[aniketvu]

Am in a dilemma over my new car. I have a budget of about 6.5L. What I need is a hatchback with good driveability (will be driven quite a bit by my wife) as well as something that can do a few quick runs on the highway when neccessary.My mileage right now will not be that high but I see it building up in a year or so. Hence evaluating diesels where possible and petrol otherwise.

Did a few test drives (i20 Asta, Figo Tdci Titanium, Vista Quadrajet Aura Plus). Decided to drop the i20 out of contention (even though it has some really good features and space) since the second gear reminded me way too much of the Uno I used to drive in another lifetime.

I have not yet been able to test drive a Micra since the Nissan showroom in Navi Mumbai is still not open and the Worli guys dont want to come here for a test drive. The only reason I want to consider the Micra is because of the features included in the XV model and the fact that the three pot should be able to give a decent mileage.

Pro's v/s Con's of various cars I TD'ed

i20:
Pros:
- Fully loaded (Alloys, Airbags, ACC and what not)
- Space is quite good

Cons:
- The second gear
- Mileage. I have read that incity mileage will not go beyond 10-12 (which is something even my Honda City is able to do)

Figo
Pros :
- Doesnt feel like you are driving a diesel at all.
- Good distribution of space between the pax and boot
- Suspension felt good

Cons :
- Lots of missing stuff even in the top end version (Alloys, ACC, USB)

Vista
Pro's :
- Nothing to match the space for the pax
- Proven Multijet engine

Cons :
- Boot space is quite small
- Somehow overall quality did not give me a good impression. The gear shift know felt ultra plasticky.

I went through all the various threads here on Figo/Vista and Comparisions of other hatches but there are currently no real comparisions with a Micra. I would love to get an opinion from all the folks here who have TD'ed the Micra and the other cars I meantioned. One concern I have is over the Nissan's maintenance schedule (I read 3 months/5000 km). Doesnt make sense to me when all the newer hatchbacks seem to have much larger service intervals.

[Amartya]

I have not test driven the Micra, so I cannot help with that, however GTO's review should be a good enough indicator. Also peruse through W.A.G7's initial ownership review to get an idea about the Micra's strengths and weaknesses.

I have however, extensively test driven the Figo (mainly for colleagues), the Vista, the i20, Swift, Ritz, Polo, Punto etc., so before I recommend one of these, I'd like you to do something.

Order for me the following in decreasing order of priority (i.e. the one on top should be the most important).

Engine and gearbox (NVH levels and driveability), Fuel Efficiency, Ride and Handling, Interior Space, Interior Quality (in terms of plastics), Boot Space, Looks/Style, Service and maintenance costs.

Based on this I'd definitely pitch in with my input.

[aniketvu]

Hi Amartya,

Thanks for responding. I decided to consider the Micra based only on GTO's review and W.A.G7's initial ownership review is where I got to know about the 5000km/3month service intervals.

In terms of importance, my criteria would be as follows:
- Ride & Handling
- Interior Space
- Fuel Efficiency
- Looks/Style
- Engine & Gearbox
- Interior Quality
- Service & Maintenance costs
- Boot Space

Regards

Aniket

[Amartya]

Great, from the list you've provided, it seems to me that the Figo will be the best fit. It has Ride and Handling that is the closest to the Punto (yes, according to me, it's better than the Polo), is spacious inside (second only to the Vista) and in diesel avatar it's quite fuel efficient.

With ride and handling coming in at the top of the list, I'm afraid the Micra and the Vista will have to bid bye bye to any hopes of grabbing your purse strings.

If I can take the liberty of suggesting another car, just for a test-drive, it'll be the Punto 1.2 Emotion. It has the best ride and handling, the engine is very refined (yes the 1.2 is), it doesn't feel underpowered in the city at all (don't take my word for it, TD it) and it is frankly quite spacious unless you are more than 6"2' tall. Again, this suggestion is purely because you do not seem to be averse to stepping into the Tata dealership. While you are checking out the rear seat space, the best way to do it is to adjust the driver's seat according to your most comfortable driving position and then trying out the rear seat (or trade places with your wife). The 1.2 Emotion has seat height adjustment too. In city expect 11.5-12km/l consistently. The real joy, though would be the occasional highway drive.

[download2live]

Post Deleted by the Team-BHP Support : We do NOT appreciate blind bias posts, whether for a brand or against.

[aniketvu]

Hey Guys,

Since I am planning to retain this car for atleast 4-5 years, I wanted to make sure that I have all the safety features built in. (Also the reason for evaluating only the top end versions of all cars). This is the only place where the Punto 1.2 suffers. The absence of Emotion Pack means that there is no airbags and ABS/EBD. If the 1.2 had come with EPk, it would have been a strong contender (especially as wife loves the looks of the GP).

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by aniketvu

Hey Guys,

Since I am planning to retain this car for atleast 4-5 years, I wanted to make sure that I have all the safety features built in. (Also the reason for evaluating only the top end versions of all cars). This is the only place where the Punto 1.2 suffers. The absence of Emotion Pack means that there is no airbags and ABS/EBD. If the 1.2 had come with EPk, it would have been a strong contender (especially as wife loves the looks of the GP).

Very prudent decision indeed. I should have mentioned it in the list I'd asked you to rank, my mistake.
Anyway, with that being the case, I think it has to be the Figo, it ticks all the right boxes. As far as alloys are concerned, since you plan to keep the car for significant period of time (5 years), a mid-life upgrade of alloys might be a nice idea.

[extreme_torque]

I would prefer the Figo among your current choices. Its a diesel to so it balances out the running costs as well.

[samsan02]

Post Deleted by the Team-BHP Support : We do NOT appreciate blind bias posts, whether for a brand or against.

[aniketvu]

Hey Samsan02,

I am not sure about the on road price of the 1.4 Epk. I believe it was higher than the 6-6.5L that I had budgeted. I am planning to go the Tata showroom again today. Will probably check out the price and see if it fits in the budget.

Aniket

[roadracer]

Indica Vista is a real VFM car and suitable for both city conditions and highways. I would point out two drawbacks in it.
1. The quality of the exterior build: I don't think the steel quality used in Vista is as good as the ones used in FIAT or even Maruthi.
2. A.S.S: It's not up to the standards, at least in Chennai. There is no proper feedback mechanism and the quality of work carried out in the service centres is not great.

FIGO seems to be a good choice for you.

[nehamit]

Hi! Well, I own Linea MJD E+ and when the question of second car came, the first choice was obviously Fiat GP. But the kids disagreed for the same interiors and we started hunting for the top end hatchback with safety issues in mind. Ford Figo was just launched that time.(March 2010) Almost decided for the same and Vista Aura Plus came. Now its 5000+ Kms run mainly by my wife only and the in city and out city drive quality and handling are really very good. Body roll is there on highways when we cross 100Km/hour, but as Linea is there, Vista is mainly running in city only. I have no idea about traffic/parking at your place but Ahmedabad is one of the worst place in India to drive/park and in this situation also, my wife finds it easier to drive Vista. Tata A.S.S. is comparatively better in Ahmedabad, so do not find any issues for the same. After all this is the most difficult decision and I have given my story to aid finalizing your decision.

[ACM]

I would recommend you a Vista or a Punto rather than the Figo / micra etc, due to the importance order priority list that you have setup.

Vista and Punto score high on ride, stability, space, and have the decent engines etc.

Your parameters are of VFM cars, and both these are VFM cars at their specific price points.

[theexperthand]

@aniketvu: According to the check list you have given, I think Vista suits you better - The highway characteristics are not exemplary, but for normal and some spirited driving, I have found Vista quiet satisfactory.

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by aniketvu

Hi Amartya,

Thanks for responding. I decided to consider the Micra based only on GTO's review and W.A.G7's initial ownership review is where I got to know about the 5000km/3month service intervals.

In terms of importance, my criteria would be as follows:
- Ride & Handling
- Interior Space
- Fuel Efficiency
- Looks/Style
- Engine & Gearbox
- Interior Quality
- Service & Maintenance costs
- Boot Space

Regards

Aniket

Since interior quality is not on top of your priorites, go for the Punto - got the best ride and handling in its class and decent space! Do not go for the 1.2 engine for such a heavy car (power/weight ratio of Punto 1.2 is hoorible). Either go for the 1.4 petrol or 1.3 MJD - you can choose the variant depending on your budget (emotion/emotion pack).