[varunrdas]

Originally Posted by aqualeo2040

Didnt see the Scorpio AT in this list? It can seat 5+ folks at ease, has immense road presence, quite a few bells & whistles e.g. auto wipers/headlamps, parking aid , blah blah yada yada. Comes in with AT as well and is a diesel.

If Safari is being considered, the Scorp should get a lookie as well? dont you think so TC?

Yeah, I admit that the build quality of either of the trucks are nothing to write home about. However, since the AT is also exported, the fit & finish is definitely better than that of the Safari!

@aqua - i have been owning Safari's for a several years now and i can definitely say that Safari is much better vehicle when considering the Scorpio. As for one, I wouldn't prefer an AT in an SUV considering that you need a feel of the roughness and the vehicle itself.. Wouldn't like to be like a prima donna not doing anything... next we can move to the scorpio's suspension... very stiff and hard.. moves vertically.. practically you would be all shaken up.. as for the Safari, you have rotating or swiveling suspensions... you would feel as though you are floating (extremely big pot holes would be horrible and you will feel jerks in both of these).

And at top speeds, Without any airbags you feel safe in a safari, I doubt you would hear of Safari's getting bumped occasionally... In a high speed/powered engine of the Scorpio, without airbags and other safety features its unsafe (ask people who have been in such circumstances)

as for the interiors, you can see a bland finish with a console that is (Nippon or some dumb brand).. The captain seats are nice.. In the safari, it looks basic but with good leather trims doesn't need more if the colors are matching... and you do get a good console (single din for GX/double din for VX)

Hence, these is no comparison between the Scorpio and the Safari. There's only one winner and for this try owning one, I have had the experience of using a Scorpio of my uncle for an extended period and trust me, its not what i would desire (it looks big and macho).

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by kevinephraim

Selfdrive, I sold the innova finally in Dec 2009. got 7.75 lacs for it. It had done 36545k on the day i sold it. I had bought it in Feb 2006.

Whoa, thats a great bargain for a buyer! I wasnt here then, but would have been keen to lay my hands on it if I was around. For any such sales do put up on tbhp classifieds and the used car price check thread. Perhaps you already did this too.
I wish you well for next time! see you around

[kevinephraim]

Originally Posted by Buffetfan

Are you saying that the Innova has poor resale compared to the other cars in the segment? I own a 2009 VX and in the past two years, the car has seen 15% depreciation in value.

I paid INR 1260000 for it and can still get between INR 1050000 - 1100000 easily if I sell. I am unsure of other cars in the same price range that would depreciate less than this.

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Whoa, thats a great bargain for a buyer! I wasnt here then, but would have been keen to lay my hands on it if I was around. For any such sales do put up on tbhp classifieds and the used car price check thread. Perhaps you already did this too.
I wish you well for next time! see you around

Just to clarify things, I bought the Innova in Feb 2006, when Toyota was giving heavy discounts for it, (it was within the first year of the launch) and Paid 1008300/- On Road. Therefore depreciation was on par when i sold it in Dec 2009.

@Buffetfan - Do try to sell your Innova and you'll see what I mean.

@Selfdrive - I was not a member of TBHP when i sold the car, else i would have definitely put it up on the classifieds. Maybe even sold it to you!

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by kevinephraim

@Buffetfan - Do try to sell your Innova and you'll see what I mean.

I would tend to agree with your comment in case I had to sell the car to a taxi operator. In Hyderabad though, the individual owners also purchase this car a lot and I have seen some good resale prices for the car with a very reasonable demand for the V model.

[sharninder]

I agree on the Safari suggestion. Unless, you're specifically looking for a Sedan, the Safari is a good bet and it'll even go with your age .

The Innova definitely is a no-no for someone your age, maybe after another 10-15 years.

[joslicx]

Upgrade time!

Am using an i10 but the crazy Bangalore traffic is getting on my nerves. So an automatic is need of the hour now, and since there are hardly any worthy choices in hatchback segment, sedan is the obvious choice. Contemplating between Vento, City and the ANHV, with an initial bias towards the German! Always wanted to own a German car in my life!

About myself, an early middle age IT professional. Car will be shared between myself, wife and our 2 year old.
Usage is about 500-600 KM a month (my 3 year old i10 has done 20k KM so far), so am OK with Petrol.

Any suggestions welcome

[vigsom]

If you are not the show off type, I'd suggest you toss between the new DZire automatic and the sx4 ;

Dzire would get my vote as it will be a practical car for B'Lore's mad traffic.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Contemplating between Vento, City and the ANHV, with an initial bias towards the German! Always wanted to own a German car in my life!

I would suggest the Vento or the City. If you don't have the Skoda phobia, even the Rapid petrol AT is a nice choice to add into the mix. Happy shopping

Edit: Forgot to add. I think the Ford Fiesta dual clutch AT is coming in March. I would recommend to take a TD of that as well. It should be the most loaded petrol AT in this segment, especially with safety features like ESP.

[Zed]

Considering the chaotic traffic, limited parking spaces available and the ol-wallet, you would be well advised to consider the i10 or the A-star Automatic. I say this based on my personal ownership experience - the conveince a small automatic offers in city traffic is unmatched. Not sure how much space you require & if highway travel is a factor. If not look no further. Unless you really want to upgade to a bigger car or a better brand.

[sidindica]

Do remember that the VW/Skoda 6 speed ATs are gas guzzlers. The city AT is currently the best AT sedan, and the verna the only choice for the diesel. But if you still want better mileage, wait for the B299 Fiesta AT. I have driven it some time back, its a great car with good claimed mileage. I still await its price though. But, if you can live with the rubbish design and limited boot space, the dzire AT actually makes for a practical car. Avoid the SX4 AT as its poor in mileage than even the euros due to ancient 4 speed auto.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Zed

Considering the chaotic traffic, limited parking spaces available and the ol-wallet, you would be well advised to consider the i10 or the A-star Automatic. I say this based on my personal ownership experience - the conveince a small automatic offers in city traffic is unmatched. Not sure how much space you require & if highway travel is a factor. If not look no further. Unless you really want to upgade to a bigger car or a better brand.

I would highly recommend waiting for the Ford as well, except that going by their strategy, it would be priced way above your budget.
About the rest, they might be pushing your budget a little. However, as Zed has posted, the Skoda Rapid makes an interesting case for it self here - especially given that the auto is also available in the mid-level variant as well - and thus considerably cheaper than the Vento. Also, reports claim that the Rapid is a little better to drive and be driven in than the Vento. Do check it out if there is a good Skoda dealership in your city.
Alternately, the Honda City makes an interesting case for itself, due to the engine. However, it will not be as comfortable, and well built as the Skoda/VW. On the plus, it will be a lot cheaper to maintain/own than the germans.
Alternately, the SX4 is quite practical as well, though a bit long in the tooth. It has good GC and high seating as the i10, quite spacious, and VFM. However, it is neither as much fun to drive as the others, nor as well built.

[suhaas307]

Three cars that I'd recommend:

- City AT: Arguably the best petrol AT sedan out there. But I'm not sure if it would fit your 10 lakh budget. You may have to stretch it by a lakh or so.

- Vento Petrol AT: Moderator Noopster swears by it. Check out his ownership-review thread. Might help your decision.

- Swift Dzire: Since you mentioned that you find it hard to deal with Bangalore traffic. It's a compact sedan,so it should feel like a hatchback. If you can live with the wart on the back, it's the best out there, I suppose.

IMO the Fiesta is highly overpriced for what it offers. And the new dual-clutch AT in the Fiesta is well, new. Haven't read any personal-reviews and experiences on it yet.

[joslicx]

Thanks guys for the inputs. much appreciated.

Originally Posted by vigsom

Dzire would get my vote as it will be a practical car for B'Lore's mad traffic.

Looked at Dzire. Not appealing enough really! The problem is not space on roads but the traffic speeds here. Have owned a Maruti (my first car - Alto) and it was a good experience (it is now being replaced by a Brio to be used by my dad). I would go for a Maruti if I was in small car market again! They are the best in that segment.

Originally Posted by vb-san

I would suggest the Vento or the City. If you don't have the Skoda phobia, even the Rapid petrol AT is a nice choice to add into the mix. Happy shopping

Edit: Forgot to add. I think the Ford Fiesta dual clutch AT is coming in March. I would recommend to take a TD of that as well. It should be the most loaded petrol AT in this segment, especially with safety features like ESP.

Thanks vbsan. Yes after so many Skoda horror stories (and witnessing broken Skodas on the side of the roads) am not considering them. But will test drive the Rapid, just in case. Fords, I have an aversion with!!

Originally Posted by Zed

Considering the chaotic traffic, limited parking spaces available and the ol-wallet, you would be well advised to consider the i10 or the A-star Automatic. I say this based on my personal ownership experience - the conveince a small automatic offers in city traffic is unmatched. Not sure how much space you require & if highway travel is a factor. If not look no further. Unless you really want to upgade to a bigger car or a better brand.

Thanks Zed but it would be a sedan this time. Chaotic traffic as you say, thats why the Automatic. I have a kid and small cars are not practical if you have kids. I cannot fit her stroller in the small dikki of the i10! Its frustrating everytime you realize that (and there are many times that realization happens). I'll probably downgrade back to a hatch few years down the line!

Originally Posted by sidindica

Do remember that the VW/Skoda 6 speed ATs are gas guzzlers. The city AT is currently the best AT sedan, and the verna the only choice for the diesel. But if you still want better mileage, wait for the B299 Fiesta AT. I have driven it some time back, its a great car with good claimed mileage. I still await its price though. But, if you can live with the rubbish design and limited boot space, the dzire AT actually makes for a practical car. Avoid the SX4 AT as its poor in mileage than even the euros due to ancient 4 speed auto.

I went thru few of the reviews for Vento AT here like noopsters. His all-round average (in city) is around 9-10. That is OK with me actually. My i10 gives only around 12 so for 600 KM, theres only 10L extra fuel ~ less than 1K increase in fuel costs. Can afford that. Fords, as I said, I have an aversion! Cannot see myself driving a Ford! I rented one once in US, the Ford Taurus (the prev gen) and never liked driving it and eventually had an accident in it! The new fiesta looks gorgeous from the outside but inside its not the same class as the Germans (or even the Japs). Ford is definitely out.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

I would highly recommend waiting for the Ford as well, except that going by their strategy, it would be priced way above your budget.
About the rest, they might be pushing your budget a little. However, as Zed has posted, the Skoda Rapid makes an interesting case for it self here - especially given that the auto is also available in the mid-level variant as well - and thus considerably cheaper than the Vento. Also, reports claim that the Rapid is a little better to drive and be driven in than the Vento. Do check it out if there is a good Skoda dealership in your city.
Alternately, the Honda City makes an interesting case for itself, due to the engine. However, it will not be as comfortable, and well built as the Skoda/VW. On the plus, it will be a lot cheaper to maintain/own than the germans.
Alternately, the SX4 is quite practical as well, though a bit long in the tooth. It has good GC and high seating as the i10, quite spacious, and VFM. However, it is neither as much fun to drive as the others, nor as well built.

Thanks Lambo. SX4 is out. Do not like it. Maruti needs to refresh it (how I wish they had launched the Kizashi as the new SX4! Opportunity lost there for Maruti). And Fords are out. So the list is ANHC, ANHV, Vento and Rapid now. Budget can be extended by 10% or so but not very much.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Three cars that I'd recommend:
- City AT: Arguably the best petrol AT sedan out there. But I'm not sure if it would fit your 10 lakh budget. You may have to stretch it by a lakh or so.

- Vento Petrol AT: Moderator Noopster swears by it. Check out his ownership-review thread. Might help your decision.

- Swift Dzire: Since you mentioned that you find it hard to deal with Bangalore traffic. It's a compact sedan,so it should feel like a hatchback. If you can live with the wart on the back, it's the best out there, I suppose.

IMO the Fiesta is highly overpriced for what it offers. And the new dual-clutch AT in the Fiesta is well, new. Haven't read any personal-reviews and experiences on it yet.

Yes City seems good and so does the Vento. I have a question though. Is there any talks of a refreshed Vento this year? Although it was only launched in 2010 so it would be too soon for that. City, to me, is overpriced a little. Are last years discounts still available on City?

[vb-saan]

What is the timeline you are looking at?

The 1.6 petrol in the Vento/Rapid is quite an old motor. The arrival of Fiesta AT with DCT, may make VW group to consider bringing in the 1.2/1.4TSI petrol with DSG (wishful thinking). These engines are much more fuel efficient in comparison to the current 1.6.

As Suhaas mentioned, both City and Fiesta AT (upcoming) will not fit to the budget of 10 lakhs (difference will be quite high in Bangalore pricing scenario). But these two cars should be the best option in the current lot IMHO. I will recommend the Dzire only if you are really keen to bring down the budget.

For Vento AT, check through Noopster’s ownership thread
For City AT, refer Charthom and Mdsaab’s ownership threads (pre-facelift)
For Fiesta AT, read the official review by GTO.

Edit: Saw your comments only after I posted.

Originally Posted by joslicx

Fords, as I said, I have an aversion! Cannot see myself driving a Ford! I rented one once in US, the Ford Taurus (the prev gen) and never liked driving it and eventually had an accident in it! The new fiesta looks gorgeous from the outside but inside its not the same class as the Germans (or even the Japs). Ford is definitely out.

The Fords sold in India are more European than American. Probably it’s a good idea to get a TD done, atleast to compare. I completely understand the aversion bit. There are certain brands which I will not even try, even if their cars are good

[noopster]

Vento AT will surely be out of budget as well. I got it a year ago in Pune at just under 10 lac on road. There have been price revisions since then (I think) and Bangalore OTR prices are higher.

Skoda Rapid is almost an identical car and cheaper as well PLUS it has a lower trim AT offering as well. I would not go so far as brand the VW/Skoda ATs "gaz guzzlers"- I get about 10.5 kmpl in regular use and am quite happy with it.

But in all honesty, go for the Honda City V AT. There is an optional sunroof offered these days as well. It is just an awesome value proposition now with the rationalised pricing. Honda ownership is peace of mind and the VTEC engine is suh-weet!