[DieselFan]

There was a review of all three cars in overdrive this week. very interesting. Swift was voted the best car for the FUN factor. It is also much more quiter than the other two.

[Palio_2005]

Originally Posted by DieselFan

There was a review of all three cars in overdrive this week. very interesting. Swift was voted the best car for the FUN factor. It is also much more quiter than the other two.

I pity such reviewers who vote cars on basis of FUN to drive more than an objective rating.Just because a car is FUN to drive doesn't make it the best car to own.

I frankly think some of the reviews written on TBHP to be much more objective and unbiased than some of the juvenile reporting in the car mags.

In the review the top speed given for Palio SDX is 155kmph and they mentioned that Palio comes last among the other two.

In the mileage also they have given overall mileage is 18.49 which is very low(14 in city and 22 in highway)

When it comes to the last pages, the car buyer's guide welcomes me they mention Palio SDX top speed is 170kmph and mileage is city 16 and highway 26.

So much for responsible reporting.

Unfortunately these mags are read by the common public who are mechanically challenged and get influenced.

[speedzak]

Fun to drive is also a major factor why people buy cars. If fun factor is simply taken out of cars, then many won't even think of driving for rest of their lives.
So, nothing wrong in adding that to overall votes.
My opinion!

[Palio_2005]

Originally Posted by speedzak

Fun to drive is also a major factor why people buy cars. If fun factor is simply taken out of cars, then many won't even think of driving for rest of their lives.
So, nothing wrong in adding that to overall votes.
My opinion!

I agree. But only rating a car the best just because of the FUN factor is what I am objecting to.

[typeOnegative]

Originally Posted by speedzak

Fun to drive is also a major factor why people buy cars. If fun factor is simply taken out of cars, then many won't even think of driving for rest of their lives.
So, nothing wrong in adding that to overall votes.
My opinion!

Except when 'Fun to Drive' covers a Fiat. LOL and *ducks for cover*

BTW, I voted Palio because I like its looks better. The others to me are not too good in that department. Though overall I think people will be safest with a Swift.

[srh]

Originally Posted by architect

I only meant 3 things by my Indica taxi story:

a. It is absolutely true and a realistic, everyday situation in Delhi - NCR, (esp Gurgaon) for your privately owned Indica to be mistaken for a taxi. Despite this, Delhi still has more privately-used Indicas than in any other city in India.

It may be surprising for anybody down south, (esp after being pampered with Logans for taxis in Hyderabad!!), but that doesn't make my story false in any way. Any NCR-based T-bhpian will certify my story 20 times over.

b. The Indica being associated with a "taxi" image does not mean it is a bad car in anyway. That's why I mentioned the Corollas, Camrys, Mondeos. It proves it is VFM, reliable (?), rugged and doesn't cost a bomb to buy and maintain.

c. If the Vista is a good car, go ahead and buy it without worrying about Taxi image. Use that Central Locking while asking for directions in Gurgaon.

Why buy a white one in that case? Many other colours are available.

[aseem]

^^ Color is not the issue dude, its the image as rightly pointed out before. Stop a Indica no matter what color to ask for directions in Gurgaon (IFCO Chowk IT Hub) and watch 10 people run to your window thinking you are a taxi guy who will give them a sawari (lift)

[subbusos]

Originally Posted by aseem

^^ Color is not the issue dude, its the image as rightly pointed out before. Stop a Indica no matter what color to ask for directions in Gurgaon (IFCO Chowk IT Hub) and watch 10 people run to your window thinking you are a taxi guy who will give them a sawari (lift)

Whats harm if some people think that my car is a Taxi? I am buying a car which is practically useful for me in my day to day life and which gives more for my money.

I would any day choose vista for the following reasons:
1. VFM
2. Space
3. Practicality

And will not choose my car based on what other people think. Why one should choose a car based on the other people's views/comments/assumptions. One should buy a car or whatever for their purpose/requirement. Hope I make sense. I just dont bother what other people think about my car. My car is for my OWN USE only, even for commenting...

Thanks & Regards
Subbu

[harry10]

@ Aseem - Thats one of the biggest misconceptions on this forum and in general.
First of all i dont own an Indica, But i got Few Indica's in family and with friends so i do carry myself as a passanger in them and in the last 7-8 years or more (since Gen 1 Indica was launched i had the pleasure of sitting in all of them) this had never happened to me or my friends.
( Colors of Indica i had driven and sat in- White, Silver and Red)
And yes i had stopped at Ifco chowk, Ashram chowk, Noida mod, Old faridabad chowk (all the very busiest ones i had covered).
yes this may happen but would be rare and as Vista is not available in white so the probability factor of this happening is very low!

[rajchetan]

my vote go for the vista.

i had a td on Saturday at prerna motors and was amazed with the entire package, even though the quality on plastics and panel was just good not excellent, but the over all package stands out.

[speedzak]

Regarding the taxi image, I have to go thru a correction here.
I had been travelling thru out Kerala for the last whole week. I've noticed that people are now asking for lifts in many towns here. I don't know if I didn't notice this earlier or if the mindset of people have changed in 2 months here, but I see lots of people now waving with their thumbs up for a lift. Even my wife was complaining yesterday about this.
I was driving my Qualis as usual. But the same thing was happening in my cousin's Spark and other cars on the road. So, it wasn't just my car alone.
This scenario reminded me of my childhood/teenage days in SouthAfrica. It's very common to see people even on highways asking a hike. The best part is even cars like Mercs, Audi, Beemers etc.. will stop and give a lift. I had made lots of friends this way and some became so close that once, I spent a whole holiday with one family whom I had met on the road.
Coming to the point; in India, this is yet to catch up. People feel bad about asking for lift on roads and so do car owners feel it very bad and insecure to give lifts. Yes, many incidents would've made people think this way, I agree. If I find somebody on the road looking for a bus/rickshaw/taxi and I'm alone/have an empty rear seat, I do stop if they wave. Especially if I see families (Beautiful, lonely females never ask for lifts here :().
Reminds me of a Bandh day incident.
I had gone to the airport on a Bandh day to drop one of my relatives. While returning, I saw a family including 2 kids standing near the exit looking for some public transport to pass by. They were very shy (typical attitude mostly) to put their hands out to a private vehicle. I stopped near them and asked if they're waiting for a taxi or some relative. They replied they're waiting for a bus. I was sure there was a very rare chance of getting a bus that day and offered them to drop till Cochin city bus station. They were very happy and wiping their sweat, they jumped in. Children were smiling and speaking to each other about the chilling AC etc.. It was just a half an hour ride and while they were getting down, the man humbly asked me how much? When I refused, he took a 20rupees note and forced it on me. I accepted it and handed over to one of their kids and told them to buy chocolates.

Why am I typing all this? lol!!!
Guys! Our country is filled with many similar families and kids. One lifetime may pass thru but they won't get a chance to sit in a car. So, there's nothing to feel bad about if your's or my car looks like a taxi. I would be happy instead of being sad. Let people ask you for a ride. And if you're happy and feel secure to offer them a lift, do so!
Don't judge a car to be a bad imaged one due to the taxi factor in our minds. Ain't it time to dispose it off from our heads?

It won't be long before many elite imaged cars turn into taxis here. Thanks to the IT and other developments in our country, we've started to see Corolla, City, Fiesta etc.. growing up to become taxi cabs.

[Amartya]

Absolutely delightful. This made for a wonderful read.

Originally Posted by speedzak

Regarding the taxi image, I have to go thru a correction here.
Guys! Our country is filled with many similar families and kids. One lifetime may pass thru but they won't get a chance to sit in a car. So, there's nothing to feel bad about if your's or my car looks like a taxi. I would be happy instead of being sad. Let people ask you for a ride. And if you're happy and feel secure to offer them a lift, do so!
Don't judge a car to be a bad imaged one due to the taxi factor in our minds. Ain't it time to dispose it off from our heads?

After seeing more than a couple of Indica Vistas on road as well as test driving the Quadrajet Aura version I have a few general observations.

a. Visually the car might not be stunning, but it's seriously large and very well proportioned ( though I think the high waistline might cause this design to look a little slab sided). Again, the design being a personal choice, I think it's meant to offend none and please some. In my opinion, the basic design of the previous generation Indica was fabulous and this "evolution" is very nice.
b. The tail-lamps (christmas tree) clusters might be out of fashion internationally but look at the way they have split it in two, and reduced the replacement cost in the event of an accident. I agree it looks Indigo Marina-ish, and might be the only part of the design that probably should have been changed.
c. Some poor quality plastics and rubber remains, but we have to understand that at this price-point, there is only so much one can do. By the way, did someone check the lock for the dicky from the inside (ie with the hatch up?), it had very poor finish and in the example I test drove, the edges were so sharp that there was actually a risk of getting one's hand cut. However, we all agree on the fact that quality levels have been seriously upgraded, that along with the interiors being more spacious than the Logan (quoting Autocar India, Sept Edition), add to that a spunky engine, superb VFM and it seems that the Vista is a compelling buy.
.

That's when speedzak's comment about the taxi image not making our decision biased really hits home. The question we need to ask is now, why "not" the vista? Is it just the taxi image?

[nkrishnap]

Thats one fantastic gesture Speedzak. Nicely naratted as well.

Its high time we remove the taxi thing from our heads. A car to be a taxi, it has to reliable, fuel efficient, and it should not you a bomb in case of repair. If a car is meeting this criteria, why not use it for personal use.

[k_ajay]

Well said, Speedzak.

I don't understand why some individuals here make such a fuss about cars being perceived as something else.

Obviously, there are a few 'image conscious' folks who think it would be embarrassing for them to be seen driving a car that is also used for public transportation. And then there are these other folks who just join the bandwagon, undecided of their own feelings towards the branded car [fear (or whatever) of acknowledging a car branded a taxi].

As Subbu mentioned below, a car should be bought only for what it is, what you would get out of it and make of it. Don't be silly in avoiding cars that are blindly labelled by people who probably may not even have used the car once. Whatever you choose, be your best judge.

Lastly, one needs to respect the money earned and spend that hard earned money wisely. This poll, until now, has proven that in the end, Value for Money triumphs.

[pawan_pullarwar]

I test drove Vista Quadrajet. It dominate Fiat's own palio's for less noise and good gear shifting.