[raj_5004]

Guys, I got a new job in BKC which is around 20kms away from my residence. This means a 40 km drive everyday in mumbai traffic. For some reasons, I cant take my scorpio there & so I am planning to buy a new hatch.

My budget is around 6-6.5 lakhs on-road. Priorities are -

1) Good to drive, not necessarily super fast
2) Preferably a diesel - I am a diesel head & you cannot ignore the savings in fuel bills too!
3) Large & spacious cabin
4) Feature loaded
5) Good ride quality
6) Looks looks & looks! I like a stylish car!

I dont like the Micra, Vista, Fabia, Ritz & the Figo! I am also confused between petrol & diesel! Good diesel hatches like i20 & punto is out of my budget, i guess. We are not looking for second hand cars.

Cars i am considering right now -

1) Hyundai i10 Kappa2 - I guess the top end with all bells & whistles will fall in my budget. Top end costs 6.07 lakhs on-road. I have heard the VTVT engine is a joy to drive.

2) Swift Vdi - At 6.03 lakhs, this is well within my budget. but it has a huge waiting period. also, even the top end VDi variant is pretty basic!

3) Hyundai i20 1.2 Asta - The 1.4 is not available with manual right? The top end 1.2 Asta petrol costs 6.5 lakhs on-road, just 33k more than i10, worth the money i feel. Does the 1.2 in i20 have the VTVT tech like i10? Is it similar to drive?

4) Fiat Punto 1.4 Emotion - It costs 6.31 lakhs on-road. I love the way this car looks, I am a big fan of it but I am wary about Fiat's quality issues & TATA's service.

5) Maruti Swift 1.2 petrol - I like this car but its too common now & I am actually bored of it. but at 5.8 lakhs for the top end ZXi, its cheap!

6) Volkswagen Polo 1.2 Highline - At 6.67 lakhs, this seems to be a good car but i find the interiors too drab & boring. also, the rear styling is too bland.

All the above are petrols - top end.

The punto, polo & i20 diesel, which i would have loved, is out of my budget. I guess there is no variant within 6.5 lakhs which has atleast ABS.

[humyum]

The Hyundai I20 1.2 is a slow mover. I would not get it if i were you Raj

Also the joy of driving a diesel car with no worries about Fuel costs, AC running bla bla in the city is priceless.

If i were you, I would go for the VDI and if you can wait then the new swift Diesel which might come out in feb or march as it's already launched in UK in the petrol avtar and the diesel is not far away.

Btw if you want the Swift D right now, the dealers say a waiting period of 2 to 3 months but you can get it early, just look around at various dealers and you ll get it in no time.

[raj_5004]

If i extend my budget a bit & if i had to choose between the punto diesel or i20 diesel, then?

[mercedised]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

If i extend my budget a bit & if i had to choose between the punto diesel or i20 diesel, then?

If the interior quality and sales\service is not a concern than Punto anyday, looks stylish.

P.S: If you end-up in buying a Petrol vehicle than consider cheap options such as:

1) New Alto.

2) Tata Nano. (I recently test-rode the car and it was way better than any Tata petrol car. Plus cheapest maintenance contract for 4 years and 60,000kms which would hardly be crossed in cities), This car would cost you 2L max. if AC is required, thus you save 1L even if you bought a new Alto. Again, sales\service should be tolerated.

Thanks.

[anb]

I think punto diesel emotion pack will satisfy most of your requirements. Its fully loaded,good to drive,has a great ride and looks stunning.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

My budget is around 6-6.5 lakhs on-road. Priorities are -

1) Good to drive, not necessarily super fast
2) Preferably a diesel - I am a diesel head & you cannot ignore the savings in fuel bills too!
3) Large & spacious cabin
4) Feature loaded
5) Good ride quality
6) Looks looks & looks! I like a stylish car!

I dont like the Micra, Vista, Fabia, Ritz & the Figo! I am also confused between petrol & diesel! Good diesel hatches like i20 & punto is out of my budget, i guess. We are not looking for second hand cars.

Why not consider Chevrolet Beat and save money? It has got as much space as i10, is more stylish and comes at much lower price.

[humyum]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

If i extend my budget a bit & if i had to choose between the punto diesel or i20 diesel, then?

I20 diesel anyday bro. Punto is 'over rated' and why deal with pathetic after sales service and parts ke liye waiting and stuff like that.

I20 crdi with 6 speed transmission and you will be happily riding in city as well chilling on the highway.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by mercedised

If the interior quality and sales\service is not a concern than Punto anyday, looks stylish.

Does the punto have any reliability issues?

Interior quality is not an issue but service, if bad is okay, but should not be frustrating. I am used to bad service of Mahindra.

Originally Posted by anb

I think punto diesel emotion pack will satisfy most of your requirements. Its fully loaded,good to drive,has a great ride and looks stunning.

Is it worth to buy the 90 bhp over the 75 bhp? the acceleration & in-gear timings are not much improved...

Originally Posted by ajay0612

Why not consider Chevrolet Beat and save money? It has got as much space as i10, is more stylish and comes at much lower price.

I think the Beat looks girly! Strictly my personal opinion.

[superboy44]

raj,
as you have been using a Scorpio extensively and i am pretty sure you are used to its sturdy build and you would certainly like to have that in your hatch as well.
and the only hatch in your budget that can provide it has to be the punto.

it is pretty reliable and frugal and looks like a million bucks rolling down the road.
the 75bhp variant should suffice your needs pretty well.
look up the punto ownership threads and i am pretty much sure that most of the owners are happy with car.

the i20 does not feel as tough and the steering is pretty vague, though it still is one of the most VFM buys.
though i would still suggest the punto over the i20 if you can live with the below par after sales service.

[.anshuman]

I would suggest you to consider both Figo D and Punto MJD. I own a Punto that has done more than 30,000 kms. I have not seen a single issue related to reliability, Yes the fit and finish of certain Interior parts is iffy and you might not appreciate the big turning radius in city usage. Comes with better equipment levels and it's easily the best looking hatch around.

The Figo too is an excellent car. It's a nice sensible VFM which excels in all fields. It comes with the Ford's trademark Ride, Handling and Steering. The TDCi engine is joy to drive in city. But under the skin it's a car based on Fiesta not matter how much they tried to hide the age it's evident in certain things. If i were in a similar situation i'd be confused on which one to pick.

The Fabia is good too but owners of previous version have reported it to be a expensive car to maintain. Polo is good car again but the long waiting list and the 3 cylinder diesel try to spoil the otherwise great car.

The Swift is a hoot to drive, it is cheap to maintain and has the killer resale value but the new Swift is coming soon and waiting period extends tooo long.

To confuse you further the i20 CRDi has a brilliant engine with a nice 6 Speed gearbox, the Interiors have a premium feel others here can't match. Looks good too but might be out of your budget.

And Oh! if forgot about the Vista....

[selfdrive]

For Mumbai, I would recommend having a look at the Nano if you are driving only within the city. I was pleasantly surprised with the Nano, whiling away time waiting for a Punto TD
The best options covering your requirements look like the Figo (but you have blacklisted this) and the Punto. Go for the Punto, the *** is better than before - you just need to get a working equation with the right guy

[vignesh_ny]

My answers in bold below.

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Guys, I got a new job in BKC which is around 20kms away from my residence. This means a 40 km drive everyday in mumbai traffic. For some reasons, I cant take my scorpio there & so I am planning to buy a new hatch.

My budget is around 6-6.5 lakhs on-road. Priorities are -

1) Good to drive, not necessarily super fast
2) Preferably a diesel - I am a diesel head & you cannot ignore the savings in fuel bills too!
3) Large & spacious cabin
4) Feature loaded
5) Good ride quality
6) Looks looks & looks! I like a stylish car!

I dont like the Micra, Vista, Fabia, Ritz & the Figo! I am also confused between petrol & diesel! Good diesel hatches like i20 & punto is out of my budget, i guess. We are not looking for second hand cars.

You might want to reconsider Figo D titanium as it is truly VFM as a package not in any particular department though.

Cars i am considering right now -

1) Hyundai i10 Kappa2 - I guess the top end with all bells & whistles will fall in my budget. Top end costs 6.07 lakhs on-road. I have heard the VTVT engine is a joy to drive.

2) Swift Vdi - At 6.03 lakhs, this is well within my budget. but it has a huge waiting period. also, even the top end VDi variant is pretty basic!

3) Hyundai i20 1.2 Asta - The 1.4 is not available with manual right? The top end 1.2 Asta petrol costs 6.5 lakhs on-road, just 33k more than i10, worth the money i feel. Does the 1.2 in i20 have the VTVT tech like i10? Is it similar to drive?

With much talked about the vague steering and steering rattle, I would stay clear.

4) Fiat Punto 1.4 Emotion - It costs 6.31 lakhs on-road. I love the way this car looks, I am a big fan of it but I am wary about Fiat's quality issues & TATA's service.

5) Maruti Swift 1.2 petrol - I like this car but its too common now & I am actually bored of it. but at 5.8 lakhs for the top end ZXi, its cheap!
- I am surprised that it costs only 5.8 Lacs. Ex showroom price is 5.47 lacs. I would expect closer to 6.5 mark on road unless there are big discounts running. It is a very good buy nevertheless

On the new swift suggested by some, ET says it comes in only end of this year. So its out of contention for now.

Maruti plans Swift, Dzire upgrade; to launch MUVs - The Economic Times

6) Volkswagen Polo 1.2 Highline - At 6.67 lakhs, this seems to be a good car but i find the interiors too drab & boring. also, the rear styling is too bland.
I find the Polo's interiors very functional, though it does not have the amount of kit others have. It is probably an understated design overall but classy.

All the above are petrols - top end.

The punto, polo & i20 diesel, which i would have loved, is out of my budget. I guess there is no variant within 6.5 lakhs which has atleast ABS.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Does the punto have any reliability issues?
Interior quality is not an issue but service, if bad is okay, but should not be frustrating. I am used to bad service of Mahindra.

The Punto doesn't have any reliability issues, plastics aren't the greatest. Read Anshuman's long term review of the Punto, you can also read epicenter.rulez's reviews for usage over a significant number of kilometres. There are many short term reports as well. Service shouldn't be that bad in Mumbai, in fact, improved service quality for Tata and Fiat has been reported throughout the past year (we also have a thread about it).

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Is it worth to buy the 90 bhp over the 75 bhp? the acceleration & in-gear timings are not much improved.

With an already stretched budget (for the Emo. Pack), I'd say stick to the FGT version. However, I personally think it's worth the moolah (actually I found the difference to be more pronounced with the A/C on) if you can spare it.

I also concur with Anshuman's advice about the Figo and the Punto, these are the two that make the most sense for you. Since style is your thing, the Punto has the Figo beat (in fact everything else too), otherwise, they are quite close. However, there's no test like the test-drive. Go for a test drive of the Punto (75/90HP both, and check performance with the A/C on) and the Figo, then share the experience with us .

[musicmanaman]

Even though I have read your comments on the Beat, and I'm not too found of the looks myself, I still recommend you take a test drive, it's one of the most fun to drive car's out there and the suspension is fantastic. In my opinion it's the best VFM hatch currently and even though I like the i10, I think it's a little over hyped and a little overprised.

If you don't like the Beat after the test drive, then go in for the Figo Diesel, as it's got a gem of an engine, the engine is the best part of this car, I'm not too found of the overall feel.

[shankar.balan]

Raj.
Push your budget a bit and buy the I20 Crdi with ABS and Airbags.
I know it comes across as expensive but the sheer amount of kit you get in it is amazing.
Probably the best in terms of VFM at that level.
And it IS an extremely stylish car though it was launched 2+ years ago now.

You cannot go wrong with a Hyundai in terms of service and cost of running.

The only alternative that I would suggest is a Volkswagen Polo Diesel but that engine is nowhere comparable to the I 20 in terms of drive-ability.