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-   -   Car for my mom.... (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/10232-car-my-mom.html)

Requirements....

a. Indicator stalk on the left (a la Corsa or Octavia)
b. Ride Quality
c. Front Tweeter pods (a la Astra, Corsa, Octavia)
d. Build quality
e. ASS
f: Budget under 10L OTR
g. Good auto box (Triptronic, CVT, etc...)

Contenders: None so far
Some that have been considered all have the indicator stalk on the right

1. Honda CVT (no front tweeter pods, not available with Vtec Engine)
2. Suzuki Swift Zxi (no front tweeter pods)
3. Ford Fiesta (bad ASS?)
4. Mitsubishi Cedia (Ugh)

From the future...
Skoda Fabia (when will it come)
Chevy Aveo (ASS?, will the sell the US version)
Optra SVR notch back

Any ideas.

Navin Bhai, you didn't tell us if auntie ji will be driving herself or not ... But the stress on indicator stalk being on the left makes me assume she will be driving herself, am I right? Also, if not for this very point, it would be far easier to recommend a car for her :)

PS: Could you tell us her age roughly and if she has/ doesn't have any health factor we need to consider.

She is 70 (but claims to be 69). She does have oestoporosis but you'd never tell when she is driving. She also loves her sound (no wonder i hang out at ICE). Her ears were tested -2db to 14K (not bad for her age) a few years ago.

She does not drive regularly so that makes it even more imperitive that she have her indicator stalk where she expects it. If she was a regular driver she'd get used to a right hand indicator stalk.

She is fiercely independant so I cant take away her driving licence. However by giving her a driver she really drives only on Sundays and that too short distances.

And she hates to be called Aunty by anyone older than 7.

She does not want a car bigger than a Honda City or smaller than a Swift.

Of your list, the Honda City CVT will do the job more perfectly than others, assuming she will be mainly driving in the city.

Yes she drives within a 4km radius of Breach Candy / Warden Road and sticks to major roads. I was looking at the city but when she test drove it she was bugged by the indicator stalk and also that it dont accelerate fast enough.

If my RS was smaller she'd have stolen it. That is why she was so looking forward to a Fabia (preferably RS). Damn guys at Skoda lauched a Laura instead.

LOL... I'm, sorry and will use the term ma'am then and thanks for the clarifications.

As the car is for the mother of a Team-BHPian (This makes her extra special), let me look hard at the available options and then I'll suggest a car that I feel would be the best for her on most fronts (for whatever my opinion is worth).

thanks Boom. So far the CVT does suit her except for the stalk and acceleration. She liked the Vtec better but since she is getting older I was thinking it would be a good time for her to switch to an auto box.

Once we have that figured I am quite sure we can solve her audio issues.

Honda CVT, no doubt....
- Its a breeze to drive in the city - with superb auto box and small turning radius and light steering.
- Tall boy design and big doors make for easy ingress/exit
- Very comfortable seats and soft suspension
- Great build quality and decent ride quality
- good ASS and low maintainence - in fact, the lowest amount of manufacturing defect by far, you wont need to visit the service centre much (other than required servicing)

Would it make sense to hand over the keys of your wife's Sail to your mom and then she buys something else ?
Just wondering aloud ....

Navin, When did the Swift come with an auto 'box??

I think at this juncture, we really have no other options ,but the city!

SHe's not gonna like this.... the CVT is wonderful but why dont they drop in a Vtec Engine?

We have a policy in our family...you buy it you drive it. No one gets someone else's second hand car.

When my wife was looking for a car I tried like hell to sell her on the CVT but she wanted a hatch. so between the Indigo, Sail and Palio she got the Sail. Now she is stuck with it. Next time she'll listen. :-)

My mom wont like a hand-me-down either.

They do have that option available in Malaysia and Thailand. Maybe they thought Indian buyers would prefer to use the stick for that kind of power.

Just thinking aloud on the same lines, would it be feasible to plonk a VTEC engine onto the CVT. or a CVT gearbox on the VTEC engine.

I think the CVT box also comes with an "S" option for a bit peppy drive. Have you tried it out (not that its much comparison to the VTEC)

If I could afford either a sports car for myself OR a luxury car for my mom which I won't be able to touch... I would still buy my mom the luxury car and buy myself a M800 or something... Hats off, Navin Bhai, very well said clap: