[vasoo]

I clicked on the main reason why an average person buys anything, looks. Of course price, FE, and manufacturer reputation (After Sales Service) are the top three aspects that typically pop on every desi car buyers mind. I would not have bothered on that as much as the looks though. Looks is probably the only factor here that applies to a car even when it is stationary. And that is what my car does most of the time .

I believe that we in India are fortunate to have a good selection of quality cars -though quite small in terms of options available - which are pretty good in most of the factors listed here. So from the given choice of options here, it's the looks, both outside and inside, that matters to me.

A good engine is surely a good thing to have, but that is not a criteria for me, as long as its not intrusively manifested in every day driving. Reliability for most buyers is a bit vague term since most of them associate it with the manufacturer reputation and after sales service than the actual reliability of the machine. And in any case, how many cars available in India are not reliable ? I honestly cant think of any, except for some of the old generation Fiats and Amby. Build quality, has been debated endlessly in this forum, is a term that is difficult to define. For some, it could be something as obvious as the panel gaps or the tactile feel of controls inside or simply the door thud while for others it could be indicated by stiffness of the chassis and other mechanical stuff. Safety in our roads is almost completely up to ourselves, though I don't mean to discount the features such as airbags and ABS. Handling, for me, is not a deal breaker and it in most case it it inversely proportional to ride quality, which I favor more. Handling come to the fore only when I have to drive the car in a sporty manner or on winding roads which is rare. Ride comfort is more important for me as I see my car not just transporting the driver, but also the passengers. Space is important for me, so is the equipment levels, especially on long drives. But I can manage to drive a Nano or a Reva to office without any concern on these.

[supremeBaleno]

Reliability. Everything else comes lower in priority.

Originally Posted by honeybee

So is it really just one particular thing that we look for in our rides?

It is not. We all look for a combination of attributes, with order of priority among them. But then this poll wants us to list just one thing we value most.

[sajo]

The deal maker for me is the engine.

However, there quite a few deal breakers for me, primarily :
- Safety, or lack of.
- Reliability, or lack of.

So if above factors being more or less equal, its the engine which seals the deal for me.

Hence I am happily driving a K12 Swift! Sweet, smooth, powerful and frugal! Ofcourse, the rest of the car complements the engine well, which is a plus point.

[lucifer1881]

Simplicity of construction is what I need in my car. The simpler it is, the lesser are the chances of something going wrong with it. In other words, I need a diesel powered car which does not have an ECU. It can get me home even in the case of the battery going completely flat. This is extremely important. The kind of places my wife and I visit are far flung. Reliability trumps everything else.

Sadly, modern cars are no longer built that way. I only wonder which car I will replace the Bolero with when the time for replacement finally comes.

[benzinblut]

For me its the Engine. Ofcourse there are other factors too that contribute to a deal.

But in the end, Engine Performance is the one thing that brings a smile on my face everytime I drive

[bluevolt]

Engine is one of the most important parts of a car and is a deal maker for me. When I bought my Honda City; no other petrol sedan was near to the free-revving 1.5 i-VTEC (T-jet was not launched at that time).

Besides engine I prefer looks also. If it was only engine I would have straightaway bought the previous gen CRDi Verna.

Just have a look at Honda City; it's three year old and still looks fresh and futuristic.

[RROD]

I am not a car expert.
But for me it has to be the Engine and Ride.
Engine because I drive mainly in congested bangalore traffic. The low end torque and good mileage is a boon here. Hence my Figo.
Ride because i dont like getting thrown, while going over a small hump a.k.a my Wagon R.

[SS-Traveller]

What about fuel efficiency? Given a choice between two similar cars, would anyone prefer the one with greater FE, at the cost of losing out on, say, engine power or reliability or interiors quality?

[Shivank]

Handling

I voted for handling. I look for involvement in a car.

A Verna/i20, for example, has this sweetest Crdi powerhouse working under the hood. But the handling and near zero steering feedback robs everything away.

Not to be generalized, the above statement, as there are some great cars with bonkers engine and neutral handling. Still, first thing I want is complete control over the mechanicals of the car.

And in present day and age, I don't think any engine is a slouch either (save 3-pot engines).

[JediKnight]

For me it is reliability. I can forgive anything except my car letting me ( and my family ) down in the middle of the night.

[muni]

I feel the overall balance is what i look for when I have to decide. When you compare two cars it is very much possible that they may stack up equal on your most preferred parameter or parameters. Then you are forced to weigh in the next parameter that matters and the rest too.

I feel a single constant parameter cannot be a deal breaker while choosing cars today as we have a lot of competent cars.

A dZire/ Indigo /Reva are cars which I will never buy because of its looks. Looks wise it has to have some level of acceptability in my mind. Polo for what it offers i would not buy it at at price. Swift for the lack of space and VFM tag.

Same goes with quality, space, engine, price tag etc.

For me, it has to be a combination of Looks,engine, handling, quality ,space, reliability and the VFM tag.

[Warhound]

looks, the thing that tugs your heart on first sight.

[ramzsys]

Ground Clearance.

I can(and will be able to) compromise with anything else.

[wildon]

Are we missing an important *ONE* !

FUEL

Diesel/Petrol/LPG/CNG/Electric/Hybrid

[sraye]

A week back , the choice would have been realibility. However, considering that I have just cancelled my booking of the Jazz for a Fabia1.6, the choice was between Engine/Handling/Ride quality. As the ride quality/handling is to be had with the 1.2 too, Engine was the final choice.
Again, both the Polo 1.6 and Fabia 1.6 have the same engine, but the space of the Fabia won out, on the basis of my requirements.