estimation. No offence.
I am not questioning micra as much as the after sales service and dealership experience. Specially because its going to be with elders.
Fiat is an example of a good company with good cars, still not translating to a good ownership experience for many.
There are lots of dynamics that are very difficult to judge before a company has proved its operations. Im sure Fiat and even Skoda dont have the same problems outside india. I also hope that Nissan does well and becomes a new maruti or hyundai as far as after sales go, but one just cannot be sure. A lot of variables go into entering a new market and its not easy to get everything right. Also for a young body and mind it might not be too much of a hassle. But believe me for someone who is over 60 these minor discomforts are enough to cause great anxiety and distress.
Wishing you the very best with your micra experience. Keep us posted. Who knows, the next car i buy might turn out to be a micra

Agree with you 100%. I did not understand that this car is exclusively for elders. I thought it will be driven by the poster and also his father.

IMO Micra could have easily beaten Ritz/i10 if it looked a bit better then what it is and had a 4-pot petrol engine which looks good at least on paper or for the heck of comparison when it comes to a city car!!

Having said that, Micra still have an edge over i10 and Ritz. The only place where these 2 score is A.S.S which I think should not be an issue if you have a service center nearby. I feel these days the word 'A.S.S' is given too much of importance and people tend to neglect rest all in the name of A.S.S!!

With Micra you get
1. FE
2. Japanese reliability
3. Better ride
4. Superior fit/finish and build

You forgot to add
1. Cool Gizmos - Ritz and I10 in particular is nowhere near when it comes to features - ACC ,start/stop,keyless, electric and folding mirrors.
2. Better interior quality followed by I10 and then Ritz
3. More space
4. More usable boot space though the numbers are somewhat similar (have checked all personally)
5. Better ride quality etc

Looks are again subjective and some people like me absolutely love the way the Micra looks.
And IMO, nobody can say that I10 or Ritz are very good looking cars - actually I find Ritz in particular one of the worst looking and I10 also pretty bad in looks department. see, looks are totally subjective

IMHO, Micra is half a segment or at least quarter segment higher - should be compared with Polo/I20 etc...

[DCEite]

Wanted to clarify regarding my opposition to Micra.
I have nothing against the product itself, it might actually be and am very sure it is a very reliable and great city car.
My point was more towards the brand being new to India. Actually it boils down to individual risk taking capacity. Personally, i would rather go with a tried and trusted brand like Maruti/Hyundai/GM/Ford than a relatively newer one, specially when the number of service centers of the latter is miniscule. Call me conservative, but thats how * I * think.

On the other hand if you are a little bold, and don't mind a certain level of uncertainty, and have robust faith in the brand, one should very well listen to the heart.

[HammerHead]

Not so long back some people took a bold step in buying a Hyundai over Maruti which is precisely a Korean over Japanese. Look at where Hyundai is!!

[Driver2000]

Originally Posted by guptavis

First of all, I havent driven driven the micra so this is just a personal estimation. No offence.
A lot of variables go into entering a new market and its not easy to get everything right. Also for a young body and mind it might not be too much of a hassle. But believe me for someone who is over 60 these minor discomforts are enough to cause great anxiety and distress.

Absolutely agree with this point. In addition to the ease of service network; I am not too sure if our parents actually like extra features. I remember buying my dad a snazzy mobile phone, and he ended up discarding it because there were 'too many buttons'. So for parents, less gizmos might actually work out alright - so long as basics are all in order.

All the best with you quest - hope you have happy parents and many miles of pleasurable driving!

[ampere]

My fathers has a Ritz, and sleeps very peaceful just because of the fact that Maruti dealer and service center is right next to his flat.
Its a shocker that WagonR VXI ABS waiting is 4-5 months !