Team-BHP - The War of the Automatics. Which one is the best under 10 lakh?

With the introduction of i20 Automatic, one more car got added to the 'affordable" automatic list. The i10, i20, Verna and the ANHC. Indians do not like automatics, but there has ben a surge in popularity recently. Who among the above would be able to cash in this popularity and do decent numbers? Will we see new automatics in the near future?

i10 - Pros: The cheapest automatic available. Cons: Not very peppy in the auto version, low on safety too.
i20 - Pros: Decent engine size, safety. Cons: Pricey, EPS
Verna - Pros: Diesel, HPS. Cons: 4 speed box, no airbags.
ANHC - Pros: Paddle shifts. Cons: Price, low on equipment, EPS

All the automatics currently available are from the H stables. The straight and the slanted one. Why are the others shy?

Well IMO verna and ANHC woud best of the automatics. i20 automatic is powerfull but the prices lets it down. Verna would be a good car with a combination of both power and automatic transmission for an decent price for an sedan.

Well other brands like maruti suzuki are not willing to experiment on any of their models considering the price factor. Others manufacturers are out of race except which is selling decent no of cars in the market.

Of the above, have driven only the i10 automatic. The feel of driving without having to use the clutch and gears was really good although I was never one to favour an automatic transmission ! I have a feeling that the i10 automatic will do well in the hatch class while the ANHC should do the business in the sedan category.

You should add the A/T specs on the poll list too. From what I know:

i10 - 4 speed A/T.

i20 - 4 speed A/T.

Verna - 4 speed A/T. Also, only diesel under 10 lacs to offer an A/T.

ANHC - 5 speed A/T with paddle shift. Obviously, the only car to offer 5 speed A/T + paddle shift.

Dude, you are comparing apples and oranges. A hatch with a sedan. What's the whole point of this thread? You forgot the Santro and Wagon R auto. I guess even the Scorpio AT is priced under 10 lacs (not sure though).
And why do you say the i10 is low on safety. It's got airbags, ABS and crumple zones... And trust me, use the kickdown mode and see how peppy it gets.
Why is EPS a con? There are many people who prefer EPS over HPS although i still prefer HPS, but it's a personal preference, can't be listed as a negative. BTW, i10 also has EPS.
There are also quite a lot of used ATs in this price range and you can get a good accord, corolla or civic as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl (Post 1385268)

There aren't too many apples in the market, hence had to bring in oranges.
I wasn't sure whether WagonR was still being sold by Maruti. Santro automatic has been discontinued.
I feel, i10 is low on safety as even with 6 airbags, as it has managed only 4 stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests. I don't say it is totally unsafe, but compeare dto the others in the list... Mods are welcome to remove that con.
EPS is a con unless you drive only in the city. That is why I have not mentioned it as a con in the i10 which a city car. High speed staiblity is affected by an EPS.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl (Post 1385268)

Why is EPS a con? There are many people who prefer EPS over HPS although i still prefer HPS, but it's a personal preference, can't be listed as a negative. BTW, i10 also has EPS.

You are right.agree:. EPS cannot always be a negative. In city usage EPS is always better than HPS But when driving in highways at a better speeds i prefer HPS. But it is always ones personal opinion.

ANHC costs 10.75L in Bangalore OTR. Verna automatic also sells for 10.33L OTR in Bangalore.

So, technically both don't fit in this category. :)

Santro has discontinued the Automatic, so rightly, it is not there in this poll.

i20 Automatic with 1.4L engine and fully loaded features is the best IMO.

Typically, automatics are bought by returned NRIs who have experienced it, value comfort over mileage, and have some change to spare. i20 should be within their budget and the fully-loaded features in line with the cars they are used to driving while abroad.

Though the comparison is between hatch and sedan, we must understand that i20 is wider than both ANHC and Verna and has a longer wheelbase than Verna. i10 may not be comparable to these three cars. And i20 At is not yet available for test drives. So it will be difficult to rate it against others.