[sridhar24]

Its got to be the Qualis. And generally other japnese cars including Maruti Szukis.

[ashwin_seattle]

Without a doubt....its got to be good old Amby!!!
Havent you seen this car continuing with the same shape, material and value for decades....based on the old morris oxford...its a shame that this car is still going on and that too strong...with all the govt support it garners...

Though I must admit that the back seat comfort is one of the best in India...for 2 people..

[tabrez02]

I would say cheap and best M800

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

life is not just in kms travelled, but it also has to be proportionate to the time.we still have to wait and see if the qualis will be around after another 10 years.

By the above statement, then it is the ambassador because
1) No other shell can last for 2/3 engine changes.(Rudra sir has changed 4/5 i suppose)
2) All mechanical parts
3) No fear of getting out of service area.
4) you can learn something while you maintain your ambassador.
5) a family sentiment

If after 10 years a poll is taken, there are bright chances that the amby will be there.you cant say for qualis.

[ashwin_seattle]

rightly said man. take a close look at today's amby, and compare it with say amby mark 4 of 70's
so what did you expect? the only changes are : new instrument panel, looks like stolen from some cheap car, steereing and a few nick nacks here and there, but surely defintely all out of place.
shame that the inside door panels have the same rexin-over-cardboard panels, power windows - hey cmon it still got those old rotating levers, headlights and taillights, well the less said the better. they have redesigned the same puny small tail light so many no of times. It has changed color from yellow to orange to red and what not
wait for 1-2 years and the new amby starts getting rusted on the body
i can go on and on...
but the reality is that amby is still going strong, and HM needs a kick in the a** for serving the same stale dish for the last 60 years or so.
man!
I can bet that this is the OLDEST CAR BODY SHELL STILL CONTINUED, of all cars in the world.
any polls for this?

[Monster_BHP]

Maruti cars have the drive shaft and suspension problem that creak up every 40,000km!! I cant argue with the engine though.

I think the only car that would still take a hell of a lot of abuse is the old faith full Ambi, we have a ambi back at my home town thats almost 50yrs old now and still seems to be running well every day that to on bad roads. Cant beat that, give credit where its due.

The closest to that would be the Maruti Esteem, its a good work horse and so is the Santro.

[balaji_n29]

Had to be the good old Ambi...
Of the most recent cars, I think the Qualis will come in first....
Voted these 2 'cause they survive constant abuse from the cab drivers.. I don't think a car like 800 or an alto can survive abuse from cabbies...

[ac 427]

the maruti 800. period

[RedMM340]

Almost all of my driving experience in India has been with Jeeps. While Jeeps are incredibly tough and can handle the horrific roads in this country, they are really lacking in the comfort department. Ideally a car with a very durable and tough suspension combined with decent ergonomics and AC would work well.

I have recently purchased a Fiat Palio, and have had 3 bent alloy rims, 2 flats, 2 bent rear dead axles, 2 front suspension arms worn out. I am starting to think that the Palio just cannot take the abuse of Indian roads.

So what is the toughest & most durable car in India?

Key areas that this car should be proficient is:

Strong suspension to take serious abuse. And be economical to repair if damaged.

Excellent AC to beat the heat

Good ergonomics and reliability.

Reasonable economics to purchase and operate.

Dont really care whether it is a sedan, hatchback, etc., but let us leave out SUVs/Jeeps from this comparison, and keep the comments to cars. Also, the cost of the car should be approximately less than 10 lacs, so that it would be a normal mainstream car affordable to a large customer base.

Thanks,

[greenhorn]

an ambassador/indica ? all those cabbies cant be wrong

[tsk1979]

Indica/go. Indigo does duty at farm doubling up as produce hauling vehicle also.
All parts related to suspension are very cheap to replace.
Only weak point is position of power steering hose, which can get hit if you fly off a big speedbreaker.

If you include MUVs then scorpio/safari/sumo

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by RedMM340

I have recently purchased a Fiat Palio, and have had 3 bent alloy rims, 2 flats, 2 bent rear dead axles, 2 front suspension arms worn out. I am starting to think that the Palio just cannot take the abuse of Indian roads.

Bent alloys? 2 axles bent? You took it off road? Or some racing rally on village roads?

Given the kind of abuse (sorry, it requires some serious abuse to get one alloy bent. You have two) you should consider something from Tatas. Anything else will have inadequate GC, poor suspension or start rattling pretty fast.

[Jr Godzilla]

Originally Posted by RedMM340

Strong suspension to take serious abuse. And be economical to repair if damaged.

Excellent AC to beat the heat

Good ergonomics and reliability.

Reasonable economics to purchase and operate.

INDICA not just because the cabbies are using them but seen the actual simulation test at Tata Pune where the Indica was subject to some extreme testing for suspension and noted that the suspension was stronger than the rims. The rims gave way in sense they got bent with the simulation G-forces.

ac cant say but should be good for a hatch

reliability should be the best as very rarely seen indica on the road with a breakdown.

no need for economics and maintenance costs if you are going for diesel

[Aditya]

Mahindra Bolero.
Space for people and goods, good reliability, cheap spares, decent offroad ability. Its ride quality and performance aren't great, but, we aren't looking at that. Talked to quite a few Bolero owners over the years and no one seems to be unsatisfied. This is one vehicle that can take a lot of abuse.
The Qualis was another such vehicle, but, its no longer in production and parts were more expensive than the Bolero.

Among cars, Ambassador, Indica as someone mentioned. Pretty low on maintenace, good AC, but, poor driver comfort.

[RedMM340]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Bent alloys? 2 axles bent? You took it off road? Or some racing rally on village roads?

Given the kind of abuse (sorry, it requires some serious abuse to get one alloy bent. You have two) you should consider something from Tatas. Anything else will have inadequate GC, poor suspension or start rattling pretty fast.

All damage was on-road, and on national highway 1A. Giant potholes are scattered everywhere, and you just cannot avoid hitting them. Was not racing at the time. Honestly.

Ironically, one of the reasons that I did buy a Palio, was that it is supposed to have a very rugged suspension. This may be true, but the cost of repair is VERY high since the rear dead axle cannot be repaired, and has to be replaced. The same is true for the front suspension arms. If the ball joint wears out, the entire arm has to be replaced.