[GTO]

Just wondering if most of the voters have actually driven both cars.

I have. And I chose the Fiesta. The chassis, ride quality, interiors and overall feel are phenomenal.

GTO

[shuvc]

Every time you feel enuff has been said on the Baleno topic, and you want to rest your case .. but then the fingers itch to type in some more words .. hard to resist !!

I really like the looks of the Baleno, compared to the Fiesta .. As @boom mentioned .. I too like low slung cars wedge shaped .. which is why I also like the OHC and the Lancer.

I had an experience similar to @v1p3r .. no test drives .. poor pre-sales .. I received the Fiesta brochure (which I had applied for in December) last week .. in March !!

Regarding the Honda Fiesta thingy ..
I believe Baleno owners would still have gone for a Baleno .. since IMO they look at the VFM/practicality factor more. Sometime in April/May, make this a 3 way poll between the Baleno VXi, Fiesta SXi and the Aveo 1.6 .. You'll surely find a bigger chunk of Fiesta voters going the Aveo way than the Baleno voters. Since it'll be newer, fresher, possibly with better build etc etc. And frankly there's nothing wrong with that, if that is what one wants from their car.

For some, a lakh here or there may not be a big factor .. but for me it is. The VXi came out to be almost 1 lakh cheaper for me OTR than the Fiesta SXi (non ABS version). And relatively speaking I still got,
Wider (Goodyear) rubber, Climate control, 4 year warranty, potentially better FE, MUL service network (excellent pre-sales and after sales till now).
It also helped, that I liked the extra space, the driving fun factor and liked the looks.

The Baleno is better than the Fiesta in some areas and vice versa. It is probably not right to generalise and say one is better than the other.

Sticking to the topic, I would buy another Baleno if I had the need today.

And if I wanted to make a statement in the C, C+ segment (new fresh car etc), I would still not buy a Fiesta SXi. I would have bought an Optra 1.6. It was 70K more than the SXi - OTR, when I last checked in Dec.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by aseem

Lastly I am not sure if Baleno is as safe a hatch as Fiesta

Hahahahaha, Aseem, have you ever seen a Baleno?

Originally Posted by GTO

And I chose the Fiesta. The chassis, ride quality, interiors and overall feel are phenomenal.

GTO, with all due respect, some of us also think of power, mileage, resale value, ***, and the fact that the company is known to stand by their models for a long time. But, I guess that makes sense to you, since I pretty much described the OHC Vtec too!!!

And no, I still haven't driven a Fiesta, courtesy Ford India and Metro Ford BRILLIANT customer service...or BSS as it's called. Also, the Ikon didn't handle great, it was a pretty unremarkable car except for the engine and the incisive steering. It had ZERO braking. (Jaggu, Nitrous, sorry!). So I wonder if the Fiesta has the same (lack of) brakes.

[BUSA]

It had ZERO braking. (Jaggu, Nitrous, sorry!). So I wonder if the Fiesta has the same (lack of) brakes.

Only reason why i voted for the fiesta is the ABS. If Only Baleno had ABS then a Baleno would have been a steal. I wonder when Maruti will decide to give it to us.

[aseem]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Hahahahaha, Aseem, have you ever seen a Baleno?

Agreed, they are a rare sight!!!

[spadival]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Hahahahaha, Aseem, have you ever seen a Baleno?

V1p3r.. I dont think he got what u were referring to..

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[aseem]

Ok, my bad, I havent seen a Baleno sedan that often!!! Now lets get back to the topic. I guess this board is favoring the Baleno over Fiesta. I guess MUL guys have plenty to cheer about, they can continue selling the Baleno for another 5 years without doing any upgrades!
I hope Indian consumers become more demanding so that companies can't continue to sell the same car for 10 years in India. This is a rip off, most car manufacturers abroad bring a new model in 3 years, in India, they bring new models once every 5 years, and than too, sell it as a totally new car parallel with the old model at a premium price. But seeing the good response Baleno is getting, I am sure this is going to continue this way.

[Boom Shiva]

Cheer up Aseem, MUL is bringing in the Liana soon which will sell alongside the Baleno, just like Ford sells the Fiesta and Ikon together.

[satish_appasani]

Fiesta all the way for me...

I want my car to be good looking for my tastes, lets me feel secured in the city and on the highway, handles great on the occasional long drives, feel good lively interiors, suits my love for european cars, best fit for my budget.

[amit]

Also, the Ikon didn't handle great, it was a pretty unremarkable car except for the engine and the incisive steering.

I don't know what to say now! Ikon Didn't Handle great?. The Ikon still is one of the best handling and most fun to drive cars in the country. It can easily teach a few things to the Baleno in driving dynamics. Both sides arguements are getting ridicoulous now.

P.S. My comments cannot be biased because I haven't owned a Ikon.

MUL is bringing in the Liana soon which will sell alongside the Baleno

I hope they don't bring in the Liana. It is easily the most ugly car ever built. There is no proportion or smoothness to the design. It feels like the front was designed by someone and back was designed by someone else. Compared to the Liana, the NHC and even the Ambassador look like beauty queens! I can predict one more poll coming up on team-bhp : Swift Sedan V/s Liana : Which is more ugly?

[GTO]

GTO, with all due respect, some of us also think of power, mileage, resale value, ***, and the fact that the company is known to stand by their models for a long time.

The 1.6 is not slow, mind you. Price wise, the 1.4 is more relevant and there, I agree, is no performance comparision. The mileage may be less by about 10% but what you gain is European like build quality and ride/handling. After sales is very dependent on the dealership, and Ford isnt that bad.

I am surprised you mention resale values since the Balenos is at the absolute rock bottom thanks to Marutis price cuts. Neither is the Baleno a used market favorite. If not equal, the Fiesta would better the Baleno in this respect.

To me, the Ford Fiesta offers a truck load more of intangibles : Build quality, safety, great interiors, ride quality, chassis dynamics, great looks and a modern product. Its just the feel good factor.

I have just become a fan of the European feel, and tinny Japanese cars dont appeal so much to me. Period.

GTO

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by GTO

The 1.6 is not slow, mind you. Price wise, the 1.4 is more relevant and there, I agree, is no performance comparision. The mileage may be less by about 10% but what you gain is European like build quality and ride/handling. After sales is very dependent on the dealership, and Ford isnt that bad.

I cannot comment on ride/handling or speed since I have not driven the car yet. That would be thanks to the horrid dealers in Bangalore. So I guess the *** can be judged by the BSS. And I can imagine, once they have sold a car, just how much they would care about the bakra.

Originally Posted by GTO

I am surprised you mention resale values since the Balenos is at the absolute rock bottom thanks to Marutis price cuts. Neither is the Baleno a used market favorite. If not equal, the Fiesta would better the Baleno in this respect.

Similarly priced Ikon SXis are cheaper than equivalent Baleno LXis in the second hand market. This was before the Fiesta was brought in. I am using this logic.

Originally Posted by GTO

To me, the Ford Fiesta offers a truck load more of intangibles : Build quality, safety, great interiors, ride quality, chassis dynamics, great looks and a modern product. Its just the feel good factor.

I have just become a fan of the European feel, and tinny Japanese cars dont appeal so much to me. Period.

I'm sorry if I sound slightly offensive here Rush, but you do own two cars that stand for diametric opposites, the Mercedes and the Honda. Which one gives/gave you tireless service and performance, and which one made you call your lawyers? Japanese cars may be tinny, but they don't have electronic glitches galore. They don't cost the earth to service.

I hope you don't take offense to what I have said. It's just that the intangibles do not matter as much, in the long run, as out-and-out reliability.

Amit: The Ikon is fun to drive because it has a peppy engine and steers well. If it was that great a car, it would be in the saloon championship (or what it's called), instead of the Esteem, and in the INRC instead of the Baleno and Esteem and Vtec. Fun-to-drive should include good braking.

[LandCruiser]

My friend has got a honda city and he was very much frustrated about the *** offered by sundaram honda. He says it is a big thing if they take your car for service and even for small repairs like fixing mud guard etc. they charge labour for 2-3 hours and such ridiculous things



I have been to Sundaram once long time back to test drive a palio. And they asked us to sign an agreemnt saying "if some damage happens to the car..blah blah...). and we added a statement "this applies if the car provided is in perfect drivable condition blah blah...

I dont have a good opinion about sundaram honda..

Whereas both MPL and Chennai ford have been OK when servicing my Ikon.

[suman]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Now you tell me, this is the treatment meted out to some random person. Who would you choose?

It would be an inidividual's prerogative but I think a test drive for a vehicle that has been in the market for a few years would always be available quicker than a vehicle that has just been launched. No offence meant, but this would be the LAST reason for me not to buy a car. I think we all faced this with Fiesta in the initial stages - no registration on test vehicle etc etc so no long test drives etc etc.

If I rejected a new vehicle because I didn't get a immediate test drive, well.........I remember having to call three Tata dealers at least five times each before I finally got a chance to test drive a Dicor; I didn't reject the vehicle on those grounds.......but, as I said, its an individual's point of view!

[suman]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

And yes like i have said earlier baleno still stands out in the crowd whereas a fiesta DOES NOT .. Why would someone want to put in hard earned money and not be noticed ..

That is your individual opinion is it not? As far as I'm concerned, put a 1.6sxi with a spoiler next to a Baleno of the same color and the Fiesta beats it by MILES in terms of character, looks and personality!

Silver to silver, Black to Black.....and, of course, a number of more unusual colors that the Baleno does not even have.........

But, as I said, its MY OPINION....and we all have our own! I wouldn't be noticed ANYWHERE at this point in time in a Baleno