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Old 20th May 2007, 09:49   #121
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PHEW !! those were quite a lot of discussions bashing both honda and sx4. this thread is definitely interesting.

I m not sure why the honda is getting into so much scrutiny. well even if honda does launch ABS/EBD/Airbags, they will still not be pricing things at 8 lacs OTR. so sx4 will still be VFM. the power is definitely more than the 77bhp city, with 5 people with a/c running in city driving conditions, i found the sx4 quite zippy and it gives the expected pull without disappointing you. i also drove a gxi 77bhp city with 3 people and ac and i dont find the same response.

time and again the a/c has been debated about on the sx4, i checked it twice to be sure and the a/c does not disappoint in bangalore weather (summer).

after three cars now, i WILL go for a car that offers me ABS/Airbags rather than not, the driving on highways only getting scarier by the day and the accidents are too bad. i dont feel like paying around 8.5+ for a honda without these features!

so while i do appreciate the finer details of a honda, the pricing at which those finer details come in (like wooden paneling, etc) dont still prompt me to ignore safety basics which sx4 offers. ICE is a totally individual choice, in my opinion no car maker should give it at all. its upto us to install what we want frankly!

its best to wait for atleast 6 months/10k kms of ownership experience to decide whether the sx4 stands out as a good car (irrespective of whether its compared to honda or not - sales charts are a different thing to look out for!!)

personally if it comes to the point i decide to trade in my sx4 i would then have two probable choices - the linea or the vtec with abs/airbags hopefully by then.
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Old 20th May 2007, 10:23   #122
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeekSrik View Post
so while i do appreciate the finer details of a honda, the pricing at which those finer details come in (like wooden paneling, etc) dont still prompt me to ignore safety basics which sx4 offers.
Some of us actually hate those fake wooden panelings!

Aam Junta have unfortunately equated beige and fake wooden trims with luxury.

Gimme titanium/carbon fiber anyday!
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Old 20th May 2007, 10:43   #123
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Originally Posted by msprabhakar View Post
With introduction of SX4, it's sad to see Maruti falling for popular specs over functional to boost its sale. Perhaps it has realised that there are too many Indians with money (but without grey cells) looking at just features, not benefits. For the rest, at least, it could have spared euthanising Baleno (sigh)...
Well.. the "benefits" of features like ABS and airbags that Maruti offers is that it reduces the chances of having all your "grey cells" splattered on the steering wheel and the dashboard, in case of an accident.
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Old 20th May 2007, 11:08   #124
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was watching the cnbc auto show where hormazd was answering a query on sx4 vx honda city, his views are simple

- refinement and rear seat, & FE honda is better
- safety and features for the given money, sx4 is great

his heart lies with honda, but he advises the customer to go with sx4 (that particular customer who sent an email that is)

also they showed a small snippet of the sunlight copper sx4 somewhere in rajasthan i think, it was simply awesome a colour!
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Old 20th May 2007, 11:35   #125
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I have experimented

Quote:
No use throwing away Rs. 4000, spark plugs are totally useless on a not so highly modified engine. Who told you about the above?
Yes they are not usefull on a highly modified enigne. But then they do mark a difference. I was lucky enough to obtain 4 electrode spark plug for our Baleno and there is an increase in fuel effeciency and performance.
Yes that increase is not great but it did make a difference.
Figures with standard sparkplugs:
Highway fuel effeciency on Vadodara-Ahemdabad Expressway:16-17kmpl.

Figures with 4 electrode spark plugs:
Highway fuel effeciency on Vadodara-Ahemdabad Expressway:18-19kmpl.

Now we have never measured timing of 0-100 as we are not really inclined towards this figure, but then the engine is more responsive.

In Vadodara I went to Mico-Bosch authorized shop, but they were not even aware of any such thing . Strange because Bosch is the one who pioneered this type of plugs(not sure but read in ad), or atleast it is one of the leading manufacturer of these type of spark plugs.

So on a trip to A'bad(Ahemdabad), I bought these plugs .

I think that in SX4, they wont make a significant difference but still make a difference of samller magnitude .
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Old 20th May 2007, 12:57   #126
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Originally Posted by BUSA View Post
Looking at your requirements my suggestion would be : -
  1. Octavia Rider ~ 11 Lacs but a good discount will get it around 10L or so since petrols are high on discount, just call the Skoda dealer and try and see what he says. Butttt sitting in the rear will be a tight squeeze.
  2. The Fiesta is a excellent car and except the rear leg room it has no flaws, is VFM and the handling & braking is excellent.
  3. Verna CRDi VGT - A hoot to drive, ecnomical to run and you would love the sound of that turbo and the torque. The SX Version with ABS and 4 wheel discs = ~9lacs
OT:
@ Busa thanks for taking a minute to review my requirements.

I havent riden in an Octi, but rear seat of Laura was NIGHTMARE for me with a 6 foot guy in front. I wanted to so get out of the cacr.

Fiesta, mmmm somehow it just doesnt give you the feel of a 9 lakh rupee car.

Verna CRDI that I drove was very jerky to drive and brakes were scary. I might drive it again.... but again I dont like its looks and doest give you the 9 lakh car feel.

after driving all the cars in the past month.... nothing but friggin dissapointed.

I had so wished that SX4 was answer to my prayers, but it might be a good upgrade from Swift, but not something that I can go fida over.
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Old 20th May 2007, 13:15   #127
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@ Aseem - I know how it feels and its really difficult choosing with that budget. If i were in your postion i would pick up the SX4, followed by the Verna VGT, Cedia Select and then the Fiesta TDCi.

The Honda City has hopeless braking and not worth a buy. Civic would be 3 lacs dearer to your budget.

Laura is crapmped so you cant expect anything from Octy can you?

What about a SRV, it looks good but engine and gearbox are a let down again.

Quote:
Looks are not the SX'4s strong point
According to NDTV, looks are the strong points of this car, LOL.

Quote:
his heart lies with honda, but he advises the customer to go with sx4 (that particular customer who sent an email that is)
Only stupid people will ask ACI for advice, frankly speaking there are people who would never like to buy a SX4 and then there are people who would never want to buy a NHC, so its all about personal preference and choice.

Quote:
Well.. the "benefits" of features like ABS and airbags that Maruti offers is that it reduces the chances of having all your "grey cells" splattered on the steering wheel and the dashboard, in case of an accident.
Excellently put there Spadival

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Gimme titanium/carbon fiber anyday
Buddy your buying a C segment car not a Sports car, though GM offers fake Carbon fibre looks on the door on the UVA.

Quote:
What that car needs is better rubber IMO
So Mclaren if you buy the car we can look forward to seeing 16,17 & 18inchers stored in your room and toilet
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Old 20th May 2007, 13:25   #128
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busa

thats not right that stupid people ask for advice, that way anyone posting in the what car section must be stupid according to you well jokes apart, when someone buys a car its always nice to factor in about how others feel about it, maybe you never know there may be a valid point or two which you might be missing out if you dont talk to others. for me ACI is just yet another friend-like to talk to on the car purchase.

that aside the people on this forum are very good at suggestions, so long as you say your budget and your preferences (which is a reasonable ask!) hormazd only said hondas refinement levels are good and so is the back seat, other than which sx4 is as good too.
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Old 20th May 2007, 13:27   #129
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Rahul your post was very much in line with my thoughts,the other thing is the rear seating issue has been blown out of proportion a bit.Five average adults can very much sit in the sx4,only thing is things could have been a lot better had suzuki gone about it intelligently.

Last edited by rahul_intlad : 20th May 2007 at 13:28.
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Old 20th May 2007, 16:14   #130
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Honda is known for its investment in innovation and reliability. I myself have been enjoying a NHC 1.5 Exi for the last 2 years and couldn't be more happy. But I agree with Jaggu's view. When I brought a Honda, they were offering no freebies. While other showrooms were queuing up accesories or atleast were approachable to the idea. Whereas honda people had no concept of freebies. Probably the car mats. Now however, I see things changing. That was really bad and I think, even today, Honda showrooms have a ring on top of their head. Even if SX4 make a 10% dent into the honda market, it would be very good for the consumers.
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Old 20th May 2007, 17:12   #131
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Quote:
thats not right that stupid people ask for advice, that way anyone posting in the what car section must be stupid according to you
Geek - When some one asks for advice in what car section, there are several different advices, wheras Hormazd is always biased towards Honda and Ford so he always recomends what he likes. Dont take me in the wrong sense i too post in the What Car section
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Old 20th May 2007, 17:23   #132
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Aseem, I suggest you look at the Hyundai Elantra Crdi once.
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Old 21st May 2007, 10:27   #133
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Saw the SX4 for the first time yesterday and was totally disappointed. The car doesn't look impressive at all on the road despite it's SUVish ground clearence and tall boy design hints. Okay the car was a Vxi but I think the design is not balanced at all. It's clear from it's looks that it's a hatcback converted into a sedan. Overall, it's not a car that would make you want to give it a second look. Of course, the NHC is also a car that doesn't command you to give it a second look so I guess thats one parameter where both the cars are on even terms. IMO, the Fiesta and Verna look better then both SX4 and NHC.

Saw a shiny black Verna a few days back with black tints and nice alloys. Now that car was looking smashing!
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Old 21st May 2007, 10:36   #134
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A verna looks better than SX4. You cant compare City with SX4 also. Need to wait and see how it sells. Feature wise its VFM. Would like to see some comparisons with Baleno on the dimensions.
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Old 21st May 2007, 10:49   #135
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amit View Post
The car doesn't look impressive at all on the road despite it's SUVish ground clearence and tall boy design hints. Okay the car was a Vxi but I think the design is not balanced at all. It's clear from it's looks that it's a hatcback converted into a sedan.
Somehow, that was my conclusion as well. Saw an SX4 ZXi in action on the EEH. It was black and going fast - driver driving a car to the showroom or taking it for a spin. The car looked a bit unbalanced. Maybe it was the colour. Still have to sit in though, because as Geek rightly points out, it is how it feels from the inside that matters.
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