[prasadee]

My father still drives a M800, without AC and Power Steering, and I wanted to surprise my parents on their anniversary. I wanted to get them a new car with AC, power steering, good build, & ride quality.

My father is a retired mechanical engineer, and he does not appreciate power windows, and locks. When he was in the US he claimed the people here were too lazy to close the windows :-) He is 60+, drives slowly in the city, and does not appreciate more horses. He will definitely look at the mileage, so mileage has to be comparable to M800. He may appreciate more space. Although I do not think our garage will not fit in a big sedan, and he won't know how to drive a bigger car.

I looked up Maruti's webpage, I like the Wagon R LXI. I think it has all I am looking for It should be available around Rs4lakhs.(correct me if I am wrong). How does it compare to Zen LXI and Santro?

Also do these new cars have Stereo and speakers standard? It was not the case 8 years back when I bought the M800. So, what is the best choice available in the Indian market for my father? Comments and inputs much appreciated.
-Prasadee

[X-Machine]

Hey Prasadee,
As you main criteria is FE and your dad being 60+ i think the best car suited for his requirement would definately be the Zen.Its more like the M800 and your dad wont take long to adjust to this car.It has a really decent engine,space and is Maruti afterall.The WagonR and Santro are a little heighted and takes a while before one gets used to these cars.And your dad would definately not appreciate that at his age.
He can just walk out of the M800 and start driving the Zen without second thoughts.

As far as the speakers are concerned,the LXi does not provide with one.But the VXi definately has them.
Hope that helps.

X

[Mpower]

Depends on how tall your dad is. If he is fairly tall/well built person, then he is going to have trouble squezing his frame into tiny/low cars like Zens and Altos. Wagon R has extremely good ergonomics, you can literally slide in and slide out and has good visibility.
Also as far as mileage, no car can beat a Maruti 800.... period.
But if he is 60+, they why bother shifting gears in our chaotic traffic, get him a Santro Automatic. Its a tall boy too. Think about it, in 8 more years, he'll be 70+.
BTW, an automatic transmission is also a mechanical marvel which your dad will appreciate.

[SLK]

Originally Posted by prasadee

I wanted to surprise my parents on their anniversary. I wanted to get them a new car with AC, power steering, good build, & ride quality.

Cool, but I'would suggest you take him to a Maruti showroom and let him test-drive both Zen and WagonR, and then only choose!. Or better still, do all the arrangements with the maruti dealer before hand, and pick any of the 2 cars he likes there and then.

BTW I think WagonR or Santro (I'd personally prefer WagonR) are the right cars. Zen might seem very similar to 800 but the driving position is much more flat & laid down. WagonR might feel different for the first few days but then its more comfy than zen or 800.

FE - All these 3 cars are same in this respect. marginal differences don't count.

[nishant_kingpin]

If one looks closely to the requirements FE, Space (Without buying a Sedan), Ease of getting in and out of the vehicle, Not too many horses which equates to Power to Weight Ratio etc..you may also want to consider the Indica. This generally fits the bill. Out of the three mentioned, I would suggest the Zen.

As a suggestion, it may be a good idea to surreptitiously check with your dad on his inclination. You may not want to get him a present that given a choice he may not purchase

[adya33]

hi pasadee,

if you haven't made your mind I would suggest you have a look at Alto Lxi it comes with 800CC & has Ac + Power steering
also it has 800cc engine which will be slightlly fuel efficient than zen or WagornR, Alto is also a much newer car
however since your father is 60+ it is a good idea to buy automatic transmission
then in that case go for Zen but its FE won't be as good as manual

[DCEite]

Well out of Autorikshaw(Santro), Dabba(WagonR) and Lizard(Zen).. i would be inclined to go for the Dabba (wagonR).
Reasons:
1. Its F.E. is comparable to Zen (i get around 14kmpl regularly in city driving)
2. Tall boy design makes it easier for older people to get in and out.
3. Electronic power steering (as opposed to HPS in Santro) makes manoevering this vehicle a child's play.
4. Its got that Relilable Suzuki Engine.
5. Engine technology better than both the Autorikshaw and the Lizard.
6. More modern safety features compared to Lizard. (The Lizard is a very old design)
7. Flat torque curve makes for fewer gear changes (even my dad likes that.. )
8. Costs around the same as Zen (at around ~3.6 lacs)
9. Excellent Maruti service backup
10. Top end model comes with Airbags and ABS/EBD.

[serious_maniac]

Originally Posted by dceite

Autorikshaw(Santro), Dabba(WagonR) and Lizard(Zen)..

Could not have put better names...

there is little to choose between Santro and Wagon R, but Wagon or the dabba is more revv-happy engine for entusiasts whereas Santro might just give better driveability in the city - the peak torque comes in at lower rpm and the torque curve is flat too.. Go for the Santro Xing XP model... only power steering...

~maniac

[aadix]

hi
since your father is old, i would suggest an automatic transmission wagonr or santro.
with the growing traffic in india these days ,it will be a boon for him.

[zulfikar]

i would take a Santo or a Wagon R...
Santro with A/T would be prefered as it is a 4 speed Auto.
and i dont know if Wagon R has A/T...
well i am driving a Nissan A/T...trust me A/T is FUN in traffic...

[Montoya]

Hey prasadee ,

I would seriously recommend you the Wagon R and its avaiable in Auto as well. THis is the best car IMHO. Santro is getting bit dated now..

[typeOnegative]

Auto transmission as many suggest. And yes go for the loaded Wagon-R.

[tsk1979]

Go for base model swift. It will cost around 3.8 and will have just power steering and windows.

[typeOnegative]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Go for base model swift. It will cost around 3.8 and will have just power steering and windows.

3.8 L??????

Then why would they even have cars like the Wagon-R?

[simran]

Originally Posted by typeOnegative

3.8 L??????

Then why would they even have cars like the Wagon-R?

Thinking further on these lines, there would be a price correction and prices of Zen/WagonR would be reduced I think. Consequently, Santro prices too should reduce, and Palio prices too should reduce and therefore the 2nd hand market prices should come down a bit as well.

Wait for the launch of Swift!