i10, Micra, Ritz or the Beat? Hi all,
The time has come for me to buy a new hatchback car. I have been away from India for almost 2 years
now and am coming back next week. I need a car at the earliest. I am buying this car as a stop gap
arrangement until I buy a luxury sedan in the next few months. This small car would then be used by my
parents. I need a small car which is loaded to the brim. Size and easy to drive are my major priorities.
So the other criteria that are important for me are as follows.
1. Safety First - Airbags and ABS is a must have, will not compromise on this one, so only top end
variants considered
2. Comfort of occupants is important, atleast for the ones in the front seat
3. Should be easy to drive, park etc. even for an elderly man
4. Decent interior space and decent boot space, should accommodate 4 pax easily
5. Should be easy to maintain and service, a hassle free ownership is expected
6. Reliability of the equipment and overall car is expected, rattles and small niggles are better avoided
7. Quality of equipment and build is important, as the car will not be sold in the next 10 years or so
8. Decent performance and decent Fuel Efficiency, does not need to be a drivers car, but should not be
too sluggish too
9. Creature comforts like ACC, Decent audio system etc are not so important, but good to have.
10. Car will not run many kilometers, so Diesel is ruled out, only petrol considered
11. Should be able to close the deal in less than a month, the sooner the better, but do not mind waiting
for a few weeks for a better car
12. Budget is not really a constraint, am willing to spend a little more for a better product, would like to
keep it sount side of 6 lakhs though.
The cars I have in mind are the following. I will not be considering any other cars than the ones
mentioned here, unless there are some very compelling reson.
I am leaving out the Figo as its feature list and the thirsty pertol engine does not entice me. I am also leaving the Punto aside, as the 1.2 petrol lacks some features and the 1.4 is not really needed for me.
1. Nissan Micra XV : INR 581,000. Delivery in around a months time, some very nice, unique features on
this one. 3 pot engine, decent interiors, very new car, Nissan has a showroom in my city, still the
service quality and costs are still unknown.
2. Maruti Suzuki Ritz Zxi : INR 542,242. Delivery in a week or two. proven car, awesome engine,
amazing service, feature list comparable
3. Hyundai i10 Asta : INR 547,000. Delivery in around 20 days, again proven car, nice interiors,
comparable service and maintainability, good feature list
4. Cheverolet Beat LT OP : INR 503,000. Delivery in around 20 days. most fuel efficient of the lot, superb
looks, some features missing, service and maintainability is debatable, even with the Chevy promise
option.
I want the valuable suggestions from TBhp before I decide on the car. The Micra has blown me away
with the features it has, but still have doubts about the service and maintenance costs. The Ritz ZXi
seems the best buy, with i10 having comparable everything.
Note: I have not test driven any of these vehicles. I have scheduled test drives with all 4 manufacturers for next week. Will decide some time next week after the test drives and suggestions from TBhp.
Last edited by basilmabraham : 19th July 2010 at 18:40.
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