[chennai-indian]

For me, here is what matters (in the order of preference):

1. Safety - Give me a car with Gazzillion safety devices/ABS etc - I will take it over any other one.

2. Service Quality - I want excellent service or it is bye bye to the brand next time I'm out shopping for cars

3. Driving Pleasure - Give me a Ford Fiesta any day over a Hyundai Verna !!

[roy_libran]

My one and only contribution on this subject - I am besotted with vehicles that offer me an ability to glide over bad roads, potholes and speed breakers without dropping speed significantly (better still - if not at all!).
Most of my vehicle choices so far have been heavily biased due to this preference of mine. I am not a fast driver, only one who is averse to braking too often.

The vehicles I currently own - Logan and Gurkha. Both meet my preference to the "E", and the suspensions in both, still hold up beautifully.

I'm looking to replace my Logan with an Automatic, south of 10L, and currently going nuts because I can't find one that meets this need.

BTW this is the only cheese that I have with the Hondas. This stupid preference apart, I really like cars from this stable, but can't bear the prospect of having to baby-sit them all the time.

[asr245]

Not sure if these are unconventional enough:

Reliability over everything else - Many here would prefer the Laura TSI over the Accord (is my comparison from the same segment?) because of features, dynamics, performance. Not me. For me reliability is supreme. Though I might make an exception if the Punto T-Jet comes out. . Would not touch any VW product after the stories read on this forum.

Petrol over diesel - Any day of the year. Love to rev them or enjoy the super smooth/silence with the windows rolled down.

Roary Vs silent engine - Silent when cruising, a roar when revv-ing. But not those fake FFE roars. If I were to get an FFE fitted, it would have to be sedate. If it's diesel, the more silent it is the better.

Sedan over SUV - Always preferred it that way though the roads and ever increasing height of speed breakers is forcing me to thing otherwise.

Hatch over Sedan - Rather a hot hatch. Had they put the 1.5L i-VTEC in tha Jazz, I would have tried like hell to convince my wife to go for a hatch. Now if they ever get a Punto T-Jet out, convincing her will be a lot easier after the experience with a sedan (too big for crowded roads).

Black over beige interiors - Not sure if it's because of watching too much of Top Gear, but love black interiors, hate beige.

Features - Would prefer if a car had rear wiper. Haven't really cared about steering mounted controls or ACC, seat height adjusted, adjustable steering. Do not want electric seats, auto headlights/wipes or headlamp washers. For me those are features which I am doing without comfortably and would only add weight to the car and thus decrease performance (even if infinitesimally small).

Styling - Not sure what's up with DRLs, don't like Audis (too much - look at me, look at me). Absolutely love the Ferrari F40 and now the Jaguar F-type. Don't like Verna (old - too ugly, new - too fluidic). Honda City - Old , ANHC (in that order). Don't like NHC. Like Punto & Linea.

Fat tires over thin - Not only does it improve the stance of the vehicle, it would also help in improving braking, thus safety. I had R15 195/60 profile tires fitted on my ANHC straight out of showroom. Never regretted it.

Brakes - I would prefer a vehicle with all discs. Infact I would want manufacturers to give the option for going with bigger brakes especially for SUVs.

Safety - Would not consider any car/SUV without airbags. Infact I would want manufacturers to provide 6 airbags in the base model too. I am not so sure about ABS as I am not sure of how that would behave on snow covered roads.

Driving speed - I rarely drive consistently in triple digits. For me, the thrill is in going from 0 to a given speed (say 100 or on 1st 2 gears) flat out hitting the rev limiter and then settling down at somewhere between 80-90kmph (on 4 lane highways).

Blinkers on OVRMs - Hate them.

Bull bars - Hate them.

Manual over Auto - Any day - even if it's a truck.

- Want tachometer.
- Miss the temperature gauge.

[hrman]

Spot on with the Conventional v/s futuristic design preference GTO. I love the European designs (think VW, Skoda) v/s the Koreans or Japanese any day.
My unconventional list includes:
1. I prefer side indicators to remain on the body of the car and not the mirror.
2. I love super smooth and easy steering wheels (swift, corolla) v/s Hydraulic steering (Ford/Santro).
3. Love space for luggage, although I use it at most on 5% of occasions.
4. I would like all cars to come equipped with at least ABS and Airbags.

[Octane_Power]

Originally Posted by GTO

Parking Sensors: Never used them, not even in the long wheelbase 7 Series. I prefer parking cars the old school way.

+1 GTO.
I've never relied on parking sensors for parking even in tight spots.
Be it a small car, a sedan or an SUV..

I just don't feel in complete command of the car and have confidence until I have my left hand behind the front passenger seat(or it's headrest) with my torso twisted and me facing the rear window.

Automatic Wipers/Headlights/And what not: I feel these all are just gimmicks to add numbers to the "creature comforts" or the features list.
Come on, the driver isn't blind or numb that he can not sense that it has started raining or it is dark now and he needs to switch on the headlights!

Excessively Light Steering Wheel: While this is good in the city traffic, it just does not inspire confidence at highway speeds or while cornering.(Yes Hyundai, its for you!)
There should be a perfect balance! A little heavy infact is good for me!

Soft Suspension Setup: People like how the car gobbles up the bumps and potholes at low or moderate speeds but I just hate it when the same soft suspension gives an unsettled and a bumpy ride at high speeds.
I like my car to have a taught suspension, the ride may be stiff and uncomfortable for others but I can compromise on the ride quality if I have a needle-precision handling! (Ok, Hyundai it is you again!)

-Bhargav

[vb-saan]

Good thread, and I am pretty aligned to the points you mentioned. Some interpretations from my side.

Clean, proportionate designs: For me the best looking mid-size sedan in the market currently is the VW Jetta, and the most elegant hatchback is the Polo. The Punto is one exception, but Italians always bring in something special when it comes to design

SUVs/Sedans: Prefer a low slung, sure-footed sedan than a big SUV. And I don’t really mind slowing down on an imperfect road.

Dealer experience: Some say you deal with the dealer sales folks only when you purchase the car, but for me they are the brand’s face to the customer. I don’t demand that they should know everything, but atleast they should be genuine. And in this aspect, I don’t go by public feedback, but more by my own experience. For e.g.; Skoda dealerships maybe panned across the country, but I had the best dealer experience from them in my city.

MT v/s AT: Even though I am a fan of MT, I really liked the new-age dual-clutch options (DSG/DCT). Probably will lean more to that option (for my next buy) considering our chaotic city traffic.

Leather seats: Some say its better suited for our climate conditions, but I dislike fabric seats, and prefer leather seats (even high quality leatherettes will do).

Beige interiors: Beige maybe considered as a premium in India, but I would prefer something dark. Unfortunately most manufacturers does not even provide an option to the customer.

Clean steering wheel: Not a fan of the new-age cluttered steering wheel. For e.g.; the biggest attraction in the Laura TSI was its small and chunky steering wheel devoid of any buttons.

Safety: Some in my family says I give too much importance to this. It annoys me when some manufacturers save cost by compromising on safety. Infact I have put 5-star safety and ESP as compulsory parameters for my next car purchase.

Originally Posted by GTO

Thin Tyres: While I love my cars to have fat, grippy tyres, sometimes, I actually enjoy a slippery automobile with thin OEM rubbish. Ghat drives in the Alto K10 & ol' Honda City Vtec come to mind. A li'l bit of sliding can be fun when you're in the mood.

Interesting! This reminded me of Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Toyota GT86. This is what he was doing while reviewing the car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GZ9eJDJEtM

[ac 427]

An original : A would prefer a honest car. A car which was designed to be that. Example, I would prefer a Brio over a amaze, a Swift over a Dzire. No makeshiifts for me.

A complete engine: I think i would be cheated if i get a 3 cyl, would stick to the 4 cyls.

Legacy: Legacy is important to me, I loved the fabia because of its great WRC legacy.

Hate SPORTY stickers / marketing gimmicks: I abhor the VW marketing team, when the came up with the VW POLO Sports SR. What was the sports angle ? they gave sporty decals, and a rear spoiler.

[deepfusion]

I would like to have in my car:

1. A rigid suspension,
2. Low ground clearance,
3. Lumbar support in seats,
4. Reach adjustable steering wheel, and
5. Flat boxy design, like the last gen. Octavia, or the Ford Fusion, or the Fiesta S.

besides a very nice sounding music system.

[Mnjdnght]

I subscribe to quite a few of the ones already on the thread. However a couple from my quirk list:
ICE - Since a lot of time is spent inside the car these days, I am very picky with this.
Electric seat adjust controls on driver side - Don't like making funny gestures in trying to adjust the seat manually to my preferred driving position.

[abirnale]

Touchscreen infotainment
Being fan of touch screen devices, my first preference is to have factory fitted touch screen system for info-tainment or availability of options to fit after market touch screens that doesn't look second class or cheap after market.

Auto + Internal to car amenities
Anything that is automatic and internal to the car - not outside, is plus. Feeling is - outside aesthetics is for others while inside of the car is for me

Petrolhead, I am
And by the way - Petrol only. That very smell of Diesel creates different feeling. I am yet to get used to it.

[Marauder]

Originally Posted by sukhoi30

I have a very very "unconventional" preference ...

I don't like the present day design of all cars having two separate seats in the front. I would rather prefer a sofa like seat in the front like an ambassador or fiat (premier padmini) of the past.

Me too,I would also like to have a front sofa instead of the bucket seats.Also,I like it without the headrests(although I think its a safety issue).
Other unconventional preferences I have are:

Hydraulic Power Steering- I don't like the new EPSs that are a norm now.I would rather prefer a non-power assisted steering than those.

Naturally-Aspirated Engines- Again a dying breed nowadays,force-fed induction can't really match the joy of high-revving engines.

Fiddle-able Engines-For lack of a better word(don't think that is a word) but I like to fiddle with the engine components a bit.You can't really do much with the new engines or it will go bust.You still can mess with the ECU but there's only so much you can do.

Interiors- Couple of preferences here,Firstly,I don't like beige,brown etc interiors we see nowadays instead would like black or dark blue,red sort of combination(lot of people have also spoke about it).Secondly,don't like the wood garnish(especially fake ones) instead something like a gun-metal or aluminium finish or maybe nothing at all

Manual controls- Headlights,Wiper,Seat and Steering adjustment.Again,other people have also talked about it but I believe Electric ORVMs are a boon

Flowing Designs- Not to be misunderstood with swoopy,cuts at every corner design of the Hyundais but the neat flowing lines of something like the Bugatti 57 Atlantic or the E-type.Don't like straight lines of the OHC or Vento either.

Another thing I hate is fitting or having an extra seat which is an inhospitable place to be in a car i.e Quanto,Duster(with jump seats) and many other 3 row vehicles where the last row is really uncomfortable.The main problem is people considering it an advantage or a good practical feature when you really can't use that seat most of the time and actually takes up space when you want to load cargo.

[pgsagar]

Excellent thread GTO. Well, how unconventional can you get? I dream of Tata Xenon. To hell with spartan dash-board and extra length. Not that I can't afford it. But my parents and in-laws think something is wrong with me for preferring a truck over a car. I wish I could convince them. Some day, may be some day....

Saw a black one 3 days ago with fat tyres and roof-top lights and bull-bar. Heck, this thing trounces every car on Indian roads in looks department, from Nano to Rolls.

[Tats07]

Absolutely with you on the following -

Originally Posted by GTO

Clean, proportionate designs
Excessive rear legroom
SUVs
Service Quality
Petrol engines
Fuel economy
Engine Sound
Safety:

I personally prefer CD, Climate Control and Rear Sensors, but those are not deal breakers for me. The rest, I haven't perceived those enough to comment.

[Muts]

Nice thread. I agree with most of what you have listed, especially the older styling, low slung cars that are not big sized. I think that is why I still feel the Ikon is the most fun I have had driving a car in India. It is also the reason I cannot be convinced to buy the Eco Sport.

I do however prefer a quiet engine - I'd rather feel the acceleration than hear it. Like the styling, I'd like my engine to be understated and to sport a cocky smile as it speeds up rather than a toothy grin.

Same goes with FE - yes I'd prefer a car with lesser FE that is fun to drive than one that has great FE but is a bore. As a customer however, I'd like to insist on getting great FEs out of my cars while keeping the fun in.

[vinaydas]

I'm strangely attracted to cars that are not preferred by the masses.
Ala Palio, Forrester (AMBY???)