[getsurya]

I feel there is nothing called "down shifting". It is a matter of comfort, convenience & cost.

I can always buy a smaller car if it suits my daily trips and use my SUV for weekends or vice versa too!

[malq]

We have an Optra/2004 and a Swift Diesel/2008, and were looking at changing the Optra. However, the possible sale price for the Optra/2004 was so low that we just hung on to it, and bought yet another Swift Diesel, ABS and loaded it up. So, have your sedan and enjoy the hatchbacks too. Needless to say, the Optra is used by whoever leaves the house last OR when we head out on long drives.

[_Vyenky]

I own Logan diesel 2007 model. I am also wishing to change to Hatch. I am looking at Ritz/Polo/Figo and I am also waiting for Micra.

[Capitalson]

Hi Guys,

I understand your dilemma about "downshifting". Some of us might even feel that there is a stigma attached to such thinking.

Me too belonged to the same category till recently. I am a fierce "Ford Loyalist". 1) Ford iKon 1.8D -- 2001 to 2004, 2) Ford Flair 1.3 -- 2004 to till date, 3) Ford Fusion 3.6 V6 -- 2008 TO 2010, 4) Hyundai i10 Sportz AT -- April' 2011.

The 4th option was primarily for the use of my wife, in Delhi. I didn't want to be seen driving a smaller car (that too an AT) by any of my friends! But, honestly, the joys of driving & parking a small car in the chaotic traffic conditions in New Delhi!!! One needs to experience it to believe it.

So, guys, there is nothing wrong in choosing a smaller car. It's simply a change. Not downshifting.

[sridhar-v]

I started on 4 wheels with a Maruti 800 in 1984. Upgraded in 1994 to a Maruti 1000. In 2002 I had to downgrade to a Maruti 800 due to problems subsequent to having to close down my factory. Used it as primary vehicle.

The joy of having a small car is that it is sooo.. much easier to drive in traffic in the cities. Also parking is easier. In 2008 Changed this to a Santro AT. I call this a lateral upgrade - you define you requirements & buy the car that fits these - to hell with prestige & show. A car is a tool to enable you to get on with life. Buy the right tool for your requirements. You do not buy Gold Plated Diamond encrusted screwdrivers do you??
I have used both these cars to the max. Have taken out the small cars for some extensive road trips & enjoyed every moment. 2400 kms/11days in 2006 in the 800 when everybody,including my wife, thought I had gone mad (though in all fairness she tagged along & enjoyed every moment). 2800 kms in 2008 in the santro from pune to Kerala border & back over diwali. 3200 kms in 2010 in a Santro AT over 9 days.
And I don't worry too much about whether it will get scratched or it will get wet in the rain... Compare this to 2 of my friends who have Mercedes C classes.. they keep on having anxiety spasms re their rear view mirrors and whether they are going to get their beloved paintwork scratched. And due to this they do not take the Mercs. anywhere other that the home to office commute. What a waste of car & money!!

Later on we have added a Ford Fusion in the family & use it for the chauffer driven trips. I find this a pain to drive in the city and now primarily use it for chauffered trips. Self drive is Santro AT only.

@kristalsoldier
Plan your requirements very carefully. A car is not an Asset. It is a depreciating & monthly expense sucking beast. So think of how your requirements are going to shape up. List out requirements that you must have & those that are desirable but can be sacrificed. Work out a budget & then see what fits in that. Be happy with that choice then. Remember you should be driving the car & not the car's financial cost dictating your life choices. For this I will give you an example of my thinking & working regarding upgrading from the Fusion:

Fusion upgrading--
requirement is for an AT gear box car with good ground clearance, seating for 4 & sufficient power for highway runs. Safety like ABS & Airbags is a must. suitable car SX4
Desire is for 4x4 with all the bells & whistles. Suitable car GV, Outlander, CRV.
The cost difference between the 2 ranges of cars is min 12 lakhs. Now I will be able to drum up the funds for the SX4 in 8-10 months (without loans) or will have to wait 24 months & take a loan of 12 lakhs for the higher end models.

Did an analysis & came to the conclusion that 4wd will be required possibly for 1% of the total distance i will be driving over the next 6 years. So unless my Vitamin M position improves dramatically, or I manage to get a good second hand model SUV, I will stick to the SX4 - drive the car & enjoy the drive.

[NPV]

I went through this situation and took the decision purely based on those circumstances:
I had a 1998 Esteem Vxi that served me really well till 2004 by which time it had done close to 70k Km. I had the tyres replaced around the 60k Km mark in late 2003. Just a month or so later ran into an issue with front axle needing a replacement, AC needing servicing, etc and also running expenses were increasing with hike in petrol prices. This was also the time we were awaiting the arrival of our baby, had a home loan to take care of and generally wanted to cut costs. Around the same time, the diesel hatch was making its mark so what better option than the Indica V2 then ? So, took the plunge and sold the Esteem first. Then bought a Indica DLX and it served me really well and was the right solution for my needs at that time.

[vc.vinay]

I was driving Toyota corolla 2008. I must say a very luxurious car but my daily driving has become around 80 Kms and usually I am driving alone.

And above all Thanks to rising petrol costs I have shifted to swift diesel zdi as my second vehicle.

[Prabal]

W124 M-Benz E250D to Scorpio and SX4, to Grande Punto MJD presently. Wondering whether those amulets really work; need to keep the Nano at bay!!

[fiat_tarun]

We did the same. We had a City ZX and really did not need a big car for the city. Wanted a premium hatch and the only options then were the i20, Punto & the recently launched Polo. We finally sold the city for the Punto 1.4 (who thought petrol prices would reach where they have, 1.5 years ago ), and frankly apart from the space and quality / fit / finish of the interiors, the Punto is leagues ahead of the lifeless City ZX.

In fact even though we moved from a sedan to a hatch, it does not feel like a downshift in any way.

[ssh1979]

I've already thought about downshifting. For me that's the only way to go because my bank balance dictates so Having saved up over the years, I bought the SUV of my choice, the Ford Endeavour. 7-10 years down the lane when it's time for me to change, I'll be going for yet another SUV, but within the 8-12 lac range. Thanks to major players already offering SUVs in this range, I know I will not be let down.

[throttleking]

Exactly year and half after starting this thread, I again tried to indulge in this tempting thought of selling my Magnum and buying a premium hatch. But one more time refrained from it, of course this time for some other reason.

But again, trust me, the kind of hatchbacks you get today, they definitely pull you towards them.

[Aroy]

Have a 2000 Esteem and an Accord 2007. Found them a bit too big for short trips to the market. Hence got an Alto K10 last August.

The Alto beats the Esteem as far as maneuverability and parking is concerned, forget Accord. You can park it practically any where. As I am mostly alone or at the most with one passenger, this is an ideal vehicle. More over I use it for short trips, < 2 km each way. For longer trips and with family there are the big cars.

[reji22]

I also ditched my Ford Fusion 1.6 in favour of Hyundai i10 1.2 Kappa2. The good old ford had clocked 90k and maintenance problems had started.

[mkpiyengar]

It should not be called downshifting per se.

According to me it should be question of choice depending on the type of usage.

A small compact hatch with very short turning radius and good all round visibility would be a ideal for small dashes and driving within city. Especially in Mumbai if you need to drive close to any market near railway station the thought of taking a car itself is scary!!

Similarly in case of long distance drives i.e. inter-city drives it would be nice to have a good sedan with proper driving dynamics like handling, steering feedback etc.

So if you can afford to then have the cars to suit the usage. Else stick to small cars at least you occupy less space on road among other things

Cheers

[misquitas]

My dad had purchased a Tata Estate, the "state-of-art" car at the time, in 1995. A number of people from our village were eager to catch a glimpse of the interiors and the gizmos (power windows, central locking, tilt steering, etc) of the Estate. The huge cabin and boot space was also an added plus.

By 2002, we were planning to say Ta Ta to our Estate car, simply because of the mounting service bills. But before were popped off the Estate, my dad decided to buy another car. Guess what? A Maruti 800!

In contrast to the huge Tate Estate, the Maruti 800 seemed like one of those karts. the Estate's bonnet length was alone almost like half the size of the 800. That the 800 served us well was a major plus, but within the village, the main reaction was: WHY? Somehow, it seemed that we had committed a crime in downgrading from the mammoth Tata Estate to one of the smallest cars in India.

Dad then bought a Santro Zip Plus and I eventually bought an i10. But I still have strong memories of the reaction when my dad moved from an Estate to an 800.