[HammerHead]

If I go by T-BHP reviews, which I do most of the time and also verify what's written in review, I would not touch Sunny cause of following review points:
• 1.5L Petrol engine lacks outright performance. Runs out of breath quickly
• Engine noise above 3,000 rpm is very noticeable
• Vague gearbox isn't always keen to slot into gear

I would rather have following cars to choose from.
1. Honda City
2. Ford Fiesta Classic
3. VW Vento
4. Hyundai Verna Fluidic

I would leave aside
Verna for point no 3 and Fiesta for point no 5. Now I have Honda City and Vento to choose from. Point no 2 points to a car with ABS + Airbags or any other safety features, which basically means you want to go for a top of the line variant. With the kind of discounts and latest price correction, top variant of Vento/City will cost you same.

I'm not sure about resale value of Vento but what I know is A.S.S, Resale and FE of City is best in the segment.

I would go for Honda City.

[k_nitin_r]

Originally Posted by _raVan_

Also check out the SX4 Diesel. I suppose it fits all your criteria. Since you are not looking for a highway cruiser and only bumper to bumper traffic, it will suit your needs perfectly.

Hi!

Just a quick question here. Why wouldn't you recommend the SX4 for the highway? Small engine?

For bumper-to-bumper traffic, I would think an AT is more appropriate. Maruti offers it in the SX4 for roughly an extra 70k over the MT.

[oxyzen]

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

Hi!
Just a quick question here. Why wouldn't you recommend the SX4 for the highway? Small engine?

As for highway, Vento is a better choice. Its handling is way better.
Exclusively for Diesel.
The engine on SX4 is good for a 1.3L as Maruti has masked its shortcomming very well by adjusting the gear-ratios & engine tuning. But on a highway you cant hide anything. The 1.3L is just not enough.

For the highway the only car which is fun to drive ie it does not dissapoint on either power or handling is the Vento in diesel avatar. And the Fiesta classic & Tjet in Petrol. The City is not that much fun to drive but more than makes up for it in all other departments. Thats why City is the best choice here. The SX4 is not even in question.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by neo007

@ ninjatalli are you suggesting that my bro should look a the verna?? I've test driven it my self & i'ts unlikely that he may also like it, also there is waitng period of 6months+ for it!!!!.
In the event I'm tempted to look at good used car options.
Cheers

You got me wronge @neo. I was stating that what happened with your brother at the VW showroom is being replicated at most Hyundai showrooms for Verna.

If you are the kind who likes a bit of high-speed driving on highways then Verna might not be the best fit. But everybody's driving habit differs - I suggest you do ask your brother to atleast give it a try.

For me, Verna didn't fit - the Vento did perfectly. No matter how much I drive it, every day I get a thrill at that turbo boost - like a kid that's been handed over his best ice cream flavor

[noopster]

Originally Posted by bharathsolomon

I am planning to sell my Baleno which served me really well for 7 years and I am trying to buy a replacement. I have narrowed down the choice to Sunny and Vento.

Can you walk us through your thought process here? Why the Sunny, which is a relatively untested car? Why NOT the Honda City or the SX4? Just random examples really, but I was curious how you shortlisted those 2 alone.

I will drive the car myself and usually drive 500 to 1000 kms every month depending on the usage.

Get a petrol car for that kind of low usage.

Please let me know VFM car from the above 2. If you have any other car in mind in the same segment and budget please let me know

My requirements

1. Good Mileage bcos it will be mostly city use in Chennai ( bumper to bumper)
2. Safety features
3.Comfort and drive
4. Good after sales service.
5. Good resale value

All cars are VFM- depends on what you define as "value" .

Mileage will be a sore point in any petrol car- you should not expect more than 10 kmpl (optimistic) in a Vento. That car was not deisgned for 100% city use. I got as low as 6 kmpl when I did a few inner city runs in Mumbai recently (add 1 kmpl for manual transmission).

Am pretty sure an SX4 or Honda City will provide better mileage in city conditions. Better look up some ownership threads.

Originally Posted by neo007

Extremely similar situation as my brother who's also looking for a car in the same price bracket.
To add to all your requirements he wants a car that's also great to drive. To make his life easy in my imo he should get a good diesel auto, but sadly there aren't many except the fluidic verna or he has to upgrade to a laura or the cruze.

So what's wrong with the Fluidic Verna diesel AT? It handles like a drunk rhino but in the city the low-speed ride is supposed to be excellent. All the grouses we've heard are for >120 kmph speeds which is a sad fact of life for all generations of Accent (Verna) owners.

First he tried the Linea T-Jet.
He loved the car but was not happy with the driving position & comfort esp the placing of the pedals in the foot well & the steering. Also one is always apprehensive about the service part as for as fiat is concerned(dunno how much of it is still true).

Dude, go for it. The T-Jet is an absolute dream to drive. There is simply no comparison performance-wise with the Vento petrol (which I own BTW): the turbo-charger ensures that this car pulls and pulls, even in 5th!
Bad ergonomics are something you have to live with, and can get used to pretty quickly. I was more than a little annoyed with the dead pedal positioning, which keeps getting in the way of the clutch, and the interiors look cheesy to a VW owner, but once you hit the open road, my jaw dropped open and there was no looking back!
A.S.S is a concern of course- you should ensure you have a decent Fiat service dealer close by.

He liked the Vento Diesel as well but was not happy with it's initial pick up in the first gear & found the clutch a bit to hard(but that could be also due to it being a test vehicle), he is 6ft+ so he also found lack of head room at the rear & the sales experience was very ordinary. He had to wait for an hour on a Sunday eve to get a test drive & no sales guy was interested in explaining the features of the car + there is a 4 months waiting period.

All very valid points. If he's planning to sit in the back, this may not be the best car, let's face it- this car is meant to be driven !! Clutch hardnes is not something I've heard TDI owners complaining about but it vibrates like hell (compared to an average petrol I mean). Disregard the sales experience- that is almost uniformly bad across all Vento owners. They tend to get better in teh service phase (hopefully!)
You have chosen the best cars in petrol and diesel respectively in this segment! Maybe you could consider the Honda City as well- with the price revision, it has become a very strong contender for that title.
All the best!

[BusyBee]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Lets not generalize.
Sorry for the OT rant - I still see so many 2nd & 3rd degree opinions that get floated around without the narrator having experienced it. Yes, it does happen - but it's not so bad & certainly not at all dealers & with all TD experiences.

P.s. @busybee nothing against you please. Sorry if you felt offended.

+1000 to this. But only if you are looking at diesel as an option.

No offence taken at all. I have a Vento Highline TDi which is a fine car which is the reason I bought and recommend to others. My experience with the VW dealer was NEGATIVE primarily in the sales side and service competency thoroughly suspect even at PDI.

To be honest, it was nothing personal against me. They were democratic about it, doing this to all and sundry. A top police officer in civvies who ordered a vehicle met with the same treatment. His response is another story.

Maruti even with its vast volume treats its customers well. VW better take the trouble of learning from them before the competition catches up.

The Diesel is the better car - unless an automatic is preferred.

[bharathsolomon]

I had test driven vehicles in the same class and I found the above 2 comfortable for my driving style

I almost decided to go for Vento after analysing all your valuable inputs.

Looks like I have additional needs to cater to!!!!

My wife also would like to drive and she prefers the automatic version.
She test drove a vento AT and was very happy with it. I think I will have to compromise with the mileage aspect as I will need to accomodate wifey's driving needs. is VENTO Auto giving only 6 KMPL in city. what is the average mileage for Honda city or SX4 AT? does fiat linea have Automatic version ???


I think I am again back to square 1

[pravingmh]

Originally Posted by noopster

So what's wrong with the Fluidic Verna diesel AT? It handles like a drunk rhino but in the city the low-speed ride is supposed to be excellent. All the grouses we've heard are for >120 kmph speeds which is a sad fact of life for all generations of Accent (Verna) owners.

Enthusiasts have in general berated the high speed dynamics of the Verna. But if it handles like a drunk rhino, isn't that an enthusiasts dream in a way, providing thrills like a rodeo ride?

[noopster]

Originally Posted by bharathsolomon

My wife also would like to drive and she prefers the automatic version.
She test drove a vento AT and was very happy with it. I think I will have to compromise with the mileage aspect as I will need to accomodate wifey's driving needs. is VENTO Auto giving only 6 KMPL in city. what is the average mileage for Honda city or SX4 AT? does fiat linea have Automatic version ???


I think I am again back to square 1

. That's the best thing about choosing a car, isn't it? You like 'em all AND you hate 'em all!

Let's take one thing at a time.

NO- the Linea doesn't come in AT.

Vento doesn't give 6 kmpl consistently in the city. I gave that as an example: the days I got that number I was doing 10 kmph runs in absolute crawling traffic in South-central Mumbai. AC was on full blast and car was loaded. Normally you'd get around 8 kmpl. In Pune I get 10 easily.

Honda City has a more frugal AT than the Vento's. You should expect around 2 kmpl more if you ask me. Check charthom's and mdsaab's threads.

Am pleased to hear your wife loves the Vento AT. I have been pushing my wife (not literally!) to start driving this baby instead of her Flyte and the Swift which she takes out occasionally. It is just a perfect car for a lady and the AT makes it a dream to drive. Good luck!

Originally Posted by pravingmh

Enthusiasts have in general berated the high speed dynamics of the Verna. But if it handles like a drunk rhino, isn't that an enthusiasts dream in a way, providing thrills like a rodeo ride?

Ummm...I don't know what kind of enthusiasts you hang with, mate. We like our rides stable at high speed, thanks!

[bharathsolomon]

Originally Posted by noopster

==========
Vento doesn't give 6 kmpl consistently in the city. I gave that as an example: the days I got that number I was doing 10 kmph runs in absolute crawling traffic in South-central Mumbai.
===========
Am pleased to hear your wife loves the Vento AT. I have been pushing my wife (not literally!) to start driving this baby instead of her Flyte and the Swift which she takes out occasionally. It is just a perfect car for a lady and the AT makes it a dream to drive. Good luck!

Hi Anoop !

Thats a little relief. Maybe the mileage also depends on the driving style I guess.
My wife felt Vento drive was under her control and sturdy unlike the Verna, she drove. She felt it was smooth.

[rxpaul]

Originally Posted by noopster

So what's wrong with the Fluidic Verna diesel AT? It handles like a drunk rhino but in the city the low-speed ride is supposed to be excellent. All the grouses we've heard are for >120 kmph speeds which is a sad fact of life for all generations of Accent (Verna) owners.

Ha Ha the Verna handles like a DRUNK RHINO....Noopster one of these days you are going to get in trouble from some Verna owners . All these comments about the Verna's handling have made me curious and i am planning to take a test drive.

I have never driven a DRUNK RHINO so far and its something i intend to try Tee Hee !!

[subodh]

with your Kind of milage, you can still afford to buy a petrol vehicle and that too a vento petrol. The car handels pretty well, has a nice initial pick up for the city even though its a slush box, fit finish is good, with the refresh, even the ICE is not too bad, back seat space is good, its got good brand value as well, so unless you are looking for something else, I would suggest go in for vento AT as its very very convenient.

[bharathsolomon]

Guys,

I have finalised Vento AT. I am making the booking coming week.
Is there by any chance new Vento or facelift Vento on the horizon.

I was also offered a old Jetta for Rs 13 Lakhs( I think i can negotiate further).

Do you think old Jetta offer a VFM ???

regards

Bharath

[subodh]

If the 13 lakh price point for onroad car, then i think its quite a nice deal you are getting there. Try and negotiate further and if you can pull it around 12 or so, i think its a steal.

[dip27in]

Old Jetta is a robust car and built to last! If you are looking at a long term ownership, it makes sense to go for it. You also step into a higher segment.