[pabheda]

if u r talking about most talked about car in htis site it has to be sx4 and swift
every 10 min u will find new message for it
honda people wake up

[GTO]

The Fiesta is close no doubt, but somehow it just hasnt cut it with the masses. The thing with the OHC + Baleno was that they were fast out of the box. They were easy on the pocket too with great reliability + decent FE. PLus the after-market support for either of them is very strong.

[spadival]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

i am pretty certain that you have not driven a verna CRDI around a corner at 80kph. If you did, you would never make this statement!

OT: Yeah.. True.. especially when you are lying on a hospital bed with ur jaws stitched together with stainless steel wires

[BUSA]

Too bad it's going to be phased out soon, but its a real good performance sedan this side of 1.3 lt category. Your comments guy's?

Already discontinued.

going by the lancers standard,it would be good.

New Lancer 1.5L 110bhp coming soon.

especially when you are lying on a hospital bed with ur jaws stitched together with stainless steel wires

Why not MS, its cheaper then SS

IMHO, the closest replacement in spirit to the Baleno/OHC is the Daewoo (sorry Chevrolet badged) Optra.

It needs more omph from the engine, the diesel seems to be front heavy.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by ram

I think as inflation drives prices up, we will find smaller, weaker and lower segment cars at the same prices as the old values.

The case of a cheap imported disposable plastic ball pen being sold for more than a domestic metal fountain pen. While the good imported plastic-bodied fountain pen -- Mont-Blanc, comes in at an incredible new high price.

I first encountered an example of this pricing paradox when a showroom Mahindra MM-540-DP 4x4 with a 2112 cc Peugeot diesel was cheaper than the Maruti MG410 Gypsy with its 993 cc petrol engine. Indian Auto went so far as to actually compare the two vehicles head to head.

Isn't it entirely believable that some family replaced their 1956 Plymouth Savoy with a Standard 2000. Then the Standard 2000 with a Contessa. Then the Contessa with a Baleno. All the time being talked into less value for higher price.

With the departure of the Baleno, a Fiesta-Ikon comes to roost at that price. And then is replaced by a diesel Swift sedan at a higher price. People go ga-ga comparing the Swift to a BMW-built Mini. Finally the Volkswagen successor of the Suzuki Alto (VW Polo or some **** like that) displaces the Mini at a much higher price.

Somewhere down the inflation line, people forget the Plymouth Savoy to VW Polo journey into ruin.

All the while under the influence of car mags/gurus/websites, with their eyes wide shut, spin-doctoring the latest computerized 4-wheel-rickshaws as being so much better than the safe highway cruisers they replaced.

And your point is?
I fail to see how you can call a Baleno less VFM than a Contessa. It handles better, is more powerful, more fuel efficient, better put together, better designed, probably safer too. I really doubt a 70s vintage Vauxhall Victor chassis has crumple zones or anti-intrusion beams. And the Baleno has decent build quality, something that I cannot really say for the Contessa.

At the risk of sounding rude, I urge you not to look at every single debate through the glasses of cynicism. This is a very good-ol-days they-don't-build-em-like-they-used-to attitude. Quality speaks for itself when a 20 year old M800 runs around today while a 20 year old Contessa would be hard pressed to. You are the proud owner of an 800 and a Baleno. Why not a Conti, or a Plymouth?

Originally Posted by BUSA

New Lancer 1.5L 110bhp coming soon.

What, when?! You mean the new shape?!

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Please drive one & don't go by opinions of people in mags or in this forum.

Erm, John, how hard have you pushed the SX4? I really tortured the blessed thing, and I was mighty impressed. I think it handles remarkably well, more so given its height. If you slam it down 50 mm, it will be mindblowing. Of course, I'm not too much of an authority on this.

[esteem_lover]

Any driver should fit snug into the driver's seat if he is going to really enjoy driving a fast & good handling car, IMHO. SX4 scores low on that alone.

[BUSA]

What, when?! You mean the new shape?!

Yup, the new shape