[navin]

Cars to consider
Honda City Vtec: Not Auto, Average Interiors
Honda City CVT: Lackluster Engine, Average Interiors
Chevy Aveo LT: Lackluster Engine, Auto???
Ford Fiesta: Below Average Interiors, Auto???
Chevy Optra SRV: Not launched
Maruti Esteem: dated
Hyundai Verna: Not laucched
Mitsibshi Cedia: Below Average Interiors?

Must Haves
Climate Control
Peppy Engine
Auto Box
Must be about same length as Honda City

Prefered
Indicator stalk on left side (a la Opel, Skoda, etc...).
Tweeter pods for component speakers in front

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by navin

Must Haves
Climate Control
Peppy Engine
Auto Box
Must be about same length as Honday City

Looking at this - the NHC CVT is the best bet though you dont seem to prefer it ? If the driving is in the city primarily , the NHC CVT has no competition.

The OHC has a very good autobox on the 1.5. See if you get a good deal on that...you get a auto thats peppy and accelerates just as well as the manual but with crappy interiors

Optra has a auto I think (someone clarify) , Aveo , Fiesta....do not.

So I think you have to choose between

NHC CVT - great interiors , not so peppy engine, perfect for city driving.

OHC auto - peppy drivers auto box , cramped & crappy interiors

Your call

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by navin

Must Haves
Climate Control
Peppy Engine
Auto Box
Must be about same length as Honda City

Well, are there any mid sizers (I presume < 10 L ) available here with all that ?
It may be easier to decide if you could prioritise those requirements.

I think the best bet would be the Lancer Invex 1.8 (have they launched an auto Cedia?) .. and then do up the interiors.
You get the engine and the auto tranny .. do up the interiors ..

Climate control + Auto - that combi probably doesn't exist in this segment

[Mad Monkey]

still looking for a car for your mother ??????

[goldie_malhotra]

Originally Posted by navin

Cars to consider
Must Haves
Climate Control
Peppy Engine
Auto Box
Must be about same length as Honda City

If you are willing to stretch - both your budget and the length requirements by a bit, you might reach into Corolla A/T territory, which satisfies all of above, and good interiors too.

OT - NHC interiors - average ?? what are you comparing with - Optra ?

[jkdas]

Cars to consider
Honda City Vtec: Not Auto, Average Interiors
Honda City CVT: Lackluster Engine, Average Interiors
Chevy Aveo LT: Lackluster Engine, Auto??? NO AUTO; you wnt like its engine performance
Ford Fiesta: Below Average Interiors, Auto??? NO AUTO; 1.6 a good buy thought, nice interior for 1.6 Sx?
Chevy Optra SRV: Not launched??? Peppy it will be; but doubt abt AUTO
Maruti Esteem: dated; DATED! smaller than city,
Hyundai Verna: Not laucched; emmmm, biggee than city it would be!
Mitsibshi Cedia: Below Average Interiors?; Cedia Elegance interior is good. 115bhp engine. 10.43 OTR. NO AUTO; bigger than city

and can you confirm you budget? and if you would take a hatchback or sedan?


Would it be a family car? or just a single driver? If so, Swift ZXi. or back to Honda. No replacement for a HOnda . And think thers LAncer Invex,with Auto, but no climate control I think.
Jsut forget the Aveo for its engine as you want a peppy engine which Fiesta 1.6 has and so does a Swift and THE VTEC!

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by navin

Cars to consider
Honda City Vtec: Not Auto, Average Interiors
Honda City CVT: Lackluster Engine, Average Interiors
Chevy Aveo LT: Lackluster Engine, Auto???
Ford Fiesta: Below Average Interiors, Auto???
Chevy Optra SRV: Not launched
Maruti Esteem: dated
Hyundai Verna: Not laucched
Mitsibshi Cedia: Below Average Interiors?

Must Haves
Climate Control
Peppy Engine
Auto Box
Must be about same length as Honda City

Prefered
Indicator stalk on left side (a la Opel, Skoda, etc...).
Tweeter pods for component speakers in front

1.8optra L/T A/T
here is the car that meets all your requirements. Not the best auto, neither the best engine, neither the best cooling but meets your requirements.
get 15" alloys with ABD and EBD as an option. But will be out of your budget.

1.8 Corolla Auto comes in second.
the auto sux. Engine is peppy and climate control is present. But design sucks and build quality is equivalent to NHC,Fiesta and such. Out of your budget

1.8 lancer invecs.
aged a lot now. but the gearbox is the best in business within your budget.
No climate control but has rear vents. peppy engine too and same length as honda City. Within your budget.

Mitsubishi cedia
peppy engine(Corolla is quicker) with highest toqrue in its segment. Interiors are excellent. check them out yourself. Doesnt have autobox but the torquiest engine in its class is efficient in city and gearbox will see least action among all the competing manuals. IS bigger than Honda city but has a lower turning radius and is the best value for money in the segment.

Honda city CVT
Another magnificent auto tranny's around. Gives 12kmpl compared to 10 for Invecs. better appointed interiors. weak engine and climate control not present. Is expensive for what you get.

take a test drive of all before you decide.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Mad Monkey

still looking for a car for your mother ??????

Yup. She wants a Peppy, Autobox (is that an oxymoron) with great interiors but finds the Corolla and Optra too big.

My hope is that the Optra SVR will be available with a 1.8L engine and auto box and will be about 8" shorter than the Optra Sedan. When is the SVR expected?

So far the best midsized Auto seems to be the CVT. I'm told the Cedia does NOT come with an Auto box.

BTW did I mention a budget? I dont thnk I did. She liked the Corolla H3 A/T and could afford it but it was too long for her when she is parking. She is chauffer driven most times but wants a car she can drive is she needs to. So rear seat comfort is important too.

Her verdict so far...
CVT, Aveo: No Pep, Aveo has horrible gear shift too but good enough inteiors.
Fiesta: Poor Interiors worse than City CVT/Vtec.
Vtec: Not Auto and Interiors not great either esp compared to Aveo/Corolla.
Cedia: No Auto but not driven long so maybe a test drive is on the cards and what about it's ***?
Verna and Optra SRV: Waiting for the launch.

Her ideal car: Skoda Fabia VRs but she is not waiting! :-) yet she said since the VRs gears are so soft she can forgive the auto.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by navin

Her ideal car: Skoda Fabia VRs but she is not waiting! :-) yet she said since the VRs gears are so soft she can forgive the auto.

The realistic options then are
Optra SRV
Skoda Fabia
- both yet to be launched.

Well .. in that case it's best to go for the Honda CVT. When the Fabia is launched sell it and buy the Fabia. It should give you the best resale among the other autos.

I think ACI reported that the Fabia may not be launched as a sedan but as a hatchback.

[jkdas]

Whats wrong with Fiesta's int? Its not so bad! Cedia is big.

[devarshi84]

Why dont you also look at the invecs when you visit the HM dealer for the cedia drive?

For peppy autobox at Honda City's size under 10 lacs there is just one car sadly after OHC 1.5 AT was discontinued.

Otherwise Honda city CVT is also a magnificent Automatic car in the city.

[navin]

Mom drove the CVT a few times (my niece and nephew drive them) but she is a bit more spirited and on roads like Worli Sea Face she was bugged she could not acclerate fast enough. Ageed that of the cars available today it is one that suits her best. I want her to have an auto box only so that she stops redlining becuase she forgets to change gears or is getting to lazy to do so (cant tell which).

OT: The oldies (esp the females) in my family seem to have a lot of spunk. Yesterday my god mom (she is 83) was pulled over for giving a cop who cut her off the bird! My gadfather was estatic at the news. :-)

Talked to mom and she is willing to wait for the Optra SRV. Right now she is surviving becuase we visit her on weekends (when she is not chauffered) and she gets to use my Octy vRS. So Mumbaites if you are tailgated by a 70 year old woman in a Silver vRS on Marine Drive you know who it is. :-)

[Minardi]

navin, i find the CVT really peppy. i think you should check it out for yourself. actually in an auto, to drive 'peppily' (meaning lower gears) by controlling through the acceleration pedal is not easy.

also, the city has a 'sport' mode (transmission), which shd be more zippy.

[navin]

We did not try Sport Mode. Maybe I'll have her drive it in that condition and see if it helps. Still just because Opel-Chevy seem to have class leading cosmetics (witness Opel Astra in 1996 and Aveo today) she might wait for the Optra SRV and then decide. Lets hope they are faster than Skoda at releasing cars.

[goldie_malhotra]

Originally Posted by navin

BTW did I mention a budget? I dont thnk I did. She liked the Corolla H3 A/T and could afford it but it was too long for her when she is parking. She is chauffer driven most times but wants a car she can drive is she needs to. So rear seat comfort is important too.

The corolla is just 5-6 inches longer than the NHC ZX, and for a car of 15 feet length, its just a small difference. Also, the turning radius is just a bit larger at 5m i.s.o 4.9m for NHC.

I drive a NHC and dont see a big difference in parking my cousins corolla, even while doing it in reverse.
But again, its a matter of personal choice.