[abhinavm]

Hi,

After lurking around for quite a while, I am planning my first purchase. Budget is around 4L, but can stretch a bit for VFM deals.

Given that this is our first car, want to go with a model that has lower maintenance costs etc.

Also, a tall hatch is preferable, as I am 6 " and "healthy"

Typical usage : Weekend city driving + some trips to nearby places. Not much daily office driving expected.

So, by process of elimination with the above and other factors, it is down to Wagon R v/s i10.

Wagon R has been veto'ed out by the higher powers, given its dated looks. So i10 it probably is.

Questions regarding the i10 :

* With the new i10 variants launched, the dealers here in Bangalore (checked with Trident Indiranagar) are not giving any accessories / freebies or cash discount.

* However, the old i10 stock has some corporate discount + 7k cash discount + insurance waiver, and freebies like reverse parking sensor etc.

** Should I go for the old i10, given it will be around 20-25k cheaper ? Any downsides ?

** I am planning to go for an i10 era. What are the downsides compared to Magna, Sportz that would matter for a newbie ?

** Any other cars I should be looking at (from Maruti/Hyundai only) ? The way I see it (may be wrong) :

Maruti

* Alto, A-start - Too compact
* Zen Estilo - Did not like the looks. Too small in the front ?
* Wagon R - * contender*
* Ritz - Not VFM, esp compared to Wagon R, for me ?
* Swift - Out of budget

Hyundai
* Santro - Contender, but again dated. Can go for it if there is a compelling reason
* i10 - Contender
* i20 - Actually loved the pricing compared to i10, but staying away from it as first car.


Thanks !

[Der Junge]

I feel you should test drive Ritz before eliminating it. It is very good for a "healthy" driver. I am also of similar build and I liked Ritz.

[iPai]

Originally Posted by abhinavm

Hi,
Questions regarding the i10 :

* With the new i10 variants launched, the dealers here in Bangalore (checked with Trident Indiranagar) are not giving any accessories / freebies or cash discount.
TRUE. It will take quite some time before they start offering freebies on new i10.

* However, the old i10 stock has some corporate discount + 7k cash discount + insurance waiver, and freebies like reverse parking sensor etc.
Great that your are getting reverse parking sensors. If you more like keyless entry or similar i think it would be a good deal.

However, if you plan to sell the car after some years, the old i10 may not fetch as good a value as new i10 owing to its little better engine.

** Should I go for the old i10, given it will be around 20-25k cheaper ? Any downsides ?
IMO Only downside seems to be resale value(if you worry about it now)
Looks are subjective, and i am sure you would have compared the looks of both and arrived upon some conclusion so i won't comment on that.

new i10 had definitely better engine, but the old one is also very good.

** I am planning to go for an i10 era. What are the downsides compared to Magna, Sportz that would matter for a newbie ?
Well, Magna has got rear power windows too which seems to be some point worth checking. Other differences are livable. Plus no turn indicators on mirrors. This too i believe is not a necessity but just a cosmetic add on
(Depends upon how savvy you are for these features. I like them but if constrained by budget i won't push for them)

However, Sportz is a real VFM model. If you can stretch, go for it. Two years ago, i went to buy Magna and ended up buying Sportz. No regrets, infact very happy at my decision. The rear defogger and rear Wiper are a boon during Bangalore rains(Remember yesterday and last weekend??)
Extremely useful safety features those.

** Any other cars I should be looking at (from Maruti/Hyundai only) ? The way I see it (may be wrong) :

My opinions if i were in your position:

Maruti

* Alto, A-start - Too compact - Agree
* Zen Estilo - Did not like the looks. Too small in the front ? - Agree
* Wagon R - * contender* - Looks would be a concern, better half would not be happy. Boxy isn't it?
* Ritz - Not VFM, esp compared to Wagon R, for me ? - I feel Ritz ZXI is better VFM compared to i10 Asta. Otherwise i feel other models are better VFM compared to Ritz. Also, i hate the looks. My better half - more!
* Swift - Out of budget - sort of agree. Great car, but given the features i10 gives i feel Swift is not at all VFM.

Hyundai
* Santro - Contender, but again dated. Can go for it if there is a compelling reason - Agree
* i10 - Contender - Agree
* i20 - Actually loved the pricing compared to i10, but staying away from it as first car. - i10 is a better car for newbies owing to great visibility for drivers. But i20 is my dream car


Thanks !

My comments in bold!!

All the best!

[jigbarai]

If you were to choose between old and new models of i10, go with the newer model. The difference is frankly not that much to go for an older model.

Do give serious thought to the Wagon R and the Ritz.

Not many cars can beat the ingress/egress of the Wagon R. It may look boxy to start with but becomes likeable over time.

Ritz Lxi is also a good contender with its k series engine. The comfort / ride / handling of Ritz will be better IMO than the i10.

[rohan_iitr]

I was in a similar dilemma when I purchased my i10 irde ERA in Jan 2009. But decision making was simple in my case because the options were very limited, hence i10 was the best option at that time.

But in today's scenario, there are plenty of options. Please don't restrict your choice to Maruti and Hyundai only. Have a look at Chevrolet and Ford small cars also before you take the final decision. I would not suggest a Tata/Fiat car for a first time car buyer (purely my personal opinion).

First of all, don't even think about buying the old model of i10 for a meager saving of 20-25k. You will get less features, older engines and also loose out on the resale value.

Secondly, I would suggest picking a kappa variant over irde. I drive both irde and kappa variants on a regular basis. Let me assure you that kappa variant is really worth spending some extra money on, especially since the kappa2 comes with VTVT. Sportz variant is the most VFM, although Magna is also OK.

Take test drives of all shortlisted cars, even if you don't like the exterior looks. You may change your mind, once you sit inside the car.

Even though they are not the best looking models, I would suggest that you seriously consider Ritz and WagonR.

Also, have a look at Beat, Figo and Micra.

You can also think about the LPG variants of Spark, Santro and WagonR.

Rohan

[Auto_Fan]

Originally Posted by abhinavm

** I am planning to go for an i10 era. What are the downsides compared to Magna, Sportz that would matter for a newbie ?

There are 2 specific things you bringup here - Engine (1.1 Vs 1.2) and Variants.

IMHO, variant of the car has not much to do with a seasoned driver or a newbie. If you like to have extra features, and see value in it, you should go for a higher version (if your budget permits).

Sometimes the situation/place require some these "features" - for example if you stay in an area where it rains a lot, roads are muddy, and your drive at relatively higher speeds, then it makes a strong case to have rear wiper/washer in your hatchback. Or if you have young kids those who sit in the back, then it makes sense to have all 4 electric windows - so that you can "lock" rear 2 windows for safety purpose.
Some other features may be purely feel good/asthetics such as turn indicators on ORVMs.

About the engine, both are really good engines and would serve you well. The only downside with 1.1 engine is (perceived) mileage, and probably resale value (if you care about them, that is).

My 2 cents...

[dhrishikesh]

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[kanuj]

I'd have recommended the Ritz as well, considering I'm of a similar stature as yours, but since you won't be using the vehicle much, the diesel option is out. You could put your decision on hold for a few months, as Hyundai is planning to hand out discounts on the facelifted i10 by December this year. I'm myself considering the 1.2 Magna/Sportz variant, but will eventually go for Sportz because of the rear wipers, the inbuilt ICE and rear seat adjustable headrests. Would've liked if they didn't price the Sportz option pack over 5L, because then you get a driver airbag and audio/bluetooth controls on steering as well.

[changaez]

i would recommend Ritz, there is a huge difference between Wagon R and Ritz in terms of the spacing inside the car. Since you are "healthy" and your major trips are on the weekend and near by places the inside space would matter a lot. Ritz is normally giving around 14 Km/L which is healthy mileage in this segment. Some people don't like the look of the rear end of the car, to me it didn't matter.

On the other note, there is the new i10 which has added features. The print ad has come in today Times of India so if you fancy the looks of the car, you should check it out as well. Not sure if its already available at the dealership.

cheers

[u_chill]

The new i10 is a significant update, not just cosmetic changes. Since you have made up your mind to go for a new car, go for the newest of the lot!

I would also pay more attention to A Star and Alto k10 from the Maruti stable. They are both fine as 4 seater city getabouts, and allow you more features at a lower price point. Test drive and decide for yourself if you really need more space to be comfortable.

[abhinavm]

Thanks a lot for all the comments. Each reply was *really* helpful !

Will look out a bit more this weekend on getting to a decision :

* Ruling out the old i10, which would have been a rushed purchase. In any case I am fine with waiting for a month or so. Maybe some Dussehra/Diwali offers will kick in.

* Will evaluate Wagon R, Ritz, and i10 Sportz, rather than go for the 1.1 Era based on price.

* Ritz was eliminated on some negative reviews in general (apart from the looks, which are subjective). It also looks pricey, but will consider it. Wanted to stay close to 4 L OTR Bangalore (with basic ICE), but some of the choices will push it around 5 (which is not too much of a problem if I see value in it on the long run)

* Regarding other Cars - Beat, Figo, Micra etc - want to stay away from them as a first car.

* Regarding A Star, Alto - Have TD'ed Alto, felt it is too small. Want reasonable comfort for 3 people in the rear seat. So Alto doesn't make sense. A Star is an option, but my perception is that it is also not much larger. Will TD it this weekend.

Will update this thread once I have done more research, and have closed on the comments you folks have given Thanks !

[abhinavm]

Based on suggestions from folks on this thread, and other posts on TBHP, Ritz LXI/VXI is one great option I'm looking at (and the primary one right now). The other is the Wagon R LXI/VXI

Have a few concerns/queries though :

1. Driveability for novices : I saw lot of comments and feedback that Ritz has lot of blind spots esp when turning, reverse/parking due to small rear windshield, and the slope of the dash reduces front visibility. In fact I was able to figure out, in a static car, that the visibility was "different/wierd" compared to Wagon R.

* Is this a major issue, considering that I am a complete novice, and this is a first car on which I will be learning and driving ? (Counter argument of course is that there are around 6000 cars being sold every month ! How bad could it be ?)

* This will be driven by me (6') and wife (5'2"). Is the visibility going to be fine for short people ?

Considering the above, should I go for the Ritz, or stick with the Wagon R ?

2. Ritz LXI (~4.7L OTR v/s VXI ~5.05 OTR) :

I will miss the following primarily on going with the LXI (which is around 35k cheaper) :

* Central Locking
* Rear Headrests
* Tachometer (is this a must-have ?)
* Security System ? (if it is iCATs, it is present in LXI)

(Not sure if there is anything else which is "must have" in VXI).

Should I go with LXI + aftermarket (esp for Rear headrests, not sure if that is available) or just shell out the 35k extra (would be stretching my budget a bit, wanted to keep it closer to 4.5 OTR, and the basic ICE is still not factored in).

Thanks !

[VictorSinha]

Why dont you try the i10 Sportz Kappa2. It has way too many features than Ritz LXI or VXI. And plus you get an equally competent engine and service network.

And the new i10 is just mind blowing good. I took a TD and was just spolit by its elegance and features. Finish quality is equally good and at par with the best.

i10 Sports Kappa2 comes around 5.48L

[vignesh_ny]

It might be a technical forum question but have never managed to understand how the reviews and magazines keep talking of better city driveability of the new VTVT engine vis a vis Kappa engine. With exactly the same Power and torque figures not sure how things change drastically! Would appreciate views on this from techno experts.

[abhinavm]

Originally Posted by VictorSinha

Why dont you try the i10 Sportz Kappa2. It has way too many features than Ritz LXI or VXI. And plus you get an equally competent engine and service network.

And the new i10 is just mind blowing good. I took a TD and was just spolit by its elegance and features. Finish quality is equally good and at par with the best.

i10 Sports Kappa2 comes around 5.48L

i10 was the first car in my consideration set (as you can see from this thread's subject).

I'm sure i10 is a great car in the areas you mention above (finish is much better than Ritz, and drive quality should also be good). However,

* It is significantly expensive, especially in Bangalore
* Rear space - better in Ritz
* I know this might sound crazy, but maybe it is "too" refined/luxurious feeling for my taste ?

So wanted the info on Ritz, for now.