[greenhorn]

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It depends on what you're looking for in a car. If you want a no nonsense means of transportation, waiting is worth it ( but as long as you've waited for something for the bugs to be ironed out, and are buying an older model, why not avoid the hit in depreciation and buy second hand ?)

alternately, if you want to flaunt the latest stuff, you know what you're gonna do!

[vkumars]

It all depends on a lot of factors.

1. If I have been looking forward to a specific car, I might buy it as soon as it is launched - matter of heart over head. Same case with love at first sight - like original Palio or Punto. I know of more than a few people who bought these cars thinking on these lines.

2. If I have been following test reports and user reviews of a car for a long time I might weigh the pros and cons and decide to replace my existing car with the new one - that is head over heart.

Again it all depends on the manufacturer also. I wouldn't buy a just released product from Tata or M&M. I would wait for the niggles to be ironed out.

But, from Maruti or Hyundai, I would buy a new product. Same is the case with manufacturers like Honda, Toyota or Volkswagen.

[tabrez02]

initial niggles are part of the launch package right from the start. When the new car companies started entering in India, conditions were completly different from their native countries or other launched.

However i have a tendency to buy a automotive which is already there for more than 8months or wait till it comes on the shelves without waiting period.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by vkumars

But, from Maruti or Hyundai, I would buy a new product. Same is the case with manufacturers like Honda, Toyota or Volkswagen.

But doesn't VW too had its share of niggles , software upgrades, etc in their recent launches here ! So I guess we can't generalize on this, maybe the luck quotient plays a significant role here .

Cheers!

[vkumars]

Originally Posted by volkman10

But doesn't VW too had its share of niggles , software upgrades, etc in their recent launches here ! So I guess we can't generalize on this, maybe the luck quotient plays a significant role here .

Cheers!

It could be a matter of wrong perception, but I somehow feel that the issues would be far less with a VW product. For example, you might not find an 'Issues faced with VW' thread or even if such a thread existed, that many posts in it as in Indica or Vista issue threads.

I also have a feeling that Tata conducts 'Beta' testing on their customers. Just look at the history of their launches (Aria could be an exception here). Please note that I have nothing against Tata as such; I personally own a Vista QJD and am happy with it. But, would I have bought a first generation Vista ? No way.

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by volkman10

So I guess we can't generalize on this, maybe the luck quotient plays a significant role here .

Cheers!

There you said it. But more than luck, its awareness that plays a bigger role.

Originally Posted by vkumars

It could be a matter of wrong perception, but I somehow feel that the issues would be far less with a VW product. For example, you might not find an 'Issues faced with VW' thread or even if such a thread existed, that many posts in it as in Indica or Vista issue threads.

I also have a feeling that Tata conducts 'Beta' testing on their customers. Just look at the history of their launches (Aria could be an exception here). Please note that I have nothing against Tata as such; I personally own a Vista QJD and am happy with it. But, would I have bought a first generation Vista ? No way.

Honestly, comparing VW with TATA is not exactly fair. They simply have not been making cars for that long. Also, the VW cars though solidly built, will continue to get better even if its only in terms of features provided.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by ra'ul M

They simply have not been making cars for that long. Also, the VW cars though solidly built, will continue to get better even if its only in terms of features provided.

So in this case of VW too, it would be good to await in their new launches for the upgrades or features added as standard, based on customer's feedback! (reference to Indian Market)

Cheers!

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by volkman10

So in this case of VW too it would be good to await in the new launches, for the upgrades or features added as standard based on customer's feedback! (reference to Indian Market)

Cheers!

For some time, YES. Until they get there localization levels up to scratch.

You also have to factor in the urgency. One of my friends bought a Micra only because it was a good diesel and available of the shelf as he needed the car immediately.

[vkumars]

Originally Posted by ra'ul M

There you said it. But more than luck, its awareness that plays a bigger role.



Honestly, comparing VW with TATA is not exactly fair. They simply have not been making cars for that long. Also, the VW cars though solidly built, will continue to get better even if its only in terms of features provided.

I think I am going off topic and I don't want to enter into a VW vs. Tata debate. But, just wanted to clarify what I meant.

I know it is not fair to compare VW and Tata and I am not. In fact, I am proud of what Tata has achieved in developing Indica, Vista and Nano. These cars were designed from scratch. And, I know that many foreign companies just take their existing designs (which might have undergone generations of development) and tweak them to make suitable for the Indian market. But, just consider it from a customer's point of view.

When I decide to buy a car, I might be looking for a number of things and brand value is just one of them. Looks, fit and finish, build, etc. are also important. Many people have bought the Polo. Some might have bought it for the brand value. But, certainly more have bought it because it is a very good car suiting their requirements. For a customer who is not very brand value conscious, it really doesn't matter whether the car is from A or B, just whether it meets his needs and has good after sales support (read peace of mind). His choice is limited by what cars are available for his budget. So, for him the comparison between say Polo and Vista would arise, where the prices overlap.

I think where Tata has not succeeded (to the level they should have) is in the fit and finish department, in eliminating the niggles which appear frequently in their cars and in providing consistent after sales support. Latter generation Tata cars have invariably proved to be much better than early ones ( I am not saying that they are not trying to improve). When that process continues, one tends to develop a certain perception about the manufacturer and what they think about the customer.

I just have a feeling that even if VW were to develop a car for India from scratch, there would be fewer niggles when they first launch it. It could also be that I am biased on the set of standards followed by each manufacturer. I was just comparing the releases.

Coming back to the topic, on whether to buy a car at launch, I would say that, many people tend to depend on generalisations while deciding on a brand. It could be that someone has brought out a very good car, but if his track record is not very attractive, common people might be apprehensive about going for it (petrolheads are excluded).

[iSpoke]

Originally Posted by 2500cc

Few desi manufacturers (TATA & M&M) QC sucks big time, which is why we see niggles and few parts failing initially.

But this is not the case with Suzuki, Toyota, Honda and other manufacturers. Which is why people await the release of these vehicles and buy them immediately when they are launched.

So your buy depends on who the manufacturer is ?

Cheers,
Rajesh

One should not generalize it and target our desi manufacturers only, what volkman10 mentioned into his OP as the addition of EORVM as standard feature by some manufacturer. That is actually the case with Polo from VW! (yep, again a desi company but from Europe!). Yet I have to agree that TATA and M&M are the winners when it comes to niggles.

[vinya_jag]

I would say: Never buy at launch

A few experiences
The Fiat Punto 1.2:
This was for our friend, who was raving about its looks even before it was launched. And when it was launched, I went along with one other friend for a test drive. We were given a 1.4 car for test drive which we drove and were quite pleased. And our friend did book the 1.2 Punto.
Now after a bit more than a year, he is full of complaints. He has done the visit to the showroom atleast 15 times within 1 year (Twice for body repair after accidents and the rest for minor/major issues)

Bajaj Aspire:
I was an Overdrive Mag fan and was reading reviews and suggesting bikes/ cars for my friends with no first hand experience. And my friend had to buy a fuel efficient bike at that time. I showed him the mag with the Aspire article and compared it with the Victor/ Splendor and asked him to buy the aspire.
The best part was that he went for the Victor in spite of my suggestions.
I was saved. Even to this day, my friends remember that I had once suggested a vehicle that many would never hear of later.

My own Bajaj Saffire:
The Kinetic Honda was done in those days. We were all going the 4 stroke way. There was no activa. And I fell in love with the Saffire. Initially it rode very well. A few years later, I bought the Wind and my father switched over to the Saffire. The later years he had to push the vehicle home a few kilometers as it never started. Bajaj stopped the vehicle in a few years and so were the servicemen. We had a tough time for a year or two and then we sold it off for Rs 500. (Yes Five hundred only)

[shashank.nk]

After making the mistake with my bike bought in the first lot, i would say wait for 6 months and then buy. My bike still has false neutral problems whereas the subsequent batches had this rectified at the factory itself. As exciting as it is to own a car at its launch, some problems if not rectified by the manufacturer can be hard ti live with.

[shankar.balan]

Unless it is proven it is not worth buying. I would rather buy tried and tested than wish to be a first mover - as far as buying and owning vehicles is concerned.

[Got BHP?]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Should'nt the new launches be done after an extensive marketing feedback? We have new features added on the newer vechiles leaving the early customers feeling cheated as in some of them the feature cannot be retrofitted even if wanted to at extra cost. Example is the EORVM.
Cheers!

Every product that is launched in the market has got its life cycle. When popular brands launch their products, they have a certain waiting time.
Buyers who are early birds and prefer being exclusive or have the liking to been seen in a swanky new car get it at launch. With time once the product gets into its maturity phase the demand either saturates or goes down.
At this point in time to allure buyers manufacturers start including gizmos at so called more for same price. Viz-a-viz spec to spec comparison and pricing will indicate that with inflation prices would have gone up.
Mean while some minor strip of other aspects would have been carried out to mitigate cost. (Eg: Redesign of alloys, insulation inside boot in most cases from fiber molding to carpet only)

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by Got BHP?

Buyers who are early birds and prefer being exclusive or have the liking to been seen in a swanky new car get it at launch. With time once the product gets into its maturity phase the demand either saturates or goes down.

Am not going into the maturity phase, we have seen in early phases of launches standard features are added there nor possible to be incorporated.
Isn't in such cases frustrating for being penalised for buying it at @ launch?

Cheers!