[NST440]

Ford classic is the choice here, it is one of those vehicles you would fall in love with everytime you take her on the road. Yes, the resale may be less but still the ownership is going to be a delight in itself, the steering response and superb dynamics makes it one of the best drivers car in its segment and i think its still one of the good looking cars available in the market. One plus is, it has been in the market for long and therefore its spares are easily available. Go ahead , follow your heart, you wont be disappointed.

[shinuak]

Among the choices, the fiesta seems to make most sense as a drivers car. The car feels almost petrol-like when it comes to low rpm response. Though I have not driven Amaze, I would blindly trust our expert reviews, esp GTOs point that it may not be as brilliant a car as the Ford when it comes to handling and cornering. The fiesta hydraulic steering gives you awesome feel at high speeds, when compared to joy stick like EPS which usually comes in cars nowadays. But I suppose Classic does not offer the 1.6 petrol anymore, so if you are looking for a new one, then it has to be the TDCI duratorq . Its great value for money and the only downside is that it is too old and may be phased out earlier when compared to Amaze.

[sumeethaldankar]

Have you considered the Petrol Swift.I think it ticks most of your check boxes. I think the Lxi model could come under your budget 5.5 lacs. The only gripe about the Fiesta is that's old and one does not have a clue if Ford would continue making one in the future.

[herculesksp]

So there was a moment a few days back. As I had probably said in the beginning of the thread, I TDed a few cars and my choices ranged from smaller hatches to the cheaper sedans.

Now I mentioned to my wife that I had put a questions on TBHP and that there was a high recommendation for the Classic, she asked me - 'So then we are not going for the Alto?'. I was like <silence>...

Again had a discussion with her and now we are back towards deciding on the Classic.

Originally Posted by MotoNanu

Jazz is more of a luxury hatch with acres of spaces and a refined engine.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Oh definitely agree that the Jazz is not a driver’s car. But in my opinion, it’s a much better choice than the Amaze petrol.

I love the Jazz. In fact I had not even been looking at new releases since I was thinking I will just go for the Jazz after the current lease got over. Too bad that it is now discontinued - though some showroom are offering takeover of cancelled bookings.

Originally Posted by girishglg

But slightly if you move away from these two choices, have you ever considered the Ritz.
The only give away is the banged up look of the back but it will surely grow upon as time passes by. Since you are also open to a hatch which is very practical in a cities, you could just test drive it and see if you like it.

Actually I do like the Ritz and the shape too. I am leaning away from it just because the Fiesta is offering much more VFM.

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Have you considered the Petrol Swift.I think it ticks most of your check boxes. I think the Lxi model could come under your budget 5.5 lacs.

Swift was one of my first loves. That car fit me and my needs as snugly as a glove. However that is exactly the point why I am leaning towards the Classic. The low end model comes in my budget and it has all the necessary frills like power windows etc which the swift would lack. Plus the boot of the new Swift is terribly small.

Originally Posted by nkishore_007

+1 to this. keeping into mind the amount of driving you would end up doing, you do not need a "drivers car". Had I been in your place, I would not go in for a sedan for a approximate monthly drive of 125 KMs. And in Bangalore traffic? Nope.

Originally Posted by saion666

This seems to be more of a purchase from the heart than from the head(why else would someone buy a sedan or may I say a car for 5-6 km once a week and 20-30 km on weekends)

Ok, maybe it is somewhere in between the head and the heart. I wouldn't go for any other sedan, but it was just that the pricing of the Classic fits perfectly, and it is in fact more car per car for me.

In my last 3 years, I have maybe gone on just 2 outings of 3+ days. On one occasion my Indica boot was full and my passenger seat too. (stuff for the kid, including her pram)

On the second occasion I had 4 people and our luggage and we had the boot stuffed and one bag in the rear seat.

There were just 2 occasions, but I don't want it to be a reason for not going / planning such drives just because I do not have the space. I want to take it as it comes and not have to think 100 times about it. And at those times I would really want a 'drivers' car as during my latest outing I drove 11 hours straight one way, and 12 hours on the return.

Secondly, I would like to keep this car after the current lease gets over, so I would jump at the opportunity of a long-termer. It simply makes no sense to keep buying a new car every 3.5 years.

I had pegged my budget at 4-4.5 lakhs, but I am just getting so much more with the Classic by just upping my budget a bit. And that is where I could definitely use your advice, not just for the choice of the Classic, but also my rationale.

[vnabhi]

@shinuak--you may like to know that the Classic petrol is offered only in the 1.6 avatar: the 1.4 duratec was discontinued way back in 2007.

@herculesksp---your rationale sounds very sound. Listen to your heart and mind and go for the Classic. And keep smiling.

[sharadmumbai]

hi herculesksp
I'm a proud owner of three fords and you can go for Fiesta Classic eyes closed as it ticks all your requirements and is the best driver's car in the segment.
I'll add a few points NOT covered:
+ives:
1. Low Maintenance: Buy an extended warranty which can be extended to cover 4 years and standard 1Lakh km which you are unlikely to reach in 4 years. Parts availability is surprisingly good based on my experience in Mumbai
2. Interiors are actually very good and Stock Music system is top quality.
3. Braking is good and sure
4. Resale value of petrol classic is shockingly low so you can actually get a good deal when buying out from yr leasing company. So this can be a positive for you.

-ives
1. You will have a low FE of around 9 to 10 especially if you do short runs
2. rear space is just ok. 3 people in rear will be slightly tight

You can extract a lot of discounts and freebies. I got almost 50k corporate discount plus reverse parking sensors/body cover/mats/rear spoilers in 2010. Guess you can get more now!!!!

[Karthik1100]

Being an ardent FIAT fan and a budget of 7.5 lakhs for a powerful petrol sedan, I had no option but to just go for the Ford Fiesta Classic 1.6 Clxi a year ago. Zero niggles and wonderful service experience.

-ves:
Awesome music system but I hardly use it just to enjoy the roar of the 1.6 motor when revved high, and whatta fantastic gear box it has.! I can go on and on.. Absolutely love my Fiesta!

Mileage in city is 9 and highways at moderate speed is 12.5. Good enough!!

Credits to vnabhi(and thanks for the history on Fords in India!), ghodlur, bennyb etc for letting us know how wonderful the Fiesta is!





YES, I LIVE TO DRIVE!!

[crdi]

My piece; Every newly launched car will invariably have some visible or invisible tweaks 8-12 months into its life, based on customer and service center feed backs. Even though I am pretty sure that Honda won't experiment with its products on people the way Tata has done with its sierra/estate/original indica/most of their passenger vehicles, the amaze too will invariably have some changes. So if you incline towards the amaze, it will be wiser to wait a little more.

[skm1967]

I was in a similar dilemma last year. After considering cars upto C2 segment I had shortlisted three- Mitsubishi Cedia, Ford Classic Titanium and Fiat T-Jet. My first choice was Cedia but HM salesman simply did not show any interest in following up. My next choice was Ford Classic Titanium (petrol). Just then Fiat came up with amazing offer on T-Jet and I decided to go for it.

My analysis and study (mainly on Team BHP) led me to believe that Ford Classic was a really good car and a better VFM package than most other cars in this range. I think one needs to follow one's convictions and not follow the herd.

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by herculesksp

2. I would like to buy a car that costs a maximum of 5.5 lakhs ex-showroom Bangalore. This is pretty much the limit to which I can stretch to. If I can get something around 4.5 then I would jump at it.
.

I would suggest you look for a 2009/10 used Fiesta. Great value for money + No Loss of resale value.

Mumbai prices for 2009/10 will be around 3.75 to 4.0 lakhs. Bangalore prices, though higher, will fit in your budget and save some money for delicious add-ons

[Nalin Kumar]

Originally Posted by herculesksp

3. I would really like a drivers car. I have suffered in a Tata for far too long. I would also like a car that is stable at highway speeds. A TD of an Alto was very disconcerting after having driven around my Vista.

I own a Fiesta SXI (pre-Classic, one of the last units I was fortunate to get). Its a diesel, and mostly driven in Kerala and Karnataka. Though your consideration is a petrol and the Classic version, which I have not driven, I thought I will share my experience with Fiesta. I have also not driven the Amaze. So, you may take it with some add on!

1. The ride and handling of the Fiesta is amazing. This is the drivers car! My car has seen the best and worst of all roads. So, be it on the expressways, broken tarmacs in rural areas or forests, it handles very well. Only the Fiats would outshine in the ride and handling department.
   
2. I would also add the Bangalore experience, the city notorious for monstrous speedbreakers. Though the Fiesta's GC of 168 mm may sound inadequate, the instances of bellyscrape have been very rare. It scraped when I had 5 adults on board with boot full of luggage. This makes the Fiesta more practical compared to Amaze which has a lower clearance and softer set up.
   
3. The Classic has some cost cutting, may be on features and not in the design. Its a proper sedan and it is difficult to spot a flimsy panel.
   
4. Of course, the looks are subjective. The Amaze is very young and would not age in hurry. The Classic, I feel, doesnt look so dated either. Both Amaze and Fiesta have the reputation of keeping form and functionality together - sedans with good all-round visibility which is a boon in city traffic (I can vouch for the Fiesta on this, you may check out the Amaze).

[Tin7262]

To each, their own. You are the only person who knows what you need and importantly like, within your budget & consideration. TD the cars from more than one dealer to remove any doubts and the one that ticks all the boxes that you have drawn is the one you should buy. The ideal and perfect sedan that sits 5 comfortably, gives extraordinary mileage at ridiculously low maintenance costs, besides being the best driver car...... has not been built. My take, of the two that you have chosen, go for the Ford, perhaps this tugs at your heart more than the Amaze

[herculesksp]

Oh well... things have turned on their head.

So I couldn't yet get a TD from the Ford dealership close to home since he said he didn't have a TD car.

In the meantime, wife and I decide that she should also drive the car and get comfortable with it. The only way she is ever going near a car if she has a small car and I decided then that for her sake we need a Auto. I would like to drop the entry barrier as low as I can so that there is no excuse for her and she can just focus on the road.

So we decided to just go for an i10 AT. I am getting this jitters from the fact that I can get the Classic at just 20k-30k more than the i10 AT. :(

And then I made a really fatal mistake - I test drove the GT TSI. I want that car... I want... I want... I want.... :(

After driving the GT, the i10 just kept wheezing and whining and did not even look like it was going anywhere. It is a decent car no doubt, but nothing can compare after you drive the GT.

But probably this time I put my wife's interest in the front and go for the i10 AT.

[rosh_aveo1.4]

Damn it! I was just gonna type go for the fiesta with your eyes closed. Once you drive that car, you are hooked. The heavy yet positive shifting gear, the well weighed steering wheel that seems sculpted for your hand and that gorgeous engine. Nothing comes close to perfection.
Anyway, family do come first. But the last time I agreed to family, I ended up buying an Aveo 1.4 instead of the Fiesta 1.6 because they felt it wasn't spacious or airy like the Aveo. And it's a decision I regret till date! I even named my handle after the silly car, just to convince myself. LOL!

P.S: Do yourself a favor, ask friends (or anyone in tbhp) who owns the fiesta 1.6 just to test drive the car before you fix the i10 deal. It might change your mind. Cause my opinion is, if you are going to use the car once a week, use one that excites you and makes you look forward for that weekend to come. Only few cars can do that and one of them is the Fiesta.

Oh, btw, have you ever considered a preowned automatic Civic (that was my redemption for purchasing the Aveo). Almost the same budget (slightly higher maybe) and automatic for hassle free driving and for the wife maybe but more importantly, loads and loads of fun. Low mileage maybe but since it's once a week, go enjoy!

[ACM]

The Fiesta classic is really the better vehicle but, but it does suffer from poor sales numbers and hence poor resale. So clearly this is one case where it would make most sense to buy preowned.

So a Preowned Fiesta would be superb value and fun and yet you don't loose out any bit in resale / depreciation loss since you buy it post the major drop in price.

Preowned Civic too would we as nice an Idea but at a higher price point.

Amaze though a good vehicle if we compare the options a preowned Fiesta is an opportunity that should not be missed. A new Amaze though is a more sensible buy then the Fiesta irrespective of the years you keep the vehicle for. (Amaze Petrol though too will depreciate quite fast).