[shankar.balan]

i also love the Punto's looks and the package at the price that it is available at. (Lovely styling is what shouts loudest in the Punto)

VW also I really like but thats more of an image thing (German car etc)

But other common sense and long term considerations like potential downtime during maintenance and service, ease of service, quality of service, potential recurring running costs, spares costs, availability and overall efficiency and so on would tip the balance (for me) in favour of the I20. Personally I would like the MT option but for sheer use-ability in city nothing comes close to an AT. However I dont think the AT is available in the Crdi version.

I would say at this moment the I20 is worth it given the stuff it packs in - a bit pricey but still worth it. Indeed I am led to believe that it is the second best hatch in the country in terms of re-sale value after the Swift.

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Hi shankar, even i would have blindly bought the i20 but the price difference between the i20 & punto is huge. is it actually worth the money?

I will be shelling out close to 1.2 lakhs extra for the i20!

[RS_DEL]

WRT the i20 - the steering rattle issue. There are quite a few complaints. Either it is a legacy issue afflicting older production lots or a design deficiency. I have no knowledge on the basis of which I can say which is it. However this is something that would warrant careful research.

[raj_5004]

Friends, test drove the Punto today. The dealer dint have the 90 hp for TD so i drove the 75 bhp diesel.

I was amazed by the refinement of the engine & the way the cabin was sealed from the outside world, not expected from a hatch. I loved the solid build, the ride quality & the steering feel.

the only negative was the poor throttle response, it lacked the enthusiasm of the scorpio.

the top end 90 hp costs 7.98 lakhs on-road with the 75 bhp emotion pack costing 35k less.

Originally Posted by selfdrive

No car is a visual deterrent to thieves, in the end they arent going to drive it, only going to sell it off
You should still go in for an aftermarket system, it is highly recommended. In fact, should it not be safer if it is on the street in public view?
As for resale value, there seem to be more unsold i20s (than Puntos) in the market as of now (steering rattle issues may be the dealbreaker here).

by visual deterrent, I mean the car should not be a favourite of these thugs, like my scorpio!

resale value does not matter that much as we will not be selling the car in 7-8 years.

Originally Posted by devarshi84

You do not want to take the scorpio which also means you are not looking to use the box much.

Why not go for an auto?

Hyundai i10/ i20 have automatic options in 1.2 and 1.4
Maruti A-star has Automatic option and can still provide good FE
any other options I might be missing here.

Also remember that nicks and bruises in the city are common and premium hatches will be expensive for you.

Nah, I love driving! And personally i feel the fun of driving is with manual gears. Automatic feels like you are driving a toy car...

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

i also love the Punto's looks and the package at the price that it is available at. (Lovely styling is what shouts loudest in the Punto)

VW also I really like but thats more of an image thing (German car etc)

But other common sense and long term considerations like potential downtime during maintenance and service, ease of service, quality of service, potential recurring running costs, spares costs, availability and overall efficiency and so on would tip the balance (for me) in favour of the I20. Personally I would like the MT option but for sheer use-ability in city nothing comes close to an AT. However I dont think the AT is available in the Crdi version.

I would say at this moment the I20 is worth it given the stuff it packs in - a bit pricey but still worth it. Indeed I am led to believe that it is the second best hatch in the country in terms of re-sale value after the Swift.

hmm, you are right...

I have called the i20 CRDi tomorrow for a TD. lets see how that car fares against the punto.

Originally Posted by RS_DEL

WRT the i20 - the steering rattle issue. There are quite a few complaints. Either it is a legacy issue afflicting older production lots or a design deficiency. I have no knowledge on the basis of which I can say which is it. However this is something that would warrant careful research.

more than the steering rattle issue, I am more concerned about the AC cooling issue in the i20. I need a good AC in my car with excellent air throw.

[ampere]

Raj, I will add to the confusion. Not sure, what to make of this.
Look at the Dec 2010 Sales thread. The published numbers for FIATS is alarmingly low. It can be because of it being the year-end,
but then even by that, it seems very low.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...s-figures.html

I know, Punto diesel is an awesome car, but is there a bigger problem with FIAT?

[ghodlur]

Raj,

Its a pity that you have dismissed the Figo initially itself since I feel the car would be a perfect option looking at your criteria. The car matches them to a tee. Have you taken a TD of the Figo before taking it off your list, just curious to know.

[rohan_iitr]

IMHO, your usage doesn't make a case for diesel variant. You already have a Scorpio, why pay the extra premium for another diesel vehicle ? Since you are so inclined toward the Punto, why don't you TD the 1.4L petrol variant as well ?

Also, have you considered Maruti A-Star Zxi (MT) ? I know it is a bit less spacious, but the front seats have a long travel. If you are not going to have passengers in the rear seat on a regular basis, and if you don't need the boot space, A-Star makes a good second car for city driving. Also comes with good mileage and Maruti's service backup.

And please don't say that you have rejected A-Star because of the looks alone. You have already done that to some very good cars like Micra, Figo and Beat.

If I were you, I would go for i10 VTVT AT. It would be the perfect car to compliment your Scorpio.

Rohan

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by ampere

Raj, I will add to the confusion. Not sure, what to make of this.
Look at the Dec 2010 Sales thread. The published numbers for FIATS is alarmingly low. It can be because of it being the year-end,
but then even by that, it seems very low.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...s-figures.html

I know, Punto diesel is an awesome car, but is there a bigger problem with FIAT?

Oh hooo....

Now that is a problem!!!

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Raj,

Its a pity that you have dismissed the Figo initially itself since I feel the car would be a perfect option looking at your criteria. The car matches them to a tee. Have you taken a TD of the Figo before taking it off your list, just curious to know.

I dint take a test drive nor do I want to. For me, looks are very important & I hate the way the Figo looks.

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

IMHO, your usage doesn't make a case for diesel variant. You already have a Scorpio, why pay the extra premium for another diesel vehicle ? Since you are so inclined toward the Punto, why don't you TD the 1.4L petrol variant as well ?

Also, have you considered Maruti A-Star Zxi (MT) ? I know it is a bit less spacious, but the front seats have a long travel. If you are not going to have passengers in the rear seat on a regular basis, and if you don't need the boot space, A-Star makes a good second car for city driving. Also comes with good mileage and Maruti's service backup.

And please don't say that you have rejected A-Star because of the looks alone. You have already done that to some very good cars like Micra, Figo and Beat.

If I were you, I would go for i10 VTVT AT. It would be the perfect car to compliment your Scorpio.

Rohan

Its not about space or looks buddy. I want a diesel car. I am a diesel head & I enjoy driving diesels over petrols.

Moreover, consider running costs. My monthly running is close to 1000 kms.





Today, I was supposed to TD the i20, but dint get time. So i guess that will happen tomorrow.

Day after tomorrow, we will be booking the car, whether i20 or punto, that has to be decided!

Points favouring punto:
1) shorter waiting period
2) cheaper to buy
3) looks great
4) nice ride & handling
5) sturdy & tough build
6) cheaper than i20

Points favouring i20:
1) better interiors
2) more legroom in rear seat
3) better performance
4) Hyundai reliability
5) Hyundai A.S.S.

So its a win win situation in both cases. This time, I want to try out something different. I dont want to go with the general crowd, I mean, i dont want a car which every other person has, I want something exclusive (comparatively!). The punto, to me, is more exclusive than the i20. Also, i like the mature & sturdy styling of punto as compared to the curvy & flowy i20's styling. not that i dont like the i20...

I will take a TD tomorrow & decide whether i really want to spend that extra money on the i20 over the punto...

[Klub Class]

After reading all your posts here, I guess that your next car will be a Fiat Grande Punto.

Let me make you more confused!

Since Hyundai i20 is within your budget, I would suggest you to drive both the Fiat Punto 75 BHP & Fiat Punto 90 BHP, back to back, in case if you're taking a test drive tomorrow.

All the best. I know, you'll make a wise decision.

[raj_5004]

This is my impression after driving the Punto. I have not driven the i20 yet. Maybe that will happen today.

[akhilesh]

Originally Posted by ampere

Raj, I will add to the confusion. Not sure, what to make of this.
Look at the Dec 2010 Sales thread. The published numbers for FIATS is alarmingly low. It can be because of it being the year-end,
but then even by that, it seems very low.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...s-figures.html

I know, Punto diesel is an awesome car, but is there a bigger problem with FIAT?

For once I really don't understand this funda of buying a car just because everyone has it. We arent talking suspension, refinement, engine or handling but what everyone out there on the road is driving.
For once buy a car on its merit which is exactly what my friend did and he was a sort of guy who would never look above Maruti's or Hyundai's, when he bought the Punto 90 HP and he hasn't looked back at his Verna CRDi ever since.

[raj_5004]

Even i dont understand that funda buddy, but the low sales numbers means unavailability of spares, delayed response, poor resale value & even worse, the company may discontinue the product.

Anyways, hyundai guys messaged me saying they will arrange for a test drive. i called them up but no response from them. Fiat guys called up twice from Wasan motors but i had already done the test drive. Seems hyundai has abundance of customers...

[RS_DEL]

Yes there seems to be a surfeit of buyers for the i20. It is a very nice looking car indeed!

However the fact remains the car has a problem with the steering.I do not know how credible this particular website (Velociti Magazine: Hyundai India suggests solutions to problems in AC unit and Rattling Noises) is, but they are saying Hyundai has suggested a wokaround for this. Now this begs the question - why has the company not rectified the underlying issue for one? If they have, why have they not called existing vehicle owners to rectify the fault with their vehicles? Is this a mere nuisance kind of problem without any safety implications? Is there empirical evidence to suggest that this will not degenerate into a safety issue?

I for one, would not wish to be in the batch of guinea pigs on whom the company does it's lab testing "in vivo". Hackneyed as it may sound I will end with one of my favourite sayings "Caveat Emptor".

[ampere]

Originally Posted by akhilesh

For once I really don't understand this funda of buying a car just because everyone has it. We arent talking suspension, refinement, engine or handling but what everyone out there on the road is driving.
For once buy a car on its merit which is exactly what my friend did and he was a sort of guy who would never look above Maruti's or Hyundai's, when he bought the Punto 90 HP and he hasn't looked back at his Verna CRDi ever since.

I know what you mean. Because even I have gone through it. I have a Ford Fusion Petrol, which never clicked. I have it since it was released. ~6 Years.

Even I have never seen back any thing else after I bought it. It still makes me happy. I guess as long as one does not need to head to the service centre every now and then, it should be fine.

[.anshuman]

In current scenario i would suggest a i20 CRDi over Punto MJD. For spare parts supply to interrupted you won't have to wait till the production is stopped, it's already bad. With Punto be ready to wait for months for anything beyond frequently used spares.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by RS_DEL

Yes there seems to be a surfeit of buyers for the i20. It is a very nice looking car indeed!

However the fact remains the car has a problem with the steering.I do not know how credible this particular website (Velociti Magazine: Hyundai India suggests solutions to problems in AC unit and Rattling Noises) is, but they are saying Hyundai has suggested a wokaround for this. Now this begs the question - why has the company not rectified the underlying issue for one? If they have, why have they not called existing vehicle owners to rectify the fault with their vehicles? Is this a mere nuisance kind of problem without any safety implications? Is there empirical evidence to suggest that this will not degenerate into a safety issue?

I for one, would not wish to be in the batch of guinea pigs on whom the company does it's lab testing "in vivo". Hackneyed as it may sound I will end with one of my favourite sayings "Caveat Emptor".

As far as I am aware, the steering rattle issue has not been fixed yet in the I20. One of our fellow bhpians has had a major issue that has not been resolved yet.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...nership-8.html